Last Wednesday, Penn State upset then-No. 1 Minnesota. Only a week before, it was Kentucky taking down then-No. 5 Florida. There's just something about those Wednesday-night conference battles that brings out the best in the athletes, coaches, and fans and creates a breeding ground for the best volleyball.
Ranked second in the Big 12 standings with a 4-1 conference record, Kansas is the favorite in this Wednesday-night matchup. Kansas State, however, is not far behind with a 3-2 performance so far in conference play. The Wildcats opened the 2016 season with significant wins over Arizona and Hawaii and pushed conference-leader Texas to five sets on October 1. This should be an exciting cross-state rivalry match with significant impact on the conference standings and national rankings, especially if K-State pulls off the upset.
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A rocky start to the conference season for UCLA has left the Bruins 3-3 in Pac-12 play with losses to Washington State, Colorado, and Arizona. Meanwhile, Oregon is tied for first place in the conference, having only lost to Washington. UCLA leads the Pac-12 in digs and leads the all-time series with Oregon 53-11; however, Oregon has won six of the last nine meetings.
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Three Big Ten teams have claimed No. 1 spots in the rankings so far this season. None of those three teams has played each other, but all that will change when Minnesota and Wisconsin face off in Madison. Led by senior setter Lauren Carlini, Wisconsin holds the No. 1 spot in the rankings for the first time in program history. The 14-1 Badgers have only lost to North Carolina, while Minnesota's losses have come at the hands of Stanford and Penn State.
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Kansas State at No. 6 Kansas | 6 p.m. CT | ESPNU
Ranked second in the Big 12 standings with a 4-1 conference record, Kansas is the favorite in this Wednesday-night matchup. Kansas State, however, is not far behind with a 3-2 performance so far in conference play. The Wildcats opened the 2016 season with significant wins over Arizona and Hawaii and pushed conference-leader Texas to five sets on October 1. This should be an exciting cross-state rivalry match with significant impact on the conference standings and national rankings, especially if K-State pulls off the upset.
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No. 17 UCLA at No. 7 Oregon | 7 p.m. PT | Pac-12 Network
A rocky start to the conference season for UCLA has left the Bruins 3-3 in Pac-12 play with losses to Washington State, Colorado, and Arizona. Meanwhile, Oregon is tied for first place in the conference, having only lost to Washington. UCLA leads the Pac-12 in digs and leads the all-time series with Oregon 53-11; however, Oregon has won six of the last nine meetings.
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No. 5 Minnesota at No. 1 Wisconsin | 8 p.m. CT | BTN2Go
Three Big Ten teams have claimed No. 1 spots in the rankings so far this season. None of those three teams has played each other, but all that will change when Minnesota and Wisconsin face off in Madison. Led by senior setter Lauren Carlini, Wisconsin holds the No. 1 spot in the rankings for the first time in program history. The 14-1 Badgers have only lost to North Carolina, while Minnesota's losses have come at the hands of Stanford and Penn State.
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