No. 1 volleyball Nebraska (22-0, 11-0) defeated Michigan (13-9, 4-7) in four sets Friday at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Mich. (26-28, 25-20, 25-20, 25-14).
Friday’s victory marked the Huskers’ 53rd straight regular season victory, marking a new program record.
Harper Murray, Gabby Divita And Campbell Flynn returned home. The trio played in front of their former club, Legacy. Michigan freshman libero Meredith Martin also played for the club.
“It’s all about inspiring the next generation of volleyball players,” said the head coach. Dani Busboom Kelly said on the Big Ten Plus show.
Despite abandoning the first set, Busboom Kelly’s team hit .412 in the four-set victory. Defensively, the Huskers held the Wolverines to a .289 clip. This is the best a team has hit against NU all season.
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Set 1: Gordon and Demetrician power Michigan
After a rough start in the first set, Nebraska volleyball regained its footing but then lost it. Down from 8 to 9, Olivia Mauch sparked a 4-0 run from the service line, putting the Huskers in control.
The Big Red fought until the end, but couldn’t find a way to defeat the Wolverines. After 10 ties and two lead changes, Michigan crossed the finish line first. NU came back from a 24-20 deficit but came up short.
Despite the fall of the decor, Andi Jackson and Murray led the Huskers with six kills on 29 combined swings. Bergen Reilly recorded 19 assists and propelled Nebraska to a .396 hitting percentage.
Michigan started the set strong and fought through every obstacle that presented itself. Junior outside hitter Ella Demetrician and opposite Cymarah Gordon each recorded eight victories. Senior Sydney Schnichels posted the only service ace of the set. Michigan’s department constantly put pressure on the Huskers.
The Wolverines finished the first frame of the match with a score of .465, scoring the highest percentage against Nebraska in a single set this season.
Set 2: Murray pushes Nebraska to tie the match
Murray really wanted to win the first set. Although it didn’t happen, the Ann Arbor, Michigan, native pushed Nebraska to play as usual in the second quarter.
She recorded five kills in the second set, reaching 11 total at that point while hitting .320. Virginie Adrien added five on nine swings.
The Scarlet and Cream hit .323 in the set, posting 16 kills out of 31 attacks. Reilly had 11 assists and both of Nebraska’s service aces.
The Huskers found success midway through the set when Sigler dove into the Crisler Center front row, keeping the ball alive. After the longest rally of the game, Murray scored to give Nebraska a 12-7 lead.
The Husker defense performed much better in the second set, limiting the Wolverines to a .261 clip. Demetrician and Gordon combined for 23 kills in the first two sets.
Set 3: Adriano dominates, Murray adds four more
Nebraska volleyball hit .364 in the third set, posting 14 kills on 33 swings. Murray added four more kills, while Teraya Sigler recorded four. The sophomore also contributed 10 kills in the third set.
The Huskers held Michigan to a poor .171 clip, hitting 14 kills on 41 total attacks. The Wolverines committed seven attacking errors and four serving errors.
Gordon and Demetrician continued to lead the Wolverines. Demetrician followed Michigan’s only service ace of the set, following a receiving error by Mauch, and hit .302 in the match.
After having just seven digs in the second set, the Huskers had 17 digs in the third.
Set 4: Return to smooth sailing
Nebraska hit .626 in the final set to put the Wolverines to sleep. The Huskers overcame standout performances from Demetrician and Gordon, as the duo finished with 37 kills combined.
The Huskers were very busy in the last set. They erased any sense of life Michigan fans had in the building.
All five Nebraska starters finished with double-digit kills: Murray (16), Adriano (career-high 14), Jackson (13, hitting .500) and Manaïa Ogbechie (11). Sigler had a double-double with 11 kills and 12 digs at a .400 clip.
Reilly finished with 58 assists, a game and season high. The Sioux Falls, South Dakota, native was two away from tying her career-high of 60.
The Huskers continue their road trip to East Lansing, Michigan on Saturday, October 31. Nebraska takes on Michigan State at the Breslin Center at 3:30 p.m. CT. Big Ten Plus will broadcast the game.
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