&nbsp; By:<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/paulhammel/">Paul Hammel</a>

<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/11/03/two-ex-husker-coaches-receive-rarely-given-nu-award/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN — A rarely granted honor, described as the University of Nebraska’s “highest and most prestigious award,” was recently bestowed on two former NU coaches.

The Regents Medal was given posthumously Friday to Bob Devaney, a two-time national champion football coach who helped make wearing red a state obsession, and to Terry Pettit, whose 1995 national championship in volleyball paved the way for Nebraska becoming what many call “the volleyball state.”

The medal has been given only eight times in the past 18 years and only once previously to someone involved in athletics — former NU football coach and athletics director Tom Osborne.

It is intended, NU President Jeffrey Gold said, for individuals who provided “exceptional benefits” in furthering the goals and mission of the state university system.

NU Regent Paul Kenney, who presented the awards at a banquet Friday, said both coaches set standards of excellence that carried forward long after they retired. Both programs have nation-leading sellout streaks due to work by Devaney and Pettit to promote their sports.

Mike Devaney, one of Bob Devaney’s two sons, detailed how his father, a native of Saginaw, Michigan, worked in a foundry and was planning a career as a boxer before eventually going to college and taking a job as a teacher. His hiring, he said, was on the condition that he coach the football team.

Bob Devaney coached at four Michigan high schools, winning state titles, and on Duffy Daugherty’s staff at Michigan State before becoming head coach at the University of Wyoming.

Prior to taking over at Nebraska, Mike Devaney said his father watched film of the NU team’s 1961 season. His father, he said, couldn’t believe that the team, which had talented players like Bob Brown and Larry Kramer, had won only three games that year.

Bob Devaney coached at NU until 1972, winning eight Big Eight titles, playing in nine bowl games and claiming national championships in 1970 and 1971. He later served as NU’s athletic director from 1967 to 1992.

Mike Devaney said his father criss-crossed the state to build support for the football team and make “Go Big Red” a state motto. His father, he said, was a masterful speaker and communicator who made everyone in the audience feel like he was talking to them.

Pettit, a 79-year-old native of Crown Point, Indiana, got a teaching job at Louisburg College in North Carolina on the condition that he coach the golf, tennis and volleyball teams.

In volleyball, he molded a group of players who had never played the sport, winning the state junior college title after losing the first set of the season, 0-15.

Pettit famously applied for the head volleyball coaching job at Nebraska in 1977 after the women’s basketball coach at Louisberg, Paul Sanderford (who would later coach at Nebraska), found an advertisement for the Husker opening in a waste basket.

Over 22 seasons at Nebraska, Pettit built the Huskers into a national power in a sport then dominated by teams on the West Coast. He frequently recruited players who were great athletes in other sports, training them into great volleyball players.

Pettit’s teams won 21 conference titles, qualified for the NCAA tournament 17 times, and played in six final fours, winning it all in 1995 over Texas.

Now retired in Fort Collins, Colorado, Pettit is a published author and poet who produces a regular podcast on leadership and volleyball called “Inside the Coaching Mind.”

In his comments, Pettit said Lincoln business owners never said no to helping build the volleyball program by buying tickets, sponsoring tournaments, purchasing a new scoreboard and bringing in ranked teams to play the Huskers.

Past recipients of the University of Nebraska Regents Medal:

2017 — Richard “Dick” Holland (posthumously)

2013 — Mike Yanney and Dr. Gail Walling Yanney

2011 — Robert B. Daugherty (posthumously)

&nbsp; By:<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/paulhammel/">Paul Hammel</a><a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/11/03/two-ex-husker-coaches-receive-rarely-given-nu-award/">Nebraska Examiner</a><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762196583845.jpeg" alt="The NU Regents Medal, described as the most prestigious award granted by the University of Nebraska, was given recently to two former NU coaches.&nbsp;(Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)" />
 <figcaption>The NU Regents Medal, described as the most prestigious award granted by the University of Nebraska, was given recently to two former NU coaches.&nbsp;(Paul Hammel/Nebraska Examiner)</figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN — A rarely granted honor, described as the University of Nebraska’s “highest and most prestigious award,” was recently bestowed on two former NU coaches.The Regents Medal was given posthumously Friday to Bob Devaney, a two-time national champion football coach who helped make wearing red a state obsession, and to Terry Pettit, whose 1995 national championship in volleyball paved the way for Nebraska becoming what many call “the volleyball state.”The medal has been given only eight times in the past 18 years and only once previously to someone involved in athletics — former NU football coach and athletics director Tom Osborne.It is intended, NU President Jeffrey Gold said, for individuals who provided “exceptional benefits” in furthering the goals and mission of the state university system.NU Regent Paul Kenney, who presented the awards at a banquet Friday, said both coaches set standards of excellence that carried forward long after they retired. Both programs have nation-leading sellout streaks due to work by Devaney and Pettit to promote their sports.Mike Devaney, one of Bob Devaney’s two sons, detailed how his father, a native of Saginaw, Michigan, worked in a foundry and was planning a career as a boxer before eventually going to college and taking a job as a teacher. His hiring, he said, was on the condition that he coach the football team.Bob Devaney coached at four Michigan high schools, winning state titles, and on Duffy Daugherty’s staff at Michigan State before becoming head coach at the University of Wyoming.<figure>
 <img src="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/IMG_2620-300x200.jpg" alt="Former Nebraska volleyball coach Terry Pettit accepts the Regents Award from NU Regent Paul Kenney and NU President Jeffrey Gold. (Courtesy of University of Nebraska)" />
 <figcaption>Former Nebraska volleyball coach Terry Pettit accepts the Regents Award from NU Regent Paul Kenney and NU President Jeffrey Gold. (Courtesy of University of Nebraska)</figcaption>
 </figure>Prior to taking over at Nebraska, Mike Devaney said his father watched film of the NU team’s 1961 season. His father, he said, couldn’t believe that the team, which had talented players like Bob Brown and Larry Kramer, had won only three games that year.Bob Devaney coached at NU until 1972, winning eight Big Eight titles, playing in nine bowl games and claiming national championships in 1970 and 1971. He later served as NU’s athletic director from 1967 to 1992.Mike Devaney said his father criss-crossed the state to build support for the football team and make “Go Big Red” a state motto. His father, he said, was a masterful speaker and communicator who made everyone in the audience feel like he was talking to them.Pettit, a 79-year-old native of Crown Point, Indiana, got a teaching job at Louisburg College in North Carolina on the condition that he coach the golf, tennis and volleyball teams.In volleyball, he molded a group of players who had never played the sport, winning the state junior college title after losing the first set of the season, 0-15.Pettit famously applied for the head volleyball coaching job at Nebraska in 1977 after the women’s basketball coach at Louisberg, Paul Sanderford (who would later coach at Nebraska), found an advertisement for the Husker opening in a waste basket.<figure>
 <img src="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/IMG_2647-300x200.jpg" alt="Mike Devaney, son of the late NU football coach Bob Devaney, accepts the NU Regents Award from Paul Kenney, the chairman of the University of Nebraska Board of Regents, and NU President Jeffrey Gold. (Courtesy of University of Nebraska)" />
 <figcaption>Mike Devaney, son of the late NU football coach Bob Devaney, accepts the NU Regents Award from Paul Kenney, the chairman of the University of Nebraska Board of Regents, and NU President Jeffrey Gold. (Courtesy of University of Nebraska)</figcaption>
 </figure>Over 22 seasons at Nebraska, Pettit built the Huskers into a national power in a sport then dominated by teams on the West Coast. He frequently recruited players who were great athletes in other sports, training them into great volleyball players.Pettit’s teams won 21 conference titles, qualified for the NCAA tournament 17 times, and played in six final fours, winning it all in 1995 over Texas.Now retired in Fort Collins, Colorado, Pettit is a published author and poet who produces a regular podcast on leadership and volleyball called “Inside the Coaching Mind.”In his comments, Pettit said Lincoln business owners never said no to helping build the volleyball program by buying tickets, sponsoring tournaments, purchasing a new scoreboard and bringing in ranked teams to play the Huskers.<h2>Past recipients of the University of Nebraska Regents Medal:</h2>2023 — Howard and Rhonda Hawks2017 — Richard “Dick” Holland (posthumously)2016 — The Abel Family and Tom Osborne2014 — Walter Scott, Jr.2013 — Mike Yanney and Dr. Gail Walling Yanney2011 — Robert B. Daugherty (posthumously)2009 — Bill and Ruth Scott2007 — Charles W. Durham

Two ex-Husker coaches receive rarely given NU award

By: Con Marshall CSC Sports Information

CHADRON, Neb. -South Dakota Mines&nbsp;jumped out to a 10-7 first quarter lead, but was&nbsp;kept off the scoreboard the rest of the way as&nbsp;the Chadron State Eagles won their seventh&nbsp;consecutive Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference&nbsp;game&nbsp;of the season&nbsp;35-10&nbsp;Saturday afternoon in Rapid City. &nbsp;

With the win, Chadron State improved to 7-2 overall and 7-0 in the RMAC. ​It's the first time the Eagles have won seven straight conference&nbsp;contests&nbsp;since 2008 when they&nbsp;went on&nbsp;to win the RMAC crown&nbsp;with a 9-0&nbsp;mark.

​The victory&nbsp;also&nbsp;allowed the&nbsp;Eagles&nbsp;to reclaim the Eagle-Rock Trophy&nbsp;and&nbsp;keeps&nbsp;them at the&nbsp;top&nbsp;of this&nbsp;RMAC standings along with CSU Pueblo, which&nbsp;overcame a 21-0 deficit to&nbsp;slip past previously-unbeaten Western Colorado 24-21 on Saturday.&nbsp;​Western Colorado will be the&nbsp;Eagles' opponent this coming Saturday, November 8&nbsp;at Elliott Field in Chadron.&nbsp;&nbsp;

​After falling behind,&nbsp;the Eagles scored on three&nbsp;quick-strike&nbsp;pass plays in&nbsp;the&nbsp;opening half&nbsp;and added two touchdowns in the&nbsp;fourth quarter, the first on a 30-yard pick six by linebacker&nbsp;Logan O'Brien&nbsp;and the second&nbsp;on a one-yard touchdown by&nbsp;Anthony McMillian&nbsp;that punctuated a&nbsp;long, ground-oriented drive that helped run out the clock.&nbsp;​&nbsp;Quarterback&nbsp;Aidan Thompson&nbsp;completed&nbsp;19 of 31 passes for 244 yards&nbsp;with standout wide receiver&nbsp;Tommy Thomas&nbsp;catching&nbsp;11&nbsp;of the tosses&nbsp;for 136 yards. That&nbsp;gives Thomas 61 receptions for 746 yards and a dozen touchdowns this season.&nbsp;

​Showing lots of spunk,&nbsp;South Dakota Mines opened the scoring&nbsp;by&nbsp;taking the opening kickoff&nbsp;75 yards in 11 plays before settling&nbsp;for a 24-yard field goal&nbsp;by&nbsp;Bryson Patten.

​The Eagles responded in a hurry,&nbsp;going&nbsp;81 yards&nbsp;to the end zone&nbsp;in four plays.&nbsp;The drive was&nbsp;capped by a&nbsp;short toss from quarterback&nbsp;Aidan Thompson&nbsp;to&nbsp;Tommy Thomas,&nbsp;who after&nbsp;making the catch&nbsp;while&nbsp;coming&nbsp;out of the backfield,&nbsp;juked his way past a couple of defenders&nbsp;and turned&nbsp;it&nbsp;into a&nbsp;43-yard touchdown.&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/football/roster/wilson-yee/10862">Wilson Yee</a>&nbsp;kicked&nbsp;first of his five&nbsp;extra points&nbsp;to put CSC&nbsp;ahead 7-3.

​The Hardrockers&nbsp;fought back&nbsp;after&nbsp;taking possession of the ball&nbsp;at the own&nbsp;43-yard line by stopping the Eagles on a fourth&nbsp;and five situation.

​Passes from quarterback&nbsp;Gage Baker of 14 yards to Josh Morales and&nbsp;21 yards to Blake Borchers were the big plays before Baker went the&nbsp;last&nbsp;two yards to the end zone&nbsp;after the Eagles were penalized for pass interference.&nbsp;The touchdown was scored on the final play of the opening quarter. &nbsp;

​Strangely,&nbsp;the extra point attempt, which was good&nbsp;putting Mines ahead 10-7, was kicked at the opposite end of the field when the second period began.

​Following the kickoff, Thompson and Thomas connected on a 17-yard pass, but&nbsp;the quarterback&nbsp;bobbled the next snap from center&nbsp;for a nine-yard loss,&nbsp;and the Eagles had to punt. &nbsp;

​However,&nbsp;the Hardrockers were called&nbsp;for&nbsp;roughing punter&nbsp;Brodie Eisenbraun,&nbsp;giving CSC&nbsp;the ball again and&nbsp;a first down.&nbsp;On the next play,&nbsp;the Eagles scored on a perfectly-placed pass from Thompson&nbsp;to&nbsp;sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/football/roster/garet-schlabs/10849">Garet Schlabs</a>&nbsp;at full stride for a 33-yard TD&nbsp;and a 14-10 lead after Yee added the extra point.

​Chadron State also scored&nbsp;again&nbsp;after&nbsp;linebacker&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/football/roster/reese-jacobs/10815">Reese Jacobs</a>&nbsp;intercepted Baker's pass&nbsp;and returned it five yards to the&nbsp;Hardrockers' 25. &nbsp;On the&nbsp;first play after the turnover, Thompson found senior&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/football/roster/rollin-george-iii/10808">Rollin George III</a>&nbsp;wide open in the end zone and a&nbsp;21-10 halftime&nbsp;margin.

​There was no scoring in the third period, but the Eagles added&nbsp;two TDs in the fourth stanza.&nbsp;

​Senior linebacker&nbsp;Logan O'Brien,&nbsp;already the&nbsp;recipient of the&nbsp;conference's Defensive Player of the Week&nbsp;three times&nbsp;this fall,&nbsp;got the first&nbsp;when he swiped&nbsp;Baker's pass and took it 30 yards to paydirt. It was the second time this season that he's&nbsp;had a pick-six and it's&nbsp;the third of his career. &nbsp;

​Later in the final frame,&nbsp;Chadron State&nbsp;ran about six-and-a-half minutes off the clock&nbsp;while putting together an 11-play, 75-yard drive, nearly all of it on the ground. &nbsp;Anthony McMillian&nbsp;went the final&nbsp;yard after taking a direct snap from center.&nbsp;

​The Eagles finished with 428 total net yards, giving them&nbsp;six consecutive games when they've exceeded 400 yards&nbsp;of offense.&nbsp;&nbsp;After having just 34 yards rushing in the first half, they&nbsp;finished with 39 carries for 169 yards.&nbsp;Datuawn Pearson&nbsp;paced the ground game with&nbsp;15 carries for 74 yards.

​Safety&nbsp;Tucker Peterson&nbsp;among the tackle leaders with six solos and two assisted stops while&nbsp;besides&nbsp;returning three kickoffs for&nbsp;55 yards. Linebacker&nbsp;Cooper Walton&nbsp;also&nbsp;participated in eight tackles&nbsp;and&nbsp;edge rusher&nbsp;William Stemler&nbsp;had seven, including a sack&nbsp;that forced the Hardrockers to punt after they'd earned three first down and driven passed midfield. Chadron State has all big games from here on out, facing Western Colorado (8-1, 6-1 RMAC) next Saturday at home for Senior Day and closing the year against CSU Pueblo (8-1, 7-0 RMAC).&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/11/1762133782329.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>By: Con Marshall CSC Sports InformationCHADRON, Neb. -South Dakota Mines&nbsp;jumped out to a 10-7 first quarter lead, but was&nbsp;kept off the scoreboard the rest of the way as&nbsp;the Chadron State Eagles won their seventh&nbsp;consecutive Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference&nbsp;game&nbsp;of the season&nbsp;35-10&nbsp;Saturday afternoon in Rapid City. &nbsp;With the win, Chadron State improved to 7-2 overall and 7-0 in the RMAC. ​It's the first time the Eagles have won seven straight conference&nbsp;contests&nbsp;since 2008 when they&nbsp;went on&nbsp;to win the RMAC crown&nbsp;with a 9-0&nbsp;mark.​The victory&nbsp;also&nbsp;allowed the&nbsp;Eagles&nbsp;to reclaim the Eagle-Rock Trophy&nbsp;and&nbsp;keeps&nbsp;them at the&nbsp;top&nbsp;of this&nbsp;RMAC standings along with CSU Pueblo, which&nbsp;overcame a 21-0 deficit to&nbsp;slip past previously-unbeaten Western Colorado 24-21 on Saturday.&nbsp;​Western Colorado will be the&nbsp;Eagles' opponent this coming Saturday, November 8&nbsp;at Elliott Field in Chadron.&nbsp;&nbsp;​After falling behind,&nbsp;the Eagles scored on three&nbsp;quick-strike&nbsp;pass plays in&nbsp;the&nbsp;opening half&nbsp;and added two touchdowns in the&nbsp;fourth quarter, the first on a 30-yard pick six by linebacker&nbsp;Logan O'Brien&nbsp;and the second&nbsp;on a one-yard touchdown by&nbsp;Anthony McMillian&nbsp;that punctuated a&nbsp;long, ground-oriented drive that helped run out the clock.&nbsp;​&nbsp;Quarterback&nbsp;Aidan Thompson&nbsp;completed&nbsp;19 of 31 passes for 244 yards&nbsp;with standout wide receiver&nbsp;Tommy Thomas&nbsp;catching&nbsp;11&nbsp;of the tosses&nbsp;for 136 yards. That&nbsp;gives Thomas 61 receptions for 746 yards and a dozen touchdowns this season.&nbsp;​Showing lots of spunk,&nbsp;South Dakota Mines opened the scoring&nbsp;by&nbsp;taking the opening kickoff&nbsp;75 yards in 11 plays before settling&nbsp;for a 24-yard field goal&nbsp;by&nbsp;Bryson Patten.​The Eagles responded in a hurry,&nbsp;going&nbsp;81 yards&nbsp;to the end zone&nbsp;in four plays.&nbsp;The drive was&nbsp;capped by a&nbsp;short toss from quarterback&nbsp;Aidan Thompson&nbsp;to&nbsp;Tommy Thomas,&nbsp;who after&nbsp;making the catch&nbsp;while&nbsp;coming&nbsp;out of the backfield,&nbsp;juked his way past a couple of defenders&nbsp;and turned&nbsp;it&nbsp;into a&nbsp;43-yard touchdown.&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/football/roster/wilson-yee/10862">Wilson Yee</a>&nbsp;kicked&nbsp;first of his five&nbsp;extra points&nbsp;to put CSC&nbsp;ahead 7-3.​The Hardrockers&nbsp;fought back&nbsp;after&nbsp;taking possession of the ball&nbsp;at the own&nbsp;43-yard line by stopping the Eagles on a fourth&nbsp;and five situation.​Passes from quarterback&nbsp;Gage Baker of 14 yards to Josh Morales and&nbsp;21 yards to Blake Borchers were the big plays before Baker went the&nbsp;last&nbsp;two yards to the end zone&nbsp;after the Eagles were penalized for pass interference.&nbsp;The touchdown was scored on the final play of the opening quarter. &nbsp;​Strangely,&nbsp;the extra point attempt, which was good&nbsp;putting Mines ahead 10-7, was kicked at the opposite end of the field when the second period began.​Following the kickoff, Thompson and Thomas connected on a 17-yard pass, but&nbsp;the quarterback&nbsp;bobbled the next snap from center&nbsp;for a nine-yard loss,&nbsp;and the Eagles had to punt. &nbsp;​However,&nbsp;the Hardrockers were called&nbsp;for&nbsp;roughing punter&nbsp;Brodie Eisenbraun,&nbsp;giving CSC&nbsp;the ball again and&nbsp;a first down.&nbsp;On the next play,&nbsp;the Eagles scored on a perfectly-placed pass from Thompson&nbsp;to&nbsp;sophomore&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/football/roster/garet-schlabs/10849">Garet Schlabs</a>&nbsp;at full stride for a 33-yard TD&nbsp;and a 14-10 lead after Yee added the extra point.​Chadron State also scored&nbsp;again&nbsp;after&nbsp;linebacker&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/football/roster/reese-jacobs/10815">Reese Jacobs</a>&nbsp;intercepted Baker's pass&nbsp;and returned it five yards to the&nbsp;Hardrockers' 25. &nbsp;On the&nbsp;first play after the turnover, Thompson found senior&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/football/roster/rollin-george-iii/10808">Rollin George III</a>&nbsp;wide open in the end zone and a&nbsp;21-10 halftime&nbsp;margin.​There was no scoring in the third period, but the Eagles added&nbsp;two TDs in the fourth stanza.&nbsp;​Senior linebacker&nbsp;Logan O'Brien,&nbsp;already the&nbsp;recipient of the&nbsp;conference's Defensive Player of the Week&nbsp;three times&nbsp;this fall,&nbsp;got the first&nbsp;when he swiped&nbsp;Baker's pass and took it 30 yards to paydirt. It was the second time this season that he's&nbsp;had a pick-six and it's&nbsp;the third of his career. &nbsp;​Later in the final frame,&nbsp;Chadron State&nbsp;ran about six-and-a-half minutes off the clock&nbsp;while putting together an 11-play, 75-yard drive, nearly all of it on the ground. &nbsp;Anthony McMillian&nbsp;went the final&nbsp;yard after taking a direct snap from center.&nbsp;​The Eagles finished with 428 total net yards, giving them&nbsp;six consecutive games when they've exceeded 400 yards&nbsp;of offense.&nbsp;&nbsp;After having just 34 yards rushing in the first half, they&nbsp;finished with 39 carries for 169 yards.&nbsp;Datuawn Pearson&nbsp;paced the ground game with&nbsp;15 carries for 74 yards.​Safety&nbsp;Tucker Peterson&nbsp;among the tackle leaders with six solos and two assisted stops while&nbsp;besides&nbsp;returning three kickoffs for&nbsp;55 yards. Linebacker&nbsp;Cooper Walton&nbsp;also&nbsp;participated in eight tackles&nbsp;and&nbsp;edge rusher&nbsp;William Stemler&nbsp;had seven, including a sack&nbsp;that forced the Hardrockers to punt after they'd earned three first down and driven passed midfield. Chadron State has all big games from here on out, facing Western Colorado (8-1, 6-1 RMAC) next Saturday at home for Senior Day and closing the year against CSU Pueblo (8-1, 7-0 RMAC).&nbsp;

Chadron State hammers Hardrockers to stay perfect in RMAC, 7-0

🏈 Western Nebraska High School Playoffs Scoreboard

◼ Sumner-Eddyville-Miller 62, Potter-Dix 14

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663982235627.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>🏈 Western Nebraska High School Playoffs Scoreboard◼ Ashland-Greenwood 47, Chadron 13◼ Bridgeport 38, Wausa-Osmond 18◼ Garden County 73, Crawford 18◼ Hemingford 50, Stanton 26◼ Leyton 63, Pawnee City 14◼ Omaha Skutt Catholic 49, Gering 7◼ Sidney 21, Pierce 14◼ Sumner-Eddyville-Miller 62, Potter-Dix 14◼ Wynot 64, Mullen 13◼ York 24, Scottsbluff 21

It's gameday everyone! On today's episode of Knight's Weekly, Paxton sat down with Jacob Brandl, Head Coach of the North Platte Community College Men's Basketball team, to discuss the opening weekend of action vs Laramie County Community College and Eastern Wyoming Community College.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655346441244.png" alt="<a href="https://www.npkubota.com/">Post Podcast Sponsored By North Platte Kubota</a>" />
 <figcaption><a href="https://www.npkubota.com/">Post Podcast Sponsored By North Platte Kubota</a></figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="The Post Podcast" allowtransparency="true" height="315" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:315px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=6r4r9-72e7e2-pbblog-playlist&share=1&download=1&fonts=Times%20New%20Roman&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&rtl=0&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=1b1b1b&size=315" loading="lazy" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>It's gameday everyone! On today's episode of Knight's Weekly, Paxton sat down with Jacob Brandl, Head Coach of the North Platte Community College Men's Basketball team, to discuss the opening weekend of action vs Laramie County Community College and Eastern Wyoming Community College.

🎙️ Knight's Weekly #4 2025 featuring North Platte Community College Men's Basketball Coach Jacob Brandl

By: Paxton Ritchie CSC Sports Information Director

CHADRON, Neb. – Chadron State volleyball snapped an eight-game losing streak in rousing fashion with a 25-21, 25-20, 25-15 straight sets win over Black Hills State as part of the RMAC Power Pod on Saturday at the Chicoine Center.

After facing Black Hills State (6-15) on the road in Spearfish twice earlier this year and failing to win, Chadron State (5-16) ensured that welcoming the Yellow Jackets to their home floor would be a different story. The Eagles were simply dominant, hitting a season-best .409 (the fifth-best single-match hitting percentage in an RMAC game this season) and hammering home 52 kills, a season-high for a three-set match. 

Freshman Shelby Harding hit a career-high 12 kills on a .611 hitting percentage and added a team-high 13 digs. Mataya Ward matched Harding with 12 kills on a match-high 30 attempts, hitting .333 on the night. 

Other offensive stars included Gibson Beckler (eight kills, .368), Kally Kirkwood (seven kills) and Chloe Grady (seven). Grady, who tied a season-high with her seven kills, was errorless on 10 attempts for a sparkling .700 hitting percentage, which is CSC’s highest by any player with 10 attempts or more this year. 

Setter Jillian Donovan contributed another double-double with 25 assists and 12 digs while redshirt sophomore Cydnie Eskew competed in all three sets in a collegiate match for the first time in her career, setting a new career high with 15 assists plus four digs. 

The Eagles had 52 kills, 50 assists and 57 digs, plus four aces and five blocks. Black Hills State hit .130 for the match and did not register a block. 

The two teams went back-and-forth early, but Chadron State seemed to grow more and more dominant as the match went on. In the first set, CSC and BHSU had 10 ties between 0-0 and 13-13, but the Eagles went to Harding for back-to-back kills to take a 15-13 lead. 

Soon after, a Bella Adams/Kally Kirkwood block ignited a 4-0 run with kills from Kirkwood and Ward plus a Harding ace to put CSC up 20-15. Chloe Grady recorded back-to-back kills followed by a combo block with Ward to put the Eagles ahead 24-18, and although the Yellow Jackets saved three set points, CSC closed out the set 25-21. 

Black Hills State was determined to even the score, using a 5-0 run to move in front 11-7 in set number two. Chadron State one-upped BHSU’s run after trailing 13-11, winning six points in a row that featured three kills in a row from Harding to take a 14-13 lead followed by Gibson Beckler and Bella Adams kills to help add on. Chadron State won the final three points of the set, highlighted by a Grady/Harding block, to win 25-20.

Mindful of the Yellow Jackets coming back from two sets down in the schools’ first meeting of the year, Chadron State kept its foot on the gas and did not allow any signs of life for Black Hills in the third set. The Eagles fed Mataya Ward, who slammed home kills on four of the first five CSC points of the set. 

Chadron State effectively ended the match with a 6-0 scoring run to jump out to a 10-2 set lead. The Eagles benefitted from three BHSU attack error plus an ace from Ward in that span, and two more BHSU errors gave the Eagles a 13-4 lead later on. From that point on, Chadron State never led in the set by less than eight points and punctuated the sweep with a kill from Kirkwood. 

Chadron State hit .500 as a team in set three, with 16 kills and no attack errors on 32 attempts. By contrast, the Yellow Jackets had six kills and six errors on 27 tries for a .000 third-set percentage. 

The Eagles will try to establish a winning streak with another RMAC Power Pod match this Saturday at 3 p.m. against New Mexico Highlands (9-12). Before that happens, Black Hills State and New Mexico Highlands face one another in a neutral-site match at the Chicoine Center on Friday at 6 p.m.

By: Paxton Ritchie CSC Sports Information DirectorCHADRON, Neb. – Chadron State volleyball snapped an eight-game losing streak in rousing fashion with a 25-21, 25-20, 25-15 straight sets win over Black Hills State as part of the RMAC Power Pod on Saturday at the Chicoine Center.After facing Black Hills State (6-15) on the road in Spearfish twice earlier this year and failing to win, Chadron State (5-16) ensured that welcoming the Yellow Jackets to their home floor would be a different story. The Eagles were simply dominant, hitting a season-best .409 (the fifth-best single-match hitting percentage in an RMAC game this season) and hammering home 52 kills, a season-high for a three-set match. Freshman Shelby Harding hit a career-high 12 kills on a .611 hitting percentage and added a team-high 13 digs. Mataya Ward matched Harding with 12 kills on a match-high 30 attempts, hitting .333 on the night. Other offensive stars included Gibson Beckler (eight kills, .368), Kally Kirkwood (seven kills) and Chloe Grady (seven). Grady, who tied a season-high with her seven kills, was errorless on 10 attempts for a sparkling .700 hitting percentage, which is CSC’s highest by any player with 10 attempts or more this year. Setter Jillian Donovan contributed another double-double with 25 assists and 12 digs while redshirt sophomore Cydnie Eskew competed in all three sets in a collegiate match for the first time in her career, setting a new career high with 15 assists plus four digs. The Eagles had 52 kills, 50 assists and 57 digs, plus four aces and five blocks. Black Hills State hit .130 for the match and did not register a block. The two teams went back-and-forth early, but Chadron State seemed to grow more and more dominant as the match went on. In the first set, CSC and BHSU had 10 ties between 0-0 and 13-13, but the Eagles went to Harding for back-to-back kills to take a 15-13 lead. Soon after, a Bella Adams/Kally Kirkwood block ignited a 4-0 run with kills from Kirkwood and Ward plus a Harding ace to put CSC up 20-15. Chloe Grady recorded back-to-back kills followed by a combo block with Ward to put the Eagles ahead 24-18, and although the Yellow Jackets saved three set points, CSC closed out the set 25-21. Black Hills State was determined to even the score, using a 5-0 run to move in front 11-7 in set number two. Chadron State one-upped BHSU’s run after trailing 13-11, winning six points in a row that featured three kills in a row from Harding to take a 14-13 lead followed by Gibson Beckler and Bella Adams kills to help add on. Chadron State won the final three points of the set, highlighted by a Grady/Harding block, to win 25-20.Mindful of the Yellow Jackets coming back from two sets down in the schools’ first meeting of the year, Chadron State kept its foot on the gas and did not allow any signs of life for Black Hills in the third set. The Eagles fed Mataya Ward, who slammed home kills on four of the first five CSC points of the set. Chadron State effectively ended the match with a 6-0 scoring run to jump out to a 10-2 set lead. The Eagles benefitted from three BHSU attack error plus an ace from Ward in that span, and two more BHSU errors gave the Eagles a 13-4 lead later on. From that point on, Chadron State never led in the set by less than eight points and punctuated the sweep with a kill from Kirkwood. Chadron State hit .500 as a team in set three, with 16 kills and no attack errors on 32 attempts. By contrast, the Yellow Jackets had six kills and six errors on 27 tries for a .000 third-set percentage. The Eagles will try to establish a winning streak with another RMAC Power Pod match this Saturday at 3 p.m. against New Mexico Highlands (9-12). Before that happens, Black Hills State and New Mexico Highlands face one another in a neutral-site match at the Chicoine Center on Friday at 6 p.m.

🏐 CSC blasts by Black Hills State in sweep

On today's episode of Knight's Weekly, Paxton sat down with Jeff Thurman, Head Coach of the North Platte Community College Women's Basketball team, and discussed the team's journey this preseason and where the most growth has been shown. Plus, getting you prepared for the first regular season games of 2025, beginning on Friday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655346441244.png" alt="<a href="https://www.npkubota.com/">Post Podcast Sponsored By North Platte Kubota</a>" />
 <figcaption><a href="https://www.npkubota.com/">Post Podcast Sponsored By North Platte Kubota</a></figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="🎙️ Knight's Weekly #3 2025 featuring North Platte Community College Women's Basketball Coach Jeff Thurman" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=ird6q-19aa04a-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Times%20New%20Roman&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=1b1b1b" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>On today's episode of Knight's Weekly, Paxton sat down with Jeff Thurman, Head Coach of the North Platte Community College Women's Basketball team, and discussed the team's journey this preseason and where the most growth has been shown. Plus, getting you prepared for the first regular season games of 2025, beginning on Friday.

🎙️ Knight's Weekly #3 2025 featuring North Platte Community College Women's Basketball Coach Jeff Thurman

Ansley-Litchfield def. Brady 25-12, 25-17, 25-21 (3-0)

Dundy County Stratton def. Hitchcock County 25-23, 30-28, 25-18 (3-0)

Elkhorn South def. North Platte 25-22, 25-11, 25-16 (3-0)

Garden County def. Potter-Dix 25-18, 25-14, 25-5 (3-0)

Hershey def. Doniphan-Trumbull 25-12, 25-23, 16-25, 25-16 (3-1)

Ogallala def. Gothenburg 25-13, 25-23, 25-18 (3-0)

Perkins County def. Mitchell 25-21, 25-13, 22-25, 25-23 (3-1)

Southwest def. Maywood-Hayes Center 25-21, 25-22, 25-19 (3-0)

Ansley-Litchfield def. Brady 25-12, 25-17, 25-21 (3-0)Dundy County Stratton def. Hitchcock County 25-23, 30-28, 25-18 (3-0)Elkhorn South def. North Platte 25-22, 25-11, 25-16 (3-0)Garden County def. Potter-Dix 25-18, 25-14, 25-5 (3-0)Hershey def. Doniphan-Trumbull 25-12, 25-23, 16-25, 25-16 (3-1)Ogallala def. Gothenburg 25-13, 25-23, 25-18 (3-0)Perkins County def. Mitchell 25-21, 25-13, 22-25, 25-23 (3-1)Southwest def. Maywood-Hayes Center 25-21, 25-22, 25-19 (3-0)

Area NSAA Volleyball Sub-Districts and District results from 10-28

Coming off the bye week Coach Long talks about how the team spent its time without a game, what it will be like to face two former Chadron High School stars, gambling in college sports, NIL, transfer portal, D2 advantages and much more!

<div><iframe title="Jay Long Show - 10/28/25" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=qempz-19a83f9-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1b1b1b&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=c73a3a" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>Coming off the bye week Coach Long talks about how the team spent its time without a game, what it will be like to face two former Chadron High School stars, gambling in college sports, NIL, transfer portal, D2 advantages and much more!<figure>
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🔊 PODCAST: Jay Long Show - 10/28/25

LINCOLN, Neb. — The Savannah Bananas are known for selling out ballparks across the country — and Nebraska fans are making sure the Cornhusker State isn’t left out of the fun.

In October 2025, the team announced its 2026 “Banana Ball World Tour” schedule, with Lincoln’s Memorial Stadium earning a spot among the 20 most in-demand venues out of 71 cities nationwide. According to team owner and Banana Ball founder Jesse Cole, more than 4 million fans have already joined the lottery list for tickets.

Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium ranked #12 overall, a standout position considering the lineup includes some of the most iconic venues in sports. The top 20 features 11 Major League Baseball stadiums and eight football stadiums, showing just how broad the Bananas’ appeal has become.

Top 20 Most Popular Stops for the 2026 Banana Ball Tour

Landing at #12 puts Memorial Stadium in impressive company. Most of the venues ahead of Lincoln are home to professional baseball or football franchises, meaning Nebraska fans have shown the same level of enthusiasm as some of the largest markets in the country.

For a stadium that already holds the NCAA record for most consecutive football sellouts, Nebraskans’ passion for the Bananas proves that when it comes to live sports, the Cornhusker State shows up.

Cole, who’s become famous for blending baseball with entertainment, said the demand has been “unlike anything the sport has seen,” noting that the team has sold out every game since 2020. The 2026 tour expands to 71 cities, stretching coast to coast, with several new stadiums added due to overwhelming fan interest.

If you haven’t seen a Bananas game yet, imagine baseball crossed with a circus act, improv comedy, and a pep rally — all at once. “Banana Ball” features no bunting, bat flips encouraged, and even dancing players. The rules are faster, the show louder, and the crowds bigger every year.

That mix of fun and competition seems to resonate with Nebraskans. When Memorial Stadium transforms from a football landmark into a baseball stage next year, it’ll join a small club of venues capable of drawing tens of thousands of fans for the one-of-a-kind event.

By Allison Peck<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/10/1761665303936.jpeg" alt="Banana Ball City Selection Show October 10, 2025 where Nebraska was announced as a destination for the 2026 Tour. (Courtesy Jesse Cole/Facebook)" />
 <figcaption>Banana Ball City Selection Show October 10, 2025 where Nebraska was announced as a destination for the 2026 Tour. (Courtesy Jesse Cole/Facebook)</figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN, Neb. — The Savannah Bananas are known for selling out ballparks across the country — and Nebraska fans are making sure the Cornhusker State isn’t left out of the fun.In October 2025, the team announced its 2026 “Banana Ball World Tour” schedule, with Lincoln’s Memorial Stadium earning a spot among the 20 most in-demand venues out of 71 cities nationwide. According to team owner and Banana Ball founder Jesse Cole, more than 4 million fans have already joined the lottery list for tickets.Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium ranked #12 overall, a standout position considering the lineup includes some of the most iconic venues in sports. The top 20 features 11 Major League Baseball stadiums and eight football stadiums, showing just how broad the Bananas’ appeal has become.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fjesse.cole.129%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0DLKuX4BG178EKfqc1RXo3aJHFYWGyqhmhSap5njeUvt6XvZVkQBmtYCjamPWuD8Xl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="652" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div><h2>Top 20 Most Popular Stops for the 2026 Banana Ball Tour</h2><ol>
 <li>Chicago, Illinois – Wrigley Field – 172,169 ticket submissions
</li><li>Detroit, Michigan – Comerica Park – 171,551
</li><li>Minneapolis, Minnesota – Target Field – 127,356
</li><li>Knoxville, Tennessee – Neyland Stadium – 125,031
</li><li>Cincinnati, Ohio – Great American Ball Park – 124,844
</li><li>Denver, Colorado – Coors Field – 117,379
</li><li>Atlanta, Georgia – Truist Park – 116,904
</li><li>Milwaukee, Wisconsin – American Family Field – 114,707
</li><li>Foxborough, Massachusetts – Gillette Stadium – 107,492
</li><li>St. Louis, Missouri – Busch Stadium – 104,576
</li><li>College Station, Texas – Kyle Field – 102,559
</li><li>Lincoln, Nebraska – Memorial Stadium
</li><li>Eugene, Oregon – Autzen Stadium
</li><li>New Orleans, Louisiana – Caesars Superdome
</li><li>Arlington, Texas – Globe Life Field
</li><li>Iowa City, Iowa – Kinnick Stadium
</li><li>Chapel Hill, North Carolina – Kenan Stadium
</li><li>Anaheim, California – Angel Stadium
</li><li>Orlando, Florida – ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
</li><li>New York City, New York – Yankee Stadium
</li>
 </ol><h2>A Big Stage for the Big Red State</h2>Landing at #12 puts Memorial Stadium in impressive company. Most of the venues ahead of Lincoln are home to professional baseball or football franchises, meaning Nebraska fans have shown the same level of enthusiasm as some of the largest markets in the country.For a stadium that already holds the NCAA record for most consecutive football sellouts, Nebraskans’ passion for the Bananas proves that when it comes to live sports, the Cornhusker State shows up.Cole, who’s become famous for blending baseball with entertainment, said the demand has been “unlike anything the sport has seen,” noting that the team has sold out every game since 2020. The 2026 tour expands to 71 cities, stretching coast to coast, with several new stadiums added due to overwhelming fan interest.<h2>The Banana Ball Craze</h2>If you haven’t seen a Bananas game yet, imagine baseball crossed with a circus act, improv comedy, and a pep rally — all at once. “Banana Ball” features no bunting, bat flips encouraged, and even dancing players. The rules are faster, the show louder, and the crowds bigger every year.That mix of fun and competition seems to resonate with Nebraskans. When Memorial Stadium transforms from a football landmark into a baseball stage next year, it’ll join a small club of venues capable of drawing tens of thousands of fans for the one-of-a-kind event.

Nebraska Goes “Bananas”: Memorial Stadium Among Top 20 Most In-Demand Stops on 2026 Banana Ball Tour

Story by NU Athletic Communication

*-Braden Frager finished with 21 points, including six 3-pointers. NU has had three players hit at least five 3-pointers in the two exhibition games (Mast-7 and Essegian-5 vs. BYU).

*-Nebraska hit 15 3-pointers which would have eclipsed last season’s high.

*-Kendall Blue had a team-high five assists and no turnovers in 14 minutes off the bench

*-13 of the 15 players who played broke into the scoring column, as no Husker played more than 18:14

*-Nebraska averaged 90.5 ppg during its two exhibition wins

*-Nebraska improves to 20-0 all-time in exhibition games against in-state foes

On using the next week to figure out rotation spots.

“The one thing about this team is that it could be somebody different every night. And you know, Reink I think went for eight points in his 13 minutes, but you know, Ugnius (Jarusevicius) had a day in practice last week where he looked like Reink in the BYU game, where he hit 7 threes. So you know it could be anybody’s night, and our guys have to be okay with that. You might not play as much on certain nights, you know, we have talked about that, and I think this team is very selfless and very unselfish. If we continue with that throughout this season, we have a chance.

“Well, I think Jamarques (Lawrence) has been great with it. I thought Kendall (Blue) I said gave us good minutes, Sam and Cale both can initiate for us, and then you got Reink and Berke brought the ball down the floor quite a bit tonight as well. So again, I know I talked earlier about the point guard by committee, and we got a lot of guys that can initiate for us.”

“Well, I think he was the one guy that you know, played well against BYU, and he was the one guy that didn't score. So you know it was good to see, like this is what Braden can do. He can really get it going. He’s very streaky when he gets hot like that, and you saw it. It’s almost like there is nobody else on the floor, and you know sometimes that’s a great thing and sometimes it’s not. But you know, he really took the lid off the basket. Pryce obviously had it going as well between the two of them; they’re making 10 threes. Last week, it was Rienk and Connor that made 12 threes combined. That's the beauty of Braden Freger; he’s athletic. You know, I would love to see him go in there with two hands on the one he got going to the rim there in the

2nd half, but overall, this is a very important game for Braden, you know, to see that thing go in the hoop, and hopefully be a confidence builder for him heading into the open.

On what he can take from this game, giving them confidence going into the season

“I can go back and look at the film, but for the first 14 or 15 minutes, we did some good things. We were within striking distance. We made a few shots. We made a few plays. We followed our script. We followed our scout. Just like anything, we wanted to get off to a good start, and we did. That gave us confidence right away. Their Big Ten bodies and athleticism just wear on you.”

Fred (Hoiberg) and their staff do a great job of their offensive actions. They are a tough guard, whether we switch ball screens or hedge. It has been an emphasis for us because we have to be better defensively in the half-court. And tonight, it's tough, because their bodies are different. We aren't going to see that type of athleticism and bodies night in and night out in our league. But it's a great experience for us.

On returning 3 of 4 top scorers from last year and being projected to finish 5th in their league

“It's not where you start, it's where you finish. We feel like we have taken a step. We have had some heated practices over this fall and summer. We have some good depth now. Going into my fourth year I feel like we have that athleticism, which didn’t show tonight because their athleticism is a bit different then ours. But we do have good athleticism, and I like our depth. I like the direction that we are headed. Quick turnaround for us, on Wednesday and our home opener on Friday. Just trying to stack days. We can teach film here tonight and be better. And just constantly working on the process to be better.”

Story by NU Athletic Communication*-Braden Frager finished with 21 points, including six 3-pointers. NU has had three players hit at least five 3-pointers in the two exhibition games (Mast-7 and Essegian-5 vs. BYU).*-Nebraska hit 15 3-pointers which would have eclipsed last season’s high.*-Kendall Blue had a team-high five assists and no turnovers in 14 minutes off the bench*-13 of the 15 players who played broke into the scoring column, as no Husker played more than 18:14*-Nebraska averaged 90.5 ppg during its two exhibition wins*-Nebraska improves to 20-0 all-time in exhibition games against in-state foesNebraska Head Coach Fred HoibergOn using the next week to figure out rotation spots.“The one thing about this team is that it could be somebody different every night. And you know, Reink I think went for eight points in his 13 minutes, but you know, Ugnius (Jarusevicius) had a day in practice last week where he looked like Reink in the BYU game, where he hit 7 threes. So you know it could be anybody’s night, and our guys have to be okay with that. You might not play as much on certain nights, you know, we have talked about that, and I think this team is very selfless and very unselfish. If we continue with that throughout this season, we have a chance.On narrowing down the guard spot“Well, I think Jamarques (Lawrence) has been great with it. I thought Kendall (Blue) I said gave us good minutes, Sam and Cale both can initiate for us, and then you got Reink and Berke brought the ball down the floor quite a bit tonight as well. So again, I know I talked earlier about the point guard by committee, and we got a lot of guys that can initiate for us.”On Braden Frager“Well, I think he was the one guy that you know, played well against BYU, and he was the one guy that didn't score. So you know it was good to see, like this is what Braden can do. He can really get it going. He’s very streaky when he gets hot like that, and you saw it. It’s almost like there is nobody else on the floor, and you know sometimes that’s a great thing and sometimes it’s not. But you know, he really took the lid off the basket. Pryce obviously had it going as well between the two of them; they’re making 10 threes. Last week, it was Rienk and Connor that made 12 threes combined. That's the beauty of Braden Freger; he’s athletic. You know, I would love to see him go in there with two hands on the one he got going to the rim there in the2nd half, but overall, this is a very important game for Braden, you know, to see that thing go in the hoop, and hopefully be a confidence builder for him heading into the open.Midland Head coach Tyler ErwinOn what he can take from this game, giving them confidence going into the season“I can go back and look at the film, but for the first 14 or 15 minutes, we did some good things. We were within striking distance. We made a few shots. We made a few plays. We followed our script. We followed our scout. Just like anything, we wanted to get off to a good start, and we did. That gave us confidence right away. Their Big Ten bodies and athleticism just wear on you.”On defensive intensity in the first halfFred (Hoiberg) and their staff do a great job of their offensive actions. They are a tough guard, whether we switch ball screens or hedge. It has been an emphasis for us because we have to be better defensively in the half-court. And tonight, it's tough, because their bodies are different. We aren't going to see that type of athleticism and bodies night in and night out in our league. But it's a great experience for us.On returning 3 of 4 top scorers from last year and being projected to finish 5th in their league“It's not where you start, it's where you finish. We feel like we have taken a step. We have had some heated practices over this fall and summer. We have some good depth now. Going into my fourth year I feel like we have that athleticism, which didn’t show tonight because their athleticism is a bit different then ours. But we do have good athleticism, and I like our depth. I like the direction that we are headed. Quick turnaround for us, on Wednesday and our home opener on Friday. Just trying to stack days. We can teach film here tonight and be better. And just constantly working on the process to be better.”

Huskers cruise past Midland, 91-50

Ansley-Litchfield def. Sandhills Valley 25-15, 25-8, 25-8 (3-0)

Brady def. South Loup (Callaway/Arnold) 25-22, 25-8, 26-24 (3-0)

Broken Bow def. Central City 25-22, 26-24, 25-21 (3-0)

Chadron def. Cozad 22-25, 25-12, 25-23, 25-18 (3-1)

Chase County def. Bridgeport 25-20, 25-7, 25-10 (3-0)

Dundy County Stratton def. South Platte 25-13, 25-14, 25-10 (3-0)

Garden County def. Banner County 25-9, 25-8, 25-8 (3-0)

Gothenburg def. Chase County 21-25, 25-12, 17-25, 25-19, 15-12 (3-2)

North Platte St. Patrick's def. Wood River 22-25, 25-17, 25-21, 23-25, 15-11 (3-2)

Hastings St. Cecilia def. North Platte St. Patrick's 25-14, 25-14, 25-13 (3-0)

Hi-Line def. Medicine Valley 25-22, 25-16, 25-18 (3-0)

Hitchcock County def. Paxton 25-18, 25-13, 25-22 (3-0)

Maywood-Hayes Center def. Arapahoe 23-25, 19-25, 31-29, 25-21, 15-8 (3-2)

Ogallala def. Chadron 25-15, 25-6, 25-16 (3-0)

Ord def. Maxwell 25-18, 25-23, 26-24 (3-0)

Sandhills/Thedford def. Arthur County 25-12, 25-16, 25-13 (3-0)

South Platte def. Wallace 25-23, 25-22, 23-25, 25-17 (3-1)

Ansley-Litchfield def. Sandhills Valley 25-15, 25-8, 25-8 (3-0)Brady def. South Loup (Callaway/Arnold) 25-22, 25-8, 26-24 (3-0)Broken Bow def. Central City 25-22, 26-24, 25-21 (3-0)Chadron def. Cozad 22-25, 25-12, 25-23, 25-18 (3-1)Chase County def. Bridgeport 25-20, 25-7, 25-10 (3-0)Dundy County Stratton def. South Platte 25-13, 25-14, 25-10 (3-0)Garden County def. Banner County 25-9, 25-8, 25-8 (3-0)Gothenburg def. Chase County 21-25, 25-12, 17-25, 25-19, 15-12 (3-2)North Platte St. Patrick's def. Wood River 22-25, 25-17, 25-21, 23-25, 15-11 (3-2)Hastings St. Cecilia def. North Platte St. Patrick's 25-14, 25-14, 25-13 (3-0)Hi-Line def. Medicine Valley 25-22, 25-16, 25-18 (3-0)Hitchcock County def. Paxton 25-18, 25-13, 25-22 (3-0)Maywood-Hayes Center def. Arapahoe 23-25, 19-25, 31-29, 25-21, 15-8 (3-2)Ogallala def. Chadron 25-15, 25-6, 25-16 (3-0)Ord def. Maxwell 25-18, 25-23, 26-24 (3-0)Sandhills/Thedford def. Arthur County 25-12, 25-16, 25-13 (3-0)South Platte def. Wallace 25-23, 25-22, 23-25, 25-17 (3-1)

Area NSAA Volleyball scores from 10-28

🏐 Nebraska Prep Subdistrict &amp; District Playoff Brackets

B-7 District ◼ #1 Gering vs #4 Omaha Mercy 10/30 - 4:00 MT at Lexington ◼ #2 Bennington vs #3 Gretna East 10/30 - 5:00 MT at Bennington ◼ Finals - 11/1&nbsp;

B-6 District ◼ #1 Columbus Lakeview vs #4 Lexington 10/30 - 5:00 MT at Lakeview ◼ #2 Lincoln Pius X vs #3 Sidney 10/30 - 5:30 MT at Lexington ◼ Finals - 11/1&nbsp;

B-3 District ◼ #4 Alliance vs #5 Schuyler 10/28 - 4:00 MT at Lexington ◼ #2 Scottsbluff vs #3 Seward 10/30 - 4:00 MT at McCook CC ◼ #1 Omaha Skutt vs ALL/SCH Winner 10/30 - TBD ◼ 11/1 - Finals

C1-10 Subdistrict at Ogallala ◼ #4 Chadron vs #5 Cozad - Chadron 3-1 10/27 - 1:00 MT ◼ #3 Chase County vs #6 Bridgeport - Chase County 3-0 10/27 - 2:30 ◼ #1 Ogallala vs CHD/COZ Winner - Ogallala 3-0 10/27 - 4:00 ◼ #2 Gothenburg vs CC/BPT Winner - Gothenburg 3-2 10/27 - 5:30 ◼ 10/28 - Finals - 6:00 MT - Ogallala vs Gothenburg

C2-10 Subdistrict at Valentine ◼ #4 Kimball vs #5 Gordon-Rushville - Kimball 3-1 10/27 - 5:00 at Hemingford ◼ #3 Hemingford vs #6 Mitchell - Hemingford 2-1 10/27 - 6:30 at Hemingford ◼ #1 Valentine vs Kimball 10/28 - 5:00 MT ◼ #2 Perkins County vs Hemingford 10/28 - 6:30 MT ◼ 10/29 - Finals - 6:00 MT

D1-12 Subdistrict at Morrill ◼ #1 Morrill vs #4 Bayard - Morrill 3-0 10/27 - 6:00 ◼ #2 Wauneta-Palisade vs #3 Sutherland - WP 3-0 10/27 - 5:30 MT at WP ◼ 10/28 - Finals - 6:00 - Morrill vs WP

D2-12 at Hay Springs ◼ #1 Hay Springs vs #4 Cody-Kilgore - Hay Springs 3-0 10/27 - 5:00 ◼ #2 Crawford vs #3 Minatare - Crawford 3-0 10/27 - 6:30 ◼&nbsp; 10/28 - Finals - 5:00 - Hay Springs vs Crawford

D2-11 Subdistrict at Garden County ◼ #4 Banner County vs #5 Creek Valley - Banner County 3-1 10/27 - 4:00 ◼ #2 Potter-Dix vs #3 Leyton - Potter-Dix 3-0 10/27 - 5:15 ◼ #1 Garden County vs BC/CV Winner - Garden County 3-0 10/27 - 6:30 ◼ 10/28 - Finals - 6:00 - Garden County vs Potter-Dix

D2-10 Subdistrict at Thedford ◼ #1 Sandhills/Thedford vs #4 Arthur County - S/T 3-0 10/27 - 4:30 MT ◼ #2 Mullen vs #3 Hyannis - Mullen 3-0 10/27 - 6:00 MT ◼ 10/28 - Finals - 5:00 MT - S/T vs Mullen

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633474113203.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>🏐 Nebraska Prep Subdistrict &amp; District Playoff BracketsB-7 District ◼ #1 Gering vs #4 Omaha Mercy 10/30 - 4:00 MT at Lexington ◼ #2 Bennington vs #3 Gretna East 10/30 - 5:00 MT at Bennington ◼ Finals - 11/1&nbsp;B-6 District ◼ #1 Columbus Lakeview vs #4 Lexington 10/30 - 5:00 MT at Lakeview ◼ #2 Lincoln Pius X vs #3 Sidney 10/30 - 5:30 MT at Lexington ◼ Finals - 11/1&nbsp;B-3 District ◼ #4 Alliance vs #5 Schuyler 10/28 - 4:00 MT at Lexington ◼ #2 Scottsbluff vs #3 Seward 10/30 - 4:00 MT at McCook CC ◼ #1 Omaha Skutt vs ALL/SCH Winner 10/30 - TBD ◼ 11/1 - Finals<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629461621684.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>C1-10 Subdistrict at Ogallala ◼ #4 Chadron vs #5 Cozad - Chadron 3-1 10/27 - 1:00 MT ◼ #3 Chase County vs #6 Bridgeport - Chase County 3-0 10/27 - 2:30 ◼ #1 Ogallala vs CHD/COZ Winner - Ogallala 3-0 10/27 - 4:00 ◼ #2 Gothenburg vs CC/BPT Winner - Gothenburg 3-2 10/27 - 5:30 ◼ 10/28 - Finals - 6:00 MT - Ogallala vs GothenburgC2-10 Subdistrict at Valentine ◼ #4 Kimball vs #5 Gordon-Rushville - Kimball 3-1 10/27 - 5:00 at Hemingford ◼ #3 Hemingford vs #6 Mitchell - Hemingford 2-1 10/27 - 6:30 at Hemingford ◼ #1 Valentine vs Kimball 10/28 - 5:00 MT ◼ #2 Perkins County vs Hemingford 10/28 - 6:30 MT ◼ 10/29 - Finals - 6:00 MT D1-12 Subdistrict at Morrill ◼ #1 Morrill vs #4 Bayard - Morrill 3-0 10/27 - 6:00 ◼ #2 Wauneta-Palisade vs #3 Sutherland - WP 3-0 10/27 - 5:30 MT at WP ◼ 10/28 - Finals - 6:00 - Morrill vs WP D2-12 at Hay Springs ◼ #1 Hay Springs vs #4 Cody-Kilgore - Hay Springs 3-0 10/27 - 5:00 ◼ #2 Crawford vs #3 Minatare - Crawford 3-0 10/27 - 6:30 ◼&nbsp; 10/28 - Finals - 5:00 - Hay Springs vs CrawfordD2-11 Subdistrict at Garden County ◼ #4 Banner County vs #5 Creek Valley - Banner County 3-1 10/27 - 4:00 ◼ #2 Potter-Dix vs #3 Leyton - Potter-Dix 3-0 10/27 - 5:15 ◼ #1 Garden County vs BC/CV Winner - Garden County 3-0 10/27 - 6:30 ◼ 10/28 - Finals - 6:00 - Garden County vs Potter-DixD2-10 Subdistrict at Thedford ◼ #1 Sandhills/Thedford vs #4 Arthur County - S/T 3-0 10/27 - 4:30 MT ◼ #2 Mullen vs #3 Hyannis - Mullen 3-0 10/27 - 6:00 MT ◼ 10/28 - Finals - 5:00 MT - S/T vs Mullen

🏐 UPDATE: Nebraska Prep Subdistrict Playoff Brackets & Scores

Alliance 28 @ Ogallala 21Arthur County 52 vs Hay Springs 12Chase County 35 @ Holdrege 14Cozad 45 @ Minden 28Gothenburg 14 @ Broken Bow 0Medicine Valley 53 @ Wauneta-Palisade 51Mitchell 41 vs Hershey 40North Platte 51 vs Lincoln High 7Sumner-Eddyville-Miller 54 vs Wallace 40

Area High School Football scores from 10-24

On today's episode of Knight's Weekly, Paxton sat down with Jeff Thurman, Head Coach of the North Platte Community College Women's Basketball team, and discussed the team's journey to Lawrence, Kansas for the second preseason jamboree. As well as his thoughts going into the last preseason game this Saturday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655346441244.png" alt="<a href="https://www.npkubota.com/">Post Podcast Sponsored By North Platte Kubota</a>" />
 <figcaption><a href="https://www.npkubota.com/">Post Podcast Sponsored By North Platte Kubota</a></figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="🎙️ Knight's Weekly #2 2025 featuring North Platte Community College Women's Basketball Coach Jeff Thurman" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=4xrtp-19a1e1b-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Times%20New%20Roman&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=1b1b1b" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>On today's episode of Knight's Weekly, Paxton sat down with Jeff Thurman, Head Coach of the North Platte Community College Women's Basketball team, and discussed the team's journey to Lawrence, Kansas for the second preseason jamboree. As well as his thoughts going into the last preseason game this Saturday.

🎙️ Knight's Weekly #2 2025 featuring North Platte Community College Women's Basketball Coach Jeff Thurman

On today's episode of Knight's Weekly, Paxton sat down with Jacob Brandl, Head Coach of the North Platte Community College Men's Basketball team, to discuss the final preseason games that took place last week in Colorado and how he feels going into the first match against Lamar coming up on October 31st.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655346441244.png" alt="<a href="https://www.npkubota.com/">Post Podcast Sponsored By North Platte Kubota</a>" />
 <figcaption><a href="https://www.npkubota.com/">Post Podcast Sponsored By North Platte Kubota</a></figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="🎙️ Knight's Weekly #3 2025 featuring North Platte Community College Men's Basketball Coach Jacob Brandl" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=89xwi-19a1dbb-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Times%20New%20Roman&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=1b1b1b" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>On today's episode of Knight's Weekly, Paxton sat down with Jacob Brandl, Head Coach of the North Platte Community College Men's Basketball team, to discuss the final preseason games that took place last week in Colorado and how he feels going into the first match against Lamar coming up on October 31st.

🎙️ Knight's Weekly #3 2025 featuring North Platte Community College Men's Basketball Coach Jacob Brandl

• The No. 1 Nebraska volleyball team returns home for back-to-back matches this weekend.&nbsp;

• The Huskers host Northwestern at 6 p.m. on Friday, which will be Nebraska’s annual “Pink Match” for breast cancer awareness.

• Nebraska then welcomes Michigan State at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.

• Friday’s match will be televised on Nebraska Public Media and streamed on B1G+. Larry Punteney and John Cook will be on the call.

• Saturday’s match will be televised on Big Ten Network and streamed on FoxSports.com. Larry Punteney and John Cook will be on the call.

• 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.

• Nebraska is off to an 18-0 start for just the second time since joining the Big Ten in 2011. The 2023 Huskers started the year 27-0.

• Nebraska has recorded nine sweeps in a row, its most since 10 in a row in 2010 and 17 in a row in 2007.&nbsp;

• Nebraska has won 28 sets in a row dating back to Sept. 16, 2025 at Creighton. The 2010 team won 30 sets in a row. The 2009 team won 31 sets in a row. The 2007 team won 53 sets in a row.

• Nebraska is 50-0 this season in sets when reaching the red zone (20 points) first.&nbsp;

• NU’s offense ranks first nationally with a .332 hitting percentage. The Huskers haven’t hit better than .300 in a season since 2007 (.327). The school record for hitting percentage in a season is .331 in 1986. The school record in the rally scoring era is .327 in 2007.

• The Huskers rank second in the nation in opponent hitting percentage at .112. NU led the nation in opponent hitting percentage in 2022 and 2023 and was sixth in 2024.

• The school record for opponent hitting percentage in a season is .103 in 2004.

• The gap between Nebraska’s hitting percentage and opponent hitting percentage is .220, by far the best in the nation. The next closest is Hofstra (.160) and Wisconsin (.149).

• Over the last five seasons (2021-25), Dani Busboom Kelly has a 138-15 record for an .902 winning percentage, which is the best by any Division I head coach in that span.

• Outside hitter Harper Murray is having a sensational junior season. She leads the team with 3.71 kills per set and is hitting .322. Murray averages 2.16 digs per set and has a team-high 17 aces.

• Last week at Michigan State, Murray became the 25th Husker in school history to reach 1,000 career kills at Nebraska.

• Murray is 10th in school history in the rally-scoring era in career aces with 92. She is within reach of Michelle Lynch (93), Christina Houghtelling (94) and Lexi Sun (97).

• Senior middle blocker Rebekah Allick is having the best offensive season of her career with 2.48 kills per set on .412 hitting with 1.33 blocks per set.

• Allick ranks No. 5 in career blocks at Nebraska in the rally scoring era with 484.

• Junior setter Bergen Reilly paces the Husker attack with 9.89 assists per set, and she also contributes a team-high 2.80 digs per set.

• Reilly ranks No. 5 in school history in career assists in the rally scoring era with 3,158. She needs 40 more to tie Lauren Cook (3,198).&nbsp;

• Junior middle blocker Andi Jackson is averaging 2.51 kills per set on .417 hitting with 1.11 blocks per set.&nbsp;

• Jackson has a career hitting percentage of .420, which is the No. 1 mark in school history and the No. 1 mark among active Division I players.

• Jackson has been heating up of late. In Big Ten play only, the first-team All-American is averaging 2.67 kills per set with a blistering .574 hitting percentage.

• Senior outside hitter Taylor Landfair provides 2.02 kills per set. Landfair has played in 138 career matches, which is second most by any active Division I player. Her 1,449 career kills rank ninth among active DI players.

• Freshman opposite hitter Virginia Adriano adds 2.08 kills per set.

• Olivia Mauch (2.78 digs per set) and Laney Choboy (2.52 digs per set) lead the Husker back row.&nbsp;&nbsp;

• Nebraska’s non-conference schedule included matches against three top-10 teams and five ranked teams. The Huskers went 3-0 against top-10 teams and 5-0 against ranked teams. NU is 6-0 against ranked teams this season.&nbsp;&nbsp;

• Northwestern (13-7, 3-5 Big Ten) already has eight more wins than it did all of last season and has equaled its Big Ten win total from 2024 with 12 matches to play.

• Rylen Reid leads the Wildcats with 3.25 kills per set, and Ayah Elnady adds 2.88 kills per set.

• Michigan State (15-3, 5-3 Big Ten) plays at Iowa Friday night.

• Taylah Holdem averages a team-high 4.00 kills per set on .271 hitting. Karolina Staniszewska adds 2.93 kills per set.

• Freshman setter and Lincoln native Malayah Long (10.00 assists per set) is a two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week.

• Nebraska is 21-1 against Northwestern and has won 17 in a row. The Huskers swept the Wildcats in Evanston last season, 25-18, 25-15, 25-15.

• Nebraska is 29-2-2 against Michigan State and has won 18 in a row. The teams played last Friday in East Lansing with Nebraska winning 25-15, 25-18, 25-20.

• Select conference matches played during the month of October will count toward the Big Ten Discover Challenge, which is in its inaugural season. Each team will play five designated challenge matches throughout the month, with the winner determined by the highest win total across the five matches.

• Nebraska and Purdue are the only teams with unbeaten 3-0 records heading into the final two weeks of the challenge. Friday’s match against Northwestern counts toward the challenge, as does Purdue’s match at Illinois on Friday night.

• The top three tiebreakers in order are: head-to-head results that were part of the Big Ten Discover Challenge, winning percentage against common opponents, and highest percentage of total sets won.

• Eight of the 17 players on the 2025 roster are newcomers.

• Senior opposite hitter Allie Sczech is the lone transfer the Huskers brought in for 2025. Sczech was a two-time All-Big 12 Second Team performer at Baylor, averaging 2.44 kills per set with a .273 hitting percentage in 2024. Sczech posted a career-high 21 kills and hit .463 in Baylor’s NCAA Tournament second round defeat to Dayton last year. She totaled 754 kills in three seasons at Baylor.

• In addition to Sczech, seven freshmen have joined the fold. Campbell Flynn (6-3, Setter), Ryan Hunter (6-2, Opposite Hitter), Keri Leimbach (5-4, Libero) and Teraya Sigler (6-3, Outside Hitter) all enrolled at Nebraska in January. Virginia Adriano (6-5, Opposite Hitter), Kenna Cogill (6-4, Middle Blocker) and Manaia Ogbechie (6-3, Middle Blocker) joined the Huskers in June.

BUSBOOM KELLY DEBUTS AS NEW HEAD COACH&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

• Nebraska native Dani Busboom Kelly was named the fourth head coach in program history on Jan. 29, 2025 by Nebraska Director of Athletics Troy Dannen. Busboom Kelly succeeds her former coach and mentor, John Cook, who announced his retirement following the 2024 season after 25 seasons as Nebraska’s head volleyball coach.

• A Husker national champion player and assistant coach, Busboom Kelly spent eight years (2017-24) building Louisville into a national power. The Cardinals reached two NCAA Championship matches, three NCAA Semifinals, five regional finals and won four ACC titles.

• Busboom Kelly compiled a 203-44 (.822) record in her eight seasons at Louisville, including a 120-15 (.889) mark from 2021-24, which was the second-best winning percentage in the country during that span. In 2024, the Cardinals reached the NCAA Championship match for the second time in three seasons.

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

• Nebraska has won 53 home matches in a row dating back to Dec. 1, 2022, which is the longest active streak in the nation.

• The Huskers’ home win streak is its longest since moving into the Devaney Center in 2013, and it’s the third longest home win streak in program history.

Story by NU Athletic Communication• The No. 1 Nebraska volleyball team returns home for back-to-back matches this weekend.&nbsp;• The Huskers host Northwestern at 6 p.m. on Friday, which will be Nebraska’s annual “Pink Match” for breast cancer awareness.• Nebraska then welcomes Michigan State at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.• Friday’s match will be televised on Nebraska Public Media and streamed on B1G+. Larry Punteney and John Cook will be on the call.• Saturday’s match will be televised on Big Ten Network and streamed on FoxSports.com. Larry Punteney and John Cook will be on the call.• 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.ABOUT THE HUSKERS• Nebraska is off to an 18-0 start for just the second time since joining the Big Ten in 2011. The 2023 Huskers started the year 27-0.• Nebraska has recorded nine sweeps in a row, its most since 10 in a row in 2010 and 17 in a row in 2007.&nbsp;• Nebraska has won 28 sets in a row dating back to Sept. 16, 2025 at Creighton. The 2010 team won 30 sets in a row. The 2009 team won 31 sets in a row. The 2007 team won 53 sets in a row.• Nebraska is 50-0 this season in sets when reaching the red zone (20 points) first.&nbsp;• NU’s offense ranks first nationally with a .332 hitting percentage. The Huskers haven’t hit better than .300 in a season since 2007 (.327). The school record for hitting percentage in a season is .331 in 1986. The school record in the rally scoring era is .327 in 2007.• The Huskers rank second in the nation in opponent hitting percentage at .112. NU led the nation in opponent hitting percentage in 2022 and 2023 and was sixth in 2024.• The school record for opponent hitting percentage in a season is .103 in 2004.• The gap between Nebraska’s hitting percentage and opponent hitting percentage is .220, by far the best in the nation. The next closest is Hofstra (.160) and Wisconsin (.149).• Over the last five seasons (2021-25), Dani Busboom Kelly has a 138-15 record for an .902 winning percentage, which is the best by any Division I head coach in that span.ROTATION RUNDOWN• Outside hitter Harper Murray is having a sensational junior season. She leads the team with 3.71 kills per set and is hitting .322. Murray averages 2.16 digs per set and has a team-high 17 aces.• Last week at Michigan State, Murray became the 25th Husker in school history to reach 1,000 career kills at Nebraska.• Murray is 10th in school history in the rally-scoring era in career aces with 92. She is within reach of Michelle Lynch (93), Christina Houghtelling (94) and Lexi Sun (97).• Senior middle blocker Rebekah Allick is having the best offensive season of her career with 2.48 kills per set on .412 hitting with 1.33 blocks per set.• Allick ranks No. 5 in career blocks at Nebraska in the rally scoring era with 484.• Junior setter Bergen Reilly paces the Husker attack with 9.89 assists per set, and she also contributes a team-high 2.80 digs per set.• Reilly ranks No. 5 in school history in career assists in the rally scoring era with 3,158. She needs 40 more to tie Lauren Cook (3,198).&nbsp;• Junior middle blocker Andi Jackson is averaging 2.51 kills per set on .417 hitting with 1.11 blocks per set.&nbsp;• Jackson has a career hitting percentage of .420, which is the No. 1 mark in school history and the No. 1 mark among active Division I players.• Jackson has been heating up of late. In Big Ten play only, the first-team All-American is averaging 2.67 kills per set with a blistering .574 hitting percentage.• Senior outside hitter Taylor Landfair provides 2.02 kills per set. Landfair has played in 138 career matches, which is second most by any active Division I player. Her 1,449 career kills rank ninth among active DI players.• Freshman opposite hitter Virginia Adriano adds 2.08 kills per set.• Olivia Mauch (2.78 digs per set) and Laney Choboy (2.52 digs per set) lead the Husker back row.&nbsp;&nbsp;• Nebraska’s non-conference schedule included matches against three top-10 teams and five ranked teams. The Huskers went 3-0 against top-10 teams and 5-0 against ranked teams. NU is 6-0 against ranked teams this season.&nbsp;&nbsp;SCOUTING NORTHWESTERN• Northwestern (13-7, 3-5 Big Ten) already has eight more wins than it did all of last season and has equaled its Big Ten win total from 2024 with 12 matches to play.• Rylen Reid leads the Wildcats with 3.25 kills per set, and Ayah Elnady adds 2.88 kills per set.SCOUTING MICHIGAN STATE• Michigan State (15-3, 5-3 Big Ten) plays at Iowa Friday night.• Taylah Holdem averages a team-high 4.00 kills per set on .271 hitting. Karolina Staniszewska adds 2.93 kills per set.• Freshman setter and Lincoln native Malayah Long (10.00 assists per set) is a two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week.SERIES HISTORY• Nebraska is 21-1 against Northwestern and has won 17 in a row. The Huskers swept the Wildcats in Evanston last season, 25-18, 25-15, 25-15.• Nebraska is 29-2-2 against Michigan State and has won 18 in a row. The teams played last Friday in East Lansing with Nebraska winning 25-15, 25-18, 25-20.BIG TEN DISCOVER CHALLENGE UP FOR GRABS• Select conference matches played during the month of October will count toward the Big Ten Discover Challenge, which is in its inaugural season. Each team will play five designated challenge matches throughout the month, with the winner determined by the highest win total across the five matches.• Nebraska and Purdue are the only teams with unbeaten 3-0 records heading into the final two weeks of the challenge. Friday’s match against Northwestern counts toward the challenge, as does Purdue’s match at Illinois on Friday night.• The top three tiebreakers in order are: head-to-head results that were part of the Big Ten Discover Challenge, winning percentage against common opponents, and highest percentage of total sets won.HUSKERS WELCOME EIGHT NEWCOMERS• Eight of the 17 players on the 2025 roster are newcomers.• Senior opposite hitter Allie Sczech is the lone transfer the Huskers brought in for 2025. Sczech was a two-time All-Big 12 Second Team performer at Baylor, averaging 2.44 kills per set with a .273 hitting percentage in 2024. Sczech posted a career-high 21 kills and hit .463 in Baylor’s NCAA Tournament second round defeat to Dayton last year. She totaled 754 kills in three seasons at Baylor.• In addition to Sczech, seven freshmen have joined the fold. Campbell Flynn (6-3, Setter), Ryan Hunter (6-2, Opposite Hitter), Keri Leimbach (5-4, Libero) and Teraya Sigler (6-3, Outside Hitter) all enrolled at Nebraska in January. Virginia Adriano (6-5, Opposite Hitter), Kenna Cogill (6-4, Middle Blocker) and Manaia Ogbechie (6-3, Middle Blocker) joined the Huskers in June.BUSBOOM KELLY DEBUTS AS NEW HEAD COACH&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;• Nebraska native Dani Busboom Kelly was named the fourth head coach in program history on Jan. 29, 2025 by Nebraska Director of Athletics Troy Dannen. Busboom Kelly succeeds her former coach and mentor, John Cook, who announced his retirement following the 2024 season after 25 seasons as Nebraska’s head volleyball coach.• A Husker national champion player and assistant coach, Busboom Kelly spent eight years (2017-24) building Louisville into a national power. The Cardinals reached two NCAA Championship matches, three NCAA Semifinals, five regional finals and won four ACC titles.• Busboom Kelly compiled a 203-44 (.822) record in her eight seasons at Louisville, including a 120-15 (.889) mark from 2021-24, which was the second-best winning percentage in the country during that span. In 2024, the Cardinals reached the NCAA Championship match for the second time in three seasons.• Busboom Kelly was the starting libero on Nebraska’s 2006 national championship team, and she was an assistant coach when the Huskers won the 2015 national championship in Omaha. She took the helm at Louisville late in 2016 after being named AVCA National Assistant Coach of the Year in her final season as a Husker assistant, and she guided the Cardinals to heights the program had never experienced.&nbsp;HOME SWEET HOME• Nebraska has won 53 home matches in a row dating back to Dec. 1, 2022, which is the longest active streak in the nation.• The Huskers’ home win streak is its longest since moving into the Devaney Center in 2013, and it’s the third longest home win streak in program history.• Nebraska’s longest all-time home win streak was 88 matches from 2004-09.• The Huskers went 22-0 at home in 2024, a school record for home wins in a season.• Nebraska’s second-longest home win streak is 61 matches from 1988-93.• Nebraska has won 26 consecutive NCAA Tournament matches played in the Devaney Center, a school record.REGENTS APPROVE NAMING OF JOHN COOK ARENA• The home of Nebraska Volleyball will now officially bear the name of one of the legendary coaches in the history of the sport, as the University of Nebraska Board of Regents approved the naming of John Cook Arena at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.• Cook retired in January following a remarkable 25-year run as the Huskers’ head coach. He guided the Huskers to four national championships, 12 NCAA Semifinal appearances and 14 conference championships. Cook achieved a career record of 883-176 (.834), the fifth-best winning percentage all-time for a Division I volleyball coach. His record of 722-103 at Nebraska was the best winning percentage (.875) for any DI program from 2000-24.• In addition to the naming of John Cook Arena at the Bob Devaney Sports Center, the project also includes a bronze statue honoring Cook on the north side of the Devaney Sports Center. Nationally recognized sculpture artist and Nebraska native George Lundeen was commissioned to produce the life-size tribute to Cook and his career.• The court inside John Cook Arena will continue to hold the name of Terry Pettit Court to recognize Cook’s predecessor and fellow Hall of Famer. Additionally, the full athletics complex will continue to be named the Bob Devaney Sports Center in honor of Nebraska Hall of Fame football coach and long-time athletic director Bob Devaney.HUSKERS SET FOR 24 TV BROADCASTS• Nebraska volleyball airs on television 24 times this season. The Huskers have 19 national TV appearances on Big Ten Network, FOX, FS1, NBC, ABC and ESPN.&nbsp;• Additionally, Nebraska Public Media was granted the rights to televise the Red-White Scrimmage (Aug. 9), the Alumni Match (Aug. 16), and three regular-season home matches: Grand Canyon (Sept. 13), Maryland (Sept. 27) and Northwestern (Oct. 24).• All matches that are televised on Nebraska Public Media are also streamed on B1G+. All home matches and Big Ten road matches not selected for TV are streamed on B1G+.• NU’s match at Lipscomb is available on ESPN+.FOUR HUSKERS NAMED PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN• Four student-athletes from the Nebraska volleyball team were named to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team after a vote by the league’s 18 head coaches.&nbsp;• Juniors Andi Jackson, Harper Murray and Bergen Reilly were three of just five unanimous selections to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team. They were joined on the 20-player team by senior Rebekah Allick.• The coaches picked Nebraska as the top team in the preseason poll. The Huskers won their fifth Big Ten title in 2024 with a 19-1 conference record to share the crown with Penn State. Nebraska finished the season at 33-3 and reached the NCAA Semifinals. Penn State, Wisconsin, Minnesota and UCLA rounded out the top five.• Jackson, a junior middle blocker, had a breakout year in 2024, earning AVCA All-America First Team and unanimous All-Big Ten First Team honors. Jackson averaged 2.62 kills per set with a .439 hitting percentage, which ranked sixth in the nation and fourth in school history. She also put up 1.18 blocks per set.• Murray, a junior outside hitter, was an AVCA Second Team All-American last year after earning third-team honors as a freshman. Murray led the Huskers in 2024 with 3.40 kills per set and a team-high 39 service aces. She is a two-time All-Big Ten First Team selection. Murray was selected to the NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team last season and was the NCAA Lincoln Regional Most Outstanding Player.• Reilly, a junior setter, is the first player in Big Ten history to win Big Ten Setter of the Year as both a freshman and sophomore, and she is coming off her second straight AVCA All-America Second Team honor. Reilly averaged 11.08 assists per set in 2024 while leading the Huskers to a .284 hitting percentage, their best since 2016.&nbsp;• Allick, a senior middle blocker, recorded 1.82 kills per set in 2024 with a career-best .357 hitting percentage. She had a team-high 1.43 blocks per set, which ranked third among Big Ten players and 14th nationally. Allick ranks sixth in school history with 415 career blocks entering the 2025 season. She was an All-Big Ten Second Team selection in 2022 and 2023.FOUR HUSKERS ON PLAYER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST• Rebekah Allick, Andi Jackson, Harper Murray and Bergen Reilly are on the AVCA Player of the Year Watch List. Jackson, Murray and Reilly were on the 30-player watch list announced in July. Allick was one of 17 additions to the list in October.• The Player of the Year Watch List is compiled by the AVCA Division I Women’s Volleyball Awards Committee. They will also be the group working on the additional phases of the Player of the Year process. Semifinalists will be named in November. Finalists will be announced on Dec. 15, and the Player of the Year Award will be presented in Kansas City at the AVCA Awards Banquet on Friday, Dec. 19.FLYNN NAMED GATORADE NATIONAL POTY• Freshman Campbell Flynn was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year on Jan. 10.• Flynn, a 6-3 setter from Oakland, Mich., was a two-time Gatorade Michigan Volleyball Player of the Year. She recorded 730 assists and 180 digs in her senior season for Mercy High School, leading the Marlins to a 31-3 record and the Division I regional semifinals in 2024. Flynn also compiled 131 kills, 52 blocks and 36 service aces while posting a .394 hitting percentage at net.• Flynn was a member of the U.S. U21 Women’s National Team that won the gold medal at the NORCECA Championships in 2024 and was ranked as the nation’s No. 4 overall recruit and top setter recruit in the Class of 2025 by PrepDig.com. Flynn concluded her prep volleyball career, which included a state championship in 2023, with 1,973 assists and 737 kills. She also competed in the Under Armour All-America Game. Off the court, Flynn maintained a 3.94 GPA in the classroom.• Flynn is the sixth Husker all-time to be named the Gatorade National Player of the Year. The others are Harper Murray (2022-23), Ally Batenhorst (2020-21), Lexi Sun (2016-17), Mikaela Foecke (2014-15) and Gina Mancuso (2008-09).FLYNN, SIGLER EARN GATORADE PLAYER OF THE YEAR• In addition to being named Gatorade National Player of the Year, Campbell Flynn was named the Gatorade Michigan Volleyball Player of the Year for the second straight year, while fellow Husker newcomer Teraya Sigler was named the Gatorade Arizona Volleyball Player of the Year for the second straight time.• Sigler, a 6-2 outside hitter from Scottsdale, Ariz., led Horizon High School to a 25-5 record and a fourth straight Conference 5A state championship in 2024. Sigler amassed 619 kills and 354 digs, including 33 kills and 20 digs in the state championship match. She also had 65 service aces and 28 blocks while posting a .398 hitting percentage.• Ranked as the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2025 by PrepDig.com, Sigler was a member of the U.S. U21 Women’s National Team that won the gold medal at the NORCECA Championships in 2024. She concluded her prep volleyball career with 1,951 kills and 1,128 digs and competed in the Under Armour All-America Game.2024 SEASON IN REVIEW• Nebraska finished the 2024 season 33-3 overall and advanced to the NCAA Semifinals for the second year in a row and seventh time in the last 10 years.• Nebraska won its 36th all-time conference title and fifth Big Ten title with a 19-1 record in Big Ten play last season. The Huskers went back-to-back as Big Ten champions for the second time, also accomplishing that feat in 2016 and 2017.• The Huskers’ 29 regular-season wins last year tied the 1983 school record for most wins in a regular season in the NCAA era.• The Huskers’ 33 wins last season were tied for the most victories by a Husker team since the 2000 national championship team went 34-0.• The Huskers ranked 11th nationally with a team hitting percentage of .284 in 2024.• The Huskers ranked sixth nationally and first in the Big Ten in opponent hitting percentage at .143 last season. NU led the nation in opponent hitting percentage in 2022 and 2023.