No. 2 Nebraska volleyball kept rolling Sunday night at the Devaney Center, hammering No. 20 USC 25-18, 25-22, 25-16, the ninth straight match win for the Huskers. In the run, Nebraska (12-1) has won 27 of 30 sets with seven sweeps.
Harper Murray led the Huskers with 12 kills, while Merritt Beason added 11. Ally Batenhorst, who played her first three years at Nebraska before transferring to USC, led the Trojans with 13 kills and received a massive standing ovation from the fans at the Devaney Center during pregame introductions.
The first set was all Huskers. USC (9-3) and Nebraska were tied only three times in the set and the Huskers never trailed. USC fought off six straight set points, but Lindsey Krause finished the set with a kill from the left pin.
The Trojans held up better in the second set, even taking an 18-16 lead late. But five straight points including two kills each by Beason and Murray opened a 21-18 lead for Nebraska. Sideout kills by Beason and Murray brought the Huskers to set point. After a Batenhorst kill, a USC service error clinched the second set for Nebraska.
In the third set, USC took an early 7-6 lead. But Nebraska full control of the third set from there, winning 13 of the next 16 rallies to build a 19-10 lead, and the Huskers weren’t seriously challenged as they cruised to the sweep.
Nebraska returns to action Thursday at Illinois, with first serve at 6 p.m.