On November 4, the NCAA Women’s Volleyball official X handle dropped the Week 10 rankings with a tweet that read, “Week 10 @AVCAVolleyball/ Taraflex Coaches Poll,” and guess who’s holding steady at No. 2? That’s right—Nebraska Volleyball, just a hair behind Pittsburgh, who’ve been comfortably perched at the top spot.

But the competition is fierce! Coming in at No. 3 is Penn State, with Louisville right behind them at No. 4. Then we’ve got Creighton and Stanford, rounding out the top six. Wisconsin checks in at No. 7, while Kansas follows closely at No. 8. Purdue secures the 9th spot, and in at No. 10 is SMU. The rankings continue with a collection of powerhouse teams, filling up the top 25 with talent and grit and the fight for the top is as fierce as ever!

The undefeated Pitts (21-1, 11-1 ACC) have been on a tear, winning six straight since their lone loss to No. 10 SMU on October 12 and they continue to reign as the No. 1 team, securing 49 first-place votes—just two less than the previous week. Meanwhile, Nebraska Volleyball earned 11 first-place votes, gaining two more since the October 28 polls, showing they’re right on their heels.

So, how’s this a “curse”? Well, as the Huskers continue their unstoppable winning streak, they’ve found themselves in a bit of a bind. Despite their incredible performance, they just can’t seem to clinch that elusive top spot. Even in the last rankings that came out last month, Nebraska sat at No. 2, with Pittsburgh still holding strong in the top spot, comfortably watching the Huskers chase their shadow. But even with that pesky curse still hanging over them, Nebraska Volleyball somehow managed to break another one that’s been dragging on for 11 long years.

Nebraska Volleyball breaks the 11-year curse!

Yep, you heard it right! While Nebraska volleyball isn’t sitting at the top of the rankings just yet, they pulled off something incredible—breaking an 11-year drought against Wisconsin on November 1st. The Badgers, who hadn’t been swept at home in eight years, faced a shock as the Huskers took them down in straight sets—25-21, 25-22, 25-19. Wisconsin’s home court had been a fortress for years, but Nebraska shattered that record in a stunning upset.

Since 2013, the Nebraska Volleyball had been unable to conquer Wisconsin at their place, but last week, they finally did. Coach John Cook, who’s seen the Badgers’ strength up close, couldn’t hide his emotion after the win. “They were very disciplined tonight,” he said, highlighting the focus that allowed Nebraska to stay composed in such a tough environment.

Despite the thousands of Badger fans screaming against them, the Huskers stayed calm and played point by point, keeping control of the match. “Our key was not to let the crowd bother us,” Cook explained. Even though Nebraska Volleyball is not No. 1 in the rankings yet, this victory over Wisconsin proves Nebraska’s resilience and leaves fans eagerly waiting for what comes next.