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Wisconsin is part of a huge Big Ten contingent in the volleyball coaches' preseason poll. Big Ten rival Nebraska gets No. 1 spot.

Mark Stewart, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
·2 min read
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Devyn Robinson is among the key returnees for Wisconsin, which had to replace six top players from its national championship-winning team.
Devyn Robinson is among the key returnees for Wisconsin, which had to replace six top players from its national championship-winning team.

MADISON – The Wisconsin and Nebraska volleyball teams can’t shake each other.

The Big Ten Conference rivals played a down-to-the-wire national championship match last December. The Badgers won that match and this month received the nod from coaches in the conference as the preseason favorite.

On a national scale, however UW will have to take a backseat to the Cornhuskers for the moment.

Nebraska opened the season ranked No. 1 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association preseason poll, two spots ahead of Wisconsin. The two lead a large presence in the ranking by the Big Ten, which owns three of the top five spots, four of the top 10 and seven of the top 20.

Here is how the rest of the Big Ten fared in the ranking: Minnesota (fifth), Ohio State (seventh), Purdue (13th), Illinois (17th) and Penn State (20th).

The Badgers will carry their lofty ranking while replacing a core of six-year seniors who led the program to the national title last season.

They’ve reloaded with five newcomers who include transfers Sarah Franklin (Michigan State) and Caroline Crawford (Kansas State), who are ready to make an immediate impact. They will be joined by returning standouts Anna Smrek, Devyn Robinson and Julia Orzol plus sixth-year senior Danielle Hart, who is missed most of last season due a knee injury.

"Even when we had that talent, we still had so much depth on our bench," Smrek said during Big Ten media days earlier this month. "And we learned so much from those individuals who did graduate as well. They taught us. It's almost like we're still playing alongside (them) with everything they showed and left us with.

"But we do have so many new people joining our team that are bringing so much to the gym. Whether it's a transfer, our incoming freshmen, they're all ready to compete in our gym and at the high level as well."

Wisconsin opens the season Aug. 26-27 in the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge. It will face TCU on Aug. 26 and Baylor on Aug. 27. Both games will be played in Fort Worth, Texas.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin volleyball part of huge Big Ten contingent in preseason poll