Story by NU Athletic Communications

The No. 1 Nebraska volleyball team swept Rutgers 25-22, 25-15, 25-12 in front of a sold-out crowd of 8,692 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Saturday night.&nbsp;

The Huskers improved to 21-0 (12-0 Big Ten). Nebraska's 21 wins without a loss to begin the season is its most since beginning 23-0 in 2006.&nbsp;

Ally Batenhorst tied her season high with 13 kills and hit .545 on the night to lead the Huskers to a .384 hitting percentage. The junior also had four blocks. Merritt Beason totaled 12 kills and hit .409 with three blocks. Andi Jackson finished with eight kills on .357 hitting with six blocks. Harper Murray and Maggie Mendelson had five and four kills, respectively.&nbsp;

Bergen Reilly dished out 34 assists, and Lexi Rodriguez led the back row with 13 digs. Nebraska had four service aces - two by Laney Choboy - and was aced only once by Rutgers (10-12, 2-10 Big Ten).&nbsp;

The Huskers outblocked the Scarlet Knights 9.5 to 2 and had 17 more kills (44-27) and nine more digs (33-24).

Set 1: Nebraska turned a 6-5 deficit into an 11-7 lead thanks to kills by Jackson and Murray, an ace by Beason, and a block by Jackson and Murray. But the Huskers committed four service errors in a row to allow Rutgers to stay close at 14-12. The Scarlet Knights tied the set at 17-17, and the teams traded sideouts for seven rallies before a block by Jackson and Batenhorst gave the Huskers a two-point edge, 22-20. After a Rutgers timeout, Rodriguez bump set Beason for a kill and a 23-20 lead, but NU's fifth service error of the set made it 23-21. Batenhorst rose up for her fourth kill of the set to earn set point, 24-21, and Reilly ended the set at 25-22 with a kill.&nbsp;

Set 2: Beason scored six of the Huskers' first seven points via five kills and a block as NU went up 7-3. Jackson and Batenhorst added kills, and Choboy served an ace to make it 10-6. Rutgers fought back to within one, 11-10, but Murray answered with a kill and a solo block, and Beason and Mendelson added a block for a 14-10 advantage. Kills by Batenhorst and Beason added to the lead, and a block by Beason, Jackson and Batenhorst made it 19-12 Big Red. Batenhorst tallied four kills down the stretch as the Huskers pulled away to win 25-15.&nbsp;

Set 3: The Huskers bolted to a 13-2 lead out of the gates. Batenhorst and Jackson sparked the Huskers as Batenhorst had two kills and two blocks and Jackson posted three kills and a block. A kill by Murray and ace by Choboy pushed the lead to 17-4. Nebraska went on to finish the sweep, 25-12.&nbsp;

Up Next: Nebraska is on the road next week, visiting No. 13 Penn State on Friday (7:30 p.m. CT) and Rutgers on Sunday (Noon CT).&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698667501394.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsThe No. 1 Nebraska volleyball team swept Rutgers 25-22, 25-15, 25-12 in front of a sold-out crowd of 8,692 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Saturday night.&nbsp;The Huskers improved to 21-0 (12-0 Big Ten). Nebraska's 21 wins without a loss to begin the season is its most since beginning 23-0 in 2006.&nbsp;Ally Batenhorst tied her season high with 13 kills and hit .545 on the night to lead the Huskers to a .384 hitting percentage. The junior also had four blocks. Merritt Beason totaled 12 kills and hit .409 with three blocks. Andi Jackson finished with eight kills on .357 hitting with six blocks. Harper Murray and Maggie Mendelson had five and four kills, respectively.&nbsp;Bergen Reilly dished out 34 assists, and Lexi Rodriguez led the back row with 13 digs. Nebraska had four service aces - two by Laney Choboy - and was aced only once by Rutgers (10-12, 2-10 Big Ten).&nbsp;The Huskers outblocked the Scarlet Knights 9.5 to 2 and had 17 more kills (44-27) and nine more digs (33-24).Set 1: Nebraska turned a 6-5 deficit into an 11-7 lead thanks to kills by Jackson and Murray, an ace by Beason, and a block by Jackson and Murray. But the Huskers committed four service errors in a row to allow Rutgers to stay close at 14-12. The Scarlet Knights tied the set at 17-17, and the teams traded sideouts for seven rallies before a block by Jackson and Batenhorst gave the Huskers a two-point edge, 22-20. After a Rutgers timeout, Rodriguez bump set Beason for a kill and a 23-20 lead, but NU's fifth service error of the set made it 23-21. Batenhorst rose up for her fourth kill of the set to earn set point, 24-21, and Reilly ended the set at 25-22 with a kill.&nbsp;Set 2: Beason scored six of the Huskers' first seven points via five kills and a block as NU went up 7-3. Jackson and Batenhorst added kills, and Choboy served an ace to make it 10-6. Rutgers fought back to within one, 11-10, but Murray answered with a kill and a solo block, and Beason and Mendelson added a block for a 14-10 advantage. Kills by Batenhorst and Beason added to the lead, and a block by Beason, Jackson and Batenhorst made it 19-12 Big Red. Batenhorst tallied four kills down the stretch as the Huskers pulled away to win 25-15.&nbsp;Set 3: The Huskers bolted to a 13-2 lead out of the gates. Batenhorst and Jackson sparked the Huskers as Batenhorst had two kills and two blocks and Jackson posted three kills and a block. A kill by Murray and ace by Choboy pushed the lead to 17-4. Nebraska went on to finish the sweep, 25-12.&nbsp;Up Next: Nebraska is on the road next week, visiting No. 13 Penn State on Friday (7:30 p.m. CT) and Rutgers on Sunday (Noon CT).&nbsp;

Huskers sweep Rutgers

Freshman Eli Rice had 18 points to lead five Huskers in double figures, as Nebraska took control in the second half of an 84-53 win over Doane Sunday evening at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Rice hit 7-of-14 shots from the floor, including a trio of 3-pointers, as a short-handed Husker team pulled away after halftime. Nebraska, which was down to five scholarship players available after a first-half injury to Keisei Tominaga, shot 57 percent from the floor and outscored Doane, 46-26 after halftime

C.J. Wilcher and Sam Hoiberg added 15 points, each, combining to hit 13-of-18 shots from the field, while Jarron Coleman and Brice Williams added 12 and 10 points, respectively. Nebraska, which had just one player taller than 6-7, shot 53 percent on the night and forced 16 Doane turners which led to 21 points. Hoiberg had four steals and was one of four players with multiple steals in the win.

Coleman scored seven of his nine second-half points in a decisive 17-2 spurt that turned a 38-32 lead into a 21-point cushion, at 55-34, with 13:24 remaining. The Huskers eventually stretched the margin to 35 before cruising to 31-point win.

Cam Binder led Doane with 12 points, including four 3-pointers, while River Johnston added 10 markers. The Tigers shot just 33 percent and were outrebounded 41-31.

The Huskers will return to Pinnacle Bank Arena on Monday on Nov. 6, taking on Lindenwood to open their regular season. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. (CT) on B1G+ and radio coverage provided by Huskers Radio Network. Tickets are available by visiting Huskers.com/Tickets or calling 800-8-BIGRED during business hours (8-5 p.m., Mon.-Fri.)

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsFreshman Eli Rice had 18 points to lead five Huskers in double figures, as Nebraska took control in the second half of an 84-53 win over Doane Sunday evening at Pinnacle Bank Arena.Rice hit 7-of-14 shots from the floor, including a trio of 3-pointers, as a short-handed Husker team pulled away after halftime. Nebraska, which was down to five scholarship players available after a first-half injury to Keisei Tominaga, shot 57 percent from the floor and outscored Doane, 46-26 after halftimeC.J. Wilcher and Sam Hoiberg added 15 points, each, combining to hit 13-of-18 shots from the field, while Jarron Coleman and Brice Williams added 12 and 10 points, respectively. Nebraska, which had just one player taller than 6-7, shot 53 percent on the night and forced 16 Doane turners which led to 21 points. Hoiberg had four steals and was one of four players with multiple steals in the win.Coleman scored seven of his nine second-half points in a decisive 17-2 spurt that turned a 38-32 lead into a 21-point cushion, at 55-34, with 13:24 remaining. The Huskers eventually stretched the margin to 35 before cruising to 31-point win.Cam Binder led Doane with 12 points, including four 3-pointers, while River Johnston added 10 markers. The Tigers shot just 33 percent and were outrebounded 41-31.The Huskers will return to Pinnacle Bank Arena on Monday on Nov. 6, taking on Lindenwood to open their regular season. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. (CT) on B1G+ and radio coverage provided by Huskers Radio Network. Tickets are available by visiting Huskers.com/Tickets or calling 800-8-BIGRED during business hours (8-5 p.m., Mon.-Fri.)

Huskers open exhibition play with 84-53 win

Newcomers Natalie Potts and Darian White produced impressive Pinnacle Bank Arena debuts to lead the Nebraska women's basketball team to an 83-47 exhibition victory over Dakota Wesleyan on Sunday.

Potts, a freshman from O'Fallon, Mo., led the Huskers with 15 points while adding eight rebounds in 21 minutes off the bench. Potts hit 7-of-12 shots from the floor, while pitching in two steals and an assist.

White, a graduate transfer from Montana State, ignited Nebraska from the tip, scoring six points including a game-opening three-pointer in a 14-0 run to open the game. The 5-6 guard from Boise, Idaho, finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and game highs of eight assists and four steals.

Senior Annika Stewart put three Huskers in double figures with 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting, while graduate student Jaz Shelley contributed eight points and junior Alexis Markowski pitched in six points and game highs of 12 rebounds and four blocks.

All 11 Huskers scored at least two points and grabbed at least one rebound in the game, as Nebraska hit 42.5 percent (31-73) of its shots from the field, including 9-of-34 three-pointers (.265). The Huskers were also a perfect 12-for-12 at the free throw line. NU won the battle of the boards, 50-35, including 19 offensive rebounds.

Nebraska held Dakota Wesleyan to 29.3 percent (17-58), including just 4-of-23 threes (.174). The Tigers hit 9-of-13 free throws. The Huskers committed just 12 turnovers while forcing 19 on DWU.

The Huskers led 24-13 at the end of a first quarter that featured eight points and four assists from White, who teamed with Shelley for back-to-back threes to open the game. The Huskers led 17-2 early with five three-point possessions, before DWU battled back.

Both teams struggled offensively in the second quarter, as the Huskers took a 32-21 lead to halftime.

Nebraska erupted again in the third quarter, outscoring the Tigers 30-11 to build a 62-32 edge after 30 minutes.

Rylee Rosenquist led Dakota Wesleyan with 17 points and three assists, while freshman Emma Yost contributed five points and a team-high nine rebounds in her college debut for the Tigers.

The Huskers open the regular season by playing host to Northwestern State on Monday, Nov. 6. Tip-off is set for noon following the Nebraska Life Skills Sportsmanship Pep Rally, which begins at 9:30 a.m.&nbsp;

Doors to Pinnacle Bank Arena will open at 11 a.m. for fans planning to attend the game. Season tickets, Starting Five Packs and single-game tickets are available now at Huskers.com.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698667320286.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsNewcomers Natalie Potts and Darian White produced impressive Pinnacle Bank Arena debuts to lead the Nebraska women's basketball team to an 83-47 exhibition victory over Dakota Wesleyan on Sunday.Potts, a freshman from O'Fallon, Mo., led the Huskers with 15 points while adding eight rebounds in 21 minutes off the bench. Potts hit 7-of-12 shots from the floor, while pitching in two steals and an assist.White, a graduate transfer from Montana State, ignited Nebraska from the tip, scoring six points including a game-opening three-pointer in a 14-0 run to open the game. The 5-6 guard from Boise, Idaho, finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and game highs of eight assists and four steals.Senior Annika Stewart put three Huskers in double figures with 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting, while graduate student Jaz Shelley contributed eight points and junior Alexis Markowski pitched in six points and game highs of 12 rebounds and four blocks.All 11 Huskers scored at least two points and grabbed at least one rebound in the game, as Nebraska hit 42.5 percent (31-73) of its shots from the field, including 9-of-34 three-pointers (.265). The Huskers were also a perfect 12-for-12 at the free throw line. NU won the battle of the boards, 50-35, including 19 offensive rebounds.Nebraska held Dakota Wesleyan to 29.3 percent (17-58), including just 4-of-23 threes (.174). The Tigers hit 9-of-13 free throws. The Huskers committed just 12 turnovers while forcing 19 on DWU.The Huskers led 24-13 at the end of a first quarter that featured eight points and four assists from White, who teamed with Shelley for back-to-back threes to open the game. The Huskers led 17-2 early with five three-point possessions, before DWU battled back.Both teams struggled offensively in the second quarter, as the Huskers took a 32-21 lead to halftime.Nebraska erupted again in the third quarter, outscoring the Tigers 30-11 to build a 62-32 edge after 30 minutes.Rylee Rosenquist led Dakota Wesleyan with 17 points and three assists, while freshman Emma Yost contributed five points and a team-high nine rebounds in her college debut for the Tigers.The Huskers open the regular season by playing host to Northwestern State on Monday, Nov. 6. Tip-off is set for noon following the Nebraska Life Skills Sportsmanship Pep Rally, which begins at 9:30 a.m.&nbsp;Doors to Pinnacle Bank Arena will open at 11 a.m. for fans planning to attend the game. Season tickets, Starting Five Packs and single-game tickets are available now at Huskers.com.

Huskers shine in exhibition win

Senior Cecelia Ossi shot a 598 in the air rifle to tie the NU program record on Sunday against No. 1 West Virginia. The record was set by sophomores Emma Rhode and Tori Watts last season against Alaska-Fairbanks.

The No. 3 Nebraska rifle team fell to the Mountaineers by a score of 4,732-4,722. NU’s score is the fourth highest in school history.

“The team recovered well after a disappointing match the day before,” Head Coach Mindy Miles said. “Today went a lot better for the team. Smallbore was consistent and air rifle had some standout performances.”

Ossi finished in second overall with an aggregate score of 1,185. Watts posted a 1,183 to place third. Rhode (1,180) rounded them out in sixth.

Ossi’s record score led her to a first-place finish in the air rifle, her third this season. Watts tied for second with a score of 596.

Rhode led Nebraska in the smallbore, placing third with a 588. Ossi and Watts tied for fourth with marks of 587.&nbsp;

The Big Red will travel to Charleston, S.C., to face off against The Citadel on Saturday, Nov. 4.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsSenior Cecelia Ossi shot a 598 in the air rifle to tie the NU program record on Sunday against No. 1 West Virginia. The record was set by sophomores Emma Rhode and Tori Watts last season against Alaska-Fairbanks.The No. 3 Nebraska rifle team fell to the Mountaineers by a score of 4,732-4,722. NU’s score is the fourth highest in school history.“The team recovered well after a disappointing match the day before,” Head Coach Mindy Miles said. “Today went a lot better for the team. Smallbore was consistent and air rifle had some standout performances.”Ossi finished in second overall with an aggregate score of 1,185. Watts posted a 1,183 to place third. Rhode (1,180) rounded them out in sixth.Ossi’s record score led her to a first-place finish in the air rifle, her third this season. Watts tied for second with a score of 596.Rhode led Nebraska in the smallbore, placing third with a 588. Ossi and Watts tied for fourth with marks of 587.&nbsp;The Big Red will travel to Charleston, S.C., to face off against The Citadel on Saturday, Nov. 4.

Ossi ties Air Rifle record against No. 1 WVU

Elkhorn South 42, Papillion-LaVista South 8

North Platte St. Patrick's 39, Clarkson/Leigh 0

Omaha Skutt Catholic 42, Gross Catholic 14

Omaha Westside 54, Creighton Preparatory School 6

Sandhills/Thedford 52, Lourdes Central Catholic 12

Adams Central 9, Aurora 7Arapahoe 12, Ravenna 6Arthur County 60, Shelton 14Ashland-Greenwood 53, Chadron 14Auburn 36, Ogallala 32Bellevue West 48, Papillion-LaVista 34Bennington 65, Crete 7Blair 21, Plattsmouth 14Boone Central 49, Columbus Lakeview 7Broken Bow 28, Douglas County West 20Central Valley 46, BDS 6Crofton 72, Bridgeport 34Cross County 58, Perkins County 6Dundy County Stratton 48, Twin Loup 14EMF 26, Shelby-Rising City 0Elkhorn North 31, Elkhorn High 21Elkhorn South 42, Papillion-LaVista South 8Elkhorn Valley 36, Plainview 8Fillmore Central 16, Wilber-Clatonia 6Grand Island 29, Kearney 19Hastings 35, Seward 6Hay Springs 66, Hampton 26Howells-Dodge 32, Ainsworth 12Humphrey St. Francis 42, Axtell 8Johnson-Brock 36, Anselmo-Merna 14Kearney Catholic 31, Battle Creek 15Lincoln East 24, Lincoln Southeast 17Malcolm 20, Chase County 12Millard South 38, Lincoln North Star 0Millard West 49, Millard North 14Mitchell 58, Bishop Neumann 20Norfolk Catholic 42, Aquinas Catholic 12Norris 50, Northwest 14North Platte St. Patrick's 39, Clarkson/Leigh 0Oakland-Craig 37, Amherst 6Omaha North 35, Gretna 34 (2OT)Omaha Skutt Catholic 42, Gross Catholic 14Omaha Westside 54, Creighton Preparatory School 6Ord 18, Cedar Catholic 13Parkview Christian 40, Cody-Kilgore 8Pawnee City 55, Sioux County 22Pierce 34, Omaha Roncalli Catholic 14Potter-Dix 58, Red Cloud 14Sandhills/Thedford 52, Lourdes Central Catholic 12Sandy Creek 22, Weeping Water 20Scottsbluff 14, York 0Sidney 28, Gothenburg 14South Loup 62, Lawrence-Nelson 12Stanton 60, Summerland 30Stuart 50, Southwest 33Sumner-Eddyville-Miller 52, Paxton 0Wahoo 46, Scotus Central Catholic 0Waverly 42, Ralston 0Wilcox-Hildreth 39, Garden County 21Wynot 50, Mullen 20

Area playoff Football scores from 10-27

Nebraska High School Playoff football continues today from the Sandhills Post with coverage of Ogallala in Class C1 and Perkins County in Class D1.&nbsp;

Ogallala travels to Auburn today, Kwik Stop pregame at 4:30pm mountain time, kickoff at 5pm mountain on <a href="https://flatrock1007.com/#//">Flatrock 100.7</a>

Perkins County travels to Cross County, Kwik Stop pregame at 4:30pm mountain time, kickoff at 5pm mountain time on<a href="https://z935country.com/#//"> Z 93.5 Country</a>

Nebraska High School Playoff football continues today from the Sandhills Post with coverage of Ogallala in Class C1 and Perkins County in Class D1.&nbsp;Ogallala travels to Auburn today, Kwik Stop pregame at 4:30pm mountain time, kickoff at 5pm mountain on <a href="https://flatrock1007.com/#//">Flatrock 100.7</a>Perkins County travels to Cross County, Kwik Stop pregame at 4:30pm mountain time, kickoff at 5pm mountain time on<a href="https://z935country.com/#//"> Z 93.5 Country</a><figure>
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Ogallala & Perkins County playoff football on radio this afternoon

GRANT, NEB. - The Perkins County Plainsmen are in the 2nd round of the NSAA D-1 8 Man football playoffs after defeating the Cambridge Trojans 56-6. The Plainsmen are led by first year Head Coach Brendan Geier. Plainsmen senior Nolan Foster has played in a big role this season for Perkins County. Foster joined Post News Director Canon Rath for the Kwik Stop halftime/post game report during the first round playoff match. This is the conversation the two had.

Perkins County is back in action on Friday when they take on the Cross County Cougars. We will have live coverage of the game on z93.5 Country with Paxton Gordon on the call. Kwik Stop pregame coverage is set to begin a t4:30pm mountain/5:30pm central. Kickoff set for 5:00pm mountain/6:00pm central. You can listen along on 93.5 FM or online at <a href="https://z935country.com/#//">https://z935country.com/</a>

Sandhills PostGRANT, NEB. - The Perkins County Plainsmen are in the 2nd round of the NSAA D-1 8 Man football playoffs after defeating the Cambridge Trojans 56-6. The Plainsmen are led by first year Head Coach Brendan Geier. Plainsmen senior Nolan Foster has played in a big role this season for Perkins County. Foster joined Post News Director Canon Rath for the Kwik Stop halftime/post game report during the first round playoff match. This is the conversation the two had.<div><iframe title="(Audio) Perkins County Senior football player Nolan Foster" 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=pudk2-14e0b59-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=1&fonts=Times%20New%20Roman&skin=1b1b1b&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>Perkins County is back in action on Friday when they take on the Cross County Cougars. We will have live coverage of the game on z93.5 Country with Paxton Gordon on the call. Kwik Stop pregame coverage is set to begin a t4:30pm mountain/5:30pm central. Kickoff set for 5:00pm mountain/6:00pm central. You can listen along on 93.5 FM or online at <a href="https://z935country.com/#//">https://z935country.com/</a>

(Audio) Perkins County Senior football player Nolan Foster

Story by NPCC Athletic Communications

The North Platte Community College volleyball team was on fire Wednesday night – sweeping the Southeast Community College Bobcats 3-0 in the opening round of the NJCAA Region 9 Postseason Tournament.

The Knights ran away with the first set – pulling out in front early on before shooting ahead to a score of 14-3. NPCC’s offense was powered by strong kills by Vanessa Wood and Shamia Grandison and back-to-back aces by Aubrey Grant. Southeast attempted to mount a comeback toward the end, but it wasn’t enough to catch the Knights who cruised to a 25-10 win.

The Bobcats refused to go down easy in the second set. North Platte claimed the first point after an ace by Jaelyn Dicke. The frame would see four lead changes and seven ties after that until the Knights finally captured the lead for good at the 10-9 mark. NPCC used a run to widen the gap by five points. Another run later on helped to double the deficit to 10. Grandison used a kill to close out the set 25-14.

North Platte jumped out to an early lead in the third set as well. Southeast managed to keep pace and tied the game 5-5 before back-to-back kills by Wood and Grandison returned the advantage to NPCC. Some confusion at the net resulted in a replay about halfway through, but it did little to slow the Knights’ attack, and they continued on a seven-point run.

Grandison managed a tip, kill then block to score three points in a row. The action stalled twice at match point, but a kill by Fatima Gomez ultimately sealed the victory for North Platte 25-17.

“I was really pleased with how we served tonight,” said NPCC Volleyball Head Coach Alexa McCall. “It allowed us to get them out of system, which helped us run our offense. I thought our middles did well in transition and had some nice swings. This will give us some momentum going into Saturday.”

Wood led the offense for the Knights with 10 kills, and Dicke followed that up with eight more. Grant had 18 assists on the night, and Elsie Ottun recorded 16. EmiLee Walnofer added 19 digs.

The tournament continues Saturday in Columbus where the Knights will take on Central Community College in the championship round. First serve is slated for 2 p.m. A livestream will be available at:&nbsp;<a href="https://portal.stretchinternet.com/centralcccolumbus/" target="_blank">portal.stretchinternet.com/centralcccolumbus/</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698329273976.jpeg" alt="Shamia Grandison" />
 <figcaption>Shamia Grandison</figcaption>
 </figure>Story by NPCC Athletic CommunicationsThe North Platte Community College volleyball team was on fire Wednesday night – sweeping the Southeast Community College Bobcats 3-0 in the opening round of the NJCAA Region 9 Postseason Tournament.The Knights ran away with the first set – pulling out in front early on before shooting ahead to a score of 14-3. NPCC’s offense was powered by strong kills by Vanessa Wood and Shamia Grandison and back-to-back aces by Aubrey Grant. Southeast attempted to mount a comeback toward the end, but it wasn’t enough to catch the Knights who cruised to a 25-10 win.The Bobcats refused to go down easy in the second set. North Platte claimed the first point after an ace by Jaelyn Dicke. The frame would see four lead changes and seven ties after that until the Knights finally captured the lead for good at the 10-9 mark. NPCC used a run to widen the gap by five points. Another run later on helped to double the deficit to 10. Grandison used a kill to close out the set 25-14.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698329352909.jpeg" alt="Sydney Spillane" />
 <figcaption>Sydney Spillane</figcaption>
 </figure>North Platte jumped out to an early lead in the third set as well. Southeast managed to keep pace and tied the game 5-5 before back-to-back kills by Wood and Grandison returned the advantage to NPCC. Some confusion at the net resulted in a replay about halfway through, but it did little to slow the Knights’ attack, and they continued on a seven-point run.Grandison managed a tip, kill then block to score three points in a row. The action stalled twice at match point, but a kill by Fatima Gomez ultimately sealed the victory for North Platte 25-17.“I was really pleased with how we served tonight,” said NPCC Volleyball Head Coach Alexa McCall. “It allowed us to get them out of system, which helped us run our offense. I thought our middles did well in transition and had some nice swings. This will give us some momentum going into Saturday.”Wood led the offense for the Knights with 10 kills, and Dicke followed that up with eight more. Grant had 18 assists on the night, and Elsie Ottun recorded 16. EmiLee Walnofer added 19 digs.The tournament continues Saturday in Columbus where the Knights will take on Central Community College in the championship round. First serve is slated for 2 p.m. A livestream will be available at:&nbsp;<a href="https://portal.stretchinternet.com/centralcccolumbus/" target="_blank">portal.stretchinternet.com/centralcccolumbus/</a>.

Knights clear first round of postseason tourney

Even when they're not playing their best, the Colorado Avalanche find ways to keep winning.

Mikko Rantanen scored the tiebreaking goal in the third period and had three assists as the Avalanche beat the New York Islanders 7-4 on Tuesday night for their NHL-record 15th straight road win.

Ryan Johansen scored twice, Cale Makar had a goal and an assist, and Bowen Byram, Nathan MacKinnon and Ross Colton also scored for Colorado, which won its sixth straight to open the season. Valeri Nichushkin had two assists, and Alexandar Georgiev stopped 27 shots to also improve to 6-0-0 this season.

After&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nhl.com/video/col-nyi-rantanen-scores-goal-against-islanders-6339807867112">Rantanen put the Avalanche ahead</a>&nbsp;with under eight minutes remaining, they sealed the win with two empty-net goals in the final minute.

“It was a shooter’s night on both sides, a little bit of a strange game,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “But I did like the way we capitalized late. ... We are fortunate to be 6-0. The guys realize that. We are still trying to improve.”

The Avalanche's winning streak, which includes the last 11 road games of last season, topped the previous mark of 14 set by Buffalo bridging the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons. They also matched the 2013-14 team for the best start (6-0-0) since moving to Colorado before the 1995-96 season — one win behind the 1985-86 Quebec Nordiques for tops in franchise history.

“We had a lot of chances and we were rewarded with a team win," Colton said. “This was another step in the right direction. For us, it’s all about focus.”

Cal Clutterbuck had a goal and an assist, Kyle Palmieri and Simon Holmstrom also scored, and Noah Dobson and Jean-Gabriel Pageau each had two assists as the Islanders lost their third straight (0-2-1). Ilya Sorokin finished with 34 saves.

“Down one with a minute left,” Anders Lee said, “that’s a good hockey team over there and we did a lot of things tonight that were good but not enough obviously.”

Lee&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nhl.com/video/col-nyi-lee-scores-goal-against-avalanche-6339807863112">tied the score 4-4 early in the third period</a>&nbsp;with a persistent effort. After getting knocked down by Johansen in the offensive zone and losing the puck, the Islanders' captain got up, stole the puck back from Johansen, skated to the high slot and fired a shot past Georgiev for his first of the season at 4:40.

Rantanen then gave the Avalanche their fourth lead of the night as he beat Sorokin from the right circle and for his team-high fifth of the season with 7:47 remaining.

Johansen&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nhl.com/video/col-nyi-johansen-scores-goal-against-islanders-6339812121112">got an empty-netter</a>&nbsp;with 1 minute to go and Colton got credit for another with 31 seconds left when Brock Nelson's backward pass off a faceoff went all the way down the ice into the open net.

“We were not perfect but our confidence is growing as a group," Johansen said. “We can execute better and we will keep working on sharpening that up.”

Trailing 2-1 after 20 minutes, the Islanders tied it early in the second period as Palmieri got a pass down low from Mathew Barzal, skated toward the middle in front of Georgiev, turned a fired a shot past the goalie for his second at 2:56. It was the Islanders' second goal on 12 power plays this season.

Holmstrom then put the Islanders ahead at 4:05 as he beat Georgiev from the left circle for his first.

The Avalanche took the lead with two goals in an 11-second span in the final minute of the period. First, Byram fired a shot from up high between the circles through traffic with 42 seconds remaining. MacKinnon then put Colorado ahead when he beat Sorokin from the left circle.

“The meat of the second period was great, bad minute in the end,” Lee said. “Couple of bad bounces and they buried their shots.”

The Avalanche outshot the Islanders 17-6 in the opening period and got on the scoreboard first just 21 seconds into their first power play of the night. Johansen got a cross-ice pass from Rantanen and scored on a one-timer from the left circle at 5:19 of the first period for his third of the season.

The Islanders tied it just past the midpoint of the period as Clutterbuck deflected Dobson's shot from center point past Georgiev for his first of the season.

Makar put the Avalanche back ahead as he skated into the left circle and put a backhander past Sorokin for his third with 7:08 left in the opening period.

Nichushkin extended his point streak to five games (one goal, five assists). ... Rantanen pushed his point streak to four games (three goals, five assists). ... Dobson has a four-game point streak (one goal, four assists).

Avalanche: At Pittsburgh on Thursday night in the second of a three-game trip.

Islanders: Host Ottawa on Thursday night to wrap up a two-game homestand.

By VIN A. CHERWOO AP Sports WriterEven when they're not playing their best, the Colorado Avalanche find ways to keep winning.Mikko Rantanen scored the tiebreaking goal in the third period and had three assists as the Avalanche beat the New York Islanders 7-4 on Tuesday night for their NHL-record 15th straight road win.Ryan Johansen scored twice, Cale Makar had a goal and an assist, and Bowen Byram, Nathan MacKinnon and Ross Colton also scored for Colorado, which won its sixth straight to open the season. Valeri Nichushkin had two assists, and Alexandar Georgiev stopped 27 shots to also improve to 6-0-0 this season.After&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nhl.com/video/col-nyi-rantanen-scores-goal-against-islanders-6339807867112">Rantanen put the Avalanche ahead</a>&nbsp;with under eight minutes remaining, they sealed the win with two empty-net goals in the final minute.“It was a shooter’s night on both sides, a little bit of a strange game,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “But I did like the way we capitalized late. ... We are fortunate to be 6-0. The guys realize that. We are still trying to improve.”The Avalanche's winning streak, which includes the last 11 road games of last season, topped the previous mark of 14 set by Buffalo bridging the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons. They also matched the 2013-14 team for the best start (6-0-0) since moving to Colorado before the 1995-96 season — one win behind the 1985-86 Quebec Nordiques for tops in franchise history.“We had a lot of chances and we were rewarded with a team win," Colton said. “This was another step in the right direction. For us, it’s all about focus.”Cal Clutterbuck had a goal and an assist, Kyle Palmieri and Simon Holmstrom also scored, and Noah Dobson and Jean-Gabriel Pageau each had two assists as the Islanders lost their third straight (0-2-1). Ilya Sorokin finished with 34 saves.“Down one with a minute left,” Anders Lee said, “that’s a good hockey team over there and we did a lot of things tonight that were good but not enough obviously.”Lee&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nhl.com/video/col-nyi-lee-scores-goal-against-avalanche-6339807863112">tied the score 4-4 early in the third period</a>&nbsp;with a persistent effort. After getting knocked down by Johansen in the offensive zone and losing the puck, the Islanders' captain got up, stole the puck back from Johansen, skated to the high slot and fired a shot past Georgiev for his first of the season at 4:40.Rantanen then gave the Avalanche their fourth lead of the night as he beat Sorokin from the right circle and for his team-high fifth of the season with 7:47 remaining.Johansen&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nhl.com/video/col-nyi-johansen-scores-goal-against-islanders-6339812121112">got an empty-netter</a>&nbsp;with 1 minute to go and Colton got credit for another with 31 seconds left when Brock Nelson's backward pass off a faceoff went all the way down the ice into the open net.“We were not perfect but our confidence is growing as a group," Johansen said. “We can execute better and we will keep working on sharpening that up.”Trailing 2-1 after 20 minutes, the Islanders tied it early in the second period as Palmieri got a pass down low from Mathew Barzal, skated toward the middle in front of Georgiev, turned a fired a shot past the goalie for his second at 2:56. It was the Islanders' second goal on 12 power plays this season.Holmstrom then put the Islanders ahead at 4:05 as he beat Georgiev from the left circle for his first.The Avalanche took the lead with two goals in an 11-second span in the final minute of the period. First, Byram fired a shot from up high between the circles through traffic with 42 seconds remaining. MacKinnon then put Colorado ahead when he beat Sorokin from the left circle.“The meat of the second period was great, bad minute in the end,” Lee said. “Couple of bad bounces and they buried their shots.”The Avalanche outshot the Islanders 17-6 in the opening period and got on the scoreboard first just 21 seconds into their first power play of the night. Johansen got a cross-ice pass from Rantanen and scored on a one-timer from the left circle at 5:19 of the first period for his third of the season.The Islanders tied it just past the midpoint of the period as Clutterbuck deflected Dobson's shot from center point past Georgiev for his first of the season.Makar put the Avalanche back ahead as he skated into the left circle and put a backhander past Sorokin for his third with 7:08 left in the opening period.STREAKSNichushkin extended his point streak to five games (one goal, five assists). ... Rantanen pushed his point streak to four games (three goals, five assists). ... Dobson has a four-game point streak (one goal, four assists).UP NEXTAvalanche: At Pittsburgh on Thursday night in the second of a three-game trip.Islanders: Host Ottawa on Thursday night to wrap up a two-game homestand.

Rantanen has goal, 3 assists as Avalanche beat Islanders 7-4 for record 15th straight road win

Video provided by NU Athletic Communications

Video provided by NU Athletic Communications <div><iframe src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/players/zwD7S5Gq-Qhb3tgnY.html" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" title="?️ Week 8 Volleyball Presser W Coach Cook Nebraska Volleyball" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

Coach Cook speaks with the media following practice

Lincoln&nbsp;- In a low-scoring Big Ten slugfest dominated by the defenses, Heinrich Haarberg's 44-yard touchdown strike to freshman wide receiver Malachi Coleman on Nebraska's first offensive play of the fourth quarter provided the winning margin in a 17-9 Husker victory over Northwestern on Saturday.

Playing in front of 86,769 fans in the 100th anniversary celebration of Memorial Stadium, Nebraska improved to 4-3 and 2-2 in the Big Ten, while dropping Northwestern to 3-4 and 1-3 in the conference.

Nebraska won despite managing just 248 total yards and committing a pair of first-quarter turnovers. The Huskers rushed for 163 yards on 39 carries and went just 8-for-17 passing for 85 yards.&nbsp;

Northwestern moved for 257 total yards, including 176 yards on 12-of-23 passing with one interception, while managing just 81 rushing yards on 39 carries. The Cats also produced just nine first downs in the game, compared to 17 for the Huskers.

The Blackshirts held the Wildcats to minus-5 rushing yards on 18 second-half carries by recording 13 tackles for loss - Nebraska's most since producing 13 TFL against Illinois in 2019.

Nebraska also played cleaner football than Northwestern, committing just three penalties for 30 yards, while the normally disciplined Cats were flagged eight times for 75 yards.&nbsp;

The Huskers trailed early after Haarberg through an interception on Nebraska's first play from scrimmage to open the game. Devin Turner intercepted the pass to set the Wildcats up with a short field at the Husker 44.

The Blackshirts rose to the challenge and pushed Northwestern back across midfield, but the first seven minutes of the game was played on Nebraska's side of the field.&nbsp;

The Wildcats finally cashed in when Haarberg was intercepted by Rod Heard, who returned it 10 yards to the Nebraska 13. The Blackshirts rose up again, shoving Northwestern back 14 yards to force a 45-yard field goal attempt by Jack Olsen, who connected with the wind at his back to give the Cats a 3-0 lead with 7:18 left in the first quarter.

Haarberg and the Huskers then found an answer by marching 35 yards in nine plays capped by Tristan Alvano's 47-yard field goal against the wind to tie the score at 3-3 with 3:11 left in the period.

Midway through the second quarter, Northwestern put together its only sustained drive of the first half, covering 73 yards in 10 plays, capped by Olsen's 37-yard field goal to regain a three-point lead at 6-3 with 5:48 remaining in the half.

Haarberg and the Huskers rallied for an answer again with a 10-play drive of their own that covered 77 yards and took 5:18. Freshman running back Emmett Johnson carried four times on the drive for 25 yards, while Haarberg capped a drive that featured three of his own runs for a total of 25 yards, with a three-yard touchdown plunge to put the Big Red on top for the first time at 10-6 with 23 seconds left in the half.

Johnson finished the day with a game-high 73 rushing yards on 12 carries, while Haarberg added 72 yards on 16 carries.

Northwestern tried to find an answer in short order, but Tommi Hill closed a strong defensive performance by the Blackshirts with his second interception of the season.

The defenses continued to dominate in a scoreless third quarter, before the Husker offense opened the fourth quarter with a short field. On Nebraska's first play from scrimmage in the period, Haarberg hit Coleman with the long touchdown strike in the middle of the end zone to give the Huskers a 17-6 lead.

Northwestern refused to quit, answering with a 66-yard pass from Brendan Sullivan to Bryce Kirtz. Malcolm Hartzog made a touchdown-saving tackle at the Northwestern 9, and the Blackshirts responded by keeping the Cats out of the end zone again. Olsen salvaged a 25-yard field goal to pull Northwestern within 17-9 with 11:09 left.

The Blackshirts did the rest, putting the exclamation point on the victory with a massive 16-yard sack by Jimari Butler and Ty Robinson at the Northwestern 14.

Defensive tackle Nash Hutmacher led a hard-hitting, aggressive Blackshirt defense with seven tackles, including 2.5 sacks. Isaac Gifford added seven stops of his own, including a highlight reel tackle on the edge through a pair of blockers on a Northwestern screen pass.

Princewill Umanmielen also secured seven tackles, including a pair for losses, while Butler and Luke Reimer each notched six tackles.

Nebraska returns to Memorial Stadium next Saturday to play host to Purdue. Kick-off with the Boilermakers in Lincoln is set for 2:30 p.m. with live television coverage on FS1.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsLincoln&nbsp;- In a low-scoring Big Ten slugfest dominated by the defenses, Heinrich Haarberg's 44-yard touchdown strike to freshman wide receiver Malachi Coleman on Nebraska's first offensive play of the fourth quarter provided the winning margin in a 17-9 Husker victory over Northwestern on Saturday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697983162710.jpeg" alt="Photo by Nebraska Athletic Department Communications" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Nebraska Athletic Department Communications</figcaption>
 </figure>Playing in front of 86,769 fans in the 100th anniversary celebration of Memorial Stadium, Nebraska improved to 4-3 and 2-2 in the Big Ten, while dropping Northwestern to 3-4 and 1-3 in the conference.Nebraska won despite managing just 248 total yards and committing a pair of first-quarter turnovers. The Huskers rushed for 163 yards on 39 carries and went just 8-for-17 passing for 85 yards.&nbsp;Northwestern moved for 257 total yards, including 176 yards on 12-of-23 passing with one interception, while managing just 81 rushing yards on 39 carries. The Cats also produced just nine first downs in the game, compared to 17 for the Huskers.The Blackshirts held the Wildcats to minus-5 rushing yards on 18 second-half carries by recording 13 tackles for loss - Nebraska's most since producing 13 TFL against Illinois in 2019.Nebraska also played cleaner football than Northwestern, committing just three penalties for 30 yards, while the normally disciplined Cats were flagged eight times for 75 yards.&nbsp;The Huskers trailed early after Haarberg through an interception on Nebraska's first play from scrimmage to open the game. Devin Turner intercepted the pass to set the Wildcats up with a short field at the Husker 44.The Blackshirts rose to the challenge and pushed Northwestern back across midfield, but the first seven minutes of the game was played on Nebraska's side of the field.&nbsp;The Wildcats finally cashed in when Haarberg was intercepted by Rod Heard, who returned it 10 yards to the Nebraska 13. The Blackshirts rose up again, shoving Northwestern back 14 yards to force a 45-yard field goal attempt by Jack Olsen, who connected with the wind at his back to give the Cats a 3-0 lead with 7:18 left in the first quarter.Haarberg and the Huskers then found an answer by marching 35 yards in nine plays capped by Tristan Alvano's 47-yard field goal against the wind to tie the score at 3-3 with 3:11 left in the period.Midway through the second quarter, Northwestern put together its only sustained drive of the first half, covering 73 yards in 10 plays, capped by Olsen's 37-yard field goal to regain a three-point lead at 6-3 with 5:48 remaining in the half.Haarberg and the Huskers rallied for an answer again with a 10-play drive of their own that covered 77 yards and took 5:18. Freshman running back Emmett Johnson carried four times on the drive for 25 yards, while Haarberg capped a drive that featured three of his own runs for a total of 25 yards, with a three-yard touchdown plunge to put the Big Red on top for the first time at 10-6 with 23 seconds left in the half.Johnson finished the day with a game-high 73 rushing yards on 12 carries, while Haarberg added 72 yards on 16 carries.Northwestern tried to find an answer in short order, but Tommi Hill closed a strong defensive performance by the Blackshirts with his second interception of the season.The defenses continued to dominate in a scoreless third quarter, before the Husker offense opened the fourth quarter with a short field. On Nebraska's first play from scrimmage in the period, Haarberg hit Coleman with the long touchdown strike in the middle of the end zone to give the Huskers a 17-6 lead.Northwestern refused to quit, answering with a 66-yard pass from Brendan Sullivan to Bryce Kirtz. Malcolm Hartzog made a touchdown-saving tackle at the Northwestern 9, and the Blackshirts responded by keeping the Cats out of the end zone again. Olsen salvaged a 25-yard field goal to pull Northwestern within 17-9 with 11:09 left.The Blackshirts did the rest, putting the exclamation point on the victory with a massive 16-yard sack by Jimari Butler and Ty Robinson at the Northwestern 14.Defensive tackle Nash Hutmacher led a hard-hitting, aggressive Blackshirt defense with seven tackles, including 2.5 sacks. Isaac Gifford added seven stops of his own, including a highlight reel tackle on the edge through a pair of blockers on a Northwestern screen pass.Princewill Umanmielen also secured seven tackles, including a pair for losses, while Butler and Luke Reimer each notched six tackles.Nebraska returns to Memorial Stadium next Saturday to play host to Purdue. Kick-off with the Boilermakers in Lincoln is set for 2:30 p.m. with live television coverage on FS1.

Huskers shut down Wildcats 17-9 

The bling and the banner were nice. What the Denver Nuggets really relished, though, was opening defense of the franchise's first NBA title with a 119-107 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.

“We can't think about last year too much,” Jamal Murray said after the Nuggets followed the raising of their championship banner by dropping the hammer on the Lakers in the NBA's season opener, which featured Nikola Jokic's triple-double and LeBron James taking a few more breathers than normal.

Jokic said the Nuggets fed off the emotion from the pregame ceremony to jump out to an early 18-point lead, which held up even after the Lakers got within three points in the fourth quarter.

“I think we controlled the game the whole time,” said Jokic, who had 29 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists.

Murray added 21 points, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 20, Aaron Gordon had 15 and Michael Porter Jr. had 12.

All of LA's starters also scored in double figures, led by James' 21 points in 29 minutes — his playing time is being monitored at the start of his 21st season.

“It helps,” Murray said with a smile.

James ended up playing about five fewer minutes than he's used to.

“I mean, I always want to be on the floor,” James said, “especially when you got an opportunity to win a game or feel like you can make an impact. But I guess there's a system in place and I'll follow it.”

James, the league's oldest player at age 38, stressed, “I'm not surprised or upset” about the Lakers monitoring his minutes as the season gets going.

Taurean Prince scored 18 points his his debut for the Lakers, his fifth team in nine seasons. Anthony Davis had 17 points, Austin Reaves 14 and D'Angelo Russell 11.

The Lakers trailed by 18 early but trimmed that deficit to 63-54 at halftime and used a 13-0 run spanning the third and fourth quarters to pull within 87-84 before Aaron Gordon stopped the run with a 3-pointer.

After James' basket got Los Angeles within 103-96 with just over five minutes remaining, the Nuggets called timeout and came out of it with a 10-3 run featuring 3-pointers by Murray and Porter to put the Lakers away.

“We were trending in the right direction for a while there,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “Each quarter we had given up less and less and then they just kind of blew the game open.”

The Nuggets received their&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/nuggets/status/1716954856705937464?s=20">gold, diamond-encrusted championship rings</a>&nbsp;— featuring a mini championship banner that rolls out from one side — in a pregame ceremony. Murray, wearing a microphone, told teammate Gordon, “I might play the first quarter with it!”

Nuggets coach Michael Malone relished one last hurrah over last season's breakthrough before turning his attention entirely to this season.

“Jason of Beverly Hills, I want to thank them for some&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/nuggets/status/1716956894169063919?s=20">really nice hardware</a>. And then at that point, I was like, ‘Let’s get the game going,'" Malone said of watching the banner rise to rafters at sold-out, shaking Ball Arena.

“And I was also thinking about my father, just wish he was here.”

Brendan Malone, the longtime coach and driving force behind the Detroit Pistons “Bad Boys” defenses in the late 1980s and early ’90s, died earlier this month at age 81.

“So, a lot of emotions tonight but all really positive,” Malone said, “and to end it with a win is a great way to start the season off.”

The Nuggets went 16-4 in the playoffs — including a sweep of the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals — and finished things off by closing out Miami in five games to start a summer of celebrations from Denver's delirious downtown to Jokic's hometown of Sombor, Serbia.

Jokic may have followed up back-to-back MVP seasons by leading the Nuggets to their first NBA title, but TNT left him off its graphic promoting its opening-night doubleheader featuring the Lakers-Nuggets and Suns-Warriors games.

The graphic featured LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Jayson Tatum — the last an odd choice given that the Celtics don't play until Wednesday night. The slight upset Charles Barkley, the co-host of TNT's “Inside the NBA,” who apologized to the Nuggets and their fans for the omission.

That said, Barkley opined in a pregame interview that he thinks the Nuggets will have a tough time repeating.

“I think they're in the mix. I'm a big Bruce Brown fan,” Barkley said of the starting small forward who signed a two-year, $45 million contract with the Indiana Pacers following Denver's title run. “They gotta replace him and the young guys gotta come on, and they're going to have to adjust to being the hunted."

The bling and the banner were nice. What the Denver Nuggets really relished, though, was opening defense of the franchise's first NBA title with a 119-107 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.“We can't think about last year too much,” Jamal Murray said after the Nuggets followed the raising of their championship banner by dropping the hammer on the Lakers in the NBA's season opener, which featured Nikola Jokic's triple-double and LeBron James taking a few more breathers than normal.Jokic said the Nuggets fed off the emotion from the pregame ceremony to jump out to an early 18-point lead, which held up even after the Lakers got within three points in the fourth quarter.“I think we controlled the game the whole time,” said Jokic, who had 29 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists.Murray added 21 points, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 20, Aaron Gordon had 15 and Michael Porter Jr. had 12.All of LA's starters also scored in double figures, led by James' 21 points in 29 minutes — his playing time is being monitored at the start of his 21st season.“It helps,” Murray said with a smile.James ended up playing about five fewer minutes than he's used to.“I mean, I always want to be on the floor,” James said, “especially when you got an opportunity to win a game or feel like you can make an impact. But I guess there's a system in place and I'll follow it.”James, the league's oldest player at age 38, stressed, “I'm not surprised or upset” about the Lakers monitoring his minutes as the season gets going.Taurean Prince scored 18 points his his debut for the Lakers, his fifth team in nine seasons. Anthony Davis had 17 points, Austin Reaves 14 and D'Angelo Russell 11.The Lakers trailed by 18 early but trimmed that deficit to 63-54 at halftime and used a 13-0 run spanning the third and fourth quarters to pull within 87-84 before Aaron Gordon stopped the run with a 3-pointer.The Lakers never got closer.After James' basket got Los Angeles within 103-96 with just over five minutes remaining, the Nuggets called timeout and came out of it with a 10-3 run featuring 3-pointers by Murray and Porter to put the Lakers away.“We were trending in the right direction for a while there,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “Each quarter we had given up less and less and then they just kind of blew the game open.”The Nuggets received their&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/nuggets/status/1716954856705937464?s=20">gold, diamond-encrusted championship rings</a>&nbsp;— featuring a mini championship banner that rolls out from one side — in a pregame ceremony. Murray, wearing a microphone, told teammate Gordon, “I might play the first quarter with it!”Nuggets coach Michael Malone relished one last hurrah over last season's breakthrough before turning his attention entirely to this season.“Jason of Beverly Hills, I want to thank them for some&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/nuggets/status/1716956894169063919?s=20">really nice hardware</a>. And then at that point, I was like, ‘Let’s get the game going,'" Malone said of watching the banner rise to rafters at sold-out, shaking Ball Arena.“And I was also thinking about my father, just wish he was here.”Brendan Malone, the longtime coach and driving force behind the Detroit Pistons “Bad Boys” defenses in the late 1980s and early ’90s, died earlier this month at age 81.“So, a lot of emotions tonight but all really positive,” Malone said, “and to end it with a win is a great way to start the season off.”The Nuggets went 16-4 in the playoffs — including a sweep of the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals — and finished things off by closing out Miami in five games to start a summer of celebrations from Denver's delirious downtown to Jokic's hometown of Sombor, Serbia.JOKIC SNUBBED AND PRAISEDJokic may have followed up back-to-back MVP seasons by leading the Nuggets to their first NBA title, but TNT left him off its graphic promoting its opening-night doubleheader featuring the Lakers-Nuggets and Suns-Warriors games.The graphic featured LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Jayson Tatum — the last an odd choice given that the Celtics don't play until Wednesday night. The slight upset Charles Barkley, the co-host of TNT's “Inside the NBA,” who apologized to the Nuggets and their fans for the omission.That said, Barkley opined in a pregame interview that he thinks the Nuggets will have a tough time repeating.“I think they're in the mix. I'm a big Bruce Brown fan,” Barkley said of the starting small forward who signed a two-year, $45 million contract with the Indiana Pacers following Denver's title run. “They gotta replace him and the young guys gotta come on, and they're going to have to adjust to being the hunted."

Nuggets celebrate first NBA championship with banner, rings and 119-107 win over the Lakers

Ratings comments:&nbsp;Lincoln Southwest won the HAC Tournament and stays second, but the big mover is Papillion-La Vista who jumps from sixth to fourth after winning the Metro Conference tournament over Omaha Westside and defeating No. 1 Papillion-La Vista South in the semifinals. Districts begin on Tuesday.

Receiving votes:&nbsp;Beatrice (18-10), RV; Gering (19-9), NR; Omaha Duchesne Academy (15-11), NR.

Ratings comments:&nbsp;Not a lot of games here to review in the final week of the season. Skutt cruised to the River Cities Conference title, while Norris took a 3-1 win over Lincoln Lutheran to end the season. Sub-districts are Tuesday and Wednesday before Saturday’s district final round.

Receiving Votes:&nbsp;Ogallala (24-9), 10; Wahoo (22-10), RV.

Ratings comments:&nbsp;Pierce replaces Ogallala in the final regular season poll in a class that is very strong all top-to-bottom. Gothenburg has lost to Minden twice, but took a set in the Southwest Conference tournament. Platteview jumps past GICC this week.

Receiving votes:&nbsp;&nbsp;Thayer Central (25-3), NR; Hastings St. Cecilia (20-11), RV.&nbsp;

Ratings comments:&nbsp;This late in the season, sometimes teams get analyzed a bit more. Yutan, undefeated in Class C-2, jumps to No. 3 this week. Elmwood-Murdock jumps past Bergan after a win over Freeman. Still no room for Bayard to jump or Thayer Central to get in the ratings.

Receiving votes:&nbsp;Burwell (21-7), RV; Pleasanton (20-9), RV.

Ratings comments:&nbsp;This class has been musical chairs of late and Southwest will take the top ranking into the postseason after winning the RPAC Tournament, coupled with GACC’s loss to Pierce in the Mid-States final.

Receiving votes:&nbsp;Howells-Dodge (15-12), RV; Sandhills/Thedford (23-6), 10.

Ratings comments:&nbsp;Overton lost to Class C-1, No. 3 Kearney Catholic and Cambridge to Class D-1, No. 1 Southwest but are not penalized. Meridian won the Crossroads Tournament, but then lost to HTRS which brings them into the rankings at No. 7 and drops Shelton, Central Valley and Leyton.

<h2>CLASS A</h2><ol>
 <li><a href="https://nebpreps.com/papillion-la-vista-south-claims-allison-weston-invitational-title/" target="_blank">Papillion-La Vista South</a>&nbsp;(33-1), 1</li><li>Lincoln Southwest (28-4), 2</li><li>Lincoln East (25-10), 3</li><li><a href="https://hurrdatsports.com/preps-volleyball/papillion-la-vista-sweeps-omaha-westside-to-win-metro-conference-tournament/" target="_blank">Papillion-La Vista (23-14), 6</a></li><li>Omaha Westside (23-10), 4</li><li><a href="https://hurrdatsports.com/featured/gritty-islanders/" target="_blank">Grand Island (24-8), 5</a></li><li>Millard West (20-12), 7</li><li>Lincoln Pius X (21-10), 8</li><li>Bellevue West (27-9), 10</li><li>Gretna (24-12), 9&nbsp;</li>
 </ol>Receiving votes:&nbsp;none.Ratings comments:&nbsp;Lincoln Southwest won the HAC Tournament and stays second, but the big mover is Papillion-La Vista who jumps from sixth to fourth after winning the Metro Conference tournament over Omaha Westside and defeating No. 1 Papillion-La Vista South in the semifinals. Districts begin on Tuesday.<h2>CLASS B</h2><ol>
 <li>Omaha Skutt (21-13), 1</li><li><a href="https://hurrdatsports.com/preps-volleyball/no-3-norris-sweeps-no-2-elkhorn-north-in-regular-season-rubber-match/" target="_blank">Norris (29-3), 2</a></li><li><a href="https://nebpreps.com/wolves-top-badgers-in-top-five-conference-clash/" target="_blank">Elkhorn North (25-7), 3</a></li><li><a href="https://nebpreps.com/huskers-commit-olivia-mauch-leads-bennington-to-9-0-start/" target="_blank">Bennington (26-6), 4</a></li><li>Waverly (21-9), 5</li><li>Gretna East (24-9), 6</li><li>Crete (21-12), 7</li><li>Scottsbluff (23-9), 8</li><li>Northwest (19-12), 9</li><li>Seward (24-7), 10</li>
 </ol>Receiving votes:&nbsp;Beatrice (18-10), RV; Gering (19-9), NR; Omaha Duchesne Academy (15-11), NR.Ratings comments:&nbsp;Not a lot of games here to review in the final week of the season. Skutt cruised to the River Cities Conference title, while Norris took a 3-1 win over Lincoln Lutheran to end the season. Sub-districts are Tuesday and Wednesday before Saturday’s district final round.<h2>CLASS C-1</h2><ol>
 <li>Minden (31-0), 1</li><li>Gothenburg (29-2), 2</li><li>Kearney Catholic (27-2), 3</li><li>Platteview (22-7), 5</li><li>GICC (23-3), 4</li><li>DC West (25-4), 6</li><li>Malcolm (24-4), 7</li><li>Syracuse (24-7), 8</li><li>Hastings Adams Central (21-6), 9</li><li>Pierce (27-3), RV</li>
 </ol>Receiving Votes:&nbsp;Ogallala (24-9), 10; Wahoo (22-10), RV.Ratings comments:&nbsp;Pierce replaces Ogallala in the final regular season poll in a class that is very strong all top-to-bottom. Gothenburg has lost to Minden twice, but took a set in the Southwest Conference tournament. Platteview jumps past GICC this week.<h2>CLASS C-2</h2><ol>
 <li>Lincoln Lutheran (30-2), 1</li><li>Clarkson/Leigh (29-1), 2</li><li>Yutan (23-3), 5</li><li>Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family (26-5), 3</li><li>Oakland-Craig (26-6), 4</li><li>Elmwood-Murdock (23-5), 7</li><li>Fremont Bergan (23-10), 6</li><li>Freeman (22-5), 8</li><li>Bayard (28-0), 9</li><li>Stanton (22-8), 10</li>
 </ol>Receiving votes:&nbsp;&nbsp;Thayer Central (25-3), NR; Hastings St. Cecilia (20-11), RV.&nbsp;Ratings comments:&nbsp;This late in the season, sometimes teams get analyzed a bit more. Yutan, undefeated in Class C-2, jumps to No. 3 this week. Elmwood-Murdock jumps past Bergan after a win over Freeman. Still no room for Bayard to jump or Thayer Central to get in the ratings.<h2>CLASS D-1</h2><ol>
 <li>Southwest (26-3), 3</li><li>West Point Guardian Angels Central Catholic (22-5), 1</li><li>Amherst (21-7), 2</li><li>Sumner-Eddyville-Miller (24-4), 4</li><li>O’Neill St. Mary’s (27-1), 5</li><li>Elgin Public/Pope John (24-5), 6</li><li>Bruning-Davenport/Shickley (24-4), 7</li><li>Nebraska Christian (22-6), 8</li><li>Johnson-Brock (21-6), 9</li><li>Deshler (25-3), 10</li>
 </ol>Receiving votes:&nbsp;Burwell (21-7), RV; Pleasanton (20-9), RV.Ratings comments:&nbsp;This class has been musical chairs of late and Southwest will take the top ranking into the postseason after winning the RPAC Tournament, coupled with GACC’s loss to Pierce in the Mid-States final.<h2>CLASS D-2</h2><ol>
 <li>Overton (27-2), 1</li><li>Cambridge (23-4), 2</li><li>Wynot (22-6), 3</li><li>Stuart (24-4), 4</li><li>Meridian (21-5), 5</li><li>Wallace (26-3), 6</li><li>Humboldt-Table Rock-Steinauer (20-9), RV</li><li>Shelton (20-9), 7</li><li>Central Valley (20-8), 8</li><li>Leyton (24-6), 9</li>
 </ol>Receiving votes:&nbsp;Howells-Dodge (15-12), RV; Sandhills/Thedford (23-6), 10.Ratings comments:&nbsp;Overton lost to Class C-1, No. 3 Kearney Catholic and Cambridge to Class D-1, No. 1 Southwest but are not penalized. Meridian won the Crossroads Tournament, but then lost to HTRS which brings them into the rankings at No. 7 and drops Shelton, Central Valley and Leyton.

Volleyball coaches poll for week of 10-23

BDS def. Deshler, 25-21, 25-22, 25-15 (3-0)

Bayard def. Perkins County, 25-22, 26-24, 25-20 (3-0)

Bellevue West def. Bellevue East, 25-10, 25-14, 25-12 (3-0)

Bennington def. Gretna East, 25-14, 25-20, 22-25, 25-20 (3-1)

Blair def. Schuyler, 25-16, 25-9, 25-21 (3-0)

Blair def. South Sioux City, 25-16, 25-21, 25-22 (3-0)

Burwell def. Fullerton, 16-25, 25-12, 25-18, 26-24 (3-1)

Cambridge def. Overton, 25-23, 15-25, 22-25, 25-23, 15-8 (3-2)

Centennial def. Fairbury, 26-24, 16-25, 15-25, 25-20, 15-8 (3-2)

Central Valley def. Humphrey St. Francis, 25-20, 26-24, 25-23 (3-0)

Chadron def. Gordon-Rushville, 25-18, 25-19, 25-10 (3-0)

Clarkson/Leigh def. Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family, 25-27, 25-14, 25-12, 25-18 (3-1)

Columbus def. Omaha Marian, 25-20, 25-21, 25-21 (3-0)

Crete def. Beatrice, 24-26, 25-18, 23-25, 25-23, 15-10 (3-2)

Crofton def. Cedar Catholic, 21-25, 25-13, 22-25, 25-16, 16-14 (3-2)

Douglas County West def. Omaha Concordia, 19-25, 25-20, 25-20, 25-17 (3-1)

Elkhorn North def. Elkhorn, 25-5, 25-8, 25-11 (3-0)

Elkhorn South def. Lincoln North Star, 25-20, 23-25, 27-29, 25-20, 15-11 (3-2)

Freeman def. Johnson County Central, 25-16, 25-18, 25-13 (3-0)

Gering def. Alliance, 25-18, 21-25, 18-25, 25-17, 15-8 (3-2)

Gothenburg def. Ogallala, 25-12, 26-24, 25-21 (3-0)

Grand Island Central Catholic def. Adams Central, 22-25, 25-22, 25-22, 25-21 (3-1)

Grand Island def. Omaha Northwest, 25-9, 25-15, 25-19 (3-0)

Gretna def. Omaha Central, 25-18, 25-20, 25-10 (3-0)

Guardian Angels Central Catholic def. Pender, 25-9, 25-14, 25-13 (3-0)

Hastings def. McCook, 23-25, 19-25, 25-19, 25-16, 15-7 (3-2)

Hay Springs def. Cody-Kilgore, 25-21, 25-19, 26-24 (3-0)

Howells-Dodge def. Mead, 25-19, 25-16, 21-25, 25-20 (3-1)

Humboldt-Table Rock-Steinauer def. Falls City Sacred Heart, 26-24, 25-17, 24-26, 25-22 (3-1)

Johnson-Brock def. Diller-Odell, 25-17, 19-25, 17-25, 25-15, 19-17 (3-2)

Kearney Catholic def. Minden, 28-26, 16-25, 17-25, 25-23, 15-8 (3-2)

Kenesaw def. Silver Lake, 25-16, 25-14, 25-17 (3-0)

Leyton def. Potter-Dix, 25-12, 25-15, 25-15 (3-0)

Lincoln East def. Lincoln High, 25-20, 25-10, 25-10 (3-0)

Lincoln Lutheran def. Elmwood-Murdock, 25-18, 25-27, 25-9, 25-22 (3-1)

Lincoln Pius X def. Omaha Burke, 25-14, 25-14, 25-15 (3-0)

Lincoln Southwest def. Omaha North, 25-6, 25-5, 25-7 (3-0)

Malcolm def. Wahoo, 25-14, 25-23, 25-17 (3-0)

Maxwell def. North Platte St. Patrick's, 18-25, 25-21, 15-25, 25-15, 15-7 (3-2)

Meridian def. High Plains Community, 25-16, 25-13, 25-10 (3-0)

Millard North def. Lincoln Northeast, 23-25, 25-10, 25-20, 25-23 (3-1)

BDS def. Deshler, 25-21, 25-22, 25-15 (3-0)Bayard def. Perkins County, 25-22, 26-24, 25-20 (3-0)Bellevue West def. Bellevue East, 25-10, 25-14, 25-12 (3-0)Bennington def. Gretna East, 25-14, 25-20, 22-25, 25-20 (3-1)Blair def. Schuyler, 25-16, 25-9, 25-21 (3-0)Blair def. South Sioux City, 25-16, 25-21, 25-22 (3-0)Burwell def. Fullerton, 16-25, 25-12, 25-18, 26-24 (3-1)Cambridge def. Overton, 25-23, 15-25, 22-25, 25-23, 15-8 (3-2)Centennial def. Fairbury, 26-24, 16-25, 15-25, 25-20, 15-8 (3-2)Central Valley def. Humphrey St. Francis, 25-20, 26-24, 25-23 (3-0)Chadron def. Gordon-Rushville, 25-18, 25-19, 25-10 (3-0)Clarkson/Leigh def. Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family, 25-27, 25-14, 25-12, 25-18 (3-1)Columbus def. Omaha Marian, 25-20, 25-21, 25-21 (3-0)Crete def. Beatrice, 24-26, 25-18, 23-25, 25-23, 15-10 (3-2)Crofton def. Cedar Catholic, 21-25, 25-13, 22-25, 25-16, 16-14 (3-2)Douglas County West def. Omaha Concordia, 19-25, 25-20, 25-20, 25-17 (3-1)Elkhorn North def. Elkhorn, 25-5, 25-8, 25-11 (3-0)Elkhorn South def. Lincoln North Star, 25-20, 23-25, 27-29, 25-20, 15-11 (3-2)Freeman def. Johnson County Central, 25-16, 25-18, 25-13 (3-0)Gering def. Alliance, 25-18, 21-25, 18-25, 25-17, 15-8 (3-2)Gothenburg def. Ogallala, 25-12, 26-24, 25-21 (3-0)Grand Island Central Catholic def. Adams Central, 22-25, 25-22, 25-22, 25-21 (3-1)Grand Island def. Omaha Northwest, 25-9, 25-15, 25-19 (3-0)Gretna def. Omaha Central, 25-18, 25-20, 25-10 (3-0)Guardian Angels Central Catholic def. Pender, 25-9, 25-14, 25-13 (3-0)Hastings def. McCook, 23-25, 19-25, 25-19, 25-16, 15-7 (3-2)Hay Springs def. Cody-Kilgore, 25-21, 25-19, 26-24 (3-0)Howells-Dodge def. Mead, 25-19, 25-16, 21-25, 25-20 (3-1)Humboldt-Table Rock-Steinauer def. Falls City Sacred Heart, 26-24, 25-17, 24-26, 25-22 (3-1)Johnson-Brock def. Diller-Odell, 25-17, 19-25, 17-25, 25-15, 19-17 (3-2)Kearney Catholic def. Minden, 28-26, 16-25, 17-25, 25-23, 15-8 (3-2)Kenesaw def. Silver Lake, 25-16, 25-14, 25-17 (3-0)Leyton def. Potter-Dix, 25-12, 25-15, 25-15 (3-0)Lincoln East def. Lincoln High, 25-20, 25-10, 25-10 (3-0)Lincoln Lutheran def. Elmwood-Murdock, 25-18, 25-27, 25-9, 25-22 (3-1)Lincoln Pius X def. Omaha Burke, 25-14, 25-14, 25-15 (3-0)Lincoln Southwest def. Omaha North, 25-6, 25-5, 25-7 (3-0)Malcolm def. Wahoo, 25-14, 25-23, 25-17 (3-0)Maxwell def. North Platte St. Patrick's, 18-25, 25-21, 15-25, 25-15, 15-7 (3-2)Meridian def. High Plains Community, 25-16, 25-13, 25-10 (3-0)Millard North def. Lincoln Northeast, 23-25, 25-10, 25-20, 25-23 (3-1)Millard South def. Fremont, 25-15, 18-25, 25-22, 22-25, 18-16 (3-2)Millard West def. Norfolk, 25-9, 25-18, 25-20 (3-0)Nebraska Christian def. Shelby/Rising City, 25-9, 25-13, 23-25, 25-22 (3-1)Norris def. Crete, 25-18, 25-16, 25-19 (3-0)Northwest def. Lexington, 25-13, 25-9, 26-24 (3-0)Oakland-Craig def. Wakefield, 26-24, 25-17, 25-21 (3-0)Omaha Duchesne Academy def. Omaha Mercy, 25-12, 25-14, 25-17 (3-0)Omaha Skutt Catholic def. Ralston, 25-9, 25-10, 25-6 (3-0)Omaha Westside def. Kearney, 25-21, 25-12, 25-19 (3-0)Papillion-LaVista South def. North Platte, 25-6, 25-8, 25-12 (3-0)Papillion-LaVista def. Lincoln Southeast, 25-16, 25-13, 25-13 (3-0)Paxton def. Sutherland, 25-16, 25-10, 25-10 (3-0)Pierce def. Battle Creek, 25-15, 23-25, 25-16, 25-21 (3-1)Plainview def. Tri County Northeast, 25-14, 25-21, 25-19 (3-0)Platteview def. Ashland-Greenwood, 25-16, 25-23, 25-19 (3-0)Plattsmouth def. Nebraska City, 25-15, 25-11, 25-16 (3-0)Sandhills/Thedford def. Arthur County, 25-15, 22-25, 25-15, 25-18 (3-1)Scottsbluff def. Gering, 25-18, 25-23, 28-26 (3-0)Scotus Central Catholic def. David City, 19-25, 22-25, 25-16, 25-23, 15-8 (3-2)Seward def. York, 25-23, 25-17, 23-25, 25-19 (3-1)Shelton def. Lawrence-Nelson, 25-15, 25-14, 25-19 (3-0)Southern Valley def. Loomis, 25-16, 25-18, 25-22 (3-0)Southwest def. Maywood-Hayes Center, 25-17, 25-12, 25-20 (3-0)St. Mary's def. Elgin Public/Pope John, 25-18, 23-25, 25-18, 25-22 (3-1)Stuart def. Ansley-Litchfield, 25-18, 25-11, 25-12 (3-0)Summerland def. Stanton, 25-18, 26-24, 25-22 (3-0)Sumner-Eddyville-Miller def. Amherst, 25-23, 25-18, 25-20 (3-0)Syracuse def. Palmyra, 25-10, 25-13, 25-18 (3-0)Thayer Central def. Tri County, 25-22, 25-21, 25-22 (3-0)Wauneta-Palisade def. Medicine Valley, 19-25, 25-11, 25-22, 25-22 (3-1)Waverly def. Plattsmouth, 25-10, 25-12, 25-11 (3-0)West Holt def. Ainsworth, 25-21, 25-19, 25-17 (3-0)West Point-Beemer def. Logan View/Scribner-Snyder, 25-17, 25-23, 25-20 (3-0)Wood River def. Hastings St. Cecilia, 15-25, 25-17, 23-25, 25-22, 15-13 (3-2)Wynot def. Wausa, 25-23, 25-17, 13-25, 25-23 (3-1)York def. Lincoln Northwest, 25-11, 25-10, 25-19 (3-0)