The Weekend's Hottest NCAA Volleyball Matches
The Weekend's Hottest NCAA Volleyball Matches
The top NCAA volleyball matches to watch for the weekend of October 28-October 30.
In top volleyball conferences like the Big Ten, Pac-12, and Big 12, there's no such thing as a night off. From September to December, the same could be said for the die-hard volleyball fan--never a night without a match, or three, to watch. Here's our list of the biggest NCAA women's volleyball matches of the weekend.
If Wisconsin wins this Big Ten matchup between two of the nation's top-10 programs, the Badgers and the Nittany Lions will be tied for second place in the conference. If Penn State wins, it will be the third hard-to-swallow loss for Wisconsin in three weeks. Wisconsin will therefore take the floor of the UW Field House with a lot to prove, but Penn State is also coming off of its first Big Ten loss of the season at the hands of Michigan and will be fired up to not turn one loss into a losing streak.
The last time these two teams met, on September 30, San Diego swept BYU. This time, however, the Toreros will travel to Provo, where they have only won one of the past five matches versus the Cougars. In the BYU home gym, the Cougars are certainly more formidable than they are on the road, and a victory for the Cougars would mark USD's first WCC loss.
This pair of top-10 teams will clash inside Kansas' Horejsi Family Athletics Center on Saturday night. Texas handily won the match when it played the Jayhawks in Austin, but in its last 30 home matches, Kansas boasts a record of 29-1. That one loss? To Texas, on November 11, 2015. It's going to be a battle, folks.
The Nittany Lions are getting ready for what is perhaps the most difficult weekend of the season in the strongest volleyball conference in the country. Less than 24 hours after playing Wisconsin in Madison, Penn State will travel to Minneapolis to take on Minnesota. In their most recent meeting, Penn State upset Minnesota in Happy Valley when the Gophers were ranked No.1 in the country.
Ranking third and fourth in the Big 12 standings, respectively, Baylor and Kansas State will play on K-State's home court in Manhattan on Saturday. Baylor's 6-2 start to the Big 12 season marked the best start to conference play in program history, and junior outside hitter Katie Staiger's 5.48 kills per set is good for fourth in the country. Kansas State pushed conference leader Texas to five sets when the two teams played on October 1, and the Wildcats have big wins on their 2016 record, including over Hawaii, Arizona, and Creighton. However, the last time Baylor and K-State met, the Bears claimed the victory in straight sets.
Michigan State at Purdue | 7 PM ET | BTN2Go
Michigan State and Purdue are two teams that have pulled off some huge upsets so far this season. However, after taking down Stanford and Kansas in preseason, Purdue has had more trouble since the start of Big Ten season. The Boilermakers are 3-7 in conference and have lost six of their last eight matches. At 6-4, Michigan State is ranked seventh in the Big Ten and has secured victories over nationally ranked conference foes Minnesota and Ohio State.
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Friday, October 28
Penn State at Wisconsin | 8 PM CT | BTN2Go
If Wisconsin wins this Big Ten matchup between two of the nation's top-10 programs, the Badgers and the Nittany Lions will be tied for second place in the conference. If Penn State wins, it will be the third hard-to-swallow loss for Wisconsin in three weeks. Wisconsin will therefore take the floor of the UW Field House with a lot to prove, but Penn State is also coming off of its first Big Ten loss of the season at the hands of Michigan and will be fired up to not turn one loss into a losing streak.
San Diego at BYU | 7 PM MT | WCC Sports Stream
The last time these two teams met, on September 30, San Diego swept BYU. This time, however, the Toreros will travel to Provo, where they have only won one of the past five matches versus the Cougars. In the BYU home gym, the Cougars are certainly more formidable than they are on the road, and a victory for the Cougars would mark USD's first WCC loss.
Saturday, October 29
Texas at Kansas | 6:30 PM CT | ESPN3
This pair of top-10 teams will clash inside Kansas' Horejsi Family Athletics Center on Saturday night. Texas handily won the match when it played the Jayhawks in Austin, but in its last 30 home matches, Kansas boasts a record of 29-1. That one loss? To Texas, on November 11, 2015. It's going to be a battle, folks.
Penn State at Minnesota | 6:30 PM CT | BTN2Go
The Nittany Lions are getting ready for what is perhaps the most difficult weekend of the season in the strongest volleyball conference in the country. Less than 24 hours after playing Wisconsin in Madison, Penn State will travel to Minneapolis to take on Minnesota. In their most recent meeting, Penn State upset Minnesota in Happy Valley when the Gophers were ranked No.1 in the country.
Baylor at Kansas State | 7 PM CT | K-State Stream
Ranking third and fourth in the Big 12 standings, respectively, Baylor and Kansas State will play on K-State's home court in Manhattan on Saturday. Baylor's 6-2 start to the Big 12 season marked the best start to conference play in program history, and junior outside hitter Katie Staiger's 5.48 kills per set is good for fourth in the country. Kansas State pushed conference leader Texas to five sets when the two teams played on October 1, and the Wildcats have big wins on their 2016 record, including over Hawaii, Arizona, and Creighton. However, the last time Baylor and K-State met, the Bears claimed the victory in straight sets.
Michigan State at Purdue | 7 PM ET | BTN2Go
Michigan State and Purdue are two teams that have pulled off some huge upsets so far this season. However, after taking down Stanford and Kansas in preseason, Purdue has had more trouble since the start of Big Ten season. The Boilermakers are 3-7 in conference and have lost six of their last eight matches. At 6-4, Michigan State is ranked seventh in the Big Ten and has secured victories over nationally ranked conference foes Minnesota and Ohio State.
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