Efficient Huskers Sweep Shockers
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LINCOLN, Neb. - The No. 5 Nebraska volleyball team swept the Wichita State Shockers, 25-13, 25-12, 25-12 on Saturday afternoon in front of a crowd of 8,541 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
As a team, the Huskers (8-1) hit .477, their best hitting percentage since Sept. 15, 2018. NU also held the Shockers (3-6) to .096. The Big Red had a 50-27 advantage in kills and a 3-1 edge in service aces. NU sided out at a 78.9 percent clip.
Harper Murray recorded a match-high 14 kills on a career-high .542 hitting percentage, along with 11 digs for her second double-double of the season. Andi Jackson had 10 kills (.600) and three blocks, while Merritt Beason added 10 kills (.471). Taylor Landfair had a season-high nine kills (.412) and added three blocks. Leyla Blackwell totaled four kills (.375) and three blocks.
Bergen Reilly registered 35 assists and 10 digs for her seventh double-double of the season. Lexi Rodriguez notched eight digs, and Olivia Mauch added six.
Emerson Wilford led Wichita State with 12 kills and four blocks.
Set 1: The Huskers took a 6-1 lead, and Landfair was responsible for three of those points, tallying two kills and an assisted block with Blackwell. Landfair and Murray notched a kill apiece to put NU ahead 12-6. The Big Red used a 5-0 run, sparked by Kennedi Orr at the service line, to stretch the lead to 17-8. Jackson’s second kill and a solo block from Murray made the score 22-12, and a Reilly setter dump put Nebraska at set point. A Murray ace closed out NU’s set win, 25-13.
Set 2: Beason and Blackwell each registered two kills to help put the Huskers ahead 6-1. Beason then posted a kill and an ace, and Reilly added a kill to make the advantage 11-4. The Big Red went on a 4-0 run, powered by two Landfair kills and a Landfair/Blackwell block to make the score 19-7. NU closed the set on a 4-0 run to win 25-12 with a kill by Murray and an ace by Beason. The Huskers hit .533 in the set.
Set 3: The third set started off back and forth, before Murray and Reilly each recorded a kill to give NU the 9-5 lead. Kills by Beason and Murray made the score at 13-9. Beason and Jackson combined for two straight blocks and Jackson put down two kills as part of a 8-0 run that put the Huskers up 21-10. Jackson’s ninth kill gave Nebraska set point, and her 10th closed out the set 25-12, and the match, 3-0.
Up Next: The Huskers will take on No. 2 Stanford on Wednesday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. (CT) at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The match will be televised on the Big Ten Network and can be heard across the Huskers Radio Network.