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Nebraska Volleyball Finishes Fourth in AVCA Rankings

After a heartbreaking end to their 2024 season in the NCAA semifinals, the Huskers finished behind Penn State, Louisville and Pittsburgh in the poll.

Austin Jacobsen

Andi Jackson waves her finger after a solo block.
Andi Jackson waves her finger after a solo block. / Amarillo Mullen

Nebraska volleyball's heartbreaking finish in the Final Four did not detract from a full season of impactful victories over other top teams.

The Huskers (33-3, 19-1 B1G) ended the 2024 season at No. 4 in the final AVCA rankings released Monday. Nebraska was rated behind national champion and No. 1 Penn State (35-2, 19-1 B1G), runner-up No. 2 Louisville (30-6, 17-3 ACC), and No. 3 Pittsburgh (33-2, 19-1 ACC). The Panthers garnered a first-place vote despite losing their national semifinal match to Louisville.

Nebraska's top-five finish is its 24th in program history, second only to Stanford. It is also a record 38th time that the Huskers have finished a season rated in the top 10. The Cornhuskers finished over 100 points ahead of the Cardinal in this year's rankings, as Stanford (28-5, 17-3 ACC) finished at No. 5.

Nebraska volleyball players celebrate a point against Stanford at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
Nebraska volleyball players celebrate a point against Stanford at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. / Nebraska Athletics

Nebraska was routinely in the top five throughout the regular-season AVCA polls, peaking at No. 2 through most of the year. The Huskers rose to No. 2 in the Sept. 16 rankings and were the preseason runner-up team behind No. 1 Texas. Nebraska dropped to No. 5 following a Sept. 3 loss at then-unranked SMU, but rose back to No. 2 after nonconference wins against then-rated No. 9 Creighton, No. 14 Arizona State, No. 2 Stanford, and No. 4 Louisville.

The Cornhuskers finished the year with 12 wins over teams rated in the final top 25, including victories over Louisville, Stanford, Creighton, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Purdue, Oregon, Arizona State, Dayton, Minnesota, USC and TCU. The Huskers defeated the Badgers three times, including the NCAA Regional Final in Lincoln, sweeping Wisconsin in every match.

Nebraska's losses came to No. 1 Penn State twice, and to No. 15 SMU. The Huskers also downed RV Miami (FL) for a flawless record at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

Andi Jackson (15) and Merritt Beason celebrate a double-stuff block.
Andi Jackson (15) and Merritt Beason celebrate a double-stuff block. / Amarillo Mullen

The Big Ten Conference dominated the final rankings, with five teams in the top ten and seven teams in the top 25. The Atlantic Coast Conference, SEC and Big 12 were represented by five teams.

Nebraska's in-state foe, Creighton, finished with a school-best No. 6 ranking after the Bluejays swept another season in the Big East Conference and posted a program-best 32-3 final record. Creighton fell to eventual national champion Penn State in five sets in the NCAA Regional Finals.

Nebraska ended its season by falling a reverse sweep to the Nittany Lions in the national semifinal but earned several postseason honors, including libero Lexi Rodriguez being named a national finalist for the AVCA Player of the Year. Four Nebraska players earned All-America honors as well, and the Huskers claimed back-to-back Big Ten titles, sharing this season's crown with Penn State.

Lindsay Krause swings for a kill vs. Creighton
Lindsay Krause swings for a kill vs. Creighton / Kenny Larabee/NRG Media

The Huskers will move on from several key contributing seniors, including Merritt Beason, Rodriguez, Lindsay Krause, Kennedi Orr, and Leyla Blackwell. Despite the losses for the 2025 season, Nebraska returns its leader in kills, blocks, and assists from the past season. As of Monday, no Nebraska volleyball players have entered the transfer portal.

Nebraska will open the 2025 season as part of the AVCA First Serve Showcase in Lincoln.

2024 Final AVCA Rankings

  1. Penn State
  2. Louisville
  3. Pittsburgh
  4. Nebraska
  5. Stanford
  6. Creighton
  7. Wisconsin
  8. Kentucky
  9. Purdue
  10. Oregon
  11. Texas
  12. Kansas
  13. Arizona State
  14. Florida
  15. SMU
  16. Texas A&M
  17. Dayton
  18. Minnesota
  19. Missouri
  20. Baylor
  21. Marquette
  22. Georgia Tech
  23. Utah
  24. Southern California
  25. TCU

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Austin Jacobsen
AUSTIN JACOBSEN

Austin Jacobsen is a radio broadcaster and former Sports Director in Central Nebraska. He has seen the Cornhusker state from all corners; growing up in the Panhandle, completing his college degree in Kearney, working in the rural Sandhills, and now residing in Omaha. Austin is a statewide, regional, and national radio award winner and can usually be found at a high school football field on Friday nights and tuning in to the Huskers wherever they travel. If he is not on the road, Austin enjoys movie dates with his girlfriend and their dog, Ava.

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