Remember when the Nebraska volleyball team had a rare three-match losing streak, and a lot of problems with its offense?
Three weeks later, the Huskers (5-0) are alone at the top of the Big Ten Conference standings.
In a matchup of the teams tied for first place in the league Friday, No. 10 Nebraska beat No. 13 Penn State in four sets, 25-16, 22-25, 25-23, 25-17 in University Park, Pennsylvania.
It was Nebraska’s first match against a ranked Big Ten team this season, and the Huskers were up to the challenge. Nebraska used great serving for long stretches of the match and a balanced attack to snap Penn State’s six-match winning streak.
Nebraska coach John Cook said his team's serving made a big difference, especially against a team that has been strong in serve receive this season. The Huskers had eight aces and used serving to neutralize Penn State standout middle blocker Kaitlyn Hord, who still had 11 kills.
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“I kept telling them, ‘Attack with your serve,’†Cook said on the Nebraska Radio Network. “Eight aces against this team is a great effort on our part.â€
After COVID-19 spoiled the teams' scheduled meeting last season, the rich rivalry picked back up Friday. Remarkably, Nebraska has won 10 of the past 11 matches in the series.
Junior outside hitter Madi Kubik had 19 kills to lead the Huskers. After that three-match losing streak from Sept. 11-18, Cook locked down a starting lineup, and Kubik has played with more confidence since then. She’s led the Huskers in kills for five straight matches.
Nebraska’s once-struggling offense finished with 16 more kills than Penn State. Nebraska dominated Penn State in kills (62-46) ace serves (8-1) and digs (76-58).
It was a great match to play well in, and win, Cook said.
“Every point just felt like you were going to win or lose on every point,†he said.
One of the questions Friday was how Nebraska’s three freshman starters would handle their first big test on the road in the Big Ten. That was answered quickly.
Ally Batenhorst had a season-best 15 kills, including some big ones down the stretch in a pivotal third set, won by Nebraska to take a 2-1 match lead. Lindsay Krause had 11 kills. Libero Lexi Rodriguez had a match-high 19 digs, with Nebraska’s back-row defense again making some impressive saves.
Penn State-Nebraska matches often come down to outside hitters, and Nebraska had two good ones Friday in Kubik and Batenhorst.
“Those guys were taking big swings. I loved it,†Cook said. “They had an attack mode all night.â€
Keonilei Akana had four ace serves for the Huskers.
Kayla Caffey led Nebraska’s defense with seven blocks. She also had nine kills. Lauren Stivrins had eight kills on .467 hitting in her third match of the season.
Nicklin Hames, playing in her 100th career match, had a season-high 49 assists. She also had 12 digs three blocks and one ace serve.
Nebraska had a .244 hitting percentage and held Penn State to .176 hitting.
Of Nebraska’s seven best offensive matches of the season, five have come in the past three weeks.
“We haven’t been playing like this all year,†Cook said. “We have been building it the last three weeks, and it came out tonight. That was a great effort.â€
The end of the third set was the big moment of the match. Penn State made a late surge to tie the set at 23. But Nebraska won the next two points to win the set 25-23 and take a 2-1 match lead. Stivrins and Hames teamed up for a great kill, with Stivrins running a slide but not taking it all the way to the pin, catching the defense by surprise. Kubik had the set-point kill with a shot down the line.
Entering Friday, the Huskers had lost all three matches against ranked teams. That’s part of why the locker room was lively after Friday’s win.
“We lost to Utah, we lost to Stanford and we got smoked by Louisville,†Cook said. “So this is really our first big win. And we had three freshmen out there (in front of a hostile crowd). They got the men’s volleyball team standing right there talking to our servers and (outside hitters) and dressed up in goofy uniforms. So this is not an easy place to play. And I thought they handled it really well.â€
— Brent C. Wagner