Top-ranked Nebraska volleyball did what it was supposed to do Friday night. It just had to work a little harder than expected to finish the job. The Huskers opened Big Ten play with a 25-21, 25-22, 25-15 sweep of Rutgers in front of 10,497 fans at John Cook Arena, improving to 12-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play. It was Nebraska’s 14th consecutive Big Ten opener victory.
The match was not a walkover. Rutgers pushed the first two sets and forced Nebraska to fight off late runs, including five set points in the second. The Huskers then slammed the door in the third, hitting .444 while holding the Scarlet Knights to .000.
Nebraska hit .320 as a team and held Rutgers to .137. Harper Murray and Andi Jackson carried the attack with season-high kill totals. Murray finished with 15 kills on .323 hitting. Jackson was even more efficient, pounding 14 kills on just 19 swings with only two errors for a blistering .632 clip. The two combined for 29 kills, just five fewer than Rutgers produced as a team.
Setter Bergen Reilly distributed 39 assists and added two kills and two blocks. Libero Laney Choboy posted a season-high 15 digs and repeatedly sparked Nebraska runs with her serve. Jackson also led the team with four blocks. The Huskers were without outside hitter Teraya Sigler, who sat with an ankle injury suffered earlier in the week. Lincoln native Keri Leimbach made her first career start in the back row, and Skyler Pierce started in the front row, finishing with four kills.
Set 1: Nebraska 25, Rutgers 21
Rutgers scored first, but Nebraska answered with a 6-0 run that included three Murray kills and a Choboy ace to go up 7-2. The Huskers hit .412 in the frame and never trailed after the early burst. Rutgers saved two set points before Jackson’s sixth kill of the set closed it out.
Set 2: Nebraska 25, Rutgers 22
Nebraska built a 23-13 lead behind runs fueled by Choboy’s serving and contributions from Manaia Ogbechie and Pierce. Rutgers then scored nine of the next 10 points, saving five set points and cutting the deficit to 24-22. An attack error ended the rally and gave Nebraska the set. The Huskers’ hitting dropped to .154 in the frame, but they still held Rutgers to .083.
Set 3: Nebraska 25, Rutgers 15
Rutgers led 4-2 early. Nebraska immediately answered with five straight points and never looked back. A late 5-0 run pushed the lead to 22-13, and Pierce’s fourth kill of the night completed the sweep. Murray and Jackson combined for nine kills in the set while Rutgers managed only eight as a team.
Nebraska continues B1G play Saturday night against Ohio State. First serve is set for 8 p.m. CT at John Cook Arena and will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
