How to Watch No. 1 Nebraska Volleyball vs. Michigan & Michigan State with Previews, Breakdowns, TV Channel

An emotional homecoming will be in store for the No. 1 Nebraska volleyball team this weekend.

Nebraska opens a four-match stretch that includes its final regular-season road matches with a trip to Michigan, which could be star outside hitter Harper Murray's last homecoming in a Husker uniform. With the 2027 Big Ten schedule anticipated to change opponents and flip home sites, Murray's chance of seeing her home state again isn't a likely scenario if she decided to return for her fifth season.

It's a unique time for Murray's reunion, who enters this weekend on a hot streak after struggling through non-conference play. She paces NU with 3.50 kills per set and is a nationwide leader among outside hitters in most passing metrics. With pressure mounting as the postseason nears, the spotlight will continue to shine bright on Murray as the Huskers look to avoid any upset during their time in the Wolverine state.

Here's all you need to know.

How to Follow Along

Game 1

Matchup: No. 1 Nebraska (21-0, 10-0 B1G) at Michigan (13-8, 4-6 B1G)
When: Friday, October 30
Where: Crisler Center, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Time: 5:30 p.m. CDT
Watch: B1G+
Listen: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates
How to Sync Husker Radio with TV Broadcast

Game 2

Matchup: No. 1 Nebraska (21-0, 10-0 B1G) at Michigan State (17-3, 7-3 B1G)
When: Saturday, October 31
Where: Breslin Center, East Lansing, Mich.
Time: 3:30 p.m. CDT
Watch: B1G+
Listen: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates
How to Sync Husker Radio with TV Broadcast

Michigan Scout

Head Coach

Erin Virtue | 4th season at Michigan & Head Coach
60-54 (.526) at Michigan & as Head Coach
1x NCAA Tournament Appearances
Previous assistant at USA Volleyball, Northwestern, Michigan, Cincinnati & Loyola

2025 Finish

L, 3-0 to No. 1 Pittsburgh in NCAA Second Round

2025 Record & Awards

Record: 22-11 (11-9 B1G, 9th)
AVCA All-Americans: 1x Honorable Mention
All-B1G: 1x First Team, 1x Second Team

All-Time Series

Nebraska leads 26-3
Oct. 19, 2025, last matchup; 3-0 NU

Michigan outside hitter Ella Demetrician leads the Wolverines with 4.56 points per set in a breakout junior season. | Michigan Athletics

Key Returners

Ella Demetrician | OH | Jr. | Coming off a sophomore season that ended with her being second on the team in scoring, the Wisconsin native now leads the Wolverines in points (351.5) and ranks third in the Big Ten with 4.14 kills per set.
Cymarah Gordon | OPP | Jr. | In a full-time starting role as a junior with 3.30 kills per set (2nd on team) while hitting an efficient .310 hitting percentage.
Sydney Schnicels | OH | Sr. | Ranked second on the team with 23 aces while adding over three points per set in her second season with Michigan after transferring from Minnesota.
Jenna Hanes | MB | Jr. | Set the Michigan single-season hit percentage record of .450 last season and has a mark of .422 so far in 2026 out of 225 swings.
Lydia Johnson | OPP | Sr. | Senior attacker that's averaging 1.69 points per set off the bench.
Ece Senyapici | MB | Soph. | The middle blocker from Turkiye plays for her national team and owns a team-leading 80 blocks after not seeing action in 2025.
Morgon Burke | S | Sr. | The Omaha native and Skutt graduate leads the Wolverines with 6.49 assists per set, which is similar to her 2025 numbers as the leading setter.
Camille Edwards | S | Jr. | The Dallas native is the second setter behind Burke and averages 4.53 assists per set from playing in all 21 matches off the bench.

Impact Transfers/Newcomers

Meredith Martin | L | Fr. | An AAU All-American from Bloomfield Hills, Martin enters the weekend tied for first in the Big Ten with 4.03 digs per set.

Key Departures

Allison Jacobs | OH | Graduated | Turned professional after amassing 543 points and earning AVCA All-America honors in her final college season.
Serena Nyambio | MB | Graduated | Started every match for Michigan last season while tallying a team-high 164 blocks en route to All-Big Ten Second Team honors.
Maddi Cuchran | L | Graduated | Led the team in digs with 408 and 3.37 digs per set while adding 152 assists to cap off her college career.

Michigan middle blocker Jenna Hanes holds the school single-season record for hitting percentage with .450 last season. | Michigan Athletics

Outlook

Michigan head coach and former USA Women's National Team assistant Erin Virtue enjoyed her breakout season in Ann Arbor last season. The first-time head coach led the Wolverines to a 22-11 record and an NCAA Tournament appearance that saw the team get swept to No. 1 seed Pittsburgh. Outside hitter Allison Jacobs earned AVCA All-America Honorable Mention honors as Michigan finished above .500 in conference play for the first time under Virtue (11-9).

While it hasn't been a disaster, that momentum hasn't carried over into 2026 as the Wolverines look closer to its 2024 squad (18-13, 8-12 B1G) than its 2025 counterpart. Part of that has to do with Michigan not being able to replicate the production from Jacobs. Returning outside hitter Ella Demetrician has performed like an all-conference attacker (4.56 P/S) and while Sydney Schnicels has been a solid second outside hitter (3.03 P/S), it's not the same as the Jacobs-Demetrician duo from last season.

Another important part was the graduation of Serena Nyambio, who was a defensive force in 2025 with 164 blocks and over 1.20 per set. Jenna Hanes takes over as the main middle and she's as efficient as they come. She set the Michigan single-season record for the highest hitting percentage (.450) and is hitting .422 this season. Sophomore and Turkiye native Ece Senyapici didn't play last season, but she's having a solid first collegiate season with a team-high 80 blocks.

Omaha native and Skutt graduate Morgan Burke leads the Wolverine setters with 6.49 assists per set while junior Camille Edwards ranks behind her with 4.53 off the bench. True freshman libero has quickly established herself as one of the best defenders in the conference with 4.03 digs per set, which is tied for first in the Big Ten entering the weekend.

On paper, you'd think that the Wolverines would be performing better with all the talent returning, but the loss of Jacobs and Nyambio appear to have made a bigger impact than most expected. As a result, put me down for a Nebraska sweep.

Michigan State Scout

Head Coach

Kristen Kelsay | 2nd season at Michigan State & as Head Coach
35-15 (.700) at MSU & as Head Coach
1x AVCA Thirty Under 30 Award
Previous assistant at Minnesota, Northwestern & Michigan State

2025 Finish

Did not qualify for the postseason.

2025 Record & Awards

Record: 18-12 (8-12 B1G, T-10th)
All-B1G: 1x Second Team

All-Time Series

Nebraska leads 30-2-2
Oct. 25, 2025, last matchup; 3-0 NU

Michigan State's Carmen Waye (22) is among the Big Ten's best middle blockers, highlighted by a .426 hitting percentage. | Michigan State Athletics

Key Returners

Carmen Waye | MB | Jr. | The Canadian is dangerous both on offense with a .426 clip (2nd in B1G) and defense with 83 blocks (5th in B1G) after playing part time in 2025.
Karolina Staniszewska | OH | Sr. | Poised for a breakout season after earning All-Big Ten Second Team honors in 2025, the Polish outside hitter has struggled compared to her production from last season.
Malayah Long | S | R-Soph. | After a solid redshirt freshman season in 2025, the Lincoln native is enjoying a breakout season that sees her ranked 10th in the Big Ten with 10.34 assists per set with a team-high 31 aces. She was named the AVCA National Player of the Week on Oct. 6 after posting over 12 assists per set in wins over USC and UCLA.
Lia Schneider | L | Sr. | On pace to set a career high in digs per set with 3.35 so far this season alongside 13 aces.

Impact Transfers/Newcomers

Alanna Bankston | OH | Sr. | The 6-foot-1 Omaha native and Millard West graduate joined the Spartans over the offseason after three season with Louisville. Leads the team with over four points per set and 233 kills in 18 matches.
Hayley Ogden | MB/OPP | Jr. | A transfer from California State Northridge, Ogden hits over .300 while adding over two points per set in her first season with the Spartans.
Zora Hardison | MB | Sr. | A standout player on poor Rutgers teams in the past, Hardison ranks second on the team with a .399 clip and ranks inside the top five in blocks in the Big Ten with 86.
Madi Andrews | OH | Fr. | The first-year outside hitter from Oregon is averaging over three kills per set this season, including five-straight matches with double-digit kills.

Key Departures

Evie Doezema | OPP | Graduated | The veteran right-side hitter put up over two points and kills per set in her final college season across 105 sets.

Lincoln native and Michigan State setter Malayah Long leads an offense that ranks second in the Big Ten behind Nebraska. | Michigan State Athletics

Outlook

The biggest surprise of the 2026 Big Ten volleyball season is Michigan State and it's not even close. Tabbed by the conferences's coaches to finish 12th in the preseason poll, the Spartans will likely enter Saturday's contest as the biggest threat to Nebraska in the Big Ten standings.

We could be seeing the emergence of a future star in head coach Kristen Kelsay who's in the second season of leading her alma mater. After a pleasantly surprising 18-12 debut campaign in 2025, Kelsay has the Spartans at 17-3 with a balanced roster of veterans and young contributors.

Polish outside hitter Karolina Staniszewska has experienced a disappointing 2026 season after being an All-Big Ten Second Team selection last year. In her place has been Louisville transfer and Millard West graduate Alanna Bankston with over four points per set. California State Northridge transfer Hayley Ogden adds over two kills per set at opposite while freshman outside hitter Madi Andrews enters the weekend having tallied double digit kills in five straight matches.

Carmen Waye paves the way at the net and is in the conversation for the Big Ten's best middle blocker outside of Andi Jackson. She's top five in the conference with a .426 hitting percentage and 86 blocks as a two-way threat. Kelsay did nice work in the portal to bring over fellow middle blocker Zora Hardison who's been the star of poor teams at Rutgers. She enters the weekend hitting .399 and right behind Waye with 83 blocks.

The state of Nebraska can continue to hang its hat on the volleyball talent it produces with Michigan State setter Malayah Long a shining example. A recruit out of Lincoln Southwest, Long averages 10.34 assists per set to lead an offense that ranks second in the Big Ten with a .291 hitting percentag. Plus, veteran libero Lia Schneider is an above average floor defender with 3.35 digs per set.

The Spartans are a great story and it's almost guaranteed we'll see MSU in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017. With two standouts in the middle, Michigan State will challenge the Huskers, especially as NU comes off less than 24 hours of rest. However, the Spartans are outgunned on the pin and that's where NU will exploit. Put me down for Nebraska in a sweep.

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