How to Watch Nebraska Volleyball vs. No. 6 Wisconsin: Preview, Breakdown, TV Channel

The sequel between the No. 2 Huskers and Badgers Saturday night will be a major decider for the Big Ten title race in the final two weeks.

Geoff Exstrom | Nov 22, 2024

Oct 25, 2024; Lincoln, NE, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers outside hitter Harper Murray attacks against Illinois Fighting Illini. / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

The sequel is set to hit theaters.

With its first win over Wisconsin in Madison since 2013, the No. 2 Nebraska volleyball team appears to be peaking at the right time, and hopes to ride that momentum to a second-straight Big Ten championship.

The Huskers are certainly in the driver’s seat for that accolade with an unblemished 17-0 conference record following a sweep of Iowa Wednesday night in Iowa City. Penn State remains one game behind, so a falter along the way is something Nebraska can’t really afford before its Nov. 29 match in Happy Valley.

No. 6 Wisconsin is the third wheel in the trio of teams battling for league supremacy, and a win over the Huskers on Saturday night is a must-win for their title hopes.

Here’s all you need to know for the Huskers and Badgers second battle of the season.

How to Follow Along

Matchup: No. 2 Nebraska (27-1, 17-0 B1G) vs. No. 6 Wisconsin (21-5, 15-2 B1G)
When: 7 p.m. CST Saturday, November 22
Where: Bob Devaney Sports Center, Lincoln, NE
Watch: Big Ten Network
Listen: Huskers Radio Network and affiliates

Sep 13, 2023; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Wisconsin head coach Kelly Sheffield watches his team during their volleyball match against Marquette Wednesday, September 13, 2023. / Mark Hoffman-Imagn Images

Wisconsin Scout

2023 Record: 30-4 (17-3 B1G, 2nd) | AVCA National Player of the Year, First-Team All-American, Second-Team All-American, Two Third-Team All-Americans, Honorable Mention All-American | B1G Player of the Year, Three First Team All-Big Ten members, One Second Team All-Big Ten selection | 3-1 loss to eventual national champion Texas in the Final Four.

All-Time Series: Nebraska Leads 21-14-1 (Nov. 1, 2024 last matchup, 3-0 NU)

Fun Fact: Nebraska coach John Cook led the Wisconsin program from 1992 through 1998 before going back to Nebraska. He achieved a 161-73 overall record, including back-to-back 30-win seasons and trips to the Elite Eight in his final two years in Madison. His .688 winning percentage was the highest in school history for coaches with more than one season until Kelly Sheffield arrived to revitalize the program.

Key Additions: Carly Anderson, S, Gr. (Montana) | Charlie Fuerbringer, S, Fr. (Recruit) | Trinity Shadd-Ceres, OH, Fr. (Recruit) | Lola Schumacher, L / DS, Fr. (Recruit).

Key Departures: Temi Thomas-Ailara, OH (Eligibility) | Izzy Ashburn, S (Eligibility) | MJ Hammill, S (Eligibility).

Outlook: The Badgers haven’t missed a beat since getting swept off their home court by the Huskers. Wisconsin followed their loss to Nebraska with four consecutive sweeps, including back-to-back straight set wins over No. 3 Penn State and No. 23 USC. The victory over the Nittany Lions was particularly impressive, and was a must win for UW to keep its Big Ten title hopes alive.

The Badgers were tested Wednesday night, however, as part of their Silent Match against No. 16 Minnesota. The Golden Gophers took a 2-1 set lead, but Wisconsin battled back in the fourth with a 25-20 win to force a decisive fifth game. It went past the wire, with the Badgers eventually winning a pressure-packed 20-18 set.

A storyline going into Saturday will be the health of Wisconsin’s floor defenders as libero Lola Schumacher (concussion) and defensive specialist Gulce Guctekin were both out with injuries.

This match will decide the Big Ten title narratives heading into the final weekend of conference play with Wisconsin needing the win more than the Huskers. But with Nebraska’s utter dominance at home – shown by a 40-match home winning streak – as well as the elite level of play over the past few weeks, the Huskers should come out on top. With a motivated Badger squad playing for a top four national seed, this shouldn’t be a sweep, but a four-set win for NU seems plausible.