Volleyball Report: Making sense of the Big Ten title race

It's November, and that means the Big Ten volleyball title race has taken shape and the NCAA tournament push is well underway. Contenders have emerged and the early season surprises have faded into memory as the 10-week conference season pushes onward. For the second straight year, the attention shifts to the unbalanced schedule?s influence on the Big Ten title race as matchups between contenders are lacking with four weeks left.

[ MORE: View the latest AVCA poll | Check out the latest Big Ten standings ]

One year ago, only two matches in the final four weeks of Big Ten play featured teams that were in contention for the conference crown; 2015 has just two. None of this is a surprise when this year?s schedule is a mimic of last year?s, with the only difference being a change of venue between opponents, but it is no less frustrating. The best conference in college volleyball deserves a race to the finish that involves the top teams meeting in meaningful matches as the season draws to a close. Next year will be an indication as to whether or not those in the conference office who make the schedule will make any adjustments, but for now we will take a look at the matches that will decide the 2015 crown.

Currently, there are three contenders for the Big Ten title: Minnesota, Penn State and Nebraska. The Gophers are seeking their first conference title since 2002 and are in a similar position to last year?s Wisconsin team that lost early and went on to win their first title since 2001. Minnesota is 11-1 and has just one remaining match against a team in contention, a rematch of its only conference loss, vs. Penn State in Minneapolis on November 14. There are other challenges remaining on the schedule, but, with the exception of a trip to No. 16 Purdue, the Gophers will play those matches at the Sports Pavilion, where they are unbeaten this season. Minnesota does not play Nebraska nor Illinois a second time this year, two teams that the Gophers beat in four and five sets, respectively, in the league?s first half and that would love a second chance at the Big Ten?s top team.

The only other match that features the top three contenders comes on the final day of the regular season, when Penn State and Nebraska meet in Lincoln. Both the Nittany Lions and the Huskers have completed the portion of their schedules against the top of the conference, with the exception of PSU?s trip to Minnesota and the Huskers' visit to Purdue on Wednesday. Should Minnesota win out, this rivalry match will once again be irrelevant to the title race as it has been the past two seasons. However, if the Nittany Lions knock off the Gophers from the top of the standings on Nov. 14, the finale in the Devaney Center could be a chance for either team to play for a piece of the title or, potentially in Penn State?s case, an outright title.

All of this is contingent on the three contenders winning the matches they are expected to win. There have been shocking upsets this season. Northwestern beating Penn State, for example, but as history has shown, those surprising wins usually occur early in the season. By the time the second half rolls around, the league?s top teams only get tripped up by other contenders and unfortunately those meetings remain limited down the stretch.

Even if we widen our scope to include Ohio State, Purdue and Wisconsin, the three teams that are tied for fourth in the conference, that adds just three more matches of note in the final four weeks. Wisconsin is the only team as of late that has appeared to develop into a squad that could challenge any of the top three, but the Badgers do not have any of them remaining on the schedule. Who wouldn?t want to see Wisconsin and Penn State now that the two teams are hitting their peak or Wisconsin and Nebraska for a second time following an outstanding four-setter in Lincoln a week and a half ago? The Buckeyes and the Boilers have each lost their last two matches and are capable of pulling off an upset, but appear to have fallen into the second tier of the Big Ten?s top teams.

For a league as deep as this conference, five matches of interest out of 56 in the final four weeks is a paltry number for Big Ten volleyball fans. A schedule overhaul seems unlikely going forward, there is not a solution for every team to play twice but that does not mean that tweaks cannot be made to make sure the best teams from college volleyball?s top conference meet with something to play for in November.

The two matches left between Big Ten title contenders:

Nov. 14: Penn State at Minnesota

Nov. 28: Penn State at Nebraska

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Live on BTN/BTN2Go this week:

No. 8 Nebraska vs. No. 16 Purdue - Wednesday 7 p.m. ET (Watch on BTN2Go)

If there was one match remaining that could upend the Big Ten title race, outside of the two between contenders listed above, it would be Wednesday?s meeting between the Huskers and the Boilers. Purdue has won three matches against Nebraska since the Cornhuskers joined the Big Ten and two of them came in West Lafayette. Nebraska has just 21 conference losses since 2011 and 14 of those have come on the road. The Huskers rarely lose in Big Ten play, but the majority of them have come away from the Devaney Center.

Purdue lost two challenging matches on the road against Wisconsin and Minnesota last week but had stretches where it looked like a team that could upset either opponent on its home floor. Wednesday, Purdue is back at the Boiler Box, where the Block Party will try to help Dave Shondell?s team stay unbeaten at home. Nebraska gets to find out if it learned to be a more consistent team following two home conference losses before beating the Big Ten?s 12^th and 13^th place squads. Count on Justine Wong-Orantes to frustrate the Boiler outsides, so continued success from the Purdue middles will be necessary to pull off the upset.

Michigan State at No. 4 Minnesota - Friday 8 p.m. ET (Watch on BTN2Go)

The Spartans have lost three straight, including a four-set loss to Northwestern, last Saturday night. Michigan State seeks consistency, as well, as after a dominant first set against the Wildcats, Cathy George?s team failed to cover balls that touched off the block and could not stop a variety of weapons from the Northwestern attack. Symone Abbott hits the ball with tremendous power but if the Spartans struggled with the power of Abbott, the arm of Daly Santana will cause nightmares.

Minnesota continues to hope that Santana?s arm can hold up as she took 87 swings last week in two wins against Indiana and Purdue. The Gophers have great balance thanks to the play of freshman setter Samantha Seliger-Swenson but that does not mean they do not rely heavily on the play of Santana. Michigan State will need to improve its defense significantly if it hopes to go into Minneapolis and put a dent in the Gophers' Big Ten title hopes.