You’d think the math would be simple. If a team doesn't lose a single match in the hardest conference in the country, they should be the undisputed national champions, right? Well, if you ask any Nebraska fan today, they’ll probably give you a look that suggests you just insulted their grandmother’s cooking.
The 2025 Big 10 volleyball season was, quite frankly, a fever dream. We saw the conference expand to 18 teams, bringing in the West Coast heavyweights like USC and UCLA, and for a while, it looked like the old guard was going to be completely upended. But then the actual matches happened.
Why Big 10 Volleyball Rankings Are Never Just About Wins
Honestly, the sheer volume of talent in this conference right now is a bit ridiculous. When people check the big 10 volleyball rankings, they usually just look at the win-loss column. That is a massive mistake. You’ve got teams like Wisconsin and Purdue who might have three or four conference losses, but they’ve spent their entire weekends playing against future Olympians.
Take Nebraska, for instance. They finished the 2025 regular season at a perfect 30-0. Unbeatable. Untouchable. John Cook’s squad didn’t just win the Big 10 title; they basically owned the court every time they stepped on it. Bergen Reilly, the junior setter, became the first person since 2018 to win both Player of the Year and Setter of the Year in the same season. She’s basically a cheat code at this point.
But here’s the kicker—and the part that still stings for the Husker faithful. Despite that 1.000 winning percentage in the conference, the national title didn't come back to Lincoln. It went to Texas A&M. The rankings told us Nebraska was the best, but the single-elimination chaos of the NCAA tournament had other plans. It sort of proves that being #1 in December doesn't mean a thing if you catch a hot team on the wrong night.
The New Kids on the Block
Everyone was worried about the "travel factor" when USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington joined the fray. And yeah, it mattered. A lot.
Imagine being a UCLA player and having to fly to New Jersey to play Rutgers on a Tuesday. That's not just a game; that's a logistical nightmare.
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- USC actually handled the transition the best, finishing 15-5 in the conference. London Wijay is a name you need to know if you don't already.
- UCLA and Oregon hovered around the middle, proving that the Big 10 "grind" is real.
- Washington struggled a bit more, finishing 8-12.
The "home court advantage" in places like the Devaney Center or the UW Field House is unlike anything these West Coast teams had seen consistently. It’s loud. It’s cramped. It’s hostile.
Breaking Down the Top Tier
If we’re looking at the final 2025 big 10 volleyball rankings that led into the tournament, the hierarchy was pretty clear-cut, even if the matches themselves were dogfights.
Nebraska was the sun that everything else orbited. Behind them, Wisconsin remained the powerhouse we expected. Even with a few stumbles, the Badgers hit at a .308 clip as a team. That’s insane. Charlie Fuerbringer, their freshman setter, was out there averaging 14.50 assists per set at one point. For a freshman? That’s not normal.
Purdue and Indiana were the ones that really caught people off guard. Purdue’s Kenna Wollard is probably the most underrated hitter in the country. She just finds gaps where there aren't any. Indiana, meanwhile, finally broke through, earning a #4 seed in their regional. It’s been a long time coming for the Hoosiers, and seeing Wilkinson Hall packed and rocking was one of the highlights of the year.
The Mid-Table Chaos
Then you have the "middle" of the pack. I put "middle" in quotes because a middle-tier Big 10 team is still a Top 25 team nationally.
Minnesota and Penn State both finished 12-8 in conference play. For Penn State, that felt like an "off" year, which just shows you how high the bar is in State College. Gillian Grimes was a bright spot, though—she took home Libero of the Year and kept them in matches they had no business being in.
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It’s also worth mentioning Michigan. They went 11-9 in the conference, which might not look like much on paper, but they were the giant-killers. They took down Oregon and Washington on the road in the same week. Allison Jacobs was a one-woman wrecking crew during that stretch.
What the Numbers Don't Tell You
Standard stats are great, but they don't capture the "Big 10 Tax." This is a concept coaches talk about behind closed doors. When you play in this conference, your hitting percentage is going to be lower than it would be in the ACC or the Big 12. Why? Because the blocking is terrifying.
In 2025, the Big 10 had six of the 14 semifinalists for National Player of the Year. Six.
- Andi Jackson (Nebraska)
- Harper Murray (Nebraska)
- Bergen Reilly (Nebraska)
- Kennedy Martin (Penn State)
- Kenna Wollard (Purdue)
- Mimi Colyer (Wisconsin)
When you’re facing that kind of height and IQ every Wednesday and Friday, you get exhausted. It’s a war of attrition. By the time the tournament rolls around, some of these teams are held together by athletic tape and sheer willpower.
The Future of the Rankings
As we head into the 2026 spring and off-season, the big 10 volleyball rankings are going to look very different. Graduation is hitting some teams hard. Penn State is losing Grimes. Nebraska is losing a chunk of that core that went undefeated.
But the depth isn't going anywhere.
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The reality of Big 10 volleyball is that the rankings are a moving target. You can be the #1 team in the nation on Monday and lose to an unranked Michigan State team on Wednesday because they decided to have the best serving night of their lives.
If you want to understand where these teams truly stand, stop looking at the record. Look at the "points per set" and the "opponent hitting percentage." That’s where the real story is. Nebraska led the nation in opponent hitting percentage because their defense is a brick wall. Wisconsin stayed at the top because their offense is too diverse to pin down.
Next Steps for Fans and Analysts
To truly track the power shift, keep a close eye on the 2026 transfer portal. With the new 18-team layout, players are moving toward programs that offer the most exposure, and the Big 10 is currently the sun in that solar system. Watch for how the "Big Four" West Coast schools recruit in the Midwest now that they’re part of the family. The 2026 preseason poll will likely drop in August, and if history tells us anything, at least eight Big 10 teams will be in that Top 25.
Check the RPI (Rating Percentage Index) specifically. It weights strength of schedule heavily, and since Big 10 teams play each other, their RPI is almost always inflated—rightfully so. If a team is 15-10 but has an RPI in the top 20, they are a threat to win the whole thing. That is the magic, and the frustration, of this conference.