No. 1 Nebraska Volleyball (17-0, 6-0) crushed No. 7 Wisconsin in straight sets (25-23, 25-14, 25-20) at John Cook Arena on Saturday, October 10.
Earlier in the day, fans filled Memorial Stadium for the Big Noon Kickoff battle between Nebraska and Indiana. Right afterward, 10,497 people turned out at the Bob Devaney Sports Center for the Huskers’ infamous “Blackout” game.
Nebraska returned home after a three-game trip to the East Coast. NU entered the game fresh off three straight sweeps against No. 16 Penn State, Maryland and Indiana.
Dani Busboom Kelly‘s team hit .396 in the game, led by Harper MurrayThe release of 20 kills, a season high. Nebraska earned its seventh straight sweep, including three against ranked opponents.
NU has won five straight games against the Badgers. Wisconsin went 11-1 against Nebraska from 2017-23.
***Join HuskerOnline today for just $1 to get the latest information on football, recruiting, volleyball, basketball and more!***
Set 1: Sigler builds momentum with all-around performance
Top-ranked Nebraska won the first set, 25-23, hitting .270. Teraya Sigler led NU out of a slump midway through the set, recording five kills out of its nine kills. The sophomore outside hitter hit .571 and had four digs and two blocks in the first set.
John Cook Arena exploded after arguably the longest rally of the year. Libero Olivia Mauch made two remarkable digs to keep the ball alive. Murray finished it off by getting away from the hands of the opposing freshman batter. Champion of Décélie. The senior’s fourth kill gave Nebraska a 22-19 lead.
Defensively, NU held Wisconsin to a .167 clip, converting just 12 kills on 36 attempts. The Badgers committed six attacking errors and two serving errors. Champion led UW with four kills on 13 attempts, with two digs and two blocks.
Freshman outside hitter Audrey Flanagan recorded the only service ace of the set, cutting Nebraska’s lead, 24-22. From the service line, Flanagan helped UW force five set points. Murray finished the set with a kill for a 25-23 victory.
Set 2: seniors lead, Murray and Jackson break out
After going point for point in the first set, the Huskers returned to their usual state in the second set. Leading 1-0, senior passer Bergen Reilly led Nebraska to a .424 clip as the Huskers had 18 kills on 33 swings.
NU trailed Wisconsin 11-10 early in the set, then went on a 10-1 run. Murray was motivated throughout the set, providing a crucial spark for her team on both sides of the ball.
Jackson and Murray had 14 kills on 22 attacks. Mauch and senior defensive specialist Laney Choboy each added seven digs in the set, finishing the match with a total of 25.
The Huskers held 14th-year head coach Kelly Sheffield’s team to a low .053 hitting percentage, the lowest in a single set all year. Champion had four kills in 10 attempts, despite his two offensive errors.
Set 3: Ogbechie reigns in the middle
In the final set, Nebraska rode its momentum from the first two sets, hitting a match-high .538.
Manaïa Ogbechie entered the final set with four blocks and continued her brilliant defensive performance, scoring three more. In the match, she finished with three kills on 10 swings and hit .200.
The Huskers struggled in several aspects of the final set of the match, recording three service errors. They also helped Wisconsin post a .323 hitting percentage and 16 kills, both bests in the game.
Murray finished the match with a kill off the block, scoring his 20th of the match. The Ann Arbor, Michigan, native finished with a .471 average, committing just four offensive errors, including the team’s only service ace.
Next, Nebraska will face Northwestern on Thursday, October 15 at 7 p.m. CT at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The game will be broadcast on Big Ten Plus and the Huskers Radio Network.
Never miss the latest news or another article from HuskerOnline again. Click HERE to sign up for HuskerOnline’s daily and breaking news newsletters
Gn sports
