Courtesy Nebraska Athletics
The No. 1 Nebraska volleyball team rolled to the Spikes Under the Lights championship Thursday in Arlington, Texas. After defeating No. 17 Florida 21-19, 21-18, the Cornhuskers dominated the championship, sweeping No. 11 SMU 21-12, 21-11. The win netted the Nebraska volleyball team $350,000 in the exhibition, four-team tournament.
In the first match against the Gators, the Huskers had to come back in both sets. A late surge by Florida tied the match at 17, and the teams were tied again at 19, before Manaia Ogbechie notched back-to-back kills to complete set one. The second set started tight as well before a five-point run midway through the second pushed Nebraska ahead 15-13. Though Florida stayed close and shrunk NU’s lead to 19-18, Virginia Adriano scored a kill to bring up matchpoint, and Teraya Sigler served an ace to finish off the first match.
Nebraska won despite hitting .220 while holding the Gators to .169 hitting. Sigler led the Huskers with six kills, while Adriano and Andi Jackson notched five each. Ogbechie and Jackson both added three blocks.
Nebraska rolled in the championship match, hitting .339 as a team while stifling SMU to .068. Sigler again led the Husker efforts with seven kills while Harper Murray contributed six kills. Nebraska sprinted out to a 12-2 lead. After the Mustangs pulled to within 16-10, the Huskers scored five of the last seven points to close set one.
SMU was more competitive to start set two, tying the set at six. But a four-point run opened the Huskers’ lead to 14-8, while another four-point run pushed the Nebraska advantage to 18-9. Kills by Ryan Hunter and Murray and a block by Bergen Reilly and Kenna Cogill clinched the title for the Huskers.
Nebraska now prepares to open its regular season Saturday at UNLV. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m, with pregame coverage at 6 p.m. on KLIN and B-107.3.