Friday Five: The stage keeps getting bigger

Nebraska volleyball didn’t need much to make this week feel pretty important. Let's get into it.

Photo by Erin Sorensen

Nebraska volleyball didn’t need much to make this week feel pretty important.

One matchup got added to the 2026 schedule, while another format got introduced to the Big Ten Conference. Suddenly, the shape of the sport—and Nebraska’s place in it—continues to grow.

That’s not all that took place this week, of course.

Let’s get into it.

Nebraska vs. Texas is back

Some matchups don’t need a sell. Nebraska and Texas is one of them.

For the first time since the 2023 national championship match, the two programs are set to meet again. There’s still some uncertainty around the details—date, location, all of that¹—but the significance doesn’t really depend on those pieces being finalized.

These are two programs that have spent the better part of the last decade circling each other in the biggest moments of the sport. Sometimes that’s been in the national title match. Sometimes it’s been one step before. Either way, the stakes have rarely been small.

Texas has had the upper hand more recently, including that straight-set win for the title three years ago. But zoom out, and this is still a rivalry with very little separating the two sides historically. That’s what makes this version interesting.

Both teams are coming off seasons where they felt like they should have gone further. Nebraska had the path in front of it before running into Texas A&M. Texas had a similar trajectory before getting knocked out earlier than expected.

Now they meet again and not in December. This time, it’s in a spot that will still tell you a lot about where each program is headed.

It won’t be the only high-profile setting Nebraska steps into either. Between the Chicago trip and now this, the schedule is clearly being built with intention. More to come too.

The Big Ten is finally adding a tournament

This has been coming for a while. Now it’s official.

The Big Ten will introduce its first-ever postseason volleyball tournament in November 2026. That alone is a shift but the structure is what really stands out.

Fifteen teams. One site. A full week of matches leading into a championship.

“For the first time in its history, the Big Ten Conference will determine its volleyball champion with a postseason tournament featuring the best volleyball teams in the country,” said Commissioner Tony Petitti in a statement. “We look forward to bringing the nation’s top talent together for an entire week of exhilarating competition culminating in the crowning of the inaugural Big Ten Volleyball Tournament Champion.”

At surface level, it feels like an obvious addition. Every other major sport has a conference tournament. Volleyball didn’t. But the ripple effects are real.

The regular season shrinks slightly and the margin for error changes. For programs like Nebraska, which are built to sustain success over a long stretch, there’s now another layer of pressure at the end.

At the same time, this is also about visibility.

Big Ten volleyball already draws. It already delivers ratings. It already leads the country in attendance. This tournament packages all of that into one place at one time, which is exactly what the sport has been trending toward.

It’s not hard to see where this is going.

Soccer’s schedule sets up a big finish at home

Schedules don’t always tell you much at first glance but this one does.

Nebraska soccer’s 2026 conference slate builds toward something at the end. That’s the part worth paying attention to.

The Huskers open in a fairly standard way with Indiana, Iowa and a mix of home and road matchups early. But the back half is where things tighten.

Three of the final four matches are in Lincoln. Illinois, USC, UCLA, all in a row. That’s a stretch that’s going to decide positioning heading into the Big Ten Tournament.

If Nebraska is in the mix late—and that’s the expectation—those matches won’t just be about results. They’ll be about whether the team can handle the kind of pressure that comes with meaningful games in October.

And it’s not just who they play. It’s where.

Closing at home matters. It gives Nebraska a chance to control its own path instead of chasing it. That doesn’t guarantee anything, but it does set the stage.

Huskers are competing globally

Nebraska’s swimmers are competing across multiple international events right now. If you haven’t been paying attention, here’s how things have gone this week.

Aurora Zanin put together a solid showing in the 400m IM, advancing through prelims and competing in the B final. Amelia Riggott posted a lifetime best in the 50m breaststroke before finishing eighth at the Aquatics GB Championships.

These aren’t isolated appearances. Nebraska has athletes representing Italy, Great Britain and Hungary—all competing at a high level in their respective national meets. Beatrix Tanko contributing to relay improvements. Giulia Marchi advancing through heats. Multiple athletes building momentum outside the college season.

That kind of presence says something about the program when you look at the big picture. Right now, Nebraska is developing athletes who can step into international environments and hold their own.

That’s a different standard and it’s one that deserves attention.

Sam Hoiberg’s recognition says more than just “student-athlete”

Sam Hoiberg was named a first-team Academic All-American on Tuesday. That’s a big deal and puts him in a small group nationally. It also tells a more complete story about what Nebraska basketball looked like this past season.

Hoiberg wasn’t just part of the most successful team in program history. He was central to it.

He started every game. He handled the ball. He defended at a high level. He made decisions that didn’t always show up in highlights but consistently put the team in position to win.

And he did all of that while maintaining a 3.479 GPA and building one of the strongest academic resumes in the country.

There’s a tendency to separate those things. We often talk about the performance and academics of student-athletes as if they exist independent of one another. As someone that teaches at Nebraska, spoiler alert: they don’t.

And in this case, they reinforce each other.

Hoiberg’s control on the court shows up in the numbers. His discipline off it shows up in everything else.

And when you add in the historical layer—the connection to his father’s own Academic All-American honor—it becomes something even more specific.

A strong season and a strong career on the court? Yes. A strong showing off the court? That too.

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This has been a week of many storylines. Some are even global.

It’s a mix of momentum and transition. It’s a fun place to be, and even more fun to talk about.

1. Although there is speculation. Keep an eye on Vegas.