Fun fact: as of this writing, no Big Ten volleyball team has dropped a set in the tournament. I don’t know if any men’s basketball teams happen to be paying attention to that, but maybe they should be.

But let’s get on with it, shall we? Especially since as I write this, Minnesota is set to play in eleven minutes. Sorry Gophs. This round is scattered about on ESPN3, ESPNU, and even ESPN2, so it’s luck of the draw how easily you can find your team - but at least some of the tournament is now easier to find.

Bracket found here.

Wisconsin - #1 Seed

2nd Round

Wisconsin def. Weber State, 3-0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-15)

To no one’s surprise, the Badgers made quick work of Weber State on Thursday.

3rd Round

Wisconsin #1 def. #16 BYU, 3-0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-12)

I don’t know why Wisconsin was the lone team to play the third round on Saturday, but that’s of a piece with this year’s tournament, I suppose. In any event, the Cougars proved little trouble to the Badgers—as @BadgerVB said, “Bye, bye, BYU.” Wisconsin is certainly looking unbeatable at this point, but time will tell!

Minnesota - #3 Seed

2nd Round

Minnesota def. Georgia Tech, 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-18)

Georgia Tech didn’t exactly roll over for the Gophers, but they weren’t up to the task of knocking them off either.

3rd Round

Minnesota #3 vs. Pittsburgh (12:00 pm CT, ESPN3)

Without the earliest rounds of the tournament, the step up in competition should be noticeable on Sunday. However, the Gophers should be up to the task of Pitt. I think Minnesota can get this done in three.

Nebraska - #5 Seed

2nd Round

Nebraska def. Texas State, 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-20)

Playing their first match in three weeks, the Huskers didn’t miss a beat and dispatched Texas State with little problem. Nebraska posted a .398 attacking percentage, their highest of the season.

3rd Round

Nebraska #5 vs. Baylor #12 (1:30 pm CT, ESPNU)

I think Nebraska will drop a set here, and maybe have a slow start. But my hopes encourage me to pick Nebraska in four.

Purdue - #7 Seed

2nd Round

Purdue def. High Point, 3-0 (26-24, 25-18, 25-19)

Purdue may have come the closest to dropping a set in the second round, but they prevailed over High Point in the end.

3rd Round

Purdue #7 vs. Oregon #10 (7:30 pm CT, ESPNU)

This is an intriguing match, and should certainly offer a challenge for Purdue. Both teams have won 15 matches this year, and both play in excellent volleyball conferences, so those wins mean something. I’m going to go ahead and call a five-setter for this one. Come on, Boilermakers!

Ohio State - #9 Seed

2nd Round

Ohio State def. Missouri, 3-0 (25-17, 25-20, 25-21)

OSU keeps their surprising season rolling, knocking Missouri out with little trouble.

Ohio State #8 vs. Florida #9 (6:30 pm CT, ESPN2)

OSU snagged the ESPN2 slot today, so if you’ve a hankering for Big Ten volleyball, this might be your most accessible chance. Fortunately, this should also be a pretty good match. I think this one also goes five, though I like OSU’s chances in five more than Purdue’s in that scenario- OSU has made something of a hobby of five-setters this season, playing them in eight matches this season (and more importantly, only losing one of them.)

Penn State - #13 Seed

2nd Round

Penn State def. North Carolina A&T, 3-0 (25-11, 25-19, 25-15)

Playing late at night didn’t seem to bother Penn State, who blasted NCA&T in a non-competitive match.

3rd Round

Penn State #13 vs. Texas #4 (4:00 pm CT, ESPNU)

Hopefully Penn State appreciated the rest from their 2nd round match, because the challenge grows exponentially this afternoon as they face #4 Texas. I’ll never count out a Russ Rose team, but this is going to be a tough one for PSU. If you have the means to tune into this one, I’d also recommend it - two volleyball blue bloods facing off is what the tournament is all about!

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The quarterfinals kick off at 11 am on Monday (what a primo time slot, eh?), so the turnaround will be quick for all of our teams! Best of luck to the Big Ten, and we’ll see how many are still standing tomorrow!