As Nebraska Huskers Advance Further, NCAA Volleyball Championship Houses Four Big Ten Powerhouses in Regional Finals

The Nebraska Huskers Women’s Volleyball Team defeated the Missouri Tigers in the second round of their NCAA playoffs. The Huskers eliminated the Tigers from the national title race via a big clean sweep, and now find themselves in the Sweet-16 round.

Interestingly, the numero uno seed in the NCAA Volleyball Tournament will see several familiar faces in the upcoming stage. In fact, the Nebraska Huskers make the fourth Big Ten Conference powerhouse to make it to the regional finals. Here are the other Big Ten giants who have qualified for the next stage.

The 2021 Champions, Wisconsin Badgers

The Wisconsin Badgers is one of the most explosive and ferocious teams in the entire NCAA and not just the Big Ten Conference. The team known for dishing out clean sweeps finished second in the conference standings with a record of 17-3. The Badgers, who also got their revenge on the Nebraska Huskers before ending the regular season, have continued their dominance in the postseason as well. 

With head coach Kelly Sheffield at its helm, Wisconsin would look forward to beating the Nebraska Huskers once again like in 2021 to lift the NCAA Championship in 2023. However, they will have to face another Big Ten Powerhouse in the regional finals before they do that. Interestingly, Wisconsin has faced this team twice and has both won and lost a game.

The eternal powerhouse team of Penn State Nittany Lions

The Penn State Nittany Lions hold considerable sway in the NCAA and have been a leading team for a long time. The current season, however, has been a little rough for Penn State as they suffered eight losses in the regular season. Penn State qualified for the regional finals after winning a five-set thriller against Kansas.

Penn State is the second most successful NCAA women’s volleyball program with seven championship wins. However, their last win arrived almost a decade ago in 2014. Although the Nittany Lions couldn’t beat the Nebraska Huskers in the regular season, they defeated their regional finals opponents, Wisconsin, in their last face-off. However, there exists another Big Ten Powerhouse that has defeated both Penn State and Wisconsin.

The Titan-slaying team of Purdue Boilermakers

The Purdue Boilermakers are a combination of skill, ruthlessness, tenacity, and absolute destruction. While the Boilermakers are also a powerhouse squad, their status is still seen as that of an usurper. The Boilermakers have earned the reputation of a Titan-slaying team, claiming the heads of Wisconsin and Penn State this season.

Moreover, the Boilermakers reached the regional finals after defeating the Marquette Golden Eagles in a four-set double-deuce showdown. Purdue has also proven itself as an endurance fighter, whose chances increase the longer a match plays out. While the players in gold have slayed almost every Titan in the Big Ten and Beyond, they are yet to defeat the Nebraska Huskers.

The number one seed of NCAA Volleyball Championship, Nebraska Huskers

The Nebraska Huskers are the third-most successful volleyball program in the history of the NCAA, with five championship runs. However, their dominance is almost at an all-time high in 2023.

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The Huskers cruised through the regular season with an unbeaten streak of 27 matches, which was later ended by Wisconsin. 

However, this didn’t phase the top-seeded team, as they continued their winning juggernaut. The Nebraska Huskers have also earned their way to the regional finals via clean-sweeping victories. Nebraska had last held the NCAA Volleyball Championship trophy in its hands back in 2017 and lost the finals to Wisconsin in 2021. Will the Big Ten Champs of 2023 go on and become the NCAA Champions of 2023 as well?

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