No. 1 Nebraska (16-0, 5-0) remained perfect Thursday night, beating No. 15 Indiana (10-4, 3-2) in straight sets on the road (25-15, 25-19, 25-19). It was the final game of a three-game road stretch for the Huskers.
Bergen Reilly returned to the Nebraska lineup and excelled at controlling the offensive pace with 35 assists. Harper Murray led the way with 11 kills, while Teraya Sigler added 10 kills on 18 swings. As a team, the Huskers hit .379.
The Big Red didn’t find the same success on the service line as in recent matches, but three aces in the third set gave them five on the night. Although they are generally a strong serving team, the Hoosiers struggled from the baseline. Indiana only had two aces and was unable to disrupt Nebraska’s strong backcourt defense. IU had 13 service errors.
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Jaidyn Jager led the Hoosiers’ offense, but Scarlet and Cream held the sophomore outside hitter below .200. She finished the match with nine kills and a hitting percentage of 0.192.
Set 1: Reilly’s comeback key to an effective start
Reilly’s absence did not affect the Huskers’ performance on the field against Maryland on Saturday, en route to a sweep. But Nebraska’s offense operates differently with her in the lineup, and that was evident in the first set against the Hoosiers.
Among those who benefited from Reilly’s return was Sigler. One of the outside hitter’s biggest strengths this season was her performance in the first set, and she dominated early. Sigler entered the media timeout with four kills on four swings and finished the set with five while hitting .667.
Reilly added two kills in the set and opposed Virginie Adrien involved too. She returned to the lineup after a left-handed Ryan Hunter got the start against the Terrapins. Adriano’s confident swing helped open the floor for the Big Red, as she totaled two kills.
The Huskers hit .375 in the first set, but their defense led the way. They held Indiana to a .179 hitting percentage and won the first set 25-15.
Set 2: Jackson’s five kills keep the offense rolling
After a dominant first set, Nebraska didn’t get off to a slow start in the second against the Hoosiers. A key element was applying pressure behind the service line and launching a heavy central attack.
After losing the first point, the Huskers went on a 7-1 run to start the second, thanks to the aces of the libero Olivia Mauch and defensive specialist Laney Choboy. Adriano continued to get involved, with three kills in Nebraska’s first six points, although she finished the set with an inefficient .067 hitting percentage. However, Andi Jackson took over in the rest of the frame.
Jackson had just two kills on four swings in the first set, but she more than doubled that total in the second. Reilly was instrumental in getting the senior involved, giving her two kills. Murray also improved after a quiet first set with five kills, and the Big Red won the second set 25-19.
Set 3: Murray and Mauch shine late to secure the sweep
After cruising through the first two sets with ease, Indiana launched its most aggressive attack in the third. Fortunately, for Nebraska, Murray’s stardom led the way when it mattered most.
The senior outside hitter had five more kills in the frame, while adding an ace. The service line is where the head coach Dani Busboom KellyThe team excelled in the third. Mauch added two, which proved important despite several Indiana runs in the set.
Middle hitter Manaïa Ogbechie added four kills and two blocks after a relatively quiet impact on offense in the first two sets. Sigler also totaled three, helping the Huskers to a 25-19 victory.
Nebraska returns home Saturday, Oct. 7, for a top-10 matchup against No. 7 Wisconsin (10-4, 4-0) at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The game will tip off at 6 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on FOX and Huskers Radio Network.
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