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Nebraska is the new No. 1 in the Power 10 rankings for women’s volleyball
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Nebraska is the new No. 1 in the Power 10 rankings for women’s volleyball

Let’s analyze my Power 10 after a hectic Week 1, including Monday night’s big games, when Minnesota defeated Texas and Stanford defeated Wisconsin.

🏐 MORE WOMEN’S COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL 🏐

1. Nebraska

We already have a new #1 a week into the season. Nebraska takes over the top spot with Texas suffering its first loss. The Huskers are 3-0 with their best win over Kentucky to open the season. We saw great defense as expected, but also great production from the middle in Bekka Allick and Andi Jackson. While there were more offensive mistakes against TCU, this team is still #1 for me right now.

2.Louisville

Louisville Women's Volleyball

At No. 2 I have the Cardinals. Overall I am very impressed with this Louisville unit and the talent they have. They seem to be well oiled this early in the season with a four set win over Wisconsin and a sweep of Tennessee. I think this team has all the pieces now.

3.Pittsburgh

Another impressive start to the season here, with the Panthers sweeping Oregon. Rachel Fairbanks recorded back-to-back double-doubles.

4. Stanford

Stanford is my #4 pick. Overall, I’ve been very impressed with the Cardinals after losing a lot of talent from last season. Elia Rubin was a superstar, both offensively and defensively. Rubin is like another libero in the back row, and she fills a big role very well. Sami Francis was also impressive, and Kami Miner orchestrated the offense beautifully for two big wins. Those were gutsy performances β€” and this is a top four team from the start.

SCOREBOARD: Live scores and stats for every match

5.Texas

Texas volleyball cell

The Longhorns drop to five for me, although I don’t want to drop them that low this early in the season. We saw Texas use both setters, Ella Swindle and Averi Carlson. Madi Skinner continues to be unreal and Emma Halter made it look easy there. Texas suffered a tough loss to Minnesota in five, but the Gophers are a good team playing with nothing to lose. Texas is still a top five team and definitely a title contender.

6. Penn State

Penn State sits at No. 6 after a 2-0 start and win over Tennessee. Camryn Hannah and Jess Mruzik each had 19 kills in the win, while Izzy Starck had a promising debut at setter, with 42 assists and 12 digs as Penn State posted a team-high .343 hitting.

WHO’S BEEN WHERE: Top 11 transfers to watch this season

7. Purdue

Purdue sits at No. 7 after a 3-0 start. The Boilermakers didn’t have as strong a schedule as many top-10 teams to start, but they debuted with a very efficient offensive effort. Eva Hudson and Chloe Chicoine have already shown their worth on the pins, with production coming from the middle.

8.Florida

The Gators started 3-0 despite playing through injuries. Alexis Stucky is still not back and Kennedy Martin had to leave the game against Colorado State due to an injury. But Florida won the next two without them. Isabel Martin is a great addition and I can’t move them due to injury when they were still winning.

9.Minnesota

Minnesota volleyball cell

How about a big welcome to Minnesota. What a weekend for the Gophers. They showed us that this is not the team we had last year. Yes, we lost some pieces, but we are better than ever. They came in with a tough schedule because almost everyone considered them underdogs against two top five teams and the No. 1 team in the country β€” and they showed it.

Minnesota lost to Stanford in five games, but the Gophers hit .302 in the game and honestly gave up a lot of points on service errors, something that can be cleaned up in the future. Then they beat the No. 1 team in the country in five games. Julia Hanson had a double-double with 19 kills. Mckenna Wucherer was great and Melani Shaffmaster, healthy this season, was simply phenomenal. This is a team to watch.

10.Kentucky

And finally Kentucky at 10. The Wildcats lost to Nebraska in four sets and picked up three wins this weekend. The competition wasn’t as tough with the wins, but Brooklyn DeLeye is already proving to be one of the best arms in the country this season.

Wisconsin drops out

Wisconsin is just out. I almost had them at 10, and I obviously see so much potential in this team. They went out there and planned hard to start the year. They have a freshman setter who I know can be a superstar this season. Once they figure it out, I think they can be a top five team in no time. But for now, with an 0-3 start, I had to reward teams with results that were in front of them.