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Nebraska Volleyball Goes Back-To-Back Weeks as Unanimous No. 1 Team by AVCA

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Nebraska Volleyball Goes Back-To-Back Weeks as Unanimous No. 1 Team by AVCA


For the second week in a row, Nebraska volleyball remains head and shoulders above the rest of college volleyball.

The Huskers (6-0) retained their spot as the unanimous No. 1 team in the nation on Monday, receiving all 61 first-place votes from the latest edition of the AVCA Coaches poll. Nebraska remains at No. 1 after opening the season at the top of the polls, beating out preseason No. 2 Penn State with 40 first-place votes compared to the Nittany Lions’ 21. Texas (4-0) remains at No. 2 behind the Huskers in this week’s rankings.

Nebraska has earned three victories over top ten opponents to begin the season. The Big Red opened the 2025 campaign at Lincoln’s Pinnacle Bank Arena in the AVCA First Serve, taking down previous No. 3 Pittsburgh and No. 6 Stanford in the opening weekend. After handling unranked Lipscomb, the Huskers then downed then-No. 7 Kentucky in a reverse sweep to maintain their No. 1 rating. Since those matchups, Pittsburgh fell to No. 7, while Stanford and Kentucky rose in the polls to No. 5 and No. 3, respectively.

Nebraska volleyball players celebrate a point against Cal.

Nebraska volleyball players celebrate a point against Cal. / Nebraska Athletics

The Huskers continued their dominant start to the season with back-to-back sweeps over non-conference opponents. Nebraska handled Wright State 25-16, 25-16, and 25-20 on Friday, then won over California 25-15, 25-18, and 25-12 on Sunday. Nebraska remained one of seven top 25 programs with an unbeaten record.

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The Big Ten Conference continued to stay well represented in the AVCA rankings with seven teams earning top 25 spots while two more received votes in this week’s poll. Nebraska led the conference at No. 1, followed by No. 6 Wisconsin, No. 12 Penn State, No. 13 Minnesota, No. 14 Purdue, No. 16 USC, and No. 24 UCLA. Oregon was the top-vote receiving team outside of the top 25, while Indiana also received votes.

The Southeastern Conference featured three teams inside the top 10 and five teams inside the top 25. No. 2 Texas and No. 3 Kentucky both remained behind Nebraska at the top overall spot, while No. 8 Texas A&M, No. 11 Florida, and No. 23 Missouri all remained in the top 25. Tennessee and LSU also received votes in this week’s poll.

Nebraska middle blocker Rebekah Allick

Nebraska middle blocker Rebekah Allick fires a kill through the Stanford defense during the first set of the AVCA First Serve vs. Stanford. / Kenny Larabee, KLIN

The Atlantic Coast Conference nabbed four spots in the top 10 and six spots in this week’s AVCA rankings, placing behind the Big Ten Conference for total teams represented. No. 4 Louisville led the ACC ahead of No. 5 Stanford and No. 7 Pittsburgh, while No. 10 SMU rounded out the conference’s top ten teams. No. 21 Georgia Tech and No. 25 North Carolina jumped in the rankings, as North Carolina remains unbeaten and had received votes in last week’s poll. Miami (FL) also received votes.

The Big 12 Conference included one top-10 team and six total programs in this week’s top 25. No. 9 Arizona State slipped two spots from No. 7 last week but remained inside the AVCA top ten. No. 15 TCU, No. 17 Kansas, No. 19 BYU, No. 20 Baylor, and No. 22 Utah remained in this week’s poll. Arizona and Colorado also received votes in this week’s rankings.

The Big East Conference had one representative, as Nebraska’s in-state rival, Creighton, landed at No. 18. The Bluejays and Huskers match up in Omaha on Tuesday, Sept. 16, at the CHI Health Center. The Big East also saw Marquette receive votes in this week’s poll.

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Nebraska's Bergen Reilly and Andi Jackson work to block a Creighton attack.

Nebraska’s Bergen Reilly and Andi Jackson work to block a Creighton attack. / Nebraska Athletics

Other teams receiving votes include Oregon, Tennessee, Dayton, Marquette, Western Kentucky, Arizona, Miami (FL), Indiana, UTEP, Colorado, UC Santa Barbara, LSU, and South Florida. Six other teams were mentioned on only one ballot for seven combined points.

Nebraska volleyball remains with nine matches on its schedule against ranked opponents: No. 22 Utah, No. 18 Creighton, No. 12 Penn State, No. 14 Purdue, No. 8 Wisconsin, No. 13 Minnesota, No. 24 UCLA, No. 16 USC, and a rematch with the Nittany Lions.

The Huskers are back in action for the Husker Invitational this weekend at John Cook Arena, battling No. 22 Utah on Friday, Sept. 12 at 6 p.m. CDT. Nebraska will then host Grand Canyon University on Saturday at 6 p.m. CDT, followed by the Huskers’ in-state tilt with Creighton the following Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. CDT. The Big Red wraps up the non-conference slate hosting RV Arizona on Saturday, Sept. 20 at 8 p.m. CDT.

AVCA Top 25 Coaches Poll

  1. Nebraska (61)
  2. Texas
  3. Kentucky
  4. Louisville
  5. Stanford
  6. Wisconsin
  7. Pittsburgh
  8. Texas A&M
  9. Arizona State
  10. SMU
  11. Florida
  12. Penn State
  13. Minnesota
  14. Purdue
  15. TCU
  16. USC
  17. Kansas
  18. Creighton
  19. BYU
  20. Baylor
  21. Georgia Tech
  22. Utah
  23. Missouri
  24. UCLA
  25. North Carolina

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.



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Nebraska State Patrol troopers find 242 pounds of cocaine during commercial truck inspection

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Nebraska State Patrol troopers find 242 pounds of cocaine during commercial truck inspection


LEXINGTON, Neb. (KOLN) – Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol arrested one person after finding more than 240 pounds of cocaine during a commercial vehicle inspection.

On Tuesday afternoon, an NSP Carrier Enforcement trooper conducted a commercial vehicle inspection on a semi tractor/trailer driven by Arwinderjit Singh, 30, of California, near mile marker 254 on Interstate 80.

Arwinderjit Singh mugshot(Dawson County Jail)

During the inspection, the trooper became suspicious of criminal activity. An NSP K-9 detected the odor of a controlled substance inside the cab of the semi, troopers said.

After searching the cab, troopers located 242 pounds of cocaine concealed underneath the sleeper bed, NSP said.

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Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol arrested one person after finding more than 240 pounds...
Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol arrested one person after finding more than 240 pounds of cocaine during a commercial vehicle inspection.(Nebraska State Patrol)

Singh was arrested on suspicion of possession of cocaine, possession with intent to deliver, possession of an open alcohol container, no drug tax stamp and displaying a fictitious license plate.

Singh was lodged in Dawson County Jail, and his bond was set at 10% of $2 million. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 12.

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Athlete of the Week: Creighton Prep boys wrestling’s Zaiyahn Ornelas

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Athlete of the Week: Creighton Prep boys wrestling’s Zaiyahn Ornelas


OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – Creighton Prep senior Zaiyahn Ornelas won his fourth consecutive Nebraska state wrestling title on Saturday.

According to NSAA records, he joins 39 other wrestlers in state history to accomplish the feat.

“It’s a great feeling,” Ornelas said. “It’s a feeling everybody wants.”

The senior ended his career as the 39th four-time state champion in Nebraska history, winning three at Wilber-Clatonia before joining the Jr. Jays.

Ornelas won three Class C state titles at Wilber-Clatonia at 106, 113 and 120 pounds before transferring to Creighton Prep for his senior season, where he competed in Class A at 126 pounds.

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“Three state titles there and then just thought I could bump up my competition,” Ornelas said.

“Zaiyahn is one of the cleanest technicians I’ve ever seen. That’s a huge testament to his coaching staff at Wilber,” Fisher added.

Ornelas was one of four Creighton Prep wrestlers to win state titles this season, helping lead the Jr. Jays to the Class A team title. Teammates said his presence in the practice room raised their level of competition.

“I could never slack off just because my competition in the state was easy. I always had to come in this room and get better or else I was going to get beat,” said sophomore Cruzer Dominguez, a two-time Class A state champion at 106 and 120 pounds.

Sophomore Kameron Green, the Class A 144-pound state champion this year, also credited Ornelas for aiding in his development.

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“Zaiyahn being a training partner has helped me in tremendous ways,” he said. “When he wrestles, he’s not the nicest or shyest kid, but he’s tenacious and tough.”

The sophomore won his first state title after finishing as a runner-up at 126 pounds as a freshman.

Junior JT Smith, a two-time state champion at 175 and 190 pounds, said the achievement carries weight for the entire team.

“It’s something really special to have a teammate that’s a four-time state champion,” he said. “That’s something everyone wants to be.”

The junior finished the season as a back-to-back state champion after winning a gold medal at 175 pounds as a sophomore.

Fisher said Ornelas’s attitude set the tone from the start.

“He has so many skills and then coming into our room, he’s extremely coachable. Every time he came in here he was humble, ready to work, wanting to get better and that’s why he is as good as he is,” Fisher said.

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Ornelas signed to wrestle at the University of Nebraska in November. He said the move to Creighton Prep delivered what he was looking for.

“This is the reason why I came here. I went out to explore, to find the best, and this is the territory that I found. If it wasn’t for these guys — the push — I would have not been there,” Ornelas said.

“It’s hard to believe. That’s kind of what I wanted since the beginning, freshman year,” he said.

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Nebraska Chamber taps former state senator to lead during leadership transition

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Nebraska Chamber taps former state senator to lead during leadership transition


LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – The Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry has selected a former state senator and longtime board member to lead the chamber while it searches for a new president and CEO.

Board of Directors Chair Pat Keenan said Thursday that Matt Williams of Gothenburg agreed to serve as interim president.

ALSO READ: Nebraska Chamber president and CEO resigns after less than a year

“The Board is grateful to Matt for stepping into this role during a very active and productive time for the Nebraska Chamber,” Keenan said. “He has steady leadership, strong relationships and trust from his many years of advocacy for economic development, and decades of experience working with the legislature and state government on tax policy and economic development incentives.”

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Matt Williams(NE Chamber)

Williams represented District 36 in the Nebraska Legislature from 2015 to 2023.

The chamber said Williams has had a lifelong career in banking and serves as chairman of Flatwater Bank. He previously served as chair of the Nebraska Bankers Association and the American Bankers Association.

His long involvement with the chamber includes membership on the Board of Directors; he currently serves as director for District 6. In 2025, he was named to the Nebraska Business Hall of Fame.

“The Nebraska Chamber is on rock-solid footing, with the clear vision of the Board, and talented and hard-working staff hitting its stride in legislative policy and advocacy, technology, manufacturing, leadership-development, fund-raising and membership. The success of cutting-edge initiatives like 6 Regions, One Nebraska, the launch of the Go Big Future series, and the strong member engagement across the state demonstrate the success and strength of this organization. I’m excited to lend my support in whatever way I can for the Chamber. I know how strong businesses and communities make for a stronger Nebraska, and I’m glad to be part of that.”

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