Wisconsin volleyball has no answers for top-ranked Nebraska | 3 takeaways

On October 10, 2025, the seventh-ranked Wisconsin Badgers volleyball team fell to the No. 1 ranked Nebraska Huskers, 23-25, 14-25, 20-25, in Lincoln, Nebraska. This marked Nebraska's 48th consecutive regular season win, extending their winning streak to five games against the Badgers. It also marked Wisconsin's first loss since September 13.

The loss can be attributed to the potent Nebraska duo of Harper Murray and Andi Jackson. Murray led Nebraska with a season-high 20 kills and hit .471, while Jackson contributed 11 kills and .400. Their combined 31 kills nearly topped Wisconsin's season-high 36 kills, all with just seven attack errors. This is a familiar winning formula for Nebraska, as Murray and Jackson had combined to record 27 kills in the 2024 tournament win over Wisconsin.

Despite Wisconsin's competitive effort, they were no match for the top-ranked Nebraska team. Wisconsin's first set was their most competitive against any of Nebraska's previous five foes, with 23 points compared to the previous highest of 19. The second and third sets saw 5 ties and 2 lead changes each, with Nebraska ultimately outlasting the Badgers. UW coach Kelly Sheffield praised the team's performance in the third set, stating it would have been good enough to beat "just about everybody in the country."

The lone bright spot for Wisconsin was 17-year-old Decelise Champion, who finished with a team-high 12 kills and a .241 hitting percentage in her first career match against Nebraska. However, the team's overall .171 hitting percentage was their lowest in a match since August 30, when they lost to then-No. 4 Pittsburgh. This loss marks Wisconsin's record at 0-5 in matches with a sub-.200 hitting percentage, compared to an 11-0 record when hitting above .200.