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After one of the most dominant runs through the Big Ten last year, the league’s coaches expect Nebraska to do the same this fall.
Nebraska was the unanimous selection to win the conference in the preseason poll, which was released on Thursday. In 2025, the Huskers won their third straight Big Ten title with a 20-0 record and dropped only one set to a league opponent (UCLA).
Wisconsin was picked second behind NU, the same spot it finished in 2025. The coaches expect Penn State to bounce back after the Nittany Lions fell to a tie for sixth place after losing setter Izzy Starck in the season. PSU added former Florida All-American setter Alexis Stucky to the roster this year.
Purdue and Minnesota round out the top five. They are followed by Indiana, USC, Oregon, UCLA and Illinois.
The Nebraska Cornhuskers celebrate with head coach Dani Busboom Kelly during the awards ceremony for becoming the 2025 Big Ten Volleyball Champions after defeating Penn State at Bob Devaney Sports Center. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images
Picked to finish 10-15 are Michigan, Michigan State, Washington, Northwestern and Iowa. Ohio State, Rutgers and Maryland were the bottom three. In the first year of the Big Ten Tournament, only the top 15 teams make the field for the event, which will wrap up the last week of November in Fishers, Indiana.
In addition to the team recognition, three Huskers picked up individual honors on Thursday. Setter Bergen Reilly, outside hitter Harper Murray and middle blocker Andi Jackson were all unanimous selections for the All-Big Ten preseason team. The only other unanimous selection for the 19-member team was Penn State opposite Kennedi Martin.
Reilly and Murray have both made the Big Ten end-of-season first team all three years of their careers. Reilly was the Big Ten Player of the Year last year and has been named the league’s top setter three times and is seeking to become the first four-time honoree this year. Jackson was named to the Big Ten first team the past two years and was a second-team selection her freshman season.
Jackson, Reilly and Murray were also recognized on Wednesday as three of 30 players placed on the AVCA National Player of the Year watch list. Reilly was a finalist for the award last year, and all three were first-team All-Americans. Jackson and Reilly were also recognized by the AVCA as the top players in their position. Only Kentucky had more players honored, with four Wildcats on the list.
The three NU honorees on the Big Ten preseason team tied Purdue for the most from one team. The recognized Boilermakers were setter Taylor Anderson, outside hitter Kenna Wollard and opposite Grace Heaney, an Elkhorn North graduate.
Only players from the top nine teams in the coaches' poll had players selected to the preseason poll. The team included five outside hitters, five opposites, five setters, three middle blockers and one libero.
Teams with two players honored included Indiana (OH Jaidyn Jager and S Teodora Kričković), Oregon (OPP Alanah Clemente and OH Valentina Vaulet), Penn State (Martin and Stucky), UCLA (L Lola Schumacher and MB Marianna Singletary), USC (OH Adonia Faumuina and OPP Abigail Mullen) and Wisconsin (MB Jaela Auguste and S Charlie Fuerbringer. Opposite Carly Gilk from Minnesota was also on the team.
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Nebraska was the unanimous selection to win the conference in the preseason poll, which was released on Thursday. In 2025, the Huskers won their third straight Big Ten title with a 20-0 record and dropped only one set to a league opponent (UCLA).
Wisconsin was picked second behind NU, the same spot it finished in 2025. The coaches expect Penn State to bounce back after the Nittany Lions fell to a tie for sixth place after losing setter Izzy Starck in the season. PSU added former Florida All-American setter Alexis Stucky to the roster this year.
Purdue and Minnesota round out the top five. They are followed by Indiana, USC, Oregon, UCLA and Illinois.
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The Nebraska Cornhuskers celebrate with head coach Dani Busboom Kelly during the awards ceremony for becoming the 2025 Big Ten Volleyball Champions after defeating Penn State at Bob Devaney Sports Center. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images
Picked to finish 10-15 are Michigan, Michigan State, Washington, Northwestern and Iowa. Ohio State, Rutgers and Maryland were the bottom three. In the first year of the Big Ten Tournament, only the top 15 teams make the field for the event, which will wrap up the last week of November in Fishers, Indiana.
In addition to the team recognition, three Huskers picked up individual honors on Thursday. Setter Bergen Reilly, outside hitter Harper Murray and middle blocker Andi Jackson were all unanimous selections for the All-Big Ten preseason team. The only other unanimous selection for the 19-member team was Penn State opposite Kennedi Martin.
Reilly and Murray have both made the Big Ten end-of-season first team all three years of their careers. Reilly was the Big Ten Player of the Year last year and has been named the league’s top setter three times and is seeking to become the first four-time honoree this year. Jackson was named to the Big Ten first team the past two years and was a second-team selection her freshman season.
preseason nods for big red
Three Huskers were named to @AVCAVolleyball's POY watch list + @B1GVolleyball's All-Conference team!#GBRpic.twitter.com/LtYSOsUUno
— Nebraska Volleyball (@HuskerVB) July 30, 2026
Jackson, Reilly and Murray were also recognized on Wednesday as three of 30 players placed on the AVCA National Player of the Year watch list. Reilly was a finalist for the award last year, and all three were first-team All-Americans. Jackson and Reilly were also recognized by the AVCA as the top players in their position. Only Kentucky had more players honored, with four Wildcats on the list.
The three NU honorees on the Big Ten preseason team tied Purdue for the most from one team. The recognized Boilermakers were setter Taylor Anderson, outside hitter Kenna Wollard and opposite Grace Heaney, an Elkhorn North graduate.
Only players from the top nine teams in the coaches' poll had players selected to the preseason poll. The team included five outside hitters, five opposites, five setters, three middle blockers and one libero.
Teams with two players honored included Indiana (OH Jaidyn Jager and S Teodora Kričković), Oregon (OPP Alanah Clemente and OH Valentina Vaulet), Penn State (Martin and Stucky), UCLA (L Lola Schumacher and MB Marianna Singletary), USC (OH Adonia Faumuina and OPP Abigail Mullen) and Wisconsin (MB Jaela Auguste and S Charlie Fuerbringer. Opposite Carly Gilk from Minnesota was also on the team.
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