The stakes for the Nebraska-Texas match in Las Vegas just got raised. 

While there is always plenty on the line when the two long-time rivals meet, the matchup on Aug. 30 will be between the top two ranked teams in college volleyball. 

The Huskers begin the season atop the inaugural AVCA coaches poll as they  earned 57 of the 63 first-place votes for 1,588 total points. Second-place Texas, which earned 1,427 total points, picked up one first-place vote.

Nebraska opens the season as the No. 1 team in the nation for the second straight year. The Huskers, which went 33-1 last year, held the No. 1 ranking from the preseason poll until they lost in the regional final to eventual national champion Texas A&M. 

This is the sixth straight year either Nebraska (2022, 2025, 2026) or Texas (Fall 2021, 2023, 2024) has topped the first poll of the season. 

The preseason poll also marks Nebraska’s ninth time as the top-ranked team in the preseason poll and 124th time being ranked No.1 in an AVCA poll, which is the most of any program. (Penn State is No. 2 at 98 weeks.) Out of the 661 total weeks of the AVCA poll since 1982, the Huskers have been ranked in the Top 10 for 593, which is 15 more than Stanford. 

Kentucky checked in at No. 3 with four first-place votes and No.8 Texas A&M received the final one. Pittsburgh and Stanford rounded out the Top 5. 

Wisconsin is No.6 and is followed by Louisville, Texas A&M, Purdue and Penn State. 

The Badgers will face a brutal first three weeks where they play seven ranked teams in their opening eight matches. Their oppsonents are ranked third, seventh, fifth, fourth, 17th, eighth and second.

Overall, eight Big Ten teams were included in the preseason poll -- No. 1 Nebraska, No. 6 Wisconsin, No. 9 Purdue, No. 10 Penn State, No. 14 Minnesota, No. 16 Indiana, No. 20 USC and No. 25 Oregon, which returns to the rankings after missing all of 2025.

The Big 12 has six teams included in the poll, led by Arizona State at No. 12. The SEC and ACC are represented by five teams each. No. 13 Creighton is the only ranked team from outside the Power Four conferences.(Seven other received votes led by Cal Poly, which reached the regional semifinals last season.)  

In addition to the seven league opponents, Nebraska will face off against four other ranked teams in the nonconference: No. 2 Texas, No. 13 Creighton, No. 19 North Carolina and No. 21 Baylor. In addition, Georgia Tech received 77 points, the 28th most. 

The Huskers will also face No. 17 Florida in an exhibition match at AT&TStadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys.

The next poll will be released Aug. 31, the day after Nebraska and Texas face off.