-Beckham during training camp for a backup offensive li

Most opponents leave Texas Gregory Gymnasium and Brigham Youngs Smith Fieldhouse with a loss. But the final week of volleyballs nonconference schedule produced a few surprises, including a pair of memorable performances by Wisconsin and Utah in hostile territory.Badgers take two in TexasWhat a weekend for Wisconsin, which finished 2-0 in the Lone Star state.On Friday, the Badgers swept Texas A&M behind 27 kills from freshman Molly Haggerty.A split on the weekend for Wisconsin looked inevitable in Sundays touted matchup between two of the sports heavyweights when Texas secured the first two sets. The teams played in cozy Gregory Gymnasium, where Wisconsin had not won in three visits.But the Badgers staged an epic comeback, finishing off the national runner-up 20-18 in five. Texas was unable to convert three match points.Badgers senior Lauren Carlinis 62nd career double-double (54 assists, 11 digs) set a school record; Haggerty added 20 kills and senior Kelli Bates had 15.Service errors cost Wisconsin early, but once we were able to squeeze out the third set, that gave us new life, coach Kelly Sheffield said. By the end, we were the cleaner team.The Badgers (8-1), who lost 3-2 at North Carolina on Sept. 9, moved up to 3 in this weeks American Volleyball Coaches Association poll. Texas, previously No. 2, dropped to 5. The Aggies are 19th.Haggerty earned offensive and freshman player of the week honors from the Big Ten.One more number to note: Wisconsin traveled 12,614 miles during its nonconference slate, which included a trek to Hawaii. Thats more than half the earths circumference.These streaks are overSpeaking of success on its home floor, No. 13 Brigham Young had won a national-best 29 straight prior to Fridays match with unranked Utah.On top of that, in its last five matches against BYU, the Utes were 0-5.It took five sets last weekend to reverse the trend for Utah, which stunned a program that was 55-1 at home since November 2011.The Utes, swept by the Cougars the last two times the teams played, took the first two sets before dropping sets three and four, but saved enough to survive the fifth, 15-13. Trailing 13-11 in the final set, Utah never allowed another point, finishing off the match with a block and a pair of kills by Adora Anae. The juniors 31 kills were a school record; her freshman teammate Bailey Choy notched 57 assists.Anae is this weeks Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week; her teammate Megan Shughrou, with 24 digs in the match, is the conferences Defensive Player of the Week.In case youre wondering: No. 2 Minnesota is the new national leader in home win streak with 22 straight at the Sports Pavilion.In another in-state matchup, No. 16 Colorado prevailed over Colorado State for the first time since 2002, ending the Rams seven-match, 14-year win streak over the Buffs. MVP honors went to sophomore Alexa Smith, a transfer from Purdue, who recorded 21 kills on .391 hitting.Kansas also fell to Purdue, ending the Jayhawks 25-match nonconference win streak. The loss was also Kansas first of the season. It was the second win over a top 10 opponent for the Boilermakers, who upended Stanford the week before.Kansas had held each of its previous opponents to a hitting percentage under .200; Purdue hit at a .331 clip. This is a sign of what we can do, Boilermakers coach Dave Shondell said.Kansas dropped four spots in the poll to No. 8; Purdue improved from No. 14 to 10.Welcome back, AnnieWhen Annie Mitchem signed with Hawaii after twice being named AVCA Two-Year College National Player of the Year, expectations were high for her to fuel an already potent offense. Mitchem of Irvine Valley College was the national leader in kill percentage (.517) in 2014.But injuries slowed the 6-2 outside hitter. A pair of pinkie fractures in each hand caused her to miss the final 12 matches of last season and the first nine of this one.Finally healthy, she returned to Hawaiis starting lineup over the weekend, helping the Rainbow Wahine to back-to back victories over Pepperdine. With a combined 21 kills in her first two matches back, and reigning Big West Player of the Year Nikki Taylor healthy after an elbow injury, No. 14 Hawaii is poised to win its fourth conference title in five years.Whos still unbeaten?Top-ranked Nebraska (9-0) remains unscathed and is one of five unbeaten teams in the nation, along with No. 4 Washington (10-0), South Carolina (12-0), East Carolina (10-0) and Weber State (9-0).Two Husker notes: Creighton became the second team this season to take a set from the Huskers, winning the first before a four-set loss; Florida is the other team to take a set off Nebraska in 2016. The Jays could not convert three set points in the third. Husker senior Kadie Rolfzens stat line was a near-miss triple double with 17 kills, 13 digs and nine blocks.Among those knocked from the unbeaten ranks last week were Santa Clara and Pitt.Arizona State stunned Santa Clara, coming back from an 0-2 deficit to prevail in five. The win, the 700th in Sun Devils history, was also the first over a top-25 opponent for first-year coach Stevie Mussie.Western Kentucky (12-2) toppled Pitt in five sets in what coach Travis Hudson called a gutty performance by our team. Alyssa Cavanaugh recorded 18 kills, including her career 1,000th, for the Hilltoppers, and Jessica Lucas added 43 assists and 22 digs. Western Kentucky returned to the poll at No. 25.Get ready, get set for conference playHere are some interesting matchups to circle on the calendar to start league play.Kansas at Texas: The No. 8 Jayhawks, who take on Texas Saturday, have lost the last 24 to the Longhorns, but Texas, ranked fifth, needed five for the win in 2015.Nebraska at Michigan and Michigan State: The No. 1 Cornhuskers travel north to meet No. 22 Michigan and No. 20 Michigan State in back-to-back games Friday and Saturday. The Wolverines won their first eight before losing to Pitt. The Spartans were the last team to extend the Huskers to five sets.Minnesota at Ohio State: The No. 2 Golden Gophers needed five to get by the Buckeyes, ranked 17th, last season.North Carolina at NC State: The No. 12 Tar Heels, who were upset by TCU 3-2 on Friday, travel to NC State on Thursday for the ACC opener for both teams. Arizona Coyotes Shirts . Both players have lower body injuries that will keep them out of the lineup until at least January 31, which is the first game they can be activated from IR. Dylan Strome Jersey . According the Toronto Star, a knee injury will keep Sundin out of the lineup, which includes former teammates Gary Roberts, Darcy Tucker, Tie Domi and Curtis Joseph. https://www.cheapcoyotes.com/308z-daniel-briere-jersey-coyotes.html . The home side created most of the chances but struggled to break down Braunschweigs resilient defence, resulting in the Bundesligas 1,000th scoreless draw. Phil Kessel Jersey . The catch: It needs a lot of money, and it needs it fast. Lawson Crouse Jersey . Schenn scored the game-winning goal and added two assists to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday. NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The offseason addition of wide receiver Rishard Matthews has paid big dividends for the Tennessee Titans.Matthews already has set a career high with six touchdown catches -- all within the past six weeks.Only Tampa Bays Mike Evans and Jordy Nelson of Green Bay (eight) and Pittsburghs Antonio Brown (seven) have more touchdown catches in the NFL than Matthews, who is tied with four others.And the receiver easily is poised to turn in the most receptions and yards receiving in just his first year working with quarterback Marcus Mariota.Im glad it happened the way it did, Matthews said.A seventh-round draft pick out of Nevada, the 6-foot, 217-pound Matthews spent his first four seasons with the Miami Dolphins where he started only 17 of his 49 games.When he hit free agency, Matthews went looking for the chance to do more coming off the best season of his career with 43 catches in 11 starts for 662 yards and four touchdown receptions.Matthews had a couple of teams calling, but he and his agent saw the Titans and Mariota as the right match with a three-year contract .It took a little bit of time to start building timing and chemistry, but offensive coordinator Terry Robiskie thinks returning to Miami to play the Dolphins jump-started Matthews season.From there, I think those two theyve kind of bonded a little bit, Robiskie said Thursday of Matthews and Mariota.Matthews caught his first touchdown pass from Mariota in Miami on Oct. 9, and hes added five TD catches since then helping Tennessee (5-5) win four of its past six. He caught two in the second quarter at San Diego on Nov. 6 and added another last week. The Titans visit Indianapolis (4-5) on Sunday.Matthews has made a handful of long catches too and believes Mariotas trust in him just keeps climbing.Hes been coming to me in key situations, Matthews said.ddddddddddddThat just means a lot to myself, and Im just glad I could go out there and make plays for him.The Titans needed help at wide receiver after investing second-round draft picks in Justin Hunter and Dorial Green-Beckham. They released Hunter in the final cuts, while they traded Green-Beckham during training camp for a backup offensive lineman.Coach Mike Mularkey said how Matthews has played is what caught the Titans attention.Obviously, big, thick receiver, really strong to the ball, strong hands, makes plays and contested catches, playmaker, which hes been doing here for the last six weeks, Mularkey said.Hes been making plays. Obviously, the touchdowns have been big plays, but a lot of what youre seeing was on tape. You know, he was hurt last year and only got so many games to show what he had. Its showing up again.Matthews is part of a receiving group that ranks third in the NFL for fewest drops, having dropped five of the 210 passes deemed catchable by STATS LLC.That ranks Tennessee third in the NFL with a drop rate of 2.4 percent per catch behind only Washington (1.2 percent) and Dallas (2.1).Mularkey said the receivers have been dependable after he was probably harder on them than any other group on the team.Weve got a mix of guys, a rookie thats playing in his 11th game, Rishard has come about, Mularkey said. I give them credit. They have rebounded and helped us with our offense.Game notes RB DeMarco Murray (toe) practiced fully Thursday after being given a day of rest Wednesday.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Teresa M. Walker at www.twitter.com/teresamwalker ' ' '