Nebraska ends KU volleyball run in the Sweet 16
KU’s volleyball postseason run came to an end Friday night as the Jayhawks fell 3-0 to unbeaten Nebraska in the NCAA Volleyball Regional Semifinal at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
Kansas finished the season 24-11 overall and 13-5 in the Big 12 in its first year under head coach Matt Ulmer. The appearance marked the fourth Sweet 16 trip in program history. Nebraska improved to 33-0 on the season and advanced to face No. 3 seed Texas A&M in the Elite Eight on Sunday.
The Cornhuskers controlled the match from start to finish, hitting .450 with 41 kills, 10 blocks and just five attack errors. Rebekah Allick and Andi Jackson led Nebraska with nine kills apiece, while Reilly Bergen recorded 30 assists.
Kansas struggled to find rhythm offensively, hitting .029 as a team. Freshman Jovana Zelenovic led the Jayhawks with seven kills, while senior Katie Dalton added 11 assists.
Nebraska opened the match with a quick 4-0 run in the first set and never let Kansas settle in. Despite points from Selena Leban, Dalton and Rhian Swanson, the Cornhuskers steadily built their lead and claimed the opening set 25-12.
The second set followed a similar script. Kansas briefly cut the deficit behind points from Zelenovic, Reese Ptacek and Grace Nelson, but Nebraska responded with extended runs to pull away and win 25-11.
Nebraska remained in control early in the third set and continued to apply pressure at the net. The Cornhuskers hit .621 in the final frame and closed out the match with a 25-12 win.
