What We Learned From Week 1 Of NCAA Women’s Volleyball
Nebraska starts strong while Texas falters; a new season reveals changes in the game’s trends; Wisconsin’s high ceiling has yet to reveal itself.
The NCAA women’s volleyball season kicked off on August 21 with the AVCA First Serve tournament. Week 1’s matchups have already shown us which team could be battling for the national championship title in December, and which have some work to do in the upcoming season. Here are the most important things we learned from the first week of matches:
Nebraska Look Like The Team To Beat
Ranked #1 in the AVCA pre-season Coaches’ Poll, the Nebraska Cornhuskers earned themselves a fiery win over #17 Florida to start their season. Since then, the Cornhuskers have not dropped a single set to their opponents, winning each of their matches in a clean sweep. Perhaps their greatest show of strength so far was their sweep of #2 Texas on Sunday at the Players Era Showcase. Setter Bergen Reilly led the Cornhuskers to defeat the Longhorns 25-19, 25-19, and 25-16.
Reilly’s outstanding connection with her hitters, many returning from last season, and her ferocity at the net earned her the title of Players Era Showcase MVP.
Though Nebraska’s current cohort of popular players like Reilly, Harper Murray, Andi Jackson, and Laney Choboy have yet to bring home a national title for the squad, their strong start to the season forecasts their best chance yet to win a championship.
Texas Searching For Answers
Hopes were high for the historically strong Texas team after being ranked #2 in the AVCA pre-season Coaches’ Poll, but their first matches have left fans in confusion.
At the AVCA First Serve tournament, Texas dropped their first match to #12 Arizona State in just four sets, and won the second over unranked Marquette in a tight five sets. Returning all-American Torrey Stafford and emerging star Cari Spears have looked strong for the Longhorns, leading the team in kills, but the Longhorns’ problems aren’t solely with their offense.
Head Coach Jerritt Elliott has been changing his setter lineup in each of the games, running a 6-2 offense with Rella Binney and Genevieve Harris but also testing out a 5-1 with Binney. Notably, senior setter Ella Swindle, who led the team to a national championship in 2023, has been absent from the court. An experienced and proven leader on the court could prove helpful for Texas, but Elliott seems confident in Binney’s performance so far.
Another point of contention has been Texas’s approach to serving, with their aggressive employment of the high-risk, high-reward jump topspin serve causing 24 service errors in their match against Marquette – almost a whole set’s worth of points. It is unclear how much of an edge the aggressive service tactics lend Texas, after they went with zero aces to Nebraska’s seven on Sunday.
After losing key outside hitter Abby Vander Wal to a knee injury, Texas dropped their last match to #1 Nebraska in three lackluster sets. While there were some encouraging moments, the Longhorns failed to keep up with the strength of Nebraska, especially in the middle.To find success this season, the Longhorns must improve their defense, establish their middles as a driving force, and find consistency from the service line.
Topspin Serve’s Popularity Returning
In this era of women’s volleyball, the topspin serve has been mostly replaced by the jump float, which has less opportunity for error and is difficult to pass with its unique zig-zag motions. However, the start of this season has revealed many strong players relying on a topspin serve for aces.
Kentucky’s Brooklyn DeLeye, all-American outside hitter, helped her team to victory against Wisconsin with a topspin serve that reached speeds over 60 miles per hour (over 96 kilometers per hour). Recapping his team’s performance in an exhibition match against Dayton, Kentucky Coach Craig Skinner said “you have six people that serve, and you need all of them to be able to put pressure on the [other team’s] offense… if you have an onslaught of pressure… in all six rotations, it really gives your defense an advantage” (Source: KYWildcast). He named DeLeye as a particularly impactful server for their team.
Coaches have revealed that the strength of a player’s serve has more impact on their position in the starting lineup than it has in previous years. Having a topspin serve could give a player the edge they need to secure a place in their team’s starting lineup. Though the jump float serve remains most popular, momentum is beginning to shift back towards the aggressive topspin serve, which we could see take preference in seasons to come.
Young Wisconsin Team Shows Flashes Of Brilliance But Needs Time To Gel
The Wisconsin Badgers lost almost their entire 2025 starting lineup to graduation or the transfer portal. As a response, they brought in an astounding nine freshmen to their eighteen-player squad, along with two transfers in Eva Travis and all-American Jaela Auguste. The team isn’t even complete yet, with 16-year-old Decelise Champion set to arrive in Wisconsin this week after playing for the Puerto Rico national team.
Wisconsin has had a rocky start to their 2026 season, suffering a sweep in their first match against #3 Kentucky. They responded with a sweep of #7 Louisville the next day, but have since fallen to #5 Stanford and #4 Pittsburgh. The Badgers have already lost a key player to injury: Auguste, a playmaker in the middle, who has been battling abdominal strain. Coach Kelly Sheffield has not provided an update as to how long she will be unavailable.
Sheffield has not been hesitant to make quick lineup changes. The libero jersey has been passed between sophomore Kristin Simon and freshman Anna Bardaro depending on the match and even the set. Star setter Charlie Fuerbringer has shared the role with freshman Isabelle Hoppe as Sheffield tested the 6-2 offense. With Auguste injured, all three of Wisconsin’s other middles have been playing at the net. Senior outside hitter Travis has been competing for playing time with freshmen Audrey Flanagan and Halle Thompson. With so many new faces, Wisconsin is working to discover where each one fits best, but it costs them consistency on the court.
Freshman Flanagan has been a bright spot for Wisconsin, proving herself a quick-learning six-rotation player. She recorded her first double-double against #4 Stanford with 17 kills and 12 digs, and currently leads the team in kills and service aces over more experienced players. Coach Sheffield said of Flanagan: “Audrey’s carrying a big load for us… she’s fearless, she works, she’s a highly skilled player” (Source: Molly Sheehan for UW Badgers).
The Wisconsin offense has been suffering from an abundance of attack errors as their freshmen adjust to the pace of college volleyball against more experienced teams. In their Stanford match alone, the Badgers recorded 26 attack errors, granting Stanford enough points to win an entire set.
Moving forward, Wisconsin will likely continue to play with lineups until they find what sticks. The players it needs are the ones who learn fast, reduce mistakes, and work well with one another so they can become a more cohesive team by playoffs.
Article written by Hadleigh Bolton
