&nbsp;On the offense’s performance&nbsp;

“The thing I was most happy with today was the start. You talk in these early games about how important it is to go out there and throw the first punch and I thought we did that. I think it was 18-4 to start the game and the thing is, they switch one through five, and that’s the first time we’ve seen a defense like that. The thing you cannot do is get stagnant and just try to force it in against a mismatch. We took advantage of some mismatches but once the ball shifted the defense side to side, I thought our activity was good. I thought we got our hands on some balls which got us out and in transition. I thought we did a really nice job finding Connor (Essegian). He obviously had it going again for the second straight game and guys did a good job of finding him. Overall, I think the movement was the thing that I was most pleased with. 22 assists, six turnovers – we are continuing to make strides in the right direction with that and we’re going to need it obviously once we start playing Big Ten games next Saturday.”&nbsp;

“It’s all we talked about. Especially in this early game, we’ve got another one next Saturday, we play at noon. We need to go out there and get off to a great start in a really tough building. I’ve spent a lot of time in that building with a son that played for Coach (Tom) Izzo. If you get off to a tough start, they’re going to be right on top of you. It’s really hard to come back on Michigan State in East Lansing. It’s going to be important to be able to continue to grow. I like the direction we’re moving in and we’re getting better every game. These guys put a lot of stress on you with their ability to shoot the ball, averaging 13.5 threes a game. They made 14 today but we did a great job shutting off the paint, similar to the Creighton game. You can’t give them both. If they shoot a lot of threes, you can’t give them the paint as well. I thought we did a really nice job with that. Again, I was pleased with our hand activity, getting deflections and turning those into points. You need to have possessions like that.”&nbsp;

On the collectiveness of the offense

“Again, we were careless early, that showed with not only the turnovers but the unforced turnover rate that we had. The first probably three games we had a couple solid ones, then we took a step back. Now we have to keep taking steps in the right direction. We can’t give away possessions when you play teams like Michigan State and Indiana, which are the next two. This was an important game. Guys knew that coming in. I’m proud of how they prepared and went out and took care of business. This is a team that beat Georgia Tech handily and they beat South Carolina and they played Georgia pretty tight for the entire game. I think that’s a team that’s going to win a lot of games in their league. So this was a big win for us and to win it going away like we did after they went on a run, I think is definitely a good sign.”

“I’m pretty confident. It just kind of comes with just having fun and just playing. Having&nbsp; guys on the team, and coaches and the staff that you trust and just enjoying being around and playing with. Like Brice (Williams) said, we’re doing a good job just getting guys open. Whether it’s me or anyone else on the team. That just comes with trust that we’ve built. As we go throughout the season and just continue to get better and better and everyone will get open shots.”&nbsp;

On goal of hitting eight threes in a game

“If it happens, it happens. I’m not really too worried about it. As long as we keep winning and keep this hot streak going.”&nbsp;

“It kind of started freshman year, when that really started to develop a little bit. When they started to get scouting reports out and started to try to get me off the line. I’m just trying to develop a full game as scouting reports keep coming out to try to get me off the line. Just to be able to open things up for me and for other guys, if I’m able to get inside the lane and dish and help other guys get shots. It helps the whole team.”&nbsp;

“Definitely can’t overlook any opponent and we were stressed with this opponent because of the resume they have. We were locked in. We were motivated and we have to protect home court. That’s the biggest thing and also non-conference is a big thing and KenPom it’s a big thing. We were all focused coming into the game.”&nbsp;

“Focus is always to get off to a high start. The team that leads first is usually the team that can make a change. You don’t want a team like this, dangerous teams like this, to hang around the whole game because then if it gets late it’s just going to be too much pressure then they have too much momentum so they get a lot on their side. So the goal is always to start out fast.”&nbsp;

“I’m the only one that turned the ball over as a guard. Our focus has always been to make two-foot plays, make simple plays and take care of the ball. I know some games get away from us early and that really allows teams to hang around. But this game, we were stressing about taking care of the ball and making good, simple plays. That’s what we did tonight. It was pretty easy, it wasn’t anything difficult.”

North Florida Head Coach Matthew Driscoll

“To their credit, they did a really good job from the jump. We decided with yesterday’s travel and the earliness of the game to not come in and do shootaround. Probably looking back at it, in hindsight, we probably should’ve come in just to give our guys a better opportunity to know what they’re walking into. They jumped on us early. The second half, we cut it to 16 with the ball and missed a three to cut it to 13. To our guys’ credit, they came back and fought through that. They did a really great job, Coach (Hoiberg) was really prepared. Obviously, we become much more of a hunted program especially when you beat other power four teams. They understand what you’re about and what you do. And to their credit, they were prepared. They really, really came in with an understanding. Turnovers probably at the end of the day, we’ve done a great job of not turning the ball over and it led to 25 of their points. So, we have to understand that, and we have to learn from this.”&nbsp;

On what’s upcoming for North Florida

“We have to travel home, we have an early three A.M. tomorrow morning and then get back and get ready for Thursday night. We’ve got Warner coming into town and it’s going to be a quick turnaround. We’ve got another road game after that and then finals. We’re going to be ripping and running really well in the next seven to 10 days. We’ve just got to do a great job of getting back and getting this thing taken out and then getting back on the floor to continue to improve and get better.”

Story by NU Athletic Communication&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Nebraska has now won 17 straight at home dating back to last season.&nbsp;</li><li>Nebraska’s 103 points is the most since scoring 110 against Doane on Dec. 17, 2021. The last time NU scored 100 points against a Division One opponent was 100 in a four overtime loss to NC State on Dec. 1, 2021.&nbsp; Nebraska has had season highs in points in each of the last two games.&nbsp;</li><li>Nebraska shot a season-high 58.0 percent and a season-best 45.8 percent from 3-point range in the win. It is the first time NU shot at least 50 percent this season.</li><li>Connor Essegian led Nebraska with a game-high 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting, including 6-of-8 from 3-point range. He is the first Husker in the Big Ten era to hit at least six 3-pointers in consecutive games, as well as the first in at least 20 seasons. Essegian is the first Husker with multiple games with at least six 3-pointers in a season since Kobe Webster in 2020-21.&nbsp;</li><li>Essegian’s 22-point effort was his second straight 20-point night and fourth of his career. It is the first time in his three seasons he had consecutive 20-point games.&nbsp;</li><li>Brice Williams reached double figures for the 11th-straight game dating back to last season, as he finished with 17 points and a season-high six assists.</li><li>North Florida’s 43 3-point attempts is a school record against Nebraska, breaking the mark of 42 set by Creighton on Nov. 22.&nbsp;</li><li>Nebraska had a 15-0 run from 18:15-14:42 in the first half, the sixth double-digit run this season for NU. The Huskers have had at least one double-figure run in each of the last five games.&nbsp;</li><li>As a team, Nebraska finished with 22 assists and a season-low six assists, In the last two games, NU is averaging 23.0 assists per game.&nbsp;</li><li>Nebraska had 53 points at halftime, making it back-to-back games for NU with at least 50 points at half.&nbsp;</li><li>Nebraska finished with five double-digit scorers in the win, matching the most this season.&nbsp;</li><li>Nebraska is now 1-0 all-time against North Florida and 8-0 against Atlantic Sun teams.&nbsp;</li><li>The Ospreys came into today’s game averaging 86.7 points for the game on 46% shooting and were limited to a season-low 72 points on 38.5% from the field.&nbsp;</li><li>Nebraska finished with a season high 12 steals, the fifth time in six games with double-digit steals.</li><li>Sam Hoiberg matched his career high in steals with four, the last time he accomplished this feat was against Florida A&amp;M on November 9, 2023.&nbsp;</li><li>Nebraska’s bench out-scored UNF, 37-15, as the Huskers got double-figure efforts from Ahron Ulis (10 points, three assists) and Andrew Morgan, who had season highs in points (13) and rebounds (nine).</li>
 </ul>Nebraska Coach Fred Hoiberg&nbsp;&nbsp;On the offense’s performance&nbsp;“The thing I was most happy with today was the start. You talk in these early games about how important it is to go out there and throw the first punch and I thought we did that. I think it was 18-4 to start the game and the thing is, they switch one through five, and that’s the first time we’ve seen a defense like that. The thing you cannot do is get stagnant and just try to force it in against a mismatch. We took advantage of some mismatches but once the ball shifted the defense side to side, I thought our activity was good. I thought we got our hands on some balls which got us out and in transition. I thought we did a really nice job finding Connor (Essegian). He obviously had it going again for the second straight game and guys did a good job of finding him. Overall, I think the movement was the thing that I was most pleased with. 22 assists, six turnovers – we are continuing to make strides in the right direction with that and we’re going to need it obviously once we start playing Big Ten games next Saturday.”&nbsp;On importance of a quick start“It’s all we talked about. Especially in this early game, we’ve got another one next Saturday, we play at noon. We need to go out there and get off to a great start in a really tough building. I’ve spent a lot of time in that building with a son that played for Coach (Tom) Izzo. If you get off to a tough start, they’re going to be right on top of you. It’s really hard to come back on Michigan State in East Lansing. It’s going to be important to be able to continue to grow. I like the direction we’re moving in and we’re getting better every game. These guys put a lot of stress on you with their ability to shoot the ball, averaging 13.5 threes a game. They made 14 today but we did a great job shutting off the paint, similar to the Creighton game. You can’t give them both. If they shoot a lot of threes, you can’t give them the paint as well. I thought we did a really nice job with that. Again, I was pleased with our hand activity, getting deflections and turning those into points. You need to have possessions like that.”&nbsp;On the collectiveness of the offense“Again, we were careless early, that showed with not only the turnovers but the unforced turnover rate that we had. The first probably three games we had a couple solid ones, then we took a step back. Now we have to keep taking steps in the right direction. We can’t give away possessions when you play teams like Michigan State and Indiana, which are the next two. This was an important game. Guys knew that coming in. I’m proud of how they prepared and went out and took care of business. This is a team that beat Georgia Tech handily and they beat South Carolina and they played Georgia pretty tight for the entire game. I think that’s a team that’s going to win a lot of games in their league. So this was a big win for us and to win it going away like we did after they went on a run, I think is definitely a good sign.”Junior guard Connor EssegianOn his confidence&nbsp;“I’m pretty confident. It just kind of comes with just having fun and just playing. Having&nbsp; guys on the team, and coaches and the staff that you trust and just enjoying being around and playing with. Like Brice (Williams) said, we’re doing a good job just getting guys open. Whether it’s me or anyone else on the team. That just comes with trust that we’ve built. As we go throughout the season and just continue to get better and better and everyone will get open shots.”&nbsp;On goal of hitting eight threes in a game“If it happens, it happens. I’m not really too worried about it. As long as we keep winning and keep this hot streak going.”&nbsp;On developing mid-range game“It kind of started freshman year, when that really started to develop a little bit. When they started to get scouting reports out and started to try to get me off the line. I’m just trying to develop a full game as scouting reports keep coming out to try to get me off the line. Just to be able to open things up for me and for other guys, if I’m able to get inside the lane and dish and help other guys get shots. It helps the whole team.”&nbsp;Senior Guard Brice Williams&nbsp;On scouting North Florida&nbsp;“Definitely can’t overlook any opponent and we were stressed with this opponent because of the resume they have. We were locked in. We were motivated and we have to protect home court. That’s the biggest thing and also non-conference is a big thing and KenPom it’s a big thing. We were all focused coming into the game.”&nbsp;On getting off to a good start“Focus is always to get off to a high start. The team that leads first is usually the team that can make a change. You don’t want a team like this, dangerous teams like this, to hang around the whole game because then if it gets late it’s just going to be too much pressure then they have too much momentum so they get a lot on their side. So the goal is always to start out fast.”&nbsp;On taking care of the ball“I’m the only one that turned the ball over as a guard. Our focus has always been to make two-foot plays, make simple plays and take care of the ball. I know some games get away from us early and that really allows teams to hang around. But this game, we were stressing about taking care of the ball and making good, simple plays. That’s what we did tonight. It was pretty easy, it wasn’t anything difficult.”North Florida Head Coach Matthew DriscollOn his thoughts on the game“To their credit, they did a really good job from the jump. We decided with yesterday’s travel and the earliness of the game to not come in and do shootaround. Probably looking back at it, in hindsight, we probably should’ve come in just to give our guys a better opportunity to know what they’re walking into. They jumped on us early. The second half, we cut it to 16 with the ball and missed a three to cut it to 13. To our guys’ credit, they came back and fought through that. They did a really great job, Coach (Hoiberg) was really prepared. Obviously, we become much more of a hunted program especially when you beat other power four teams. They understand what you’re about and what you do. And to their credit, they were prepared. They really, really came in with an understanding. Turnovers probably at the end of the day, we’ve done a great job of not turning the ball over and it led to 25 of their points. So, we have to understand that, and we have to learn from this.”&nbsp;On what’s upcoming for North Florida“We have to travel home, we have an early three A.M. tomorrow morning and then get back and get ready for Thursday night. We’ve got Warner coming into town and it’s going to be a quick turnaround. We’ve got another road game after that and then finals. We’re going to be ripping and running really well in the next seven to 10 days. We’ve just got to do a great job of getting back and getting this thing taken out and then getting back on the floor to continue to improve and get better.”

Nebraska Basketball postgame notes

Story by NU Athletic Communication

The Nebraska volleyball team was selected as the No. 2 overall seed for the 2024 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship on Sunday night and will host the first and second rounds at the Bob Devaney Sports Center this Friday and Saturday.

The Huskers, making their 43rd straight NCAA Tournament appearance and hosting the first round for the 39th time, will open the tournament on Friday, Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. against Florida A&amp;M (27-6), champions of the SWAC. The 4:30 p.m. match will feature Miami (21-10) of the ACC and South Dakota State (27-2) of the Summit League. Friday's winners will meet in the second round on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m.

A limited number of tickets to the first and second round matches in Lincoln go on sale at Huskers.com/tickets on Sunday night at 7:30 p.m. First and second round matches will be streamed on ESPN+. Huskers Radio Network will have audio coverage of all Nebraska matches on Huskers Radio Network affiliates, Huskers.com and the Huskers app.

Pittsburgh was the No. 1 overall seed, followed by Nebraska, Penn State and Louisville as the top four seeds. Should Nebraska advance past the second round, it would host an NCAA Regional on Dec. 12-15 at the Devaney Center. The national seeds in the same region as Nebraska are No. 7 Wisconsin, No. 10 Arizona State and No. 15 Baylor. The NCAA adopted a new regional format this season. Two of the four regionals will be played on Thursday and Saturday. The other two will be played on Friday and Sunday. Regional dates and times will not be announced until the conclusion of the second round.

Nebraska will be playing Florida A&amp;M for the second time ever. The Rattlers beat Nebraska on Sept. 10, 2004 in Lincoln en route to a 28-3 record that season. Florida A&amp;M went 19-0 in the SWAC this season and won the conference tournament with a 3-1 triumph over Jackson State.

Nebraska (29-2) won its 36th all-time conference title and fifth Big Ten title with a 19-1 record in Big Ten play after a 3-1 win at Maryland on Saturday night. The Huskers have played in six of the last nine NCAA Final Fours, including winning NCAA Championships in 2015 and 2017. Nebraska also won national titles in 1995, 2000 and 2006.

This year's NCAA Championship is set for December 19-22 at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky., where the Huskers already have won two times this season against No. 9 Kentucky on Aug. 27 and No. 4 Louisville on Sept. 22.&nbsp;&nbsp;

NCAA TOURNAMENT FIRST AND SECOND ROUND SCHEDULE

4:30 p.m. – Miami vs. South Dakota State (ESPN+)

7 p.m.* – Nebraska vs. Florida A&amp;M (ESPN+)

*or 30 minutes following the conclusion of the 4:30 p.m. match, but no sooner than 7 p.m.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationThe Nebraska volleyball team was selected as the No. 2 overall seed for the 2024 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship on Sunday night and will host the first and second rounds at the Bob Devaney Sports Center this Friday and Saturday.The Huskers, making their 43rd straight NCAA Tournament appearance and hosting the first round for the 39th time, will open the tournament on Friday, Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. against Florida A&amp;M (27-6), champions of the SWAC. The 4:30 p.m. match will feature Miami (21-10) of the ACC and South Dakota State (27-2) of the Summit League. Friday's winners will meet in the second round on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m.A limited number of tickets to the first and second round matches in Lincoln go on sale at Huskers.com/tickets on Sunday night at 7:30 p.m. First and second round matches will be streamed on ESPN+. Huskers Radio Network will have audio coverage of all Nebraska matches on Huskers Radio Network affiliates, Huskers.com and the Huskers app.Pittsburgh was the No. 1 overall seed, followed by Nebraska, Penn State and Louisville as the top four seeds. Should Nebraska advance past the second round, it would host an NCAA Regional on Dec. 12-15 at the Devaney Center. The national seeds in the same region as Nebraska are No. 7 Wisconsin, No. 10 Arizona State and No. 15 Baylor. The NCAA adopted a new regional format this season. Two of the four regionals will be played on Thursday and Saturday. The other two will be played on Friday and Sunday. Regional dates and times will not be announced until the conclusion of the second round.Nebraska will be playing Florida A&amp;M for the second time ever. The Rattlers beat Nebraska on Sept. 10, 2004 in Lincoln en route to a 28-3 record that season. Florida A&amp;M went 19-0 in the SWAC this season and won the conference tournament with a 3-1 triumph over Jackson State.Nebraska (29-2) won its 36th all-time conference title and fifth Big Ten title with a 19-1 record in Big Ten play after a 3-1 win at Maryland on Saturday night. The Huskers have played in six of the last nine NCAA Final Fours, including winning NCAA Championships in 2015 and 2017. Nebraska also won national titles in 1995, 2000 and 2006.This year's NCAA Championship is set for December 19-22 at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky., where the Huskers already have won two times this season against No. 9 Kentucky on Aug. 27 and No. 4 Louisville on Sept. 22.&nbsp;&nbsp;NCAA TOURNAMENT FIRST AND SECOND ROUND SCHEDULEFirst Round – Friday, Dec. 64:30 p.m. – Miami vs. South Dakota State (ESPN+)7 p.m.* – Nebraska vs. Florida A&amp;M (ESPN+)*or 30 minutes following the conclusion of the 4:30 p.m. match, but no sooner than 7 p.m.Second Round – Saturday, Dec. 77 p.m. – First Round Winners (ESPN+)

Huskers open NCAA Tournament against Florida A&M

Iowa City - Nebraska dominated Iowa on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, but fell 13-10 on a 53-yard walk-off field goal on Friday night.

Nebraska (6-6, 3-6) more than doubled Iowa in total yardage (334-164) and nearly doubled the Hawkeyes (8-4, 6-3) in time of possession (39:01-20:59) and total plays (76-41), but two bizarre lost fumbles in the second half were enough for the Hawkeyes to maintain the Heroes Trophy on a frigid night at Kinnick Stadium.

Nebraska built a 10-0 halftime lead and piled up 182 first-half yards while the Blackshirts held the Hawkeyes to just 20 yards on 20 plays. The Huskers forced a three-and-out by Iowa on the game's opening drive, before Raiola and the offense went on a 64-yard march that took 10 plays and culminated with <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/player/john-hohl">John Hohl</a>'s 31-yard field goal midway through the first quarter.

The rest of the half, Iowa played field position football, producing just one first down while trying to wear Nebraska down and force a mistake in the punt game or a turnover on offense. Iowa succeeded in shortening the game, but Nebraska played error-free football in the first half and took its final drive to the house to head to halftime with a 10-point lead.

The Huskers went up 10-0 on <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/player/dante-dowdell">Dante Dowdell</a>'s one-yard blast up the middle with 38 seconds left in the first half to cap a 12-play, 74-yard drive that consumed 4:01.

Raiola finished the night 22-of-32 for 190 yards through the air, while adding three rushing yards. He completed six passes for 25 yards to <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/player/emmett-johnson">Emmett Johnson</a>, who also had 18 carries for a game-high 71 rushing yards. Dowdell added 13 carries for 50 yards, including his 12th rushing touchdown of the season. <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/player/rahmir-johnson">Rahmir Johnson</a> contributed 21 yards on four carries while adding one reception for five yards.

<a href="https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/player/jahmal-banks">Jahmal Banks</a> hauled in four catches for a team-high 41 receiving yards, while tight end <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/player/nate-boerkircher">Nate Boerkircher</a> contributed two receptions for 39 yards. <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/player/jacory-barney-jr">Jacory Barney Jr.</a> added three receptions for 29 yards on the night.

<a href="https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/player/john-bullock">John Bullock</a>, <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/player/malcolm-hartzog">Malcolm Hartzog Jr.</a> and <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/player/deshon-singleton">DeShon Singleton</a> each notched five tackles for the Blackshirts, while <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/player/isaac-gifford">Isaac Gifford</a> pitched in four stops. Hartzog recorded two tackles for loss, while Bullock added 1.5 TFL. Nine of Nebraska's 41 total tackles in the game went for losses, including a sack. On the flip side, Iowa totaled 81 tackles, but just eight for losses as the Huskers controlled the line of scrimmage from start to finish.

The Huskers held Kaleb Johnson to just 45 yards on 17 carries, but he did have two catches for 73 yards and Iowa's lone touchdown. Iowa finished with 49 rushing yards after entering the game with eight consecutive 200-yard rushing performances. Jackson Stratton went 8-for-15 through the air for 115 yards.

Nebraska started the second half with the ball and went on another long march. The 11-play drive started on Nebraska's 19 and ended on Iowa's 19, but resulted in a missed field goal by Hohl from 34 yards. The kick was wide left after an off-target snap that was saved by holder <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/player/brian-buschini">Brian Buschini</a> but the ball placement and timing of the kick was disrupted.

At the end of the third quarter, Nebraska's edge in total yardage grew to 267-65, but Iowa cut the lead to 10-3. Iowa got on the scoreboard with a field goal after a two-yard drive that started inside the Nebraska 5. The Hawkeyes gained possession on what was ruled a turnover on the field, although it was touched by neither the return man, nor the closest Nebraska player. Instead, it was recovered by Iowa's John Nestor at the NU 4. Nestor was in the act of recovering the football when <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/player/vincent-shavers-jr">Vincent Shavers Jr.</a> arrived to challenge him for it. The call on the field was that Shavers touched the ball before Nestor, and that call stood after video review.

In the fourth quarter, Iowa did manage to out-yard the Huskers, 99-67, with 72 coming on the first play of the quarter on the screen pass from Jackson Stratton to Kaleb Johnson to tie the score at 10.

The final points for the Hawkeyes came after Raiola was stripped of the ball in the pocket by Iowa's Max Llewellyn with 16 seconds left. The play was ruled a fumble on the field, although the ball never hit the ground. The ball was jarred loose from Raiola's grasp as he stood in the pocket, but he maintained the ball with his hands and legs as he fell to the ground. Once on the ground, Llewellyn pulled the ball out from behind and underneath Raiola. That turnover was confirmed by replay.

Iowa took over at the Nebraska 36 and Johnson gained two yards before being tackled for a one-yard loss on the second play. Drew Stevens booted a 53-yard field that narrowly snuck inside the right upright as time expired.

Game SummaryIowa&nbsp; 13Nebraska&nbsp; 10Nov. 29, 2024Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, Iowa

First Quarter (NEB 3-0)7:28 - NEB - <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/player/john-hohl">John Hohl</a> 31 FG, 10 plays, 64 yards, 5:23 - NEB 3-0Second Quarter (NEB 10-0)0:38 - NEB - <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/player/dante-dowdell">Dante Dowdell</a> 1 run (Hohl kick), 12 plays, 74 yards, 4:01 - NEB 10-0Third Quarter (NEB 10-3)4:30 - IOWA - Drew Stevens 20 FG, 4 plays, 2 yards, 2:06 - NEB 10-3Fourth Quarter (IOWA 13-10)14:44 - IOWA - Kaleb Johnson 72 pass from Jackson Stratton (Stevens kick), 3 plays, 86 yards, 1:02 - 10-10 0:00 - IOWA - Stevens 53 FG, 3 plays, 1 yard, 0:16 - IOWA 13-10

Story by NU Athletic Communication&nbsp;Iowa City - Nebraska dominated Iowa on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, but fell 13-10 on a 53-yard walk-off field goal on Friday night.Nebraska (6-6, 3-6) more than doubled Iowa in total yardage (334-164) and nearly doubled the Hawkeyes (8-4, 6-3) in time of possession (39:01-20:59) and total plays (76-41), but two bizarre lost fumbles in the second half were enough for the Hawkeyes to maintain the Heroes Trophy on a frigid night at Kinnick Stadium.Nebraska built a 10-0 halftime lead and piled up 182 first-half yards while the Blackshirts held the Hawkeyes to just 20 yards on 20 plays. The Huskers forced a three-and-out by Iowa on the game's opening drive, before Raiola and the offense went on a 64-yard march that took 10 plays and culminated with <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/player/john-hohl">John Hohl</a>'s 31-yard field goal midway through the first quarter.The rest of the half, Iowa played field position football, producing just one first down while trying to wear Nebraska down and force a mistake in the punt game or a turnover on offense. Iowa succeeded in shortening the game, but Nebraska played error-free football in the first half and took its final drive to the house to head to halftime with a 10-point lead.The Huskers went up 10-0 on <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/player/dante-dowdell">Dante Dowdell</a>'s one-yard blast up the middle with 38 seconds left in the first half to cap a 12-play, 74-yard drive that consumed 4:01.Raiola finished the night 22-of-32 for 190 yards through the air, while adding three rushing yards. He completed six passes for 25 yards to <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/player/emmett-johnson">Emmett Johnson</a>, who also had 18 carries for a game-high 71 rushing yards. Dowdell added 13 carries for 50 yards, including his 12th rushing touchdown of the season. <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/player/rahmir-johnson">Rahmir Johnson</a> contributed 21 yards on four carries while adding one reception for five yards.<a href="https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/player/jahmal-banks">Jahmal Banks</a> hauled in four catches for a team-high 41 receiving yards, while tight end <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/player/nate-boerkircher">Nate Boerkircher</a> contributed two receptions for 39 yards. <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/player/jacory-barney-jr">Jacory Barney Jr.</a> added three receptions for 29 yards on the night.<a href="https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/player/john-bullock">John Bullock</a>, <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/player/malcolm-hartzog">Malcolm Hartzog Jr.</a> and <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/player/deshon-singleton">DeShon Singleton</a> each notched five tackles for the Blackshirts, while <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/player/isaac-gifford">Isaac Gifford</a> pitched in four stops. Hartzog recorded two tackles for loss, while Bullock added 1.5 TFL. Nine of Nebraska's 41 total tackles in the game went for losses, including a sack. On the flip side, Iowa totaled 81 tackles, but just eight for losses as the Huskers controlled the line of scrimmage from start to finish.The Huskers held Kaleb Johnson to just 45 yards on 17 carries, but he did have two catches for 73 yards and Iowa's lone touchdown. Iowa finished with 49 rushing yards after entering the game with eight consecutive 200-yard rushing performances. Jackson Stratton went 8-for-15 through the air for 115 yards.Nebraska started the second half with the ball and went on another long march. The 11-play drive started on Nebraska's 19 and ended on Iowa's 19, but resulted in a missed field goal by Hohl from 34 yards. The kick was wide left after an off-target snap that was saved by holder <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/player/brian-buschini">Brian Buschini</a> but the ball placement and timing of the kick was disrupted.At the end of the third quarter, Nebraska's edge in total yardage grew to 267-65, but Iowa cut the lead to 10-3. Iowa got on the scoreboard with a field goal after a two-yard drive that started inside the Nebraska 5. The Hawkeyes gained possession on what was ruled a turnover on the field, although it was touched by neither the return man, nor the closest Nebraska player. Instead, it was recovered by Iowa's John Nestor at the NU 4. Nestor was in the act of recovering the football when <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/player/vincent-shavers-jr">Vincent Shavers Jr.</a> arrived to challenge him for it. The call on the field was that Shavers touched the ball before Nestor, and that call stood after video review.In the fourth quarter, Iowa did manage to out-yard the Huskers, 99-67, with 72 coming on the first play of the quarter on the screen pass from Jackson Stratton to Kaleb Johnson to tie the score at 10.The final points for the Hawkeyes came after Raiola was stripped of the ball in the pocket by Iowa's Max Llewellyn with 16 seconds left. The play was ruled a fumble on the field, although the ball never hit the ground. The ball was jarred loose from Raiola's grasp as he stood in the pocket, but he maintained the ball with his hands and legs as he fell to the ground. Once on the ground, Llewellyn pulled the ball out from behind and underneath Raiola. That turnover was confirmed by replay.Iowa took over at the Nebraska 36 and Johnson gained two yards before being tackled for a one-yard loss on the second play. Drew Stevens booted a 53-yard field that narrowly snuck inside the right upright as time expired.Game SummaryIowa&nbsp; 13Nebraska&nbsp; 10Nov. 29, 2024Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IowaFirst Quarter (NEB 3-0)7:28 - NEB - <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/player/john-hohl">John Hohl</a> 31 FG, 10 plays, 64 yards, 5:23 - NEB 3-0Second Quarter (NEB 10-0)0:38 - NEB - <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/football/roster/player/dante-dowdell">Dante Dowdell</a> 1 run (Hohl kick), 12 plays, 74 yards, 4:01 - NEB 10-0Third Quarter (NEB 10-3)4:30 - IOWA - Drew Stevens 20 FG, 4 plays, 2 yards, 2:06 - NEB 10-3Fourth Quarter (IOWA 13-10)14:44 - IOWA - Kaleb Johnson 72 pass from Jackson Stratton (Stevens kick), 3 plays, 86 yards, 1:02 - 10-10 0:00 - IOWA - Stevens 53 FG, 3 plays, 1 yard, 0:16 - IOWA 13-10

Huskers leave Iowa with loss

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The No. 2 Nebraska volleyball team saw its 25-match win streak come to an end in a 3-1 (21-25, 25-14, 22-25, 23-25) loss at No. 4 Penn State on Friday night in front of a crowd of 6,597 at Rec Hall.&nbsp;

Penn State (29-2, 19-1 B1G) clinched at least a share of the Big Ten title with the win, which was its first over Nebraska since 2018. The Huskers (28-2, 18-1 B1G) now need to win at Maryland on Saturday night in their regular-season finale to be crowned co-Big Ten champions with the Nittany Lions.&nbsp;

Harper Murray had 13 kills and 13 digs to pace the Huskers. Andi Jackson recorded 10 kills on .667 hitting and tied her career high with eight blocks. Rebekah Allick contributed eight kills and seven blocks.&nbsp;

Bergen Reilly had 38 assists and eight digs, while Lexi Rodriguez led NU with 16 digs.&nbsp;

The Huskers had 16 blocks, their most since the season opener, in holding Penn State to .152 hitting. But offensively, Nebraska struggled, hitting a season-low .154 and getting blocked 10 times. Penn State had 11 more kills, 57-46.&nbsp;

Caroline Jurevicius had a career-high 18 kills and hit .414 to lead Penn State.&nbsp;

Set 1: Penn State came out strong with a 4-0 run to start the match. A Landfair kill and two kills by Allick pulled the Huskers within 4-3, and another kill by Allick and one by Murray helped the Huskers get back to level at 6-6. A solo block by Murray gave the Huskers their first lead at 7-6, and Jackson added a kill and a block with Reilly to make it 9-7 Huskers. Penn State scored three in a row to go back up 12-11 and led 15-14 at the media timeout. A Penn State kill and ace made it 17-14 Nittany Lions, and PSU went up 19-15 to force a Nebraska timeout. Murray and Jackson combined for a block, and Reilly won at the net to trim the deficit in half, 19-17. After a PSU timeout, Jackson terminated on the slide and Penn State hit long to tie the score at 19-19. But Penn State answered with a 4-0 spurt to go back ahead 23-19. Jackson and Landfair ended the run with a block, but the Nittany Lions went on to win 25-21, snapping Nebraska's streak of 27 straight sets won on the road.&nbsp;

Set 2: Murray had a kill and a block with Jackson as part of a 3-0 start. Kills by Murray, Jackson and Landfair, and a solo block by Allick put the Huskers up 9-4 after a 4-0 run served by Kennedi Orr. Landfair recorded a kill, and Allick and Beason combined for a block to make it 12-6, and a kill by Allick and block by Beason and Jackson put the Big Red up 15-7. Murray and Beason pounded kills, and Murray served an ace to double up the Nittany Lions, 18-9. Penn State scored three in a row to pull within 19-12 but served into the net and hit out twice to make it 22-12 Huskers. Landfair added a kill before teaming up with Allick for a block, and the Huskers won 25-14, holding Penn State to -.079 hitting in the set.&nbsp;

Set 3: Nebraska scored the first three points, but Penn State scored the next three points. Then there were 10 straight sideouts until back-to-back blocks by the Nittany Lions put them up 10-8. Another 3-0 spurt increased PSU's lead to four, 13-9. A block by Allick and Reilly pulled the Big Red within two, 17-15, but the Nittany Lions went back up 19-15. Another block by Allick, this one with Beason, helped NU cut it to 20-18, and back-to-back kills by Murray and Jackson got the Huskers within one, 21-20. After a PSU timeout, Jurevicius terminated her 13th kill and the Huskers hit wide for a 23-20 Penn State advantage. PSU won the set, 25-22, to take a 2-1 lead.&nbsp;

Set 4: The teams went back and forth in the fourth set with neither team able to gain a two-point advantage until Penn State scored five in a row to go up 16-12. Allick provided a block and a kill with Murray adding a kill in between to help the Huskers crawl back to down two, 17-15. Jackson added a kill before Penn State hit wide to make it 18-17 Nittany Lions. After a Penn State timeout, Murray posted her 12th kill to tie the score, and Penn State hit out for a 19-18 Husker lead after the 4-0 run served by Beason. But the Nittany Lions answered with a kill and an ace to go back on top, 20-19. A Penn State block and Husker hitting error put the Huskers in a 24-21 hole, and the Nittany Lions won, 25-23.&nbsp;

Up Next: Nebraska finishes the regular season at Maryland on Saturday at 6 p.m. (CT) on Big Ten Network and Huskers Radio Network.&nbsp;

Story by NU Athletics CommunicationsUNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The No. 2 Nebraska volleyball team saw its 25-match win streak come to an end in a 3-1 (21-25, 25-14, 22-25, 23-25) loss at No. 4 Penn State on Friday night in front of a crowd of 6,597 at Rec Hall.&nbsp;Penn State (29-2, 19-1 B1G) clinched at least a share of the Big Ten title with the win, which was its first over Nebraska since 2018. The Huskers (28-2, 18-1 B1G) now need to win at Maryland on Saturday night in their regular-season finale to be crowned co-Big Ten champions with the Nittany Lions.&nbsp;Harper Murray had 13 kills and 13 digs to pace the Huskers. Andi Jackson recorded 10 kills on .667 hitting and tied her career high with eight blocks. Rebekah Allick contributed eight kills and seven blocks.&nbsp;Bergen Reilly had 38 assists and eight digs, while Lexi Rodriguez led NU with 16 digs.&nbsp;The Huskers had 16 blocks, their most since the season opener, in holding Penn State to .152 hitting. But offensively, Nebraska struggled, hitting a season-low .154 and getting blocked 10 times. Penn State had 11 more kills, 57-46.&nbsp;Caroline Jurevicius had a career-high 18 kills and hit .414 to lead Penn State.&nbsp;Set 1: Penn State came out strong with a 4-0 run to start the match. A Landfair kill and two kills by Allick pulled the Huskers within 4-3, and another kill by Allick and one by Murray helped the Huskers get back to level at 6-6. A solo block by Murray gave the Huskers their first lead at 7-6, and Jackson added a kill and a block with Reilly to make it 9-7 Huskers. Penn State scored three in a row to go back up 12-11 and led 15-14 at the media timeout. A Penn State kill and ace made it 17-14 Nittany Lions, and PSU went up 19-15 to force a Nebraska timeout. Murray and Jackson combined for a block, and Reilly won at the net to trim the deficit in half, 19-17. After a PSU timeout, Jackson terminated on the slide and Penn State hit long to tie the score at 19-19. But Penn State answered with a 4-0 spurt to go back ahead 23-19. Jackson and Landfair ended the run with a block, but the Nittany Lions went on to win 25-21, snapping Nebraska's streak of 27 straight sets won on the road.&nbsp;Set 2: Murray had a kill and a block with Jackson as part of a 3-0 start. Kills by Murray, Jackson and Landfair, and a solo block by Allick put the Huskers up 9-4 after a 4-0 run served by Kennedi Orr. Landfair recorded a kill, and Allick and Beason combined for a block to make it 12-6, and a kill by Allick and block by Beason and Jackson put the Big Red up 15-7. Murray and Beason pounded kills, and Murray served an ace to double up the Nittany Lions, 18-9. Penn State scored three in a row to pull within 19-12 but served into the net and hit out twice to make it 22-12 Huskers. Landfair added a kill before teaming up with Allick for a block, and the Huskers won 25-14, holding Penn State to -.079 hitting in the set.&nbsp;Set 3: Nebraska scored the first three points, but Penn State scored the next three points. Then there were 10 straight sideouts until back-to-back blocks by the Nittany Lions put them up 10-8. Another 3-0 spurt increased PSU's lead to four, 13-9. A block by Allick and Reilly pulled the Big Red within two, 17-15, but the Nittany Lions went back up 19-15. Another block by Allick, this one with Beason, helped NU cut it to 20-18, and back-to-back kills by Murray and Jackson got the Huskers within one, 21-20. After a PSU timeout, Jurevicius terminated her 13th kill and the Huskers hit wide for a 23-20 Penn State advantage. PSU won the set, 25-22, to take a 2-1 lead.&nbsp;Set 4: The teams went back and forth in the fourth set with neither team able to gain a two-point advantage until Penn State scored five in a row to go up 16-12. Allick provided a block and a kill with Murray adding a kill in between to help the Huskers crawl back to down two, 17-15. Jackson added a kill before Penn State hit wide to make it 18-17 Nittany Lions. After a Penn State timeout, Murray posted her 12th kill to tie the score, and Penn State hit out for a 19-18 Husker lead after the 4-0 run served by Beason. But the Nittany Lions answered with a kill and an ace to go back on top, 20-19. A Penn State block and Husker hitting error put the Huskers in a 24-21 hole, and the Nittany Lions won, 25-23.&nbsp;Up Next: Nebraska finishes the regular season at Maryland on Saturday at 6 p.m. (CT) on Big Ten Network and Huskers Radio Network.&nbsp;

Huskers fall at No. 4 Penn State

North Platte, Neb. – Nevaeh Golden tallied 17 points to lead six North Platte players in double figures, as the Knights upset (RV) Des Moines Area Community College, 87-64, on Friday.

Golden recorded her 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field, including 3-of-4 from downtown. Zaily Mazarin added 13 points and six rebounds, while EmmaJo Locks recorded 12 points, nine steals, four rebounds and five assists in 30 minutes of action.

North Platte held the momentum early after racing out to a 9-3 lead on a Madison Cheleen layup. Bears surged back over the final 6:18 of the quarter to narrow the margin to 15-14, before a pair of free throws extended the margin back to three at the end of the first quarter.

Des Moines evened the game at 20-20 inside the opening two minutes of the quarter, before taking their first lead of the game on a three by Chloe Costello. The lead changed hands three more times over the closing minutes, but the black and gold used a 9-4 run over the final 2:55 to take a 36-30 lead into halftime.

The Knights offense exploded for an 11-3 run in the opening 2:40 of the third quarter. Bears halted the run before a layup by Locks sparked a 9-3 spurt that pushed the margin to 60-42. Des Moines rallied with an 8-1 run to cut the margin to 61-50 headed into the final ten minutes.

A pullup jumper from Kateria Gooden ignited an 11-2 run as the lead stretched to 72-52. Knights continued to dominate the Bears defensively while adding to their lead. Des Moines could not overcome the large deficit as North Platte closed out the win.

Knights finished the game shooting 45.3 percent (34-75) from the field, while recording 36 points off of 32 Des Moines turnovers.

Knights (6-3) will be back in action on Wednesday as they take on Air Force Prep. Tip is set for 5:30 p.m. inside the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium.

Story by NPCC Athletic CommunicationsNorth Platte, Neb. – Nevaeh Golden tallied 17 points to lead six North Platte players in double figures, as the Knights upset (RV) Des Moines Area Community College, 87-64, on Friday.Golden recorded her 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field, including 3-of-4 from downtown. Zaily Mazarin added 13 points and six rebounds, while EmmaJo Locks recorded 12 points, nine steals, four rebounds and five assists in 30 minutes of action.North Platte held the momentum early after racing out to a 9-3 lead on a Madison Cheleen layup. Bears surged back over the final 6:18 of the quarter to narrow the margin to 15-14, before a pair of free throws extended the margin back to three at the end of the first quarter.Des Moines evened the game at 20-20 inside the opening two minutes of the quarter, before taking their first lead of the game on a three by Chloe Costello. The lead changed hands three more times over the closing minutes, but the black and gold used a 9-4 run over the final 2:55 to take a 36-30 lead into halftime.The Knights offense exploded for an 11-3 run in the opening 2:40 of the third quarter. Bears halted the run before a layup by Locks sparked a 9-3 spurt that pushed the margin to 60-42. Des Moines rallied with an 8-1 run to cut the margin to 61-50 headed into the final ten minutes.A pullup jumper from Kateria Gooden ignited an 11-2 run as the lead stretched to 72-52. Knights continued to dominate the Bears defensively while adding to their lead. Des Moines could not overcome the large deficit as North Platte closed out the win.Knights finished the game shooting 45.3 percent (34-75) from the field, while recording 36 points off of 32 Des Moines turnovers.Knights (6-3) will be back in action on Wednesday as they take on Air Force Prep. Tip is set for 5:30 p.m. inside the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium.

Knights upset Bears on Black Friday

Merriman, Neb. – Nov. 27, 2024 – Nebraska cowboy Garrett Shadbolt has qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, the PRCA world championship event, to be held in Las Vegas Dec. 5-14.

For the Merriman man, it is his third time to make the Wrangler NFR; he is ranked thirteenth in the world standings, with $137,095 in regular season earnings.

Two of the highlights of this season include winning the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo in Denver for the second consecutive year and finishing second at Rodeo Houston.

Last year, a broken leg kept him from the Wrangler NFR; prior to that, he qualified for the Finals in 2021-2022.

Shadbolt, a fifth-generation rancher on the family ranch south of Merriman, grew up ranching, riding, and wrestling, competing in high school wrestling and attending Doane University in Crete on academic and wrestling scholarships. He graduated from Doane in 2019 with a chemistry degree.

This year, he traveled with fellow bareback rider Bradlee Miller, who also qualified for the Wrangler NFR. Traveling with Miller, who is seven years his junior (Shadbolt is 28 years old), reinvigorated Shadbolt when he wasn’t anxious to leave home.

“He’s a younger guy, and it’s good for me to go with somebody who is younger who wants to rodeo hard. It helps a guy keep his motivation to go to the next one.”

Shadbolt competed at about 80 pro rodeos this year, often with his family in tow.

Wife Katie, son George, age four, and daughters Mavis and Lindi, ages three and one, respectively, came along.

“We took the pickup and camper, and went to a lot of national parks this year,” he said. “We went into Canada and the Northwest (U.S.) and saw some pretty amazing country. It was a lot of fun.”

Traveling with three kids under the age of four isn’t for the faint of heart, but it’s worth it, he said.

“It’s absolute chaos but the alternative is to never see them, so they came along. But they’re young and they’re flexible, and I think they’ve learned a lot of resiliency. They sure have done a lot more than other kids their ages.”

Being the only Nebraskan to qualify for the Wrangler NFR this year makes it more special, he said. “Honestly, I think I get a lot of fan power because of that. I am representing the state, and I take that pretty seriously. I get a lot of support from Nebraska and it’s pretty special to me.”

Shadbolt is preparing by lifting weights with the Gordon-Rushville High School wrestling team. He is an assistant coach and does the workouts with the student athletes. “I wrestled in college, so I have a decent wealth of experience to help the kids,” he said.

While he’s on the rodeo road, his parents, Quentin and Angela, and sister and her husband, Jordan and Collin Sanders, take care of the ranch work. “Taking my family with me (on the road) had me away from the ranch even more,” he said. “We don’t travel very fast with all the kids, and we spent more time out on the road.”

But his family is his biggest support. “It’s cool to be able to say I’m still part of a ranch operation.”

The Wrangler NFR runs Dec. 5-14 and will be aired nightly at 7:45 pm CST on The Cowboy Channel and RFD-TV. World champions are crowned in each event after the final performance on Dec. 14.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1732730179133.jpeg" alt="garrett shadbolt by jackie jensen.JPG" />
 <figcaption>garrett shadbolt by jackie jensen.JPG</figcaption>
 </figure>Ruth NicolausMerriman, Neb. – Nov. 27, 2024 – Nebraska cowboy Garrett Shadbolt has qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, the PRCA world championship event, to be held in Las Vegas Dec. 5-14.For the Merriman man, it is his third time to make the Wrangler NFR; he is ranked thirteenth in the world standings, with $137,095 in regular season earnings.Two of the highlights of this season include winning the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo in Denver for the second consecutive year and finishing second at Rodeo Houston.Last year, a broken leg kept him from the Wrangler NFR; prior to that, he qualified for the Finals in 2021-2022.Shadbolt, a fifth-generation rancher on the family ranch south of Merriman, grew up ranching, riding, and wrestling, competing in high school wrestling and attending Doane University in Crete on academic and wrestling scholarships. He graduated from Doane in 2019 with a chemistry degree.This year, he traveled with fellow bareback rider Bradlee Miller, who also qualified for the Wrangler NFR. Traveling with Miller, who is seven years his junior (Shadbolt is 28 years old), reinvigorated Shadbolt when he wasn’t anxious to leave home.“He’s a younger guy, and it’s good for me to go with somebody who is younger who wants to rodeo hard. It helps a guy keep his motivation to go to the next one.”Shadbolt competed at about 80 pro rodeos this year, often with his family in tow.Wife Katie, son George, age four, and daughters Mavis and Lindi, ages three and one, respectively, came along.“We took the pickup and camper, and went to a lot of national parks this year,” he said. “We went into Canada and the Northwest (U.S.) and saw some pretty amazing country. It was a lot of fun.”Traveling with three kids under the age of four isn’t for the faint of heart, but it’s worth it, he said.“It’s absolute chaos but the alternative is to never see them, so they came along. But they’re young and they’re flexible, and I think they’ve learned a lot of resiliency. They sure have done a lot more than other kids their ages.”Being the only Nebraskan to qualify for the Wrangler NFR this year makes it more special, he said. “Honestly, I think I get a lot of fan power because of that. I am representing the state, and I take that pretty seriously. I get a lot of support from Nebraska and it’s pretty special to me.”Shadbolt is preparing by lifting weights with the Gordon-Rushville High School wrestling team. He is an assistant coach and does the workouts with the student athletes. “I wrestled in college, so I have a decent wealth of experience to help the kids,” he said.While he’s on the rodeo road, his parents, Quentin and Angela, and sister and her husband, Jordan and Collin Sanders, take care of the ranch work. “Taking my family with me (on the road) had me away from the ranch even more,” he said. “We don’t travel very fast with all the kids, and we spent more time out on the road.”But his family is his biggest support. “It’s cool to be able to say I’m still part of a ranch operation.”The Wrangler NFR runs Dec. 5-14 and will be aired nightly at 7:45 pm CST on The Cowboy Channel and RFD-TV. World champions are crowned in each event after the final performance on Dec. 14.

 Nebraska to Send Bareback Rider to Wrangler National Finals Rodeo

Story by NU Athletic Communications

• The No. 2 Nebraska volleyball team finishes the regular season on the road this weekend with a second straight Big Ten championship on the line.&nbsp;

• The Huskers will battle the No. 4 Penn State Nittany Lions on Friday at 4 p.m. (CT) at Rec Hall in University Park, Pa. That match will be televised on Big Ten Network with Michelle McMahon and Emily Ehman on the call.&nbsp;

• Nebraska sits atop the Big Ten standings with an 18-0 conference record, while Penn State is in second place at 17-1 entering a Wednesday night match at Rutgers. A win at Rutgers would put Penn State at 18-1 heading into its final match of the season against Nebraska. The Huskers could clinch their second straight outright Big Ten title with a win over the Nittany Lions on Friday.&nbsp;

• Nebraska will then head to College Park, Md., for a 6 p.m. (CT) match against the Maryland Terrapins at the XFINITY Center on Saturday, Nov 30th. That match will also air on BTN with Jack Kizer and Audrey Flaugh calling the match.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Nebraska has never played in Maryland’s 17,950-seat XFINITY Center main arena. In fact, this will be Maryland’s first match in the main arena since Oct. 26, 2019. Maryland’s attendance record of 4,522 was set in 2014 when Maryland hosted Penn State.&nbsp;

• Huskers Radio Network with John Baylor and Lauren (Cook) West will broadcast all the action on their volleyball affiliate stations, on Huskers.com and on the Huskers App.&nbsp;

• Nebraska is seeking its 36th all-time conference championship and fifth Big Ten championship. Since joining the Big Ten in 2011, the Huskers have been crowned Big Ten champions in 2011, 2016, 2017 and 2023.&nbsp;

• <a href="https://huskers.com/staff/john-cook">John Cook</a> is aiming for his 14th conference title in his 25th year as head coach at Nebraska.&nbsp;

• Nebraska has won 25 matches in a row since a 3-0 loss at SMU on Sept. 3. Of those 25 wins, 20 have been sweeps.&nbsp;

• The Huskers won 27 matches in a row last season, which was their longest win streak since winning 28 in a row spanning 2015-16. NU won 29 matches in a row in 2002 and again in 2006-07. <a href="https://huskers.com/staff/john-cook">John Cook</a>’s longest win streak at Nebraska was 36 matches at the start of his career from 2000-01.&nbsp;

• Nebraska is 7-0&nbsp; against top-10 teams this season, which is the most top-10 wins in a regular season in school history.&nbsp;

• Nebraska is 11-0 against ranked foes this season, as SMU was not in the AVCA Top 25 at the time of that match.&nbsp;

• Since the Sept. 3 loss at SMU, Nebraska has won 27 straight sets on the road.&nbsp;

• The Huskers rank eighth nationally and first in the Big Ten with a team hitting percentage of .295.

• The Huskers rank 12th nationally and first in the Big Ten in opponent hitting percentage at .155. NU led the nation in opponent hitting percentage in 2022 and 2023.&nbsp;

• Nebraska ranks seventh nationally in kills per set (14.39).

• Outside hitter <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/harper-murray">Harper Murray</a> is leading the Huskers with 3.29 kills per set and a team-high 27 service aces and is hitting .257. Murray also adds 2.28 digs per set.&nbsp;

• Opposite hitter <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/merritt-beason">Merritt Beason</a> is averaging 3.00 kills per set for the Big Red with 1.26 digs per set and 24 aces.&nbsp;

• Middle blocker <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/andi-jackson">Andi Jackson</a> is averaging 2.63 kills per set with a .445 hitting percentage, which ranks fourth in the nation.

• Middle blocker <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/bekka-allick">Rebekah Allick</a> adds 1.79 kills per set on .355 hitting with 1.29 blocks per set. Allick has moved into the top 10 in school history in career blocks with 369.&nbsp;

• Setter <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/bergen-reilly">Bergen Reilly</a> is averaging 11.20 assists per set, which ranks seventh in the nation and leads the Big Ten. She also adds 2.91 digs per set and has 20 aces. Reilly has 14 double-doubles and has been named Big Ten Setter of the Week five times this season, a school record.&nbsp;

• Three-time All-American and two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/lexi-rodriguez">Lexi Rodriguez</a> guides the Husker back row with 3.80 digs per set. Rodriguez recently passed Kayla Banwarth for No. 2 all-time in career digs at Nebraska. Rodriguez now has 1,789 and is chasing Justine Wong-Orantes (1,890).&nbsp;&nbsp;

• No. 4 Penn State enters a Wednesday match at Rutgers at 27-2 overall and 17-1 in Big Ten play.&nbsp;

• Under third-year head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley, the Nittany Lions have already won their most matches in a season since going 33-2 in 2017.&nbsp;

• Penn State has won 19 matches in a row at Rec Hall dating back to Nebraska’s 3-2 reverse sweep win last year on Nov. 3.

•&nbsp; Jess Mruzik, a second-team All-American in 2023, leads Penn State with 4.28 kills per set and is hitting .260 with 2.37 digs per set.&nbsp;

• Camryn Hannah adds 3.59 kills per set on .291 hitting.&nbsp;

• Freshman setter Izzy Starck is averaging 11.00 assists per set in guiding Penn State to a .289 hitting percentage.&nbsp;

• Maryland enters a Friday night match at Rutgers with a 13-16 overall record and 4-14 mark in Big Ten action.&nbsp;

• Samantha Schnitta leads the country with 81 service aces this season. She also paces the Terrapins offensively with 3.37 kills per set.&nbsp;

• As a team, Maryland leads the Big Ten and ranks eighth nationally with 2.00 aces per set.&nbsp;

• Nebraska is 28-11 all-time against Penn State and has won the last seven matches. The Huskers are 14-1 against the Nittany Lions since 2015.&nbsp;

• In the last meeting between the teams on Nov. 3, 2023 at Rec Hall, Penn State won the first two sets 25-15 and 25-23, but Nebraska answered 25-18, 25-20, 15-13 to win the match. <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/merritt-beason">Merritt Beason</a> had a career-high 27 kills and hit .426, and <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/harper-murray">Harper Murray</a> had 15 kills and hit .379.&nbsp;

• Nebraska is 19-0 all-time against Maryland. The teams only played once last year with Nebraska winning 3-0 in Lincoln on Oct. 27. The only time the Huskers have played at Maryland in the last four season was Oct. 2, 2022, a 3-1 Husker win.&nbsp;

• Nebraska has allowed just 58 service aces this season, which leads the nation. The next closest team is Pittsburgh with 67 aces allowed.

• Nebraska has seven different players averaging between 1.79 and 3.29 kills per set.

• Six different players have led the Huskers in kills in a match this season.

• Setter <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/bergen-reilly">Bergen Reilly</a> ranks seventh nationally averaging 11.20 assists per set.&nbsp;

• Nebraska’s attack has been one of the best in the nation this season. The Huskers rank eighth in hitting percentage (.295) and seventh in kills per set (14.39).&nbsp;

• Nebraska has won 41 home matches in a row dating back to Dec. 1, 2022, which is the longest active streak in the nation.&nbsp;

• The Huskers’ home win streak is its longest since moving into the Devaney Center in 2013.&nbsp;

• Nebraska’s longest all-time home win streak was 88 matches from 2004-09.&nbsp;

RODRIGUEZ AMONG ALL-TIME GREAT NU LIBEROS

• <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/lexi-rodriguez">Lexi Rodriguez</a> is in her final year of a stellar career as the Huskers’ libero. A four-year starter and a three-year team captain, Rodriguez will go down in history as one of the all-time greats in Nebraska volleyball history.&nbsp;

• Rodriguez has 1,789 career digs entering Friday’s match, which ranks No. 2 in school history. U.S. Olympian Justine Wong-Orantes is the career leader in digs at NU with 1,890.&nbsp;

• On Sept. 30, Rodriguez was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week. She averaged 4.71 digs per set in the first weekend of conference play, helping the Huskers hold UCLA and USC to season-low hitting percentages at the time.&nbsp;

• On Nov. 11, Rodriguez earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for the seventh time in her career, as she averaged 4.17 digs per set to help the Huskers to strong defensive performances in sweeps at No. 12 Oregon and Washington.&nbsp;

• Rodriguez is a three-time AVCA All-American, earning first-team honors in 2021 and 2023, and second-team honors in 2022. She will look to join Kadie Rolfzen (2013-16) and Sarah Pavan (2004-07) as the only four-time All-Americans in program history.&nbsp;

• Rodriguez made her mark instantly as a freshman in 2021, earning AVCA National Freshman of the Year and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Over the last two seasons, Rodriguez has guided the Huskers to the No. 1 defense in the country, earning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year again in 2023 to become the fifth player in Big Ten history to receive the honor twice in a career.&nbsp;

• Opposite hitter <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/merritt-beason">Merritt Beason</a> is providing 3.00 kills per set this season with 24 aces.&nbsp;

• Beason put together a sensational season in 2023 - her first as a Husker after transferring from Florida - earning AVCA first-team All-America honors and AVCA North Region Player of the Year, becoming just the second Husker (<a href="https://huskers.com/staff/kelly-hunter">Kelly Hunter</a>) to earn that honor.&nbsp;

• In 2023, Beason averaged a team-leading 3.76 kills per set on .282 hitting with 2.05 digs per set. She was named Big Ten Player of the Week four times and was the AVCA National Player of the Week on Oct. 23 after averaging 4.25 kills per set and 1.75 digs per set in wins against Northwestern and top-ranked Wisconsin.&nbsp;

• Beason was the MVP of the NCAA Lincoln Regional after 19 kills, 11 digs and a career-high eight blocks in a regional final win over Arkansas.&nbsp;

VERSATILE MURRAY HIGHLIGHTS SOPHOMORE CLASS

• Sophomore outside hitter <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/harper-murray">Harper Murray</a> is the team leader in kills with 3.29 per set and adds 2.28 digs per set and 27 aces, the most on the team.

• Along with <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/bergen-reilly">Bergen Reilly</a>, <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/andi-jackson">Andi Jackson</a> and <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/laney-choboy">Laney Choboy</a>, Murray made an instant impact at Nebraska in 2023, earning Big Ten Freshman of the Year, AVCA North Region Freshman of the Year, All-Big Ten First Team and AVCA All-America Third Team honors.&nbsp;

• Murray finished her freshman campaign with 3.23 kills per set, the highest kills per set average by a Husker freshman since Kadie Rolfzen (3.46) in 2013. One of the Big Ten’s best six-rotation players, Murray also added 2.07 digs per set with a team-high 36 aces. She was a three-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week.&nbsp;

• Sophomore setter <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/bergen-reilly">Bergen Reilly</a> ranks seventh nationally with 11.20 assists per set this season, and she has 14 double-doubles.

• Reilly was the Big Ten Setter of the Year in 2023, becoming the first freshman to win the award since it originated in 2012. Reilly was also an AVCA second-team All-American and an All-Big Ten first-team selection.&nbsp;

• Reilly led all Big Ten setters with 10.51 assists per set in 2023, and she has received nine career Big Ten Setter of the Week honors, including five this season on Sept. 2, Sept. 16, Oct. 14, Nov. 18 and Nov. 25.&nbsp;

• Reilly was named Best Setter at the season-opening AVCA First Serve Showcase in Louisville, Ky., as she guided the Huskers to a 3-1 win over No. 9 Kentucky with 39 assists and 11 digs.&nbsp;

• Sophomore middle blocker <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/andi-jackson">Andi Jackson</a> has elevated her game to new heights in 2024, as she is averaging 2.63 kills per set with a .445 hitting percentage, which ranks fourth in the nation.&nbsp;

• Jackson was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 28 after averaging 1.57 blocks per set in wins against Illinois and Michigan, along with 3.00 kills per set on a .417 hitting percentage.&nbsp;

• Jackson showed enormous athleticism and potential the first time she stepped on the floor as a Husker, and she followed through with a strong debut season that included AVCA All-Region, All-Big Ten Second Team, and Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors.&nbsp;

• Jackson averaged 2.01 kills per set and 1.09 blocks per set with a .399 hitting percentage in 2023, which ranked third in the Big Ten and 19th in the nation. Her hitting percentage was the best ever by a Husker freshman and ranked seventh all-time in the rally scoring era.&nbsp;

• Along with Reilly, Jackson helped the U.S. U21 National Team win the gold medal at the NORCECA U21 Continental Championship in Toronto this summer, hitting .654 throughout the tournament with 39 kills and 10 blocks.&nbsp;

• Junior middle blocker <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/bekka-allick">Rebekah Allick</a> is putting up 1.29 blocks per set so far this season. Offensively, she has provided 1.79 kills per set on .355 hitting.&nbsp;

• Allick’s career 1.27 blocks per set ranks No. 3 in school history in the rally scoring era.&nbsp;

• Allick has 369 career blocks entering Friday’s match, which ranks 10th in school history.&nbsp;

• In the season-opening victory over Kentucky, Allick had 11 kills and hit .667 while tying her career high with 12 blocks. Her performance earned her Best Middle Blocker and Most Valuable Player honors at the AVCA First Serve Showcase. She averaged 1.90 blocks per set in the first three matches of the season, which earned her Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week.

• Allick was again named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 7 after 2.00 blocks per set in sweeps at Illinois and vs. Iowa.&nbsp;

• Allick is a two-time AVCA All-Region and All-Big Ten second-team selection. Last season, she averaged 1.76 kills per set with a team-high 1.50 blocks per set, which ranked second among Big Ten players and seven in the nation. Her 1.50 blocks per set was also the No. 2 mark in school history in the rally scoring era.&nbsp;

• Allick was at her best at the end of the 2023 season, registering a career-high 12 blocks in the NCAA regional final win over Arkansas and 10 blocks in the NCAA semifinal sweep of Pittsburgh.&nbsp;

• Front row depth is one of the strengths for the 2024 Nebraska volleyball team.

• While middle blockers <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/andi-jackson">Andi Jackson</a> and <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/bekka-allick">Rebekah Allick</a> have started most of the matches at that position, <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/leyla-blackwell">Leyla Blackwell</a>, a transfer from San Diego, has played in 12 matches and made four starts and is putting up 2.45 kills per set on a .444 hitting percentage with 1.35 blocks per set.&nbsp;

• Blackwell had nine kills and seven blocks and hit .600 earning the start on Oct. 12 vs. Rutgers. She also had seven kills and three blocks and hit .429 while stepping in for a sidelined <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/andi-jackson">Andi Jackson</a> at Illinois on Oct. 3.&nbsp;

• On the pin, <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/taylor-landfair">Taylor Landfair</a> has started 17 matches and <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/lindsay-krause">Lindsay Krause</a> has started 12 matches.

• Landfair, a senior transfer from Minnesota, is averaging 2.58 kills per set and had 13 kills in the 3-0 win at Wisconsin on Nov. 1, which tied her season high. She also had 13 kills against UCLA on Sept. 27 and at Oregon on Nov. 7.&nbsp;

• In her senior season, Krause is averaging 2.40 kills per set and has 15 service aces.&nbsp;

• Krause was instrumental in Nebraska’s 3-2 win over No. 9 Creighton on Sept. 10 with a team-high 17 kills, five blocks and six digs. She also had 13 kills in a win over Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi on Aug. 30 and nine kills in a sweep of Stanford on Sept. 18.&nbsp;

HALL OF FAME COACH COOK IN YEAR 25 AT NU&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

• Nebraska head coach <a href="https://huskers.com/staff/john-cook">John Cook</a> is in his 25th season as the Nebraska volleyball head coach in 2024. He has led the Huskers to four national championships, 11 final fours, 13 conference championships and 22 top-10 final rankings since 2000.&nbsp;

• Cook has 878 career wins and is one of the all-time winningest coaches in NCAA history. Since taking over the program in 2000, Cook has led the Huskers to a nation-leading .877 win percentage (717-101).&nbsp;

• On Sept. 10, 2024, the Huskers defeated No. 9 Creighton 3-2 for Cook’s 695th win at Nebraska, which moved him past Terry Pettit for most wins all-time as the Nebraska volleyball head coach.&nbsp;

• Under Cook, the Huskers have achieved 68 AVCA All-Americans and 20 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, both among the best in the nation. He is a three-time AVCA National Coach of the Year, earning the prestigious honor in 2000, 2005 and 2023, and an eight-time conference coach of the year, including Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2016, 2017 and 2023.

• In 2023, Cook was voted AVCA National Coach of the Year and Big Ten Coach of the Year after leading a young Nebraska team with no seniors to its first Big Ten title since 2017. The Huskers finished the regular season 28-1 overall, their best regular season record since going 28-1 in 2005. After going 26-6 last year and missing the NCAA regional finals for the first time since 2011, the Huskers started over with a starting lineup featuring four true freshmen and a junior transfer (Beason). Cook’s 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. Despite having no seniors on the roster for just the second time in Cook’s time at Nebraska - as well as starting a true freshman at setter for only the second time in Cook’s tenure - the Huskers earned the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016 and the sixth time overall under Cook.

• Cook was inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame in 2017, joining former Husker volleyball coach Terry Pettit in the hall.

Story by NU Athletic Communications• The No. 2 Nebraska volleyball team finishes the regular season on the road this weekend with a second straight Big Ten championship on the line.&nbsp;• The Huskers will battle the No. 4 Penn State Nittany Lions on Friday at 4 p.m. (CT) at Rec Hall in University Park, Pa. That match will be televised on Big Ten Network with Michelle McMahon and Emily Ehman on the call.&nbsp;• Nebraska sits atop the Big Ten standings with an 18-0 conference record, while Penn State is in second place at 17-1 entering a Wednesday night match at Rutgers. A win at Rutgers would put Penn State at 18-1 heading into its final match of the season against Nebraska. The Huskers could clinch their second straight outright Big Ten title with a win over the Nittany Lions on Friday.&nbsp;• Nebraska will then head to College Park, Md., for a 6 p.m. (CT) match against the Maryland Terrapins at the XFINITY Center on Saturday, Nov 30th. That match will also air on BTN with Jack Kizer and Audrey Flaugh calling the match.&nbsp;&nbsp;Nebraska has never played in Maryland’s 17,950-seat XFINITY Center main arena. In fact, this will be Maryland’s first match in the main arena since Oct. 26, 2019. Maryland’s attendance record of 4,522 was set in 2014 when Maryland hosted Penn State.&nbsp;• Huskers Radio Network with John Baylor and Lauren (Cook) West will broadcast all the action on their volleyball affiliate stations, on Huskers.com and on the Huskers App.&nbsp;ABOUT THE HUSKERS• Nebraska is seeking its 36th all-time conference championship and fifth Big Ten championship. Since joining the Big Ten in 2011, the Huskers have been crowned Big Ten champions in 2011, 2016, 2017 and 2023.&nbsp;• <a href="https://huskers.com/staff/john-cook">John Cook</a> is aiming for his 14th conference title in his 25th year as head coach at Nebraska.&nbsp;• Nebraska has won 25 matches in a row since a 3-0 loss at SMU on Sept. 3. Of those 25 wins, 20 have been sweeps.&nbsp;• The Huskers won 27 matches in a row last season, which was their longest win streak since winning 28 in a row spanning 2015-16. NU won 29 matches in a row in 2002 and again in 2006-07. <a href="https://huskers.com/staff/john-cook">John Cook</a>’s longest win streak at Nebraska was 36 matches at the start of his career from 2000-01.&nbsp;• Nebraska is 7-0&nbsp; against top-10 teams this season, which is the most top-10 wins in a regular season in school history.&nbsp;• Nebraska is 11-0 against ranked foes this season, as SMU was not in the AVCA Top 25 at the time of that match.&nbsp;• Since the Sept. 3 loss at SMU, Nebraska has won 27 straight sets on the road.&nbsp;• The Huskers rank eighth nationally and first in the Big Ten with a team hitting percentage of .295.• The Huskers rank 12th nationally and first in the Big Ten in opponent hitting percentage at .155. NU led the nation in opponent hitting percentage in 2022 and 2023.&nbsp;• Nebraska ranks seventh nationally in kills per set (14.39).• Outside hitter <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/harper-murray">Harper Murray</a> is leading the Huskers with 3.29 kills per set and a team-high 27 service aces and is hitting .257. Murray also adds 2.28 digs per set.&nbsp;• Opposite hitter <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/merritt-beason">Merritt Beason</a> is averaging 3.00 kills per set for the Big Red with 1.26 digs per set and 24 aces.&nbsp;• Middle blocker <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/andi-jackson">Andi Jackson</a> is averaging 2.63 kills per set with a .445 hitting percentage, which ranks fourth in the nation.• Middle blocker <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/bekka-allick">Rebekah Allick</a> adds 1.79 kills per set on .355 hitting with 1.29 blocks per set. Allick has moved into the top 10 in school history in career blocks with 369.&nbsp;• Setter <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/bergen-reilly">Bergen Reilly</a> is averaging 11.20 assists per set, which ranks seventh in the nation and leads the Big Ten. She also adds 2.91 digs per set and has 20 aces. Reilly has 14 double-doubles and has been named Big Ten Setter of the Week five times this season, a school record.&nbsp;• Three-time All-American and two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/lexi-rodriguez">Lexi Rodriguez</a> guides the Husker back row with 3.80 digs per set. Rodriguez recently passed Kayla Banwarth for No. 2 all-time in career digs at Nebraska. Rodriguez now has 1,789 and is chasing Justine Wong-Orantes (1,890).&nbsp;&nbsp;SCOUTING REPORT: PENN STATE• No. 4 Penn State enters a Wednesday match at Rutgers at 27-2 overall and 17-1 in Big Ten play.&nbsp;• Under third-year head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley, the Nittany Lions have already won their most matches in a season since going 33-2 in 2017.&nbsp;• Penn State has won 19 matches in a row at Rec Hall dating back to Nebraska’s 3-2 reverse sweep win last year on Nov. 3.•&nbsp; Jess Mruzik, a second-team All-American in 2023, leads Penn State with 4.28 kills per set and is hitting .260 with 2.37 digs per set.&nbsp;• Camryn Hannah adds 3.59 kills per set on .291 hitting.&nbsp;• Freshman setter Izzy Starck is averaging 11.00 assists per set in guiding Penn State to a .289 hitting percentage.&nbsp;SCOUTING REPORT: MARYLAND• Maryland enters a Friday night match at Rutgers with a 13-16 overall record and 4-14 mark in Big Ten action.&nbsp;• Samantha Schnitta leads the country with 81 service aces this season. She also paces the Terrapins offensively with 3.37 kills per set.&nbsp;• As a team, Maryland leads the Big Ten and ranks eighth nationally with 2.00 aces per set.&nbsp;SERIES HISTORY• Nebraska is 28-11 all-time against Penn State and has won the last seven matches. The Huskers are 14-1 against the Nittany Lions since 2015.&nbsp;• In the last meeting between the teams on Nov. 3, 2023 at Rec Hall, Penn State won the first two sets 25-15 and 25-23, but Nebraska answered 25-18, 25-20, 15-13 to win the match. <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/merritt-beason">Merritt Beason</a> had a career-high 27 kills and hit .426, and <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/harper-murray">Harper Murray</a> had 15 kills and hit .379.&nbsp;• Nebraska is 19-0 all-time against Maryland. The teams only played once last year with Nebraska winning 3-0 in Lincoln on Oct. 27. The only time the Huskers have played at Maryland in the last four season was Oct. 2, 2022, a 3-1 Husker win.&nbsp;SERVE AND PASS• Nebraska has allowed just 58 service aces this season, which leads the nation. The next closest team is Pittsburgh with 67 aces allowed.BALANCED ATTACK• Nebraska has seven different players averaging between 1.79 and 3.29 kills per set.• Six different players have led the Huskers in kills in a match this season.• Setter <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/bergen-reilly">Bergen Reilly</a> ranks seventh nationally averaging 11.20 assists per set.&nbsp;• Nebraska’s attack has been one of the best in the nation this season. The Huskers rank eighth in hitting percentage (.295) and seventh in kills per set (14.39).&nbsp;HOME SWEET HOME• Nebraska has won 41 home matches in a row dating back to Dec. 1, 2022, which is the longest active streak in the nation.&nbsp;• The Huskers’ home win streak is its longest since moving into the Devaney Center in 2013.&nbsp;• Nebraska’s longest all-time home win streak was 88 matches from 2004-09.&nbsp;RODRIGUEZ AMONG ALL-TIME GREAT NU LIBEROS• <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/lexi-rodriguez">Lexi Rodriguez</a> is in her final year of a stellar career as the Huskers’ libero. A four-year starter and a three-year team captain, Rodriguez will go down in history as one of the all-time greats in Nebraska volleyball history.&nbsp;• Rodriguez has 1,789 career digs entering Friday’s match, which ranks No. 2 in school history. U.S. Olympian Justine Wong-Orantes is the career leader in digs at NU with 1,890.&nbsp;• On Sept. 30, Rodriguez was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week. She averaged 4.71 digs per set in the first weekend of conference play, helping the Huskers hold UCLA and USC to season-low hitting percentages at the time.&nbsp;• On Nov. 11, Rodriguez earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for the seventh time in her career, as she averaged 4.17 digs per set to help the Huskers to strong defensive performances in sweeps at No. 12 Oregon and Washington.&nbsp;• Rodriguez is a three-time AVCA All-American, earning first-team honors in 2021 and 2023, and second-team honors in 2022. She will look to join Kadie Rolfzen (2013-16) and Sarah Pavan (2004-07) as the only four-time All-Americans in program history.&nbsp;• Rodriguez made her mark instantly as a freshman in 2021, earning AVCA National Freshman of the Year and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Over the last two seasons, Rodriguez has guided the Huskers to the No. 1 defense in the country, earning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year again in 2023 to become the fifth player in Big Ten history to receive the honor twice in a career.&nbsp;BEASON BACK TO LEAD HUSKER ATTACK AGAIN• Opposite hitter <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/merritt-beason">Merritt Beason</a> is providing 3.00 kills per set this season with 24 aces.&nbsp;• Beason put together a sensational season in 2023 - her first as a Husker after transferring from Florida - earning AVCA first-team All-America honors and AVCA North Region Player of the Year, becoming just the second Husker (<a href="https://huskers.com/staff/kelly-hunter">Kelly Hunter</a>) to earn that honor.&nbsp;• In 2023, Beason averaged a team-leading 3.76 kills per set on .282 hitting with 2.05 digs per set. She was named Big Ten Player of the Week four times and was the AVCA National Player of the Week on Oct. 23 after averaging 4.25 kills per set and 1.75 digs per set in wins against Northwestern and top-ranked Wisconsin.&nbsp;• Beason was the MVP of the NCAA Lincoln Regional after 19 kills, 11 digs and a career-high eight blocks in a regional final win over Arkansas.&nbsp;VERSATILE MURRAY HIGHLIGHTS SOPHOMORE CLASS• Sophomore outside hitter <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/harper-murray">Harper Murray</a> is the team leader in kills with 3.29 per set and adds 2.28 digs per set and 27 aces, the most on the team.• Along with <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/bergen-reilly">Bergen Reilly</a>, <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/andi-jackson">Andi Jackson</a> and <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/laney-choboy">Laney Choboy</a>, Murray made an instant impact at Nebraska in 2023, earning Big Ten Freshman of the Year, AVCA North Region Freshman of the Year, All-Big Ten First Team and AVCA All-America Third Team honors.&nbsp;• Murray finished her freshman campaign with 3.23 kills per set, the highest kills per set average by a Husker freshman since Kadie Rolfzen (3.46) in 2013. One of the Big Ten’s best six-rotation players, Murray also added 2.07 digs per set with a team-high 36 aces. She was a three-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week.&nbsp;REILLY SETS THE TONE• Sophomore setter <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/bergen-reilly">Bergen Reilly</a> ranks seventh nationally with 11.20 assists per set this season, and she has 14 double-doubles.• Reilly was the Big Ten Setter of the Year in 2023, becoming the first freshman to win the award since it originated in 2012. Reilly was also an AVCA second-team All-American and an All-Big Ten first-team selection.&nbsp;• Reilly led all Big Ten setters with 10.51 assists per set in 2023, and she has received nine career Big Ten Setter of the Week honors, including five this season on Sept. 2, Sept. 16, Oct. 14, Nov. 18 and Nov. 25.&nbsp;• Reilly was named Best Setter at the season-opening AVCA First Serve Showcase in Louisville, Ky., as she guided the Huskers to a 3-1 win over No. 9 Kentucky with 39 assists and 11 digs.&nbsp;JACKSON IN ACTION• Sophomore middle blocker <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/andi-jackson">Andi Jackson</a> has elevated her game to new heights in 2024, as she is averaging 2.63 kills per set with a .445 hitting percentage, which ranks fourth in the nation.&nbsp;• Jackson was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 28 after averaging 1.57 blocks per set in wins against Illinois and Michigan, along with 3.00 kills per set on a .417 hitting percentage.&nbsp;• Jackson showed enormous athleticism and potential the first time she stepped on the floor as a Husker, and she followed through with a strong debut season that included AVCA All-Region, All-Big Ten Second Team, and Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors.&nbsp;• Jackson averaged 2.01 kills per set and 1.09 blocks per set with a .399 hitting percentage in 2023, which ranked third in the Big Ten and 19th in the nation. Her hitting percentage was the best ever by a Husker freshman and ranked seventh all-time in the rally scoring era.&nbsp;• Along with Reilly, Jackson helped the U.S. U21 National Team win the gold medal at the NORCECA U21 Continental Championship in Toronto this summer, hitting .654 throughout the tournament with 39 kills and 10 blocks.&nbsp;ALLICK BRINGS THE BLOCK• Junior middle blocker <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/bekka-allick">Rebekah Allick</a> is putting up 1.29 blocks per set so far this season. Offensively, she has provided 1.79 kills per set on .355 hitting.&nbsp;• Allick’s career 1.27 blocks per set ranks No. 3 in school history in the rally scoring era.&nbsp;• Allick has 369 career blocks entering Friday’s match, which ranks 10th in school history.&nbsp;• In the season-opening victory over Kentucky, Allick had 11 kills and hit .667 while tying her career high with 12 blocks. Her performance earned her Best Middle Blocker and Most Valuable Player honors at the AVCA First Serve Showcase. She averaged 1.90 blocks per set in the first three matches of the season, which earned her Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week.• Allick was again named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 7 after 2.00 blocks per set in sweeps at Illinois and vs. Iowa.&nbsp;• Allick is a two-time AVCA All-Region and All-Big Ten second-team selection. Last season, she averaged 1.76 kills per set with a team-high 1.50 blocks per set, which ranked second among Big Ten players and seven in the nation. Her 1.50 blocks per set was also the No. 2 mark in school history in the rally scoring era.&nbsp;• Allick was at her best at the end of the 2023 season, registering a career-high 12 blocks in the NCAA regional final win over Arkansas and 10 blocks in the NCAA semifinal sweep of Pittsburgh.&nbsp;FRONT ROW DEPTH&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;• Front row depth is one of the strengths for the 2024 Nebraska volleyball team.• While middle blockers <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/andi-jackson">Andi Jackson</a> and <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/bekka-allick">Rebekah Allick</a> have started most of the matches at that position, <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/leyla-blackwell">Leyla Blackwell</a>, a transfer from San Diego, has played in 12 matches and made four starts and is putting up 2.45 kills per set on a .444 hitting percentage with 1.35 blocks per set.&nbsp;• Blackwell had nine kills and seven blocks and hit .600 earning the start on Oct. 12 vs. Rutgers. She also had seven kills and three blocks and hit .429 while stepping in for a sidelined <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/andi-jackson">Andi Jackson</a> at Illinois on Oct. 3.&nbsp;• On the pin, <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/taylor-landfair">Taylor Landfair</a> has started 17 matches and <a href="https://huskers.com/sports/volleyball/roster/player/lindsay-krause">Lindsay Krause</a> has started 12 matches.• Landfair, a senior transfer from Minnesota, is averaging 2.58 kills per set and had 13 kills in the 3-0 win at Wisconsin on Nov. 1, which tied her season high. She also had 13 kills against UCLA on Sept. 27 and at Oregon on Nov. 7.&nbsp;• In her senior season, Krause is averaging 2.40 kills per set and has 15 service aces.&nbsp;• Krause was instrumental in Nebraska’s 3-2 win over No. 9 Creighton on Sept. 10 with a team-high 17 kills, five blocks and six digs. She also had 13 kills in a win over Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi on Aug. 30 and nine kills in a sweep of Stanford on Sept. 18.&nbsp;HALL OF FAME COACH COOK IN YEAR 25 AT NU&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;• Nebraska head coach <a href="https://huskers.com/staff/john-cook">John Cook</a> is in his 25th season as the Nebraska volleyball head coach in 2024. He has led the Huskers to four national championships, 11 final fours, 13 conference championships and 22 top-10 final rankings since 2000.&nbsp;• Cook has 878 career wins and is one of the all-time winningest coaches in NCAA history. Since taking over the program in 2000, Cook has led the Huskers to a nation-leading .877 win percentage (717-101).&nbsp;• On Sept. 10, 2024, the Huskers defeated No. 9 Creighton 3-2 for Cook’s 695th win at Nebraska, which moved him past Terry Pettit for most wins all-time as the Nebraska volleyball head coach.&nbsp;• Under Cook, the Huskers have achieved 68 AVCA All-Americans and 20 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, both among the best in the nation. He is a three-time AVCA National Coach of the Year, earning the prestigious honor in 2000, 2005 and 2023, and an eight-time conference coach of the year, including Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2016, 2017 and 2023.• In 2023, Cook was voted AVCA National Coach of the Year and Big Ten Coach of the Year after leading a young Nebraska team with no seniors to its first Big Ten title since 2017. The Huskers finished the regular season 28-1 overall, their best regular season record since going 28-1 in 2005. After going 26-6 last year and missing the NCAA regional finals for the first time since 2011, the Huskers started over with a starting lineup featuring four true freshmen and a junior transfer (Beason). Cook’s 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. Despite having no seniors on the roster for just the second time in Cook’s time at Nebraska - as well as starting a true freshman at setter for only the second time in Cook’s tenure - the Huskers earned the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016 and the sixth time overall under Cook.• Cook was inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame in 2017, joining former Husker volleyball coach Terry Pettit in the hall.

Husker Volleyball preview: at #4 Penn State & Maryland 

Story by UNK Athletic Communications

Kearney, Neb. –&nbsp;Fifth-year senior&nbsp;Chase Thompson&nbsp;scored 23 points and redshirt junior&nbsp;Ja’Bryant Hill&nbsp;added 17 to help Nebraska Kearney roll past York University,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://lopers.com/boxscore.aspx?path=mbball&amp;id=8037">92-49,</a>&nbsp;Tuesday night at the Health &amp; Sports Center.

The Lopers (1-4) pick up their first win of the 2024-25 season while the Panthers remain at 2-5 per NAIA rules. This also marks the first win for first-year head coach&nbsp;Marty Levinson. He won 191 games in at the junior college level.

“It feels great. Gets a little burden off my back but it’s more for the kids. They are the ones doing all the work,” said Levinson. “I’ve been through the ups and downs of basketball, just living the life of it. You don’t get too high; you don’t get too low. You have to trust your work and the kids did that. They deserve it and they needed that.”

UNK, who dropped its first four games by a total of nine points, led by just a 35-25 margin with two minutes left in the half before finishing on a 6-1 run. The Lopers then dominated the second half by a 51-23 margin as they shot 59% from the floor and committed only one turnover.

“We’ve lost four games by nine points, so we probably were a little tight (at the beginning). Coach (Tom) Kropp has the best saying…be free swinging. Allow yourself to read the basketball and make the right basketball play out of it. I felt like we settled in,” said Levinson.

Thompson (Omaha Westside) had 14 of his points in the first half and finished 8 of 15 (3 of 6 threes) from the field and 4 of 6 at the line. He also had six rebounds (three offensive) and two assists. The 23 points is four shy of his D2 career-high, set for Florida Tech against Lynn (Fla.) last winter.

Next, Hill (Duncanville, Texas) was 8 of 12 (1 of 3 threes) from the field and had a team-best six assists with Mullen redshirt freshman&nbsp;Clayton Moore&nbsp;close to a double double (12 rebounds, eight points, five assists, two blocks and two steals). Finaly, North Platte sophomore&nbsp;River Johnston&nbsp;(11 points, two assists), Omaha senior&nbsp;Tre’Vion Crawford&nbsp;(5 points, two rebounds) and Philadelphia senior&nbsp;Chereef Knox&nbsp;(seven rebounds, four points) were all big off the bench.

“We’re so new. If you have returners, and you’ve been around each other, everyone kind of knows what position they slide into,” said Levinson. “We had to do so much of that teaching and there’s nothing like putting yourself into the battle. You learn in the game, and we just hope we’ve learned from those first four.”

Ten of the 11 Lopers who suited up scored as UNK held York to 26% shooting and totaled 24 points off 17 Panthers turnovers. Finally, both teams made 14 free throws with the Lopers plus three on the glass.

York had three starters reach double figures including Ikechukwu Nwaobi (13 points).

UNK is at Chadron State (2-4) on Saturday at 6 p.m. Central

Story by UNK Athletic CommunicationsKearney, Neb. –&nbsp;Fifth-year senior&nbsp;Chase Thompson&nbsp;scored 23 points and redshirt junior&nbsp;Ja’Bryant Hill&nbsp;added 17 to help Nebraska Kearney roll past York University,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://lopers.com/boxscore.aspx?path=mbball&amp;id=8037">92-49,</a>&nbsp;Tuesday night at the Health &amp; Sports Center.The Lopers (1-4) pick up their first win of the 2024-25 season while the Panthers remain at 2-5 per NAIA rules. This also marks the first win for first-year head coach&nbsp;Marty Levinson. He won 191 games in at the junior college level.“It feels great. Gets a little burden off my back but it’s more for the kids. They are the ones doing all the work,” said Levinson. “I’ve been through the ups and downs of basketball, just living the life of it. You don’t get too high; you don’t get too low. You have to trust your work and the kids did that. They deserve it and they needed that.”UNK, who dropped its first four games by a total of nine points, led by just a 35-25 margin with two minutes left in the half before finishing on a 6-1 run. The Lopers then dominated the second half by a 51-23 margin as they shot 59% from the floor and committed only one turnover.“We’ve lost four games by nine points, so we probably were a little tight (at the beginning). Coach (Tom) Kropp has the best saying…be free swinging. Allow yourself to read the basketball and make the right basketball play out of it. I felt like we settled in,” said Levinson.Thompson (Omaha Westside) had 14 of his points in the first half and finished 8 of 15 (3 of 6 threes) from the field and 4 of 6 at the line. He also had six rebounds (three offensive) and two assists. The 23 points is four shy of his D2 career-high, set for Florida Tech against Lynn (Fla.) last winter.Next, Hill (Duncanville, Texas) was 8 of 12 (1 of 3 threes) from the field and had a team-best six assists with Mullen redshirt freshman&nbsp;Clayton Moore&nbsp;close to a double double (12 rebounds, eight points, five assists, two blocks and two steals). Finaly, North Platte sophomore&nbsp;River Johnston&nbsp;(11 points, two assists), Omaha senior&nbsp;Tre’Vion Crawford&nbsp;(5 points, two rebounds) and Philadelphia senior&nbsp;Chereef Knox&nbsp;(seven rebounds, four points) were all big off the bench.“We’re so new. If you have returners, and you’ve been around each other, everyone kind of knows what position they slide into,” said Levinson. “We had to do so much of that teaching and there’s nothing like putting yourself into the battle. You learn in the game, and we just hope we’ve learned from those first four.”Ten of the 11 Lopers who suited up scored as UNK held York to 26% shooting and totaled 24 points off 17 Panthers turnovers. Finally, both teams made 14 free throws with the Lopers plus three on the glass.York had three starters reach double figures including Ikechukwu Nwaobi (13 points).UNK is at Chadron State (2-4) on Saturday at 6 p.m. Central

Big Nights for Bryant, Thompson & the Bench

Lincoln&nbsp;- No. 25 Nebraska used a strong defensive performance and a balanced offense that featured five Huskers in double-figures, as the Big Red rolled to an 84-38 women’s basketball victory over Kansas City at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Tuesday night.

Junior guard Callin Hake connected on a career-high five three-pointers on her way to a game-high 16 points to lead the five Huskers in double figures. Hake added four rebounds, four assists and two steals in an impressive all-around effort that helped Nebraska&nbsp;improve to 6-1 on the season. The Roos slipped to 2-5.

Hake hit a pair of threes in the opening minutes while backcourt mate Britt Prince added six points of her own to help Nebraska jump out to a 12-2 lead and never look back. Prince finished with 13 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Alberte Rimdal added another strong effort for the Big Red backcourt with a season-high 15 points, including 3-of-5 three-point shooting. The senior guard from Koge, Denmark scored eight points during a 13-0 Husker run to open the fourth quarter. She added&nbsp;five rebounds and two steals.

All-America candidate Alexis Markowski contributed her 43rd career double-double and her third of the season with 10 points and a game-high 10 rebounds, while freshman Amiah Hargrove rounded out the Huskers in double figures with career highs of 10 points and seven rebounds.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsLincoln&nbsp;- No. 25 Nebraska used a strong defensive performance and a balanced offense that featured five Huskers in double-figures, as the Big Red rolled to an 84-38 women’s basketball victory over Kansas City at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Tuesday night.Junior guard Callin Hake connected on a career-high five three-pointers on her way to a game-high 16 points to lead the five Huskers in double figures. Hake added four rebounds, four assists and two steals in an impressive all-around effort that helped Nebraska&nbsp;improve to 6-1 on the season. The Roos slipped to 2-5.Hake hit a pair of threes in the opening minutes while backcourt mate Britt Prince added six points of her own to help Nebraska jump out to a 12-2 lead and never look back. Prince finished with 13 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals.Alberte Rimdal added another strong effort for the Big Red backcourt with a season-high 15 points, including 3-of-5 three-point shooting. The senior guard from Koge, Denmark scored eight points during a 13-0 Husker run to open the fourth quarter. She added&nbsp;five rebounds and two steals.All-America candidate Alexis Markowski contributed her 43rd career double-double and her third of the season with 10 points and a game-high 10 rebounds, while freshman Amiah Hargrove rounded out the Huskers in double figures with career highs of 10 points and seven rebounds.&nbsp;&nbsp;All 11 Huskers scored in the game, despite Nebraska shooting a season-low 37.9 percent (25-66). The Big Red did hit 12-of-29 threes (.414), notching their third double-digit effort from long range in the first seven games of the season. Nebraska also hit 22-of-28 free throws (.786).The Huskers outworked Kansas City on the glass, 49-40, and won the turnover battle, 22-14.Nebraska held the Roos to just 21.7 percent (13-60) shooting, including just 1-for-14 (.071) from three-point range. Kansas City did connect on 11-of-14 free throws (.786).Nebraska led 23-12 after one quarter, then pushed the margin to 47-20 at halftime. Both teams struggled in the third, but Nebraska found a way to win the period, 15-14, before closing out the game with a 22-4 edge in the fourth.Emani Bennett was the only Roo to manage double figures, finishing with team highs of 11 points and seven rebounds, but she finished 5-of-18 from the field with four turnovers. As a team, Kansas City produced just two assists.Nebraska returns to action next Tuesday to take on Lindenwood at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. (CT) with tickets available now at Huskers.com. The game against the Lions will be streamed live for B1G+ subscribers, while live audio is also available on Huskers.com from the Huskers Radio Network.