Story by NU Athletic Communications

Nebraska volleyball's May 4 spring match against Denver has been moved from Kearney High School to UNK's Health and Sports Center on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Kearney.&nbsp;

The match was originally scheduled to be played in the Kearney High School Gymnasium (approximate capacity 3,000), but in an effort to accommodate more fans will be relocated to the 5,000-seat home of the UNK Lopers. The Huskers played their 2017 spring match at Kearney High School but have not played a spring match at UNK's Health and Sports Center. Kearney Public Schools will remain the primary host, working in partnership with Nebraska Athletics, UNK and the Kearney Visitors Bureau.

Tickets will still go on sale to the public Tuesday, April 2 at 10 a.m., at the Buffalo County Fairgrounds. Tickets for the match are $12 for upper-bowl bleacher seats and $25 for lower-bowl chairback seats. All seats are general admission. Tickets must be purchased in person, with cash only, by someone at least 16 years old. A maximum of four tickets are available per person. Lost tickets will not be replaced. Tickets will not be available through the Nebraska, KHS or UNK athletic offices.

Doors to the match will open at 12:30 p.m. The Huskers will sign autographs following the match. &nbsp;

For the third consecutive year, the Huskers' spring match will be televised statewide on Nebraska Public Media and streamed online on B1G+. In addition to television and streaming coverage, the match will air on select Huskers Radio Network affiliates and the official Huskers App.

The trip back to Kearney continues Nebraska’s tradition of touring the state for spring volleyball matches. Since 2007, Nebraska has played spring matches in North Platte, Scottsbluff, Grand Island, Norfolk, Wayne, Ogallala, Kearney and McCook.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsNebraska volleyball's May 4 spring match against Denver has been moved from Kearney High School to UNK's Health and Sports Center on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Kearney.&nbsp;The match was originally scheduled to be played in the Kearney High School Gymnasium (approximate capacity 3,000), but in an effort to accommodate more fans will be relocated to the 5,000-seat home of the UNK Lopers. The Huskers played their 2017 spring match at Kearney High School but have not played a spring match at UNK's Health and Sports Center. Kearney Public Schools will remain the primary host, working in partnership with Nebraska Athletics, UNK and the Kearney Visitors Bureau.Tickets will still go on sale to the public Tuesday, April 2 at 10 a.m., at the Buffalo County Fairgrounds. Tickets for the match are $12 for upper-bowl bleacher seats and $25 for lower-bowl chairback seats. All seats are general admission. Tickets must be purchased in person, with cash only, by someone at least 16 years old. A maximum of four tickets are available per person. Lost tickets will not be replaced. Tickets will not be available through the Nebraska, KHS or UNK athletic offices.Doors to the match will open at 12:30 p.m. The Huskers will sign autographs following the match. &nbsp;For the third consecutive year, the Huskers' spring match will be televised statewide on Nebraska Public Media and streamed online on B1G+. In addition to television and streaming coverage, the match will air on select Huskers Radio Network affiliates and the official Huskers App.The trip back to Kearney continues Nebraska’s tradition of touring the state for spring volleyball matches. Since 2007, Nebraska has played spring matches in North Platte, Scottsbluff, Grand Island, Norfolk, Wayne, Ogallala, Kearney and McCook.

Volleyball Spring match moved to UNK's Health and Sports Center

Video provided by NU Athletic Communications

Video provided by NU Athletic Communications<div><iframe src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/players/PHmAyXAm-Qhb3tgnY.html" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" title="Rhule Psr 031824 Cam 1" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

Huskers talk offseason, preview Spring ball

Nebraska shortstop Billie Andrews was named the Big Ten Softball Player of the Week on Monday. Andrews was honored for the second time in three weeks and for the third time in her career.

Andrews joins her teammate Sydney Gray as the only two players to be named the Big Ten Player of the Week twice this season. Overall, Nebraska has won four of the seven Big Ten Player of the Week awards this season.

Andrews was recognized after helping Nebraska to a 5-1 record last week. In six games, Andrews hit .455 (10-for-22) with one double, four home runs, 10 runs scored and 14 RBIs. She slugged 1.045 on the week with a .520 on-base percentage. Andrews averaged 1.7 hits, 1.7 runs and 2.3 RBIs per game in the Huskers’ six games. She reached base safely in all six games to extend her streak to 23 consecutive games reaching base safely.

In a pair of games last Tuesday, Andrews went 3-for-7 with two home runs and five RBIs. She then produced multiple hits and multiple RBIs in each of the final three games of the week. Against North Dakota, Andrews was 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBIs. She then went 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, two runs scored and three RBIs against Creighton. In the final game of the weekend against Northern Colorado, Andrews was 3-for-5 with a home run, four runs scored and four RBIs.

A Gretna native, Andrews’ four home runs last week increased her career total to 54. She is tied with Taylor Edwards for the most home runs in program history.

Northwestern’s Ashley Miller was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week while Michigan’s Jenissa Conway was recognized as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsNebraska shortstop Billie Andrews was named the Big Ten Softball Player of the Week on Monday. Andrews was honored for the second time in three weeks and for the third time in her career.Andrews joins her teammate Sydney Gray as the only two players to be named the Big Ten Player of the Week twice this season. Overall, Nebraska has won four of the seven Big Ten Player of the Week awards this season.Andrews was recognized after helping Nebraska to a 5-1 record last week. In six games, Andrews hit .455 (10-for-22) with one double, four home runs, 10 runs scored and 14 RBIs. She slugged 1.045 on the week with a .520 on-base percentage. Andrews averaged 1.7 hits, 1.7 runs and 2.3 RBIs per game in the Huskers’ six games. She reached base safely in all six games to extend her streak to 23 consecutive games reaching base safely.In a pair of games last Tuesday, Andrews went 3-for-7 with two home runs and five RBIs. She then produced multiple hits and multiple RBIs in each of the final three games of the week. Against North Dakota, Andrews was 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBIs. She then went 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, two runs scored and three RBIs against Creighton. In the final game of the weekend against Northern Colorado, Andrews was 3-for-5 with a home run, four runs scored and four RBIs.A Gretna native, Andrews’ four home runs last week increased her career total to 54. She is tied with Taylor Edwards for the most home runs in program history.Northwestern’s Ashley Miller was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week while Michigan’s Jenissa Conway was recognized as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week.

Billie Andrews named Big Ten Player of the Week

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Coach Matt Rhule spent the first 10 minutes of his pre-spring football practice news conference Monday giving a pep talk to a Nebraska fan base reeling from last week's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-am-alberts-nebraska-85885942186b80ae2812dc7a48dcae6c">surprise departure of athletic director Trev Alberts</a>.

Rhule has been at the school only 16 months, watching university president Ted Carter leave for the same position at Ohio State and Alberts take off for the AD job at Texas A&amp;M.

Rhule is entering his second year of an eight-year, $74 million contract after going 5-7 in his first season. He said he was surprised and disappointed the two men who brought him to Nebraska are gone so soon.

But Rhule delivered an upbeat monologue invoking Hall of Fame football coaches Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne and sprinkling in names of top players on the men's and women's basketball teams headed to the NCAA Tournament.

“I’m here, and I’m all in, and Julie's all in," Rhule said, referring to his wife. “I loved Ted Carter and I loved Trev and I came because of them. But I came to be at the University of Nebraska, and I've loved the people I've met, and we're not going anywhere unless you guys kick us out.”

Nebraska will be hiring its fourth athletic director since 2013, and the search is being led by an interim president, Chris Kabourek, while executive associate AD for academics Dennis Leblanc leads the department in an interim role.

Alberts, an All-America football player for the Cornhuskers in the early 1990s and athletic director for less than three years, has not given specific reasons for leaving. The contract non-disparagement clause was activated when he resigned. Gov. Jim Pillen, in a statement last week,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-governor-jim-pillen-alberts-4dff2bd9ebb8e77ea23bd7ea390cfa3b">blamed university regents</a>&nbsp;for moving to slowly in its search for a new president. Alberts had previously expressed frustration the process wasn't moving more quickly.

Rhule said Alberts was “forthright” during their phone call last week and, as for Alberts' reasons, “that’s his story to tell.”

“I have no complaints about how he handled it, at least with me,” Rhule said.

The Cornhuskers have been off the national radar in football since their 1990s heyday, which has taken a toll on the psyche of a state where the program receives year-round attention. Rhule said fans should remember Nebraska has had a strong reputation across college athletics.

He noted the athletic department is self-supporting financially and has been a trailblazer in academic support, strength training and nutrition and more recently in the name, image and likeness space.

“We have to be unabashed in our desire to be the best,” Rhule said. "We cannot worry about optics. We cannot worry about what people say. The way you win in college athletics today is you invest. I can't think of a state that knows that better than this amazing state — whether it's all the amazing financial institutions, the people in Omaha, Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway. All the agriculture across our state — you won't get a harvest unless you sow seed and water it.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Coach Matt Rhule spent the first 10 minutes of his pre-spring football practice news conference Monday giving a pep talk to a Nebraska fan base reeling from last week's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-am-alberts-nebraska-85885942186b80ae2812dc7a48dcae6c">surprise departure of athletic director Trev Alberts</a>.Rhule has been at the school only 16 months, watching university president Ted Carter leave for the same position at Ohio State and Alberts take off for the AD job at Texas A&amp;M.Rhule is entering his second year of an eight-year, $74 million contract after going 5-7 in his first season. He said he was surprised and disappointed the two men who brought him to Nebraska are gone so soon.But Rhule delivered an upbeat monologue invoking Hall of Fame football coaches Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne and sprinkling in names of top players on the men's and women's basketball teams headed to the NCAA Tournament.“I’m here, and I’m all in, and Julie's all in," Rhule said, referring to his wife. “I loved Ted Carter and I loved Trev and I came because of them. But I came to be at the University of Nebraska, and I've loved the people I've met, and we're not going anywhere unless you guys kick us out.”Nebraska will be hiring its fourth athletic director since 2013, and the search is being led by an interim president, Chris Kabourek, while executive associate AD for academics Dennis Leblanc leads the department in an interim role.Alberts, an All-America football player for the Cornhuskers in the early 1990s and athletic director for less than three years, has not given specific reasons for leaving. The contract non-disparagement clause was activated when he resigned. Gov. Jim Pillen, in a statement last week,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-governor-jim-pillen-alberts-4dff2bd9ebb8e77ea23bd7ea390cfa3b">blamed university regents</a>&nbsp;for moving to slowly in its search for a new president. Alberts had previously expressed frustration the process wasn't moving more quickly.Rhule said Alberts was “forthright” during their phone call last week and, as for Alberts' reasons, “that’s his story to tell.”“I have no complaints about how he handled it, at least with me,” Rhule said.The Cornhuskers have been off the national radar in football since their 1990s heyday, which has taken a toll on the psyche of a state where the program receives year-round attention. Rhule said fans should remember Nebraska has had a strong reputation across college athletics.He noted the athletic department is self-supporting financially and has been a trailblazer in academic support, strength training and nutrition and more recently in the name, image and likeness space.“We have to be unabashed in our desire to be the best,” Rhule said. "We cannot worry about optics. We cannot worry about what people say. The way you win in college athletics today is you invest. I can't think of a state that knows that better than this amazing state — whether it's all the amazing financial institutions, the people in Omaha, Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway. All the agriculture across our state — you won't get a harvest unless you sow seed and water it.

AD Alberts' move to A&M surprised Rhule. But coach says he's all in, sees bright future at Nebraska

Two North Platte High School powerlifters competed at the OneUp Shamrock Classic in Lincoln, NE on Saturday, March 17.&nbsp; Senior Abby Dimmitt and Seth Penn, a junior, both placed second in their respective weight divisions against lifters from across the region.&nbsp; This was a USA Powerlifting sanctioned event, and was not limited to just high school competitors.&nbsp; NPHS coach Arttie Parker said, "This is a tough meet, and for two of our athletes to walk away with second place is a big accomplishment."

At the event, Dimmitt hit qualifying totals for USAPL Teen Nationals, and will be flying to Baton Rouge, LA to compete on April 6.&nbsp; Parker said, "This was huge for Abby.&nbsp; She didn't have her best meet of the year, but she really grinded through the events with a strategic plan for qualifying, which has been a goal of hers this year.&nbsp; We'll get back to work and get her ready to go to Louisiana.&nbsp; I'm incredibly proud of her effort and have no doubts that she will represent herself and the NPHS powerlifting team well at Nationals."

As for Penn, Parker stated, "Seth continues to impress, always pushing himself and his totals. He actually had the numbers to compete at USAPL Nationals, as well, but he is looking toward a regional meet in Wisconsin that is coming up in early June, I believe.&nbsp; Nationals is definitely in the cards for next year for Seth."

The NPHS Powerlifting team will be in action on April 6 in Orchard, NE at an AAU event that regularly draws lifters from across the state.&nbsp; This event will bring the team's season to an end, although several lifters have indicated they will also compete at this year's Cornhusker State Games in July.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710777397254.png" alt="NPHS Powerlifting" />
 <figcaption>NPHS Powerlifting</figcaption>
 </figure>Story by NPHS Powerlifting&nbsp;Two North Platte High School powerlifters competed at the OneUp Shamrock Classic in Lincoln, NE on Saturday, March 17.&nbsp; Senior Abby Dimmitt and Seth Penn, a junior, both placed second in their respective weight divisions against lifters from across the region.&nbsp; This was a USA Powerlifting sanctioned event, and was not limited to just high school competitors.&nbsp; NPHS coach Arttie Parker said, "This is a tough meet, and for two of our athletes to walk away with second place is a big accomplishment."At the event, Dimmitt hit qualifying totals for USAPL Teen Nationals, and will be flying to Baton Rouge, LA to compete on April 6.&nbsp; Parker said, "This was huge for Abby.&nbsp; She didn't have her best meet of the year, but she really grinded through the events with a strategic plan for qualifying, which has been a goal of hers this year.&nbsp; We'll get back to work and get her ready to go to Louisiana.&nbsp; I'm incredibly proud of her effort and have no doubts that she will represent herself and the NPHS powerlifting team well at Nationals."As for Penn, Parker stated, "Seth continues to impress, always pushing himself and his totals. He actually had the numbers to compete at USAPL Nationals, as well, but he is looking toward a regional meet in Wisconsin that is coming up in early June, I believe.&nbsp; Nationals is definitely in the cards for next year for Seth."The NPHS Powerlifting team will be in action on April 6 in Orchard, NE at an AAU event that regularly draws lifters from across the state.&nbsp; This event will bring the team's season to an end, although several lifters have indicated they will also compete at this year's Cornhusker State Games in July.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Two North Platte High School powerlifters place high at OneUp Shamrock Classic

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska executive athletic director for academics Dennis Leblanc has been named interim athletic director as the school begins its search for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-am-alberts-nebraska-85885942186b80ae2812dc7a48dcae6c">successor to Trev Alberts</a>, interim president Chris Kabourek announced Thursday.

Leblanc has been on the athletic department staff since 1983 and has served in his current role since 2015.

“Dennis loves Nebraska, he cares deeply about the young women and men in our program, and he has a proven record of supporting their academic success,” Kabourek said. “Dennis and I are completely aligned on our vision for Nebraska to compete at the highest levels on the field, on the court and in the classroom. He will provide exactly the steady hand and trusted voice that we need during this interim period."

Kabourek said he is beginning a national search for a permanent successor to Alberts, who announced on Wednesday he had accepted the athletic director's job at Texas A&amp;M.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710509354024.jpeg" alt="Dennis Leblanc, Interim Director of Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Dennis Leblanc, Interim Director of Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>Story from Associated PressLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska executive athletic director for academics Dennis Leblanc has been named interim athletic director as the school begins its search for a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-am-alberts-nebraska-85885942186b80ae2812dc7a48dcae6c">successor to Trev Alberts</a>, interim president Chris Kabourek announced Thursday.Leblanc has been on the athletic department staff since 1983 and has served in his current role since 2015.“Dennis loves Nebraska, he cares deeply about the young women and men in our program, and he has a proven record of supporting their academic success,” Kabourek said. “Dennis and I are completely aligned on our vision for Nebraska to compete at the highest levels on the field, on the court and in the classroom. He will provide exactly the steady hand and trusted voice that we need during this interim period."Kabourek said he is beginning a national search for a permanent successor to Alberts, who announced on Wednesday he had accepted the athletic director's job at Texas A&amp;M.

Dennis Leblanc, longtime Nebraska staff member, named interim AD following Trev Alberts' departure

Story by Supernovas Communications

OMAHA, NE. —&nbsp;In a battle for first-place standing in the Pro Volleyball Federation, the&nbsp;Omaha Supernovas&nbsp;fell to the Atlanta Vibe in four sets (20-25, 25-15, 21-25, 12-25) Thursday night at the CHI Health Center in front of 8,114.

Nia Reed&nbsp;entered the match late in the first set and led the team with nine kills and a .421 hitting percentage. She added five digs and an ace to her effort. Team captain&nbsp;Brooke Nuneviller&nbsp;added nine kills of her own while collecting 12 digs, one block and one ace.

Middle blocker&nbsp;Tori Dixon&nbsp;swatted down six kills to go along with three blocks. Fellow middle&nbsp;Hristina Vuchkova&nbsp;continues to climb up the league leaderboard in blocks with five against the Vibe on Thursday. She also contributed five kills.

Sydney Hilley&nbsp;paced Omaha with 23 assists.&nbsp;Natalia Valentín-Anderson&nbsp;added five, and&nbsp;Kendall White&nbsp;recorded four. White led the Supernovas with 13 digs.

The Vibe (8-3) held the Supernovas (7-4) to a .129 hitting percentage while posting a .236 clip of their own. Anna Lazareva led the Vibe with 18 kills and recorded a .233 hitting percentage. Six Atlanta players eclipsed a .200 hitting percentage.&nbsp;Leah Edmond posted 12 kills for the Vibe, and Leketor Member-Meneh added 10. Edmond also led the Vibe in digs with 17.

Set 1:&nbsp;The Vibe jumped out to an early 6-3 lead behind setter Marlie Monserez’s second kill of the match. Vuchkova gave the Supernovas the 7-6 lead with a kill of her own. The teams traded points until the media timeout. A Shelly Fanning kill from the middle put the Vibe up by two, 16-14. Member-Meneh closed out a marathon of a rally for Atlanta and Lazareva recorded an ace to force a Supernovas timeout at 21-18. Dixon ended the run with a kill. An overturned call gave Atlanta set point, and Magdalena Jehlářová finished it out 25-20 for the Vibe. Atlanta tallied 16 kills, five of which belonged to Member-Meneh.

Set 2:&nbsp;The Supernovas took an early 3-1 lead off an electric Dixon block. Bethania de la Cruz extended that lead with a 4-0 service run to force an Atlanta timeout. Dixon went on a service run of her own, propelled by back-to-back Vibe errors to bring the Omaha lead to 11-3. The Vibe cut the lead to 17-13 with Jehlářová’s second block of the match. Omaha forced another Vibe timeout at 19-13 after a Vuchkova kill. Reed recorded an ace for the Supernovas to bring Omaha to set point, 24-14. Nuneviller recorded her sixth kill of the match and sealed the set at 25-15. Nuneviller paced the Supernovas with four kills and a .500 hitting percentage. Omaha held Atlanta to a -.036 hitting percentage for the set.

Set 3:&nbsp;Jehlářová recorded her third block of the match to get the Vibe out to an early 3-1 lead. A block and kill by Dixon gave the Supernovas a 6-4 advantage. Lazareva gave the Vibe the lead back after her ninth kill, 11-10. A Nuneviller tally put the Supernovas up 19-18 late in the set. Fanning went on a 3-0 service run to put the Vibe up 22-19. Reed tallied her seventh kill to stop the Vibe run. Member-Meneh recorded a block to bring Atlanta to set point, 24-20. Lazareva’s 14th kill gave the Vibe a 25-21 set three victory. Lazareva totaled nine of the Vibe’s 16 kills in the set. Reed added five of her own and logged a .500 hitting percentage.&nbsp;

Set 4:&nbsp;Lazareva went on an early 5-0 service run to give Atlanta a 9-3 lead. Reed ended the run with her ninth kill of the match. Member-Meneh went on her own 5-0 service run, ended by a Paige Briggs kill to bring the score to 15-4, Vibe. Yossiana Pressley tallied two kills late in the set to get the Vibe to match point. An Edmond kill closed it out at 25-12.

The Supernovas next face the Orlando Valkyries for the fourth and final time this season at the CHI Health Center on Saturday, March 16. First serve is set for 6 p.m. CST with television coverage on News Channel Nebraska.

Fans can listen to all the action on the Supernovas Radio Network which is led by the flagship station,&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001e772_TDK0XKW0w78f4k31-6bIQo1n6m4s0YQDd0OJjK9eewx1NGqJTikoK9Wwoo2ZdoAFd5B5z2Js2HVytfgptLKYplYQpPVkRWEWC9M2m1d8U2RCYeCBSmnGtL5O33xvOHGjFiLLpxCr-hje-1v6Q==&amp;c=50CQ_ig9EUQ45efPzsd6APVXuMt0TrV2uwt4gja2BpRM7IRDi_jr7A==&amp;ch=BbftDhRIeYBloqIJsby6EQom2IxxoXLVNSa9gJaOmvTZYCLcLCiWcg==" target="_blank">93.7 The Ticket</a>. Radio coverage is also on 95.7 The Boss (Omaha), KRVN (Lexington), KOLT (Scottsbluff) and KTIC (West Point).

Story by Supernovas CommunicationsOMAHA, NE. —&nbsp;In a battle for first-place standing in the Pro Volleyball Federation, the&nbsp;Omaha Supernovas&nbsp;fell to the Atlanta Vibe in four sets (20-25, 25-15, 21-25, 12-25) Thursday night at the CHI Health Center in front of 8,114.Nia Reed&nbsp;entered the match late in the first set and led the team with nine kills and a .421 hitting percentage. She added five digs and an ace to her effort. Team captain&nbsp;Brooke Nuneviller&nbsp;added nine kills of her own while collecting 12 digs, one block and one ace.Middle blocker&nbsp;Tori Dixon&nbsp;swatted down six kills to go along with three blocks. Fellow middle&nbsp;Hristina Vuchkova&nbsp;continues to climb up the league leaderboard in blocks with five against the Vibe on Thursday. She also contributed five kills.Sydney Hilley&nbsp;paced Omaha with 23 assists.&nbsp;Natalia Valentín-Anderson&nbsp;added five, and&nbsp;Kendall White&nbsp;recorded four. White led the Supernovas with 13 digs.The Vibe (8-3) held the Supernovas (7-4) to a .129 hitting percentage while posting a .236 clip of their own. Anna Lazareva led the Vibe with 18 kills and recorded a .233 hitting percentage. Six Atlanta players eclipsed a .200 hitting percentage.&nbsp;Leah Edmond posted 12 kills for the Vibe, and Leketor Member-Meneh added 10. Edmond also led the Vibe in digs with 17.Set 1:&nbsp;The Vibe jumped out to an early 6-3 lead behind setter Marlie Monserez’s second kill of the match. Vuchkova gave the Supernovas the 7-6 lead with a kill of her own. The teams traded points until the media timeout. A Shelly Fanning kill from the middle put the Vibe up by two, 16-14. Member-Meneh closed out a marathon of a rally for Atlanta and Lazareva recorded an ace to force a Supernovas timeout at 21-18. Dixon ended the run with a kill. An overturned call gave Atlanta set point, and Magdalena Jehlářová finished it out 25-20 for the Vibe. Atlanta tallied 16 kills, five of which belonged to Member-Meneh.Set 2:&nbsp;The Supernovas took an early 3-1 lead off an electric Dixon block. Bethania de la Cruz extended that lead with a 4-0 service run to force an Atlanta timeout. Dixon went on a service run of her own, propelled by back-to-back Vibe errors to bring the Omaha lead to 11-3. The Vibe cut the lead to 17-13 with Jehlářová’s second block of the match. Omaha forced another Vibe timeout at 19-13 after a Vuchkova kill. Reed recorded an ace for the Supernovas to bring Omaha to set point, 24-14. Nuneviller recorded her sixth kill of the match and sealed the set at 25-15. Nuneviller paced the Supernovas with four kills and a .500 hitting percentage. Omaha held Atlanta to a -.036 hitting percentage for the set.Set 3:&nbsp;Jehlářová recorded her third block of the match to get the Vibe out to an early 3-1 lead. A block and kill by Dixon gave the Supernovas a 6-4 advantage. Lazareva gave the Vibe the lead back after her ninth kill, 11-10. A Nuneviller tally put the Supernovas up 19-18 late in the set. Fanning went on a 3-0 service run to put the Vibe up 22-19. Reed tallied her seventh kill to stop the Vibe run. Member-Meneh recorded a block to bring Atlanta to set point, 24-20. Lazareva’s 14th kill gave the Vibe a 25-21 set three victory. Lazareva totaled nine of the Vibe’s 16 kills in the set. Reed added five of her own and logged a .500 hitting percentage.&nbsp;Set 4:&nbsp;Lazareva went on an early 5-0 service run to give Atlanta a 9-3 lead. Reed ended the run with her ninth kill of the match. Member-Meneh went on her own 5-0 service run, ended by a Paige Briggs kill to bring the score to 15-4, Vibe. Yossiana Pressley tallied two kills late in the set to get the Vibe to match point. An Edmond kill closed it out at 25-12.The Supernovas next face the Orlando Valkyries for the fourth and final time this season at the CHI Health Center on Saturday, March 16. First serve is set for 6 p.m. CST with television coverage on News Channel Nebraska.Fans can listen to all the action on the Supernovas Radio Network which is led by the flagship station,&nbsp;<a href="https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001e772_TDK0XKW0w78f4k31-6bIQo1n6m4s0YQDd0OJjK9eewx1NGqJTikoK9Wwoo2ZdoAFd5B5z2Js2HVytfgptLKYplYQpPVkRWEWC9M2m1d8U2RCYeCBSmnGtL5O33xvOHGjFiLLpxCr-hje-1v6Q==&amp;c=50CQ_ig9EUQ45efPzsd6APVXuMt0TrV2uwt4gja2BpRM7IRDi_jr7A==&amp;ch=BbftDhRIeYBloqIJsby6EQom2IxxoXLVNSa9gJaOmvTZYCLcLCiWcg==" target="_blank">93.7 The Ticket</a>. Radio coverage is also on 95.7 The Boss (Omaha), KRVN (Lexington), KOLT (Scottsbluff) and KTIC (West Point).

Supernovas stumble against Vibe in First-Place bout

The Nebraska volleyball team will face Denver in its 2024 spring match at Kearney High School on Saturday, May 4 at 2 p.m. Doors to the match will open at 12:30 p.m. The Huskers will sign autographs following the match. &nbsp;

Tickets will go on sale to the public Tuesday, April 2 at 10 a.m. in person only at the Buffalo County Fairgrounds. Tickets are $12 for general admission and $32 for courtside seating. You must be 16 or older to purchase tickets, and there will be a maximum of four tickets sold per person. There will be no ticket replacement for lost tickets and you must pay with&nbsp;cash only. No tickets will be sold through the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office.

Kearney High School's new gym opened in 2016, and the Huskers played their spring match there on April 22, 2017 - defeating Colorado State 3-0 in front of a crowd of 2,040. NU went on to win the national championship later that year.&nbsp;&nbsp;The trip back to Kearney continues Nebraska’s tradition of touring the state for spring volleyball matches. Since 2007, Nebraska has played spring matches in North Platte, Scottsbluff, Grand Island, Norfolk, Wayne, Ogallala, Kearney and McCook.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsThe Nebraska volleyball team will face Denver in its 2024 spring match at Kearney High School on Saturday, May 4 at 2 p.m. Doors to the match will open at 12:30 p.m. The Huskers will sign autographs following the match. &nbsp;Tickets will go on sale to the public Tuesday, April 2 at 10 a.m. in person only at the Buffalo County Fairgrounds. Tickets are $12 for general admission and $32 for courtside seating. You must be 16 or older to purchase tickets, and there will be a maximum of four tickets sold per person. There will be no ticket replacement for lost tickets and you must pay with&nbsp;cash only. No tickets will be sold through the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office.For the third consecutive year, the Huskers' spring match will be televised statewide on Nebraska Public Media and streamed online on B1G+. In addition to television and streaming coverage, the match will air on select Huskers Radio Network affiliates and the official Huskers App.Kearney High School's new gym opened in 2016, and the Huskers played their spring match there on April 22, 2017 - defeating Colorado State 3-0 in front of a crowd of 2,040. NU went on to win the national championship later that year.&nbsp;&nbsp;The trip back to Kearney continues Nebraska’s tradition of touring the state for spring volleyball matches. Since 2007, Nebraska has played spring matches in North Platte, Scottsbluff, Grand Island, Norfolk, Wayne, Ogallala, Kearney and McCook.

Huskers Volleyball to play Denver on May 4 in Kearney

Following are statements from University of Nebraska
  Interim President Chris Kabourek and Athletic Director Trev Alberts on AD
  Alberts’ decision to accept the same position at Texas A&amp;M University.

University
of Nebraska Interim President Chris Kabourek:

“A
short time ago, Trev Alberts informed me that he has accepted the athletic
director position at Texas A&amp;M, effective Friday.

I’m
disappointed to see Trev leave, but I am grateful for his 15 years of service
to the University of Nebraska. Both the Mavericks and the Huskers achieved
great things under Trev’s leadership and we wish him and his family all the
best.

We
have incredible momentum in Husker Athletics thanks to the hard work and
dedication of all our staff, coaches and student-athletes. We will not hit
pause. As I’ve said many times, I’ve never been more excited about the future
of the University of Nebraska and the opportunities we have to work together
toward our vision to compete at the highest levels in all facets. I have full
confidence we will find a visionary leader who will build on Trev’s great work
and keep the Huskers at the forefront in this changing landscape for college
athletics.

In
the meantime, my immediate focus is on doing everything I can to support our
student-athletes, coaches and staff. I intend to name an interim AD very soon
and will quickly begin the process for a national search for our next leader.”

“Earlier
today, I informed Interim President Kabourek that I will be resigning my
position as Director of Athletics to accept the same role at Texas A&amp;M. I
recognize that the timing of this change is not ideal, and I apologize in
advance for any negative impact that it might have.

I
am grateful for the 15 years that I had the privilege to serve both the
University of Nebraska-Omaha and my alma mater, UNL. My family and I want to
say thank you for all the special memories that we were able to create
together.

Nebraska
is well positioned for the evolving changes within our industry. Tough
decisions will need to be made and unity of vision and high execution will be
necessary, but I am confident that leadership in Nebraska will rise to the
occasion. 

Nebraska Athletics is full of high character,
hardworking and talented staff, and coaches. It was an honor to get to partner
with them as we experienced unprecedented success.”

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsFollowing are statements from University of Nebraska
 Interim President Chris Kabourek and Athletic Director Trev Alberts on AD
 Alberts’ decision to accept the same position at Texas A&amp;M University.University
of Nebraska Interim President Chris Kabourek:“A
short time ago, Trev Alberts informed me that he has accepted the athletic
director position at Texas A&amp;M, effective Friday.I’m
disappointed to see Trev leave, but I am grateful for his 15 years of service
to the University of Nebraska. Both the Mavericks and the Huskers achieved
great things under Trev’s leadership and we wish him and his family all the
best.We
have incredible momentum in Husker Athletics thanks to the hard work and
dedication of all our staff, coaches and student-athletes. We will not hit
pause. As I’ve said many times, I’ve never been more excited about the future
of the University of Nebraska and the opportunities we have to work together
toward our vision to compete at the highest levels in all facets. I have full
confidence we will find a visionary leader who will build on Trev’s great work
and keep the Huskers at the forefront in this changing landscape for college
athletics.In
the meantime, my immediate focus is on doing everything I can to support our
student-athletes, coaches and staff. I intend to name an interim AD very soon
and will quickly begin the process for a national search for our next leader.”Athletic Director Trev Alberts:“Earlier
today, I informed Interim President Kabourek that I will be resigning my
position as Director of Athletics to accept the same role at Texas A&amp;M. I
recognize that the timing of this change is not ideal, and I apologize in
advance for any negative impact that it might have.I
am grateful for the 15 years that I had the privilege to serve both the
University of Nebraska-Omaha and my alma mater, UNL. My family and I want to
say thank you for all the special memories that we were able to create
together.Nebraska
is well positioned for the evolving changes within our industry. Tough
decisions will need to be made and unity of vision and high execution will be
necessary, but I am confident that leadership in Nebraska will rise to the
occasion. Nebraska Athletics is full of high character,
hardworking and talented staff, and coaches. It was an honor to get to partner
with them as we experienced unprecedented success.”

Statement from University of Nebraska Leadership on Trev Alberts’ Departure for Texas A&M

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Trev Alberts has been selected as Texas A&amp;M&#39;s new director of athletics. Read more: <a href="https://t.co/s6yaQUGlbt">https://t.co/s6yaQUGlbt</a> <a href="https://t.co/wWWE9VNPzl">pic.twitter.com/wWWE9VNPzl</a>&mdash; Texas A&amp;M University 👍 (@TAMU) <a href="https://twitter.com/TAMU/status/1768039408412860646?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Breaking news: Huskers AD Trev Alberts to become new AD at Texas A&M

Nebraska athletic director Trev Alberts has not made a final decision on whether to accept the athletic director's job at Texas A&amp;M, his top assistant said Wednesday.

Texas A&amp;M was close to hiring Alberts, a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal was still being finalized.

But executive associate athletic director Doug Ewald told the AP that Alberts was still considering the offer as of early Wednesday afternoon.

“The decision is still to be made,” Ewald said.

Alberts did not respond to a text message seeking comment.

Alberts would replace Ross Bjork, who was A&amp;M's athletic director for five years before recently being hired away by Ohio State.

Alberts signed a contract extension through 2031 last July, and Nebraska would be owed $4.120 million in damages if he were to resign this year. His annual base salary this year is $1.7 million.

Alberts was an All-America linebacker for the Cornhuskers’ football team in the early 1990s, was the fifth overall pick in the 1994 NFL draft and retired in 1997 after three injury-plagued seasons for the Indianapolis Colts.

He went into athletic administration after a stint as a TV college football analyst. He was athletic director at Nebraska-Omaha from 2009 until his hiring at Nebraska in July 2021.

“Other than my faith and my family, everything I have materially and otherwise is a result of an opportunity to be a student at the University of Nebraska,” he said at the time. “I don’t take this responsibility lightly.”

Alberts' overarching task at Nebraska was to revive a football program that had fallen on hard times in the two decades since its dominant run through the 1990s.

He fired coach Scott Frost in 2022 and brought in Matt Rhule, a popular hire who will be entering his second season. He also oversaw fund-raising for a $175 million football building and last year announced plans for a $450 million renovation of Memorial Stadium.

News of Alberts' possible departure caught Nebraska executive-level athletic department staffers by surprise.

If Alberts' hiring at Texas A&amp;M were finalized, it would mark the third recent departure of a key leader in Nebraska’s university system. President Ted Carter was hired as Ohio State’s president last August, and his successor still has not been named. Ronnie Green, who had been chancellor of the flagship Lincoln campus, announced his retirement 15 months ago and Rodney Bennett replaced him last summer.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710355574711.jpeg" alt=" Nebraska athletic director Trev Alberts gives an update on Memorial Stadium renovations Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023, in Lincoln, Neb. Texas A&amp;M is close to hiring Nebraska's Trev Alberts as its next athletic director, a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press on Wednesday., March 13, 2024. (Chris Machian/Omaha World-Herald via AP, File)" />
 <figcaption> Nebraska athletic director Trev Alberts gives an update on Memorial Stadium renovations Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023, in Lincoln, Neb. Texas A&amp;M is close to hiring Nebraska's Trev Alberts as its next athletic director, a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press on Wednesday., March 13, 2024. (Chris Machian/Omaha World-Herald via AP, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>Story from Associated PressNebraska athletic director Trev Alberts has not made a final decision on whether to accept the athletic director's job at Texas A&amp;M, his top assistant said Wednesday.Texas A&amp;M was close to hiring Alberts, a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal was still being finalized.But executive associate athletic director Doug Ewald told the AP that Alberts was still considering the offer as of early Wednesday afternoon.“The decision is still to be made,” Ewald said.Alberts did not respond to a text message seeking comment.Alberts would replace Ross Bjork, who was A&amp;M's athletic director for five years before recently being hired away by Ohio State.Alberts signed a contract extension through 2031 last July, and Nebraska would be owed $4.120 million in damages if he were to resign this year. His annual base salary this year is $1.7 million.Alberts was an All-America linebacker for the Cornhuskers’ football team in the early 1990s, was the fifth overall pick in the 1994 NFL draft and retired in 1997 after three injury-plagued seasons for the Indianapolis Colts.He went into athletic administration after a stint as a TV college football analyst. He was athletic director at Nebraska-Omaha from 2009 until his hiring at Nebraska in July 2021.“Other than my faith and my family, everything I have materially and otherwise is a result of an opportunity to be a student at the University of Nebraska,” he said at the time. “I don’t take this responsibility lightly.”Alberts' overarching task at Nebraska was to revive a football program that had fallen on hard times in the two decades since its dominant run through the 1990s.He fired coach Scott Frost in 2022 and brought in Matt Rhule, a popular hire who will be entering his second season. He also oversaw fund-raising for a $175 million football building and last year announced plans for a $450 million renovation of Memorial Stadium.News of Alberts' possible departure caught Nebraska executive-level athletic department staffers by surprise.If Alberts' hiring at Texas A&amp;M were finalized, it would mark the third recent departure of a key leader in Nebraska’s university system. President Ted Carter was hired as Ohio State’s president last August, and his successor still has not been named. Ronnie Green, who had been chancellor of the flagship Lincoln campus, announced his retirement 15 months ago and Rodney Bennett replaced him last summer.

Alberts undecided on offer to become Texas A&M's next athletic director, Nebraska associate AD says

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710338782536.png" alt="2024 SPVA BOYS BASKETBALL ALL CONFERENCE" />
 <figcaption>2024 SPVA BOYS BASKETBALL ALL CONFERENCE</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710338810564.png" alt="2024 SPVA GIRLS BASKETBALL ALL CONFERENCE" />
 <figcaption>2024 SPVA GIRLS BASKETBALL ALL CONFERENCE</figcaption>
 </figure>

2024 SPVA All Conference Basketball teams

MECHANICSBURG, Pa. (AP) — Jody Mikhail was a sophomore at Pennsylvania's Cumberland Valley High School when a poster for a new girls’ wrestling club caught her eye. So Mikhail, a senior now, tried the sport.

“I fell in love with it the first time,” she said.

Unlike previous generations, she's hardly alone.

Girls’ wrestling has become the fastest-growing high school sport in the country, sanctioned by a surging number of states and bolstered by a movement of medal-winning female wrestlers, parents and the male-dominated ranks of coaches and administrators who saw it as a necessity and a matter of equality.

Where once girls wrestled on boys teams and against boys, increasingly they are wrestling on girls teams and against girls. And now that they are wrestling in sanctioned and official tournaments against girls, their names are going onto plaques on their high schools’ walls and into state record books.

This year, Kentucky, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania held their first state-sanctioned girls' wrestling championships, while Louisiana became the 45th state to sanction the sport. At the collegiate level, women’s wrestling is designated as an “emerging” sport and is on track to become a championship-level sport in 2026,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/womens-wrestling-9eaa33692cb53e3e5f81ea248d01621d">the NCAA said</a>.

In Pennsylvania — where the Penn State men are ranked No. 1 and the state’s male and female wrestlers dominated last year’s 16-and-under national team championships — the number of girl wrestlers in high schools nearly doubled this year as the state rocketed to more than 180 high school teams from none in 2020.

Hundreds of girls competed in Pennsylvania’s first sanctioned state tournament, including Mikhail, after years of girls having no choice but to wrestle boys or, if they did wrestle girls, seeing the same handful of faces, year after year, in tournaments organized by local wrestling organizations.

Even for girls who compete nationally or hope to wrestle in college, wrestling in state-sanctioned tournaments brings status.

“It really does bring this level of, I think, having these girls feel seen,” said Brooke Zumas, a former wrestling coach who was active in the movement to get the sport sanctioned in Pennsylvania.

Girls who have competed for years are seeing new faces and big crowds in this year’s state-sanctioned championship tournaments.

“There were never tournaments like this,” said Savannah Witt, a state champion wrestler from Pennsylvania’s Palisades High School who has wrestled for 10 years. “It’s awesome to see. I’ve been used to running into the same, like, three faces at tournaments. Now you come here, I’m like, ‘I don’t know half these girls.’”

Over the past decade, the number of high school girls’ teams quadrupled nationally and the number of girls wrestling in high school quintupled to over 50,000 through last year, according to figures from the National Federation of State High School Associations.

Last year alone, it shot up nearly 60%, the biggest increase for the sport in decades.

Still, the number of girls wrestling in high school was one-fifth of the number of boys last year and the 14th biggest by participation, trailing the stalwarts of American girls' athletics — track and field, volleyball, soccer, basketball and softball — but also tennis, swimming, golf, lacrosse, cross country and cheerleading.

Another leap will likely vault girls’ wrestling past field hockey.

Wrestling is something of a niche sport: it has arcane rules and lacks a mass media presence that helps stoke interest. For many, it takes a family tradition, a brother or a proselytizing coach. And wrestlers and coaches describe it as a sport daunting for its extreme physicality — but a sport that is unmatched in teaching inner strength and discipline.

Some see the rise of girls’ wrestling as part of a larger arc in women’s sports: the U.S. women’s national soccer team has captured the nation’s attention and the Big Ten’s women’s basketball tournament sold out after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/caitlin-clark-iowa-12e078352a92fe2effb307888775cdb0">Caitlin Clark</a>&nbsp;smashed the women’s NCAA scoring record.

“When women first had a chance to participate in sports in an organized fashion, it was in sports that were considered feminine,” said Jackie Paquette, who two years ago became the first female executive at the National Wrestling Coaches Association. “It was tennis, it was golf, it was swimming. It was considered graceful. Wrestling is the opposite of that in a sense, so it has been hard for some to accept women in that form. But we are finding out now that the world is changing.”

Still, boosters say wrestling is accessible: there’s a weight class for every body type, there are fewer competing winter sports and all a wrestler needs is a pair of wrestling shoes.

In 1990, barely over 100 girls were on high school rosters in the entire country, and before 2018 just six states had sanctioned it.

In 2016, national champion wrestler Sally Roberts founded the advocacy organization Wrestle Like a Girl and began talking to USA Wrestling, the National Wrestling Coaches Association and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame — male-dominated organizations that nevertheless got on board for girls’ wrestling.

Something else happened that year: American wrestler Helen Maroulis scored a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/usas-maroulis-tops-3-time-womens-wrestling-champ-yoshida-b19507c1036e4945ad475a816e381667">shocking victory</a>&nbsp;at the Rio De Janeiro Olympics to win a gold medal — the first ever for an American in women’s wrestling.

“Other girls said, ‘I want to be her,’” Roberts said.

Parents and coaches lobbied school boards and athletic directors and recruited girls in their schools. James Stettler, a teacher and a wrestling coach in Pennsylvania’s Central Dauphin district, recalled going to back-to-school nights to hand out fliers to parents.

“Whenever I try to sell them I’m like, ‘Oh, you look like a family that has a future wrestler in your family.’ And they’ll go, ’Oh, no, I have a daughter.′ And I go, ‘Well, that’s great, we have a girls program,’” said Stettler, a former high school wrestler whose 13-year-old daughter, Abby, and two sons wrestle.

The minds of some parents took changing. Some parents didn’t want their daughters wrestling boys. Some didn't want their girls wrestling, period.

Leah Wright, of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, recalled how her daughter asked to start wrestling after seeing her older brother wrestle. Wright’s husband, who wrestled growing up, said no — but it began a conversation in the household that changed his mind.

“That has definitely shifted, where fathers who wrestled are introducing their daughters to this sport and having this connection through the sport,” Wright said.

Some who watched Ultimate Fighting Championship bouts saw Sara McMann and Tatiana Suarez — collegiate wrestlers who won medals in international competition, including McMann’s silver medal at the 2004 Olympics.

“And they’d look at their daughters and say, ‘Oh, do you want to wrestle?’” Roberts said.

Some never thought it would be sanctioned.

That includes Serge Bouyssou, who recalled the vile things that coaches and parents said to his daughter when she wrestled in high school before graduating more than a decade ago.

“You thought people are never going to give in to the fact that girls are more than capable of participating in this sport,” said Bouyssou, who last month coached girl wrestlers from Scituate High School in Rhode Island’s first sanctioned state tournament.

Gary Abbott, of USA Wrestling, said wrestling is growing quickly at the youth level, too, and the organization is encouraged by its highest Olympic medal count ever for women — four — in 2021. USA Wrestling hopes to see a day when as many girls are wrestling as there are boys, Abbott said.

In perhaps a decade or two, a new generation of mothers who wrestled on girls teams in sanctioned tournaments may teach their daughters to wrestle.

“It’s really good for girls, especially that are new to the sport, to see like that’s how it should be,” said Aubre Krazer, a state champion and senior at Pennsylvania’s Easton Area High School. “It’s very organized. ... It’s nice to see that, especially for the upcoming generations, it’s going to be better for them than it was for us. And that’s what I would want for them.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710261647971.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>MECHANICSBURG, Pa. (AP) — Jody Mikhail was a sophomore at Pennsylvania's Cumberland Valley High School when a poster for a new girls’ wrestling club caught her eye. So Mikhail, a senior now, tried the sport.“I fell in love with it the first time,” she said.Unlike previous generations, she's hardly alone.Girls’ wrestling has become the fastest-growing high school sport in the country, sanctioned by a surging number of states and bolstered by a movement of medal-winning female wrestlers, parents and the male-dominated ranks of coaches and administrators who saw it as a necessity and a matter of equality.Where once girls wrestled on boys teams and against boys, increasingly they are wrestling on girls teams and against girls. And now that they are wrestling in sanctioned and official tournaments against girls, their names are going onto plaques on their high schools’ walls and into state record books.This year, Kentucky, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania held their first state-sanctioned girls' wrestling championships, while Louisiana became the 45th state to sanction the sport. At the collegiate level, women’s wrestling is designated as an “emerging” sport and is on track to become a championship-level sport in 2026,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/womens-wrestling-9eaa33692cb53e3e5f81ea248d01621d">the NCAA said</a>.A rapidly growing sportIn Pennsylvania — where the Penn State men are ranked No. 1 and the state’s male and female wrestlers dominated last year’s 16-and-under national team championships — the number of girl wrestlers in high schools nearly doubled this year as the state rocketed to more than 180 high school teams from none in 2020.Hundreds of girls competed in Pennsylvania’s first sanctioned state tournament, including Mikhail, after years of girls having no choice but to wrestle boys or, if they did wrestle girls, seeing the same handful of faces, year after year, in tournaments organized by local wrestling organizations.Even for girls who compete nationally or hope to wrestle in college, wrestling in state-sanctioned tournaments brings status.“It really does bring this level of, I think, having these girls feel seen,” said Brooke Zumas, a former wrestling coach who was active in the movement to get the sport sanctioned in Pennsylvania.Girls who have competed for years are seeing new faces and big crowds in this year’s state-sanctioned championship tournaments.“There were never tournaments like this,” said Savannah Witt, a state champion wrestler from Pennsylvania’s Palisades High School who has wrestled for 10 years. “It’s awesome to see. I’ve been used to running into the same, like, three faces at tournaments. Now you come here, I’m like, ‘I don’t know half these girls.’”Over the past decade, the number of high school girls’ teams quadrupled nationally and the number of girls wrestling in high school quintupled to over 50,000 through last year, according to figures from the National Federation of State High School Associations.Last year alone, it shot up nearly 60%, the biggest increase for the sport in decades.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710261684017.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Still, the number of girls wrestling in high school was one-fifth of the number of boys last year and the 14th biggest by participation, trailing the stalwarts of American girls' athletics — track and field, volleyball, soccer, basketball and softball — but also tennis, swimming, golf, lacrosse, cross country and cheerleading.Another leap will likely vault girls’ wrestling past field hockey.‘The world is changing’Wrestling is something of a niche sport: it has arcane rules and lacks a mass media presence that helps stoke interest. For many, it takes a family tradition, a brother or a proselytizing coach. And wrestlers and coaches describe it as a sport daunting for its extreme physicality — but a sport that is unmatched in teaching inner strength and discipline.Some see the rise of girls’ wrestling as part of a larger arc in women’s sports: the U.S. women’s national soccer team has captured the nation’s attention and the Big Ten’s women’s basketball tournament sold out after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/caitlin-clark-iowa-12e078352a92fe2effb307888775cdb0">Caitlin Clark</a>&nbsp;smashed the women’s NCAA scoring record.“When women first had a chance to participate in sports in an organized fashion, it was in sports that were considered feminine,” said Jackie Paquette, who two years ago became the first female executive at the National Wrestling Coaches Association. “It was tennis, it was golf, it was swimming. It was considered graceful. Wrestling is the opposite of that in a sense, so it has been hard for some to accept women in that form. But we are finding out now that the world is changing.”Still, boosters say wrestling is accessible: there’s a weight class for every body type, there are fewer competing winter sports and all a wrestler needs is a pair of wrestling shoes.In 1990, barely over 100 girls were on high school rosters in the entire country, and before 2018 just six states had sanctioned it.In 2016, national champion wrestler Sally Roberts founded the advocacy organization Wrestle Like a Girl and began talking to USA Wrestling, the National Wrestling Coaches Association and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame — male-dominated organizations that nevertheless got on board for girls’ wrestling.Something else happened that year: American wrestler Helen Maroulis scored a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/usas-maroulis-tops-3-time-womens-wrestling-champ-yoshida-b19507c1036e4945ad475a816e381667">shocking victory</a>&nbsp;at the Rio De Janeiro Olympics to win a gold medal — the first ever for an American in women’s wrestling.“Other girls said, ‘I want to be her,’” Roberts said.Changing minds and stereotypesParents and coaches lobbied school boards and athletic directors and recruited girls in their schools. James Stettler, a teacher and a wrestling coach in Pennsylvania’s Central Dauphin district, recalled going to back-to-school nights to hand out fliers to parents.“Whenever I try to sell them I’m like, ‘Oh, you look like a family that has a future wrestler in your family.’ And they’ll go, ’Oh, no, I have a daughter.′ And I go, ‘Well, that’s great, we have a girls program,’” said Stettler, a former high school wrestler whose 13-year-old daughter, Abby, and two sons wrestle.The minds of some parents took changing. Some parents didn’t want their daughters wrestling boys. Some didn't want their girls wrestling, period.Leah Wright, of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, recalled how her daughter asked to start wrestling after seeing her older brother wrestle. Wright’s husband, who wrestled growing up, said no — but it began a conversation in the household that changed his mind.“That has definitely shifted, where fathers who wrestled are introducing their daughters to this sport and having this connection through the sport,” Wright said.Some who watched Ultimate Fighting Championship bouts saw Sara McMann and Tatiana Suarez — collegiate wrestlers who won medals in international competition, including McMann’s silver medal at the 2004 Olympics.“And they’d look at their daughters and say, ‘Oh, do you want to wrestle?’” Roberts said.Some never thought it would be sanctioned.That includes Serge Bouyssou, who recalled the vile things that coaches and parents said to his daughter when she wrestled in high school before graduating more than a decade ago.“You thought people are never going to give in to the fact that girls are more than capable of participating in this sport,” said Bouyssou, who last month coached girl wrestlers from Scituate High School in Rhode Island’s first sanctioned state tournament.Gary Abbott, of USA Wrestling, said wrestling is growing quickly at the youth level, too, and the organization is encouraged by its highest Olympic medal count ever for women — four — in 2021. USA Wrestling hopes to see a day when as many girls are wrestling as there are boys, Abbott said.In perhaps a decade or two, a new generation of mothers who wrestled on girls teams in sanctioned tournaments may teach their daughters to wrestle.“It’s really good for girls, especially that are new to the sport, to see like that’s how it should be,” said Aubre Krazer, a state champion and senior at Pennsylvania’s Easton Area High School. “It’s very organized. ... It’s nice to see that, especially for the upcoming generations, it’s going to be better for them than it was for us. And that’s what I would want for them.”

Girls are falling in love with wrestling, the nation's fastest-growing high school sport

<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Our leader in Lincoln. 🏆<a href="https://twitter.com/CoachHoiberg?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoachHoiberg</a> » 2023-24 Big Ten Co-Coach of the Year <a href="https://t.co/1eKX9FZ5ox">pic.twitter.com/1eKX9FZ5ox</a>&mdash; Nebraska Men&#39;s Basketball (@HuskerMBB) <a href="https://twitter.com/HuskerMBB/status/1767585241961500719?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Husker Men's Basketball Head Coach Fred Hoiberg wins Big10 Co-Coach of the Year

The Nebraska softball team begins a 10-game homestand Tuesday with a pair of games at Bowlin Stadium. The Huskers take on Northern Colorado at Noon followed by a 5 p.m. matchup with Maine.

Admission is free into both Nebraska games Tuesday, as well as a 2:30 p.m. matchup between Northern Colorado and Maine. There will be open seating throughout Bowlin Stadium on Tuesday, as season ticket holders will not be guaranteed their reserved seat since the games were just added to the schedule last week and were not part of the season ticket package.

Fans unable to make it out to Bowlin Stadium on Tuesday can listen to Nate Rohr call both games - and every game this season - for free on Huskers.com or the official Huskers app. Fans can also watch both Nebraska games with a subscription to Big Ten+, with subscriptions starting at $9.99 per month.

Nebraska is coming off a 3-1 record at the Razorback Rumble in Arkansas last weekend. In the tournament opener, Nebraska defeated Northern Iowa 13-3 in six innings, posting a run-rule victory over the two-time defending Missouri Valley Conference regular-season champions. Nebraska then split a pair of close games with Saint Francis. In the final game of the tournament, Sydney Gray homered twice and Kaylin Kinney tossed a complete game in a 5-1 victory over a South Alabama squad that is receiving votes in the top-25 poll and owns three wins and one tie against ranked opponents this season.

A Look at Nebraska’s Team &amp; Individual StreaksThe Nebraska team and several Huskers are riding streaks entering Tuesday’s two games.

Billie Andrews Becomes Second Husker In 40-40 CLUBBillie Andrews had four stolen bases last week to give her 41 career steals. Andrews also hit her 50th career home runs last week giving her 40 career home runs and 40 career steals.

Billie Andrews Chasing Husker Home Run RecordBillie Andrews ranks 15th nationally in home runs per game this season with seven homers in 18 games. Andrews is on pace to break Nebraska’s career home run record this season.

Billie Andrews Among Nation’s Extra-base Hit LeadersBillie Andrews has a knack for producing extra-base hits during her Husker career and this year has been no different. Andrews ranks fifth in school history with 86 career extra-base hits, including 16 this season. Forty-three percent of her career hits have gone for extra bases.

New Hitters Making a Big ImpactLed by first-year transfers Bella Bacon and Peyton Cody, Nebraska’s offensive newcomers have made a big impact at the plate this season. As a group, the newcomers to the Husker lineup have out-paced the returners in batting average, slugging percentage and on-base percentage, a notable accomplishment considering Nebraska returned the majority of its production from a 2023 offense that was among the best in school history.

Huskers Pitching by Committee in 2024Nebraska has used multiple pitchers in every game this season but one, utilizing a “pitching by committee” approach. The Huskers have used at least two pitchers in 21 of 22 games, including eight games where three or more pitchers were utilized.

Scouting Northern Colorado (10-14)Northern Colorado is 10-14 on the year after its five-game winning streak was snapped Monday by Omaha. The Bears entered Monday batting .255 as a team this season and averaging 4.1 runs per game. Defensively, UNC allows 5.1 runs per game with a 4.46 ERA and .953 fielding percentage.

Scouting Maine (1-15)Maine brings a 1-15 record into Tuesday’s first game with Northern Colorado. The Black Bears have lost seven straight games since recording their lone win of the season at Delaware on March 1. Maine is batting .208 as a team while averaging 1.9 runs per game. Defensively, Maine owns a 10.07 ERA and is allowing 8.8 runs per game.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsThe Nebraska softball team begins a 10-game homestand Tuesday with a pair of games at Bowlin Stadium. The Huskers take on Northern Colorado at Noon followed by a 5 p.m. matchup with Maine.Admission is free into both Nebraska games Tuesday, as well as a 2:30 p.m. matchup between Northern Colorado and Maine. There will be open seating throughout Bowlin Stadium on Tuesday, as season ticket holders will not be guaranteed their reserved seat since the games were just added to the schedule last week and were not part of the season ticket package.Fans unable to make it out to Bowlin Stadium on Tuesday can listen to Nate Rohr call both games - and every game this season - for free on Huskers.com or the official Huskers app. Fans can also watch both Nebraska games with a subscription to Big Ten+, with subscriptions starting at $9.99 per month.Nebraska is coming off a 3-1 record at the Razorback Rumble in Arkansas last weekend. In the tournament opener, Nebraska defeated Northern Iowa 13-3 in six innings, posting a run-rule victory over the two-time defending Missouri Valley Conference regular-season champions. Nebraska then split a pair of close games with Saint Francis. In the final game of the tournament, Sydney Gray homered twice and Kaylin Kinney tossed a complete game in a 5-1 victory over a South Alabama squad that is receiving votes in the top-25 poll and owns three wins and one tie against ranked opponents this season.Leading Off...<ul>
 <li>NU’s 10-game homestand is its longest at Bowlin Stadium and the longest since a 14-game homestand in 1995.</li><li>The Huskers are on pace for 113 doubles this season, which would break both the Nebraska record (94) and the Big Ten record (110).</li><li>NU leads the Big Ten with 47 doubles, ranking fourth nationally in doubles and third in double per game (2.1).</li><li>The Huskers have used a different batting order in all 22 games this season.</li><li>Billie Andrews’ final hit last weekend was the 200th hit of her career. She is just the 14th Husker with 200 career hits.</li><li>Billie Andrews also hit her 50th career home last weekend. She is just the third Husker with 50 career home runs.</li><li>Billie Andrews has hit safely in 17 straight games. That ties for the longest hitting streak by a Husker since Andrews had a 22-game hitting streak in 2022.</li><li>Peyton Cody enters Tuesday with 147 career hits, three shy of 150.</li><li>Sydney Gray is the only player to win multiple Big Ten Player of the Week awards this season.</li><li>Emmerson Cope has two saves, one shy of the Nebraska freshman record.</li>
 </ul>A Look at Nebraska’s Team &amp; Individual StreaksThe Nebraska team and several Huskers are riding streaks entering Tuesday’s two games.<ul>
 <li>As a team, Nebraska has doubled in 14 straight games. The Huskers had a double in 15 consecutive games last season but the last time Nebraska had a double in more than 15 straight games was a 17-game streak during the 2017 season.</li><li>The Huskers have had at least two doubles in nine straight games. Nebraska had multiple doubles in 10 consecutive games last season which is believed to be the longest streak in school history, based on available records.</li><li>Nebraska stole 13 bases in four games last week after swiping just seven bases in its first 18 games of the season. The Huskers have stolen multiple bases in four consecutive games. The last time Nebraska had multiple stolen bases in five consecutive games was in 2003.</li><li>Individually, Billie Andrews brings a 17-game hitting streak into Tuesday’s games. The last Husker to have a hitting streak of 18 games or longer was Andrews, who had a 22-game hitting streak in 2023 which marked the third-longest hitting streak in school history. There have been only four 20-game hitting streaks in program history and no player has ever had two separate 20-game hitting streaks. Andrews is batting .468 (29-for-62) during her hitting streak with eight doubles, one triple and seven home runs.</li><li>Brooke Andrews has hit safely in seven straight games entering Tuesday. She is batting .458 (11-for-24) during the hitting streak with five doubles.</li><li>Bella Bacon has an RBI in four consecutive games, the longest streak of her career and tied for the longest streak by a Husker this season.</li>
 </ul>Billie Andrews Becomes Second Husker In 40-40 CLUBBillie Andrews had four stolen bases last week to give her 41 career steals. Andrews also hit her 50th career home runs last week giving her 40 career home runs and 40 career steals.<ul>
 <li>Andrews has joined Jennifer Lizama as the only players in program history to hit 40 career home runs and steal 40 career bases. Andrews has 50 career home runs and 41 career stolen bases, while Lizama had 47 career home runs and 91 career stolen bases.</li><li>With nine more stolen bases, Andrews would become the first Husker with 50 career home runs and 50 career stolen bases.</li><li>Nationally, there are only eight active Division I players with 40 career home runs and 40 career stolen bases. Of those eight, Andrews is one of only four players who has played her entire career in a power conference, and Andrews and Clemson’s McKenzie Clark are the only two players among those four who aren’t competing in her fifth or sixth season.</li>
 </ul>Billie Andrews Chasing Husker Home Run RecordBillie Andrews ranks 15th nationally in home runs per game this season with seven homers in 18 games. Andrews is on pace to break Nebraska’s career home run record this season.<ul>
 <li>Andrews ranks third in school history with 50 home runs. The Husker home run record is 54 by two-time All-American Taylor Edwards, who played from 2011 to 2014.</li><li>Andrews needs four home runs to tie Edwards’ Nebraska record and five to break the mark. Andrews is on pace to hit nine more homers this year which would give her 59 career homers.</li><li>Andrews has already tied one home run record. She has seven games with multiple homers in her career, tying Tristen Edwards (2017-21) for the most multi-homer games in NU history.</li><li>Andrews ranks 17th among all active Division I players with 50 career home runs. She has played at least 10 fewer games than each of the 16 players ranked ahead of her on the active home run chart, with the exception of Wichita State’s Addison Barnard.</li>
 </ul>Billie Andrews Among Nation’s Extra-base Hit LeadersBillie Andrews has a knack for producing extra-base hits during her Husker career and this year has been no different. Andrews ranks fifth in school history with 86 career extra-base hits, including 16 this season. Forty-three percent of her career hits have gone for extra bases.<ul>
 <li>Andrews ranks 16th nationally 16 extra-base hits in only 18 games this season. Since she has played fewer games than many of her peers, Andrews’ average of 0.89 extra-base hits per game ranks second nationally among players with at least 12 games played.</li><li>Andrews has at least one extra-base hit in 13 of her 18 games this season, including 10 of her last 12 games. Andrews has also had two games this season with multiple extra-base hits.</li><li>In addition to ranking second in extra-base hits per game, Andrews is ninth nationally in slugging percentage (.923) and 15th in home runs per game (0.4).</li><li>Andrews ranks 28th among all active Division I players with 83 career extra-base hits. She ranks ninth nationally among active players in career extra-base hits per game (0.49).</li>
 </ul>New Hitters Making a Big ImpactLed by first-year transfers Bella Bacon and Peyton Cody, Nebraska’s offensive newcomers have made a big impact at the plate this season. As a group, the newcomers to the Husker lineup have out-paced the returners in batting average, slugging percentage and on-base percentage, a notable accomplishment considering Nebraska returned the majority of its production from a 2023 offense that was among the best in school history.<ul>
 <li>Bacon and Cody are batting a combined .323 (32-for-99) this season as the two transfer additions to the lineup. They have combined for six doubles, two homers and 18 RBIs.</li><li>Freshmen Samantha Bland and Emmerson Cope are the other two new bats that have been regulars in the Husker lineup this season. Bland and Cope have been among the Huskers’ top sluggers, combining for seven doubles, three homers and 21 RBIs.</li><li>With the quartet of productive new hitters, two of the top five batting averages on the team are owned by newcomers (Cody, 2nd and Bacon, 5th). Newcomers also account for two of the three highest home run totals (Cody and Bland tied for 3rd).</li><li>Bacon, who spent her freshman season at Purdue in 2023, has started 21 of Nebraska’s 22 games at first base this season. The Omaha native is batting .302 and is third on the team in hits (19), runs (14) and RBIs (12).</li><li>A sixth-year player who spent her first five seasons at St. John’s, Cody was limited during the first weekend, going 1-for-2 as a pinch hitter. She has returned as a regular in the lineup with 12 starts in the past 18 games, splitting time with Cope as the designated player. Cody is batting .361 this season, ranking second on the team in average, slugging percentage (.611) and third in on-base percentage (.425) and home runs (2).</li><li>Bland has started 20 of Nebraska’s 22 games as a freshman with starts at four different positions. She ranks second on the team in RBIs (14) and is third in doubles (6) and home runs (2).</li><li>Cope has found her way into the starting batting order 11 times despite also pitching for the Huskers. She is batting .250 with two doubles, one home runs and seven RBIs.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>Huskers Pitching by Committee in 2024Nebraska has used multiple pitchers in every game this season but one, utilizing a “pitching by committee” approach. The Huskers have used at least two pitchers in 21 of 22 games, including eight games where three or more pitchers were utilized.<ul>
 <li>Nebraska was the last Big Ten team to throw a complete game this season. Each of the other 13 Big Ten teams had a complete game within the first two weeks of the season. Nebraska’s first complete game did not come until the fourth week of the season, when Kaylin Kinney went the distance against South Alabama in the Huskers’ 22nd game.</li><li>The Huskers have had five pitchers start a game this season. That is a first for Rhonda Revelle, as Nebraska had never used more than four starting pitchers in a season since she took over the program in 1993.</li>
 </ul>Scouting Northern Colorado (10-14)Northern Colorado is 10-14 on the year after its five-game winning streak was snapped Monday by Omaha. The Bears entered Monday batting .255 as a team this season and averaging 4.1 runs per game. Defensively, UNC allows 5.1 runs per game with a 4.46 ERA and .953 fielding percentage.<ul>
 <li>Ella Gonzalez was one of three Bears hitting above .300 entering Monday. Gonzalez leads the team with a .397 average, 25 hits and a .465 on-base percentage. She has added seven doubles, one homer and eight RBIs.</li><li>Amailee Morales is hitting .364 with team-high totals of 17 runs, 11 doubles, five home runs, 22 RBIs and a .758 slugging percentage. She has produced 16 extra-base hits in 22 games.</li><li>Sabrina Javorsky rounds out the .300 hitters as she is batting .339 this year. Javorsky leads the team with four stolen bases, and she has added four doubles, one triple and 10 RBIs.</li><li>In the circle, Erin Caviness and Isabelle DiNapoli have been the Bears’ primary pitchers. Caviness is 5-5 on the season with a 2.85 ERA in 61.1 innings. She leads the team in wins, ERA, starts, innings and strikeouts. DiNapoli is 3-4 with one save and a 4.12 ERA in 54.1 innings over a team-high 12 appearances.</li><li>Grace Algrim (0-2, 7.41 ERA in 11.1 IP) and Araya Ogden (0-2, 10.50 ERA in 14.0 IP) round out the Northern Colorado staff.</li><li>Creighton alum Dedeann Pendleton-Helm is in her second season at Northern Colorado, where she owns a 36-37 record.</li>
 </ul>Scouting Maine (1-15)Maine brings a 1-15 record into Tuesday’s first game with Northern Colorado. The Black Bears have lost seven straight games since recording their lone win of the season at Delaware on March 1. Maine is batting .208 as a team while averaging 1.9 runs per game. Defensively, Maine owns a 10.07 ERA and is allowing 8.8 runs per game.<ul>
 <li>Katie Jo Moery leads the Black Bears with a .333 average, 14 hits, four doubles and two stolen bases. Krista Francia is hitting .282 with 111 hits, one home run and six RBIs. Anna Margetis owns a .268 average with 11 hits, one home run and seven RBIs. The trio of Moery, Francia and Margetis have produced nearly 50 percent of Maine’s total hits this season (36 of 75).</li><li>In the circle, Caitlyn Fallon has seen the most action. Fallon is 0-4 with a 9.04 ERA in 26.1 innings as she leads Maine in ERA, innings and appearances (10). Isabelle True is 0-4 with a 9.64 ERA in 20.1 innings, and she leads the Black Bears with five starts. Kaly Thomas owns Maine’s lone win, as she is 1-3 with a 10.68 ERA in 19.2 innings, and she leads the team with 14 strikeouts.</li><li>Ava Zettlemoyer (0-0, 11.31 ERA in 8.2 IP) and Alysen Rieth (0-4, 11.50 ERA in 14.0 IP) round out the Black Bear staff.</li><li>Jordan Fitzpatrick is in her third season at Maine. Fitzpatrick has a 25-91 record with the Black Bears.</li>
 </ul>

Huskers set for two games Tuesday

The Nebraska beach volleyball team picked up two wins in a doubleheader against Hawaii Hilo on Monday in Hawaii.&nbsp;

With the wins, the Huskers improved to 12-7 this season. Nebraska will finish its stay in Hawaii on Tuesday with a 4 p.m. (CT) match against the Vulcans.&nbsp;

Ally Batenhorst and Bergen Reilly were NU's No. 1 pair on Monday and swept both matches, 21-18, 21-14 and 21-16, 21-16. Lindsay Krause and Lexi Rodriguez were the Huskers' No. 2 team and won 21-14, 21-14 and 21-9, 21-9.&nbsp;

Merritt Beason and Harper Murray picked up 21-15, 21-14 and 21-16, 21-14 wins as the No. 3 pair. Laney Choboy and Skyler Pierce held their opponents to single digits all four sets: 21-9, 21-9 and 21-7, 21-4.&nbsp;

Andi Jackson and Olivia Mauch won their first match at No. 5, 22-20, 21-14. The duo came up just short in their second match of the day: 19-21, 20-22.&nbsp;

Maisie Boesiger and Kyla Kenney also went 2-0 on the day, winning 21-14, 22-20 and 21-16, 23-21.&nbsp;

Nebraska 5, Hawaii Hilo 01. Ally Batenhorst/Bergen Reilly W, 21-18, 21-142. Lindsay Krause/Lexi Rodriguez W, 21-14, 21-143. Merritt Beason/Harper Murray W, 21-15, 21-144. Laney Choboy/Skyler Pierce W, 21-9, 21-95. Andi Jackson/Olivia Mauch W, 22-20, 21-14Exh. Maisie Boesiger/Kyla Kenney W, 21-14, 22-20

Nebraska 4, Hawaii Hilo 11. Ally Batenhorst/Bergen Reilly W, 21-16, 21-162. Lindsay Krause/Lexi Rodriguez W, 21-9, 21-93. Merritt Beason/Harper Murray W, 21-16, 21-144. Laney Choboy/Skyler Pierce W, 21-7, 21-45. Andi Jackson/Olivia Mauch L, 19-21, 20-22Exh. Maisie Boesiger/Kyla Kenney W, 21-16, 23-21&nbsp;

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsThe Nebraska beach volleyball team picked up two wins in a doubleheader against Hawaii Hilo on Monday in Hawaii.&nbsp;With the wins, the Huskers improved to 12-7 this season. Nebraska will finish its stay in Hawaii on Tuesday with a 4 p.m. (CT) match against the Vulcans.&nbsp;Ally Batenhorst and Bergen Reilly were NU's No. 1 pair on Monday and swept both matches, 21-18, 21-14 and 21-16, 21-16. Lindsay Krause and Lexi Rodriguez were the Huskers' No. 2 team and won 21-14, 21-14 and 21-9, 21-9.&nbsp;Merritt Beason and Harper Murray picked up 21-15, 21-14 and 21-16, 21-14 wins as the No. 3 pair. Laney Choboy and Skyler Pierce held their opponents to single digits all four sets: 21-9, 21-9 and 21-7, 21-4.&nbsp;Andi Jackson and Olivia Mauch won their first match at No. 5, 22-20, 21-14. The duo came up just short in their second match of the day: 19-21, 20-22.&nbsp;Maisie Boesiger and Kyla Kenney also went 2-0 on the day, winning 21-14, 22-20 and 21-16, 23-21.&nbsp;Nebraska 5, Hawaii Hilo 01. Ally Batenhorst/Bergen Reilly W, 21-18, 21-142. Lindsay Krause/Lexi Rodriguez W, 21-14, 21-143. Merritt Beason/Harper Murray W, 21-15, 21-144. Laney Choboy/Skyler Pierce W, 21-9, 21-95. Andi Jackson/Olivia Mauch W, 22-20, 21-14Exh. Maisie Boesiger/Kyla Kenney W, 21-14, 22-20Nebraska 4, Hawaii Hilo 11. Ally Batenhorst/Bergen Reilly W, 21-16, 21-162. Lindsay Krause/Lexi Rodriguez W, 21-9, 21-93. Merritt Beason/Harper Murray W, 21-16, 21-144. Laney Choboy/Skyler Pierce W, 21-7, 21-45. Andi Jackson/Olivia Mauch L, 19-21, 20-22Exh. Maisie Boesiger/Kyla Kenney W, 21-16, 23-21&nbsp;

Huskers top Hawaii Hilo in Doubleheader

Evan Myers and Hamish Murray both put together a pair of solid rounds to close the first 36 holes of The Johnnie-O at Sea Island in the top 15 individually, while helping the Nebraska men's golf team to a tie for seventh in a loaded 14-team field after the first day in St. Simons Island, Ga.

Myers, a senior from Northbrook, Ill., produced six birdies in his first round on the par-72, 7,060-yard layout at the Sea Island Golf Course on his way to a 68 (-4). He added a second-round 73 (+1) to close the day in a tie for 11th in an 80-player field at 141 (-3) in his third lineup appearance for the Big Red this season.&nbsp;

Murray, a junior from Canberra, Australia, started the day with a 73 (+1) before heating up with a second-round 69 (-3). Murray closed the day just one shot behind Myers in a tie for 15th at 142 (-2).&nbsp;

Harry Crockett got off to a strong start with six birdies of his own in the first round on his way to a 70 (-2), before managing a 75 (+3) in the second round. Crockett ended the day in a tie for 29th at 145 (+1).&nbsp;

Freshman Quinn Yost contributed an excellent first round with a 71 (-1), joining Myers, Crockett and Murray in producing an opening-round 282 (-6) for the Huskers.&nbsp;

Nebraska moved to the second round in second place, trailing only Cincinnati's opening-round 278. The Huskers settled for a second-round 290 (+2) and slipped into a tie for seventh with the hosts from Rutgers at 572 (-4) through 36 holes of the 54-hole event.

Notre Dame, which started the second round nine strokes back of the Huskers, stormed to the top of the team standings with a 270 (-18) in the second round. Cincinnati sits in second place at 562 (-14) after a second-round 284 (-4), while Michigan State and Texas are tied for third at 563 (-13).

Yost managed a 76 in the second to end the day at 147 (+3) in a tie for 49th, while Davis Johnson contributed rounds of 75 and 73 to sit in a tie for for 57th at 148 (+4). Johnson's second-round 73 (+1) tied for Nebraska's second-best score of the round.

Tuesday's final round of the Johnnie-O begins with a shotgun start at 7 a.m. (CT). Live stats and updates for the Johnnie-O can be found at HuskersGolf on Instagram and X, and Golfstat.com, and complete tournament coverage will be available on Huskers.com.

The Johnnie-O at Sea IslandMarch 11-12, 2024St. Simons Island, GeorgiaSea Island Golf Club (Par 72, 7,060 Yards)

Team Standings (Two Rounds)1. Notre Dame - 287-270-557 (-18)2. Cincinnati - 278-284=562 (-13)T3. Michigan State - 287-276=563 (-12)T3. Texas - 287-276=563 (-12)5. UNCG - 283-284=567 (-9)6. Illinois - 282-288=570 (-6)T7. Rutgers - 290-282=572 (-4)T7. Nebraska - 282-290=572 (-4)9. Minnesota - 285-291=576 (E)10. Kansas - 291-287=578 (+2)11. Augusta - 295-284=579 (+3)12. Penn State - 292-288=580 (+4)13. Kansas State - 297-287=584 (+8)14. Marquette - 291-296=587 (+11)

Individual Standings (Two Rounds)1. Ashton McCulloch, Michigan State - 68-62=130 (-14)2. Palmer Jackson, Notre Dame - 69-65=134 (-10)3. Christiaan Maas, Texas - 69-68=137 (-7)T4. *Christopher Bagnall, Notre Dame - 70-68=138 (-6)T4. Jack Marcotte, UNCG - 69-69=138 (-6)T4. Connor McNeely, Cincinnati - 68-70=138 (-6)T7. Jacob Modleski, Notre Dame - 72-67=139 (-5)T7. Tyler Goecke, Illinois - 71-68=139 (-5)T9. Ty Gingerich, Cincinnati - 71-69=140 (-4)T9. Ben Warian, Minnesota - 70-70=140 (-4)

Nebraska IndividualsT11. Evan Myers - 68-73=141 (-3)T15. Hamish Murray - 73-69=142 (-2)T29. Harry Crockett - 70-75=145 (+1)T49. Quinn Yost - 71-76=147 (+3)T57. Davis Johnson - 75-73=148 (+4)

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsEvan Myers and Hamish Murray both put together a pair of solid rounds to close the first 36 holes of The Johnnie-O at Sea Island in the top 15 individually, while helping the Nebraska men's golf team to a tie for seventh in a loaded 14-team field after the first day in St. Simons Island, Ga.Myers, a senior from Northbrook, Ill., produced six birdies in his first round on the par-72, 7,060-yard layout at the Sea Island Golf Course on his way to a 68 (-4). He added a second-round 73 (+1) to close the day in a tie for 11th in an 80-player field at 141 (-3) in his third lineup appearance for the Big Red this season.&nbsp;Murray, a junior from Canberra, Australia, started the day with a 73 (+1) before heating up with a second-round 69 (-3). Murray closed the day just one shot behind Myers in a tie for 15th at 142 (-2).&nbsp;Harry Crockett got off to a strong start with six birdies of his own in the first round on his way to a 70 (-2), before managing a 75 (+3) in the second round. Crockett ended the day in a tie for 29th at 145 (+1).&nbsp;Freshman Quinn Yost contributed an excellent first round with a 71 (-1), joining Myers, Crockett and Murray in producing an opening-round 282 (-6) for the Huskers.&nbsp;Nebraska moved to the second round in second place, trailing only Cincinnati's opening-round 278. The Huskers settled for a second-round 290 (+2) and slipped into a tie for seventh with the hosts from Rutgers at 572 (-4) through 36 holes of the 54-hole event.Notre Dame, which started the second round nine strokes back of the Huskers, stormed to the top of the team standings with a 270 (-18) in the second round. Cincinnati sits in second place at 562 (-14) after a second-round 284 (-4), while Michigan State and Texas are tied for third at 563 (-13).Yost managed a 76 in the second to end the day at 147 (+3) in a tie for 49th, while Davis Johnson contributed rounds of 75 and 73 to sit in a tie for for 57th at 148 (+4). Johnson's second-round 73 (+1) tied for Nebraska's second-best score of the round.Tuesday's final round of the Johnnie-O begins with a shotgun start at 7 a.m. (CT). Live stats and updates for the Johnnie-O can be found at HuskersGolf on Instagram and X, and Golfstat.com, and complete tournament coverage will be available on Huskers.com.The Johnnie-O at Sea IslandMarch 11-12, 2024St. Simons Island, GeorgiaSea Island Golf Club (Par 72, 7,060 Yards)Team Standings (Two Rounds)1. Notre Dame - 287-270-557 (-18)2. Cincinnati - 278-284=562 (-13)T3. Michigan State - 287-276=563 (-12)T3. Texas - 287-276=563 (-12)5. UNCG - 283-284=567 (-9)6. Illinois - 282-288=570 (-6)T7. Rutgers - 290-282=572 (-4)T7. Nebraska - 282-290=572 (-4)9. Minnesota - 285-291=576 (E)10. Kansas - 291-287=578 (+2)11. Augusta - 295-284=579 (+3)12. Penn State - 292-288=580 (+4)13. Kansas State - 297-287=584 (+8)14. Marquette - 291-296=587 (+11)Individual Standings (Two Rounds)1. Ashton McCulloch, Michigan State - 68-62=130 (-14)2. Palmer Jackson, Notre Dame - 69-65=134 (-10)3. Christiaan Maas, Texas - 69-68=137 (-7)T4. *Christopher Bagnall, Notre Dame - 70-68=138 (-6)T4. Jack Marcotte, UNCG - 69-69=138 (-6)T4. Connor McNeely, Cincinnati - 68-70=138 (-6)T7. Jacob Modleski, Notre Dame - 72-67=139 (-5)T7. Tyler Goecke, Illinois - 71-68=139 (-5)T9. Ty Gingerich, Cincinnati - 71-69=140 (-4)T9. Ben Warian, Minnesota - 70-70=140 (-4)Nebraska IndividualsT11. Evan Myers - 68-73=141 (-3)T15. Hamish Murray - 73-69=142 (-2)T29. Harry Crockett - 70-75=145 (+1)T49. Quinn Yost - 71-76=147 (+3)T57. Davis Johnson - 75-73=148 (+4)

Myers, Murray lead golf Huskers in Georgia

Kelly Ann Strand fired rounds of 71 and 74 to close the opening day of the Briar's Creek Challenge in a tie for 15th to lead the Nebraska women's golf team in Johns Island, S.C., on Monday.

Strand, a sophomore from Challis, Idaho, began the day with a steady round of 71 that featured two birdies and 15 pars along with a single bogey on No. 16. Her second round included a birdie and 14 more pars, but also included a trio of bogeys. Her two-round total of 145 (+1) was good for a tie for 15th. She is just five strokes outside the top four players in a tight 104-player field.

With Strand leading the way, the Huskers enter Tuesday's final round in 11th place in a 17-team field filled with top-100 teams.

Junior Miu Takahashi added back-to-back rounds of 74 (+2) to close the day at 148 (+4) in a tie for 35th. Freshman Arden Louchheim contributed counting rounds to both of Nebraska's team scores by carding an opening-round 78 (+6) and a second-round 75 (+3). She ended the day at 153 (+9) in a tie for 67th with senior teammate Michaela Vavrova.

Vavrova opened with a 73 (+1) for Nebraska's second-best round of the day, before settling for an 80 in the second round.&nbsp;

Senior Lindsey Thiele contributed to the Husker team score with a 75 (+3) in the second round after opening the day with an 80. Thiele is tied for 77th individually at 155 (+11).

The Huskers managed team scores of 296 and 298 to head to the final round at 594 (+18) on the par-72, 6,152-yard layout of the Briar's Creek Golf Club.

Michigan State sits atop the team standings at 566 (-10) after rounds of 282 and 284. Illinois is six shots back in second at 572, while Rutgers is 15 strokes behind the Spartans in third at 581 (+5).

Michigan State's Katie Lu owns the top spot on the individual leader board at 136 (69-67), one shot ahead of Isabel Sy from Illinois (137) and two strokes in front of Spartan teammate Brooke Biermann in third (138).&nbsp;

Tuesday's final round at Briar's Creek begins with a shotgun start at 7:45 a.m. (CT). Live scoring from GolfStat will be available on Huskers.com.

Briar's Creek ChallengeMarch 11-12, 2024Johns Island, South CarolinaBriar's Creek Golf Club (Par 72, 6,152 Yards)

Team Standings (Two Rounds)1. Michigan State - 284-282=566 (-10)2. Illinois - 284-288=572 (-4)3. Rutgers - 291-290=581 (+5)4. UCF - 301-281=582 (+6)5. Florida - 290-293=583 (+7)6. NC State - 291-293-584 (+8)7. Boston College - 294-292=586 (+10)8. Purdue - 294-293=587 (+11)9. Campbell - 285-306=591 (+15)10. Miami - 294-298=592 (+16)11. Nebraska - 296-298=594 (+18)12. Georgetown - 293-302=595 (+19)13. College of Charleston - 305-293=598 (+22)14. Maryland - 299-300=599 (+23)15. Penn State - 305-296=601 (+25)16. Wisconsin - 299-304=603 (+27)17. Old Dominion - 297-309=606 (+30)

Individual Standings (Two Rounds)1. Katie Lu, Michigan State - 69-67=136 (-8)2. Isabel Sy, Illinois - 67-70=137 (-7)3. Brooke Biermann, Michigan State - 68-70=138 (-6)T4. Ines Archer, Florida - 70-70=140 (-4)T4. Leigha Devine, Rutgers - 69-71=140 (-4)6. Jade Gu, Purdue - 70-71=141 (-3)T7. Pimpisa Sisutham, UCF - 74-68=142 (-2)T7. Lexanne Halama, Illinois - 73-69=142 (-2)T7. Emily Bohrer, Boston College - 71-71=142 (-2)T10. Lauren Olivares Leon, NC State - 74-69=143 (-1)T10. Lucrezia Rossettin, Rutgers - 72-71=143 (-1)T10. Jasmine Kahler, Purdue - 72-71=143 (-1)&nbsp;

Nebraska IndividualsT15. Kelli Ann Strand - 71-74=145 (+1)T35. Miu Takahashi - 74-74=148 (+4)T67. Arden Louchheim - 78-75=153 (+9)T67. Michaela Vavrova - 73-80=153 (+9)T77. Lindsey Thiele - 80-75=155 (+11)*T98. Brooke Bream - 85-76=161 (+17)

* competing as an individual outside Nebraska's lineup

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsKelly Ann Strand fired rounds of 71 and 74 to close the opening day of the Briar's Creek Challenge in a tie for 15th to lead the Nebraska women's golf team in Johns Island, S.C., on Monday.Strand, a sophomore from Challis, Idaho, began the day with a steady round of 71 that featured two birdies and 15 pars along with a single bogey on No. 16. Her second round included a birdie and 14 more pars, but also included a trio of bogeys. Her two-round total of 145 (+1) was good for a tie for 15th. She is just five strokes outside the top four players in a tight 104-player field.With Strand leading the way, the Huskers enter Tuesday's final round in 11th place in a 17-team field filled with top-100 teams.Junior Miu Takahashi added back-to-back rounds of 74 (+2) to close the day at 148 (+4) in a tie for 35th. Freshman Arden Louchheim contributed counting rounds to both of Nebraska's team scores by carding an opening-round 78 (+6) and a second-round 75 (+3). She ended the day at 153 (+9) in a tie for 67th with senior teammate Michaela Vavrova.Vavrova opened with a 73 (+1) for Nebraska's second-best round of the day, before settling for an 80 in the second round.&nbsp;Senior Lindsey Thiele contributed to the Husker team score with a 75 (+3) in the second round after opening the day with an 80. Thiele is tied for 77th individually at 155 (+11).The Huskers managed team scores of 296 and 298 to head to the final round at 594 (+18) on the par-72, 6,152-yard layout of the Briar's Creek Golf Club.Michigan State sits atop the team standings at 566 (-10) after rounds of 282 and 284. Illinois is six shots back in second at 572, while Rutgers is 15 strokes behind the Spartans in third at 581 (+5).Michigan State's Katie Lu owns the top spot on the individual leader board at 136 (69-67), one shot ahead of Isabel Sy from Illinois (137) and two strokes in front of Spartan teammate Brooke Biermann in third (138).&nbsp;Tuesday's final round at Briar's Creek begins with a shotgun start at 7:45 a.m. (CT). Live scoring from GolfStat will be available on Huskers.com.Briar's Creek ChallengeMarch 11-12, 2024Johns Island, South CarolinaBriar's Creek Golf Club (Par 72, 6,152 Yards)Team Standings (Two Rounds)1. Michigan State - 284-282=566 (-10)2. Illinois - 284-288=572 (-4)3. Rutgers - 291-290=581 (+5)4. UCF - 301-281=582 (+6)5. Florida - 290-293=583 (+7)6. NC State - 291-293-584 (+8)7. Boston College - 294-292=586 (+10)8. Purdue - 294-293=587 (+11)9. Campbell - 285-306=591 (+15)10. Miami - 294-298=592 (+16)11. Nebraska - 296-298=594 (+18)12. Georgetown - 293-302=595 (+19)13. College of Charleston - 305-293=598 (+22)14. Maryland - 299-300=599 (+23)15. Penn State - 305-296=601 (+25)16. Wisconsin - 299-304=603 (+27)17. Old Dominion - 297-309=606 (+30)Individual Standings (Two Rounds)1. Katie Lu, Michigan State - 69-67=136 (-8)2. Isabel Sy, Illinois - 67-70=137 (-7)3. Brooke Biermann, Michigan State - 68-70=138 (-6)T4. Ines Archer, Florida - 70-70=140 (-4)T4. Leigha Devine, Rutgers - 69-71=140 (-4)6. Jade Gu, Purdue - 70-71=141 (-3)T7. Pimpisa Sisutham, UCF - 74-68=142 (-2)T7. Lexanne Halama, Illinois - 73-69=142 (-2)T7. Emily Bohrer, Boston College - 71-71=142 (-2)T10. Lauren Olivares Leon, NC State - 74-69=143 (-1)T10. Lucrezia Rossettin, Rutgers - 72-71=143 (-1)T10. Jasmine Kahler, Purdue - 72-71=143 (-1)&nbsp;Nebraska IndividualsT15. Kelli Ann Strand - 71-74=145 (+1)T35. Miu Takahashi - 74-74=148 (+4)T67. Arden Louchheim - 78-75=153 (+9)T67. Michaela Vavrova - 73-80=153 (+9)T77. Lindsey Thiele - 80-75=155 (+11)*T98. Brooke Bream - 85-76=161 (+17)* competing as an individual outside Nebraska's lineup

Strand leads Huskers Golf on 1st day at Briar’s Creek

Four members of the Mid-Plains Community College Rodeo Team have been awarded $1,250 scholarships from the Kiplinger Foundation.

They are: Jace Richter, of Ogallala; Ryan Shepherd, of North Platte; Whitney Jennings, of Seneca, and Kapeka Alcain, of Kealakekua, Hawaii.

The athletes were recognized Saturday during the team’s annual spring fundraiser rodeo at the Kiplinger Arena in McCook.

Selection for the Tom and Alice Kiplinger Foundation Scholarship was based upon fall semester GPA, a written essay, input from the rodeo team coaches and the Red Willow County fair board manager’s recommendation.&nbsp;

Heather JohnsonMPCCFour members of the Mid-Plains Community College Rodeo Team have been awarded $1,250 scholarships from the Kiplinger Foundation.They are: Jace Richter, of Ogallala; Ryan Shepherd, of North Platte; Whitney Jennings, of Seneca, and Kapeka Alcain, of Kealakekua, Hawaii.The athletes were recognized Saturday during the team’s annual spring fundraiser rodeo at the Kiplinger Arena in McCook.Selection for the Tom and Alice Kiplinger Foundation Scholarship was based upon fall semester GPA, a written essay, input from the rodeo team coaches and the Red Willow County fair board manager’s recommendation.&nbsp;

 MPCC Rodeo Team members awarded Kiplinger scholarships

Lincoln, Neb.-&nbsp;The No. 5 Huskers competed against the No. 2 Fighting Illini where they rallied past their conference competitors, 416.550-406.050, and earned their best score this season. The Huskers honored two seniors, Cooper Giles and Sam Phillips, in their final home meet and Husker appearance. In addition to out-scoring Illinois in every event and tying on one, the Huskers performance was highlighted by five event titles including Luke James on floor (14.60), Chris Hiser on rings (14.20), Taylor Christopulos on vault (14.75), Max Odden on high bar (13.85), and Sam Phillips in the all-around (80.65).

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsLincoln, Neb.-&nbsp;The No. 5 Huskers competed against the No. 2 Fighting Illini where they rallied past their conference competitors, 416.550-406.050, and earned their best score this season. The Huskers honored two seniors, Cooper Giles and Sam Phillips, in their final home meet and Husker appearance. In addition to out-scoring Illinois in every event and tying on one, the Huskers performance was highlighted by five event titles including Luke James on floor (14.60), Chris Hiser on rings (14.20), Taylor Christopulos on vault (14.75), Max Odden on high bar (13.85), and Sam Phillips in the all-around (80.65).FloorNU began the conference matchup on floor, where they collected their second-best team score on floor this season (70.40). Luke James set the tone for the afternoon after registering a new personal best (14.60) and snagging the event title. Toby Liang led off the rotation, notching a score of 13.70. Chase Mondi landed in fourth, a career-best for the Husker (13.95). Sam Phillips followed closely with a solid 13.70. Taylor Christopulos capitalized on the momentum after landing in second position and earning a strong 14.45 for Nebraska.Illinois earned a team score of 68.20 on floor.Pommel HorseMoving to pommel horse, the Huskers set a season-best team score on the event (71.50), out-scoring the 2023 season record. Nathan York led the lineup with big energy, setting a new personal best on the event and taking fifth (14.35). Travis Wong in sixth (14.30) and Yanni Chronopoulos in second (14.45) both mirrored the energy, also setting personal-bests. In his final senior appearance, Cooper Giles pocketed an impressive 14.40 in third place for the Big Red. Christopulos hit a 14.00, a personal-best, and Phillips closed the rotation with a personal-best 13.05, respectively.&nbsp;Illinois earned a score of 69.30 on pommel horse.&nbsp;RingsNebraska earned an impressive season-best score of 69.35 on rings, as a team. Chris Hiser impressed with strength, setting a season-best 14.20 and taking the event title. James Friedman led off with a career-best 13.70, landing in fifth. Wong notched a 13.60 for the Huskers, a career-best. Sam Phillips matched his personal-best record in fourth place (13.80). Asher Cohen finished off the rotation in third overall with a career-best 14.05.Illinois earned a score of 68.10 on still rings.VaultThe Huskers moved to vault, putting up a score of 70.40 on the event. Chase Mondi jump started the rotation with a 14.40, while James registered a personal-best 14.50, respectively. Phillips earned a 14.20 on the event, and Tiderman collected a 14.30. Christopulos capped off the rotation with an impressive 14.75, good for the event title.Illinois also scored a 70.40 on vault.Parallel BarsOn parallel bars, Nebraska registered another season-best score of 69.45. Friedman led the rotation with a season-best 13.70. Cole Partridge earned a 13.45, while Cohen scored a 14.00 and took fourth place, respectively. Phillips earned another career accolade after setting a personal-best score and earning second place (14.40). Christopulos anchored the lineup with a 13.90.Illinois put up a team score of 68.95 on the event.&nbsp;High BarIn the final event of the competition, the Huskers earned a score of 63.70. Max Odden led the lineup with a new career-best (13.85), snagging his first-career title. Partridge notched a 13.10. After suffering falls, Tiderman scored a 11.75 and Phillips scored a 11.50, respectively. Christopulos anchored the rotation with a score of 13.50.&nbsp;Illinois scored a 61.10 as a team on high bar.Up NextNebraska will compete in a Big Ten matchup against Ohio State on Tuesday, March 26 at the Covelli Center in Columbus, Ohio. The meet will commence at 3 p.m. (CT) and will be streamed live on B1G+. Fans can follow @HuskerMGym on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter for live updates during the meet.