The 2025 AVCA First Serve Showcase? Pure chaos. The good kind. Nebraska and Penn State walked away undefeated, and man, did they put on a clinic.
Nebraska's Moment
No. 1 Nebraska showed up and showed out. Knocking off No. 3 Pitt in four, then sweeping No. 6 Stanford? That's how you handle business. Under the new era of Dani Busboom Kelly, they looked unstoppable. Rebekkah Allick was the star, with 11 kills on 15 swings and MVP honors against Stanford. Straight up dominant.
Penn State's Grit
No. 2 Penn State had their own fireworks. They swept No. 12 Creighton like it was nothing. Then, a five-set thriller against No. 14 Kansas. Kennedy Martin made her debut count, while Caroline Jurevicius smashed 14 kills, hitting .393. You could feel it coming.
Upsets and Surprises
Not everything went as expected. Stanford fell to Nebraska but took down No. 16 Florida. Elia Rubin led the charge with 14 kills and 17 digs. Meanwhile, Florida flipped the script on Pitt, taking them down in five. Transfer Jordyn Byrd was a beast with 23 kills.
Pitt? Tough weekend. They had no answer for Nebraska or Florida. Despite Olivia Babcock's efforts, they walked away empty-handed.
Texas A&M's Statement
No. 9 Texas A&M wrapped things up by handing No. 11 Minnesota a 4-1 loss. Logan Lednicky recorded a double-double, and veterans like Ifenna Cos-Okpalla showed their experience. From there, it was over.
Kansas Rising
Props to Kansas for their first win under Matt Ulmer. They took down Vanderbilt and pushed Penn State to five sets. Rhian Swanson and Selena Leban led the charge. This Jayhawks team? No joke.
And just like that, the first weekend set the tone. Nebraska and Penn State are the teams to beat. But this season? It's just getting started.
Source: NCAA
