No. 1 Nebraska volleyball fights off UCLA, loses sweep streak
No. 1 Nebraska volleyball (25-0, 15-0) defeated UCLA (14-11, 8-7) to extend its undefeated season, but dropped its first set since September in the process. The Huskers responded to a third set loss and took care of business in four (25-17, 25-23, 19-25, 25-15).
The Huskers faced pressure throughout the match, but eventually took down the Bruins in front of a record crowd at the Pauley Pavilion. Nebraska’s sweep streak ends at 15 matches and 48 sets.
While the Huskers struggled at times offensively, they got big matches out of their top three attackers. Andi Jackson led the way with 15 kills, including seven in the fourth set, and a .625 hitting percentage. Haprer Murray and Rebekah Allick finished not far behind with 14 and 13 kills, respectively. Nebraska hit .299 as a team.
The Bruins gave Nebraska a run for its money with Maggie Li having a phenomenal night. Her 20 kills were a season-high while Cheridyn Leverette added 17 of her own. UCLA ended the match with a .211 hitting percentage.
Set 1: Allick ignites the Huskers
Nebraska took the first set 25-17, but struggled out of the gate. It wasn’t until a 5-0 run from Allick in the middle of the set that the Huskers found their groove. They ended the set with a .250 hitting percentage while holding the Bruins to a .000 clip.
UCLA struck first blood, taking a 5-3 lead and connecting on its first three swings. However, a pair of service errors helped Huskers tie it at six despite a -.125 hitting percentage.
Even with the slow offensive start, Nebraska went on a 4-0 run thanks to three Bruin attack errors and a bad set. The Huskers extended their lead to 17-9 off three consecutive kills from Allick.
The senior wasn’t done yet, adding another kill and block assist out of a UCLA timeout. A 5-0 Bruin run cut the lead to 19-14, but Nebraska finished the set strong with three of Murray’s four set one kills coming in the final six points. NU’s defense kept UCLA in check with four blocks and 11 digs in the first set.
Set 2: Nebraska fights off adversity
The Huskers found themselves in an intense second-set battle. After going down by as much as five points early, Nebraska rallied to a 25-23 win. The Huskers hit .387 in the set with 12 kills and no errors. The Bruins ended the set hitting .317.
Allie Sczech subbed in for Virginia Adriano in set two and put Nebraska on the board with a kill. Like the first set, UCLA had momentum early with a 5-0 run, giving it a 6-2 lead. The Bruins increased the lead to 10-5 with the Huskers recording just one kill and hitting zero.
Nebraska immediately went on a 4-0 run to cut into the UCLA lead to one out of a timeout. After both teams went back and forth, the Huskers finally took the lead on an Allick kill.
The set became a middle blocker duel with Allick and Marianna Singletary trading kills. After having a quiet first set, Li put the Bruins up 18-16 with her seventh kill of the second.
The middles continued to carry the load offensively as kills by Allick and Jackson knotted the set up at 18. The Huskers went on a 7-1 run to get within two points of the set victory. The Bruins could have halted the streak, but decided not to challenge a net touch.
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Nebraska struggled to close the game as UCLA fought off two set points, but Murray closed things out with her sixth kill of the match.
Set 3: Huskers sweep streak ends
After two hard-fought sets, Nebraska finally let the Bruins get to them. UCLA took the third set 25-19, ending the Huskers’ sweep streak at 15 matches and 48 sets. The Bruins hit .382 in set three compared to NU’s .214.
The Huskers wasted no time in the third game, taking an early 6-1 lead off three kills from Jackson. However, the Bruins stayed persistent with Li and Leverette leading a 4-0 run to take an 11-10 lead. Nebraska regained the lead, but four errors sparked another UCLA run to give it a 15-12 advantage.
Three kills from Murray brought the Huskers back to within one, while Singletary fought off the Huskers. The Bruins extended the margin to 20-16 and forced Nebraska to use both of its timeouts.
With the sweep streak in jeopardy down 23-16, Nebraska subbed in Campbell Flynn at setter for Bergen Reilly. While the Huskers got three points back, it wasn’t enough as Li’s 17th kill gave them their first lost set since Creighton took set four on Sept. 16.
Set 4: Huskers slam door shut
In uncharted territory, Nebraska returned to its normal self and dominated the fourth, 25-15. The Bruins may have gotten one set, but the Huskers didn’t let them take any more. NU hit .406 in the set while holding its opponent to a .135 mark.
Nebraska let out some steam after dropping its first set in nearly two months. Murray, Allick and Jackson teed off against the Bruins with the Huskers taking a 9-4 lead. The Bruins started cold with Nebraska’s defense holding them to a -.083 hitting percentage.
UCLA tried its best to keep up, but the Huskers continued to pour it on. An 8-2 run moved the Huskers to a 20-12 advantage. Jackson catapulted herself into the team lead in kills with her 15th of the match and seventh of the set, while Allick put the finishing touches on the match with her 13th kill.
Nebraska will continue its Los Angeles road trip on Sunday, Nov. 16, against No. 17 USC. The match is set for 2 p.m. CT on B1G+.
