The Nebraska volleyball team is ranked No. 5 in the final coaches’ poll of the year, which was released Monday afternoon.
Nebraska only trails the four teams that made the NCAA Final Four in the poll. National champion Stanford is No. 1, followed by Wisconsin, Baylor and Minnesota.
Nebraska finished with a 28-5 record, with four of the five losses coming against Stanford and Wisconsin — the teams that played in the championship match Saturday. Nebraska lost to Stanford once and Wisconsin three times, including when the Badgers ended Nebraska's season in the Elite Eight. Nebraska’s other loss was against Purdue.
Nebraska was No. 6 going into the postseason, and jumped Pittsburgh and Texas in the final poll. Minnesota also moved up after starting the postseason ranked No. 7.
Nebraska has been ranked in the top eight of the final poll for eight straight years.
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Creighton (25-6) dropped to No. 16 after losing against Minnesota in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Huskers held the No. 1 ranking for one week, in September, but quickly dropped out of the top spot after losing to Stanford. Nebraska’s lowest ranking was eighth.
Each of the five ranked Big Ten teams are in the top 15: No. 2 Wisconsin, No. 4 Minnesota, No. 5 Nebraska, No. 7 Penn State and No. 13 Purdue.
Louisville, coached by former Husker player and assistant coach Dani Busboom Kelly, went from unranked to No. 14 after reaching the Elite Eight. Kentucky, coached by former Nebraska assistant coach Craig Skinner, is No. 12.
Looking to next season, Wisconsin could start the season ranked No. 1 because Stanford faces some big losses from its roster due to graduation. Five of the 10 players that played for Stanford in the championship match were seniors, and they each were All-Americans: Kathryn Plummer, Jenna Gray, Morgan Hentz, Audriana Fitzmorris and Madeleine Gates.
Wisconsin will return All-Americans Dana Rettke, Sydney Hilley and Molly Haggerty. Nebraska should also start next season near the top of the poll because the Huskers didn’t have any seniors on the roster this season.