#10 Michigan State Hosts #7 Nebraska in B1G Showdown; Oct. 27 Preview

Every day at VolleyMob we will preview several of the most notable and interesting matches in NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball. We will offer an inside look at some of those top matchups each day as we carry along through the 2017 season.

*Note: The VolleyMob Top 25 Power Rankings are utilized for a team’s ranking

*The entire week’s schedule can be seen here.

THE BIG MATCH:

#7 Nebraska (16-4, 9-1) at #10 Michigan State (15-4, 8-2) – 8 pm ET

How to follow: BTN Plus/Michigan State Radio/Nebraska Radio/Game Tracker

Two of the top four teams in the Big Ten square off in East Lansing, Michigan for a top-10 showdown between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Michigan State Spartans.

Big Red won the first meeting between these two opponents – although that one came in Lincoln. Their defense was a key in that one in holding Michigan State to a .147 hitting clip behind a strong front row defense that produced 11 team blocks. In total, Nebraska actually has the top opponent hitting percentage (.160) in the conference as well. Annika Albrecht will look for a repeat performance after she had 18 kills and 15 digs in the previous meeting.

It’s a big opportunity for Michigan State to down a team ahead of them in the Big Ten standings as they’ve immersed themselves deeply in the conference title race. While Nebraska boasts the top defense, Michigan State isn’t too far behind with a .162 opponent hitting percentage that ranks third in the Big Ten. Autumn Bailey (11 kills) will look for similar numbers defensively (18 digs, two blocks) as the last go-around, but search for more on offense to try and conquer Nebraska.

OTHER NOTABLE MATCHES:

#13 USC (15-6, 7-3) at #15 Washington (16-5, 6-4) – 9 pm ET

How to follow: Pac-12 Networks/Live Stats

Both of these schools rank in the top four in the Pac-12 standings as Washington hosts USC with a chance to beat a team in front of them and get some revenge in the process. Just a few weeks ago the Trojans swept Washington in Los Angeles with stingy defense. Washington has gotten things working a bit more lately on the offensive end as they look to avoid the same fate.

#22 San Diego (16-4, 9-1) at #8 BYU (21-1, 10-0) – 9 pm ET

How to follow: BYU TV/BYU Radio/Live Stats

The Cougars won the first go-around in San Diego for what is a one-match lead in the West Coast Conference, but now the Toreros go for a tie at the top of the standings in Provo. A BYU win would put them two matches ahead and set the course for smooth sailing toward a WCC crown, while a San Diego win should heat up the race heading into November.

#25 Colorado (15-6, 5-5) at #16 Oregon (13-5, 6-4) – 10 pm ET

How to follow: Pac-12 Networks/Live Stats

The Ducks play host to the Buffaloes as beyond a match that features two ranked teams near each other in the conference standings it also consists of Oregon looking for vengeance. Colorado won in four sets in Boulder on September 30 behind 17 blocks and a strong attack, but this time Oregon has the home crowd on their side.