Volleyball Power Rankings: Pitt bounces back, Penn State faces a setback

Recent Upsets in Women’s Volleyball

The reigning national champion in women’s volleyball has faced quite a setback, suffering two losses within a week. At the State Farm Women’s College showcase in Pittsburgh, they fell 3-1 to Arizona and subsequently lost 3-2 to TCU, which certainly makes things tougher for the team.

In the match against Arizona, the Nittany Lions struggled to contain Noemie Glover, who delivered an impressive performance with 22 kills and 10 blocks. Meanwhile, the Sun Devils didn’t fare much better in their next outing, getting swept by Pitt.

TCU’s head coach, Jason Williams, celebrated a significant win as he claimed his first career victory over a top-five opponent. Sarasilvester was a standout player in this matchup, helping the Horned Frogs rebound after their initial 3-1 loss at the showcase.

Pitt had a strong showing, bouncing back from earlier defeats against Nebraska and Florida in the season’s first weekend. Against TCU and Arizona, the Panthers showcased their skills with a total of 25 kills, seven blocks, and three aces, resulting in two solid victories.

In another notable result, Arkansas State triumphed over No. 16 Missouri with a close 3-2 match, marking a milestone as their first win against a ranked team.

Top-ranked Nebraska faced a surprising challenge from No. 7 Kentucky in Nashville, Tennessee, but managed to secure a remarkable 3-2 reverse sweep. This marked the first time Nebraska achieved such a feat against an AVCA top-10 opponent since 2018. Harper Murray was instrumental in the comeback, contributing 23 kills, and the match itself attracted a whopping 1.2 million viewers, making it the most-watched regular-season game on the ESPN network.

In other action among the top 25, Clayton eked out a close victory against Kansas, while Texas had a stellar start to their season, winning three times against Clayton, Wisconsin, and Rice, with an overall score of 9-1. Texas A&M also remains unbeaten, moving to a 4-0 record after a ranked win over No. 21 Utah.