Nebraska and Washington State volleyball make big moves in Week 4’s Power 10 rankings

Week 3 was a doozy in the college volleyball world, with top teams facing off each other to wrap up nonconference play. These top-tier matchups shook up Michella Chester’s Power 10 rankings for Week 4. Here’s what you need to know. 

1. Wisconsin (Previous: 1)

Down 0-2 in front of a sold-out Florida Gator crowd on Sunday, Wisconsin did what its undefeated 2023 squad does best: sticking it out until the very last rally. The Badgers were held to hitting just .000 and .175 in the first two frames by the third-ranked Gators, then gathered themselves to produce a comeback, smacking down 30 kills in the next two sets to force a fifth. Then, scrapping through seven ties and four lead changes in the final set, Wisconsin surged ahead of the Gators to nab a 15-13 advantage, channeling their ninth win of the season.

MATCH POINT BADGERS pic.twitter.com/GW3zCFDYgC

— Wisconsin Volleyball (@BadgerVB) September 17, 2023

This match was the third time that Wisconsin has faced five sets this season, and the second time that the Badgers have rallied after dropping their first set. With their fifth win over a ranked opponent, Wisconsin looks ahead to Big Ten play.

2. Nebraska (4)

As the only other team left unscathed, Nebraska rises to the No. 2 slot ahead of Week 4. The biggest statement the Huskers have made all year was this week’s 3-1 victory over No. 5 Stanford in Maples Pavilion, their first regular season road win over a top-5 team since 2017. Big Red stormed over the Cardinal with 11.5 blocks and 52 kills and held Stanford to .218, which was well under the Cardinal’s .327 season average. Bekka Allick and Andi Jackson held up the middle with 20.5 points and 11 block assists collectively. Libero Lexi Rodriguez continues to put up numbers in the backcourt as she dug up 12 and assisted five against Stanford, then posting a season-high 18 digs in the following contest versus Kentucky. With two more dubs in Week 3, Big Red now exits its non-conference schedule undefeated for the first time since 2016. 

3. Louisville (2)

Louisville knocked down in-state rival, Kentucky (3-0), before its nine-match win streak was broken by Stanford, who surged past the Cards in five sets on Sunday. The Cardinals were both out-blocked (6-10) and out-dug (61-70) in Sunday’s match, the combination of which Louisville hasn’t seen all season. In the first frame of…