Nebraska opposite Merritt Beason and setter Bergen Reilly earn Big Ten Weekly awards
Nebraska volleyball is still raking in the Big Ten weekly awards. After defeating Penn State and Rutgers, Husker opposite hitter Merritt Beason and setter Bergen Reilly earned Big Ten awards.
The No. 1 Huskers took down No. 16 Penn State in five sets at Rec Hall on Friday (15-25, 23-25, 25-18, 25-20, 15-13). On Sunday, NU swept Rutgers in front of a record-breaking crowd in Rutgers’ gym (25-15, 25-20, 25-18).
Beason had two incredible matches to earn her the Big Ten Player of the Week. She has received this award four times this season.
Join HuskerOnline today and get your first month of a premium subscription for just $1!
She averaged seven kills per set and hit .447. The junior had a career-high 27 kills against the Nittany Lions. She hit .426 and added three blocks, one ace and five digs.
Beason followed it up with a 21-kill performance against Rutgers. She hit .475 and recorded nine digs, five blocks and one assist. The 6-foot-4 opposite took 94 swings in the two matches.
She was named the AVCA National Player of the Week earlier this season after 21 kills against a top-ranked Wisconsin team.
Three takes from No. 1 Nebraska volleyball willing a reverse sweep over No. 16 Penn State
Reilly earns fourth Big Ten Setter of the Week
Freshman Bergen Reilly was named the Big Ten Setter of the Week for the fourth time this season. She was also named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week twice.
Reilly led Nebraska to hit .287 against Penn State and .288 against Rutgers. The Huskers’ lowest hitting set was .211 in the second set against the Nittany Lions. However, their highest was the fourth set with a .400 hitting percentage and an 85 percent side-out rate.
The 6-foot-1 Reilly recorded 50 assists, five digs, one block and two kills on Friday night. Head Coach John Cook said Reilly enjoyed a “perfect” set five to take down Penn State in a rowdy environment.
Three takes from No. 1 Nebraska volleyball’s second sweep of Rutgers, tying NU undefeated streak
On Sunday, Reilly had 43 assists in the three-set match in Piscataway, New Jersey. That is her record for the highest number of sets in a three-set match. She added 12 digs and one block for her ninth double-double of the season.
Three of Nebraska’s hitters have earned a Big Ten weekly award. Harper Murray has been named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week three times, and Lindsay Krause was the Big Ten Player of the Week once. Reilly should be credited for putting her hitters in good positions to shine.
Next for the Huskers
Next up for Nebraska, its plays host to Northwestern on Wednesday, Nov. 8 at 7:00 p.m. CT at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The Huskers swept the Wildcats earlier this season 25-15, 25-16, 25-21 on the road.
Then Illinois travels to Lincoln to take on the Huskers for the first time this season on Sunday, Nov. 12 at 2:00 p.m.
Both matches will be on Nebraska Public Media and B1G+.
