Last weekend, the volleyball world watched with bated breath as No. 2 Nebraska took down top-ranked Wisconsin in what many have called a preview of the national championship game. The five-set thriller was the most watched regular season match in NCAA volleyball history, another notch in the belt for what has been a historic season for college volleyball viewership. All eyes are on the Big Ten, and for good reason — the conference has produced 10 of the last 17 National Champions. But as the heavyweights trade blows at the top of the table, a dogfight is happening in the SEC.

Historically, the SEC's volleyball success was limited, but the conference produced its first national champion in Kentucky in 2020 and had seven teams reach the NCAA tournament in 2022. SEC schools have begun to draw more touted recruits as the sport's popularity increases, building more competitive programs. This year, 5 SEC schools rank in the top 25: Arkansas (10), Tennessee (12), Kentucky (15), Florida (19), and Auburn (24), as well as Texas A&M on the receiving votes.

In recent memory, the SEC has been predominantly a two-horse race between Kentucky and Florida, as no other team has claimed the conference title since 2016. Florida All-American setter Alexis Stucky suffered a devastating, season-ending ACL tear in September. The Gators have dropped three matches to Texas A&M, Auburn, and Mississippi State since the injury. Now, with the Sunshine State juggernaut vulnerable, the division has become a race to the top, with many teams pushing for a spot in the tournament and fighting to gain respect around the sport. As of publication, Arkansas and Kentucky are tied for first with one loss a piece, and Tennessee sits in second with two losses.

These battles have recently lent themselves to a handful of gripping SEC grudge matches. Last week, No. 10 Arkansas squeezed past No. 12 Tennessee in 4 sets, only to be upset two days later by No. 15 Kentucky, who have now won seven straight.

Looking forward, schools will play largely in-conference through the end of the regular season. As the tournament approaches, intra-SEC rivalries will only get hotter.

Here are three games to look out for in the coming weeks:

October 29th:

• No. 10 Arkansas vs. No. 19 Florida -- Recently upset by No.15 Kentucky, the Razorbacks look to bounce back but face a talented Florida team; Freshman Gator Kennedy Martin is the only freshman to win National Player of the Week. She averages 4.7 Points per set.

November 3rd:

• No. 12 Tennessee vs. No.19 Florida -- Perhaps the most lethal offensive team in the SEC, the Lady Vols lead the nation in kills per set (14.89) and show the SEC in kills, assists, and hitting percentage.

November 5th:

• No. 24 Auburn vs. Texas A&M -- Two bubble teams vying for a spot in the tournament. At the time of this writing, Auburn has one more win than A&M. The Aggies, anchored by Sophomore Ifenna Cos-Okpalla, who leads the nation in blocks-per-set, look to shake things up.

Tune in; many of these teams will be sure to make a splash at the tournament in December.