• The Nebraska volleyball team will look to rebound from its first loss of the season when it hosts The Citadel and Montana State as part of the Husker Invitational this week. Nebraska will play The Citadel on Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The Huskers will end the week against Montana State on Saturday at 2 p.m.

• Thursday’s match will be streamed on B1G+. Saturday’s match will be televised on Nebraska Public Media and also streamed on B1G+. &nbsp;

• Huskers Radio Network will broadcast all the action on their volleyball affiliate stations, on Huskers.com and on the Huskers app.&nbsp;

2 p.m. - Nebraska vs. Montana State (NPM/B1G+)

• Nebraska is coming off a 3-0 loss at SMU on Tuesday night. The Huskers fell to an unranked team for the first time since a 3-1 loss to Northern Iowa in Omaha on Sept. 16, 2017.

• Nebraska has won 25 home matches in a row dating back to Nov. 26, 2022.&nbsp;

• The Huskers rank 12th nationally with 3.32 blocks per set.&nbsp;

• Outside hitter Harper Murray is leading the Huskers with 3.00 kills per set.&nbsp;

• Outside hitter Lindsay Krause adds 2.43 kills per set and has served a team-high six aces.&nbsp;

• Opposite hitter Merritt Beason is averaging 2.43 kills per set for the Big Red.&nbsp;

• Middle blocker Andi Jackson is averaging 2.36 kills and 1.21 per set with a team-best .519 hitting percentage, which ranks 11th nationally.&nbsp;

• Middle blocker Rebekah Allick adds 2.23 kills per set on .345 hitting and has put up 22 blocks for an average of 1.69 blocks per set, which ranks 22nd nationally.&nbsp;

• Setter Bergen Reilly is averaging 10.64 assists per set and 3.29 digs per set and is tied for the team lead in aces with six.

• Three-time All-American Lexi Rodriguez guides the Husker back row with 3.79 digs per set .

• The Citadel is 2-1 with wins over UT Martin and Grambling State and a loss at Alabama. The Bulldogs were picked to win the Southern Conference this season.&nbsp;

• The Citadel and Nebraska were the last two remaining unbeaten Division I teams last season. The Citadel suffered its first loss on Oct. 28, 2023, and Nebraska on Nov. 24, 2023.&nbsp;

• Mackenzie Martin, a graduate transfer from Tulane, leads the Bulldogs with 4.00 kills per set. Ali Ruffin adds 3.17 kills per set.&nbsp;

• Belle Hogan has served 11 aces, which ranks fifth in the nation.&nbsp;

• Montana State is 1-1 after a loss to Washington and win over Middle Tennesse State.&nbsp;

• The Bobcats finished 24-9 last season and advanced to the National Invitational Volleyball Championship Fab Four.&nbsp;

• Camryn Greenwald leads a balanced attack with 2.75 kills per set on .444 hitting with 1.63 blocks per set.&nbsp;

• Nebraska will be playing The Citadel for the first time.&nbsp;

• Nebraska is 1-0 against Montana State after a 3-0 sweep on Sept. 16, 2016 at the Devaney Center.&nbsp;

ALLICK, REILLY EARN BIG TEN WEEKLY AWARDS &nbsp; &nbsp;

• Nebraska junior middle blocker Rebekah Allick was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, and sophomore setter Bergen Reilly was named Big Ten Setter of the Week on Monday by the conference office.&nbsp;

• Allick earned her first career Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week award. Allick was named Best Middle Blocker and Most Valuable Player at the season-opening AVCA First Serve Showcase in Louisville, Ky. Allick had 11 kills and 12 blocks to lead the Huskers to a 3-1 win over No. 9 Kentucky. She also hit .667 in the match. Allick averaged 2.40 kills and 1.90 blocks per set with a .415 hitting percentage in the Huskers’ three wins against Kentucky, A&amp;M-Corpus Christi and TCU.&nbsp;

• Reilly earned her fifth career Big Ten Setter of the Week honor. She led the Huskers to three victories with 10.73 assists per set and 3.18 digs per set. Reilly was named Best Setter at the AVCA First Serve Showcase in Louisville, Ky., as she led the Huskers to a 3-1 win over No. 9 Kentucky with 39 assists and 11 digs. Reilly had three double-doubles on the week, including 43 assists and 14 digs in a 3-1 win over TCU. Reilly also set a career high with five service aces in a sweep of A&amp;M-Corpus Christi, as she opened the match on a 10-0 run at the service line. Overall, Reilly set the Huskers to a .286 hitting percentage in the three wins.

HALL OF FAME COACH COOK IN YEAR 25 AT NU &nbsp; &nbsp;

• Nebraska head coach John Cook is in his 25th season as the Nebraska volleyball head coach in 2024. He has led the Huskers to four national championships, 11 final fours, 13 conference championships and 22 top-10 final rankings since 2000.&nbsp;

• Cook has 853 career wins and is one of the all-time winningest coaches in NCAA history. Since taking over the program in 2000, Cook has led the Huskers to a nation-leading .873 win percentage (692-101).&nbsp;

• Under Cook, the Huskers have achieved 68 AVCA All-Americans and 20 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, both among the best in the nation. He is a three-time AVCA National Coach of the Year, earning the prestigious honor in 2000, 2005 and 2023, and an eight-time conference coach of the year, including Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2016, 2017 and 2023.

• In 2023, Cook was voted AVCA National Coach of the Year and Big Ten Coach of the Year after leading a young Nebraska team with no seniors to its first Big Ten title since 2017. The Huskers finished the regular season 28-1 overall, their best regular season record since going 28-1 in 2005. After going 26-6 last year and missing the NCAA regional finals for the first time since 2011, the Huskers started over with a starting lineup featuring four true freshmen and a junior transfer (Beason). Cook’s Huskers won their first 27 matches of the season and held the No. 1 ranking from Oct. 23 through the end of the regular season. Despite having no seniors on the roster for just the second time in Cook’s time at Nebraska - as well as starting a true freshman at setter for only the second time in Cook’s tenure - the Huskers earned the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016 and the sixth time overall under Cook.

• Cook was inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame in 2017, joining former Husker volleyball coach Terry Pettit in the hall.&nbsp;

RODRIGUEZ AMONG ALL-TIME GREAT NU LIBEROS

• Lexi Rodriguez is in her final year of a stellar career as the Huskers’ libero. A four-year starter and a three-year team captain, Rodriguez will go down in history as one of the all-time greats in Nebraska volleyball history.&nbsp;

• Rodriguez is a three-time AVCA All-American, earning first-team honors in 2021 and 2023, and second-team honors in 2022. She will look to join Kadie Rolfzen (2013-16) and Sarah Pavan (2004-07) as the only four-time All-Americans in program history.&nbsp;

• Rodriguez made her mark instantly as a freshman in 2021, earning AVCA National Freshman of the Year and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Over the last two seasons, Rodriguez has guided the Huskers to the No. 1 defense in the country, earning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year again in 2023 to become the fifth player in Big Ten history to receive the honor twice in a career.&nbsp;

• Rodriguez has 1,477 career digs, which ranks fifth in school history. U.S. Olympian Justine Wong-Orantes is the career leader in assists at NU with 1,890.&nbsp;

• Opposite hitter Merritt Beason made an instant impact on the Nebraska volleyball program after transferring from Florida in 2023, and she will look to take the next step in her senior season as a second-year captain.&nbsp;

• Last year, Beason put together a sensational season, earning AVCA first-team All-America honors and AVCA North Region Player of the Year, becoming just the second Husker (Kelly Hunter) to earn that honor.&nbsp;

• Beason averaged a team-leading 3.76 kills per set on .282 hitting with 2.05 digs per set. She was named Big Ten Player of the Week four times and was the AVCA National Player of the Week on Oct. 23 after averaging 4.25 kills per set and 1.75 digs per set in wins against Northwestern and top-ranked Wisconsin.&nbsp;

• Beason was the MVP of the NCAA Lincoln Regional after 19 kills, 11 digs and a career-high eight blocks in a regional final win over Arkansas.&nbsp;

KRAUSE LOOKING TO PICK UP WHERE SHE LEFT OFF

• Outside hitter Lindsay Krause was having the best year of her Husker career in 2023 before it ended in mid-October with an ankle injury. At the time of her injury, Krause was averaging 2.50 kills per set and was hitting .285 for the season.&nbsp;

• Not only that, Krause was putting up 2.82 kills per set on .366 hitting through six Big Ten matches, which led all Big Ten outside hitters in conference action at the time.&nbsp;

• Krause was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Oct. 9 following a season-high 15 kills on .519 hitting at Michigan and nine kills on .381 hitting at Michigan State. &nbsp;

• Nebraska relied on four true freshmen in the 2023 season and all four are back as sophomores ready to elevate their games to new levels.&nbsp;

• Setter Bergen Reilly was the Big Ten Setter of the Year in 2023, becoming the first freshman to win the award since it originated in 2012. Reilly was also an AVCA second-team All-American and an All-Big Ten first-team selection. Reilly led all Big Ten setters with 10.51 assists per set and received four Big Ten Setter of the Week honors and two Big Ten Freshman of the Week accolades.&nbsp;

• Outside hitter Harper Murray is coming off a freshman season that included being named Big Ten Freshman of the Year, All-Big Ten First Team, AVCA North Region Freshman of the Year and AVCA All-America Third Team. Murray finished second on the team with 3.23 kills per set, the highest kills per set average by a Husker freshman since Kadie Rolfzen (3.46) in 2013. One of the Big Ten’s best six-rotation players, Murray also added 2.07 digs per set with a team-high 36 aces. She was a three-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week.&nbsp;

• Middle blocker Andi Jackson showed enormous athleticisim and potential the first time she stepped on the floor as a Husker, and she followed through with a strong debut season that included AVCA All-Region, All-Big Ten Second Team, and Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors. Jackson averaged 2.01 kills per set and 1.09 blocks per set with a .399 hitting percentage, which ranked third in the Big Ten and 19th in the nation. Her hitting percentage was the best ever by a Husker freshman and ranked seventh all-time in the rally scoring era. Along with Reilly, Jackson helped the U.S. U21 National Team win the gold medal at the NORCECA U21 Continental Championship in Toronto this summer, hitting .654 throughout the tournament with 39 kills and 10 blocks.&nbsp;

• Laney Choboy played in 34 matches rotating in for the Big Red in 2023, averaging 1.82 digs per set with 37 assists and 14 aces. Known for her high-energy play, the 5-3 defensive specialist unofficially led the team in highlight-reel saves.&nbsp;

• Junior middle blocker Rebekah Allick is a two-time AVCA All-Region and All-Big Ten second-team selection. Last season, she averaged 1.76 kills per set with a team-high 1.50 blocks per set, which ranked second among Big Ten players and seven in the nation. Her 1.50 blocks per set was also the No. 2 mark in school history in the rally scoring era.&nbsp;

• Allick was at her best at the end of the 2023 season, registering a career-high 12 blocks in the NCAA regional final win over Arkansas and 10 blocks in the NCAA semifinal sweep of Pittsburgh.&nbsp;

• In the season-opening victory over Kentucky, Allick had 11 kills and hit .667 while tying her career high with 12 blocks. Her performance earned her Best Middle Blocker and Most Valuable Player honors at the AVCA First Serve Showcase. She averaged 1.90 blocks per set in the first three matches of the season, which earned her Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week.

REILLY, JACKSON LEAD U.S. U21 TEAM TO GOLD

• Nebraska sophomores Bergen Reilly and Andi Jackson led the U.S. U21 National Team to the gold medal at the NORCECA U21 Continental Championship in Toronto, Canada in June. Nebraska assistant coach Jaylen Reyes served as an assistant coach for the U21 National Team.

• The U.S. swept Puerto Rico 25-12, 25-16, 25-16 in the final to finish the tournament without dropping a set in five matches. Jackson finished with nine kills, three blocks and one ace, while Reilly set the U.S. to a .464 hitting percentage.&nbsp;

• In other international competition, Nebraska seniors Merritt Beason, Taylor Landfair and Lexi Rodriguez took the silver medal at the NORCECA Final Six as the U.S. National Team fell to Dominican Republic in five sets. The U.S. National Team - comprising only college players for this tournament - went toe-to-toe with the senior national team of the Dominican Republic. Beason had a team-high 14 kills in the final, while Rodriguez had 10 digs.

THREE HUSKERS EARN SILVER AT PARIS OLYMPICS

• The U.S. Women’s Volleyball National Team earned the silver medal at the Paris Olympics in August as they fell to Italy, 3-0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-17) in the final.&nbsp;

• Three players on the U.S. National Team - Jordan Larson, Kelsey Robinson Cook and Justine Wong-Orantes - represented Nebraska throughout the competition. In the final, Wong-Orantes put up 15 digs for Team USA, and Larson had five kills.&nbsp;

• Larson earned her fourth career Olympic medal, tied for the most all-time by a women’s volleyball player. Robinson Cook collected her third Olympics medal, and Wong-Orantes now has a gold and a silver medal.&nbsp;

• The U.S. women have won one Olympic gold medal (2020), four silver medals (1984, 2008, 2012, 2024) and two bronze medals (1992 and 2016).

• Larson, who was a three-time All-American at Nebraska while lettering from 2005-08, competed in her fourth straight Olympics. She is in her second season as an assistant coach for the Huskers in 2024.&nbsp;

• Robinson Cook, an All-American at NU in 2013, was also a member of the bronze-medal winning team in 2016 and gold-medal winning team in 2020, while two-time All-American Wong-Orantes (2013-16) made her Olympic debut in Tokyo in 2020.&nbsp;

• Nebraska signed two freshmen in its 2024 class, libero Olivia Mauch and outside hitter Skyler Pierce.&nbsp;

• Mauch, a 5-6 libero from Bennington, Neb., was the starting libero for the U.S. Girls U19 Team that won gold at the 2023 FIVB U19 World Championships in Croatia. She had 13 digs in the championship match, a 3-2 comeback win over Turkey. Mauch averaged 7.1 digs per set and had 49 service aces in her senior season at Bennington, leading the Badgers to the Class B state semifinals twice. She was the Nebraska Gatorade Player of the Year. Mauch also trained with the U.S. U21 National Team in June 2024 in Anaheim, Calif.&nbsp;

• Pierce, a 6-2 outside hitter from Lenexa, Kan., also has major international experience with the U.S. National Team program, having competed at the 2023 FIVB U21 World Championships. Pierce starred at Olathe Northwest, where she averaged 4.6 kills per set with a .402 hitting percentage to go along with 230 digs, 67 aces and 43 blocks in her senior season in which the Ravens finished third at the Kansas 6A state tournament. Pierce was an AVCA first-team High School All-American and th MetroKC Volleyball Player of the Year.&nbsp;

• Nebraska brought in two new additions via the transfer portal in the offseason in Minnesota outside hitter Taylor Landfair and San Diego middle blocker Leyla Blackwell.&nbsp;

• Landfair, a 6-5 outside hitter from Plainfield, Ill., is a senior for the Huskers but has two years of eligibility remaining after receiving a medical hardship for the 2021 season. Landfair was the Big Ten Player of the Year and an AVCA first-team All-American in 2022 at Minnesota after 4.36 kills per set on .257 hitting with 1.63 digs per set. She had a career-high 28 kills in a win over Oregon and was a four-time Big Ten Player of the Week, as well as the AVCA North Region Player of the Year. Last season, Landfair earned first-team All-Big Ten honors for the third time and averaged 3.19 kills and 2.03 digs per set.&nbsp;

• Blackwell, a 6-4 middle blocker &nbsp;from San Diego, Calif., was a three-time All-WCC selection at San Diego and averaged 2.25 kills and 1.24 blocks per set with a .329 hitting percentage last season. Blackwell guided the Toreros to the NCAA Semifinals in 2022 by shattering the school record for single-season block assists (152), and she finished sixth nationally at 1.50 blocks per set. Blackwell has Big Ten experience as she began her career at Indiana in 2020-21 and led the team in blocking and hitting percentage.&nbsp;

• Five student-athletes from the Nebraska volleyball team were named to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team.

• Merritt Beason and Lexi Rodriguez were unanimous selections to the 18-player Preseason All-Big Ten Team. They were joined by Taylor Landfair, Harper Murray and Bergen Reilly on the team. All five players were All-Big Ten selections in 2023. Seventeen of the 18 players on the team were either All-Big Ten or All-Pac 12 First Team selections last season. NU’s five selections were the most for any team in the conference; no one else had more than three.&nbsp;

• The coaches picked Nebraska as the top team in the preseason poll. The Huskers won their fourth Big Ten title in 2023 with a 19-1 conference record. Nebraska finished the season at 33-2 and reached the NCAA Championship match, falling 3-0 to Texas in Tampa, Fla. Wisconsin, Penn State, Purdue and Minnesota rounded out the top five, followed by three of the conference’s newcomers in Oregon, USC and UCLA.

MATCH PREVIEW• The Nebraska volleyball team will look to rebound from its first loss of the season when it hosts The Citadel and Montana State as part of the Husker Invitational this week. Nebraska will play The Citadel on Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The Huskers will end the week against Montana State on Saturday at 2 p.m.• Thursday’s match will be streamed on B1G+. Saturday’s match will be televised on Nebraska Public Media and also streamed on B1G+. &nbsp;• Huskers Radio Network will broadcast all the action on their volleyball affiliate stations, on Huskers.com and on the Huskers app.&nbsp;TOURNAMENT SCHEDULEThursday3:30 p.m. - Montana State vs. Denver6 p.m. - Nebraska vs. The Citadel (B1G+)Friday10 a.m. - The Citadel vs. Montana State4 p.m. - Denver vs. The CitadelSaturday2 p.m. - Nebraska vs. Montana State (NPM/B1G+)ABOUT THE HUSKERS• Nebraska is coming off a 3-0 loss at SMU on Tuesday night. The Huskers fell to an unranked team for the first time since a 3-1 loss to Northern Iowa in Omaha on Sept. 16, 2017.• Nebraska has won 25 home matches in a row dating back to Nov. 26, 2022.&nbsp;• The Huskers rank 12th nationally with 3.32 blocks per set.&nbsp;• Outside hitter Harper Murray is leading the Huskers with 3.00 kills per set.&nbsp;• Outside hitter Lindsay Krause adds 2.43 kills per set and has served a team-high six aces.&nbsp;• Opposite hitter Merritt Beason is averaging 2.43 kills per set for the Big Red.&nbsp;• Middle blocker Andi Jackson is averaging 2.36 kills and 1.21 per set with a team-best .519 hitting percentage, which ranks 11th nationally.&nbsp;• Middle blocker Rebekah Allick adds 2.23 kills per set on .345 hitting and has put up 22 blocks for an average of 1.69 blocks per set, which ranks 22nd nationally.&nbsp;• Setter Bergen Reilly is averaging 10.64 assists per set and 3.29 digs per set and is tied for the team lead in aces with six.• Three-time All-American Lexi Rodriguez guides the Husker back row with 3.79 digs per set .SCOUTING REPORT: THE CITADEL• The Citadel is 2-1 with wins over UT Martin and Grambling State and a loss at Alabama. The Bulldogs were picked to win the Southern Conference this season.&nbsp;• The Citadel and Nebraska were the last two remaining unbeaten Division I teams last season. The Citadel suffered its first loss on Oct. 28, 2023, and Nebraska on Nov. 24, 2023.&nbsp;• Mackenzie Martin, a graduate transfer from Tulane, leads the Bulldogs with 4.00 kills per set. Ali Ruffin adds 3.17 kills per set.&nbsp;• Belle Hogan has served 11 aces, which ranks fifth in the nation.&nbsp;SCOUTING REPORT: MONTANA STATE• Montana State is 1-1 after a loss to Washington and win over Middle Tennesse State.&nbsp;• The Bobcats finished 24-9 last season and advanced to the National Invitational Volleyball Championship Fab Four.&nbsp;• Camryn Greenwald leads a balanced attack with 2.75 kills per set on .444 hitting with 1.63 blocks per set.&nbsp;SERIES HISTORY• Nebraska will be playing The Citadel for the first time.&nbsp;• Nebraska is 1-0 against Montana State after a 3-0 sweep on Sept. 16, 2016 at the Devaney Center.&nbsp;ALLICK, REILLY EARN BIG TEN WEEKLY AWARDS &nbsp; &nbsp;• Nebraska junior middle blocker Rebekah Allick was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, and sophomore setter Bergen Reilly was named Big Ten Setter of the Week on Monday by the conference office.&nbsp;• Allick earned her first career Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week award. Allick was named Best Middle Blocker and Most Valuable Player at the season-opening AVCA First Serve Showcase in Louisville, Ky. Allick had 11 kills and 12 blocks to lead the Huskers to a 3-1 win over No. 9 Kentucky. She also hit .667 in the match. Allick averaged 2.40 kills and 1.90 blocks per set with a .415 hitting percentage in the Huskers’ three wins against Kentucky, A&amp;M-Corpus Christi and TCU.&nbsp;• Reilly earned her fifth career Big Ten Setter of the Week honor. She led the Huskers to three victories with 10.73 assists per set and 3.18 digs per set. Reilly was named Best Setter at the AVCA First Serve Showcase in Louisville, Ky., as she led the Huskers to a 3-1 win over No. 9 Kentucky with 39 assists and 11 digs. Reilly had three double-doubles on the week, including 43 assists and 14 digs in a 3-1 win over TCU. Reilly also set a career high with five service aces in a sweep of A&amp;M-Corpus Christi, as she opened the match on a 10-0 run at the service line. Overall, Reilly set the Huskers to a .286 hitting percentage in the three wins.HALL OF FAME COACH COOK IN YEAR 25 AT NU &nbsp; &nbsp;• Nebraska head coach John Cook is in his 25th season as the Nebraska volleyball head coach in 2024. He has led the Huskers to four national championships, 11 final fours, 13 conference championships and 22 top-10 final rankings since 2000.&nbsp;• Cook has 853 career wins and is one of the all-time winningest coaches in NCAA history. Since taking over the program in 2000, Cook has led the Huskers to a nation-leading .873 win percentage (692-101).&nbsp;• Under Cook, the Huskers have achieved 68 AVCA All-Americans and 20 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, both among the best in the nation. He is a three-time AVCA National Coach of the Year, earning the prestigious honor in 2000, 2005 and 2023, and an eight-time conference coach of the year, including Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2016, 2017 and 2023.• In 2023, Cook was voted AVCA National Coach of the Year and Big Ten Coach of the Year after leading a young Nebraska team with no seniors to its first Big Ten title since 2017. The Huskers finished the regular season 28-1 overall, their best regular season record since going 28-1 in 2005. After going 26-6 last year and missing the NCAA regional finals for the first time since 2011, the Huskers started over with a starting lineup featuring four true freshmen and a junior transfer (Beason). Cook’s Huskers won their first 27 matches of the season and held the No. 1 ranking from Oct. 23 through the end of the regular season. Despite having no seniors on the roster for just the second time in Cook’s time at Nebraska - as well as starting a true freshman at setter for only the second time in Cook’s tenure - the Huskers earned the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016 and the sixth time overall under Cook.• Cook was inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame in 2017, joining former Husker volleyball coach Terry Pettit in the hall.&nbsp;RODRIGUEZ AMONG ALL-TIME GREAT NU LIBEROS• Lexi Rodriguez is in her final year of a stellar career as the Huskers’ libero. A four-year starter and a three-year team captain, Rodriguez will go down in history as one of the all-time greats in Nebraska volleyball history.&nbsp;• Rodriguez is a three-time AVCA All-American, earning first-team honors in 2021 and 2023, and second-team honors in 2022. She will look to join Kadie Rolfzen (2013-16) and Sarah Pavan (2004-07) as the only four-time All-Americans in program history.&nbsp;• Rodriguez made her mark instantly as a freshman in 2021, earning AVCA National Freshman of the Year and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Over the last two seasons, Rodriguez has guided the Huskers to the No. 1 defense in the country, earning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year again in 2023 to become the fifth player in Big Ten history to receive the honor twice in a career.&nbsp;• Rodriguez has 1,477 career digs, which ranks fifth in school history. U.S. Olympian Justine Wong-Orantes is the career leader in assists at NU with 1,890.&nbsp;BEASON BACK TO LEAD HUSKER ATTACK AGAIN• Opposite hitter Merritt Beason made an instant impact on the Nebraska volleyball program after transferring from Florida in 2023, and she will look to take the next step in her senior season as a second-year captain.&nbsp;• Last year, Beason put together a sensational season, earning AVCA first-team All-America honors and AVCA North Region Player of the Year, becoming just the second Husker (Kelly Hunter) to earn that honor.&nbsp;• Beason averaged a team-leading 3.76 kills per set on .282 hitting with 2.05 digs per set. She was named Big Ten Player of the Week four times and was the AVCA National Player of the Week on Oct. 23 after averaging 4.25 kills per set and 1.75 digs per set in wins against Northwestern and top-ranked Wisconsin.&nbsp;• Beason was the MVP of the NCAA Lincoln Regional after 19 kills, 11 digs and a career-high eight blocks in a regional final win over Arkansas.&nbsp;KRAUSE LOOKING TO PICK UP WHERE SHE LEFT OFF• Outside hitter Lindsay Krause was having the best year of her Husker career in 2023 before it ended in mid-October with an ankle injury. At the time of her injury, Krause was averaging 2.50 kills per set and was hitting .285 for the season.&nbsp;• Not only that, Krause was putting up 2.82 kills per set on .366 hitting through six Big Ten matches, which led all Big Ten outside hitters in conference action at the time.&nbsp;• Krause was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Oct. 9 following a season-high 15 kills on .519 hitting at Michigan and nine kills on .381 hitting at Michigan State. &nbsp;FRESHMEN TURNED SOPHOMORES• Nebraska relied on four true freshmen in the 2023 season and all four are back as sophomores ready to elevate their games to new levels.&nbsp;• Setter Bergen Reilly was the Big Ten Setter of the Year in 2023, becoming the first freshman to win the award since it originated in 2012. Reilly was also an AVCA second-team All-American and an All-Big Ten first-team selection. Reilly led all Big Ten setters with 10.51 assists per set and received four Big Ten Setter of the Week honors and two Big Ten Freshman of the Week accolades.&nbsp;• Outside hitter Harper Murray is coming off a freshman season that included being named Big Ten Freshman of the Year, All-Big Ten First Team, AVCA North Region Freshman of the Year and AVCA All-America Third Team. Murray finished second on the team with 3.23 kills per set, the highest kills per set average by a Husker freshman since Kadie Rolfzen (3.46) in 2013. One of the Big Ten’s best six-rotation players, Murray also added 2.07 digs per set with a team-high 36 aces. She was a three-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week.&nbsp;• Middle blocker Andi Jackson showed enormous athleticisim and potential the first time she stepped on the floor as a Husker, and she followed through with a strong debut season that included AVCA All-Region, All-Big Ten Second Team, and Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors. Jackson averaged 2.01 kills per set and 1.09 blocks per set with a .399 hitting percentage, which ranked third in the Big Ten and 19th in the nation. Her hitting percentage was the best ever by a Husker freshman and ranked seventh all-time in the rally scoring era. Along with Reilly, Jackson helped the U.S. U21 National Team win the gold medal at the NORCECA U21 Continental Championship in Toronto this summer, hitting .654 throughout the tournament with 39 kills and 10 blocks.&nbsp;• Laney Choboy played in 34 matches rotating in for the Big Red in 2023, averaging 1.82 digs per set with 37 assists and 14 aces. Known for her high-energy play, the 5-3 defensive specialist unofficially led the team in highlight-reel saves.&nbsp;ALLICK ON A BLOCKING TEAR• Junior middle blocker Rebekah Allick is a two-time AVCA All-Region and All-Big Ten second-team selection. Last season, she averaged 1.76 kills per set with a team-high 1.50 blocks per set, which ranked second among Big Ten players and seven in the nation. Her 1.50 blocks per set was also the No. 2 mark in school history in the rally scoring era.&nbsp;• Allick was at her best at the end of the 2023 season, registering a career-high 12 blocks in the NCAA regional final win over Arkansas and 10 blocks in the NCAA semifinal sweep of Pittsburgh.&nbsp;• In the season-opening victory over Kentucky, Allick had 11 kills and hit .667 while tying her career high with 12 blocks. Her performance earned her Best Middle Blocker and Most Valuable Player honors at the AVCA First Serve Showcase. She averaged 1.90 blocks per set in the first three matches of the season, which earned her Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week.REILLY, JACKSON LEAD U.S. U21 TEAM TO GOLD• Nebraska sophomores Bergen Reilly and Andi Jackson led the U.S. U21 National Team to the gold medal at the NORCECA U21 Continental Championship in Toronto, Canada in June. Nebraska assistant coach Jaylen Reyes served as an assistant coach for the U21 National Team.• The U.S. swept Puerto Rico 25-12, 25-16, 25-16 in the final to finish the tournament without dropping a set in five matches. Jackson finished with nine kills, three blocks and one ace, while Reilly set the U.S. to a .464 hitting percentage.&nbsp;• In other international competition, Nebraska seniors Merritt Beason, Taylor Landfair and Lexi Rodriguez took the silver medal at the NORCECA Final Six as the U.S. National Team fell to Dominican Republic in five sets. The U.S. National Team - comprising only college players for this tournament - went toe-to-toe with the senior national team of the Dominican Republic. Beason had a team-high 14 kills in the final, while Rodriguez had 10 digs.THREE HUSKERS EARN SILVER AT PARIS OLYMPICS• The U.S. Women’s Volleyball National Team earned the silver medal at the Paris Olympics in August as they fell to Italy, 3-0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-17) in the final.&nbsp;• Three players on the U.S. National Team - Jordan Larson, Kelsey Robinson Cook and Justine Wong-Orantes - represented Nebraska throughout the competition. In the final, Wong-Orantes put up 15 digs for Team USA, and Larson had five kills.&nbsp;• Larson earned her fourth career Olympic medal, tied for the most all-time by a women’s volleyball player. Robinson Cook collected her third Olympics medal, and Wong-Orantes now has a gold and a silver medal.&nbsp;• The U.S. women have won one Olympic gold medal (2020), four silver medals (1984, 2008, 2012, 2024) and two bronze medals (1992 and 2016).• Larson, who was a three-time All-American at Nebraska while lettering from 2005-08, competed in her fourth straight Olympics. She is in her second season as an assistant coach for the Huskers in 2024.&nbsp;• Robinson Cook, an All-American at NU in 2013, was also a member of the bronze-medal winning team in 2016 and gold-medal winning team in 2020, while two-time All-American Wong-Orantes (2013-16) made her Olympic debut in Tokyo in 2020.&nbsp;HUSKERS ADD TWO TALENTED FRESHMEN• Nebraska signed two freshmen in its 2024 class, libero Olivia Mauch and outside hitter Skyler Pierce.&nbsp;• Mauch, a 5-6 libero from Bennington, Neb., was the starting libero for the U.S. Girls U19 Team that won gold at the 2023 FIVB U19 World Championships in Croatia. She had 13 digs in the championship match, a 3-2 comeback win over Turkey. Mauch averaged 7.1 digs per set and had 49 service aces in her senior season at Bennington, leading the Badgers to the Class B state semifinals twice. She was the Nebraska Gatorade Player of the Year. Mauch also trained with the U.S. U21 National Team in June 2024 in Anaheim, Calif.&nbsp;• Pierce, a 6-2 outside hitter from Lenexa, Kan., also has major international experience with the U.S. National Team program, having competed at the 2023 FIVB U21 World Championships. Pierce starred at Olathe Northwest, where she averaged 4.6 kills per set with a .402 hitting percentage to go along with 230 digs, 67 aces and 43 blocks in her senior season in which the Ravens finished third at the Kansas 6A state tournament. Pierce was an AVCA first-team High School All-American and th MetroKC Volleyball Player of the Year.&nbsp;BLACKWELL, LANDFAIR JOIN HUSKERS• Nebraska brought in two new additions via the transfer portal in the offseason in Minnesota outside hitter Taylor Landfair and San Diego middle blocker Leyla Blackwell.&nbsp;• Landfair, a 6-5 outside hitter from Plainfield, Ill., is a senior for the Huskers but has two years of eligibility remaining after receiving a medical hardship for the 2021 season. Landfair was the Big Ten Player of the Year and an AVCA first-team All-American in 2022 at Minnesota after 4.36 kills per set on .257 hitting with 1.63 digs per set. She had a career-high 28 kills in a win over Oregon and was a four-time Big Ten Player of the Week, as well as the AVCA North Region Player of the Year. Last season, Landfair earned first-team All-Big Ten honors for the third time and averaged 3.19 kills and 2.03 digs per set.&nbsp;• Blackwell, a 6-4 middle blocker &nbsp;from San Diego, Calif., was a three-time All-WCC selection at San Diego and averaged 2.25 kills and 1.24 blocks per set with a .329 hitting percentage last season. Blackwell guided the Toreros to the NCAA Semifinals in 2022 by shattering the school record for single-season block assists (152), and she finished sixth nationally at 1.50 blocks per set. Blackwell has Big Ten experience as she began her career at Indiana in 2020-21 and led the team in blocking and hitting percentage.&nbsp;FIVE HUSKERS NAMED PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN• Five student-athletes from the Nebraska volleyball team were named to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team.• Merritt Beason and Lexi Rodriguez were unanimous selections to the 18-player Preseason All-Big Ten Team. They were joined by Taylor Landfair, Harper Murray and Bergen Reilly on the team. All five players were All-Big Ten selections in 2023. Seventeen of the 18 players on the team were either All-Big Ten or All-Pac 12 First Team selections last season. NU’s five selections were the most for any team in the conference; no one else had more than three.&nbsp;• The coaches picked Nebraska as the top team in the preseason poll. The Huskers won their fourth Big Ten title in 2023 with a 19-1 conference record. Nebraska finished the season at 33-2 and reached the NCAA Championship match, falling 3-0 to Texas in Tampa, Fla. Wisconsin, Penn State, Purdue and Minnesota rounded out the top five, followed by three of the conference’s newcomers in Oregon, USC and UCLA.

NU set to host Husker Invitational

@ Dundy County Stratton: Arapahoe VS Dundy County Stratton

@ Dundy County Stratton: Arapahoe VS Hitchcock County

@ Dundy County Stratton: Hitchcock County VS Dundy County Stratton

@ Grand Island: North Platte VS Grand Island

@ Maywood-Hayes Center: Atwood - Rawlins County, KS VS Maywood-Hayes Center

@ Maywood-Hayes Center: Atwood - Rawlins County, KS VS Southwest

@ Maywood-Hayes Center: Southwest VS Maywood-Hayes Center

@ Medicine Valley: Arthur County VS Medicine Valley

@ Perkins County: North Platte St. Patrick's VS Perkins County

@ Sandhills Valley: Hyannis VS Sandhills Valley

@ Sandhills Valley: Wallace VS Sandhills Valley

@ Southern Valley: Cozad VS Southern Valley

<h2>Softball</h2>Alliance vs HersheyAlliance vs HersheyCozad vs HWY 6Lexington vs GothenburgNorth Platte @ Lincoln Standing BearSouthern Valley/Alma @ Chase CountySouthern Valley/Alma @ Chase County<h2>Volleyball</h2>@ Brady: Maxwell VS Brady@ Dundy County Stratton: Arapahoe VS Dundy County Stratton@ Dundy County Stratton: Arapahoe VS Hitchcock County@ Dundy County Stratton: Hitchcock County VS Dundy County Stratton@ Gothenburg: Broken Bow VS Gothenburg@ Grand Island: Columbus VS Grand Island@ Grand Island: Columbus VS North Platte@ Grand Island: North Platte VS Grand Island@ Hershey: Kearney Catholic VS Hershey@ Maywood-Hayes Center: Atwood - Rawlins County, KS VS Maywood-Hayes Center@ Maywood-Hayes Center: Atwood - Rawlins County, KS VS Southwest@ Maywood-Hayes Center: Southwest VS Maywood-Hayes Center@ Medicine Valley: Arthur County VS Medicine Valley@ Perkins County: North Platte St. Patrick's VS Perkins County@ Sandhills Valley: Hyannis VS Sandhills Valley@ Sandhills Valley: Hyannis VS Wallace@ Sandhills Valley: Wallace VS Sandhills Valley@ Sidney: Brush, CO VS Ogallala@ Sidney: Brush, CO VS Sidney@ Sidney: Ogallala VS Sidney@ Southern Valley: Cozad VS Southern Valley@ Twin Loup: Anselmo-Merna VS Twin Loup<h2>Football</h2>Arthur County @ Medicine Valley

Area High School games for 9-5

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724858002589.png" alt="Voice of the Eagles Dave Collins and CSC volleyball coach Jennifer Stadler host their annual season preview with a look at this week's event in San Diego, key returners &amp; newcomers, an under-the-radar practice star, and much more!" />
 <figcaption>Voice of the Eagles Dave Collins and CSC volleyball coach Jennifer Stadler host their annual season preview with a look at this week's event in San Diego, key returners &amp; newcomers, an under-the-radar practice star, and much more!</figcaption>
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🎙 CSC Sports Journal - 9/5/24 - Volleyball Season Preview

LINCOLN, Neb. (September 3, 2024) –&nbsp;The Nebraska Sports Council has announced that registration is open for the 2024 Heartland Havoc&nbsp;wrestling&nbsp;tournament, set to take place November 9-10, 2024, at Sandhills Global Event Center in Lincoln. For more information and to register, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://b8oyr9bab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001DBIJlSt617vO5hA_JCvIbBOyrJ8UPLFcRLNA3lWLuNIJhtmuUkMQLlucOWDyc330u0aNpGb7OEsAnFJQNWXaNb81U3rPoVahEw_CkDuXNPPe315IfULwypjCAvlJgkdw7QKUIlXLi6G1nu3zb6qGzl9z8lt6leXxyC693Z5j2xn25ssKoRgW7Th0UYjiYHA7IpFZLIenW6pD5UugqMlah5CiJldTsw0cLX7UnTGaf6mx-rPUBHNi7IPer5K36D4hJKTf4Pr6Sq3A2dvn08-sSeVbGChH2faXuBwKcibJpQi_t6VPUMmF6QAk0ve5xOSInsRvIV30PPwGL4fIhhLyR5sL0KL9JJKV_Bwz5KSLaPUTtDNUbmKl7nDDZJBW9IKJfqDpqUqHedMMmBQtJNEDm6Bz_4URhc40kHwrLRbxp3NiGPKxxc3I-45EIP3jSUVoVIxVOSy7R5I=&amp;c=abjp4_c4HmbZ3vVwafzqLWnVbzMnLJ8YddHQrwen9Rec-Es7GeF-rA==&amp;ch=be8tn8lo8FRQ6eGbGVSMJt3FiDJ5RF98TaJ2XXD86PT7JEntDOZaQw==" target="_blank">NebraskaSportsCouncil.com</a>.

The&nbsp;event&nbsp;offers&nbsp;competition in&nbsp;individual&nbsp;events on Saturday, Nov. 9 and a&nbsp;dual competition&nbsp;on Sunday, Nov. 10, for pre-K through 12th&nbsp;grade wrestlers.

Early registration is encouraged as spots are expected to fill quickly, with the tournament limited to the first 600 wrestlers. The&nbsp;individual&nbsp;registration deadline is Thursday, Nov.&nbsp;7. Duals teams must be registered by&nbsp;Nov. 1.

"We are thrilled to bring together wrestlers from across the region for the Heartland Havoc," said Dave Mlnarik, President of the Nebraska Sports Council. "The Havoc&nbsp;is a great&nbsp;pre-winter&nbsp;tune-up and&nbsp;showcase&nbsp;for high schoolers as well as junior wrestlers."

Questions pertaining to&nbsp;satellite weigh-ins and registration&nbsp;may be emailed to&nbsp;Tournament&nbsp;Director David Charroin at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:csgwrestling@gmail.com" target="_blank">csgwrestling@gmail.com</a>.&nbsp;Those needing&nbsp;to speak with David,&nbsp;are asked to&nbsp;include&nbsp;their&nbsp;phone number in the email.

For updates on the event, LIKE&nbsp;<a href="https://b8oyr9bab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001DBIJlSt617vO5hA_JCvIbBOyrJ8UPLFcRLNA3lWLuNIJhtmuUkMQLrnaZJs2mO-ITqhkF2HK9MbEYmVFlTe41Ssf4YeAp1GgjUfPSD6sqfxLDWg5fksMBaGmLrSgQi0Yn5fMJj1D1Qg_bo7v5TMIurWtlzifVra-a4WV13wNxi1dDXnJ-ah4CA==&amp;c=abjp4_c4HmbZ3vVwafzqLWnVbzMnLJ8YddHQrwen9Rec-Es7GeF-rA==&amp;ch=be8tn8lo8FRQ6eGbGVSMJt3FiDJ5RF98TaJ2XXD86PT7JEntDOZaQw==" target="_blank">Heartland Havoc Wrestling</a>&nbsp;on Facebook, follow&nbsp;<a href="https://b8oyr9bab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001DBIJlSt617vO5hA_JCvIbBOyrJ8UPLFcRLNA3lWLuNIJhtmuUkMQLlucOWDyc330NR0iM5udkqci1ySpZ7kbTlQrkQeqrlD64BtEmtI7lcofcleTzJeEV772IZswTDuyZMdjMd3JURnLfjot13zDqOhEbOK-M33s&amp;c=abjp4_c4HmbZ3vVwafzqLWnVbzMnLJ8YddHQrwen9Rec-Es7GeF-rA==&amp;ch=be8tn8lo8FRQ6eGbGVSMJt3FiDJ5RF98TaJ2XXD86PT7JEntDOZaQw==" target="_blank">@NESportsCouncil</a>&nbsp;on X, and&nbsp;<a href="https://b8oyr9bab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001DBIJlSt617vO5hA_JCvIbBOyrJ8UPLFcRLNA3lWLuNIJhtmuUkMQLozlO7X6P_GHNbh5jIW7YBqupA1FDuKaWyoUXuHs9VIIXnhxY3b4x90CPo51OpfuhFYAVzJAdD51CvmU5bt8oKTjJyGRatjT_fEuTcL-9QXXlD1u3l4uJd1wYOd7my3yTg==&amp;c=abjp4_c4HmbZ3vVwafzqLWnVbzMnLJ8YddHQrwen9Rec-Es7GeF-rA==&amp;ch=be8tn8lo8FRQ6eGbGVSMJt3FiDJ5RF98TaJ2XXD86PT7JEntDOZaQw==" target="_blank">@nesportscouncil</a>&nbsp;on Instagram.

Heartland Havoc, presented by&nbsp;IMT Insurance,&nbsp;is an event of the Nebraska Sports Council.&nbsp;Contributing&nbsp;sponsors&nbsp;include:&nbsp;Sandhills Global Event Center, Trophies Plus, and DigitalSky.

Nebraska Sports CouncilLINCOLN, Neb. (September 3, 2024) –&nbsp;The Nebraska Sports Council has announced that registration is open for the 2024 Heartland Havoc&nbsp;wrestling&nbsp;tournament, set to take place November 9-10, 2024, at Sandhills Global Event Center in Lincoln. For more information and to register, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://b8oyr9bab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001DBIJlSt617vO5hA_JCvIbBOyrJ8UPLFcRLNA3lWLuNIJhtmuUkMQLlucOWDyc330u0aNpGb7OEsAnFJQNWXaNb81U3rPoVahEw_CkDuXNPPe315IfULwypjCAvlJgkdw7QKUIlXLi6G1nu3zb6qGzl9z8lt6leXxyC693Z5j2xn25ssKoRgW7Th0UYjiYHA7IpFZLIenW6pD5UugqMlah5CiJldTsw0cLX7UnTGaf6mx-rPUBHNi7IPer5K36D4hJKTf4Pr6Sq3A2dvn08-sSeVbGChH2faXuBwKcibJpQi_t6VPUMmF6QAk0ve5xOSInsRvIV30PPwGL4fIhhLyR5sL0KL9JJKV_Bwz5KSLaPUTtDNUbmKl7nDDZJBW9IKJfqDpqUqHedMMmBQtJNEDm6Bz_4URhc40kHwrLRbxp3NiGPKxxc3I-45EIP3jSUVoVIxVOSy7R5I=&amp;c=abjp4_c4HmbZ3vVwafzqLWnVbzMnLJ8YddHQrwen9Rec-Es7GeF-rA==&amp;ch=be8tn8lo8FRQ6eGbGVSMJt3FiDJ5RF98TaJ2XXD86PT7JEntDOZaQw==" target="_blank">NebraskaSportsCouncil.com</a>.The&nbsp;event&nbsp;offers&nbsp;competition in&nbsp;individual&nbsp;events on Saturday, Nov. 9 and a&nbsp;dual competition&nbsp;on Sunday, Nov. 10, for pre-K through 12th&nbsp;grade wrestlers.Early registration is encouraged as spots are expected to fill quickly, with the tournament limited to the first 600 wrestlers. The&nbsp;individual&nbsp;registration deadline is Thursday, Nov.&nbsp;7. Duals teams must be registered by&nbsp;Nov. 1."We are thrilled to bring together wrestlers from across the region for the Heartland Havoc," said Dave Mlnarik, President of the Nebraska Sports Council. "The Havoc&nbsp;is a great&nbsp;pre-winter&nbsp;tune-up and&nbsp;showcase&nbsp;for high schoolers as well as junior wrestlers."Questions pertaining to&nbsp;satellite weigh-ins and registration&nbsp;may be emailed to&nbsp;Tournament&nbsp;Director David Charroin at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:csgwrestling@gmail.com" target="_blank">csgwrestling@gmail.com</a>.&nbsp;Those needing&nbsp;to speak with David,&nbsp;are asked to&nbsp;include&nbsp;their&nbsp;phone number in the email.For updates on the event, LIKE&nbsp;<a href="https://b8oyr9bab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001DBIJlSt617vO5hA_JCvIbBOyrJ8UPLFcRLNA3lWLuNIJhtmuUkMQLrnaZJs2mO-ITqhkF2HK9MbEYmVFlTe41Ssf4YeAp1GgjUfPSD6sqfxLDWg5fksMBaGmLrSgQi0Yn5fMJj1D1Qg_bo7v5TMIurWtlzifVra-a4WV13wNxi1dDXnJ-ah4CA==&amp;c=abjp4_c4HmbZ3vVwafzqLWnVbzMnLJ8YddHQrwen9Rec-Es7GeF-rA==&amp;ch=be8tn8lo8FRQ6eGbGVSMJt3FiDJ5RF98TaJ2XXD86PT7JEntDOZaQw==" target="_blank">Heartland Havoc Wrestling</a>&nbsp;on Facebook, follow&nbsp;<a href="https://b8oyr9bab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001DBIJlSt617vO5hA_JCvIbBOyrJ8UPLFcRLNA3lWLuNIJhtmuUkMQLlucOWDyc330NR0iM5udkqci1ySpZ7kbTlQrkQeqrlD64BtEmtI7lcofcleTzJeEV772IZswTDuyZMdjMd3JURnLfjot13zDqOhEbOK-M33s&amp;c=abjp4_c4HmbZ3vVwafzqLWnVbzMnLJ8YddHQrwen9Rec-Es7GeF-rA==&amp;ch=be8tn8lo8FRQ6eGbGVSMJt3FiDJ5RF98TaJ2XXD86PT7JEntDOZaQw==" target="_blank">@NESportsCouncil</a>&nbsp;on X, and&nbsp;<a href="https://b8oyr9bab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001DBIJlSt617vO5hA_JCvIbBOyrJ8UPLFcRLNA3lWLuNIJhtmuUkMQLozlO7X6P_GHNbh5jIW7YBqupA1FDuKaWyoUXuHs9VIIXnhxY3b4x90CPo51OpfuhFYAVzJAdD51CvmU5bt8oKTjJyGRatjT_fEuTcL-9QXXlD1u3l4uJd1wYOd7my3yTg==&amp;c=abjp4_c4HmbZ3vVwafzqLWnVbzMnLJ8YddHQrwen9Rec-Es7GeF-rA==&amp;ch=be8tn8lo8FRQ6eGbGVSMJt3FiDJ5RF98TaJ2XXD86PT7JEntDOZaQw==" target="_blank">@nesportscouncil</a>&nbsp;on Instagram.Heartland Havoc, presented by&nbsp;IMT Insurance,&nbsp;is an event of the Nebraska Sports Council.&nbsp;Contributing&nbsp;sponsors&nbsp;include:&nbsp;Sandhills Global Event Center, Trophies Plus, and DigitalSky.

Registration Now Open for Heartland Havoc Wrestling Tournament

Story by NU Athletic Communications&nbsp;

DALLAS - The No. 2 Nebraska volleyball team fell 25-23, 25-21, 25-18 at SMU on Tuesday night in front of a crowd of 6,773 at Moody Coliseum.&nbsp;

The Huskers (3-1) committed 11 service errors and had just one ace, while SMU (2-1) aced Nebraska seven times and committed 10 service errors.&nbsp;

SMU outhit the Big Red .242 to .171, and had the edge in kills (39-36), blocks (10-9) and digs (43-36).&nbsp;

Merritt Beason had nine kills for NU. Andi Jackson had eight kills and hit .667 with six blocks. Harper Murray had six kills, and Rebekah Allick and Lindsay Krause each had five.&nbsp;

Bergen Reilly had 31 assists and 11 digs.&nbsp;

Naya Shime and Maya Tabron led the Mustangs with nine kills each.&nbsp;

The loss was Nebraska's first to an unranked team since 2017.&nbsp;

Set 1: The Huskers had seven kills in their first 13 attacks, but three service errors allowed the score to be tied at 9-9. The Mustangs went up 11-10, but kills by Beason and Murray put NU on top, 12-11. A block by Jackson and Murray and an SMU hitting error made it 15-12, and Beason terminated from the back row for a 16-12 Husker lead after a 4-0 run. Jackson added another kill and a block with Landfair for an 18-13 lead. Jackson then put down her fifth kill before serving her first career ace to make it 20-15. Nebraska led 21-16, but SMU went on a 6-0 run to go up 22-21. Lindsay Krause subbed in and immediatley terminated to tie the score at 22-22, but NU's fourth service error put SMU back on top. Allick and Beason then combined for a block to tie it again, 23-23, but back-to-back SMU kills gave the Mustangs a 25-23 win.&nbsp;

Set 2: SMU jumped in front to a 7-4 lead, but a Krause kill sparked a 3-0 Husker run. But SMU responded with a 4-0 run - including two aces - to go up 13-8. NU cut it to one at 19-18, but two more service errors helped the Mustangs go up 22-19, and SMU won 25-21 to take a 2-0 lead.&nbsp;

Set 3: NU separated from an 8-8 tie with kills by Allick and Murray and a block by Murray and Jackson for an 11-8 lead, but SMU came right back to tie it 11-11. Nebraska led 14-13 when SMU ripped off five points in a row to go ahead 18-14. SMU increased the lead to 23-15 after a 5-0 run and won the set and match, 25-18.

Up Next: The Husker Invitational will be held at the Bob Devaney Sports Center this Thursday-Saturday. The schedule is as follows:

Story by NU Athletic Communications&nbsp;DALLAS - The No. 2 Nebraska volleyball team fell 25-23, 25-21, 25-18 at SMU on Tuesday night in front of a crowd of 6,773 at Moody Coliseum.&nbsp;The Huskers (3-1) committed 11 service errors and had just one ace, while SMU (2-1) aced Nebraska seven times and committed 10 service errors.&nbsp;SMU outhit the Big Red .242 to .171, and had the edge in kills (39-36), blocks (10-9) and digs (43-36).&nbsp;Merritt Beason had nine kills for NU. Andi Jackson had eight kills and hit .667 with six blocks. Harper Murray had six kills, and Rebekah Allick and Lindsay Krause each had five.&nbsp;Bergen Reilly had 31 assists and 11 digs.&nbsp;Naya Shime and Maya Tabron led the Mustangs with nine kills each.&nbsp;The loss was Nebraska's first to an unranked team since 2017.&nbsp;Set 1: The Huskers had seven kills in their first 13 attacks, but three service errors allowed the score to be tied at 9-9. The Mustangs went up 11-10, but kills by Beason and Murray put NU on top, 12-11. A block by Jackson and Murray and an SMU hitting error made it 15-12, and Beason terminated from the back row for a 16-12 Husker lead after a 4-0 run. Jackson added another kill and a block with Landfair for an 18-13 lead. Jackson then put down her fifth kill before serving her first career ace to make it 20-15. Nebraska led 21-16, but SMU went on a 6-0 run to go up 22-21. Lindsay Krause subbed in and immediatley terminated to tie the score at 22-22, but NU's fourth service error put SMU back on top. Allick and Beason then combined for a block to tie it again, 23-23, but back-to-back SMU kills gave the Mustangs a 25-23 win.&nbsp;Set 2: SMU jumped in front to a 7-4 lead, but a Krause kill sparked a 3-0 Husker run. But SMU responded with a 4-0 run - including two aces - to go up 13-8. NU cut it to one at 19-18, but two more service errors helped the Mustangs go up 22-19, and SMU won 25-21 to take a 2-0 lead.&nbsp;Set 3: NU separated from an 8-8 tie with kills by Allick and Murray and a block by Murray and Jackson for an 11-8 lead, but SMU came right back to tie it 11-11. Nebraska led 14-13 when SMU ripped off five points in a row to go ahead 18-14. SMU increased the lead to 23-15 after a 5-0 run and won the set and match, 25-18.Up Next: The Husker Invitational will be held at the Bob Devaney Sports Center this Thursday-Saturday. The schedule is as follows:Thursday3:30 p.m. - Montana State vs. Denver6 p.m. - Nebraska vs. The Citadel (B1G+)Friday10 a.m. - The Citadel vs. Montana State4 p.m. - Denver vs. The CitadelSaturday2 p.m. - Nebraska vs. Montana State (NPM/B1G+)

Huskers fall at SMU

Anselmo-Merna def. Mullen, 25-21, 23-25, 25-19 (2-1)

Anselmo-Merna def. South Loup (Callaway/Arnold), 25-11, 25-12 (2-0)

Brady def. Perkins County, 25-18, 11-25, 25-21 (2-1)

Brady def. South Platte, 25-15, 25-9 (2-0)

Broken Bow def. North Platte, 25-23, 25-16, 25-12 (3-0)

Cambridge def. Paxton, 25-21, 25-21 (2-0)

Cambridge def. Sutherland, 25-10, 25-17 (2-0)

Garden County def. Hay Springs, 25-19, 25-12 (2-0)

Gothenburg def. Southern Valley, 25-18, 25-13, 25-22 (3-0)

Hi-Line def. Medicine Valley, 25-5, 25-20, 25-18 (3-0)

Lexington def. Cozad, 27-25, 25-22, 25-14 (3-0)

Minden def. Chase County, 25-7, 25-12 (2-0)

Mullen def. South Loup (Callaway/Arnold), 25-18, 25-17 (2-0)

Sutherland def. Paxton, 25-15, 25-19 (2-0)

Wallace def. Arthur County, 25-21, 25-13 (2-0)

Wallace def. Cody-Kilgore, 25-17, 25-21 (2-0)

<h2>Volleyball</h2>Anselmo-Merna def. Mullen, 25-21, 23-25, 25-19 (2-1)Anselmo-Merna def. South Loup (Callaway/Arnold), 25-11, 25-12 (2-0)Brady def. Perkins County, 25-18, 11-25, 25-21 (2-1)Brady def. South Platte, 25-15, 25-9 (2-0)Broken Bow def. North Platte, 25-23, 25-16, 25-12 (3-0)Cambridge def. Paxton, 25-21, 25-21 (2-0)Cambridge def. Sutherland, 25-10, 25-17 (2-0)Garden County def. Hay Springs, 25-19, 25-12 (2-0)Gothenburg def. Southern Valley, 25-18, 25-13, 25-22 (3-0)Hi-Line def. Medicine Valley, 25-5, 25-20, 25-18 (3-0)Lexington def. Cozad, 27-25, 25-22, 25-14 (3-0)Minden def. Chase County, 25-7, 25-12 (2-0)Minden def. McCook, 25-17, 25-17 (2-0)Mullen def. South Loup (Callaway/Arnold), 25-18, 25-17 (2-0)Sutherland def. Paxton, 25-15, 25-19 (2-0)Wallace def. Arthur County, 25-21, 25-13 (2-0)Wallace def. Cody-Kilgore, 25-17, 25-21 (2-0)<h2>Softball</h2>Chase County 4 @ Holyoke, CO 14Chase County 4 @ Holyoke, CO 17Cozad 0 @ McCook 9GICC 4 vs North Platte 3

Area Sports scores from Tuesday

Story by NPCC Athletic Communications

Sterling, Colo. – Knights open the week by falling in straight sets (25-10, 25-11, 25-18) to No. 3 Northeastern Junior College on Tuesday.

North Platte was led by sophomore Jaelyn Dicke who tallied six kills, while Nya Lual added four kills and two blocks in the match. EmiLee Walnofer led the Knights on the defensive end with 10 digs, while Aubrey Grant totaled ten assists against the Plainswomen.

Knights hung close to the Plainswomen in the opening moments of the first set, before a 7-1 run helped Northeastern build the momentum needed to take set one, 25-10. Northeastern was off to a strong start in the second set, before a successful challenge by Alexa McCall temporarily halted the rally. Plainswomen would resume their dominating offense late in the set using another long rally to take a two-set advantage.

North Platte traded points with the Plainswomen to begin the third set. Northeastern once again found their rhythm for another long rally, which forced the Knights to call a timeout. Despite trading points for the remainder of the set, Northeastern would close out the match with a 25-18 set win.

North Platte (2-7) will travel to Trinidad, Colo. for a two-day tournament beginning on Friday. Knights open play against Otero Junior College at 1 p.m.

Story by NPCC Athletic CommunicationsSterling, Colo. – Knights open the week by falling in straight sets (25-10, 25-11, 25-18) to No. 3 Northeastern Junior College on Tuesday.North Platte was led by sophomore Jaelyn Dicke who tallied six kills, while Nya Lual added four kills and two blocks in the match. EmiLee Walnofer led the Knights on the defensive end with 10 digs, while Aubrey Grant totaled ten assists against the Plainswomen.Knights hung close to the Plainswomen in the opening moments of the first set, before a 7-1 run helped Northeastern build the momentum needed to take set one, 25-10. Northeastern was off to a strong start in the second set, before a successful challenge by Alexa McCall temporarily halted the rally. Plainswomen would resume their dominating offense late in the set using another long rally to take a two-set advantage.North Platte traded points with the Plainswomen to begin the third set. Northeastern once again found their rhythm for another long rally, which forced the Knights to call a timeout. Despite trading points for the remainder of the set, Northeastern would close out the match with a 25-18 set win.North Platte (2-7) will travel to Trinidad, Colo. for a two-day tournament beginning on Friday. Knights open play against Otero Junior College at 1 p.m.

Knights fall in three sets at No. 3 Northeastern

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666116284028.jpeg" alt="Voice of the Eagles Dave Collins and CSC head Coach Jay Long break down the UNK game, look ahead to Jamestown and discuss team insights heading into game two Thursday night." />
 <figcaption>Voice of the Eagles Dave Collins and CSC head Coach Jay Long break down the UNK game, look ahead to Jamestown and discuss team insights heading into game two Thursday night.</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe title="Jay Long Show - September 3, 2024" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=ezfuf-16c16a4-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1b1b1b&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=c73a3a" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🎙 PODCAST: Jay Long Show - September 3, 2024

Story by NU Athletic Communications

Former Nebraska basketball standout Keisei Tominaga will make his professional debut this week, as he competes for G League United in a pair of events this month.

G League United, a select squad of current and future G League stars, will host BC Mega MIS, a premier Serbian team known for developing elite NBA talent like three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić and NBA centers Ivica Zubac and Boban Marjanović, in the NBA G League Fall Invitational. The games are Wednesday, Sept. 4 and Friday, Sept. 6 at 9 p.m. central.&nbsp; The team will also compete in the 2024 FIBA Intercontinental Cup in Singapore from Sept. 12-15.&nbsp;

The games mark the third NBA G League Fall Invitational, which tipped off in 2022 with a pair of games featuring Victor Wembanyama and Metropolitans 92 against NBA G League Ignite.

Tominaga is the only rookie on the 12-member squad and comes off playing for Japan in the 2024 Paris Olympics.&nbsp; Tominaga, who recently signed an Exhibit 10&nbsp;contract with the Indiana Pacers, spent the past three seasons at Nebraska, totaling 1,074 points to rank 30th on Nebraska’s career scoring list while finishing seventh on NU’s career 3-point list with 178. A two-time All-Big Ten honoree, he enjoyed his best season in 2023-24, averaging 15.1 points per game while posting career highs in nearly every offensive category enroute to second-team All-Big Ten honors. His 76 3-pointers in 2023-24 ranked eighth on NU’s single-season chart while he was sixth in the Big Ten in 3-pointers per game. He had a career-high 31 points at Illinois, one of three career 30-point efforts as a Husker. His efforts helped Nebraska to a 23-11 record in 2023-24, a third-place Big Ten finish and the school’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2014.&nbsp;

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsFormer Nebraska basketball standout Keisei Tominaga will make his professional debut this week, as he competes for G League United in a pair of events this month.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1711208827205.jpeg" alt="Keisei Tominaga" />
 <figcaption>Keisei Tominaga</figcaption>
 </figure>G League United, a select squad of current and future G League stars, will host BC Mega MIS, a premier Serbian team known for developing elite NBA talent like three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić and NBA centers Ivica Zubac and Boban Marjanović, in the NBA G League Fall Invitational. The games are Wednesday, Sept. 4 and Friday, Sept. 6 at 9 p.m. central.&nbsp; The team will also compete in the 2024 FIBA Intercontinental Cup in Singapore from Sept. 12-15.&nbsp;The games mark the third NBA G League Fall Invitational, which tipped off in 2022 with a pair of games featuring Victor Wembanyama and Metropolitans 92 against NBA G League Ignite.Tominaga is the only rookie on the 12-member squad and comes off playing for Japan in the 2024 Paris Olympics.&nbsp; Tominaga, who recently signed an Exhibit 10&nbsp;contract with the Indiana Pacers, spent the past three seasons at Nebraska, totaling 1,074 points to rank 30th on Nebraska’s career scoring list while finishing seventh on NU’s career 3-point list with 178. A two-time All-Big Ten honoree, he enjoyed his best season in 2023-24, averaging 15.1 points per game while posting career highs in nearly every offensive category enroute to second-team All-Big Ten honors. His 76 3-pointers in 2023-24 ranked eighth on NU’s single-season chart while he was sixth in the Big Ten in 3-pointers per game. He had a career-high 31 points at Illinois, one of three career 30-point efforts as a Husker. His efforts helped Nebraska to a 23-11 record in 2023-24, a third-place Big Ten finish and the school’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2014.&nbsp;

Tominaga to play for G League United 

• The Nebraska volleyball team will play its third straight match against a team from Texas when it heads to Dallas to face SMU at Moody Coliseum on Tuesday at 7 p.m.&nbsp;

• Tuesday’s match will be televised on the ACC Network and can be streamed on WatchESPN.com.&nbsp;

• Nebraska opened the college volleyball season with a 3-1 win over No. 9 Kentucky at the AVCA First Serve Showcase in Louisville, Ky., last Tuesday. The Huskers had 18 blocks in the match, which was their most in a match since 2018.&nbsp;

• Rebekah Allick led the way with 11 kills on .667 hitting to go with 12 blocks, which tied her career high. Allick was named Best Middle Blocker and MVP of the AVCA First Serve Showcase.&nbsp;

• Bergen Reilly was named Best Setter, dishing out 39 assists with 11 digs to lead the Huskers to their season-opening win.&nbsp;

• The Huskers followed up with a pair of home wins at the Ameritas Players Challenge over the weekend. NU swept Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi on Friday while hitting .427 in the match, its best offensive outing since 2021. The Huskers then beat TCU, 3-1, with Harper Murray leading the way with 20 kills on Saturday.&nbsp;

• Nebraska has now won 25 home matches in a row dating back to the 2022 season.&nbsp;

• Outside hitter Harper Murray is leading the Huskers with 3.30 kills per set on .289 hitting.&nbsp;

• Outside hitter Lindsay Krause adds 2.64 kills per set and she has served a team-high six aces.&nbsp;

• Middle blocker Rebekah Allick adds 2.40 kills per set on .415 hitting and has put up 19 blocks for an average of 1.90 blocks per set.&nbsp;

• Setter Bergen Reilly is averaging 10.73 assists per set and 3.18 digs per set and is tied for the team lead in aces with six.

• Three-time All-American Lexi Rodriguez guides the Husker back row with 3.82 digs per set .

• SMU went 26-7 last season and won the American Athletic Conference title. The Mustangs reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament.&nbsp;

• SMU opened the season with a split in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Mustangs fell 3-2 to Hawaii before defeating San Diego, 3-1.&nbsp;

• In its inaugural season in the ACC, the Mustangs were picked to finish sixth in the preseason poll.&nbsp;

• Setter Celia Cullen was the American Athletic Conference Setter of the Year last season and earned AVCA All-Region honorable mention. Cullen is averaging 9.00 assists per set.&nbsp;

• Maya Tabron, a graduate transfer from Colorado, leads the attack with 3.22 kills per set on .268 hitting.&nbsp;

• Jamison Wheeler and Naya Shime both add 2.89 kills per set.&nbsp;

• Nebraska won the only meeting against SMU on Aug. 27, 2023 at the Devaney Center, 3-0. In that match, Nebraska held SMU to .045 hitting and had 11 blocks.&nbsp;

• Cook has 853 career wins and is one of the all-time winningest coaches in NCAA history. Since taking over the program in 2000, Cook has led the Huskers to a nation-leading .874 win percentage (692-100).&nbsp;

• Rodriguez has 1,466 career digs, which ranks fifth in school history. U.S. Olympian Justine Wong-Orantes is the career leader in assists at NU with 1,890.&nbsp;

• In the season-opening victory over Kentucky, Allick had 11 kills and hit .667 while tying her career high with 12 blocks. Her performance earned her Best Middle Blocker and Most Valuable Player honors at the AVCA First Serve Showcase.&nbsp;

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsMATCH PREVIEW• The Nebraska volleyball team will play its third straight match against a team from Texas when it heads to Dallas to face SMU at Moody Coliseum on Tuesday at 7 p.m.&nbsp;• Tuesday’s match will be televised on the ACC Network and can be streamed on WatchESPN.com.&nbsp;• Huskers Radio Network will broadcast all the action on their volleyball affiliate stations, on Huskers.com and on the Huskers app.&nbsp;ABOUT THE HUSKERS• Nebraska opened the college volleyball season with a 3-1 win over No. 9 Kentucky at the AVCA First Serve Showcase in Louisville, Ky., last Tuesday. The Huskers had 18 blocks in the match, which was their most in a match since 2018.&nbsp;• Rebekah Allick led the way with 11 kills on .667 hitting to go with 12 blocks, which tied her career high. Allick was named Best Middle Blocker and MVP of the AVCA First Serve Showcase.&nbsp;• Bergen Reilly was named Best Setter, dishing out 39 assists with 11 digs to lead the Huskers to their season-opening win.&nbsp;• The Huskers followed up with a pair of home wins at the Ameritas Players Challenge over the weekend. NU swept Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi on Friday while hitting .427 in the match, its best offensive outing since 2021. The Huskers then beat TCU, 3-1, with Harper Murray leading the way with 20 kills on Saturday.&nbsp;• Nebraska has now won 25 home matches in a row dating back to the 2022 season.&nbsp;• Outside hitter Harper Murray is leading the Huskers with 3.30 kills per set on .289 hitting.&nbsp;• Outside hitter Lindsay Krause adds 2.64 kills per set and she has served a team-high six aces.&nbsp;• Middle blocker Rebekah Allick adds 2.40 kills per set on .415 hitting and has put up 19 blocks for an average of 1.90 blocks per set.&nbsp;• Setter Bergen Reilly is averaging 10.73 assists per set and 3.18 digs per set and is tied for the team lead in aces with six.• Three-time All-American Lexi Rodriguez guides the Husker back row with 3.82 digs per set .SCOUTING REPORT: SMU• SMU went 26-7 last season and won the American Athletic Conference title. The Mustangs reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament.&nbsp;• SMU opened the season with a split in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Mustangs fell 3-2 to Hawaii before defeating San Diego, 3-1.&nbsp;• In its inaugural season in the ACC, the Mustangs were picked to finish sixth in the preseason poll.&nbsp;• Setter Celia Cullen was the American Athletic Conference Setter of the Year last season and earned AVCA All-Region honorable mention. Cullen is averaging 9.00 assists per set.&nbsp;• Maya Tabron, a graduate transfer from Colorado, leads the attack with 3.22 kills per set on .268 hitting.&nbsp;• Jamison Wheeler and Naya Shime both add 2.89 kills per set.&nbsp;SERIES HISTORY• Nebraska won the only meeting against SMU on Aug. 27, 2023 at the Devaney Center, 3-0. In that match, Nebraska held SMU to .045 hitting and had 11 blocks.&nbsp;ALLICK, REILLY EARN BIG TEN WEEKLY AWARDS &nbsp; &nbsp;• Nebraska junior middle blocker Rebekah Allick was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, and sophomore setter Bergen Reilly was named Big Ten Setter of the Week on Monday by the conference office.&nbsp;• Allick earned her first career Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week award. Allick was named Best Middle Blocker and Most Valuable Player at the season-opening AVCA First Serve Showcase in Louisville, Ky. Allick had 11 kills and 12 blocks to lead the Huskers to a 3-1 win over No. 9 Kentucky. She also hit .667 in the match. Allick averaged 2.40 kills and 1.90 blocks per set with a .415 hitting percentage in the Huskers’ three wins against Kentucky, A&amp;M-Corpus Christi and TCU.&nbsp;• Reilly earned her fifth career Big Ten Setter of the Week honor. She led the Huskers to three victories with 10.73 assists per set and 3.18 digs per set. Reilly was named Best Setter at the AVCA First Serve Showcase in Louisville, Ky., as she led the Huskers to a 3-1 win over No. 9 Kentucky with 39 assists and 11 digs. Reilly had three double-doubles on the week, including 43 assists and 14 digs in a 3-1 win over TCU. Reilly also set a career high with five service aces in a sweep of A&amp;M-Corpus Christi, as she opened the match on a 10-0 run at the service line. Overall, Reilly set the Huskers to a .286 hitting percentage in the three wins.HALL OF FAME COACH COOK IN YEAR 25 AT NU &nbsp; &nbsp;• Nebraska head coach John Cook is in his 25th season as the Nebraska volleyball head coach in 2024. He has led the Huskers to four national championships, 11 final fours, 13 conference championships and 22 top-10 final rankings since 2000.&nbsp;• Cook has 853 career wins and is one of the all-time winningest coaches in NCAA history. Since taking over the program in 2000, Cook has led the Huskers to a nation-leading .874 win percentage (692-100).&nbsp;• Under Cook, the Huskers have achieved 68 AVCA All-Americans and 20 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, both among the best in the nation. He is a three-time AVCA National Coach of the Year, earning the prestigious honor in 2000, 2005 and 2023, and an eight-time conference coach of the year, including Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2016, 2017 and 2023.• In 2023, Cook was voted AVCA National Coach of the Year and Big Ten Coach of the Year after leading a young Nebraska team with no seniors to its first Big Ten title since 2017. The Huskers finished the regular season 28-1 overall, their best regular season record since going 28-1 in 2005. After going 26-6 last year and missing the NCAA regional finals for the first time since 2011, the Huskers started over with a starting lineup featuring four true freshmen and a junior transfer (Beason). Cook’s Huskers won their first 27 matches of the season and held the No. 1 ranking from Oct. 23 through the end of the regular season. Despite having no seniors on the roster for just the second time in Cook’s time at Nebraska - as well as starting a true freshman at setter for only the second time in Cook’s tenure - the Huskers earned the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016 and the sixth time overall under Cook.• Cook was inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame in 2017, joining former Husker volleyball coach Terry Pettit in the hall.&nbsp;RODRIGUEZ AMONG ALL-TIME GREAT NU LIBEROS• Lexi Rodriguez is in her final year of a stellar career as the Huskers’ libero. A four-year starter and a three-year team captain, Rodriguez will go down in history as one of the all-time greats in Nebraska volleyball history.&nbsp;• Rodriguez is a three-time AVCA All-American, earning first-team honors in 2021 and 2023, and second-team honors in 2022. She will look to join Kadie Rolfzen (2013-16) and Sarah Pavan (2004-07) as the only four-time All-Americans in program history.&nbsp;• Rodriguez made her mark instantly as a freshman in 2021, earning AVCA National Freshman of the Year and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Over the last two seasons, Rodriguez has guided the Huskers to the No. 1 defense in the country, earning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year again in 2023 to become the fifth player in Big Ten history to receive the honor twice in a career.&nbsp;• Rodriguez has 1,466 career digs, which ranks fifth in school history. U.S. Olympian Justine Wong-Orantes is the career leader in assists at NU with 1,890.&nbsp;BEASON BACK TO LEAD HUSKER ATTACK AGAIN• Opposite hitter Merritt Beason made an instant impact on the Nebraska volleyball program after transferring from Florida in 2023, and she will look to take the next step in her senior season as a second-year captain.&nbsp;• Last year, Beason put together a sensational season, earning AVCA first-team All-America honors and AVCA North Region Player of the Year, becoming just the second Husker (Kelly Hunter) to earn that honor.&nbsp;• Beason averaged a team-leading 3.76 kills per set on .282 hitting with 2.05 digs per set. She was named Big Ten Player of the Week four times and was the AVCA National Player of the Week on Oct. 23 after averaging 4.25 kills per set and 1.75 digs per set in wins against Northwestern and top-ranked Wisconsin.&nbsp;• Beason was the MVP of the NCAA Lincoln Regional after 19 kills, 11 digs and a career-high eight blocks in a regional final win over Arkansas.&nbsp;KRAUSE LOOKING TO PICK UP WHERE SHE LEFT OFF• Outside hitter Lindsay Krause was having the best year of her Husker career in 2023 before it ended in mid-October with an ankle injury. At the time of her injury, Krause was averaging 2.50 kills per set and was hitting .285 for the season.&nbsp;• Not only that, Krause was putting up 2.82 kills per set on .366 hitting through six Big Ten matches, which led all Big Ten outside hitters in conference action at the time.&nbsp;• Krause was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Oct. 9 following a season-high 15 kills on .519 hitting at Michigan and nine kills on .381 hitting at Michigan State. &nbsp;FRESHMEN TURNED SOPHOMORES• Nebraska relied on four true freshmen in the 2023 season and all four are back as sophomores ready to elevate their games to new levels.&nbsp;• Setter Bergen Reilly was the Big Ten Setter of the Year in 2023, becoming the first freshman to win the award since it originated in 2012. Reilly was also an AVCA second-team All-American and an All-Big Ten first-team selection. Reilly led all Big Ten setters with 10.51 assists per set and received four Big Ten Setter of the Week honors and two Big Ten Freshman of the Week accolades.&nbsp;• Outside hitter Harper Murray is coming off a freshman season that included being named Big Ten Freshman of the Year, All-Big Ten First Team, AVCA North Region Freshman of the Year and AVCA All-America Third Team. Murray finished second on the team with 3.23 kills per set, the highest kills per set average by a Husker freshman since Kadie Rolfzen (3.46) in 2013. One of the Big Ten’s best six-rotation players, Murray also added 2.07 digs per set with a team-high 36 aces. She was a three-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week.&nbsp;• Middle blocker Andi Jackson showed enormous athleticisim and potential the first time she stepped on the floor as a Husker, and she followed through with a strong debut season that included AVCA All-Region, All-Big Ten Second Team, and Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors. Jackson averaged 2.01 kills per set and 1.09 blocks per set with a .399 hitting percentage, which ranked third in the Big Ten and 19th in the nation. Her hitting percentage was the best ever by a Husker freshman and ranked seventh all-time in the rally scoring era. Along with Reilly, Jackson helped the U.S. U21 National Team win the gold medal at the NORCECA U21 Continental Championship in Toronto this summer, hitting .654 throughout the tournament with 39 kills and 10 blocks.&nbsp;• Laney Choboy played in 34 matches rotating in for the Big Red in 2023, averaging 1.82 digs per set with 37 assists and 14 aces. Known for her high-energy play, the 5-3 defensive specialist unofficially led the team in highlight-reel saves.&nbsp;ALLICK ON A BLOCKING TEAR• Junior middle blocker Rebekah Allick is a two-time AVCA All-Region and All-Big Ten second-team selection. Last season, she averaged 1.76 kills per set with a team-high 1.50 blocks per set, which ranked second among Big Ten players and seven in the nation. Her 1.50 blocks per set was also the No. 2 mark in school history in the rally scoring era.&nbsp;• Allick was at her best at the end of the 2023 season, registering a career-high 12 blocks in the NCAA regional final win over Arkansas and 10 blocks in the NCAA semifinal sweep of Pittsburgh.&nbsp;• In the season-opening victory over Kentucky, Allick had 11 kills and hit .667 while tying her career high with 12 blocks. Her performance earned her Best Middle Blocker and Most Valuable Player honors at the AVCA First Serve Showcase.&nbsp;REILLY, JACKSON LEAD U.S. U21 TEAM TO GOLD• Nebraska sophomores Bergen Reilly and Andi Jackson led the U.S. U21 National Team to the gold medal at the NORCECA U21 Continental Championship in Toronto, Canada in June. Nebraska assistant coach Jaylen Reyes served as an assistant coach for the U21 National Team.• The U.S. swept Puerto Rico 25-12, 25-16, 25-16 in the final to finish the tournament without dropping a set in five matches. Jackson finished with nine kills, three blocks and one ace, while Reilly set the U.S. to a .464 hitting percentage.&nbsp;• In other international competition, Nebraska seniors Merritt Beason, Taylor Landfair and Lexi Rodriguez took the silver medal at the NORCECA Final Six as the U.S. National Team fell to Dominican Republic in five sets. The U.S. National Team - comprising only college players for this tournament - went toe-to-toe with the senior national team of the Dominican Republic. Beason had a team-high 14 kills in the final, while Rodriguez had 10 digs.THREE HUSKERS EARN SILVER AT PARIS OLYMPICS• The U.S. Women’s Volleyball National Team earned the silver medal at the Paris Olympics in August as they fell to Italy, 3-0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-17) in the final.&nbsp;• Three players on the U.S. National Team - Jordan Larson, Kelsey Robinson Cook and Justine Wong-Orantes - represented Nebraska throughout the competition. In the final, Wong-Orantes put up 15 digs for Team USA, and Larson had five kills.&nbsp;• Larson earned her fourth career Olympic medal, tied for the most all-time by a women’s volleyball player. Robinson Cook collected her third Olympics medal, and Wong-Orantes now has a gold and a silver medal.&nbsp;• The U.S. women have won one Olympic gold medal (2020), four silver medals (1984, 2008, 2012, 2024) and two bronze medals (1992 and 2016).• Larson, who was a three-time All-American at Nebraska while lettering from 2005-08, competed in her fourth straight Olympics. She is in her second season as an assistant coach for the Huskers in 2024.&nbsp;• Robinson Cook, an All-American at NU in 2013, was also a member of the bronze-medal winning team in 2016 and gold-medal winning team in 2020, while two-time All-American Wong-Orantes (2013-16) made her Olympic debut in Tokyo in 2020.&nbsp;HUSKERS ADD TWO TALENTED FRESHMEN• Nebraska signed two freshmen in its 2024 class, libero Olivia Mauch and outside hitter Skyler Pierce.&nbsp;• Mauch, a 5-6 libero from Bennington, Neb., was the starting libero for the U.S. Girls U19 Team that won gold at the 2023 FIVB U19 World Championships in Croatia. She had 13 digs in the championship match, a 3-2 comeback win over Turkey. Mauch averaged 7.1 digs per set and had 49 service aces in her senior season at Bennington, leading the Badgers to the Class B state semifinals twice. She was the Nebraska Gatorade Player of the Year. Mauch also trained with the U.S. U21 National Team in June 2024 in Anaheim, Calif.&nbsp;• Pierce, a 6-2 outside hitter from Lenexa, Kan., also has major international experience with the U.S. National Team program, having competed at the 2023 FIVB U21 World Championships. Pierce starred at Olathe Northwest, where she averaged 4.6 kills per set with a .402 hitting percentage to go along with 230 digs, 67 aces and 43 blocks in her senior season in which the Ravens finished third at the Kansas 6A state tournament. Pierce was an AVCA first-team High School All-American and th MetroKC Volleyball Player of the Year.&nbsp;BLACKWELL, LANDFAIR JOIN HUSKERS• Nebraska brought in two new additions via the transfer portal in the offseason in Minnesota outside hitter Taylor Landfair and San Diego middle blocker Leyla Blackwell.&nbsp;• Landfair, a 6-5 outside hitter from Plainfield, Ill., is a senior for the Huskers but has two years of eligibility remaining after receiving a medical hardship for the 2021 season. Landfair was the Big Ten Player of the Year and an AVCA first-team All-American in 2022 at Minnesota after 4.36 kills per set on .257 hitting with 1.63 digs per set. She had a career-high 28 kills in a win over Oregon and was a four-time Big Ten Player of the Week, as well as the AVCA North Region Player of the Year. Last season, Landfair earned first-team All-Big Ten honors for the third time and averaged 3.19 kills and 2.03 digs per set.&nbsp;• Blackwell, a 6-4 middle blocker &nbsp;from San Diego, Calif., was a three-time All-WCC selection at San Diego and averaged 2.25 kills and 1.24 blocks per set with a .329 hitting percentage last season. Blackwell guided the Toreros to the NCAA Semifinals in 2022 by shattering the school record for single-season block assists (152), and she finished sixth nationally at 1.50 blocks per set. Blackwell has Big Ten experience as she began her career at Indiana in 2020-21 and led the team in blocking and hitting percentage.&nbsp;FIVE HUSKERS NAMED PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN• Five student-athletes from the Nebraska volleyball team were named to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team.• Merritt Beason and Lexi Rodriguez were unanimous selections to the 18-player Preseason All-Big Ten Team. They were joined by Taylor Landfair, Harper Murray and Bergen Reilly on the team. All five players were All-Big Ten selections in 2023. Seventeen of the 18 players on the team were either All-Big Ten or All-Pac 12 First Team selections last season. NU’s five selections were the most for any team in the conference; no one else had more than three.&nbsp;

Huskers on the road again to face SMU

Lincoln, Neb.&nbsp;- Behind Sarah Weber’s second hat trick of the season, the Nebraska soccer team (2-2-0) topped Creighton (2-2-0) 5-2 on Monday afternoon in front of 2,382 fans, the second largest crowd at Hibner Stadium.

Weber, who’s currently tied for second in the country with six goals on the season, tallied three finishes to post her sixth career multiple-score game and second career hat trick. With her three goals, Weber increased her career total to 38, good for 10th in all-time Husker history.&nbsp;

In the 22nd minute, Weber got the scoring started with a goal off a corner kick from Florence Belzile, marking Belzile’s 25th career assist and third on the season. Nebraska made it 2-0 on Reese Snowden’s first career goal 25:49 into the contest. Guyott assisted the goal, marking her third career assist and first point of the season.&nbsp;

Creighton got on the board in the 34th minute, as Ariana Mondiri scored off an assist from Lara Kazandjian, but the Huskers and Weber weren’t done. In the 35th minute, Weber found the back of the net off a cross from Jordan Zade, as the Huskers finished the first 45 minutes with a 3-1 lead.In the 60th minute, Weber opened the scoring in the second half and recorded the hat trick off another cross from Zade just outside the goal box. The assist marks Zade’s 20th career and fourth of the season, good for the team lead. Lauryn Anglim then added the Huskers’ final goal of the day as she scored her third career finish from the penalty spot in the 73rd minute. Creighton got one back in the 84th minute as Kelis Brown found the back of the net, but it wasn’t enough, and the Huskers rolled to the 5-2 victory.&nbsp;

Weber and Ella Guyott combined for 12 shots to pace the Husker offense, which out-shot Creighton 21-9. In net, Cece Villa had five saves for her second win of the year.&nbsp;

Monday’s match concluded Nebraska’s four-game homestand as the Huskers hit the road to face Oregon State on Thursday, Sept. 5 and Portland on Sunday, Sept. 8. Action against the Beavers is set for 9 p.m. (CT) and will be streamed on ESPN+. Sunday’s match is set for 3 p.m. (CT).&nbsp;

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsLincoln, Neb.&nbsp;- Behind Sarah Weber’s second hat trick of the season, the Nebraska soccer team (2-2-0) topped Creighton (2-2-0) 5-2 on Monday afternoon in front of 2,382 fans, the second largest crowd at Hibner Stadium.Weber, who’s currently tied for second in the country with six goals on the season, tallied three finishes to post her sixth career multiple-score game and second career hat trick. With her three goals, Weber increased her career total to 38, good for 10th in all-time Husker history.&nbsp;In the 22nd minute, Weber got the scoring started with a goal off a corner kick from Florence Belzile, marking Belzile’s 25th career assist and third on the season. Nebraska made it 2-0 on Reese Snowden’s first career goal 25:49 into the contest. Guyott assisted the goal, marking her third career assist and first point of the season.&nbsp;Creighton got on the board in the 34th minute, as Ariana Mondiri scored off an assist from Lara Kazandjian, but the Huskers and Weber weren’t done. In the 35th minute, Weber found the back of the net off a cross from Jordan Zade, as the Huskers finished the first 45 minutes with a 3-1 lead.In the 60th minute, Weber opened the scoring in the second half and recorded the hat trick off another cross from Zade just outside the goal box. The assist marks Zade’s 20th career and fourth of the season, good for the team lead. Lauryn Anglim then added the Huskers’ final goal of the day as she scored her third career finish from the penalty spot in the 73rd minute. Creighton got one back in the 84th minute as Kelis Brown found the back of the net, but it wasn’t enough, and the Huskers rolled to the 5-2 victory.&nbsp;Weber and Ella Guyott combined for 12 shots to pace the Husker offense, which out-shot Creighton 21-9. In net, Cece Villa had five saves for her second win of the year.&nbsp;Monday’s match concluded Nebraska’s four-game homestand as the Huskers hit the road to face Oregon State on Thursday, Sept. 5 and Portland on Sunday, Sept. 8. Action against the Beavers is set for 9 p.m. (CT) and will be streamed on ESPN+. Sunday’s match is set for 3 p.m. (CT).&nbsp;

Weber nets second Hat Trick, Huskers top Creighton 5-2 

Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola made the most of his first career start, as he was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Monday afternoon.

Raiola, the second Husker true freshman to start a season opener since WWII, completed 19-of-27 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns in Nebraska’s 40-7 win over UTEP on Saturday. Raiola guided the Huskers to touchdowns on five of his eight series against the Miners, and he played just one drive in the second half. &nbsp;Raiola threw both of his touchdown passes in the second quarter – a 59-yard strike to Isaiah Neyor and a 21-yard pass to Jahmal Banks with just two seconds left in the half. Nebraska’s 23 second-quarter points was its highest total since 2018. In all, he threw for 192 yards in the first half. As a team, the Huskers threw for 284 yards, their highest single-game total since 2022.

Raiola is the first Husker to be named Big Ten Freshman of the Week since Malcolm Hartzog Jr. in 2022 and the first NU offensive player to garner the freshman honor since Wan'dale Robinson in 2019.

The Huskers are back in action this Saturday night, as they host the Colorado Buffaloes. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. and the game will be carried nationally on NBC and the Husker Radio Network.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsNebraska’s Dylan Raiola made the most of his first career start, as he was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Monday afternoon.Raiola, the second Husker true freshman to start a season opener since WWII, completed 19-of-27 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns in Nebraska’s 40-7 win over UTEP on Saturday. Raiola guided the Huskers to touchdowns on five of his eight series against the Miners, and he played just one drive in the second half. &nbsp;Raiola threw both of his touchdown passes in the second quarter – a 59-yard strike to Isaiah Neyor and a 21-yard pass to Jahmal Banks with just two seconds left in the half. Nebraska’s 23 second-quarter points was its highest total since 2018. In all, he threw for 192 yards in the first half. As a team, the Huskers threw for 284 yards, their highest single-game total since 2022.Raiola is the first Husker to be named Big Ten Freshman of the Week since Malcolm Hartzog Jr. in 2022 and the first NU offensive player to garner the freshman honor since Wan'dale Robinson in 2019.The Huskers are back in action this Saturday night, as they host the Colorado Buffaloes. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. and the game will be carried nationally on NBC and the Husker Radio Network.

Raiola named Big Ten Freshman of the Week

Bridgeport 8 @ North Platte St. Patrick's 21

Perkins County 16 @ Dundy County Stratton 20

Arthur County 71 vs Wallace 20Beatrice 6 vs McCook 56Bridgeport 8 @ North Platte St. Patrick's 21Chadron 28 vs Broken Bow 8Chase County 33 vs Yuma, CO 6Hay Springs 28 vs Paxton 14Hershey 14 @ Gibbon 17Maxwell 90 vs Sutherland 6Mullen 22 @ Sandhills Valley 42North Platte 0 @ Kearney 20Ogallala 22 vs Gothenburg 35Perkins County 16 @ Dundy County Stratton 20Sidney 22 vs Cozad 13

Prep Football Scores from Friday night

The No. 2 Nebraska volleyball team swept Texas A&amp;M Corpus-Christi 25-9, 25-20, 25-15 in its home opener at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Friday night in front of a crowd of 8,956.

NU (2-0) outhit the Islanders (0-1) .427 to .143 in the match. It was the best hitting percentage by the Huskers since Oct. 1, 2021 (.457 vs. Michigan).&nbsp;

The Huskers had a 48-30 advantage in kills, 48-33 in digs and 7.5 to 2 in blocks.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Lindsay Krause led Nebraska with 13 kills on a .478 hitting percentage, while Andi Jackson added seven kills. Rebekah Allick and Merritt Beason each posted six kills, and Taylor Landfair and Harper Murray notched five apiece.&nbsp;

Bergen Reilly set the tone for the Huskers with 36 assists, 10 digs, four kills, three blocks and five service aces. All five of Reilly's aces came in the first set, and she started the Huskers off on a 10-0 run to begin the match.&nbsp;

Lexi Rodriguez added nine digs, while Murray had seven. Reilly, Krause and Leyla Blackwell tied for the team lead with three blocks.

Tori Arrington and Kyndal Payne led the Islanders, each with seven kills.

Set 1:&nbsp;The Huskers jumped out to a 10-0 lead to start the match behind three aces from Reilly and three kills each from Krause and Allick. After the Islanders got on the board, Allick and Beason answered with three kills to make it 13-1. Murray put down a pair of kills to give the Huskers a 17-7 lead, and after the Islanders cut it to 19-9, NU went on a 6-0 run to end the set and win 25-9. Reilly served two more aces down the stretch, and Krause finished the set with a pair of kills. Reilly served five aces in the set, and the Huskers hit .433 with 15 kills on 30 swings.

Set 2: The second set started more evenly. Nebraska led 12-11 before going on a 4-0 run to take control, keyed by an ace by Rodriguez and two straight kills by Jackson. A kill apiece from Krause and Beason put the Big Red ahead 20-15. The Islanders kept it close and pulled to within three at 23-20 behind a Payne kill, but a Jackson kill and Reilly/Jackson block closed out the 25-20 set victory for the Huskers.

The No. 2 Nebraska volleyball team swept Texas A&amp;M Corpus-Christi 25-9, 25-20, 25-15 in its home opener at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Friday night in front of a crowd of 8,956.NU (2-0) outhit the Islanders (0-1) .427 to .143 in the match. It was the best hitting percentage by the Huskers since Oct. 1, 2021 (.457 vs. Michigan).&nbsp;The Huskers had a 48-30 advantage in kills, 48-33 in digs and 7.5 to 2 in blocks.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1725109600426.jpeg" alt="Courtesty Photo: Nebraska Athletics - Lindsay Krause led Nebraska with 13 kills on a .478 hitting percentage against&nbsp; exas A&amp;M Corpus-Christi" />
 <figcaption>Courtesty Photo: Nebraska Athletics - Lindsay Krause led Nebraska with 13 kills on a .478 hitting percentage against&nbsp; exas A&amp;M Corpus-Christi</figcaption>
 </figure>Lindsay Krause led Nebraska with 13 kills on a .478 hitting percentage, while Andi Jackson added seven kills. Rebekah Allick and Merritt Beason each posted six kills, and Taylor Landfair and Harper Murray notched five apiece.&nbsp;Bergen Reilly set the tone for the Huskers with 36 assists, 10 digs, four kills, three blocks and five service aces. All five of Reilly's aces came in the first set, and she started the Huskers off on a 10-0 run to begin the match.&nbsp;Lexi Rodriguez added nine digs, while Murray had seven. Reilly, Krause and Leyla Blackwell tied for the team lead with three blocks.Tori Arrington and Kyndal Payne led the Islanders, each with seven kills.Set 1:&nbsp;The Huskers jumped out to a 10-0 lead to start the match behind three aces from Reilly and three kills each from Krause and Allick. After the Islanders got on the board, Allick and Beason answered with three kills to make it 13-1. Murray put down a pair of kills to give the Huskers a 17-7 lead, and after the Islanders cut it to 19-9, NU went on a 6-0 run to end the set and win 25-9. Reilly served two more aces down the stretch, and Krause finished the set with a pair of kills. Reilly served five aces in the set, and the Huskers hit .433 with 15 kills on 30 swings.Set 2: The second set started more evenly. Nebraska led 12-11 before going on a 4-0 run to take control, keyed by an ace by Rodriguez and two straight kills by Jackson. A kill apiece from Krause and Beason put the Big Red ahead 20-15. The Islanders kept it close and pulled to within three at 23-20 behind a Payne kill, but a Jackson kill and Reilly/Jackson block closed out the 25-20 set victory for the Huskers.Set 3: A&amp;M Corpus Christi took a 4-1 lead to start the set, but Rodriguez served seven straight and Landfair notched two kills to help put NU ahead 8-4. Krause posted her 10th and 11th kills of the match and Blackwell registered her first as a Husker to give the Huskers the 15-8 lead heading into the media break. Reilly and Blackwell combined for two blocks to keep Nebraska’s momentum and make the score 18-8. The Big Red never relinquished its lead and took the set 25-15, and the match, 3-0. NU hit .517 in the third set.Up Next: Nebraska will take on TCU in its final match of the Ameritas Players Challenge on Saturday, Aug. 31 at 7:30 p.m. at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The match will be streamed on B1G+ and can be heard across the Huskers Radio Network.