Huskers volleyball ranked No. 2 in AVCA preseason poll

The Nebraska Cornhuskers volleyball team has again been included in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) top-25 preseason poll.

The AVCA poll was released Monday, putting Nebraska at second behind Texas. The Huskers received 15 first-place votes, the only program besides Texas to get the top spot on any ballots.

Six other Big Ten teams were ranked by the AVCA: Wisconsin (3), Penn State (7), Purdue (8), Oregon (10), Minnesota (18) and USC (21). Not only will the Big Red play each of those teams but they’ll play 11 matches total against opponents currently ranked in the AVA’s top 25.

The Huskers, coming off a run to the NCAA championship match where they lost to Texas, return 10 members of last year’s squad. To that group, they added former Minnesota All-American Taylor Landfair, two of the top recruits in the nation in Olivia Mauch and Skyler Pierce, and former San Diego All-WCC player Leyla Blackwell.

Nebraska’s annual Red-White scrimmage is set for this Saturday before the squad opens the season on Aug. 27 against ninth-ranked Kentucky.