Challenge accepted and met. No. 2 Nebraska overcame a tough defense from No. 10 Purdue to win its 12th straight match, 25-22, 22-25, 23-25, 25-22, 17-15, Friday night at the Devaney Center. Nebraska (15-1, 5-0) won its 35th straight match at home and defeated its seventh ranked opponent this season (including its fifth top 10 foe), but this was the Huskers’ toughest match to date. Nebraska won despite being outhit .311-.242 and outblocked 15-5. The Boilermakers (12-4, 3-2) committed 19 service errors to the Huskers’ seven.
Purdue’s attack was led by Eva Hudson, who had 26 kills and 15 digs for her fifth double-double of the season. Chloe Chicoine added 22 kills and 13 digs for the Boilermakers. Nebraska’s balanced attack was paced by Merritt Beason with 22 and eight digs, while Harper Murray added 17. Andi Jackson returned to the lineup after a brief absence with 14 kills and four blocks, while Rebekah Allick had 10 kills. Bergen Reilly had 60 set assists with 17 digs while Lexi Rodriguez tallied 12 digs and six set assists.
The fifth set was a fitting final chapter for the match. After the Huskers won the first rally, the set was tied 10 times and Nebraska did not hold the lead again until 13-12. Purdue called timeout and Hudson tallied her 26th kill to tie the set at 13. But Andi Jackson tipped a ball through the Boilermakers block to set up Nebraska’s first match point. But after Purdue won the next rally, a Kenna Wollard and Raven Colvin block gave the Boilermakers a chance to clinch the match. Nebraska took timeout, then Bergen Reilly set Merritt Beason for a back-row attack, and Beason terminated to tie the set at 15. A Taylor Landfair kill gave the Huskers their second match point. Beason took a big swing from the right antenna and terminated to clinch the match for Nebraska.
The first set was tight throughout, with nine ties and two lead changes. Purdue slightly outhit Nebraska, .324-.282 and outblocked NU 4-1, but the Boilermakers were hamstrung by four service errors to none by the Huskers. With the set tied at 20, Nebraska won five of the last seven rallies to clinch the match, mainly behind the efforts of Andi Jackson. Back after missing the Iowa match with an injury, Jackson had three kills in the serve-ending run, before Merritt Beason ripped a kill down the middle to finish off the first set.
Nebraska struggled through the second set, hitting just .146 against one of the top blocking teams in the country while committing six attack errors. Meanwhile, the Boilermakers hit .278 and built a lead as large as 19-13 as they took control of the set. The Huskers ran four straight points to make the set interesting, but Purdue won five of the next seven rallies to bring up set point. Nebraska won three straight rallies, but the Boilermakers finished off the set with an Eva Hudson kill. It was the just the fourth set the Huskers have lost in their last 38.
Purdue rode the momentum of the second set into the third, building a 9-5 lead. But after John Cook used his first timeout, the Huskers won six of the next eight rallies to tie the set at 11. The teams traded points for nine straight rallies before Purdue won back-to-back points to grab a 17-15 lead. Nebraska bounced right back to win back-to-back rallies to tie the set at 17. That began a run in which the Huskers won five of the next six rallies to take a 20-18 lead. Nebraska led 22-20, forcing the Boilermakers to take timeout. Purdue regrouped and won five of the next six rallies, two on Hudson kills, to earn the set three victory.
In the fourth set, Nebraska won five of seven rallies to take an 8-4 lead and force the Boilermakers to take timeout. The Huskers twice grew their lead to five points, the second time on a Bergen Reilly and Andi Jackson block to give NU a 17-12 lead and force Purdue to take its other timeout of the set. Nebraska held control of the set the rest of the way to force the fifth set.
Nebraska returns to action tomorrow night at the Devaney Center against Rutgers. First serve is set for 7 p.m., with pregame at 6 p.m. on KLIN.