Week 9 was a crazy one. We're talking the No. 1 team going down and two more upsets over top 10 teams. This week will see some big matchups too.
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Here are the top volleyball matchups in week 10:
1. Penn State vs. Nebraska: Saturday, Nov. 2, 8:30 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network
Last week, Nebraska was upset by Purdue, and subsequently dropped to No. 8 in Monday's AVCA rankings. They'll be seeking redemption in this matchup. Penn State has something to prove as well, though. The Nittany Lions haven't really gotten the chance to prove themselves over top 10 opponents this season, so a win over Nebraska would be a big statement. In its latest win over Maryland, Penn State's Jonni Parker finished with 14 kills, one ace and two blocks, and Tori Gorrell went for 10 kills on .353 hitting. In Nebraska's loss to Purdue, its normal offensive weapons still showed up. Lexi Sun and Lauren Stivrins each tallied 18 kills apiece. Both Nebraska and Penn State were upset by Wisconsin a few weeks ago, and now they will get to battle it out themselves in the Big Ten.
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2. Minnesota vs. Purdue: Sunday, Nov. 3, 1 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Purdue jumped into the spotlight when it upset Nebraska last week, and now the Boilermakers will have a shot against another top 10 opponent. Aside from its one win over Nebraska in the Big Ten last week, Purdue previously lost to Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois and Nebraska. Minnesota swept the Boilermakers in their previous meeting on Sept. 28. Stephanie Samedy had 21 kills, 11 digs and three aces for the Gophers in the 3-0 win. However, Regan Pittman has recently stepped up for the Gophers. She tallied 19 kills on .484 hitting in their latest win over Michigan State. Purdue and Minnesota's last matchup might've resulted in a Gopher sweep, but who knows, the Boilermakers could continue their roll and pick up another big victory. Caitlyn Newton led Purdue with 17 kills in the Nebraska upset, Grace Cleveland tallied 13 and Blake Mohler had 11.
3. UC Santa Barbara vs. Hawai'i, Friday, Nov. 1, 1 a.m. ET and Cal Poly vs. Hawai'i, Sunday, Nov. 3, 11 p.m. ET (Both streamed on BigWest.org.watch)
We combined these two games to watch because, well, they go hand in hand. UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly top the Big West standings with 8-1 conference records. Hawai'i follows at 8-2. Yet, Hawai'i is the only team ranked in the top 25 thanks to its non-conference schedule. Here is where it gets trickier: Hawai'i swept UC Santa Barbara, Cal Poly swept Hawai'i but then UC Santa Barbara beat Cal Poly. So basically, anything can happen, especially at the top of the Big West. UCSB and Cal Poly will both play Hawai'i this weekend, so a lot can be decided here, and if the teams that aren't ranked pull off wins, they could make a claim to enter the top 25.
