The biggest hurdle left to an undefeated regular season has been cleared, and by a good margin, to boot.
No. 1 Nebraska volleyball swept No. 11 Wisconsin, 25-22, 25-19, 25-13, Friday at UW Field House in Madison. The sweep was the Cornhuskers’ 12th in a row and ran Nebraska’s winning streak to 37 straight sets. The Badgers did play the Huskers to within three points, just the sixth set decided by five or fewer points during the winning streak.
Harper Murray led Nebraska with 15 kills and eight digs, while Andi Jackson hit a surgical .600 while notching 12 kills and three blocks. Rebekah Allick tallied seven kills and a team-leading six blocks. Bergen Reilly registered 38 set assists for NU. Mimi Colyer led Wisconsin with 14 kills. Nebraska outhit the Badgers, .349-.175 and outblocked them 9-3.
The first set was the most competitive. Wisconsin led early 2-1 and 3-2. Nebraska scored five of the next six points to build a 7-4 lead. The Huskers continued to pull away, leading 18-13. The Badgers ran five straight points to tie the first set at 18, but Nebraska retook control of the set by winning four of the next five points to lead 22-19. Wisconsin won three of the next four points to cut the NU lead to 23-22, but kills by Allick and Murray finished the set for the Huskers.
Nebraska never trailed in the second set. The Badgers tied the set at two and four, but the Huskers won eight of the next 10 rallies to lock down control of the set and build a 12-6 lead. Wisconsin cut Nebraska’s lead to four on a couple of occasions, lastly at 20-16, but the Huskers won five of the last eight points to finish off set two.
Nebraska was even more dominant in set three. After the teams traded the first two points, the Huskers won four of the next five points to open a 5-2 lead. The Badgers scored the next two, but with Murray serving, Nebraska ran six straight points to open an 11-4 lead. Leading 15-9, the Huskers ran six straight points to open a 21-9 lead. After three straight Wisconsin points, Nebraska tallied four of the last five points, closing with a Reilly setter dump to finish the match.
The Huskers return to John Cook Arena to face Oregon Sunday at 1 p.m. Pregame coverage begins at noon on KLIN and B-107.3.