Story by NU Athletic Communication

LINCOLN, Neb. – One of Nebraska’s own is coming home to lead the Nebraska volleyball program. Dani Busboom Kelly was named the fourth head coach in program history on Wednesday by Nebraska Director of Athletics Troy Dannen.

Busboom Kelly will succeed her former coach and mentor, John Cook, who announced his retirement on Wednesday after 25 seasons as Nebraska’s head volleyball coach.

A Husker national champion player and assistant coach, Busboom Kelly has spent the last eight years building Louisville into a national power. The Cardinals have reached two NCAA Championship matches, three NCAA Semifinals, five regional finals and have won four ACC titles.

Busboom Kelly has compiled a 203-44 (.822) record in her eight seasons at Louisville, including a 120-15 (.889) mark over the last four years, which is the second-best winning percentage in the country during that span. This past season, the Cardinals reached the NCAA Championship match for the second time in the last three seasons.

“We are excited to welcome Dani and her family back to Lincoln to continue our tradition of excellence in our volleyball program,” Dannen said. “She has demonstrated outstanding leadership at the highest levels of the sport and I am confident that our program will remain among the nation’s elite for years to come. This is a special place that needs an exceptional coach, and we have her. Welcome to Dani and her family!”

Busboom Kelly was the starting libero on Nebraska’s 2006 national championship team, and she was an assistant coach when the Huskers won the 2015 national championship in Omaha. She took the helm at Louisville late in 2016 after being named AVCA National Assistant Coach of the Year in her final season as a Husker assistant, and she has guided the Cardinals to heights the program has never experienced.&nbsp;&nbsp;

A Cortland, Neb., native, Busboom Kelly has agreed to a six-year contract to return home to lead her alma mater. She will be formally introduced as the Huskers’ head coach on Thursday, Feb. 6 at 2 p.m. at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The welcome event will be open to the public, with an introductory press conference to follow.

“The opportunity to come home to Nebraska is more than a dream come true,” Busboom Kelly said. “I want to thank Troy Dannen, Dr. Jeffrey Gold, and Kristen Brown for their trust in me to continue the legacy of Nebraska volleyball. A huge thank you to John Cook. I would not be here without his mentorship and support. I’ve gotten chills listening to the roars in the Coliseum and now Devaney since I was nine years old. Nebraska is the greatest place in the world to play volleyball and I am honored to be a part of it once again! My family and I can’t wait to get to work and bring more championships home. Go Big Red!”

In her first season at Louisville in 2017, Busboom Kelly took over a program coming off a 12-18 season and led UofL to a 24-7 record, an ACC title and an NCAA Tournament appearance. Picked eighth in the ACC preseason poll, she coached two players to major conference postseason awards, ACC Setter of the Year (Wilma Rivera) and ACC Defensive Player of the Year (Molly Sauer). For her efforts, she was named the AVCA East Region Coach of the Year for the first of four times at Louisville. Following her first season, Busboom Kelly was named the head coach of the U.S. Collegiate National Team Europe Tour, leading them to the gold medal in the European Global Challenge.

The Cardinals continued to improve each season, reaching the NCAA Tournament Second Round in 2018 and the program’s first-ever NCAA Regional Final in 2019. During the shortened 2020-21 season, Busboom Kelly’s Cardinals went 15-3 and won the ACC Championship, and she was named ACC Coach of the Year.

Louisville broke through in a big way in 2021, winning 32 straight matches to begin the season before finishing the year in the NCAA Semifinals for the first time in program history. Busboom Kelly was again named ACC Coach of the Year as well as AVCA National Coach of the Year, as the Cardinals achieved their first No. 1 ranking in program history. She became the first woman in NCAA history to coach an undefeated regular season, and two Louisville players (Tori Dilfer and Anna Stevenson) earned the program’s first-ever AVCA All-America First Team honors.

The Cardinals finished 31-3 in 2022 and reached the NCAA Final for the first time in school history, falling to top-seeded Texas. Busboom Kelly was the ACC Coach of the Year for the third year in a row, as the Cardinals won their third straight ACC title. Claire Chaussee was voted ACC Player of the Year, and Amaya Tillman won the NCAA Elite 90 Award for having the best cumulative GPA at the NCAA Championship.

After going 27-5 in 2023 with another regional final appearance and another ACC Player of the Year honor (Anna DeBeer), the Cardinals began the 2024 season with pressure to get back to the NCAA Semifinals, which were being played at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville. Not only did the Cardinals qualify for the NCAA Semifinals in their own city, they also impressively turned aside top-seeded Pittsburgh, 3-1, despite losing their top hitter DeBeer for the tournament early in set four.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Prior to her time at Louisville, Busboom Kelly played a vital role on the Husker coaching staff, assisting with Nebraska's setters, liberos, outside hitters and recruiting. Regarded as one of the best recruiters in the nation, Busboom Kelly helped Nebraska's resurgence to the forefront of college volleyball, as the Huskers captured the 2015 NCAA Championship at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, the same place Busboom Kelly won the national title as a player for the Huskers in 2006.

Behind Busboom Kelly’s recruiting efforts, the Huskers' 2013 signing class was ranked No. 1 in the nation by PrepVolleyball.com, and the 2015 class was also a top-five class. From that group Mikaela Foecke went on to become the third freshman to be named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Championship.

Busboom Kelly helped the Huskers to a 134-30 record and NCAA Regional Final appearances in all five seasons. Before joining the Husker staff in 2012, she was an assistant coach at Tennessee from 2009-10, and an assistant coach at Louisville in 2011.

As a captain at Nebraska, Busboom moved from setter to libero in 2006 to help Nebraska’s defense and finished her career as one of only two players to rank among NU’s all-time leaders in both digs (1,281) and assists (2,873). She was a four-year starter for Cook, guiding NU to a 124-10 record, three Big 12 titles, two NCAA Final appearances and a national title in 2006.

Busboom was considered the Big 12’s best libero in 2006, as she helped NU limit opponents to a Big 12-low .144 hitting percentage. She set Nebraska’s single-season digs record (580) in her first year as a libero. She notched her best defensive performance in the NCAA Semifinals against UCLA, totaling a career-high 29 digs, which ranks as the second-best postseason performance in school history.

In addition to her accomplishments on the court, Busboom excelled off the court for the Huskers. She was a 2006 second-team Academic All-District VII selection, while earning six Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll accolades and becoming a three-time first-team Academic All-Big 12 honoree. She earned a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Nebraska in 2007.

Following her graduation, Busboom spent time with the U.S. Women’s National Training Team before working as a sales representative for an Omaha insurance company. She also worked as a sideline reporter for radio broadcasts of Nebraska volleyball matches on the Husker Sports Network and was an assistant coach with USA Volleyball’s Select A2 Program.

Dani and her husband, former Nebraska football player Lane Kelly, were married in the summer of 2010 and have a son, Boone.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationLINCOLN, Neb. – One of Nebraska’s own is coming home to lead the Nebraska volleyball program. Dani Busboom Kelly was named the fourth head coach in program history on Wednesday by Nebraska Director of Athletics Troy Dannen.Busboom Kelly will succeed her former coach and mentor, John Cook, who announced his retirement on Wednesday after 25 seasons as Nebraska’s head volleyball coach.A Husker national champion player and assistant coach, Busboom Kelly has spent the last eight years building Louisville into a national power. The Cardinals have reached two NCAA Championship matches, three NCAA Semifinals, five regional finals and have won four ACC titles.Busboom Kelly has compiled a 203-44 (.822) record in her eight seasons at Louisville, including a 120-15 (.889) mark over the last four years, which is the second-best winning percentage in the country during that span. This past season, the Cardinals reached the NCAA Championship match for the second time in the last three seasons.“We are excited to welcome Dani and her family back to Lincoln to continue our tradition of excellence in our volleyball program,” Dannen said. “She has demonstrated outstanding leadership at the highest levels of the sport and I am confident that our program will remain among the nation’s elite for years to come. This is a special place that needs an exceptional coach, and we have her. Welcome to Dani and her family!”Busboom Kelly was the starting libero on Nebraska’s 2006 national championship team, and she was an assistant coach when the Huskers won the 2015 national championship in Omaha. She took the helm at Louisville late in 2016 after being named AVCA National Assistant Coach of the Year in her final season as a Husker assistant, and she has guided the Cardinals to heights the program has never experienced.&nbsp;&nbsp;A Cortland, Neb., native, Busboom Kelly has agreed to a six-year contract to return home to lead her alma mater. She will be formally introduced as the Huskers’ head coach on Thursday, Feb. 6 at 2 p.m. at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The welcome event will be open to the public, with an introductory press conference to follow.“The opportunity to come home to Nebraska is more than a dream come true,” Busboom Kelly said. “I want to thank Troy Dannen, Dr. Jeffrey Gold, and Kristen Brown for their trust in me to continue the legacy of Nebraska volleyball. A huge thank you to John Cook. I would not be here without his mentorship and support. I’ve gotten chills listening to the roars in the Coliseum and now Devaney since I was nine years old. Nebraska is the greatest place in the world to play volleyball and I am honored to be a part of it once again! My family and I can’t wait to get to work and bring more championships home. Go Big Red!”In her first season at Louisville in 2017, Busboom Kelly took over a program coming off a 12-18 season and led UofL to a 24-7 record, an ACC title and an NCAA Tournament appearance. Picked eighth in the ACC preseason poll, she coached two players to major conference postseason awards, ACC Setter of the Year (Wilma Rivera) and ACC Defensive Player of the Year (Molly Sauer). For her efforts, she was named the AVCA East Region Coach of the Year for the first of four times at Louisville. Following her first season, Busboom Kelly was named the head coach of the U.S. Collegiate National Team Europe Tour, leading them to the gold medal in the European Global Challenge.The Cardinals continued to improve each season, reaching the NCAA Tournament Second Round in 2018 and the program’s first-ever NCAA Regional Final in 2019. During the shortened 2020-21 season, Busboom Kelly’s Cardinals went 15-3 and won the ACC Championship, and she was named ACC Coach of the Year.Louisville broke through in a big way in 2021, winning 32 straight matches to begin the season before finishing the year in the NCAA Semifinals for the first time in program history. Busboom Kelly was again named ACC Coach of the Year as well as AVCA National Coach of the Year, as the Cardinals achieved their first No. 1 ranking in program history. She became the first woman in NCAA history to coach an undefeated regular season, and two Louisville players (Tori Dilfer and Anna Stevenson) earned the program’s first-ever AVCA All-America First Team honors.The Cardinals finished 31-3 in 2022 and reached the NCAA Final for the first time in school history, falling to top-seeded Texas. Busboom Kelly was the ACC Coach of the Year for the third year in a row, as the Cardinals won their third straight ACC title. Claire Chaussee was voted ACC Player of the Year, and Amaya Tillman won the NCAA Elite 90 Award for having the best cumulative GPA at the NCAA Championship.After going 27-5 in 2023 with another regional final appearance and another ACC Player of the Year honor (Anna DeBeer), the Cardinals began the 2024 season with pressure to get back to the NCAA Semifinals, which were being played at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville. Not only did the Cardinals qualify for the NCAA Semifinals in their own city, they also impressively turned aside top-seeded Pittsburgh, 3-1, despite losing their top hitter DeBeer for the tournament early in set four.&nbsp;&nbsp;Prior to her time at Louisville, Busboom Kelly played a vital role on the Husker coaching staff, assisting with Nebraska's setters, liberos, outside hitters and recruiting. Regarded as one of the best recruiters in the nation, Busboom Kelly helped Nebraska's resurgence to the forefront of college volleyball, as the Huskers captured the 2015 NCAA Championship at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, the same place Busboom Kelly won the national title as a player for the Huskers in 2006.Behind Busboom Kelly’s recruiting efforts, the Huskers' 2013 signing class was ranked No. 1 in the nation by PrepVolleyball.com, and the 2015 class was also a top-five class. From that group Mikaela Foecke went on to become the third freshman to be named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Championship.Busboom Kelly helped the Huskers to a 134-30 record and NCAA Regional Final appearances in all five seasons. Before joining the Husker staff in 2012, she was an assistant coach at Tennessee from 2009-10, and an assistant coach at Louisville in 2011.As a captain at Nebraska, Busboom moved from setter to libero in 2006 to help Nebraska’s defense and finished her career as one of only two players to rank among NU’s all-time leaders in both digs (1,281) and assists (2,873). She was a four-year starter for Cook, guiding NU to a 124-10 record, three Big 12 titles, two NCAA Final appearances and a national title in 2006.Busboom was considered the Big 12’s best libero in 2006, as she helped NU limit opponents to a Big 12-low .144 hitting percentage. She set Nebraska’s single-season digs record (580) in her first year as a libero. She notched her best defensive performance in the NCAA Semifinals against UCLA, totaling a career-high 29 digs, which ranks as the second-best postseason performance in school history.In addition to her accomplishments on the court, Busboom excelled off the court for the Huskers. She was a 2006 second-team Academic All-District VII selection, while earning six Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll accolades and becoming a three-time first-team Academic All-Big 12 honoree. She earned a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Nebraska in 2007.Following her graduation, Busboom spent time with the U.S. Women’s National Training Team before working as a sales representative for an Omaha insurance company. She also worked as a sideline reporter for radio broadcasts of Nebraska volleyball matches on the Husker Sports Network and was an assistant coach with USA Volleyball’s Select A2 Program.Dani and her husband, former Nebraska football player Lane Kelly, were married in the summer of 2010 and have a son, Boone.

Dani Busboom Kelly named Nebraska Volleyball Head Coach

LINCOLN, Neb. - Four-time national champion Nebraska Volleyball Head Coach John Cook, who has won more matches than any Division I volleyball coach this century, announced his retirement on Wednesday.

“I’ve been here for 25 years. That’s a long time to do something. It’s been a great run,” Cook said. “I want to thank my family for their support, and I want to thank Bill Byrne and Terry Pettit for giving me the opportunity to be the Nebraska volleyball coach. I’ve had the opportunity to work with some great coaches and staff over the years, and I’m forever grateful for how hard they worked and for how much they gave to Nebraska volleyball.

For me personally, the greatest accomplishment in coaching is seeing former players go into coaching or other careers and taking the lessons they’ve learned from being a Nebraska volleyball player and applying it to their everyday lives. There is no greater reward in coaching than that. Lastly and most importantly, I want to thank the fans for always supporting Nebraska volleyball. I’ve always said to ‘Dream Big’, and we’ve dreamed bigger than any volleyball program in the history of the world.”

Cook spent 32 years as a college head coach - seven at Wisconsin and 25 at Nebraska. Consistent excellence was a hallmark of Cook’s Nebraska teams. Since taking over the program in 2000, Cook guided the Huskers to four national championships, 12 NCAA Semifinals appearances, nine Big 12 titles and five Big Ten titles. He achieved a career record of 883-176 (.834), the fifth-best winning percentage all-time for a Division I volleyball coach. Cook's record of 722-103 at Nebraska is the best winning percentage (.875) for any DI program over the last 25 years.

“John Cook leaves a legacy of excellence that places him alongside a very small group of coaches who can be considered the greatest in college athletics history, regardless of sport,” Nebraska Director of Athletics Troy Dannen said. “John took over one of the nation’s best programs a quarter century ago and elevated it to another level. The national championships, Final Four appearances, conference championships, All-Americans and Olympians speak for themselves, but John’s impact goes beyond the on-court accolades. Behind his vision, Nebraska volleyball has become arguably the most successful women’s program in the country which has helped the sport of volleyball reach a popularity level it has never seen before.”

With Cook at the helm, Nebraska produced numerous individual honors, including five Olympians, a Honda-Broderick Cup winner, three AVCA Division I National Players of the Year, 72 AVCA All-Americans, three Academic All-Americans of the Year, 25 Academic All-Americans and 10 conference players of the year. Nebraska volleyball student-athletes combined for 88 all-conference awards and 155 academic all-conference honors in Cook's program.

Cook lived out his mantra at Nebraska: Dream Big. When he took over the reins of the Nebraska volleyball program in 2000, Cook was replacing one of the sport’s legendary coaches in Terry Pettit, who won 694 matches and guided the Huskers to 18 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and six NCAA Semifinals. Cook, who left an emerging power in Wisconsin to guide the tradition-rich Husker program, had his own vision for Nebraska volleyball. He saw a program that had even more potential to grow.

His goals included consistently selling out home matches at the NU Coliseum, expanding the media exposure for his program and most importantly, continuing the tradition of athletic and academic excellence started by Pettit nearly a quarter of a century earlier. His vision catapulted the program to a new phase in 2013, as the Devaney Center underwent a renovation and became the new home for Nebraska volleyball. Moving to the Devaney Center increased the capacity crowd for Nebraska volleyball matches from 4,125 at the Coliseum to more than 8,300 plus standing room only.

Cook played an instrumental role in helping to expand the program’s visibility throughout the state and the Midwest. Nebraska played a regular-season match in North Platte in 2004, and the team played spring exhibition matches in Kearney, Scottsbluff, Ogallala, Wayne, Grand Island, Norfolk and Central City during Cook’s tenure.

In 2023, Cook took a chance on having his Huskers play a volleyball match outdoors in a football stadium, which was an overwhelming success story as 92,003 people packed Memorial Stadium for Volleyball Day in Nebraska on Aug. 30. The event gained worldwide attention as the crowd set a record for the largest to attend a women’s sporting event anywhere in the world. It further cemented Cook's program as the leader in growing the sport. Eleven of the top 12 crowds in NCAA women's volleyball history have been matches featuring Nebraska, all in Cook's tenure.

The vision for Cook was for the Huskers to remain at the forefront of college volleyball to enhance the sport at both the local and national levels. His program did just that, reaching the NCAA Semifinals seven times in the last 10 years, including NCAA Championships in 2015 and 2017. The fan support continues to be unrivaled in the sport, as the Huskers have sold out 337 consecutive regular-season matches since 2001, the longest sellout streak in NCAA women’s athletics history. Since the move to the Devaney Center in 2013, the Huskers have led the nation in attendance every season.

Cook was a three-time AVCA National Coach of the Year, earning the prestigious honor in 2000, 2005 and 2023. He is one of only three coaches all-time (Russ Rose and Mary Wise) to be a three-time AVCA National Coach of the Year. Cook was also an eight-time conference coach of the year, including his selection as Big Ten Coach of the Year in 1997 (at Wisconsin), 2016, 2017 and 2023. He was honored in 2008 by USA Volleyball, receiving its All-Time Great Coach Award. In 2017, Cook was inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame, joining Pettit as former Husker head coaches in the hall.

“It is a reflection of Nebraska volleyball and the program, and not about one person or one player,” Cook said when accepting the AVCA Coach of the Year Award in 2005. “We’re trying to be a leader in the sport. We’re trying to take risks and dream big, and fortunately I’m surrounded by a lot of people who have that vision."

Cook and his wife, Wendy, are the parents of two children, Lauren and Taylor. Cook has one granddaughter, Madden.

Note to Media: Coach Cook will be available to the media on Thursday morning at 10 a.m. in the Hawks Championship Center media room. Media may access the media room beginning at 9:15 a.m. and may work in the room following the completion of the press conference. The press conference will be streamed live on Huskers.com and video will be sent to the media shortly after the completion of the press conference.

Notable Nebraska Seasons Under Head Coach John Cook

• Cook immediately started to create his own legacy after taking over for Pettit in 2000. In his first season at the helm, Cook was named the AVCA National Coach of the Year after guiding the Huskers to a 34-0 record and the 2000 NCAA Championship. The Huskers, who became just the second team in NCAA history to cap an undefeated season with a national title, were ranked No. 1 in the AVCA/USA Today Top 25 poll for 14 straight weeks. Greichaly Cepero earned AVCA National Player of the Year honors.

• In 2006, Cook’s dream was realized, as Husker Nation had an opportunity to see Nebraska raise the bar in college volleyball. From record-setting, sold-out crowds at the Qwest Center Omaha, to a team that maximized its potential in winning the school’s third national title, the Huskers enjoyed a remarkable season. The Huskers entered the 2006 campaign with many questions, as they were forced to replace three All-Americans, including AVCA National Player of the Year Christina Houghtelling. With four first-year starters on the court, including freshmen at setter and middle blocker, and sky-high expectations with the NCAA Championship in Omaha for the first time, 2006 shaped up to be Cook’s toughest coaching job to date. Nebraska took on all challenges head-on, going 33-1 and becoming only the third team in NCAA history to be ranked No. 1 the entire season. The Huskers went on the road and overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat Minnesota to reach the national semifinals, marking the first time that Nebraska had won a regional outside the state. That victory set the stage for a watershed moment in college volleyball. Behind sellout crowds of more than 17,000, the Huskers captured the school’s third national title with victories over No. 4 UCLA and No. 2 Stanford. Four players earned AVCA All-America honors, including Sarah Pavan, who became NU’s first Honda-Broderick Cup winner.

• Two years later in 2008, the NCAA Championship returned to Omaha with another Husker team taking center stage. A then-all-time NCAA attendance record of 17,430 traveled through a winter storm to witness one of the greatest matches in Nebraska’s illustrious history. After dropping the first two sets to No. 1 Penn State, Nebraska fought back, winning the next two sets to hand the Nittany Lions their only set losses of the 2008 season. Although the Huskers were unable to complete the comeback, the performance symbolized a never-say-quit attitude that fueled the team’s success. Despite losing a pair of performers to season-ending injuries, the Huskers went 31-3 and won their fifth consecutive conference title.

• For the third time, the final four returned to Omaha in 2015. And once again, the Huskers made good on their goal to get to Omaha. After home losses to Minnesota and Wisconsin in October, the Huskers dialed in and did not lose a match again in 2015. In fact, only one of the Huskers’ final 16 wins went five sets, and Nebraska did not need five sets to win any NCAA Tournament match for the first time during a championship run. After opening-round wins against Harvard and Wichita State, Nebraska avenged its 2014 regional final loss to BYU by sweeping the Cougars in the Lexington (Kentucky) Regional. The Huskers then knocked off top-ranked Washington, 3-1, in the regional final to reach their destination: Omaha. But the job wasn’t done, as the Huskers turned their goal toward winning the national title for the first time since 2006. Nebraska blew past Kansas, 3-1, in the NCAA Semifinal to set up a winner-take-all match against Texas. The inspired Huskers played their best match of the season to sweep the Longhorns. The attendance for both NU matches (17,551 against Kansas and 17,651 against Texas) set then-NCAA all-time records.

• In 2016, the Huskers won the Big Ten title for the first time since 2011 and finished with a 31-3 record for the program’s best winning percentage (.912) since 2008. Nebraska advanced to the NCAA Semifinals for the second straight season. Cook was rewarded for his team’s season, as he was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year and the AVCA North Region Coach of the Year. Nebraska’s four AVCA All-Americans were their most since 2007.

• In 2017, Cook’s Huskers put together one of the most remarkable seasons in school history. Despite losing three AVCA All-Americans to graduation, both assistant coaches to Division I head coaching jobs, and entering the season with eight first-year players in the program, the Huskers defied all odds to win the program’s fifth national title. Nebraska dropped its first two matches of the season but went 32-2 the rest of the way, including a 19-match win streak to end the season. The Huskers avenged one of their early season losses with a 3-1 victory over Florida in the title match in Kansas City in front of a then-NCAA Tournament record crowd of 18,516. The national title capped off a dream season for Cook that also included a Big Ten Championship, a Big Ten Coach of the Year accolade and induction into the AVCA Hall of Fame. Cook joined Russ Rose as the only coaches to win four national titles since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1998. He also became the fourth coach in NCAA history to win four national titles and the third to win four national championships at one school.

• Following up on their 2017 NCAA title, the Huskers weren’t expected to come close to repeating as national champions in 2018 with eight new players - five of them freshmen - and a new assistant coach and a freshman starting at setter. After hitting a rough patch in October that had the Huskers at 16-6 overall and 7-5 in the Big Ten, the Huskers improved more than any other team in his tenure at Nebraska, according to Cook. NU won 13 straight matches to make it to the national championship match for the third time in four years. The seventh-seeded Huskers went down to the wire in five sets with No. 1 Stanford before falling just a few points shy of back-to-back national titles. But for the remarkable season and a fourth straight trip to the NCAA Semifinals - a first in program history - Cook was named the National Coach of the Year by VolleyballMag.com.

• In 2023, Cook coached a team with no seniors to the NCAA Final and a 33-2 final record. The Huskers won the Big Ten Championship, and Cook was named AVCA National Coach of the Year and Big Ten Coach of the Year. With four freshmen in the lineup, the Huskers won their first 27 matches of the season and held the No. 1 ranking from Oct. 23 through the end of the regular season. Cook did more for the growth of the sport of volleyball in 2023 than possibly any other year in his career. Cook took on the challenge of having his Huskers play a volleyball match outdoors in a football stadium, which was an overwhelming success story as 92,003 packed Memorial Stadium for Volleyball Day in Nebraska on Aug. 30. The event gained worldwide attention as the crowd set a record for the largest to attend a women’s sporting event anywhere in the world.

• The Huskers repeated as Big Ten champions in 2024, finishing 33-3 overall and 19-1 in Big Ten play. The Huskers reached the NCAA Semifinals for the seventh time in 10 years. NU's 33 wins tied for the most victories by a Husker team since the 2000 national championship team went 34-0, and the Huskers tied the school record with eight victories against top-10 teams.

LINCOLN, Neb. - Four-time national champion Nebraska Volleyball Head Coach John Cook, who has won more matches than any Division I volleyball coach this century, announced his retirement on Wednesday.“I’ve been here for 25 years. That’s a long time to do something. It’s been a great run,” Cook said. “I want to thank my family for their support, and I want to thank Bill Byrne and Terry Pettit for giving me the opportunity to be the Nebraska volleyball coach. I’ve had the opportunity to work with some great coaches and staff over the years, and I’m forever grateful for how hard they worked and for how much they gave to Nebraska volleyball.For me personally, the greatest accomplishment in coaching is seeing former players go into coaching or other careers and taking the lessons they’ve learned from being a Nebraska volleyball player and applying it to their everyday lives. There is no greater reward in coaching than that. Lastly and most importantly, I want to thank the fans for always supporting Nebraska volleyball. I’ve always said to ‘Dream Big’, and we’ve dreamed bigger than any volleyball program in the history of the world.”Cook spent 32 years as a college head coach - seven at Wisconsin and 25 at Nebraska. Consistent excellence was a hallmark of Cook’s Nebraska teams. Since taking over the program in 2000, Cook guided the Huskers to four national championships, 12 NCAA Semifinals appearances, nine Big 12 titles and five Big Ten titles. He achieved a career record of 883-176 (.834), the fifth-best winning percentage all-time for a Division I volleyball coach. Cook's record of 722-103 at Nebraska is the best winning percentage (.875) for any DI program over the last 25 years.“John Cook leaves a legacy of excellence that places him alongside a very small group of coaches who can be considered the greatest in college athletics history, regardless of sport,” Nebraska Director of Athletics Troy Dannen said. “John took over one of the nation’s best programs a quarter century ago and elevated it to another level. The national championships, Final Four appearances, conference championships, All-Americans and Olympians speak for themselves, but John’s impact goes beyond the on-court accolades. Behind his vision, Nebraska volleyball has become arguably the most successful women’s program in the country which has helped the sport of volleyball reach a popularity level it has never seen before.”With Cook at the helm, Nebraska produced numerous individual honors, including five Olympians, a Honda-Broderick Cup winner, three AVCA Division I National Players of the Year, 72 AVCA All-Americans, three Academic All-Americans of the Year, 25 Academic All-Americans and 10 conference players of the year. Nebraska volleyball student-athletes combined for 88 all-conference awards and 155 academic all-conference honors in Cook's program.Cook lived out his mantra at Nebraska: Dream Big. When he took over the reins of the Nebraska volleyball program in 2000, Cook was replacing one of the sport’s legendary coaches in Terry Pettit, who won 694 matches and guided the Huskers to 18 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and six NCAA Semifinals. Cook, who left an emerging power in Wisconsin to guide the tradition-rich Husker program, had his own vision for Nebraska volleyball. He saw a program that had even more potential to grow.His goals included consistently selling out home matches at the NU Coliseum, expanding the media exposure for his program and most importantly, continuing the tradition of athletic and academic excellence started by Pettit nearly a quarter of a century earlier. His vision catapulted the program to a new phase in 2013, as the Devaney Center underwent a renovation and became the new home for Nebraska volleyball. Moving to the Devaney Center increased the capacity crowd for Nebraska volleyball matches from 4,125 at the Coliseum to more than 8,300 plus standing room only.Cook played an instrumental role in helping to expand the program’s visibility throughout the state and the Midwest. Nebraska played a regular-season match in North Platte in 2004, and the team played spring exhibition matches in Kearney, Scottsbluff, Ogallala, Wayne, Grand Island, Norfolk and Central City during Cook’s tenure.In 2023, Cook took a chance on having his Huskers play a volleyball match outdoors in a football stadium, which was an overwhelming success story as 92,003 people packed Memorial Stadium for Volleyball Day in Nebraska on Aug. 30. The event gained worldwide attention as the crowd set a record for the largest to attend a women’s sporting event anywhere in the world. It further cemented Cook's program as the leader in growing the sport. Eleven of the top 12 crowds in NCAA women's volleyball history have been matches featuring Nebraska, all in Cook's tenure.The vision for Cook was for the Huskers to remain at the forefront of college volleyball to enhance the sport at both the local and national levels. His program did just that, reaching the NCAA Semifinals seven times in the last 10 years, including NCAA Championships in 2015 and 2017. The fan support continues to be unrivaled in the sport, as the Huskers have sold out 337 consecutive regular-season matches since 2001, the longest sellout streak in NCAA women’s athletics history. Since the move to the Devaney Center in 2013, the Huskers have led the nation in attendance every season.Cook was a three-time AVCA National Coach of the Year, earning the prestigious honor in 2000, 2005 and 2023. He is one of only three coaches all-time (Russ Rose and Mary Wise) to be a three-time AVCA National Coach of the Year. Cook was also an eight-time conference coach of the year, including his selection as Big Ten Coach of the Year in 1997 (at Wisconsin), 2016, 2017 and 2023. He was honored in 2008 by USA Volleyball, receiving its All-Time Great Coach Award. In 2017, Cook was inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame, joining Pettit as former Husker head coaches in the hall.“It is a reflection of Nebraska volleyball and the program, and not about one person or one player,” Cook said when accepting the AVCA Coach of the Year Award in 2005. “We’re trying to be a leader in the sport. We’re trying to take risks and dream big, and fortunately I’m surrounded by a lot of people who have that vision."Cook and his wife, Wendy, are the parents of two children, Lauren and Taylor. Cook has one granddaughter, Madden.Note to Media: Coach Cook will be available to the media on Thursday morning at 10 a.m. in the Hawks Championship Center media room. Media may access the media room beginning at 9:15 a.m. and may work in the room following the completion of the press conference. The press conference will be streamed live on Huskers.com and video will be sent to the media shortly after the completion of the press conference.Notable Nebraska Seasons Under Head Coach John Cook• Cook immediately started to create his own legacy after taking over for Pettit in 2000. In his first season at the helm, Cook was named the AVCA National Coach of the Year after guiding the Huskers to a 34-0 record and the 2000 NCAA Championship. The Huskers, who became just the second team in NCAA history to cap an undefeated season with a national title, were ranked No. 1 in the AVCA/USA Today Top 25 poll for 14 straight weeks. Greichaly Cepero earned AVCA National Player of the Year honors.• In 2006, Cook’s dream was realized, as Husker Nation had an opportunity to see Nebraska raise the bar in college volleyball. From record-setting, sold-out crowds at the Qwest Center Omaha, to a team that maximized its potential in winning the school’s third national title, the Huskers enjoyed a remarkable season. The Huskers entered the 2006 campaign with many questions, as they were forced to replace three All-Americans, including AVCA National Player of the Year Christina Houghtelling. With four first-year starters on the court, including freshmen at setter and middle blocker, and sky-high expectations with the NCAA Championship in Omaha for the first time, 2006 shaped up to be Cook’s toughest coaching job to date. Nebraska took on all challenges head-on, going 33-1 and becoming only the third team in NCAA history to be ranked No. 1 the entire season. The Huskers went on the road and overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat Minnesota to reach the national semifinals, marking the first time that Nebraska had won a regional outside the state. That victory set the stage for a watershed moment in college volleyball. Behind sellout crowds of more than 17,000, the Huskers captured the school’s third national title with victories over No. 4 UCLA and No. 2 Stanford. Four players earned AVCA All-America honors, including Sarah Pavan, who became NU’s first Honda-Broderick Cup winner.• Two years later in 2008, the NCAA Championship returned to Omaha with another Husker team taking center stage. A then-all-time NCAA attendance record of 17,430 traveled through a winter storm to witness one of the greatest matches in Nebraska’s illustrious history. After dropping the first two sets to No. 1 Penn State, Nebraska fought back, winning the next two sets to hand the Nittany Lions their only set losses of the 2008 season. Although the Huskers were unable to complete the comeback, the performance symbolized a never-say-quit attitude that fueled the team’s success. Despite losing a pair of performers to season-ending injuries, the Huskers went 31-3 and won their fifth consecutive conference title.• For the third time, the final four returned to Omaha in 2015. And once again, the Huskers made good on their goal to get to Omaha. After home losses to Minnesota and Wisconsin in October, the Huskers dialed in and did not lose a match again in 2015. In fact, only one of the Huskers’ final 16 wins went five sets, and Nebraska did not need five sets to win any NCAA Tournament match for the first time during a championship run. After opening-round wins against Harvard and Wichita State, Nebraska avenged its 2014 regional final loss to BYU by sweeping the Cougars in the Lexington (Kentucky) Regional. The Huskers then knocked off top-ranked Washington, 3-1, in the regional final to reach their destination: Omaha. But the job wasn’t done, as the Huskers turned their goal toward winning the national title for the first time since 2006. Nebraska blew past Kansas, 3-1, in the NCAA Semifinal to set up a winner-take-all match against Texas. The inspired Huskers played their best match of the season to sweep the Longhorns. The attendance for both NU matches (17,551 against Kansas and 17,651 against Texas) set then-NCAA all-time records.• In 2016, the Huskers won the Big Ten title for the first time since 2011 and finished with a 31-3 record for the program’s best winning percentage (.912) since 2008. Nebraska advanced to the NCAA Semifinals for the second straight season. Cook was rewarded for his team’s season, as he was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year and the AVCA North Region Coach of the Year. Nebraska’s four AVCA All-Americans were their most since 2007.• In 2017, Cook’s Huskers put together one of the most remarkable seasons in school history. Despite losing three AVCA All-Americans to graduation, both assistant coaches to Division I head coaching jobs, and entering the season with eight first-year players in the program, the Huskers defied all odds to win the program’s fifth national title. Nebraska dropped its first two matches of the season but went 32-2 the rest of the way, including a 19-match win streak to end the season. The Huskers avenged one of their early season losses with a 3-1 victory over Florida in the title match in Kansas City in front of a then-NCAA Tournament record crowd of 18,516. The national title capped off a dream season for Cook that also included a Big Ten Championship, a Big Ten Coach of the Year accolade and induction into the AVCA Hall of Fame. Cook joined Russ Rose as the only coaches to win four national titles since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1998. He also became the fourth coach in NCAA history to win four national titles and the third to win four national championships at one school.• Following up on their 2017 NCAA title, the Huskers weren’t expected to come close to repeating as national champions in 2018 with eight new players - five of them freshmen - and a new assistant coach and a freshman starting at setter. After hitting a rough patch in October that had the Huskers at 16-6 overall and 7-5 in the Big Ten, the Huskers improved more than any other team in his tenure at Nebraska, according to Cook. NU won 13 straight matches to make it to the national championship match for the third time in four years. The seventh-seeded Huskers went down to the wire in five sets with No. 1 Stanford before falling just a few points shy of back-to-back national titles. But for the remarkable season and a fourth straight trip to the NCAA Semifinals - a first in program history - Cook was named the National Coach of the Year by VolleyballMag.com.• In 2023, Cook coached a team with no seniors to the NCAA Final and a 33-2 final record. The Huskers won the Big Ten Championship, and Cook was named AVCA National Coach of the Year and Big Ten Coach of the Year. With four freshmen in the lineup, the Huskers won their first 27 matches of the season and held the No. 1 ranking from Oct. 23 through the end of the regular season. Cook did more for the growth of the sport of volleyball in 2023 than possibly any other year in his career. Cook took on the challenge of having his Huskers play a volleyball match outdoors in a football stadium, which was an overwhelming success story as 92,003 packed Memorial Stadium for Volleyball Day in Nebraska on Aug. 30. The event gained worldwide attention as the crowd set a record for the largest to attend a women’s sporting event anywhere in the world.• The Huskers repeated as Big Ten champions in 2024, finishing 33-3 overall and 19-1 in Big Ten play. The Huskers reached the NCAA Semifinals for the seventh time in 10 years. NU's 33 wins tied for the most victories by a Husker team since the 2000 national championship team went 34-0, and the Huskers tied the school record with eight victories against top-10 teams.

Breaking News: John Cook Announces Retirement After 25 Seasons at Nebraska

Story by NU Athletic Communications

The Nebraska softball team earned its final ranking of the postseason on Tuesday, as it was tabbed No. 19 in the NFCA Preseason Coaches Poll.&nbsp;

The Huskers will take on 10 other teams in the poll this season – No. 4 Oklahoma State, No. 5 UCLA, No. 6 Tennessee, No. 7 Duke, No. 13 Texas Tech, No. 15 Missouri, No. 20 Baylor, No. 21 Northwestern, No. 22 Washington and No. 24 Mississippi State.&nbsp;

NU is one of five teams representing the Big Ten in the NFCA rankings, along with No. 5 UCLA, No. 21 Northwestern, No. 22 Washington and No. 23 Oregon.&nbsp;

Nebraska was ranked No. 14 by D1 Softball, No. 16 by USA Softball and No. 24 by Softball America. This marks the second straight season that the Huskers have been chosen for all four polls.&nbsp;

The Big Red opens its season on Thursday, Feb. 6 at the NFCA Leadoff Classic against Tennessee, who is No. 5 in the NFCA poll, at 6 p.m. (CT) in Clearwater, Fla.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsThe Nebraska softball team earned its final ranking of the postseason on Tuesday, as it was tabbed No. 19 in the NFCA Preseason Coaches Poll.&nbsp;The Huskers will take on 10 other teams in the poll this season – No. 4 Oklahoma State, No. 5 UCLA, No. 6 Tennessee, No. 7 Duke, No. 13 Texas Tech, No. 15 Missouri, No. 20 Baylor, No. 21 Northwestern, No. 22 Washington and No. 24 Mississippi State.&nbsp;NU is one of five teams representing the Big Ten in the NFCA rankings, along with No. 5 UCLA, No. 21 Northwestern, No. 22 Washington and No. 23 Oregon.&nbsp;Nebraska was ranked No. 14 by D1 Softball, No. 16 by USA Softball and No. 24 by Softball America. This marks the second straight season that the Huskers have been chosen for all four polls.&nbsp;The Big Red opens its season on Thursday, Feb. 6 at the NFCA Leadoff Classic against Tennessee, who is No. 5 in the NFCA poll, at 6 p.m. (CT) in Clearwater, Fla.NFCA Preseason Coaches Poll1. Texas2. Oklahoma3. Florida4. Oklahoma State5. UCLA6. Tennessee7. Duke8. Texas A&amp;M9. Florida State10. LSU11. Alabama12. Georgia13. Texas Tech14. Arkansas15. Missouri16. Arizona17. Virginia Tech18. Stanford19. Nebraska20. Baylor21. Northwestern22. Washington23. Oregon24. Mississippi State25. Clemson

Husker Softball ranked No. 19 in NFCA Preseason Coaches Poll

The Nebraska women’s basketball team goes in search of a third straight Big Ten Conference road win when the Huskers take on Purdue Thursday in West Lafayette, Ind.Tip-off between Nebraska (15-5, 6-3 Big Ten) and the Boilermakers (7-13, 0-9 Big Ten) at Mackey Arena is set for 6 p.m. (CT) with a live video stream available to B1G+ subscribers.Nebraska fans can listen across the Huskers Radio Network, including 107.3 FM in Lincoln, Huskers.com and the Huskers App. Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch will be on the radio call with pregame beginning at 5:30 p.m. (CT).The Huskers had their five-game Big Ten winning streak snapped with a narrow 72-66 loss to No. 12 Ohio State on Sunday in Lincoln. Nebraska led throughout the first half before the Buckeyes surged to a six-point lead at the end of three quarters. Nebraska cut the margin to 65-64 with two minutes left, but OSU made the plays down the stretch to improve to 19-1 and 8-1 in the league.Three-time All-Big Ten center Alexis Markowski put up double-figure points for the seventh straight game with a team-high 18 points to go with six rebounds against the Buckeyes. The 6-3 center from Lincoln is the only Husker to start all 20 games and leads the team in scoring (14.7 ppg) and rebounding (8.1 rpg). Last year in Nebraska's 77-65 win at Purdue (Feb. 17), Markowski produced one of the biggest games in Husker history with 20 points and 21 rebounds.Markowski has increased her career rebounding total to 1,118 to move ahead of Emily Cady (1,114) into the No. 2 spot on the Husker all-time list.Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Year candidate Britt Prince continues to surge in conference play. Prince was the USBWA National Freshman-of-the-Week (Jan. 21). The 5-11 point guard from Omaha is averaging 15.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 3.0 steals over the past six games. She ranks fifth among Big Ten freshmen in scoring overall on the season with 13.3 points, while adding 4.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.0 steals on the year.Sophomore power forward Jessica Petrie has continued to step up her play in place of injured 2024 Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Year Natalie Potts. Over the past four games, Petrie has averaged 11.5 points and 7.0 rebounds while hitting 17-of-28 shots (.607) from the field, including 7-of-13 three-point attempts (.538). Potts, who was lost for the season with a knee injury in the fifth game of the season, was Nebraska's leading scorer (14.4 ppg) and rebounder (7.4 rpg) at the time of her injury.

Thursday, January 30, 2025, 6 p.m. (CT )Mackey Arena - West Lafayette, IndianaLive Video:&nbsp;B1G+Live Radio:&nbsp;Huskers Radio Network (5:30 p.m.)Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)Lincoln (107.3 FM), Huskers.com, Huskers AppLive Stats:&nbsp;Huskers.com (statbroadcast - public)

Nebraska Cornhuskers&nbsp;(15-5, 6-3 Big Ten)12 - Jessica Petrie - 6-2 - So. - F - 6.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg40 - Alexis Markowski - 6-3 - Sr. - C/F - 14.7 ppg, 8.1 rpg2 - Logan Nissley - 6-0 - So. - G - 6.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg14 - Callin Hake - 5-8 - Jr. - G - 7.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg23 - Britt Prince - 5-11 - Fr. - G - 13.3 ppg, 4.7 rpgOff the Bench5 - Alberte Rimdal - 5-9 - Sr. - G - 6.5 ppg, 1.6 rpg44 - Petra Bozan - 6-3 - Fr. - F/C - 5.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg33 - Amiah Hargrove - 6-2 - Fr. - F - 4.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg15 - Kendall Moriarty - 6-1 - Sr. - G - 3.9 ppg, 1.7 rpg32 - Kendall Coley - 6-2 - Gr. - F/G - 2.2 ppg, 1.0 rpg22 - Natalie Potts [Out] - 6-2 - So. - F - 14.4 ppg, 7.4 rpg3 - Allison Weidner [Out] - 5-10 - RJr. - G - 3.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg4 - Kennadi Williams - 5-4 - Fr. - G - RedshirtHead Coach:&nbsp;Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)Ninth Season at Nebraska (152-116);&nbsp;18th Season Overall (345-225)Purdue Boilermakers&nbsp;(7-13, 0-9 Big Ten)34 - Reagan Bass - 6-2 - Sr. - F - 8.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg35 - Lana McCarthy - 6-4 - Fr. - F - 6.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg2 - Rashunda Jones - 5-8 - So. - G - 7.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg4 - Destini Lombard - 5-9 - 5th - G - 11.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg13 - Ella Collier - 6-0 - 5th - G - 6.4 ppg, 2.7 rpgOff the Bench31 - Sophie Swanson - 5-10 - So. - G - 6.1 ppg, 1.4 rpg22 - Kendall Puryear - 6-3 - Fr. - F - 6.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg11 - McKenna Layden - 6-2 - So. - G - 3.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg7 - Mahri Petree - 6-0 - 6th - G - 3.3 ppg, 1.7 rpg10 - Jordyn Poole - 5-7 - Fr. - G - 2.8 ppg, 0.8 rpg1 - Amiyah Reynolds - 6-0 - RFr. - G - 2.2 ppg, 2.5 rpg32 - Alaina Harper - 6-3 - Jr. - F - 0.3 ppg, 1.0 rpg&nbsp;Head Coach:&nbsp;Katie Gearlds (Purdue, 2007)Fourth Season at Purdue (58-48);&nbsp;12th Season Overall (286-108)Husker Hot Takes

• Nebraska's five-game Big Ten regular-season win streak (MSU, Jan. 8 - WIS, Jan. 20) was its longest since winning five straight conference games (Jan. 16-Feb. 1, 2018) during the 2017-18 season. The Huskers did win five consecutive games against Big Ten foes in 2021-22 with three wins in the final regular-season conference contests before adding two wins in the Big Ten Tournament. Both the 2018 and 2022 teams advanced to the NCAA Tournament under Coach Amy Williams.• All five of Nebraska's losses this season have come to NET Top 35 teams, including four true road games - at No. 4 UCLA, at No. 5 USC, at No. 20 Georgia Tech and at No. 33 Creighton - along with the Big Red's first home loss of the year to No. 14 Ohio State.• Nebraska's three Big Ten losses have to come to the conference's top three teams (AP No. 1 UCLA, No. 4 USC, No. 8 Ohio State) which have a combined league mark of 24-1. Nebraska owns wins over fourth-place No. 16 Michigan State and fellow fifth-place team Minnesota. Maryland's three league losses have also come to UCLA, USC and Ohio State, while Oregon (6-3) has lost to USC and Ohio State but has not played UCLA. Minnesota plays at USC and UCLA this week, while Michigan State plays UCLA, USC and Ohio State in the last five games of the season.• In seven games away from Pinnacle Bank Arena this season, Husker freshman Britt Prince is averaging 16.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.9 steals. All four of her 20-point performances have come on the road, while two of her three career-high eight-rebound efforts have been away from PBA.• Lisa Leslie Award candidate Alexis Markowski has averaged 17.3 points and 8.7 rebounds over the last six games for Nebraska, upping her team-best season averages to 14.7 points and 8.1 boards per game. The only Husker to start all 20 games this year, the 6-3 center scored a career-high 28 points in NU's 85-80 win over No. 20 Michigan State (Jan. 8). Markowski owns a school-record 47 career double-doubles, which ranks fourth among active NCAA Division I players. Her most recent double-double came with 14 points and 14 rebounds at Rutgers (Jan. 12).

Huskers Dedicate Season to Injured Teammates

• The Huskers have dedicated their performances the rest of this season to injured teammates Allison Weidner and Natalie Potts, who suffered season-ending knee injuries.• Nebraska's recent success was made more significant after fourth-year guard Allison Weidner suffered a season-ending right leg injury in practice on Jan. 11. It was Weidner's third season-ending injury. Weidner, a 5-10 guard from Humphrey, Neb., was coming off her best game of the season with 11 points and six assists in Nebraska's 85-80 win over No. 20 Michigan State (Jan. 8), which followed a win over Penn State. Despite the injury occurring just hours before the Huskers traveled to Rutgers, the Big Red responded with its first win in Piscataway since 2018. The Huskers followed up with their first win in Iowa City since 2018 and a 31-point home win over Wisconsin (Jan. 20).• Sophomore Jessica Petrie has provided the most production in place of Natalie Potts, starting 10 games since the injury to the 2024 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, which occurred in the second quarter against North Alabama (Nov. 19). Petrie ranks third among the Huskers in Big Ten scoring (8.2 ppg) and fourth in rebounding (4.4 rpg). Over the past four games, Petrie has averaged 11.5 points and 7.0 rebounds.• Freshmen Amiah Hargrove and Petra Bozan also have stepped up to honor Potts. Hargrove has scored in double figures five times in the last 14 games, including her first career double-double with 10 points and a career-high 11 rebounds in the win at Iowa.• Bozan has played a major role in support behind Markowski at center while adding flexibility. The 6-5 center is averaging 5.7 points and 3.5 rebounds, including her first Big Ten double-figure scoring effort with 10 points on 4-for-4 shooting in the win over Wisconsin. She also provided significant contributions in Big Ten wins over Minnesota (9 points, 5 rebounds), Penn State (8 points, 6 rebounds) and Rutgers (8 points, 4 rebounds).• Kendall Moriarty erupted for a career-high 17 points to go with four rebounds, three assists, a block and a steal in the win over Wisconsin. Moriarty, who tied a career best by hitting 3-of-4 three-pointers, had scored just 16 total points in the previous nine games.• Alberte Rimdal dished out a career-high eight assists in the win over Wisconsin. Rimdal, a 5-9 guard from Koge, Denmark, owns Nebraska's best assist-to-turnover ratio (2.27) and has 17 assists and just five turnovers (3.40-to-1) over the last four games while averaging 4.3 assists per game.

• Markowski (1,118) passed Emily Cady (1,114, 2012-15) at No. 2 on Nebraska's all-time rebounding list with six rebounds against Ohio State (Jan. 26). Janet Smith (1,280, 1979-82) owns the top spot on NU’s career rebound chart.• Alexis Markowski (47) owns the top spot on Nebraska’s career double-doubles list, seven more than first-team All-Americans Kelsey Griffin (40, 2006-10) and Jordan Hooper (40, 2011-14).• Markowski (1,657) ranks No. 12 on Nebraska’s all-time scoring list. She needs 16 points to match first-round WNBA Draft pick Lindsey Moore (2010-13) at No. 11 on the NU all-time scoring list with 1,673 points.• Callin Hake (490) needs 10 points to reach 500 in her career.• Amiah Hargrove (97) needs three points to reach 100 in her career.• Britt Prince (90) needs 10 rebounds to reach 100 in her career.

• Fourth-year Purdue head coach Katie Gearlds leads a hungry Boilermaker bunch in search of their first Big Ten win. Purdue went 7-4 in non-conference play but has struggled to an 0-9 conference mark following a 74-38 loss at Illinois on Monday night.• The Boilermakers have been affected by injuries to 2023-24 contributors Alaina Harper, Mila Reynolds and Jayla Smith, the 2021 Indiana High School Player of the Year.• The injuries have left the Boilers searching for a starting five, largely from a new group of players.• Two-time transfer Destini Lombard, who began her career at LSU before starring at Stephen F. Austin, is the only Boilermaker to start all 20 games this season. Lombard, who was the WAC Defensive Player of the Year, leads Purdue at both ends of the court averaging team bests of 11.5 points, 2.3 steals, while adding 3.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists. Lombard is also Purdue's most consistent three-point threat, knocking down a team-best 34 threes (.425).• Freshman forward Lana McCarthy has been thrust into a starting role with injuries inside to older Boilermaker teammates. The 6-3 McCarthy has started 19 games, averaging 6.7 points and 5.0 rebounds in 18 minutes per game. McCarthy has committed a team-high 57 fouls and a team-high 47 turnovers while hitting just 29 percent (9-31) of her free throws.• Fifth-year guard Ella Collier has made 17 starts in her first season after transferring from NAIA Marion (Ind.), where Gearlds served as her head coach during her freshman season. Collier, who was a four-time All-American and two-time NAIA Player of the Year, ranks second among the Boilermakers with 23 three-pointers (.383). She is averaging 6.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists.• Senior transfer Reagan Bass has been a regular starter for the Boilers. The 6-2 forward, who spent her first three years at Eastern Illinois, is averaging 8.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.• McKenna Layden has earned three recent starts. The 6-2 sophomore is averaging 3.5 points and 3.4 rebounds after missing much of the early portion of the season with a foot injury.• Sophomore Rashunda Jones, who was one of the most explosive freshmen in the Big Ten a year ago, also has moved into the starting five on a part-time basis. Jones is averaging 7.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and a team-best 3.1 assists.• Another impact freshman for Purdue a year ago, Sophie Swanson has made six starts. The 5-10 sophomore is averaging 6.1 points per game but has hit just 22-of-82 threes (.268). Swanson hit 39.4 percent of her threes a year ago including seven on the way to a career-high 25 points in a loss to Nebraska in the Big Ten Tournament in Minneapolis (March 7).• Kendall Puryear, a 6-3 freshman, has been a reliable contributor off the bench averaging 6.1 points and 3.6 rebounds while hitting a team-best 51.5 percent of her shots from the field.• Amiyah Reynolds (2.2 ppg, 2.5 rpg), Mahri Petree (3.3 ppg, 1.7 rpg) and Jordyn Poole (2.8 ppg) also have been regular contributors this season. Poole was carried off the floor with a foot/ankle injury late in the loss at Illinois.

Nebraska vs. Purdue Series History

• Nebraska leads the all-time series with Purdue, 11-10, including five consecutive victories. The Huskers swept three games from the Boilermakers last season, including a 64-56 win at the Big Ten Tournament in Minneapolis (March 7, 2024). Jaz Shelley led NU with 19 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, while Callin Hake adding 15 points in 20 minutes off the bench. Alexis Markowski pitched in 12 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Sophie Swanson led Purdue with a career-high 25 points on a career-best 7-of-9 three-point shooting.• Three weeks earlier in Nebraska's 77-65 win over the Boilermakers in Mackey Arena (Feb. 17), Alexis Markowski erupted for 20 points and a career-high 21 rebounds to power the Big Red to victory. Jaz Shelley added 18 points on 10-of-10 free throw shooting, while Logan Nissley sparked the Huskers in the second half, finishing with 18 points on 3-of-5 three-point shooting. Purdue's five starters in the game combined for 49 points in 160 minutes and none of the five are with the program.• Nebraska notched a 68-54 win over Purdue in Lincoln (Jan. 31), with Alexis Markowski and Darian White leading a balanced Big Red attack with 14 points apiece. Kendall Moriarty and Natalie Potts each contributed 11 points, while Jaz Shelley rounded out five Huskers in double figures with 10 points and a game-high nine rebounds.• In last year's three games with Purdue, seven different Huskers produced double figures while Markowski and Shelley managed double figures in all three games.• In five career games against Purdue, Alexis Markowski has averaged 17.6 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists.• Nebraska's five-game winning streak in the series began with an 81-66 win over the Boilers in Lincoln (Jan. 30, 2022). Alexis Markowski led NU with 23 points and seven rebounds.• The Huskers added a 71-64 win at Mackey Arena (Jan. 18, 2023), when Alexis Markowski notched a double-double with 19 points and 10 boards.• Purdue's last series win came with an 83-72 victory in West Lafayette on Dec. 23, 2020, when Alexis Markowski was a senior in high school.• In the first-ever meeting between the two schools in women’s basketball, Nebraska fought its way to an epic 93-89 triple-overtime win at Mackey Arena (Feb. 2, 2012). Later that same season, Purdue defeated the Huskers 74-70 in double-overtime in the Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis.• The third game between the schools also went overtime, a 69-66 loss for the Huskers in Lincoln on Jan. 5, 2013. None of the other 18 games in the series have gone overtime.• After winning the series opener in 2011-12, Nebraska suffered five straight losses to Purdue. Since the 2014-15 season, Nebraska owns a narrow 10-5 edge in the series.

Markowski In NU's 1,600-Point/1,100-Rebound Club

• Alexis Markowski has increased her career totals to 1,657 points and 1,118 rebounds. She is just the second Nebraska player to achieve the combined career milestones of 1,600 points and 1,100 rebounds, joining All-American and 2014 Big Ten Player of the Year Jordan Hooper.• Jordan Hooper (2,357 points/1,110 rebounds, 2011-14) was a first-team All-American, the 2014 Big Ten Player of the Year and the first pick of the second round in the 2014 WNBA Draft.• The only other players in Husker history with 1,500 points and 1,000 rebounds are Karen Jennings (2,405 points/1,000 rebounds, 1990-93) and Kelsey Griffin (2,033 points/1,019 rebounds, 2006-10).• Jennings won the 1993 Wade Trophy, was a first-team All-American and the 1993 Big Eight Player of the Year. Griffin won the 2010 Senior CLASS Award, was a first-round WNBA Draft pick, a first-team All-American and the 2010 Big 12 Player of the Year.

Markowski Joins Elite Rebounders in NU History

• Nebraska All-America candidate Alexis Markowski joined one of the most elite groups in Husker history by pulling down her 1,000th career rebound in the fourth quarter at Creighton (Nov. 22).• The 6-3 center from Lincoln became just the sixth Husker women’s basketball player and just the eighth Nebraska men’s or women’s player to reach the 1,000 milestone on the boards.• Markowski finished the game with 1,001 career boards to push past 1993 Wade Trophy winner Karen Jennings into the No. 5 spot on the Husker women’s basketball career chart.• Markowski has pushed her career rebound total to 1,118, passing Emily Cady (1,114) at No. 2 on the Nebraska all-time list against No. 12 Ohio State (Jan. 26). Markowski moved past first-team All-American Jordan Hooper (1,110) at No. 3 on NU’s career rebound list with seven rebounds against Wisconsin (Jan. 20). Cady grabbed her 1,114 rebounds 4,217 career minutes (10.6 rp40), while Markowski’s 1,118 boards came in just 3,118 minutes (14.3 rp40).

Prince Battling for Big Ten All-Freshman Honors

• Britt Prince is off to one of the best starts by a freshman in the Big Ten Conference in 2024-25. The 5-11 point guard from Omaha ranks second among the Huskers with 13.3 points, while adding 4.7 rebounds and team bests with 3.2 assists and 2.0 steals, following a 14-point, seven-rebound effort in a win over Wisconsin (Jan. 20).• Prince was the USBWA National Freshman of the Week (Jan. 21) after going for 22 points, seven rebounds, five assists and a career-high six steals at Iowa (Jan. 16). She also hit a career-high five three-pointers while playing a career-high 41 minutes against the Hawkeyes.• The national award followed her first Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week honor (Jan. 20), which she shared with Ohio State freshman Jaloni Cambridge.• Prince ranks fifth among Big Ten freshmen in scoring (13.3 ppg). The four conference freshmen in front of her rank among the top 10 freshmen scorers in the nation.• Prince, a two-time Gatorade and MaxPreps Player of the Year has scored in double figures 14 times, including a career-high 24 points on 8-of-15 shooting in a Big Ten road win at Rutgers (Jan. 12). She added six rebounds and three assists against the Scarlet Knights. Prince scored 10 points in the decisive fourth quarter.• Her performance at Rutgers surpassed her previous career-high 23 points on 10-of-13 shooting in Nebraska’s record-setting 113-70 win over South Dakota (Nov. 16). She added four assists and two steals in front of a sellout crowd at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls.• She added 20 points and six rebounds at Creighton (Nov. 22).• Prince had a game-high 19 points to go with five rebounds in a low-scoring win over Tarleton State (Dec. 11). She hit three threes against the Texans and went 6-for-6 at the line.• Prince contributed 13 points on 4-of-5 shooting in a win over Kansas City (Nov. 26), before notching her fifth straight double-digit performance with a game-high 14 points in a win over Lindenwood (Dec. 3). She also had 13 points and a career-high six assists against North Alabama (Nov. 19) during the five-game stretch. Prince added a career-high two blocks against the Lions.• Prince had 10 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals in NU's win over No. 20 Michigan State (Jan. 8). It was her third straight double-digit effort, joining 13 points, four rebounds, four assists and four steals in a win over Penn State (Jan. 5) and 10 points, a career-high-tying eight rebounds and four assists at No. 4 USC (Jan. 1).• She became the first Husker freshman point guard to reach 100 points in her first eight games, when she put up seven points and seven boards in a win over Minnesota (Dec. 8). The only other Husker point guard to score 100 points in 10 or fewer games is Nicole Kubik (10 games, 1996-97).• One of Nebraska’s most efficient players, Prince is shooting 44.4 percent from the field, including 36.4 percent (28-77) from three-point range, and 87.3 percent (48-55) at the free throw line.• Prince, who won four consecutive Nebraska Class B state high school championships at PBA while playing for her mother, Ann Prince at Elkhorn North (2021-22-23-24), was the No. 16 recruit in the country according to Prospects Nation and No. 28 according to ESPN.• An honorable-mention high school All-American last year by the Naismith award and MaxPreps, Prince produced one of the best senior seasons in Nebraska high school history in 2023-24. She averaged 27.0 points, 10.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 2.9 steals. She led the state in both scoring and assists as a senior on her way to finishing with a Class B record 2,491 points, surpassing Husker All-American Jordan Hooper’s previous mark of 2,078.• Prince also matched Hooper for No. 2 in state tournament history with 271 career points.• In addition to being a four-time Super-State selection in basketball, Prince was a six-time gold medalist and two-time silver medalist at the Nebraska State Track &amp; Field Championships.• She was the 2024 Nebraska Girls Athlete of the Year across all sports.• Prince missed Nebraska’s win over Southeastern Louisiana (Nov. 9) with a lower leg injury, but returned for six points, four assists and three steals as a starter in a win over Southern (Nov. 12).

Husker Freshmen Featuring Efficiency

• Britt Prince is the leader of a talented freshman trio for Nebraska. While Prince has earned headlines by starting at point guard and putting up some of the best numbers in history by a Big Red rookie, fellow freshmen Amiah Hargrove and Petra Bozan have been dynamic inside.• Hargrove produced her first career double-double and fifth double-figure scoring effort of the season with 10 points and a career-high 11 rebounds in a career-high 28 minutes in an overtime win at Iowa (Jan. 16). She hit 3-of-4 shots including 2-of-3 threes and both free throws against the Hawkeyes while adding a career-high two blocks.• Hargrove erupted for a career-high 13 points in a win over Tarleton State (Dec. 11). She hit 5-of-6 shots, including a three-pointer, while adding three rebounds and a steal. She also led Nebraska with 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting at No. 1 UCLA (Dec. 29). She also had 10 points and eight rebounds in a Big Ten-opening win over previously unbeaten Minnesota (Dec. 8).• The 6-1 forward from Christopher, Ill., added 10 points and seven rebounds in a win over Kansas City (Nov. 26). She made back-to-back starts against Chattanooga (Dec. 15) and No. 17 Georgia Tech (Dec. 21). Hargrove also played a major role in NU's win over No. 20 Michigan State (Jan. 8) with seven points and six rebounds in 15 minutes off the bench.• On the season, Hargrove has produced per 40 minute averages of 14.2 points and 10.7 rebounds while hitting 48.5 percent of her shots from the field, including 47.8 percent of her threes (11-23).• Bozan, a 6-5 center from Croatia, owns four-double digit scoring efforts, including 12 in an opening-day win over Omaha and 11 against Southeastern Louisiana (Nov. 9). She went a combined 9-for-11 from the field, including 4-for-4 from three-point range in those two games. Bozan added 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting in a win over Lindenwood (Dec. 3), before getting her first double-digit effort in Big Ten play with 10 points on 4-of-4 shooting in a win over Wisconsin (Jan. 20). She also had nine points and five rebounds in her Big Ten debut against Minnesota (Dec. 8). She added seven points at UCLA (Dec. 29), as the Husker freshmen provided three of NU's top four scorers against the top-ranked Bruins. Bozan pitched in eight points and six rebounds in just 11 minutes to help the Huskers push past Penn State (Jan. 5). She added another big effort with eight points and four boards in 12 minutes off the bench in Nebraska's Big Ten road win at Rutgers (Jan. 12).• On the season, Bozan has produced per 40 minute averages of 19.0 points and 11.6 rebounds while hitting 50 percent of her shots from the field, including 33.3 percent (6-18) of her threes.

• Nebraska has put at least five players in double figures in six of its 20 games this season, including back-to-back Big Ten wins at Iowa (87-84 OT, Jan. 16) and over Wisconsin (91-60, Jan. 20). In three other games, NU has put four players in double figures with the fifth-highest scorer adding nine points.• Perhaps the most amazing part of the double-figure scoring performances for the Big Red through 20 games is that all six games have featured a different group of scorers that have ultimately included all 12 players on the active roster at the start of the season.• In the win over Wisconsin (Jan. 20), five Huskers put up double figures, including Kendall Moriarty-17, Jessica Petrie-15, Britt Prince-14, Alexis Markowski-12 and Petra Bozan-10.• In the win at Iowa (Jan. 16), five Huskers put up double figures, including Britt Prince-22, Alexis Markowski-19, Logan Nissley-13, Jessica Petrie-13 and Amiah Hargrove-10.• In the opener with Omaha (Nov. 4), six Huskers produced double-digit points, including Alexis Markowski-14, Natalie Potts-14, Petra Bozan-12, Logan Nissley-12, Allison Weidner-11 and Britt Prince-10.• In a win over South Dakota in Sioux Falls (Nov. 16), five Huskers finished in double figures, including Britt Prince-23, Natalie Potts-22, Alexis Markowski-14, Kendall Moriarty-13 and Kendall Coley-12.• In a victory over North Alabama (Nov. 19), five Huskers scored in double figures, including Callin Hake-17, Jessica Petrie-14, Britt Prince-13, Alberte Rimdal-13 and Alexis Markowski-10.• Nebraska put five players in double figures in its second straight home game in a win over Kansas City (Nov. 22), including Callin Hake-16, Alberte Rimdal-15, Britt Prince-13, Alexis Markowski-10 and Amiah Hargrove-10.• The only Huskers to score in double figures in each of the six games with at least five players in double figures were Alexis Markowski and Britt Prince.

Huskers return to Big Ten Road action at Purdue Thursday

Story by NPCC Athletic Communication

North Platte, Neb.– North Platte finished the night with six players in double-digits, as they dominated the Panthers of York University JV, 95-22, on Tuesday.

"We had a strong defensive performance tonight," said head coach Jeff Thurman. "It takes the stress off the offense when you can convert 43 turnovers into 49 points.”

Jada Thompson led the Knights with 18 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field. Kateria Gooden added 14 points and eight rebounds, while Dezirae Gonzales finished with 14 points. Joie Rodriguez (13), Nevaeh Golden (12), Madison Cheleen (10) rounded out the North Platte players in double figures.

Knights used a resilient defense to jump out to a 22-0 lead, before a runner by Regan Coffey sparked a 4-0 spurt with 1:37 remaining. North Platte responded by stretching a 25-0 run into the second quarter, before seven straight points cut the lead to 47-11 at halftime.

Knights used a 15-2 run in the third quarter to extend their lead to 62-13 on a jumper by Rodriguez. North Platte held the Panthers to just three more points over the final 5:23 to take a 73-16 lead into the fourth. North Platte outscored the Panthers 22-6 over the final ten minutes to close out the win.

North Platte (13-10) travels to Norfolk on Saturday to take on Northeast Community College. Tip is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Story by NPCC Athletic CommunicationNorth Platte, Neb.– North Platte finished the night with six players in double-digits, as they dominated the Panthers of York University JV, 95-22, on Tuesday."We had a strong defensive performance tonight," said head coach Jeff Thurman. "It takes the stress off the offense when you can convert 43 turnovers into 49 points.”Jada Thompson led the Knights with 18 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field. Kateria Gooden added 14 points and eight rebounds, while Dezirae Gonzales finished with 14 points. Joie Rodriguez (13), Nevaeh Golden (12), Madison Cheleen (10) rounded out the North Platte players in double figures.Knights used a resilient defense to jump out to a 22-0 lead, before a runner by Regan Coffey sparked a 4-0 spurt with 1:37 remaining. North Platte responded by stretching a 25-0 run into the second quarter, before seven straight points cut the lead to 47-11 at halftime.Knights used a 15-2 run in the third quarter to extend their lead to 62-13 on a jumper by Rodriguez. North Platte held the Panthers to just three more points over the final 5:23 to take a 73-16 lead into the fourth. North Platte outscored the Panthers 22-6 over the final ten minutes to close out the win.North Platte (13-10) travels to Norfolk on Saturday to take on Northeast Community College. Tip is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Knights dominate Panthers

Sterling, Colo. – Alex Harper connected on 5-of-8 from beyond the arc to help North Platte down Northeastern Junior College, 81-68, on the road Tuesday night.

"Really proud of our approach this week,” said head coach Jacob Brandl. "The guys fought and were disciplined the entire night.”

Harper led the Knights with 20 points in 26 minutes off the bench. Mo Diao chipped in 15 points and six rebounds, while Justus Michael and Trey Summers rounded out the North Platte players in double figures with 13 points each.

North Platte trailed early, but a three from Harper with 9:24 remaining shifted the momentum. A 12-4 run ensued as a pair of free throws by Summers pushed the Knights lead to 32-24 with 7:01 to play.

Northeastern cut the deficit to 37-33 inside the final two minutes, but the Knights managed to outscore the Plainsmen and take a 43-35 lead into halftime.

A jumper from Justin Sapoi opened the scoring in the second half, but the Plainsmen would be held scoreless over the next eight minutes. North Platte took advantage to stretch their lead to 58-37 on a three by Harper.

Plainsmen cut the deficit to 64-57 inside five minutes to play, but one final run over the closing minutes helped the Knights put the game away

North Platte (13-7) returns to the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium on Friday to take on Western Nebraska Community College at 7 p.m.

Story by NPCC Athletic CommunicationSterling, Colo. – Alex Harper connected on 5-of-8 from beyond the arc to help North Platte down Northeastern Junior College, 81-68, on the road Tuesday night."Really proud of our approach this week,” said head coach Jacob Brandl. "The guys fought and were disciplined the entire night.”Harper led the Knights with 20 points in 26 minutes off the bench. Mo Diao chipped in 15 points and six rebounds, while Justus Michael and Trey Summers rounded out the North Platte players in double figures with 13 points each.North Platte trailed early, but a three from Harper with 9:24 remaining shifted the momentum. A 12-4 run ensued as a pair of free throws by Summers pushed the Knights lead to 32-24 with 7:01 to play.Northeastern cut the deficit to 37-33 inside the final two minutes, but the Knights managed to outscore the Plainsmen and take a 43-35 lead into halftime.A jumper from Justin Sapoi opened the scoring in the second half, but the Plainsmen would be held scoreless over the next eight minutes. North Platte took advantage to stretch their lead to 58-37 on a three by Harper.Plainsmen cut the deficit to 64-57 inside five minutes to play, but one final run over the closing minutes helped the Knights put the game awayNorth Platte (13-7) returns to the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium on Friday to take on Western Nebraska Community College at 7 p.m.

Knights down Plainsmen on the road

Wallace 40, Dundy County Stratton 65&nbsp;

Maywood Hayes Center 59, Wauneta-Palisade 34 Consolation Round

Maxwell 52, Sutherland 44 Consolation Round

Medicine Valley 47, Arapahoe 39 Consolation Round

Southern Valley 51, Cambridge 49 Consolation Round

Boy’s MNAC Tournament First Round&nbsp;

Northeastern Junior College Men’s 68, North Platte Community College Men’s 81

York University JV Women’s 22, North Platte Community College Women’s 95&nbsp;

<h2>Boys Southwest Conference Tournament</h2>Cozad 52 vs Valentine 40Gothenburg 69 @ McCook 68Ogallala 78 vs Broken Bow 51<h2>Girl’s Southwest Conference Tournament</h2>Broken Bow 36 vs McCook 44Holdrege 45 @ Ogallala 58Valentine 15 @ Gothenburg 72<h2>Boy’ s Round 2 RPAC Tournament</h2>Hitchcock County 48, Paxton 51&nbsp;Wallace 40, Dundy County Stratton 65&nbsp;Maywood Hayes Center 59, Wauneta-Palisade 34 Consolation RoundMaxwell 52, Sutherland 44 Consolation RoundMedicine Valley 47, Arapahoe 39 Consolation RoundSouthern Valley 51, Cambridge 49 Consolation Round<h2>Boy’s MNAC Tournament First Round&nbsp;</h2>#1 Sandhills Valley 77, #8 Brady 40#2 South Loup 71, #7 Arthur County 29<h2>North Platte Community College</h2>Northeastern Junior College Men’s 68, North Platte Community College Men’s 81York University JV Women’s 22, North Platte Community College Women’s 95&nbsp;

Area Basketball scores from January 28th

KEARNEY – Clayton Moore’s teammates call him a “country boy.”

His older sister Samantha Moore often hears a similar term – “ranch tough.”

They’re both references to the siblings’ blue-collar upbringing and the work ethic, determination and discipline they display as University of Nebraska at Kearney basketball players.

“Where we grew up, there’s not much to do but work,” said Clayton, a redshirt freshman at UNK. “And competitiveness kind of comes along with that. Growing up, all you could really do for fun was compete with each other. It was either that or go outside and work. And competing with each other was more enjoyable than throwing hay bales around or fixing windmills.”

Raised on a ranch in the heart of the Nebraska Sandhills, the Moores have never known a life that didn’t revolve around hard work, humility and sports.

Their parents, Rusty and Jennifer, instilled those values.

They were both standout athletes at Nebraska Wesleyan University, where Jennifer was a volleyball player and five-time All-American in track and field. Rusty also competed in track, earning All-American honors and winning two national championships in the 4×400 relay.

He coached basketball at Mullen High School for 14 years, leading the boys team to its first-ever state title in 2017. Rusty passed away in February 2020 following a two-year battle with brain cancer.

Jennifer taught and coached at Mullen and McPherson County high schools before moving to Alma, where she’s the head volleyball coach and an assistant track coach.

To nobody’s surprise, their children followed in those footsteps.

If they weren’t assisting with chores, the Moore kids were likely challenging each other in some sort of activity.

As youngsters, they played basketball in the house, using tape stuck to the basement wall as a hoop. Later on, those games moved to the driveway, where Clayton and Samantha battled their older brother Lance.

“You can kind of imagine how that went,” Clayton said with a smirk. “Sometimes it got a little rough. I mean, there were no referees out there.”

“I think that’s really where our competitiveness started to grow,” he added.

Although Clayton and Samantha both admit they could have been nicer to each other growing up, that passion and intensity helped fuel their success.

“Over the last couple years, from high school to college, I feel like we’ve grown our friendship,” said Samantha, a senior at UNK. “We’re still competitive, but I feel like we’ve gotten closer.”

Now, if you ask the siblings who the better athlete is, neither will claim that distinction.

Instead, they talk about each other’s accomplishments.

Samantha was a three-sport star at Mullen High School, scoring 1,550 career points in basketball and helping the Broncos finish third in the 2021 Class D2 state tournament. She also led the volleyball team in kills and blocks as a senior and qualified for the Class D state track and field championships in three events, including a runner-up finish in the 100-meter hurdles.

Clayton was equally successful. He averaged 18.1 points and 10.5 rebounds as a senior, earning Class D2 First-Team All-State honors in 2023. Also a three-sport standout, he played quarterback and defensive back for the football team and was a state champion in the 300-meter hurdles and state runner-up in the 110 hurdles, 300 hurdles, long jump and 4×400 relay.

When the time came to select a college, Samantha was the first family member to break the Wesleyan connection.

“I can be the guilty one,” she said with a laugh. “I’ll take the blame for that.”

Samantha was recruited by former UNK coach Carrie Eighmey, who now leads the women’s basketball program at the University of South Dakota.

“Right when I stepped on campus, I knew this was my place,” Samantha said.

The 6-foot guard/forward battled injuries early in her UNK career and played behind some experienced starters. She appeared in eight games as a freshman and 26 as a sophomore. The Lopers reached the NCAA Division II national tournament both seasons.

Eighmey and her staff left the program in spring 2023, but Samantha remained committed to UNK.

“At the end of the day, I wanted to play somewhere where I felt like I was in a sisterhood and a family,” she explained. “I loved my teammates so much that I didn’t want to leave.”

Drew Johnson, who was hired to replace Eighmey, gives Samantha a lot of credit for embracing the new coaching staff with open arms and creating a positive culture that continues to define the team. He calls her a hardworking, high-octane player.

“Sam is someone who brings a lot of energy to the team, whether she’s on or off the court,” Johnson said. “When she’s playing her best basketball, she’s really energetic and engaged, having fun and cracking jokes. That energy really resonates with our team. It’s a lot of fun to be able to coach her because of that.”

After an injury forced her to miss the early part of the season, Samantha came back strong for the Lopers as a junior. She played in 21 games and started 16 of them, averaging 6.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists per contest.

Those numbers are even better this season. Samantha has started all 18 games for the Lopers, who are 15-3 overall and 8-1 in the MIAA. She averages 10 points and a team-leading 7.9 rebounds per game while shooting 37% from 3-point range. Her 60 assists and 10 blocks both rank second on the team.

Samantha recorded what was likely the first triple-double in program history on Dec. 16, when she scored 16 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out 10 assists in a 95-26 victory over York University.

“She’s been really dynamic for us,” Johnson said. “She shoots the 3 at a high percentage. She’s able to post up smaller guards. And she’s a great defender.

“It doesn’t get a lot better in this world than Sam Moore, and I’m thankful to have gotten a chance to coach her.”

Clayton joined his older sister at UNK in fall 2023.

He liked the location and smaller, close-knit community – “I’m not a big-city guy,” he firmly declared – as well as the opportunity play against top-notch teams.

“As athletes, you want to compete at the highest level you possibly can,” Clayton said. “We were given the chance to compete here at UNK, a Division II university in one of the best conferences in the country.”

Like his sister, Clayton stuck with his commitment after a coaching change. That was good news for first-year head coach Marty Levinson, who was hired by his alma mater in April 2024.

He describes Clayton as hardworking, humble, attentive and selfless – “pretty much all the qualities you would want in a teammate.”

“Even though he’s so young and he doesn’t have a ton of on-court playing experience at the college level, he’s already been a leader for us because of those characteristics,” Levinson said.

Following a redshirt season, Clayton is now an important contributor for Levinson and the Loper men, who are 6-11 overall and 4-5 in the conference. He’s played in all 17 games, starting six of them. The 6-foot-4 guard/forward averages 20 minutes, 5.2 points and 4.7 rebounds per contest.

Calling him a “pusher” who’s always looking to learn and grow, Levinson expects Clayton’s role to continue to expand.

“He’s going to be a difference maker by the time he’s a junior or senior, even by next year,” the UNK coach said. “He’s been a blessing to have, not just on the floor but because of who he is every day.

“Clayton is much more than just a basketball player. He’s an amazing human being. That doesn’t always show up in the box score, but he’s a big part of our recent success.”

Now that they’re 20 and 22 years old, Clayton and Samantha can fully appreciate their relationship and the benefits of having a sibling to lean on.

They live in the same apartment complex, just south of the Health and Sports Center, and often get together to watch sports or play video games.

“Who wouldn’t want to attend the same school as their sibling, hang out and play the same sport?” Samantha said. “It’s so awesome. When we travel on the road, I get to watch my brother play right after us and he gets to watch me play. I’m beyond grateful. It’s such a blessing.”

“I can’t imagine it any other way now,” Clayton added.

Both recognized on the MIAA Academic Honor Roll, Samantha is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unk.edu/academics/ted/elementary-education.php">studying elementary education</a>&nbsp;and Clayton is an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unk.edu/academics/agribusiness/index.php">agribusiness major</a>. She wants to teach in a small town in Nebraska and he plans to return to the family ranch near Tryon.

Those rural roots run too deep to change.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738095362821.jpeg" alt="Mullen natives Samantha and Clayton Moore (UNK Communications)" />
 <figcaption>Mullen natives Samantha and Clayton Moore (UNK Communications)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TYLER ELLYSONUNK CommunicationsKEARNEY – Clayton Moore’s teammates call him a “country boy.”His older sister Samantha Moore often hears a similar term – “ranch tough.”They’re both references to the siblings’ blue-collar upbringing and the work ethic, determination and discipline they display as University of Nebraska at Kearney basketball players.“Where we grew up, there’s not much to do but work,” said Clayton, a redshirt freshman at UNK. “And competitiveness kind of comes along with that. Growing up, all you could really do for fun was compete with each other. It was either that or go outside and work. And competing with each other was more enjoyable than throwing hay bales around or fixing windmills.”Raised on a ranch in the heart of the Nebraska Sandhills, the Moores have never known a life that didn’t revolve around hard work, humility and sports.Their parents, Rusty and Jennifer, instilled those values.They were both standout athletes at Nebraska Wesleyan University, where Jennifer was a volleyball player and five-time All-American in track and field. Rusty also competed in track, earning All-American honors and winning two national championships in the 4×400 relay.He coached basketball at Mullen High School for 14 years, leading the boys team to its first-ever state title in 2017. Rusty passed away in February 2020 following a two-year battle with brain cancer.Jennifer taught and coached at Mullen and McPherson County high schools before moving to Alma, where she’s the head volleyball coach and an assistant track coach.To nobody’s surprise, their children followed in those footsteps.<h2>SIBLING RIVALRY</h2>If they weren’t assisting with chores, the Moore kids were likely challenging each other in some sort of activity.As youngsters, they played basketball in the house, using tape stuck to the basement wall as a hoop. Later on, those games moved to the driveway, where Clayton and Samantha battled their older brother Lance.“You can kind of imagine how that went,” Clayton said with a smirk. “Sometimes it got a little rough. I mean, there were no referees out there.”“I think that’s really where our competitiveness started to grow,” he added.Although Clayton and Samantha both admit they could have been nicer to each other growing up, that passion and intensity helped fuel their success.“Over the last couple years, from high school to college, I feel like we’ve grown our friendship,” said Samantha, a senior at UNK. “We’re still competitive, but I feel like we’ve gotten closer.”Now, if you ask the siblings who the better athlete is, neither will claim that distinction.Instead, they talk about each other’s accomplishments.Samantha was a three-sport star at Mullen High School, scoring 1,550 career points in basketball and helping the Broncos finish third in the 2021 Class D2 state tournament. She also led the volleyball team in kills and blocks as a senior and qualified for the Class D state track and field championships in three events, including a runner-up finish in the 100-meter hurdles.Clayton was equally successful. He averaged 18.1 points and 10.5 rebounds as a senior, earning Class D2 First-Team All-State honors in 2023. Also a three-sport standout, he played quarterback and defensive back for the football team and was a state champion in the 300-meter hurdles and state runner-up in the 110 hurdles, 300 hurdles, long jump and 4×400 relay.<h2>VERSATILE VETERAN</h2>When the time came to select a college, Samantha was the first family member to break the Wesleyan connection.“I can be the guilty one,” she said with a laugh. “I’ll take the blame for that.”Samantha was recruited by former UNK coach Carrie Eighmey, who now leads the women’s basketball program at the University of South Dakota.“Right when I stepped on campus, I knew this was my place,” Samantha said.The 6-foot guard/forward battled injuries early in her UNK career and played behind some experienced starters. She appeared in eight games as a freshman and 26 as a sophomore. The Lopers reached the NCAA Division II national tournament both seasons.Eighmey and her staff left the program in spring 2023, but Samantha remained committed to UNK.“At the end of the day, I wanted to play somewhere where I felt like I was in a sisterhood and a family,” she explained. “I loved my teammates so much that I didn’t want to leave.”Drew Johnson, who was hired to replace Eighmey, gives Samantha a lot of credit for embracing the new coaching staff with open arms and creating a positive culture that continues to define the team. He calls her a hardworking, high-octane player.“Sam is someone who brings a lot of energy to the team, whether she’s on or off the court,” Johnson said. “When she’s playing her best basketball, she’s really energetic and engaged, having fun and cracking jokes. That energy really resonates with our team. It’s a lot of fun to be able to coach her because of that.”She’s also very versatile.After an injury forced her to miss the early part of the season, Samantha came back strong for the Lopers as a junior. She played in 21 games and started 16 of them, averaging 6.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists per contest.Those numbers are even better this season. Samantha has started all 18 games for the Lopers, who are 15-3 overall and 8-1 in the MIAA. She averages 10 points and a team-leading 7.9 rebounds per game while shooting 37% from 3-point range. Her 60 assists and 10 blocks both rank second on the team.Samantha recorded what was likely the first triple-double in program history on Dec. 16, when she scored 16 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out 10 assists in a 95-26 victory over York University.“She’s been really dynamic for us,” Johnson said. “She shoots the 3 at a high percentage. She’s able to post up smaller guards. And she’s a great defender.“It doesn’t get a lot better in this world than Sam Moore, and I’m thankful to have gotten a chance to coach her.”<h2>YOUNG LEADER</h2>Clayton joined his older sister at UNK in fall 2023.He liked the location and smaller, close-knit community – “I’m not a big-city guy,” he firmly declared – as well as the opportunity play against top-notch teams.“As athletes, you want to compete at the highest level you possibly can,” Clayton said. “We were given the chance to compete here at UNK, a Division II university in one of the best conferences in the country.”Like his sister, Clayton stuck with his commitment after a coaching change. That was good news for first-year head coach Marty Levinson, who was hired by his alma mater in April 2024.He describes Clayton as hardworking, humble, attentive and selfless – “pretty much all the qualities you would want in a teammate.”“Even though he’s so young and he doesn’t have a ton of on-court playing experience at the college level, he’s already been a leader for us because of those characteristics,” Levinson said.Following a redshirt season, Clayton is now an important contributor for Levinson and the Loper men, who are 6-11 overall and 4-5 in the conference. He’s played in all 17 games, starting six of them. The 6-foot-4 guard/forward averages 20 minutes, 5.2 points and 4.7 rebounds per contest.Calling him a “pusher” who’s always looking to learn and grow, Levinson expects Clayton’s role to continue to expand.“He’s going to be a difference maker by the time he’s a junior or senior, even by next year,” the UNK coach said. “He’s been a blessing to have, not just on the floor but because of who he is every day.“Clayton is much more than just a basketball player. He’s an amazing human being. That doesn’t always show up in the box score, but he’s a big part of our recent success.”<h2>STRONG BONDS</h2>Now that they’re 20 and 22 years old, Clayton and Samantha can fully appreciate their relationship and the benefits of having a sibling to lean on.They live in the same apartment complex, just south of the Health and Sports Center, and often get together to watch sports or play video games.“Who wouldn’t want to attend the same school as their sibling, hang out and play the same sport?” Samantha said. “It’s so awesome. When we travel on the road, I get to watch my brother play right after us and he gets to watch me play. I’m beyond grateful. It’s such a blessing.”“I can’t imagine it any other way now,” Clayton added.Both recognized on the MIAA Academic Honor Roll, Samantha is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unk.edu/academics/ted/elementary-education.php">studying elementary education</a>&nbsp;and Clayton is an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unk.edu/academics/agribusiness/index.php">agribusiness major</a>. She wants to teach in a small town in Nebraska and he plans to return to the family ranch near Tryon.Those rural roots run too deep to change.

Mullen siblings bring competitive nature, ‘ranch toughness’ to UNK basketball

RPAC Boys Basketball updated bracket

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1738072561934.png" alt="RPAC Girls" />
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RPAC Girls Basketball updated bracket

On today's episode of Knight's Weekly, we sat down with Jacob Brandl, the Head Coach of the North Platte Community College Men's Basketball team, to discuss how he feels after last week's games going 1-1 and key areas he wants to see improvement within the team with conference play heating up.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655346441244.png" alt="<a href="https://www.npkubota.com/">Post Podcast Sponsored By North Platte Kubota</a>" />
 <figcaption><a href="https://www.npkubota.com/">Post Podcast Sponsored By North Platte Kubota</a></figcaption>
 </figure>On today's episode of Knight's Weekly, we sat down with Jacob Brandl, the Head Coach of the North Platte Community College Men's Basketball team, to discuss how he feels after last week's games going 1-1 and key areas he wants to see improvement within the team with conference play heating up.<div><iframe title="Knight's Weekly #6 featuring North Platte Community College Men's Basketball Coach Jacob Brandl" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=8pyx2-17d3434-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=1&fonts=Times%20New%20Roman&skin=1b1b1b&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

Knight's Weekly #6 featuring North Platte Community College Men's Basketball Coach Jacob Brandl

Arlington, Texas - After going 8-5 over the weekend, the third-ranked Nebraska bowling team finished in fifth place, tallying a 12,372 total pinfall on the weekend with a 209.7 average.&nbsp;

The Cornhuskers matched up with No. 12 Louisiana Tech in one final traditional match. NU started with Desiree Buchert, Haley Swindle, Kayla Starr, Anna Callan and Jillian Martin. Buchert led the way for Nebraska, recording seven strikes and rolling a 250. Martin followed, adding a 217. Swindle rolled a 204 and Starr bowled a 182. Callan added a 165 as the Huskers topped Louisiana Tech, 1,018-894, improving to an overall 6-5 record going into bracket play.&nbsp;

The Big Red took on No. 9 Maryville in their first round best-of-seven baker match in the consolation bracket, the first time this season the Huskers haven’t had a chance to reach the finals in a tournament this season. The two teams previously met on the first day of competition where the Saints took down the Big Red, 1,051-945. In game one, Brenna Hartzler came in for Starr in her first appearance this tournament as NU recorded seven strikes behind Martin’s four as Nebraska topped Maryville, 200-187. Martin hit her seventh consecutive strike of the match as the team recorded five straight at the end of game two to top Maryville, 225-214, going up 2-0. The Huskers substituted Kayla Verstraete for Buchert in game 3 and Verstraete struckout in both her frames as NU bowled a 255 over the Saints’ 200. Verstraete and Hartzler recorded their fourth consecutive strikes respectively in the fourth and the team tallied eight total as the Cornhuskers bowled a clean 235 and took down Maryville in a 4-0 sweep. In the match, Martin recorded 13 total strikes and the team averaged a 228.75, moving to 7-5 overall in the tournament.&nbsp;

In the final match of the tournament, the Huskers faced No. 4 Youngstown State for a chance at fifth place. Nebraska opened the tournament against the Penguins, a matchup where NU won, 1,032-1,010. The Big Red opened the match with a clean game one as the team rolled a 213, but were topped by Youngstown State, 232-213, after two three-strike bursts by the Penguins. In game two, the Cornhuskers bowled a 188 to top Youngstown State, 188-160, bringing the match to 1-1. NU started the third game with three straight strikes and hit three more late in the game to score a 223 to edge out the Penguins, 223-212, despite four strikes to end the game by Youngstown State. Hartzler hit her fifth strike in a row and as a team hit six straight at the end of game four, tallying nine strikes total to top Youngstown State, 256-228, going up 3-1 on the match. Hartzler recorded her sixth consecutive strike and Callan her fifth as the Huskers went on a six strike run in game five. The Cornhuskers led the strike margin 8-7 and edged out the Penguins, 249-235, to take the match, 4-1.&nbsp;

Three Huskers finished in the top 25 for individual performances. Buchert was 13th overall with a total pinfall of 1,324 and a 220.67 average. Martin finished in 16th with a total pinfall of 1,313 and average of 218.83. Starr finished at 22nd with a total pinfall of 1,280 and a 213.33 average.&nbsp;

NU returns to the lanes Feb. 7-9, as the Huskers travel to Lockport, Ill., for the Flyer Classic hosted by Lewis.

Stay up to date with the action by following the Nebraska Women's Bowling Twitter (@HuskerBowling), Instagram (@huskerbowling) and Facebook.

Prairie View A&amp;M Invite Final Standings

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsArlington, Texas - After going 8-5 over the weekend, the third-ranked Nebraska bowling team finished in fifth place, tallying a 12,372 total pinfall on the weekend with a 209.7 average.&nbsp;The Cornhuskers matched up with No. 12 Louisiana Tech in one final traditional match. NU started with Desiree Buchert, Haley Swindle, Kayla Starr, Anna Callan and Jillian Martin. Buchert led the way for Nebraska, recording seven strikes and rolling a 250. Martin followed, adding a 217. Swindle rolled a 204 and Starr bowled a 182. Callan added a 165 as the Huskers topped Louisiana Tech, 1,018-894, improving to an overall 6-5 record going into bracket play.&nbsp;The Big Red took on No. 9 Maryville in their first round best-of-seven baker match in the consolation bracket, the first time this season the Huskers haven’t had a chance to reach the finals in a tournament this season. The two teams previously met on the first day of competition where the Saints took down the Big Red, 1,051-945. In game one, Brenna Hartzler came in for Starr in her first appearance this tournament as NU recorded seven strikes behind Martin’s four as Nebraska topped Maryville, 200-187. Martin hit her seventh consecutive strike of the match as the team recorded five straight at the end of game two to top Maryville, 225-214, going up 2-0. The Huskers substituted Kayla Verstraete for Buchert in game 3 and Verstraete struckout in both her frames as NU bowled a 255 over the Saints’ 200. Verstraete and Hartzler recorded their fourth consecutive strikes respectively in the fourth and the team tallied eight total as the Cornhuskers bowled a clean 235 and took down Maryville in a 4-0 sweep. In the match, Martin recorded 13 total strikes and the team averaged a 228.75, moving to 7-5 overall in the tournament.&nbsp;In the final match of the tournament, the Huskers faced No. 4 Youngstown State for a chance at fifth place. Nebraska opened the tournament against the Penguins, a matchup where NU won, 1,032-1,010. The Big Red opened the match with a clean game one as the team rolled a 213, but were topped by Youngstown State, 232-213, after two three-strike bursts by the Penguins. In game two, the Cornhuskers bowled a 188 to top Youngstown State, 188-160, bringing the match to 1-1. NU started the third game with three straight strikes and hit three more late in the game to score a 223 to edge out the Penguins, 223-212, despite four strikes to end the game by Youngstown State. Hartzler hit her fifth strike in a row and as a team hit six straight at the end of game four, tallying nine strikes total to top Youngstown State, 256-228, going up 3-1 on the match. Hartzler recorded her sixth consecutive strike and Callan her fifth as the Huskers went on a six strike run in game five. The Cornhuskers led the strike margin 8-7 and edged out the Penguins, 249-235, to take the match, 4-1.&nbsp;Three Huskers finished in the top 25 for individual performances. Buchert was 13th overall with a total pinfall of 1,324 and a 220.67 average. Martin finished in 16th with a total pinfall of 1,313 and average of 218.83. Starr finished at 22nd with a total pinfall of 1,280 and a 213.33 average.&nbsp;NU returns to the lanes Feb. 7-9, as the Huskers travel to Lockport, Ill., for the Flyer Classic hosted by Lewis.Stay up to date with the action by following the Nebraska Women's Bowling Twitter (@HuskerBowling), Instagram (@huskerbowling) and Facebook.Prairie View A&amp;M Invite Final StandingsNo. 1 Vanderbilt&nbsp;No. 2 Jacksonville State&nbsp;No. 10 North Carolina A&amp;T&nbsp;No. 8 Sam Houston&nbsp;No. 3 Nebraska&nbsp;No. 4 Youngstown State&nbsp;No. 9 Maryville&nbsp;No. 5 Arkansas State&nbsp;No. 12 Louisiana Tech&nbsp;No. 14 Duquesne&nbsp;Prairie View A&amp;M&nbsp;Texas Southern

Huskers finish Fifth in Texas at Bowling event

Lincoln&nbsp;- Alexis Markowski led Nebraska with 18 points, but No. 12 Ohio State made enough plays down the stretch to outlast the Huskers, 72-66, in front of 9,772 fans at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Sunday afternoon.

Markowski, who added six rebounds to move into sole possession of second place on Nebraska's career rebound list at 1,118, converted a three-point play with 3:11 left to pull the Huskers within 65-63. She finished another shot at the rim to keep NU within 68-66 with 1:42 left, but the Buckeyes got the final four points of the game in the final 25 seconds at the free throw line from Madison Greene to seal the win.&nbsp;

Nebraska, which had its five-game overall winning streak and 15-game home winning streak snapped, slipped to 15-5 overall and 6-3 in the Big Ten. Ohio State improved to 19-1 and 8-1 in the conference. All three of NU's Big Ten losses have come at the hands of the top three teams in the league - No. 1 UCLA, No. 4 USC and No. 12 Ohio State.&nbsp;

Callin Hake pumped in 12 points, including a trio of three-pointers, while adding four rebounds and three steals for the Huskers, who led 21-17 after the first quarter and 38-36 at halftime. Freshman Britt Prince pitched in eight points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals while shutting out Ohio State freshman Jaloni Cambridge, who went just 0-1 from the field in 17 minutes while committing five turnovers. Cambridge entered the game averaging better than 15 points per game.

Alberte Rimdal also contributed eight points and three assists off the bench for the Big Red, while Jessica Petrie added six points, six rebounds and three assists.

Ohio State took control of the game with a big third quarter from Cotie McMahon. The All-Big Ten forward scored 11 of her 15 points for the game in the period to push the Buckeyes to a 61-55 edge heading to the fourth quarter. McMahon added a game-high 10 rebounds to go with three assists and three steals for the Buckeyes.

Taylor Thierry did the most damage for Ohio State, knocking down a career-high five three-pointers to finish with a game-high 23 points. Thierry went 8-for-10 overall from the field while adding seven rebounds and three steals. Her final three-pointer stopped a 7-0 Husker run late in the fourth to put the Buckeyes back in front 68-64 after Nebraska had cut the lead to 65-64 on a Hake free throw with 2:27 left.

Greene, who sealed the win at the free throw line, was the only other player to finish in double figures with 11 points.

Nebraska electrified the third-largest crowd for a Husker women's basketball game in PBA history by jumping to a 15-9 lead in the first 5:30. Markowski and Hake both scored six points, while freshman Amiah Hargrove added a three-pointer to put the Big Red in front early.&nbsp;

Ohio State answered to take its first lead at 22-21 early in the second quarter, before the Huskers responded with an 8-0 run to grab their biggest lead at 29-22 with 5:32 left in the first half.&nbsp;

The Buckeyes finished the first half with a flurry and appeared to take a 39-38 to halftime on a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Greene to end the half. Upon review, Greene was out of bounds on the shot and the points were wiped off the board before the start of the second half.

The two teams opened the third quarter in a possession-for-possession dogfight with Nebraska taking its last lead of the game on Alberte Rimdal's three-pointer with under four minutes left to make it 53-52. Thierry answered with a three of her own with 3:30 left to put the Buckeyes back in front for good. OSU built several eight-point leads over the next seven minutes before Logan Nissley connected on her only three-pointer of the game to start NU's seven-point fourth-quarter run.

Nebraska hits just 37.9 percent (25-66) of its shots from the field, including 9-of-35 threes (.257), while going just 7-of-13 at the free throw line. The Buckeyes answered with 50 percent (27-54) shooting, including 7-of-20 threes (.350). OSU also hit 11-of-16 free throws. The Buckeyes won the rebounding battle, 38-37, but the Huskers pulled down 12 offensive boards compared to just five for Ohio State. Nebraska also won the turnover battle, 16-13, against an Ohio State team that led the conference in turnover margin (+11.4) entering the contest.

The Huskers return to Big Ten road action by traveling to Purdue on Thursday, Jan. 30. Tip-off between the Big Red and the Boilermakers from Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind., is set for 6 p.m. (CT) with a live video stream for B1G+ subscribers. The game can also be heard across the Huskers Radio Network, including Huskers.com.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsLincoln&nbsp;- Alexis Markowski led Nebraska with 18 points, but No. 12 Ohio State made enough plays down the stretch to outlast the Huskers, 72-66, in front of 9,772 fans at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Sunday afternoon.Markowski, who added six rebounds to move into sole possession of second place on Nebraska's career rebound list at 1,118, converted a three-point play with 3:11 left to pull the Huskers within 65-63. She finished another shot at the rim to keep NU within 68-66 with 1:42 left, but the Buckeyes got the final four points of the game in the final 25 seconds at the free throw line from Madison Greene to seal the win.&nbsp;Nebraska, which had its five-game overall winning streak and 15-game home winning streak snapped, slipped to 15-5 overall and 6-3 in the Big Ten. Ohio State improved to 19-1 and 8-1 in the conference. All three of NU's Big Ten losses have come at the hands of the top three teams in the league - No. 1 UCLA, No. 4 USC and No. 12 Ohio State.&nbsp;Callin Hake pumped in 12 points, including a trio of three-pointers, while adding four rebounds and three steals for the Huskers, who led 21-17 after the first quarter and 38-36 at halftime. Freshman Britt Prince pitched in eight points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals while shutting out Ohio State freshman Jaloni Cambridge, who went just 0-1 from the field in 17 minutes while committing five turnovers. Cambridge entered the game averaging better than 15 points per game.Alberte Rimdal also contributed eight points and three assists off the bench for the Big Red, while Jessica Petrie added six points, six rebounds and three assists.Ohio State took control of the game with a big third quarter from Cotie McMahon. The All-Big Ten forward scored 11 of her 15 points for the game in the period to push the Buckeyes to a 61-55 edge heading to the fourth quarter. McMahon added a game-high 10 rebounds to go with three assists and three steals for the Buckeyes.Taylor Thierry did the most damage for Ohio State, knocking down a career-high five three-pointers to finish with a game-high 23 points. Thierry went 8-for-10 overall from the field while adding seven rebounds and three steals. Her final three-pointer stopped a 7-0 Husker run late in the fourth to put the Buckeyes back in front 68-64 after Nebraska had cut the lead to 65-64 on a Hake free throw with 2:27 left.Greene, who sealed the win at the free throw line, was the only other player to finish in double figures with 11 points.Nebraska electrified the third-largest crowd for a Husker women's basketball game in PBA history by jumping to a 15-9 lead in the first 5:30. Markowski and Hake both scored six points, while freshman Amiah Hargrove added a three-pointer to put the Big Red in front early.&nbsp;Ohio State answered to take its first lead at 22-21 early in the second quarter, before the Huskers responded with an 8-0 run to grab their biggest lead at 29-22 with 5:32 left in the first half.&nbsp;The Buckeyes finished the first half with a flurry and appeared to take a 39-38 to halftime on a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Greene to end the half. Upon review, Greene was out of bounds on the shot and the points were wiped off the board before the start of the second half.The two teams opened the third quarter in a possession-for-possession dogfight with Nebraska taking its last lead of the game on Alberte Rimdal's three-pointer with under four minutes left to make it 53-52. Thierry answered with a three of her own with 3:30 left to put the Buckeyes back in front for good. OSU built several eight-point leads over the next seven minutes before Logan Nissley connected on her only three-pointer of the game to start NU's seven-point fourth-quarter run.Nebraska hits just 37.9 percent (25-66) of its shots from the field, including 9-of-35 threes (.257), while going just 7-of-13 at the free throw line. The Buckeyes answered with 50 percent (27-54) shooting, including 7-of-20 threes (.350). OSU also hit 11-of-16 free throws. The Buckeyes won the rebounding battle, 38-37, but the Huskers pulled down 12 offensive boards compared to just five for Ohio State. Nebraska also won the turnover battle, 16-13, against an Ohio State team that led the conference in turnover margin (+11.4) entering the contest.The Huskers return to Big Ten road action by traveling to Purdue on Thursday, Jan. 30. Tip-off between the Big Red and the Boilermakers from Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind., is set for 6 p.m. (CT) with a live video stream for B1G+ subscribers. The game can also be heard across the Huskers Radio Network, including Huskers.com.

Huskers Fall in Final Minute to No. 12 Buckeyes

The Nebraska women’s gymnastics team defeated Maryland in a Big Ten meet on Sunday, 196.325-195.950, at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.&nbsp;

The Huskers moved to 2-6 on the season (1-1 Big Ten), while Maryland fell to 2-4 (0-2 Big Ten).&nbsp;

Emma Spence claimed the vault title with a 9.825, as well as the beam title with a 9.900. Whitney Jencks won the bars event with a 9.900 and Lauren Homecillo clinched the floor title in her first time in any event lineup this season with a career-high 9.950.&nbsp;

Spence won the all-around for NU (2-6, 1-1 Big Ten) with a 39.475. McClelland and Jencks both earned a 39.225.&nbsp;

NU did not have a fall on any event, and the team notched three career highs and four season highs.&nbsp;

The Huskers opened the night on vault, notching a 48.850 as a team. Spence led the way with a season-high 9.825, and Jencks followed with a 9.800. Isabel Sikon scored a 9.775, and Katie Kuenemann and Sophia McClelland each logged a 9.725. That marked a season high on the event for McClelland. Ayzhia Hall rounded out the rotation with a 9.675.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Jencks notched a new career high on bars with a 9.900 to lead NU to a 49.175 total score. Emma Spence scored a 9.850, followed by Emma Simpton (9.825) and Sikon and McClelland both registering a 9.800. Emalee Frost finished the lineup with a 9.700.&nbsp;

Nebraska scored a 48.975 on beam, led by Spence once again with a season-high 9.900. Simpton (9.850) and McClelland (9.825) followed for the Big Red. Jencks (9.775), Sikon (9.625) and Nya Kraus (9.250) rounded out the lineup.&nbsp;

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsThe Nebraska women’s gymnastics team defeated Maryland in a Big Ten meet on Sunday, 196.325-195.950, at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.&nbsp;The Huskers moved to 2-6 on the season (1-1 Big Ten), while Maryland fell to 2-4 (0-2 Big Ten).&nbsp;Emma Spence claimed the vault title with a 9.825, as well as the beam title with a 9.900. Whitney Jencks won the bars event with a 9.900 and Lauren Homecillo clinched the floor title in her first time in any event lineup this season with a career-high 9.950.&nbsp;Spence won the all-around for NU (2-6, 1-1 Big Ten) with a 39.475. McClelland and Jencks both earned a 39.225.&nbsp;NU did not have a fall on any event, and the team notched three career highs and four season highs.&nbsp;Rotation OneThe Huskers opened the night on vault, notching a 48.850 as a team. Spence led the way with a season-high 9.825, and Jencks followed with a 9.800. Isabel Sikon scored a 9.775, and Katie Kuenemann and Sophia McClelland each logged a 9.725. That marked a season high on the event for McClelland. Ayzhia Hall rounded out the rotation with a 9.675.&nbsp;&nbsp;Rotation TwoJencks notched a new career high on bars with a 9.900 to lead NU to a 49.175 total score. Emma Spence scored a 9.850, followed by Emma Simpton (9.825) and Sikon and McClelland both registering a 9.800. Emalee Frost finished the lineup with a 9.700.&nbsp;Rotation ThreeNebraska scored a 48.975 on beam, led by Spence once again with a season-high 9.900. Simpton (9.850) and McClelland (9.825) followed for the Big Red. Jencks (9.775), Sikon (9.625) and Nya Kraus (9.250) rounded out the lineup.&nbsp;Rotation FourThe Big Red concluded the night on floor and scored a 49.325 as a team. Homecillo led Nebraska in her first time competing this season in any event with a career-high 9.950. Spence (9.900) and McClelland (9.875) followed up for Nebraska. Halle Rourke set a season high with a 9.850. Jencks (9.750) and Baechle (9.750) finished the competition.&nbsp;Up NextThe Huskers will continue conference play as they will host Iowa on Saturday. The meet is slated to begin at 7 p.m. (CT) at Bob Devaney Sports Center and will be streamed on B1G+.