The NCAA volleyball championship will be held in Big Ten territory again this season, with the final four taking place in Columbus, Ohio, on Dec. 15 and 17. Last year, the season concluded in Omaha, Nebraska, with the Big Red favorites from down the road in Lincoln taking the title.The Huskers will start this season ranked No. 1, but there will be plenty of challengers on Nebraskas road to a possible repeat. Here are five questions to ponder as we get set for the season.1. Will it be Nebraska vs. Texas again in the final?The Huskers swept the Longhorns in the championship match last December, and the teams begin this season ranked 1-2 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll. So we might indeed see them in the 2016 final.However, since the NCAA volleyball tournament began in 1981, theres been only one instance of the same teams playing in back-to-back championship matches: Penn State and Stanford in 2007 and 08, with the Nittany Lions winning both.We dont have to wait until the NCAA tournament, though, for a Nebraska-Texas matchup; they play Saturday at the VERT Challenge in Eugene, Oregon.Any time Nebraska plays Texas, its a huge game, Huskers setter Kelly Hunter said. Last year we played them early on, and it didnt go our way. Then we saw them again at the end of the year. So its about who gets better throughout the course of the year.We finished on a high note, so were expected to start on a high note. And we have that expectation of ourselves.The Huskers, who won 16 consecutive matches to end last season, return 10 players, including the junior Hunter, the senior Rolfzen twins: Kadie (outside hitter) and Amber (middle blocker), and sophomore hitter Mikaela Foecke, the most outstanding player of the 2015 championship. Among the Huskers additions is junior middle blocker Briana Holman, who was a first-team All-American at LSU before transferring to Nebraska, and senior outside hitter Andie Malloy, who transferred from Baylor.Texas lost three seniors who were the glue last season, including Big 12 player of the year Amy Neal. But the Longhorns, whove advanced to the final four seven of the last eight years, never lack for talent. Among the standouts they have back are setter Chloe Collins and fellow senior Paulina Prieto Cerame, their returning leader in kills with 337 last year. Joining her at outside hitter are two players who were expected to be big contributors last year but were sidelined by injuries: Ebony Nwanebu and Micaya White.Texas is again the Big 12 favorite, but the Longhorns have some company near the top of the poll from Kansas. The Jayhawks -- who made a breakthrough last year by going to their first final four -- are ranked No. 5. They will try to challenge Texas stranglehold on the Big 12 and the league player of the year award, which a Longhorn has won the last seven seasons. This year, the preseason pick for that honor is actually a Jayhawk: junior right side hitter Kelsie Payne.2. Will the Big Ten be the toughest conference?When Nebraska coach John Cook says it might be harder to win a Big Ten title than an NCAA championship, its not just pro-conference hyperbole. The NCAA title requires six victories. The Big Ten title requires coming out on top after a 20-match gauntlet that typically includes several NCAA tournament-qualifying teams. Last year, the Big Ten had nine squads in the postseason.Nebraska joined the Big Ten in 2011 and won the conference title that year. Since then, the Big Ten title has gone to Penn State (2012 and 13), Wisconsin (2014), and Minnesota (2015). Those three schools join Nebraska in the preseason top 10, with Illinois, Ohio State, and Purdue also in the top 25.Seven-time NCAA champion Penn State finished fourth in the Big Ten in 2015, falling to Hawaii in the NCAA regional semifinals. But the Nittany Lions had won six of the previous eight NCAA titles, so they were due to have something of a rebuilding season, even though that term really never fits how good Penn State always is.Will it be another survival-of-the-fittest endurance test in the Big Ten? Of course, and it will be no surprise to see at least two teams from that conference in the final four. Thats been the case three of the last four years.3. Can Stanford make a title run?Before she became queen of the sand, Kerri Walsh Jennings was an indoor volleyball star, leading Stanford to two NCAA titles. That was during a stretch from 1992-97 when the Cardinal won four of six national championships. Stanford added two more titles in 2001 and 2004.But Stanford hasnt won an NCAA title in the past 11 years, and has made just one final four appearance in the last seven seasons. Its not for lack of success in the Pac-12, though. In the last 10 seasons, Stanford has won or shared the conference title seven times. (In all, Stanford has 16 Pac-12 crowns since league play began in 1986.)But the Cardinal have had several big disappointments over the past decade in the NCAA tournament, including last seasons 3-0 second-round loss to Loyola Marymount on Stanfords home court at Maples Pavilion.With four starters returning from a team that finished third in the Pac-12 in 2015, Stanford is picked to win the conference title this year. But can the Cardinal climb to the very top spot in volleyball?It will help to have back middle blocker Inky Ajanaku, who missed 2015 with a knee injury. And outside hitter Hayley Hodson, who was the national freshman of the year last season, should be even better as a sophomore.Of course, just like with the Big Ten, the Pac-12 always has a pileup of very good teams who go to the NCAA tournament. Last year, seven from the Pac-12 made the postseason, but for the first time ever, there was no West Coast/Hawaii presence in the final four. It looked as if top-seeded Southern Cal was headed to Omaha, but the Trojans collapsed late in the fifth set against Kansas in the regional final, losing six consecutive points and the match.USC lost 2015 AVCA national player of the year Samantha Bricio to graduation, but still has plenty of talent, including sophomore Alyse Ford and junior Brittany Abercrombie.For what its worth, the AVCA poll has USC and Washington as the top-ranked Pac-12 teams, tied for seventh, with Stanford at No. 11.4. Will Texas A&M top the SEC again?The boss of this conference has, for the most part, been Florida. And the Gators are going to be in the thick of things again this season, especially with middle blocker Rhamat Alhassan and right-side hitter Alex Holston returning. Florida, which is a perennial contender, lost in a regional final last year to Texas. The Gators will open this season against No. 1 Nebraska on Friday.But the 2015 SEC champion was Texas A&M, led by setter/right side Stephanie Aiple and middle blocker Jazzmin Babers. The Aggies were picked by the SEC coaches to win the conference again in 2016, with the Gators picked to finish second. The AVCA poll, however, favors Florida at No. 10, with Texas A&M at No. 16.Last year, Texas A&M fell in the NCAA second round at home against Hawaii, and the Aggies definitely hope for a better postseason showing in 2016.5. Who are among the best of the rest?Hawaii?is No. 6 in the AVCA preseason poll and picked to win the Big West again. The Rainbow Wahine went 16-0 in conference play last year, then fell to Minnesota in a regional final.Colorado State has won the last seven Mountain West titles and is picked to make it eight in a row this year. But the Rams, ranked No. 25, may be challenged in the league by Boise State, which has preseason player of the year Sierra Nobley.The ACCs final four breakthrough came in 2011 with Florida State. The conference is still looking for a follow-up trip. North Carolina was chosen as the 2016 ACC favorite, followed by the Seminoles, Miami, and last years regular-season champion, Louisville. The highest ranked of the ACC teams is Florida State at No. 17.BYU, ranked No. 13, will be going for its third consecutive West Coast Conference title. Among the challengers is Loyola Marymount, which is ranked No. 21. Creighton advanced to the regional semifinals for the first time last season, and looks to build on that. The No. 18 Bluejays are the Big East favorites, having won the conferences regular-season and tournament titles last year. Will Richardson Jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. 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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- It hasnt exactly been the kind of week-in-a-bubble Alabama coach Nick Saban would want before a Southeastern Conference game.The top-ranked Crimson Tide has dealt with injury questions, a star players arrest and backup quarterback Blake Barnett leaving the team leading up to Saturday nights game with Kentucky.Alabama (4-0, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) remained a heavy favorite over the Wildcats (2-2, 1-1), who have won two straight since a rough start but lost on all nine previous trips to Bryant-Denny Stadium.Leading rusher Damien Harris, a Kentucky native who was heavily recruited by the Wildcats, has been nursing a sprained right ankle while receivers ArDarius Stewart and Robert Foster sat out the Kent State game with knee injuries.Coach Nick Saban announced Thursday that Barnett had left the program and withdrawn from school. That followed linebacker Tim Williams early Thursday morning arrest on a misdemeanor charge of carrying a pistol without a permit.Saban said afterward that he would review the information before settling on any punishment.The test coming off what he called Alabamas most complete performance -- a 48-0 win over Kent State -- is to not let the off-the-field issues affect the performance.We played with a little better consistency throughout and well certainly need it against an SEC opponent that has really played well the last two weeks, Saban said. It will be very challenging for us.Kentucky has presumably built confidence with wins over New Mexico State and South Carolina. The Wildcats havent beaten a ranked SEC team on the road since a 39-36 victory over No. 21 LSU in 1998.This will be a huge test for a team with only 11 seniors on the roster, the fewest in the nation.Im confident well continue to push forward, Wildcats coach Mark Stoops said. I think our players are growing and it is what it is as far as our experience and what we have, especially defensively. They learn every time they take the field and every time we practice and well continue to do that.dddddddddddd.Here are some things to watch in the Kentucky-Alabama game:INJURY REPORT: Saban said Harris and Foster had both practiced by mid-week and Stewart had done some running.I cant really tell you who could or who couldnt play, Saban said after Wednesdays practice. I think these will all be sort of right-before-the-game decisions relative to whether these guys will be ready to go or not.WILLIAMS STATUS: If Williams is held out for all or part of the game, it leaves the Tide without one of the teams top pass rushers. He had 10.5 sacks last season off the bench and 1.5 through four games.WHOS NO. 2? Without Barnett, who started the opener against Southern California, either David Cornwell or Cooper Bateman is left to be `Bamas No. 2 quarterback. Bateman started the game against Mississippi last season while Cornwell hasnt played.JORDAN RULES: Sophomore linebacker Jordan Jones has been the constant on a Kentucky defense that had allowed 500 yards in each of its first three games before holding South Carolina to 268 in last weeks victory. Jones leads the SEC in tackles per game at 10.8 and his 43 stops rank ninth nationally. His tackle total through four games is the most since Danny Trevathan had 46 in 2011.BOOM AND BENNY SHOW: Kentuckys backfield tandem of junior Stanley Boom Williams and freshman Benny Snell Jr. try to continue their strong play against the SECs top run defense. Theyve combined for 513 yards rushing and six TDs the past two games. Williams ranks third in the conference at 116.0 yards per contest. Snell is tied for the SEC lead in rushing TDs with five, the most by a freshman through four games in school history.---AP Sports Writer Gary B. Graves contributed to this report.---AP college football website: www.collegefootball.ap.org China Womens NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys China Wholesale NFL Camo Jerseys Discount NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Black Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Wholesale ' ' '