Story by NU Athletic Communications

Lincoln&nbsp;- Junior Alexis Markowski scored a game-high 21 points and joined Nebraska's 1,000-point club as the Huskers cruised to a 76-51 victory over 2023 SWAC Champion Southern on Sunday at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Graduate guard Jaz Shelley contributed 15 points, five rebounds and five assists, while freshman Logan Nissley put up 14 points, including a game-high four three-pointers, as Nebraska improved to 9-2 on the year. Markowski and Shelley each scored 11 points in the first half, while Nissley contributed eight off the bench in the first 20 minutes as Nebraska surged to a 43-17 halftime lead.&nbsp;

The Big Red knocked down 9-of-14 three-pointers in the opening half, including seven in the second quarter alone, on its way to 12 three-pointers for the game. It marked the fifth consecutive game that the Huskers had hit 10 or more threes and sixth time in 11 games this season. Southern, which slipped to 1-8 on the year, hit just 1-of-11 threes on the afternoon.

Nebraska also produced a decisive 44-26 edge on the glass, led by nine rebounds from freshman&nbsp;Natalie Potts. Graduate guard Darian White added eight points, five rebounds and five assists in a solid effort, while Callin Hake also contributed eight points, three rebounds and three assists.

The Huskers opened the game with back-to-back 6-0 runs to take an early 12-2 lead, then pushed the margin to 19-6 at the end of the first quarter. Markowski scored all 11 of her first-half points in the opening quarter, including both of Nebraska's three-pointers in the period.&nbsp;

Nissley got Nebraska got in the second quarter with a three-pointer to open the period before Shelley hit a pair of threes around a Kendall Coley three from the corner to push the Huskers to a 31-9 lead with 5:07 left in the half. Hake and Shelley then hit two more threes to extend the margin to 37-14 before Nissley got NU's only two-point field goal of the quarter. She then closed the half with NU's seventh three of the quarter to send the Big Red to halftime with a 43-17 edge.

Nebraska bolted out of the locker room on an 8-2 surge to extend the margin to 32 points at 51-19, before taking a 60-35 lead to the fourth. Markowski opened the final period with five straight points, including a reverse layup with 9:18 left to reach 1,000 career points. She was fouled and completed the three-point play to put the Huskers back up by 30 at 65-35.&nbsp;

For the game, Nebraska hit 44 percent (22-50) of its shots from the field, including 12-of-27 threes (.444), while connecting on 74.1 percent (20-27) of its free throws. The Huskers held Southern to just 33.3 percent (18-54) shooting, including 9.1 percent (1-11) from long range. The Jaguars did hit 14-of-21 (.667) free throws, and won the turnover battle 23-19.

Tionna Lidge, who scored six consecutive points in the final five minutes for Southern, led the Jaguars with 10 points. Taylor Williams and Chloe Fleming each added eight points. All-SWAC guard Genovea Johnson made her first appearance of the season for the Jaguars, adding four points, while Aniya Gourdine made her Southern debut. Gourdine was an All-AAC Freshman Team selection in 2021-22 at Temple before transferring to Southern mid-season in 2022-23. She managed five points and three rebounds.

The Huskers hit the road to take on Kansas on Wednesday, Dec. 20. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. (CT) in Lawrence, Kan. with streaming available on ESPN+ and radio coverage provided by Huskers Radio Network.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsLincoln&nbsp;- Junior Alexis Markowski scored a game-high 21 points and joined Nebraska's 1,000-point club as the Huskers cruised to a 76-51 victory over 2023 SWAC Champion Southern on Sunday at Pinnacle Bank Arena.Graduate guard Jaz Shelley contributed 15 points, five rebounds and five assists, while freshman Logan Nissley put up 14 points, including a game-high four three-pointers, as Nebraska improved to 9-2 on the year. Markowski and Shelley each scored 11 points in the first half, while Nissley contributed eight off the bench in the first 20 minutes as Nebraska surged to a 43-17 halftime lead.&nbsp;The Big Red knocked down 9-of-14 three-pointers in the opening half, including seven in the second quarter alone, on its way to 12 three-pointers for the game. It marked the fifth consecutive game that the Huskers had hit 10 or more threes and sixth time in 11 games this season. Southern, which slipped to 1-8 on the year, hit just 1-of-11 threes on the afternoon.Nebraska also produced a decisive 44-26 edge on the glass, led by nine rebounds from freshman&nbsp;Natalie Potts. Graduate guard Darian White added eight points, five rebounds and five assists in a solid effort, while Callin Hake also contributed eight points, three rebounds and three assists.The Huskers opened the game with back-to-back 6-0 runs to take an early 12-2 lead, then pushed the margin to 19-6 at the end of the first quarter. Markowski scored all 11 of her first-half points in the opening quarter, including both of Nebraska's three-pointers in the period.&nbsp;Nissley got Nebraska got in the second quarter with a three-pointer to open the period before Shelley hit a pair of threes around a Kendall Coley three from the corner to push the Huskers to a 31-9 lead with 5:07 left in the half. Hake and Shelley then hit two more threes to extend the margin to 37-14 before Nissley got NU's only two-point field goal of the quarter. She then closed the half with NU's seventh three of the quarter to send the Big Red to halftime with a 43-17 edge.Nebraska bolted out of the locker room on an 8-2 surge to extend the margin to 32 points at 51-19, before taking a 60-35 lead to the fourth. Markowski opened the final period with five straight points, including a reverse layup with 9:18 left to reach 1,000 career points. She was fouled and completed the three-point play to put the Huskers back up by 30 at 65-35.&nbsp;For the game, Nebraska hit 44 percent (22-50) of its shots from the field, including 12-of-27 threes (.444), while connecting on 74.1 percent (20-27) of its free throws. The Huskers held Southern to just 33.3 percent (18-54) shooting, including 9.1 percent (1-11) from long range. The Jaguars did hit 14-of-21 (.667) free throws, and won the turnover battle 23-19.Tionna Lidge, who scored six consecutive points in the final five minutes for Southern, led the Jaguars with 10 points. Taylor Williams and Chloe Fleming each added eight points. All-SWAC guard Genovea Johnson made her first appearance of the season for the Jaguars, adding four points, while Aniya Gourdine made her Southern debut. Gourdine was an All-AAC Freshman Team selection in 2021-22 at Temple before transferring to Southern mid-season in 2022-23. She managed five points and three rebounds.The Huskers hit the road to take on Kansas on Wednesday, Dec. 20. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. (CT) in Lawrence, Kan. with streaming available on ESPN+ and radio coverage provided by Huskers Radio Network.

Markowski Joins 1,000-Point Club in Husker Victory

TAMPA, Fla.&nbsp;- The Nebraska volleyball team's quest for a sixth national championship came up short Sunday afternoon, as strong serving powered Texas to a 3-0 sweep in the NCAA Final at Amalie Arena in Tampa.

Texas had 12 aces in the match, the most by a Husker opponent in the rally-scoring era, which dates back to 2001. Nebraska struggled to pass against the Longhorns, which resulted in the Huskers recording season lows in kills (20) and hitting percentage (.013). Texas hit .264 in the match and had a 38-20 advantage in kills.&nbsp;

The Huskers (33-2) finished as the NCAA runner-up for the sixth time in program history, while Texas (28-4) won its second straight national championship and fourth overall.

Harper Murray led the Huskers with seven kills on 23 swings. Bekka Allick added three kills on seven attempts and led Nebraska with a .286 attack percentage and four blocks. Andi Jackson added four kills and three blocks. Lexi Rodriguez and Bergen Reilly had six digs apiece, while Reilly added 17 assists.

Madisen Skinner led Texas with 16 kills on 33 swings, while Asjia O'Neal had five service aces.

Set 1:&nbsp;The Longhorns jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but an ace by Murray and kill by Batenhorst helped the Huskers climb back to tie the score at 6-6. Jackson produced a pair of kills, and a tip by Murray gave the Huskers their first lead at 10-9. Allick set Murray for another kill to make it 11-9, but Texas answered with a 3-0 run to go back up 12-11. The Longhorns separated from a 14-14 tie with a 3-0 run to take a 17-14 lead. Texas pushed the lead to four, 20-16, but Reilly placed a kill to the back corner and Texas committed an attacking error to make it 20-18. The Longhorns led 22-19 before a block by Allick and Murray. A red card was then assessed to the Texas bench to give Nebraska a free point, and Murray served an ace to tie the score at 22-22. But the Longhorns scored the final three points with a block, a kill and an ace to win 25-22.&nbsp;

Set 2:&nbsp;Nebraska went ahead 10-7 after a 6-1 run. Jackson had a kill and two blocks in that stretch to spark the Big Red. But Texas took control of the set with an 11-0 run - including four straight aces by O'Neal - to grab an 18-10 lead. The Longhorns went on to win the set, 25-14.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Set 3:&nbsp;Texas bolted to a 7-3 lead, but a kill by Jackson and a block by Jackson and Reilly cut it to 7-5. But the Longhorns increased their lead to 15-10 at the media timeout. After the break, the Longhorns pulled away with three kills and a block to make it 19-10. Texas finished out the match, 25-11.&nbsp;

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM&nbsp;MB, Bekka Allick, NebraskaOH, Merritt Beason, NebraskaL, Emma Halter, TexasMB, Asjia O’Neal, TexasOH, Madison Skinner, TexasS, Ella Swindle, TexasMB, Anna Smrek, Wisconsin

Most Outstanding Player:OH, Madison Skinner, Texas

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsTAMPA, Fla.&nbsp;- The Nebraska volleyball team's quest for a sixth national championship came up short Sunday afternoon, as strong serving powered Texas to a 3-0 sweep in the NCAA Final at Amalie Arena in Tampa.Texas had 12 aces in the match, the most by a Husker opponent in the rally-scoring era, which dates back to 2001. Nebraska struggled to pass against the Longhorns, which resulted in the Huskers recording season lows in kills (20) and hitting percentage (.013). Texas hit .264 in the match and had a 38-20 advantage in kills.&nbsp;The Huskers (33-2) finished as the NCAA runner-up for the sixth time in program history, while Texas (28-4) won its second straight national championship and fourth overall.Harper Murray led the Huskers with seven kills on 23 swings. Bekka Allick added three kills on seven attempts and led Nebraska with a .286 attack percentage and four blocks. Andi Jackson added four kills and three blocks. Lexi Rodriguez and Bergen Reilly had six digs apiece, while Reilly added 17 assists.Madisen Skinner led Texas with 16 kills on 33 swings, while Asjia O'Neal had five service aces.Set 1:&nbsp;The Longhorns jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but an ace by Murray and kill by Batenhorst helped the Huskers climb back to tie the score at 6-6. Jackson produced a pair of kills, and a tip by Murray gave the Huskers their first lead at 10-9. Allick set Murray for another kill to make it 11-9, but Texas answered with a 3-0 run to go back up 12-11. The Longhorns separated from a 14-14 tie with a 3-0 run to take a 17-14 lead. Texas pushed the lead to four, 20-16, but Reilly placed a kill to the back corner and Texas committed an attacking error to make it 20-18. The Longhorns led 22-19 before a block by Allick and Murray. A red card was then assessed to the Texas bench to give Nebraska a free point, and Murray served an ace to tie the score at 22-22. But the Longhorns scored the final three points with a block, a kill and an ace to win 25-22.&nbsp;Set 2:&nbsp;Nebraska went ahead 10-7 after a 6-1 run. Jackson had a kill and two blocks in that stretch to spark the Big Red. But Texas took control of the set with an 11-0 run - including four straight aces by O'Neal - to grab an 18-10 lead. The Longhorns went on to win the set, 25-14.&nbsp;&nbsp;Set 3:&nbsp;Texas bolted to a 7-3 lead, but a kill by Jackson and a block by Jackson and Reilly cut it to 7-5. But the Longhorns increased their lead to 15-10 at the media timeout. After the break, the Longhorns pulled away with three kills and a block to make it 19-10. Texas finished out the match, 25-11.&nbsp;Nebraska Post-Match Notes<ul>
 <li>Nebraska finished as the NCAA runner-up for the sixth time in program history. The Huskers have a 5-6 record in the national championship match.</li><li>The Huskers lost to Texas in an NCAA Final for the first time. Nebraska had won the previous two national championship matches between the programs in 1995 and 2015.</li><li>NU ended its season with a 33-2 record. The Huskers’ .943 winning percentage ranked fourth in school history and was the highest since the 2006 season.</li><li>Nebraska fell to 130-37 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. The Huskers rank second in NCAA history in postseason wins and winning percentage (.778).</li><li>John Cook fell to 89-20 in the NCAA Tournament as Nebraska’s head coach. He dropped to 97-25 in his NCAA Tournament career. Cook ranks second all-time in career NCAA Tournament victories and NCAA Tournament wins at one school.</li><li>Texas had 12 service aces in the match, the most by any Husker opponent in the rally-scoring era (since 2001) and the first time a Nebraska opponent has had more than 10 aces in the rally-scoring era.</li><li>UT had seven aces in set two, which one shy of the most aces Nebraska had allowed in an entire match.</li><li>Nebraska hit .013 in the match, the lowest mark of the season for the Huskers. The previous low was a .130 attack percentage in a win against No. 1 Wisconsin on Oct. 21.</li><li>The Huskers’ 20 kills were a season low, nine fewer than Nebraska had against Omaha in the outdoor match at Memorial Stadium on Aug. 30.</li><li>Merritt Beason finished with 455 kills this season. That total ranked ninth at Nebraska in the rally-scoring era (since 2001). Beason is just the sixth Husker to have 450 kills in a season during the rally-scoring era.</li><li>Beason finished with 455 kills, 248 digs and 106 blocks. She is just the fourth Huskers in the rally-scoring era (since 2001) to have 400 kills, 200 digs and 100 blocks in a season and the first since Kadie Rolfzen in 2015.</li><li>Andi Jackson finished with a .399 attack percentage in her freshman season. That is the highest mark by a freshman in school history, eclipsing the previous record of .388 by Karen Dahlgren in 1983.</li><li>Jackson’s .399 attack percentage is the 10th-best all-time single-season mark at Nebraska and the seventh-best during the rally-scoring era (since 2001).</li>
 </ul>ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM&nbsp;MB, Bekka Allick, NebraskaOH, Merritt Beason, NebraskaL, Emma Halter, TexasMB, Asjia O’Neal, TexasOH, Madison Skinner, TexasS, Ella Swindle, TexasMB, Anna Smrek, WisconsinMost Outstanding Player:OH, Madison Skinner, Texas

Huskers finish as NCAA runner-up

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 <tr>
 <td class="tg-tz34">21</td>
 <td class="tg-8inr"><a href="javascript:viewTeamMembers(154761147)" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Centauri, CO</a> </td>
 <td class="tg-tz34">Centauri, CO (<a href="javascript:getDMTeam(154761147, 'C', '9');" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">GET</a>)</td>
 <td class="tg-mfjj">CTRI</td>
 <td class="tg-mfjj">10</td>
 <td class="tg-z0vu">87.5</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-tz34">22</td>
 <td class="tg-8inr"><a href="javascript:viewTeamMembers(154781147)" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pueblo Central, CO</a> </td>
 <td class="tg-tz34">Pueblo Central, CO (<a href="javascript:getDMTeam(154781147, 'P', '9');" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">GET</a>)</td>
 <td class="tg-mfjj">PUCR</td>
 <td class="tg-mfjj">10</td>
 <td class="tg-z0vu">87.0</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-tz34">23</td>
 <td class="tg-8inr"><a href="javascript:viewTeamMembers(154751147)" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Riverdale Ridge, CO</a> </td>
 <td class="tg-tz34">Riverdale Ridge, CO (<a href="javascript:getDMTeam(154751147, 'R', '9');" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">GET</a>)</td>
 <td class="tg-mfjj">RIRI</td>
 <td class="tg-mfjj">13</td>
 <td class="tg-z0vu">82.5</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-tz34">24</td>
 <td class="tg-8inr"><a href="javascript:viewTeamMembers(272832147)" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Cheyenne Mountain, CO</a> </td>
 <td class="tg-tz34">Cheyenne Mountain, CO (<a href="javascript:getDMTeam(272832147, 'C', '9');" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">GET</a>)</td>
 <td class="tg-mfjj">CHMO</td>
 <td class="tg-mfjj">8</td>
 <td class="tg-z0vu">79.0</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-tz34">24</td>
 <td class="tg-8inr"><a href="javascript:viewTeamMembers(154767147)" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Erie, CO</a> </td>
 <td class="tg-tz34">Erie, CO (<a href="javascript:getDMTeam(154767147, 'E', '9');" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">GET</a>)</td>
 <td class="tg-mfjj">ERIE</td>
 <td class="tg-mfjj">8</td>
 <td class="tg-z0vu">79.0</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-tz34">26</td>
 <td class="tg-8inr"><a href="javascript:viewTeamMembers(154775147)" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mountain View, CO</a> </td>
 <td class="tg-tz34">Mountain View, CO (<a href="javascript:getDMTeam(154775147, 'M', '9');" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">GET</a>)</td>
 <td class="tg-tz34">MTVW</td>
 <td class="tg-mfjj">11</td>
 <td class="tg-z0vu">77.0</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-tz34">27</td>
 <td class="tg-8inr"><a href="javascript:viewTeamMembers(154756147)" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Berthoud, CO</a> </td>
 <td class="tg-tz34">Berthoud, CO (<a href="javascript:getDMTeam(154756147, 'B', '9');" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">GET</a>)</td>
 <td class="tg-tz34">BERT</td>
 <td class="tg-tz34">11</td>
 <td class="tg-8inr">76.0</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-tz34">27</td>
 <td class="tg-8inr"><a href="javascript:viewTeamMembers(154764147)" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Coronado, CO</a> </td>
 <td class="tg-tz34">Coronado, CO (<a href="javascript:getDMTeam(154764147, 'C', '9');" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">GET</a>)</td>
 <td class="tg-tz34">CORO</td>
 <td class="tg-tz34">14</td>
 <td class="tg-8inr">76.0</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-tz34">29</td>
 <td class="tg-8inr"><a href="javascript:viewTeamMembers(339419147)" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Cherry Creek, CO</a> </td>
 <td class="tg-tz34">Cherry Creek, CO (<a href="javascript:getDMTeam(339419147, 'C', '9');" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">GET</a>)</td>
 <td class="tg-tz34">CHCR</td>
 <td class="tg-tz34">10</td>
 <td class="tg-8inr">71.0</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-tz34">30</td>
 <td class="tg-8inr"><a href="javascript:viewTeamMembers(154788147)" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Valley, CO</a> </td>
 <td class="tg-tz34">Valley, CO (<a href="javascript:getDMTeam(154788147, 'V', '9');" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">GET</a>)</td>
 <td class="tg-tz34">VALL</td>
 <td class="tg-tz34">9</td>
 <td class="tg-8inr">69.5</td>
 </tr>
</tbody>
</table></div>

Area Wrestling results

Story by Tri-City Storm Communications

LINCOLN, NE.&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Tri-City Storm is set for a weekend series against the Lincoln Stars to wrap up the pre-holiday break portion of the 2023-2024 regular season. Tonight’s matchup will be played at the Ice Box in Lincoln, and Tri-City will return home to host the Stars tomorrow night at the Viaero Center. Puck drop for tonight’s game is scheduled for 7:05pm CT, and tomorrow’s battle in Kearney will begin at 6:05pm CT. Tickets to tomorrow’s game can be purchased online by skating to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stormhockey.com/" target="_blank">www.StormHockey.com</a>&nbsp;or by contacting a member of the Storm Sales Staff at the Viaero Center Box Office by calling 308-338-8144 during Box Office Hours today and tomorrow. &nbsp;

Tri-City (12-8-1-1) enters tonight’s road game against Lincoln as the 4th&nbsp;place team in the USHL’s Western Conference standings following a 4-3 home victory over the Omaha Lancers on Friday, December 8th, at the Viaero Center. Cam Briere, Blake Steenerson, Ryan Smith, and Vladislav Lukashevich each netted a goal for Tri-City in the victory. The Storm improved to 7-4-0-1 in games played at the Viaero Center this season, and 9-2-0-0 in head-to-head games against Western Conference competition in the win. Tri-City’s powerplay has scored on 18.8% of its opportunities this season, and has a conversion percentage of 13.7% on the road. The Storm’s penalty kill has a success rate of 77.1%, and is 78.4% in road games this year. Scoring leaders for Tri-City entering the weekend’s rivalry series against Lincoln include August Falloon (11), Ryan Smith (9), Trevor Connelly (8), Cam Briere (8), and Artemi Nizameyev (8). Connelly, along with teammate Philippe Blais-Savoie, will be out of the lineup this weekend due to their participation in the 2023 World Junior A Challenge for Team USA. More information about the event can be found online at&nbsp;<a href="https://teamusa.usahockey.com/2023wjac" target="_blank">https://teamusa.usahockey.com/2023wjac</a>. &nbsp;

Lincoln (7-15-0-2) collected one win in a three-game home series last weekend against the league-leading Fargo Force. The Stars opened the series by dropping a 2-1 decision on Friday, but bounced back with a 5-3 win over the Force on Saturday. Lincoln fell in Sunday’s series finale by a final score of 5-1. Keaton Peters scored the Stars’ lone goal during the matchup. Peters netted his first goal of the year during the Stars 5-3 home loss to the Storm on Wednesday, November 22nd. He has scored eight goals in the last eight games after beginning the regular season with sixteen consecutive games without scoring a goal. Lincoln’s powerplay enters tonight’s game with a conversion rate of 13.9% on home ice, and 13.4% overall this season. The Stars’ penalty kill is 83.8% on home ice, and 76.3% overall this year entering the weekend’s rivalry series. Scoring leaders for Lincoln through the opening twenty-four games of the season include Jared Mangan (9), Jack Pechar (9), Keaton Peters (8), and Blake Montgomery (7). &nbsp;

Last Saturday, the Storm hosted its annual Paint the Ice event ahead of tomorrow night’s Concrete Cares game. Members of the local community painted messages on the ice at the Viaero Center to support those affected by cancer. Tomorrow night’s rivalry matchup between the Storm and the Stars will be played on the painted ice, and proceeds raised during the postgame jersey auction will benefit Concrete Cares, on behalf of Kearney Concrete. &nbsp;

Concrete Cares is a volunteer group whose primary focus is fighting cancer on a local level. The mission of the organization is to make a difference in the local community by enabling friends, relatives, and families to join the fight to provide support for those stricken with cancer. More information on the group can be found at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.concretecares.com/" target="_blank">www.ConcreteCares.com</a>.&nbsp;

Ticket specials for tomorrow’s home game include a Nebraska Lottery Rivalry Pack. The rivalry pack ticket package includes four tickets to the game, four hot dogs, four sodas, and ten Nebraska Lottery Scratch-Off Tickets for $44. For more information on tonight’s ticket specials, call 308-338-8144. &nbsp;

Tonight’s game is set to begin at&nbsp;7:05pm&nbsp;CT and will be streamed on&nbsp;<a href="https://flosports.link/3pkG3Ge" target="_blank">FloHockey</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://mixlr.com/tri-city-storm/" target="_blank">Storm Radio</a>. Tickets to home games at the Viaero Center may be purchased online by skating to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stormhockey.com/" target="_blank">www.StormHockey.com</a>, or by calling the Viaero Center Box Office during Box Office hours at 308-338-8144. The Tri-City Storm is presented by Viaero Wireless.

Story by Tri-City Storm CommunicationsLINCOLN, NE.&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Tri-City Storm is set for a weekend series against the Lincoln Stars to wrap up the pre-holiday break portion of the 2023-2024 regular season. Tonight’s matchup will be played at the Ice Box in Lincoln, and Tri-City will return home to host the Stars tomorrow night at the Viaero Center. Puck drop for tonight’s game is scheduled for 7:05pm CT, and tomorrow’s battle in Kearney will begin at 6:05pm CT. Tickets to tomorrow’s game can be purchased online by skating to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stormhockey.com/" target="_blank">www.StormHockey.com</a>&nbsp;or by contacting a member of the Storm Sales Staff at the Viaero Center Box Office by calling 308-338-8144 during Box Office Hours today and tomorrow. &nbsp;Tri-City (12-8-1-1) enters tonight’s road game against Lincoln as the 4th&nbsp;place team in the USHL’s Western Conference standings following a 4-3 home victory over the Omaha Lancers on Friday, December 8th, at the Viaero Center. Cam Briere, Blake Steenerson, Ryan Smith, and Vladislav Lukashevich each netted a goal for Tri-City in the victory. The Storm improved to 7-4-0-1 in games played at the Viaero Center this season, and 9-2-0-0 in head-to-head games against Western Conference competition in the win. Tri-City’s powerplay has scored on 18.8% of its opportunities this season, and has a conversion percentage of 13.7% on the road. The Storm’s penalty kill has a success rate of 77.1%, and is 78.4% in road games this year. Scoring leaders for Tri-City entering the weekend’s rivalry series against Lincoln include August Falloon (11), Ryan Smith (9), Trevor Connelly (8), Cam Briere (8), and Artemi Nizameyev (8). Connelly, along with teammate Philippe Blais-Savoie, will be out of the lineup this weekend due to their participation in the 2023 World Junior A Challenge for Team USA. More information about the event can be found online at&nbsp;<a href="https://teamusa.usahockey.com/2023wjac" target="_blank">https://teamusa.usahockey.com/2023wjac</a>. &nbsp;Lincoln (7-15-0-2) collected one win in a three-game home series last weekend against the league-leading Fargo Force. The Stars opened the series by dropping a 2-1 decision on Friday, but bounced back with a 5-3 win over the Force on Saturday. Lincoln fell in Sunday’s series finale by a final score of 5-1. Keaton Peters scored the Stars’ lone goal during the matchup. Peters netted his first goal of the year during the Stars 5-3 home loss to the Storm on Wednesday, November 22nd. He has scored eight goals in the last eight games after beginning the regular season with sixteen consecutive games without scoring a goal. Lincoln’s powerplay enters tonight’s game with a conversion rate of 13.9% on home ice, and 13.4% overall this season. The Stars’ penalty kill is 83.8% on home ice, and 76.3% overall this year entering the weekend’s rivalry series. Scoring leaders for Lincoln through the opening twenty-four games of the season include Jared Mangan (9), Jack Pechar (9), Keaton Peters (8), and Blake Montgomery (7). &nbsp;Last Saturday, the Storm hosted its annual Paint the Ice event ahead of tomorrow night’s Concrete Cares game. Members of the local community painted messages on the ice at the Viaero Center to support those affected by cancer. Tomorrow night’s rivalry matchup between the Storm and the Stars will be played on the painted ice, and proceeds raised during the postgame jersey auction will benefit Concrete Cares, on behalf of Kearney Concrete. &nbsp;Concrete Cares is a volunteer group whose primary focus is fighting cancer on a local level. The mission of the organization is to make a difference in the local community by enabling friends, relatives, and families to join the fight to provide support for those stricken with cancer. More information on the group can be found at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.concretecares.com/" target="_blank">www.ConcreteCares.com</a>.&nbsp;Ticket specials for tomorrow’s home game include a Nebraska Lottery Rivalry Pack. The rivalry pack ticket package includes four tickets to the game, four hot dogs, four sodas, and ten Nebraska Lottery Scratch-Off Tickets for $44. For more information on tonight’s ticket specials, call 308-338-8144. &nbsp;Tonight’s game is set to begin at&nbsp;7:05pm&nbsp;CT and will be streamed on&nbsp;<a href="https://flosports.link/3pkG3Ge" target="_blank">FloHockey</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://mixlr.com/tri-city-storm/" target="_blank">Storm Radio</a>. Tickets to home games at the Viaero Center may be purchased online by skating to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stormhockey.com/" target="_blank">www.StormHockey.com</a>, or by calling the Viaero Center Box Office during Box Office hours at 308-338-8144. The Tri-City Storm is presented by Viaero Wireless.

Storm set for weekend series against Stars 

Gothenburg 67, North Platte St. Patrick's 26

Gothenburg 52, North Platte St. Patrick's 38

<h2>Girls Basketball</h2>Gothenburg 67, North Platte St. Patrick's 26Maywood-Hayes Center 48, Brady 29Medicine Valley 54, Hitchcock County 43Sandhills/Thedford 56, Arthur County 28Cozad 47, Cambridge 37&nbsp;<h2>Boys Basketball</h2>Cozad 45, Cambridge 29Gothenburg 52, North Platte St. Patrick's 38Hitchcock County 58, Medicine Valley 47Maywood-Hayes Center 72, Brady 31Sandhills/Thedford 62, Arthur County 35&nbsp;<h2>North Platte High School Swim and Dive</h2><figure>
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Area sports scores 12-14

KEARNEY, NE.&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Tri-City Storm has announced the signing of forward Ilya Morozov to a tender agreement for the 2024-2025 season. Morozov is currently skating for the Windy City Storm AAA organization at the Orbit Ice Arena in Palatine, Illinois. The signing will replace Tri-City’s draft selection in the 1st&nbsp;Round of the 2024 USHL Phase I Draft. &nbsp;

Ilya Morozov, 15, Forward, of Moskva, Russia, has skated in twenty-four games this season with the Windy City Storm. He has netted seventeen goals and notched twenty-six assists for forty-three total points. Morozov is currently second on the team in goals, assists, and points. He previously skated for Orbita Zelenograd in Zelenograd, Russia prior to beginning his career in North America. Morozov scored five goals and recorded three assists for eight total points for Team Moskva U15 in the 2022-2023 Federal Districts Cup. He also scored four goals and recorded five assists for nine total points in the 2021-2022 edition of the event for Moskva’s U14 team. Morozov is 6’1”, 154 lbs., and is a lefthanded shot. &nbsp;

“As an organization we are thrilled to add Ilya Morozov to our family. Ilya is a two-way center who plays the game the right way and has high-end offensive upside. Equally as important, he is a leader that that will strengthen our culture through the way he carries himself and goes about his work.”- President of Hockey Operations/Head Coach Anthony Noreen&nbsp;

“As we followed the top 2008-born prospects in the US these first few months of the season, we kept coming back to Ilya as a prime target and talent. Ilya possesses a legitimate hockey brain, great size, and simply helps make others around him better. He is a true playmaking centerman. We feel that Ilya has all the talent and traits to develop into a strong two-way center and impact player at the junior, college, and pro levels as he develops with us these next few seasons. Ilya is currently playing and developing for a quality U15 program with the Windy City Storm. His current Head Coach, Sam Povorozniouk, who previously worked with our coaching staff in Kearney, and who was an Assistant Coach for our 2021-2022 Anderson Cup Championship team, will continue to help him prepare for next season. We've added a quality competitor, leader, and teammate to our club. We are thrilled to welcome Ilya Morozov and his family to the Tri-City Storm organization.”&nbsp;– General Manager Jason Koehler

Story by Tri-City Storm CommunicationsKEARNEY, NE.&nbsp;–&nbsp;The Tri-City Storm has announced the signing of forward Ilya Morozov to a tender agreement for the 2024-2025 season. Morozov is currently skating for the Windy City Storm AAA organization at the Orbit Ice Arena in Palatine, Illinois. The signing will replace Tri-City’s draft selection in the 1st&nbsp;Round of the 2024 USHL Phase I Draft. &nbsp;Ilya Morozov, 15, Forward, of Moskva, Russia, has skated in twenty-four games this season with the Windy City Storm. He has netted seventeen goals and notched twenty-six assists for forty-three total points. Morozov is currently second on the team in goals, assists, and points. He previously skated for Orbita Zelenograd in Zelenograd, Russia prior to beginning his career in North America. Morozov scored five goals and recorded three assists for eight total points for Team Moskva U15 in the 2022-2023 Federal Districts Cup. He also scored four goals and recorded five assists for nine total points in the 2021-2022 edition of the event for Moskva’s U14 team. Morozov is 6’1”, 154 lbs., and is a lefthanded shot. &nbsp;“As an organization we are thrilled to add Ilya Morozov to our family. Ilya is a two-way center who plays the game the right way and has high-end offensive upside. Equally as important, he is a leader that that will strengthen our culture through the way he carries himself and goes about his work.”- President of Hockey Operations/Head Coach Anthony Noreen&nbsp;“As we followed the top 2008-born prospects in the US these first few months of the season, we kept coming back to Ilya as a prime target and talent. Ilya possesses a legitimate hockey brain, great size, and simply helps make others around him better. He is a true playmaking centerman. We feel that Ilya has all the talent and traits to develop into a strong two-way center and impact player at the junior, college, and pro levels as he develops with us these next few seasons. Ilya is currently playing and developing for a quality U15 program with the Windy City Storm. His current Head Coach, Sam Povorozniouk, who previously worked with our coaching staff in Kearney, and who was an Assistant Coach for our 2021-2022 Anderson Cup Championship team, will continue to help him prepare for next season. We've added a quality competitor, leader, and teammate to our club. We are thrilled to welcome Ilya Morozov and his family to the Tri-City Storm organization.”&nbsp;– General Manager Jason Koehler

Storm signs Ilya Morozov to Tender Agreement 

TAMPA, Fla. -&nbsp;The No. 1 Nebraska volleyball team advanced to the program's 11th NCAA Final with an impressive sweep of fellow No. 1 seed Pittsburgh in an NCAA Semifinal match Thursday night at Amalie Arena in Tampa.

The Huskers trailed for only four rallies in the entire match. Nebraska lost four of the first six rallies then won three straight points and never trailed again in a 25-20 win in the opening set. The Huskers did not trail in either set two or three, leading by as many as six in a 25-23 set two victory and by as many as 10 in a 25-17 win in set three to close out the match.

With the win, Nebraska (33-1) advanced to Sunday's NCAA Final where the Huskers will take on last year's champion Texas in the 11th NCAA Final in program history. First serve is set for 2 p.m. on Sunday, and the match will be televised on ABC.

Nebraska hit .245 against Pitt on Thursday, which entered the match with the second-best opponent hitting percentage in the country behind NU. The Huskers limited the Panthers to a .137 attack percentage, which marked Pitt's second-lowest mark of the season and lowest since its season opener against BYU.&nbsp;

The Husker block was dominant, recording 15 stuffs. Bekka Allick had 10 blocks, her second straight match with double-digit blocks. Merritt Beason added five stuffs while Ally Batenhorst and Andi Jackson each had a hand in four blocks. Lexi Rodriguez led the floor defense with a match-high 10 digs.

Harper Murray shined in her NCAA Semifinal debut as the freshman had a match-high 13 kills on 33 swings. She hit .273 and had five digs and two blocks. Allick and Jackson combined for nine kills on 16 error-free swings out of the middle, while Beason and Batenhorst had eight kills apiece.&nbsp;

National Freshman of the Year Oliva Babcock led Pitt (29-5) with 12 kills and eight blocks while fellow freshman Torrey Stafford had 10 kills.

Set 1:&nbsp;Murray had two early kills as the Huskers claimed an 11-9 lead with suffocating defense, holding Pitt to -.056 at that point. Beason had a kill and a block with Allick to make the lead three, 13-10. After Pitt got within one, Beason tipped a kill and Batenhorst and Jackson posted NU's fifth block of the set for a 15-12 lead at the media timeout. The Panthers scored the next two points to cut it to one again, but a service error followed by a Batenhorst/Jackson block put the lead back at three, 17-14. A kill by Batenhorst and a Pittsburgh hitting error made it 19-15 Huskers. Murray tallied her fourth kill, and Allick sent a Pitt attack back to the floor for a 22-17 Husker advantage. Beason terminated for a fourth time, and Pitt hit wide for set point, 24-18. Pitt fought off two set points before the Huskers' eighth block ended the set, 25-20. Nebraska held Pitt to .000 hitting in the first set.&nbsp;

Set 2:&nbsp;Allick started the set for the Big Red with a kill and a block, and Batenhorst added a kill before another block by Beason and Allick made it 4-1. Pitt answered with a 3-0 run, but Beason and Batenhorst produced back-to-back kills for a 6-4 advantage. An ace by Beason and two kills by Jackson extended the lead to 11-6, and Allick's seventh block made it 13-7. NU remained up by six, 15-9, after a Murray kill, but Pitt scored the next three to get within 15-12. Murray, Batenhorst and Reilly put down kills to keep the Huskers in front, 20-15. Batenhorst fired her sixth kill to make it 21-16, but the Panthers got two kills and a Husker hitting error to cut it to 21-19. Murray then put the Huskers on her back with three kills to take NU to set point, 24-20. The Panthers answered with two kills and a block to cut it to 24-23, but a service error ended the set in NU's favor, 25-23.&nbsp;

Set 3:&nbsp;Allick was involved in two more blocks and had a kill as well as the Huskers went up 8-6. Back-to-back kills by Batenhorst started a 5-0 Husker run that made it 15-9. Batenhorst and Jackson also had a block in that stretch, and Beason tallied a kill that forced a Pittsburgh timeout. The timeout didn't slow the Huskers, as Rodriguez came out of it with an ace. After Pittsburgh sided out, Jackson came right back with a kill and Pittsburgh was out of rotation to give the Huskers a 17-10 advantage. Pittsburgh used its final timeout, but Beason served back-to-back aces to make it 19-10 Huskers. Kills by Jackson and Murray and a block by Murray and Allick before another kill by Murray had it at 23-13 Huskers. Murray's 13th kill earned match point, and after Pitt fended off three match points, the Big Red clinched the match when the Panthers were called for being int he net on the Huskers' fourth match point.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsTAMPA, Fla. -&nbsp;The No. 1 Nebraska volleyball team advanced to the program's 11th NCAA Final with an impressive sweep of fellow No. 1 seed Pittsburgh in an NCAA Semifinal match Thursday night at Amalie Arena in Tampa.The Huskers trailed for only four rallies in the entire match. Nebraska lost four of the first six rallies then won three straight points and never trailed again in a 25-20 win in the opening set. The Huskers did not trail in either set two or three, leading by as many as six in a 25-23 set two victory and by as many as 10 in a 25-17 win in set three to close out the match.With the win, Nebraska (33-1) advanced to Sunday's NCAA Final where the Huskers will take on last year's champion Texas in the 11th NCAA Final in program history. First serve is set for 2 p.m. on Sunday, and the match will be televised on ABC.Nebraska hit .245 against Pitt on Thursday, which entered the match with the second-best opponent hitting percentage in the country behind NU. The Huskers limited the Panthers to a .137 attack percentage, which marked Pitt's second-lowest mark of the season and lowest since its season opener against BYU.&nbsp;The Husker block was dominant, recording 15 stuffs. Bekka Allick had 10 blocks, her second straight match with double-digit blocks. Merritt Beason added five stuffs while Ally Batenhorst and Andi Jackson each had a hand in four blocks. Lexi Rodriguez led the floor defense with a match-high 10 digs.Harper Murray shined in her NCAA Semifinal debut as the freshman had a match-high 13 kills on 33 swings. She hit .273 and had five digs and two blocks. Allick and Jackson combined for nine kills on 16 error-free swings out of the middle, while Beason and Batenhorst had eight kills apiece.&nbsp;National Freshman of the Year Oliva Babcock led Pitt (29-5) with 12 kills and eight blocks while fellow freshman Torrey Stafford had 10 kills.Set 1:&nbsp;Murray had two early kills as the Huskers claimed an 11-9 lead with suffocating defense, holding Pitt to -.056 at that point. Beason had a kill and a block with Allick to make the lead three, 13-10. After Pitt got within one, Beason tipped a kill and Batenhorst and Jackson posted NU's fifth block of the set for a 15-12 lead at the media timeout. The Panthers scored the next two points to cut it to one again, but a service error followed by a Batenhorst/Jackson block put the lead back at three, 17-14. A kill by Batenhorst and a Pittsburgh hitting error made it 19-15 Huskers. Murray tallied her fourth kill, and Allick sent a Pitt attack back to the floor for a 22-17 Husker advantage. Beason terminated for a fourth time, and Pitt hit wide for set point, 24-18. Pitt fought off two set points before the Huskers' eighth block ended the set, 25-20. Nebraska held Pitt to .000 hitting in the first set.&nbsp;Set 2:&nbsp;Allick started the set for the Big Red with a kill and a block, and Batenhorst added a kill before another block by Beason and Allick made it 4-1. Pitt answered with a 3-0 run, but Beason and Batenhorst produced back-to-back kills for a 6-4 advantage. An ace by Beason and two kills by Jackson extended the lead to 11-6, and Allick's seventh block made it 13-7. NU remained up by six, 15-9, after a Murray kill, but Pitt scored the next three to get within 15-12. Murray, Batenhorst and Reilly put down kills to keep the Huskers in front, 20-15. Batenhorst fired her sixth kill to make it 21-16, but the Panthers got two kills and a Husker hitting error to cut it to 21-19. Murray then put the Huskers on her back with three kills to take NU to set point, 24-20. The Panthers answered with two kills and a block to cut it to 24-23, but a service error ended the set in NU's favor, 25-23.&nbsp;Set 3:&nbsp;Allick was involved in two more blocks and had a kill as well as the Huskers went up 8-6. Back-to-back kills by Batenhorst started a 5-0 Husker run that made it 15-9. Batenhorst and Jackson also had a block in that stretch, and Beason tallied a kill that forced a Pittsburgh timeout. The timeout didn't slow the Huskers, as Rodriguez came out of it with an ace. After Pittsburgh sided out, Jackson came right back with a kill and Pittsburgh was out of rotation to give the Huskers a 17-10 advantage. Pittsburgh used its final timeout, but Beason served back-to-back aces to make it 19-10 Huskers. Kills by Jackson and Murray and a block by Murray and Allick before another kill by Murray had it at 23-13 Huskers. Murray's 13th kill earned match point, and after Pitt fended off three match points, the Big Red clinched the match when the Panthers were called for being int he net on the Huskers' fourth match point.Nebraska Post-Match Notes<ul>
 <li>With the win, Nebraska advanced to an NCAA Final for the 11th time in program history and for the fifth time in the past nine seasons. NU improved to 11-6 all-time in NCAA Semifinal matches, with the 11 trips to the NCAA Final ranking second in NCAA Division I history.</li><li>The Huskers have won their last four NCAA Semifinal matchups and five of their last six.</li><li>John Cook has led Nebraska to an NCAA Final for the eighth time in his 24 seasons. Cook is the third Division I coach to take one school to eight NCAA Finals, joining Russ Rose (10 at Penn State) and Don Shaw (8 at Stanford). Overall, Cook’s eight trips to the NCAA Final are tied with Shaw for third all-time among Division I coaches.</li><li>With the win, Nebraska improved to 33-1 on the season. The 33 wins tie for the second-most victories for Nebraska during the NCAA era (1981-present), one shy of the 34 wins by the 2000 Huskers.</li><li>Nebraska improved to 130-36 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. The Huskers joined Stanford (138 wins) as the only two Division I programs with 130 NCAA Tournament wins.</li><li>NU improved to 14-0 all-time against Pittsburgh, including a 5-0 mark in the NCAA Tournament.</li><li>The Huskers moved to 11-0 all-time against ACC teams in the NCAA Tournament.</li><li>John Cook improved to 89-19 in the NCAA Tournament as Nebraska’s head coach. He moved to 97-24 in his NCAA Tournament career. Cook ranks second all-time in career NCAA Tournament victories and NCAA Tournament wins at one school.</li><li>Tonight marked John Cook’s 850th career victory (including his seven seasons at Wisconsin). Cook is just the 14th coach in NCAA Division I history to win 850 matches. He joins Florida’s Mary Wise (1,045) and Florida State’s Chris Poole (918) as the only active Division I head coach with 850 career wins.</li><li>The Huskers won the first two sets against Pittsburgh and improved to 101-1 in the NCAA Tournament when taking a 2-0 lead. Nebraska has won 100 consecutive postseason matches when winning the first two sets.</li><li>Nebraska had eight blocks in set one. That was a higher total than the Huskers had in 11 matches this season.</li><li>The Huskers recorded their 10th block on the 50th rally of the match. NU finished with 15 blocks, its fourth straight match with double-digit kills and 14th on the season.</li><li>In addition to the 15 blocks against Pitt, Nebraska had 17 blocks in its last match against Arkansas. The Huskers have recorded 15 blocks in consecutive matches for the first time since back-to-back matches against Michigan (15) and Illinois (16) in November of 2014.</li><li>Nebraska held Pittsburgh to a .137 attack percentage, which marked the Panthers' second-lowest percentage of the season and lowest since their season opener against BYU.</li><li>Bekka Allick had 10 blocks in the match, which tied the Nebraska all-time record for blocks in a three-set NCAA Tournament match. Only three times prior to tonight had a Husker had 10 stuffs in a three-set NCAA Tournament match: Melissa Elmer twice during the 2005 NCAA Tournament (Duke and Florida) and Amber Rolfzen in a 2014 first-round match against Hofstra.</li><li>Allick now has 22 blocks in her last two matches, averaging 3.1 blocks per set.</li><li>Allick and fellow middle Andi Jackson combined to hit .563 in the match with nine kills on 16 error-free swings.</li><li>Merritt Beason had four service aces in the match. The four aces were her most as a Husker and tied her career high.</li><li>Lexi Rodriguez had 14 digs in the match to increase her career total to 1,418. Rodriguez passed Kenzie Maloney (1,406) and Jordan Larson (1,410) to move into fifth place on Nebraska’s all-time digs list.</li>
 </ul>

NU sweeps Pitt, advances to NCAA Final

TAMPA, Fl - Nebraska head coach John Cook was announced as the 2023 AVCA Division I Women’s Coach of the Year on Thursday. Cook has been selected as the national coach of the year for the third time in his career, as he also took home the honor in 2000 and 2005.

Cook has led Nebraska to a 32-1 record this season heading into an NCAA Semifinal matchup with Pittsburgh. The Huskers lead the nation in wins and winning percentage, and Nebraska won an outright Big Ten Conference title and was selected as the No. 1 overall seed for the NCAA Tournament.

Cook, who was also the AVCA North Region and Big Ten Coach of the Year, led Nebraska to a 28-1 record in the regular season, the program’s best regular-season record since 2005. The Huskers won their first 27 matches of the season and held the No. 1 ranking from Oct. 23 through the end of the regular season.

Nebraska’s success has come despite a young roster that features no seniors for just the second time in Cook’s 24 seasons. Nebraska’s regular rotation features four true freshmen and one first-year transfer. The Huskers’ top three leaders in kills are all in their first season at Nebraska, while NU has a true freshman at setter for only the second time in Cook’s tenure.

Cook has guided Nebraska to an NCAA Semifinal for the 11th time and for the sixth time in the last nine years. He ranks second in NCAA history in postseason victories, including an 88-19 record in the NCAA Tournament as Nebraska’s head coach.

The 2023 Big Ten Coach of the Year, Cook has done more for the growth of the sport of volleyball this year than possibly any other year of his career. Cook took on the challenge of having his Huskers play a volleyball match outdoors in a football stadium, which was an overwhelming success story as 92,003 packed Memorial Stadium for Volleyball Day in Nebraska on Aug. 30. The event gained worldwide attention as the crowd set a record for the largest to attend a women's sporting event anywhere in the world.&nbsp;

TAMPA, Fl - Nebraska head coach John Cook was announced as the 2023 AVCA Division I Women’s Coach of the Year on Thursday. Cook has been selected as the national coach of the year for the third time in his career, as he also took home the honor in 2000 and 2005.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1605207543684.jpeg" alt="John Cook - Husker Athletics Credit" />
 <figcaption>John Cook - Husker Athletics Credit</figcaption>
 </figure>Cook has led Nebraska to a 32-1 record this season heading into an NCAA Semifinal matchup with Pittsburgh. The Huskers lead the nation in wins and winning percentage, and Nebraska won an outright Big Ten Conference title and was selected as the No. 1 overall seed for the NCAA Tournament.Cook, who was also the AVCA North Region and Big Ten Coach of the Year, led Nebraska to a 28-1 record in the regular season, the program’s best regular-season record since 2005. The Huskers won their first 27 matches of the season and held the No. 1 ranking from Oct. 23 through the end of the regular season.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1702589271249.png" alt="John Cook AVCA National Coach of The Year - Photo courtesty of AVCA" />
 <figcaption>John Cook AVCA National Coach of The Year - Photo courtesty of AVCA</figcaption>
 </figure>Nebraska’s success has come despite a young roster that features no seniors for just the second time in Cook’s 24 seasons. Nebraska’s regular rotation features four true freshmen and one first-year transfer. The Huskers’ top three leaders in kills are all in their first season at Nebraska, while NU has a true freshman at setter for only the second time in Cook’s tenure.Cook has guided Nebraska to an NCAA Semifinal for the 11th time and for the sixth time in the last nine years. He ranks second in NCAA history in postseason victories, including an 88-19 record in the NCAA Tournament as Nebraska’s head coach.The 2023 Big Ten Coach of the Year, Cook has done more for the growth of the sport of volleyball this year than possibly any other year of his career. Cook took on the challenge of having his Huskers play a volleyball match outdoors in a football stadium, which was an overwhelming success story as 92,003 packed Memorial Stadium for Volleyball Day in Nebraska on Aug. 30. The event gained worldwide attention as the crowd set a record for the largest to attend a women's sporting event anywhere in the world.&nbsp;

John Cook Named AVCA National Coach of the Year

• The No. 1 Nebraska volleyball team squares off against No. 4 Pittsburgh on Thursday in the NCAA Semifinals at 6 p.m. (CT) at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. The winner will advance to Sunday’s NCAA Championship at 2 p.m. (CT) on ABC against either No. 3 Wisconsin or No. 5 Texas.&nbsp;

• Thursday’s match will be televised on ESPN and streamed on WatchESPN. Courtney Lyle, Holly McPeak and Katie George will be on the call.&nbsp;• The Huskers Radio Network will broadcast all the action on their radio affiliates, including 107.3 FM in Lincoln, AM 590 in Omaha and 92.5 FM/1400 AM in Alliance. A live audio stream will be provided at Huskers.com and on the Huskers app.&nbsp;

• John Baylor is in his 30th season doing play-by-play for the Husker volleyball program. Lauren (Cook) West, a former All-American setter for the Huskers, will provide color commentary.

ABOUT THE HUSKERS• Nebraska (32-1) is the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in program history. The other years were 2000 (NCAA Champion), 2004 (NCAA Regional Finalist), 2005 (NCAA Runner-Up), 2006 (NCAA Champion) and 2016 (NCAA Semifinalist).• The Huskers won the outright Big Ten title this season with a 19-1 league record, earning their first Big Ten title since 2017. Nebraska has now won four Big Ten titles since joining the conference in 2011. The years were 2011, 2016, 2017 (co-champions) and 2023. All-time, Nebraska volleyball has won 35 conference titles. John Cook has been head coach for 13 of them.&nbsp;• Nebraska’s 32 wins are tied for the most by a Nebraska team since the 2006 team won 33 matches (33-1).• Nebraska won 27 matches in a row to begin the season and finished 28-1, its best regular-season record since going 28-1 in 2005.&nbsp;• The Huskers, who led the nation in defense in 2022, have held their opponents this season to a combined .134 hitting percentage, which ranks first nationally.&nbsp;• Nebraska has been sharp offensively this season, hitting .279 to rank 18th nationally. The Huskers rank 10th nationally with 14.06 kills per set and 15th in assists per set at 13.02.&nbsp;• Nebraska had four All-Big Ten First Team selections and two All-Big Ten Second Team selections for a total of six all-conference players this season, the most in program history.• The Huskers had six AVCA All-Region honorees, tied for the most in program history.&nbsp;• Thursday’s semifinals pits the nation’s top two defenses against each other. Nebraska is No. 1 nationally at .134, while Pittsburgh is No. 2 at .138.&nbsp;• Nebraska and Pittsburgh are the only two teams who are holding their opponents under .100 hitting in the NCAA Tournament. The Huskers are No. 1 with a .090 opponent hitting percentage in the NCAA Tournament while the Panthers rank second with an .095 opponent hitting percentage.• Nebraska has lost only one set in the NCAA Tournament, the only team in the tournament with fewer than two set losses.• Nebraska enters the NCAA Semifinals with 32 wins. That ties for the most wins by a team entering the NCAA Semifinals since 2014, when Penn State entered the semifinals with a 34-3 record.• Bekka Allick is averaging 2.4 blocks per set during the NCAA Tournament and is the nation’s leading blocker during the postseason.• Bergen Reilly is looking to become just the fourth freshman setter to lead her team to a national championship. Bryn Keho set Stanford to a national title as a true freshman in 2004 as did Jenna Gray for the Cardinal in 2016. In addition to the two Stanford setters, Nebraska’s Rachel Holloway set the Huskers to a national championship in 2006, when she was a redshirt freshman.• Merritt Beason has 444 kills in her first season as a Husker. With six more kills, Beason would join an accomplished group of four Huskers who totaled 450 kills in a season during the rally-scoring era (2001-present). That group includes Sarah Pavan, Kelsey Robinson, Mikaela Foecke and Jordan Larson. Pavan and Foecke were each named the NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player in their careers, while Robinson and Larson both won gold medals with Team USA at the 2020 Olympics, with Larson being the Olympics’ Most Outstanding Player.• Andi Jackson is hitting .402 this season, as she attempts to become the first freshman in program history to hit .400. The current record for freshman hitting percentage is .388 by Karen Dahlgren in 1983.&nbsp;

NEBRASKA’S NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES• Nebraska advanced to an NCAA Semifinal for the 17th time in program history and for the sixth time in the past nine seasons. The Huskers’ 17 NCAA Semifinals rank second in NCAA history, and Nebraska’s six semifinal appearances since 2015 lead the nation.• John Cook has led Nebraska to an NCAA Semifinal for the 10th time in his 24 seasons. Cook is the fourth Division I coach to take one school to 10 NCAA Semifinals, joining Russ Rose (Penn State), Andy Banachowski (UCLA) and Jerritt Elliott (Texas).• Nebraska is 129-36 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. The Huskers rank second in NCAA history in postseason wins and winning percentage (.782).• Cook is 88-19 in the NCAA Tournament as Nebraska’s head coach. He is 96-24 in his NCAA Tournament career. Cook ranks second all-time in career NCAA Tournament victories and NCAA Tournament wins at one school.• Bekka Allick had a career-high 12 blocks in the regional final (her previous career high was 10 at Minnesota on Nov. 25, 2023). Allick’s 12 blocks were the most by a Husker in an NCAA Tournament match during the rally-scoring era (since 2001), breaking the record of 10, which was accomplished seven times by five Huskers.&nbsp;• Merritt Beason had 19 kills in the Arkansas match. She has produced double-digit kills in 17 of her last 18 matches, including all four matches of the NCAA Tournament. Beason has 444 kills this season. She moved into the top 10 on Nebraska’s single-season kills list, passing Mikaela Foecke (441 in 2017) and Sarah Pavan (443 in 2005) for the ninth-most single-season kills by a Husker in the rally-scoring era (since 2001).• Lexi Rodriguez had 20 digs in the regional final to increase her career total to 1,404. Rodriguez became the seventh player in school history to total 1,400 career digs.

HUSKERS RACK UP POSTSEASON AWARDS• Merritt Beason, a junior opposite hitter who transfered to NU from Florida, was named the AVCA Region Player of the Year, as well as All-Big Ten First Team and All-Region Team. Beason has stepped in as a team captain and is contributing a team-leading 3.86 kills per set this season with 2.09 digs per set and a .293 hitting percentage. A native of Gardendale, Ala., Beason earned four Big Ten Player of the Week honors this season and was the AVCA National Player of the Week on Oct. 24 following 21 kills in a 3-2 win over then-No. 1 Wisconsin. Beason had a career-high 27 kills on .426 hitting in a 3-2 reverse sweep at then-No. 16 Penn State on Nov. 3. As a sophomore at Florida in 2022, Beason was an All-SEC and AVCA All-Region selection.• Junior libero Lexi Rodriguez was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year for the second time in her career, becoming the fifth player in Big Ten history to receive that honor twice in a career. She also earned AVCA All-Region and All-Big Ten First Team honors for the third time. Rodriguez, who averages 3.62 digs and 1.26 assists per set, leads a Husker defense that ranks first nationally in opponent hitting percentage. The junior from Sterling, Ill., was twice named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week this season despite opponents frequently tailoring their game plans to avoid Rodriguez on the court. Rodriguez was a first-team AVCA All-American in 2021 and a second-team AVCA All-American in 2022.&nbsp;• Freshman outside hitter Harper Murray was voted the AVCA Region Freshman of the Year and the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, making her the second ever Husker (Madi Kubik, 2019) to earn that distinction. Murray also earned All-Big Ten First Team and unanimous All-Freshman Team accolades. Murray ranks second on the Huskers in kills with 3.23 per set and adds 2.10 digs per set with a team-high 34 service aces. Murray was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week three times this season.• Freshman setter Bergen Reilly was chosen Big Ten Setter of the Year, becoming the first ever freshman to earn the award since it originated in 2012. She also earned All-Big Ten First Team, All-Freshman Team, and AVCA All-Region Team accolades. Reilly, just the second true freshman setter to be the starter at Nebraska under head coach John Cook, is putting up 10.64 assists and 2.70 digs per set and has 15 double-doubles this season. The Sioux Falls, S.D., native ranks 17th nationally in assists per set. Reilly was named Big Ten Setter of the Week four times this year and Big Ten Freshman of the Week twice. She paces a Husker offense that ranks in the top 20 nationally in hitting percentage (.279) and kills per set (14.06).&nbsp;• Bekka Allick, a sophomore middle blocker from Lincoln, Neb., has been Nebraska’s top defensive presence at the net with a team-best 1.45 blocks per set this season. Offensively, Allick adds 1.80 kills per set on .325 hitting. Allick had a career-high 12 blocks in the NCAA regional final win over Arkansas, the most by a Husker in an NCAA Tournament match during the rally-scoring era. Allick received AVCA All-Region and All-Big Ten Second Team honors for the second year in a row.&nbsp;• Andi Jackson, a freshman middle blocker from Brighton, Colo., averages 2.04 kills per set and 1.09 blocks per set and has a team-high .402 hitting percentage, which ranks 18th nationally. Jackson was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week in November and has hit .500 or better in 13 matches this season. She was selected to the AVCA All-Region Team, All-Big Ten Second Team and Big Ten All-Freshman Team. &nbsp;

SCOUTING REPORT: PITTSBURGH• Pittsburgh (29-4, 16-2 ACC) earned a third straight trip to the NCAA Semifinals with a 3-2 reverse sweep of Louisville in the regional finals, its second time in four weeks reverse sweeping the Cardinals.&nbsp;• The Panthers rank second nationally in opponent hitting percentage (.138) and third in hitting percentage (.308). Pitt is No. 2 in the nation in blocks at 2.97 per set. &nbsp;• Outside hitter Olivia Babcock was the ACC Freshman of the Year. Babcock leads the attack with 3.61 kills per set and has served a team-high 50 aces.&nbsp;• Setter Rachel Fairbanks was the ACC Setter of the Year. Fairbanks averages 9.32 assists per set.&nbsp;

SERIES HISTORY• Nebraska is 13-0 all-time against Pittsburgh. The teams met in the NCAA Semifinals in Columbus, Ohio on Dec. 16, 2021. The Huskers won that match, 3-1 (16-25, 25-17, 25-20, 25-22) to advance to the NCAA Championship match, which Wisconsin won 3-2.&nbsp;

HUSKERS RANKED NO. 1 IN AVCA COACHES POLL• Nebraska is ranked No. 1 in the AVCA Coaches Poll this week.• Nebraska has been ranked No. 1 in 108 all-time polls, the most in NCAA history.&nbsp;• The Huskers have been ranked in the top 10 a total of 557 times, which is also the most in NCAA history.• Nebraska has appeared in all 618 AVCA Coaches Polls it has been eligible for since it was established in 1982. Nebraska is the only program to be ranked in every eligible poll all-time.• Nebraska’s 618 consecutive weeks of being ranked is the longest active streak in Division I for any sport, leading Connecticut women’s basketball and North Carolina women’s soccer.

AVCA HALL OF FAMER JOHN COOK IN 24TH SEASON AT NEBRASKA• Nebraska head coach John Cook is in his 24th season as the Nebraska volleyball head coach in 2023. He has led the Huskers to four national championships, 11 final fours, 13 conference championships and 21 top-10 final rankings since 2000.&nbsp;• Cook has 849 career wins and is one of the all-time winningest coaches in NCAA history. Since taking over the program in 2000, Cook has led the Huskers to a nation-leading .874 win percentage (688-99).&nbsp;• Under Cook, the Huskers have achieved 64 AVCA All-Americans and 20 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, both among the best in the nation. He is a two-time AVCA National Coach of the Year, earning the prestigious honor in 2000 and 2005, and an eight-time conference coach of the year, including Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2016, 2017 and 2023.• Cook was voted AVCA North Region Coach of the Year and Big Ten Coach of the Year after leading a young Nebraska team with no seniors to its first Big Ten title since 2017. The Huskers finished the regular season 28-1 overall, their best regular season record since going 28-1 in 2005. After going 26-6 last year and missing the NCAA Regional Finals for the first time since 2011, the Huskers started over with a starting lineup featuring four true freshmen and a junior transfer (Beason). Cook’s Huskers won their first 27 matches of the season and held the No. 1 ranking from Oct. 23 through the end of the regular season. Despite having no seniors on the roster for just the second time in Cook’s 24 years at Nebraska - as well as starting a true freshman at setter for only the second time in Cook’s tenure - the Huskers earned the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016 and the sixth time overall under Cook.• Cook is one of only two active coaches - and one of six all-time - to be a two-time AVCA National Coach of the Year and was honored in 2008 by USA Volleyball, receiving its All-Time Great Coach Award.• Cook was inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame in 2017, joining former Husker volleyball coach Terry Pettit in the hall.&nbsp;

HUSKER VOLLEYBALL SETS ATTENDANCE RECORDS• It was a record-breaking night at Memorial Stadium on Aug. 30 when Nebraska hosted Omaha in an outdoor volleyball match. The attendance of 92,003 set a record for the largest crowd to watch a women’s sporting event in the United States. The crowd of more than 92,000 also surpassed what is widely regarded as the world-record attendance for any women’s sporting event.• The previously recognized world record was 91,648 fans in an UEFA Champions League match between Barcelona and Wolfsburg on April 22, 2022, at Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain. The previous record for an American women’s sporting event was 90,185 in USA’s FIFA World Cup Final against China on July 10, 1999, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.• Along with the two records mentioned above, the Huskers shattered a pair of NCAA records, exceeding the previous records for any NCAA volleyball match and an NCAA volleyball regular-season match.&nbsp;• Entering the match, the largest-ever crowd for any NCAA volleyball match was 18,755 when Nebraska played Wisconsin in the NCAA Final at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on Dec. 18, 2021. The largest NCAA volleyball regular-season attendance was 16,833 when Wisconsin hosted Florida at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis., on Sept 16, 2022.• The Husker volleyball program has sold out 319 consecutive regular-season matches. Nebraska’s sellout streak is an NCAA women’s record. The Huskers have led the nation in attendance every season since moving into the Bob Devaney Sports Center in 2013.• Nine of the top 11 crowds in NCAA volleyball history are matches that have involved the Huskers.&nbsp;• Of the 16 largest NCAA volleyball regular-season crowds, 14 have been Nebraska matches.• On Oct. 21, Nebraska broke its Devaney Center attendance record since the arena was reconfigured for volleyball in 2013. A crowd of 9,198 turned out to see a five-set thriller between undefeated No. 1 Wisconsin and undefeated No. 2 Nebraska. Over the summer, 402 seats were added to the Devaney Center, increasing the seating capacity to 8,309.&nbsp;• Nebraska’s total attendance for the 2023 season was 264,665 (including the 92,003 for the outdoor match). Nebraska volleyball became the first female sport in NCAA history to draw 250,000 home fans in a single season.&nbsp;

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsMATCH PREVIEW• The No. 1 Nebraska volleyball team squares off against No. 4 Pittsburgh on Thursday in the NCAA Semifinals at 6 p.m. (CT) at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. The winner will advance to Sunday’s NCAA Championship at 2 p.m. (CT) on ABC against either No. 3 Wisconsin or No. 5 Texas.&nbsp;• Thursday’s match will be televised on ESPN and streamed on WatchESPN. Courtney Lyle, Holly McPeak and Katie George will be on the call.&nbsp;• The Huskers Radio Network will broadcast all the action on their radio affiliates, including 107.3 FM in Lincoln, AM 590 in Omaha and 92.5 FM/1400 AM in Alliance. A live audio stream will be provided at Huskers.com and on the Huskers app.&nbsp;• John Baylor is in his 30th season doing play-by-play for the Husker volleyball program. Lauren (Cook) West, a former All-American setter for the Huskers, will provide color commentary.ABOUT THE HUSKERS• Nebraska (32-1) is the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in program history. The other years were 2000 (NCAA Champion), 2004 (NCAA Regional Finalist), 2005 (NCAA Runner-Up), 2006 (NCAA Champion) and 2016 (NCAA Semifinalist).• The Huskers won the outright Big Ten title this season with a 19-1 league record, earning their first Big Ten title since 2017. Nebraska has now won four Big Ten titles since joining the conference in 2011. The years were 2011, 2016, 2017 (co-champions) and 2023. All-time, Nebraska volleyball has won 35 conference titles. John Cook has been head coach for 13 of them.&nbsp;• Nebraska’s 32 wins are tied for the most by a Nebraska team since the 2006 team won 33 matches (33-1).• Nebraska won 27 matches in a row to begin the season and finished 28-1, its best regular-season record since going 28-1 in 2005.&nbsp;• The Huskers, who led the nation in defense in 2022, have held their opponents this season to a combined .134 hitting percentage, which ranks first nationally.&nbsp;• Nebraska has been sharp offensively this season, hitting .279 to rank 18th nationally. The Huskers rank 10th nationally with 14.06 kills per set and 15th in assists per set at 13.02.&nbsp;• Nebraska had four All-Big Ten First Team selections and two All-Big Ten Second Team selections for a total of six all-conference players this season, the most in program history.• The Huskers had six AVCA All-Region honorees, tied for the most in program history.&nbsp;• Thursday’s semifinals pits the nation’s top two defenses against each other. Nebraska is No. 1 nationally at .134, while Pittsburgh is No. 2 at .138.&nbsp;• Nebraska and Pittsburgh are the only two teams who are holding their opponents under .100 hitting in the NCAA Tournament. The Huskers are No. 1 with a .090 opponent hitting percentage in the NCAA Tournament while the Panthers rank second with an .095 opponent hitting percentage.• Nebraska has lost only one set in the NCAA Tournament, the only team in the tournament with fewer than two set losses.• Nebraska enters the NCAA Semifinals with 32 wins. That ties for the most wins by a team entering the NCAA Semifinals since 2014, when Penn State entered the semifinals with a 34-3 record.• Bekka Allick is averaging 2.4 blocks per set during the NCAA Tournament and is the nation’s leading blocker during the postseason.• Bergen Reilly is looking to become just the fourth freshman setter to lead her team to a national championship. Bryn Keho set Stanford to a national title as a true freshman in 2004 as did Jenna Gray for the Cardinal in 2016. In addition to the two Stanford setters, Nebraska’s Rachel Holloway set the Huskers to a national championship in 2006, when she was a redshirt freshman.• Merritt Beason has 444 kills in her first season as a Husker. With six more kills, Beason would join an accomplished group of four Huskers who totaled 450 kills in a season during the rally-scoring era (2001-present). That group includes Sarah Pavan, Kelsey Robinson, Mikaela Foecke and Jordan Larson. Pavan and Foecke were each named the NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player in their careers, while Robinson and Larson both won gold medals with Team USA at the 2020 Olympics, with Larson being the Olympics’ Most Outstanding Player.• Andi Jackson is hitting .402 this season, as she attempts to become the first freshman in program history to hit .400. The current record for freshman hitting percentage is .388 by Karen Dahlgren in 1983.&nbsp;NEBRASKA’S NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES• Nebraska advanced to an NCAA Semifinal for the 17th time in program history and for the sixth time in the past nine seasons. The Huskers’ 17 NCAA Semifinals rank second in NCAA history, and Nebraska’s six semifinal appearances since 2015 lead the nation.• John Cook has led Nebraska to an NCAA Semifinal for the 10th time in his 24 seasons. Cook is the fourth Division I coach to take one school to 10 NCAA Semifinals, joining Russ Rose (Penn State), Andy Banachowski (UCLA) and Jerritt Elliott (Texas).• Nebraska is 129-36 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. The Huskers rank second in NCAA history in postseason wins and winning percentage (.782).• Cook is 88-19 in the NCAA Tournament as Nebraska’s head coach. He is 96-24 in his NCAA Tournament career. Cook ranks second all-time in career NCAA Tournament victories and NCAA Tournament wins at one school.• Bekka Allick had a career-high 12 blocks in the regional final (her previous career high was 10 at Minnesota on Nov. 25, 2023). Allick’s 12 blocks were the most by a Husker in an NCAA Tournament match during the rally-scoring era (since 2001), breaking the record of 10, which was accomplished seven times by five Huskers.&nbsp;• Merritt Beason had 19 kills in the Arkansas match. She has produced double-digit kills in 17 of her last 18 matches, including all four matches of the NCAA Tournament. Beason has 444 kills this season. She moved into the top 10 on Nebraska’s single-season kills list, passing Mikaela Foecke (441 in 2017) and Sarah Pavan (443 in 2005) for the ninth-most single-season kills by a Husker in the rally-scoring era (since 2001).• Lexi Rodriguez had 20 digs in the regional final to increase her career total to 1,404. Rodriguez became the seventh player in school history to total 1,400 career digs.HUSKERS RACK UP POSTSEASON AWARDS• Merritt Beason, a junior opposite hitter who transfered to NU from Florida, was named the AVCA Region Player of the Year, as well as All-Big Ten First Team and All-Region Team. Beason has stepped in as a team captain and is contributing a team-leading 3.86 kills per set this season with 2.09 digs per set and a .293 hitting percentage. A native of Gardendale, Ala., Beason earned four Big Ten Player of the Week honors this season and was the AVCA National Player of the Week on Oct. 24 following 21 kills in a 3-2 win over then-No. 1 Wisconsin. Beason had a career-high 27 kills on .426 hitting in a 3-2 reverse sweep at then-No. 16 Penn State on Nov. 3. As a sophomore at Florida in 2022, Beason was an All-SEC and AVCA All-Region selection.• Junior libero Lexi Rodriguez was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year for the second time in her career, becoming the fifth player in Big Ten history to receive that honor twice in a career. She also earned AVCA All-Region and All-Big Ten First Team honors for the third time. Rodriguez, who averages 3.62 digs and 1.26 assists per set, leads a Husker defense that ranks first nationally in opponent hitting percentage. The junior from Sterling, Ill., was twice named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week this season despite opponents frequently tailoring their game plans to avoid Rodriguez on the court. Rodriguez was a first-team AVCA All-American in 2021 and a second-team AVCA All-American in 2022.&nbsp;• Freshman outside hitter Harper Murray was voted the AVCA Region Freshman of the Year and the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, making her the second ever Husker (Madi Kubik, 2019) to earn that distinction. Murray also earned All-Big Ten First Team and unanimous All-Freshman Team accolades. Murray ranks second on the Huskers in kills with 3.23 per set and adds 2.10 digs per set with a team-high 34 service aces. Murray was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week three times this season.• Freshman setter Bergen Reilly was chosen Big Ten Setter of the Year, becoming the first ever freshman to earn the award since it originated in 2012. She also earned All-Big Ten First Team, All-Freshman Team, and AVCA All-Region Team accolades. Reilly, just the second true freshman setter to be the starter at Nebraska under head coach John Cook, is putting up 10.64 assists and 2.70 digs per set and has 15 double-doubles this season. The Sioux Falls, S.D., native ranks 17th nationally in assists per set. Reilly was named Big Ten Setter of the Week four times this year and Big Ten Freshman of the Week twice. She paces a Husker offense that ranks in the top 20 nationally in hitting percentage (.279) and kills per set (14.06).&nbsp;• Bekka Allick, a sophomore middle blocker from Lincoln, Neb., has been Nebraska’s top defensive presence at the net with a team-best 1.45 blocks per set this season. Offensively, Allick adds 1.80 kills per set on .325 hitting. Allick had a career-high 12 blocks in the NCAA regional final win over Arkansas, the most by a Husker in an NCAA Tournament match during the rally-scoring era. Allick received AVCA All-Region and All-Big Ten Second Team honors for the second year in a row.&nbsp;• Andi Jackson, a freshman middle blocker from Brighton, Colo., averages 2.04 kills per set and 1.09 blocks per set and has a team-high .402 hitting percentage, which ranks 18th nationally. Jackson was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week in November and has hit .500 or better in 13 matches this season. She was selected to the AVCA All-Region Team, All-Big Ten Second Team and Big Ten All-Freshman Team. &nbsp;SCOUTING REPORT: PITTSBURGH• Pittsburgh (29-4, 16-2 ACC) earned a third straight trip to the NCAA Semifinals with a 3-2 reverse sweep of Louisville in the regional finals, its second time in four weeks reverse sweeping the Cardinals.&nbsp;• The Panthers rank second nationally in opponent hitting percentage (.138) and third in hitting percentage (.308). Pitt is No. 2 in the nation in blocks at 2.97 per set. &nbsp;• Outside hitter Olivia Babcock was the ACC Freshman of the Year. Babcock leads the attack with 3.61 kills per set and has served a team-high 50 aces.&nbsp;• Setter Rachel Fairbanks was the ACC Setter of the Year. Fairbanks averages 9.32 assists per set.&nbsp;SERIES HISTORY• Nebraska is 13-0 all-time against Pittsburgh. The teams met in the NCAA Semifinals in Columbus, Ohio on Dec. 16, 2021. The Huskers won that match, 3-1 (16-25, 25-17, 25-20, 25-22) to advance to the NCAA Championship match, which Wisconsin won 3-2.&nbsp;HUSKERS RANKED NO. 1 IN AVCA COACHES POLL• Nebraska is ranked No. 1 in the AVCA Coaches Poll this week.• Nebraska has been ranked No. 1 in 108 all-time polls, the most in NCAA history.&nbsp;• The Huskers have been ranked in the top 10 a total of 557 times, which is also the most in NCAA history.• Nebraska has appeared in all 618 AVCA Coaches Polls it has been eligible for since it was established in 1982. Nebraska is the only program to be ranked in every eligible poll all-time.• Nebraska’s 618 consecutive weeks of being ranked is the longest active streak in Division I for any sport, leading Connecticut women’s basketball and North Carolina women’s soccer.AVCA HALL OF FAMER JOHN COOK IN 24TH SEASON AT NEBRASKA• Nebraska head coach John Cook is in his 24th season as the Nebraska volleyball head coach in 2023. He has led the Huskers to four national championships, 11 final fours, 13 conference championships and 21 top-10 final rankings since 2000.&nbsp;• Cook has 849 career wins and is one of the all-time winningest coaches in NCAA history. Since taking over the program in 2000, Cook has led the Huskers to a nation-leading .874 win percentage (688-99).&nbsp;• Under Cook, the Huskers have achieved 64 AVCA All-Americans and 20 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, both among the best in the nation. He is a two-time AVCA National Coach of the Year, earning the prestigious honor in 2000 and 2005, and an eight-time conference coach of the year, including Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2016, 2017 and 2023.• Cook was voted AVCA North Region Coach of the Year and Big Ten Coach of the Year after leading a young Nebraska team with no seniors to its first Big Ten title since 2017. The Huskers finished the regular season 28-1 overall, their best regular season record since going 28-1 in 2005. After going 26-6 last year and missing the NCAA Regional Finals for the first time since 2011, the Huskers started over with a starting lineup featuring four true freshmen and a junior transfer (Beason). Cook’s Huskers won their first 27 matches of the season and held the No. 1 ranking from Oct. 23 through the end of the regular season. Despite having no seniors on the roster for just the second time in Cook’s 24 years at Nebraska - as well as starting a true freshman at setter for only the second time in Cook’s tenure - the Huskers earned the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016 and the sixth time overall under Cook.• Cook is one of only two active coaches - and one of six all-time - to be a two-time AVCA National Coach of the Year and was honored in 2008 by USA Volleyball, receiving its All-Time Great Coach Award.• Cook was inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame in 2017, joining former Husker volleyball coach Terry Pettit in the hall.&nbsp;HUSKER VOLLEYBALL SETS ATTENDANCE RECORDS• It was a record-breaking night at Memorial Stadium on Aug. 30 when Nebraska hosted Omaha in an outdoor volleyball match. The attendance of 92,003 set a record for the largest crowd to watch a women’s sporting event in the United States. The crowd of more than 92,000 also surpassed what is widely regarded as the world-record attendance for any women’s sporting event.• The previously recognized world record was 91,648 fans in an UEFA Champions League match between Barcelona and Wolfsburg on April 22, 2022, at Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain. The previous record for an American women’s sporting event was 90,185 in USA’s FIFA World Cup Final against China on July 10, 1999, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.• Along with the two records mentioned above, the Huskers shattered a pair of NCAA records, exceeding the previous records for any NCAA volleyball match and an NCAA volleyball regular-season match.&nbsp;• Entering the match, the largest-ever crowd for any NCAA volleyball match was 18,755 when Nebraska played Wisconsin in the NCAA Final at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on Dec. 18, 2021. The largest NCAA volleyball regular-season attendance was 16,833 when Wisconsin hosted Florida at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis., on Sept 16, 2022.• The Husker volleyball program has sold out 319 consecutive regular-season matches. Nebraska’s sellout streak is an NCAA women’s record. The Huskers have led the nation in attendance every season since moving into the Bob Devaney Sports Center in 2013.• Nine of the top 11 crowds in NCAA volleyball history are matches that have involved the Huskers.&nbsp;• Of the 16 largest NCAA volleyball regular-season crowds, 14 have been Nebraska matches.• On Oct. 21, Nebraska broke its Devaney Center attendance record since the arena was reconfigured for volleyball in 2013. A crowd of 9,198 turned out to see a five-set thriller between undefeated No. 1 Wisconsin and undefeated No. 2 Nebraska. Over the summer, 402 seats were added to the Devaney Center, increasing the seating capacity to 8,309.&nbsp;• Nebraska’s total attendance for the 2023 season was 264,665 (including the 92,003 for the outdoor match). Nebraska volleyball became the first female sport in NCAA history to draw 250,000 home fans in a single season.&nbsp;

Huskers meet Pitt in NCAA Semifinal in Tampa

Story by NU Athletic Communications&nbsp;

Four Nebraska volleyball players were named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America Teams on Wednesday.&nbsp;

Merritt Beason and Lexi Rodriguez were selected to the AVCA All-America First Team. Setter Bergen Reilly was chosen to the AVCA All-America Second Team. Outside hitter Harper Murray was named to the AVCA All-America Third Team.&nbsp;

The Huskers' four All-America selections brings their nation-leading total to 103 all-time, and it's the most All-Americans Nebraska has had in a season since 2016.&nbsp;

Rodriguez is now a three-time All-American after earning first-team honors in 2021 and second-team honors in 2022. Beason, Reilly and Murray are all first timers.&nbsp;

Merritt Beason, Jr., Opposite Hitter Merritt Beason, a junior opposite hitter who transferred to NU from Florida, was named the AVCA Region Player of the Year, as well as All-Big Ten First Team and All-Region Team. Beason has stepped in as a team captain and is contributing a team-leading 3.86 kills per set this season with 2.09 digs per set and a .293 hitting percentage. A native of Gardendale, Ala., Beason earned four Big Ten Player of the Week honors this season and was the AVCA National Player of the Week on Oct. 24 following 21 kills in a 3-2 win over then-No. 1 Wisconsin. Beason had a career-high 27 kills on .426 hitting in a 3-2 reverse sweep at then-No. 16 Penn State on Nov. 3. As a sophomore at Florida in 2022, Beason was an All-SEC and AVCA All-Region selection.

Lexi Rodriguez, Jr., Libero Junior libero Lexi Rodriguez was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year for the second time in her career, becoming the fifth player in Big Ten history to receive that honor twice in a career. She also earned AVCA All-Region and All-Big Ten First Team honors for the third time. Rodriguez, who averages 3.62 digs and 1.26 assists per set, leads a Husker defense that ranks first nationally in opponent hitting percentage. The junior from Sterling, Ill., was twice named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week this season despite opponents frequently tailoring their game plans to avoid Rodriguez on the court. Rodriguez was a first-team AVCA All-American in 2021 and a second-team AVCA All-American in 2022.&nbsp;

Bergen Reilly, Fr., Setter Freshman setter Bergen Reilly was chosen Big Ten Setter of the Year, becoming the first ever freshman to earn the award since it originated in 2012. She also earned All-Big Ten First Team, All-Freshman Team, and AVCA All-Region Team accolades. Reilly, just the second true freshman setter to be the starter at Nebraska under head coach John Cook, is putting up 10.64 assists and 2.70 digs per set and has 15 double-doubles this season. The Sioux Falls, S.D., native ranks 17th nationally in assists per set. Reilly was named Big Ten Setter of the Week four times this year and Big Ten Freshman of the Week twice. She paces a Husker offense that ranks in the top 20 nationally in hitting percentage (.279) and kills per set (14.06).

Harper Murray, Fr., Outside Hitter Freshman outside hitter Harper Murray was voted the AVCA Region Freshman of the Year and the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, making her the second ever Husker (Madi Kubik, 2019) to earn that distinction. Murray also earned All-Big Ten First Team and unanimous All-Freshman Team accolades. Murray ranks second on the Huskers in kills with 3.23 per set and adds 2.10 digs per set with a team-high 34 service aces. Murray was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week three times this season.

Story by NU Athletic Communications&nbsp;Four Nebraska volleyball players were named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America Teams on Wednesday.&nbsp;Merritt Beason and Lexi Rodriguez were selected to the AVCA All-America First Team. Setter Bergen Reilly was chosen to the AVCA All-America Second Team. Outside hitter Harper Murray was named to the AVCA All-America Third Team.&nbsp;The Huskers' four All-America selections brings their nation-leading total to 103 all-time, and it's the most All-Americans Nebraska has had in a season since 2016.&nbsp;Rodriguez is now a three-time All-American after earning first-team honors in 2021 and second-team honors in 2022. Beason, Reilly and Murray are all first timers.&nbsp;Merritt Beason, Jr., Opposite Hitter Merritt Beason, a junior opposite hitter who transferred to NU from Florida, was named the AVCA Region Player of the Year, as well as All-Big Ten First Team and All-Region Team. Beason has stepped in as a team captain and is contributing a team-leading 3.86 kills per set this season with 2.09 digs per set and a .293 hitting percentage. A native of Gardendale, Ala., Beason earned four Big Ten Player of the Week honors this season and was the AVCA National Player of the Week on Oct. 24 following 21 kills in a 3-2 win over then-No. 1 Wisconsin. Beason had a career-high 27 kills on .426 hitting in a 3-2 reverse sweep at then-No. 16 Penn State on Nov. 3. As a sophomore at Florida in 2022, Beason was an All-SEC and AVCA All-Region selection.Lexi Rodriguez, Jr., Libero Junior libero Lexi Rodriguez was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year for the second time in her career, becoming the fifth player in Big Ten history to receive that honor twice in a career. She also earned AVCA All-Region and All-Big Ten First Team honors for the third time. Rodriguez, who averages 3.62 digs and 1.26 assists per set, leads a Husker defense that ranks first nationally in opponent hitting percentage. The junior from Sterling, Ill., was twice named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week this season despite opponents frequently tailoring their game plans to avoid Rodriguez on the court. Rodriguez was a first-team AVCA All-American in 2021 and a second-team AVCA All-American in 2022.&nbsp;Bergen Reilly, Fr., Setter Freshman setter Bergen Reilly was chosen Big Ten Setter of the Year, becoming the first ever freshman to earn the award since it originated in 2012. She also earned All-Big Ten First Team, All-Freshman Team, and AVCA All-Region Team accolades. Reilly, just the second true freshman setter to be the starter at Nebraska under head coach John Cook, is putting up 10.64 assists and 2.70 digs per set and has 15 double-doubles this season. The Sioux Falls, S.D., native ranks 17th nationally in assists per set. Reilly was named Big Ten Setter of the Week four times this year and Big Ten Freshman of the Week twice. She paces a Husker offense that ranks in the top 20 nationally in hitting percentage (.279) and kills per set (14.06).Harper Murray, Fr., Outside Hitter Freshman outside hitter Harper Murray was voted the AVCA Region Freshman of the Year and the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, making her the second ever Husker (Madi Kubik, 2019) to earn that distinction. Murray also earned All-Big Ten First Team and unanimous All-Freshman Team accolades. Murray ranks second on the Huskers in kills with 3.23 per set and adds 2.10 digs per set with a team-high 34 service aces. Murray was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week three times this season.

Four Huskers earn AVCA All-America Honors

Story by Omaha Supernovas Communication

OMAHA, Neb.&nbsp;– The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.supernovas.com/" target="_blank">Omaha Supernovas,</a>&nbsp;Nebraska’s professional volleyball team in the newly-established&nbsp;<a href="http://www.provolleyball.com/" target="_blank">Professional Volleyball Federation</a>, saw three of its first&nbsp;draft picks&nbsp;in franchise history&nbsp;honored as American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Americans&nbsp;as announced Wednesday morning by the organization. &nbsp;

Hawaii’s Amber Igiede&nbsp;and Western Kentucky’s Paige Briggs were each named Third Team All-Americans while Sophie Davis of James Madison was selected as an honorable mention.&nbsp;

"It is really exciting to have three of our Supernovas draftees receiving All-American honors," Head Coach Shelton Collier said. "This is an incredible week with our Pro Volleyball Federation Draft, AVCA Convention, and national championships all happening. Igiede was certainly regarded as one of the elite middle blockers in the country and Briggs is highly&nbsp;regarded for her all-around game. Davis was a high achieving, high IQ middle attacker and had a strong season as well. All three were key leaders on high successful teams this fall, and we are excited about having them in the gym with us in January."&nbsp;

Most recently, Igiede&nbsp;became the Supernovas’ first draft pick in team history when she was selected No. 7 overall in the 2023 Pro Volleyball Federation U.S. College Player Draft on December 11. The Louisiana&nbsp;native&nbsp;caps off her college career with back-to-back All-American awards as she was also named an AVCA Third Team All-American after the 2022 season. &nbsp;

Igiede&nbsp;was one of the best middle blockers in the country this last season, winning the Big West Player of the Year award after guiding the Rainbow Wahine&nbsp;to their fourth-straight Big West title. She finished the regular season leading the conference in kills per set (3.79), hitting percentage (.401), points (516.5) and points per set (4.70). The 6-foot-3&nbsp;Igiede&nbsp;ends her college career as the No. 3 middle blocker with 1,371 kills in the NCAA active records list. &nbsp;

Briggs was originally selected No. 5 overall by the Orlando Valkyries, but she was traded to Omaha in a deal struck between the two teams on draft day. It marks the third AVCA All-American award for Briggs, but the first time she’s&nbsp;landed on the third team. She&nbsp;earned honorable mention status last year in 2022 and as a sophomore following the 2020-2021 season.&nbsp;

The 5-foot-10 outside hitter had an illustrious career with the Hilltoppers posting 1,857 career kills&nbsp;and 184 aces which&nbsp;are both third in school history. Plus, her&nbsp;3.55 kills per set career average ranks fifth in program history while her 1,426 digs are eighth. &nbsp;

Briggs saved her best season for last as she was named the Conference USA Alyssa Cavanaugh Player of the Year following a season with 4.00 kills per set on a .330 hitting percentage including&nbsp;a career-high 61 aces and 282 digs. She was one of the key leaders in helping Western Kentucky go&nbsp;30-5 and reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2023. &nbsp;

Davis rounds out the trio with her first career AVCA honor after a monster final season with the Dukes. Selected No. 24 overall by the Supernovas in the U.S. college player draft, Davis will go down as one of the best players in program history as she leaves JMU as the school record holder in hitting percentage (.372), solo blocks (136), block assists (447), and total blocks (583). &nbsp;

The 6-foot-2 middle blocker was a force at the net recording triple-digit blocks (139) for the fourth time in five seasons including a career-best 3.07 kills per&nbsp;set on a .355 clip. Davis also continued to excel from behind the service line posting 22 aces in 2023. The Fort Lauderdale, Florida native recorded only 15 aces in her first three college seasons before exploding for 49 the past two years. &nbsp;

All five draftees will join the current roster in January as they attempt&nbsp;to make the Supernovas’ final roster. All Pro Volleyball Federation teams will cut&nbsp;down to 14-person rosters ahead of their season openers, with two additional roster spots saved for college draftees for a total of 16 players.&nbsp;The Supernovas will host the first Pro Volleyball Federation match on January 24, 2024, as Omaha takes on the Atlanta Vibe at the CHI Health Center, with the first serve set for 7 p.m.&nbsp;

REAL PRO VOLLEYBALL&nbsp;competition will officially begin in the United States with the Omaha Supernovas hosting the Atlanta Vibe in the first match in league history at the CHI Health Center in downtown Omaha on January 24, at 7:00 p.m. CT. Nebraska supports volleyball better than anyone, as evidenced by the more than 92,000 fans that turned out this season for a collegiate match at the Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium in August, setting a new world record for the highest attended women’s sporting event.&nbsp;

The Supernovas are one of seven U.S. teams for the 2024 inaugural season: Omaha Supernovas,&nbsp;<a href="https://atlantavibe.com/inaugural-season-tickets-on-sale/" target="_blank">Atlanta Vibe</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://orlandoprovb.com/" target="_blank">Orlando Valkyries</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.columbusfury.com/" target="_blank">Columbus Fury</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.grrise.com/" target="_blank">Grand Rapids Rise</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://sandiegoprovb.com/" target="_blank">San Diego Mojo</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://vegasthrill.com/" target="_blank">Vegas Thrill</a>. Three expansion teams,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dallasprovolleyball.com/" target="_blank">Dallas Pro Volleyball</a>,&nbsp;Kansas City Pro Volleyball, and Indianapolis Pro Volleyball have been announced for 2025. In Season One, the Pro Volleyball Federation will be showcased&nbsp;in three different U.S. time zones. Matches will take place on 67 different dates between January and May 2024, occurring on every day of the week.&nbsp;

The Omaha Supernovas aims to be the premier home of professional volleyball throughout the world. The team is owned by global music sensation Jason Derulo and entrepreneurs Danny White and Chris Erickson, Co-Founders of City+Ventures, an investment and business acceleration organization headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska.&nbsp;

ABOUT PRO VOLLEYBALL FEDERATION&nbsp;

Pro Volleyball Federation is&nbsp;REAL PRO VOLLEYBALL&nbsp;and the premier women’s professional volleyball league in North America. Pro Volleyball Federation will begin play in January 2024 with world class players and coaches, including some of America’s greatest volleyball players and elite players from around the world. Our entire focus is on ensuring that our level and quality of play, our treatment of players, the quality of our event presentations, and our day-to-day fan experience is world class and the very best offered in North America.&nbsp;For more information, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.provolleyball.com/" target="_blank">ProVolleyball.com</a>.

Story by Omaha Supernovas CommunicationOMAHA, Neb.&nbsp;– The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.supernovas.com/" target="_blank">Omaha Supernovas,</a>&nbsp;Nebraska’s professional volleyball team in the newly-established&nbsp;<a href="http://www.provolleyball.com/" target="_blank">Professional Volleyball Federation</a>, saw three of its first&nbsp;draft picks&nbsp;in franchise history&nbsp;honored as American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Americans&nbsp;as announced Wednesday morning by the organization. &nbsp;Hawaii’s Amber Igiede&nbsp;and Western Kentucky’s Paige Briggs were each named Third Team All-Americans while Sophie Davis of James Madison was selected as an honorable mention.&nbsp;"It is really exciting to have three of our Supernovas draftees receiving All-American honors," Head Coach Shelton Collier said. "This is an incredible week with our Pro Volleyball Federation Draft, AVCA Convention, and national championships all happening. Igiede was certainly regarded as one of the elite middle blockers in the country and Briggs is highly&nbsp;regarded for her all-around game. Davis was a high achieving, high IQ middle attacker and had a strong season as well. All three were key leaders on high successful teams this fall, and we are excited about having them in the gym with us in January."&nbsp;Most recently, Igiede&nbsp;became the Supernovas’ first draft pick in team history when she was selected No. 7 overall in the 2023 Pro Volleyball Federation U.S. College Player Draft on December 11. The Louisiana&nbsp;native&nbsp;caps off her college career with back-to-back All-American awards as she was also named an AVCA Third Team All-American after the 2022 season. &nbsp;Igiede&nbsp;was one of the best middle blockers in the country this last season, winning the Big West Player of the Year award after guiding the Rainbow Wahine&nbsp;to their fourth-straight Big West title. She finished the regular season leading the conference in kills per set (3.79), hitting percentage (.401), points (516.5) and points per set (4.70). The 6-foot-3&nbsp;Igiede&nbsp;ends her college career as the No. 3 middle blocker with 1,371 kills in the NCAA active records list. &nbsp;Briggs was originally selected No. 5 overall by the Orlando Valkyries, but she was traded to Omaha in a deal struck between the two teams on draft day. It marks the third AVCA All-American award for Briggs, but the first time she’s&nbsp;landed on the third team. She&nbsp;earned honorable mention status last year in 2022 and as a sophomore following the 2020-2021 season.&nbsp;The 5-foot-10 outside hitter had an illustrious career with the Hilltoppers posting 1,857 career kills&nbsp;and 184 aces which&nbsp;are both third in school history. Plus, her&nbsp;3.55 kills per set career average ranks fifth in program history while her 1,426 digs are eighth. &nbsp;Briggs saved her best season for last as she was named the Conference USA Alyssa Cavanaugh Player of the Year following a season with 4.00 kills per set on a .330 hitting percentage including&nbsp;a career-high 61 aces and 282 digs. She was one of the key leaders in helping Western Kentucky go&nbsp;30-5 and reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2023. &nbsp;Davis rounds out the trio with her first career AVCA honor after a monster final season with the Dukes. Selected No. 24 overall by the Supernovas in the U.S. college player draft, Davis will go down as one of the best players in program history as she leaves JMU as the school record holder in hitting percentage (.372), solo blocks (136), block assists (447), and total blocks (583). &nbsp;The 6-foot-2 middle blocker was a force at the net recording triple-digit blocks (139) for the fourth time in five seasons including a career-best 3.07 kills per&nbsp;set on a .355 clip. Davis also continued to excel from behind the service line posting 22 aces in 2023. The Fort Lauderdale, Florida native recorded only 15 aces in her first three college seasons before exploding for 49 the past two years. &nbsp;All five draftees will join the current roster in January as they attempt&nbsp;to make the Supernovas’ final roster. All Pro Volleyball Federation teams will cut&nbsp;down to 14-person rosters ahead of their season openers, with two additional roster spots saved for college draftees for a total of 16 players.&nbsp;The Supernovas will host the first Pro Volleyball Federation match on January 24, 2024, as Omaha takes on the Atlanta Vibe at the CHI Health Center, with the first serve set for 7 p.m.&nbsp;REAL PRO VOLLEYBALL&nbsp;competition will officially begin in the United States with the Omaha Supernovas hosting the Atlanta Vibe in the first match in league history at the CHI Health Center in downtown Omaha on January 24, at 7:00 p.m. CT. Nebraska supports volleyball better than anyone, as evidenced by the more than 92,000 fans that turned out this season for a collegiate match at the Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium in August, setting a new world record for the highest attended women’s sporting event.&nbsp;The Supernovas are one of seven U.S. teams for the 2024 inaugural season: Omaha Supernovas,&nbsp;<a href="https://atlantavibe.com/inaugural-season-tickets-on-sale/" target="_blank">Atlanta Vibe</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://orlandoprovb.com/" target="_blank">Orlando Valkyries</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.columbusfury.com/" target="_blank">Columbus Fury</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.grrise.com/" target="_blank">Grand Rapids Rise</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://sandiegoprovb.com/" target="_blank">San Diego Mojo</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://vegasthrill.com/" target="_blank">Vegas Thrill</a>. Three expansion teams,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dallasprovolleyball.com/" target="_blank">Dallas Pro Volleyball</a>,&nbsp;Kansas City Pro Volleyball, and Indianapolis Pro Volleyball have been announced for 2025. In Season One, the Pro Volleyball Federation will be showcased&nbsp;in three different U.S. time zones. Matches will take place on 67 different dates between January and May 2024, occurring on every day of the week.&nbsp;ABOUT OMAHA SUPERNOVAS&nbsp;The Omaha Supernovas aims to be the premier home of professional volleyball throughout the world. The team is owned by global music sensation Jason Derulo and entrepreneurs Danny White and Chris Erickson, Co-Founders of City+Ventures, an investment and business acceleration organization headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska.&nbsp;ABOUT PRO VOLLEYBALL FEDERATION&nbsp;Pro Volleyball Federation is&nbsp;REAL PRO VOLLEYBALL&nbsp;and the premier women’s professional volleyball league in North America. Pro Volleyball Federation will begin play in January 2024 with world class players and coaches, including some of America’s greatest volleyball players and elite players from around the world. Our entire focus is on ensuring that our level and quality of play, our treatment of players, the quality of our event presentations, and our day-to-day fan experience is world class and the very best offered in North America.&nbsp;For more information, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.provolleyball.com/" target="_blank">ProVolleyball.com</a>.

Three Supernovas draft picks earn All-American Honors 

Story by NPCC Athletic Communications

North Platte, Neb. – North Platte Community College avenged an earlier season loss to the Broncos of Hastings College JV, 87-79, on Wednesday night.

Bryce Baez posted his fourth double-double of the season, finishing the game with 21 points to accompany his 11 rebounds. Emmanuel Oladeru also recorded a double-double after tallying 21 points and 11 rebounds in 24 minutes of action.

North Platte managed to take a 40-30 lead into the halftime break behind 16 points from Oladeru. The Knights had a battle on their hands throughout the opening 14:42 of the half, as each run was challenged by the hot perimeter shooting by the Broncos.

Trailing 30-29, the Knights launched an 11-0 run over the final 2:58 of the quarter to take the lead into the halftime break.

The North Platte lead grew in the opening minutes of the second half, but Hastings rallied to cut the margin to 68-65 with 5:29 to play in regulation. A short 8-0 spurt provided some momentary relief as the Knights went back on the offensive. The Broncos narrowed the margin to one possession before a putback by Parker Baumann pushed the lead to 81-76.

North Platte put the game out of reach by going 6-of-8 from the free throw line in the final minute to give Kade Erickson his first win as a head coach.

North Platte (6-6) will close out December with Southeast Community College on Friday afternoon. Tip is set for 2 p.m. inside the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium.

Story by NPCC Athletic CommunicationsNorth Platte, Neb. – North Platte Community College avenged an earlier season loss to the Broncos of Hastings College JV, 87-79, on Wednesday night.Bryce Baez posted his fourth double-double of the season, finishing the game with 21 points to accompany his 11 rebounds. Emmanuel Oladeru also recorded a double-double after tallying 21 points and 11 rebounds in 24 minutes of action.North Platte managed to take a 40-30 lead into the halftime break behind 16 points from Oladeru. The Knights had a battle on their hands throughout the opening 14:42 of the half, as each run was challenged by the hot perimeter shooting by the Broncos.Trailing 30-29, the Knights launched an 11-0 run over the final 2:58 of the quarter to take the lead into the halftime break.The North Platte lead grew in the opening minutes of the second half, but Hastings rallied to cut the margin to 68-65 with 5:29 to play in regulation. A short 8-0 spurt provided some momentary relief as the Knights went back on the offensive. The Broncos narrowed the margin to one possession before a putback by Parker Baumann pushed the lead to 81-76.North Platte put the game out of reach by going 6-of-8 from the free throw line in the final minute to give Kade Erickson his first win as a head coach.North Platte (6-6) will close out December with Southeast Community College on Friday afternoon. Tip is set for 2 p.m. inside the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium.

 Erickson era begins with win over Hastings

Ogallala BBB sophomore Sawyer Smith joined the Kwik Stop postgame show after the boys' team defeated Lexington 62-22 to offer his thoughts on how the team did in their first game of the season.&nbsp; Check out podcast below to hear what Smith had to say.

Sandhills PostOgallala BBB sophomore Sawyer Smith joined the Kwik Stop postgame show after the boys' team defeated Lexington 62-22 to offer his thoughts on how the team did in their first game of the season.&nbsp; Check out podcast below to hear what Smith had to say.<div><iframe title="Ogallala BBB Sophomore Sawyer Smith postgame interview vs Lexington (12/1)" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=gbdgp-15250dc-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=1&fonts=Times%20New%20Roman&skin=1b1b1b&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

Ogallala BBB Sophomore Sawyer Smith postgame interview vs Lexington (12/1)

Ogallala GBB senior Aelyn Cain joined the Kwik Stop pregame show before the boy's matchup against Lexington (12/1) to offer her thoughts on her team's first win of the season over Minutemaids. The lady Indians would win the game 61-18.&nbsp;Check out podcast below to hear what Cain had to say.

Sandhills PostOgallala GBB senior Aelyn Cain joined the Kwik Stop pregame show before the boy's matchup against Lexington (12/1) to offer her thoughts on her team's first win of the season over Minutemaids. The lady Indians would win the game 61-18.&nbsp;Check out podcast below to hear what Cain had to say.<div><iframe title="Ogallala GBB Senior Aelyn Cain post-game interview vs Lexington (12/1)" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=3qz5h-15250b8-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=1&fonts=Times%20New%20Roman&skin=1b1b1b&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

Ogallala GBB Senior Aelyn Cain post-game interview vs Lexington (12/1)

Ogallala assistant coach Jeremy Smith joined Canon Rath on the Kwik Stop post-game show to offer his thoughts on how the game went and more. Ogallala defeated North Platte St. Pats 83-57. Check out podcast below to hear what Smith had to say.

Sandhills PostOgallala assistant coach Jeremy Smith joined Canon Rath on the Kwik Stop post-game show to offer his thoughts on how the game went and more. Ogallala defeated North Platte St. Pats 83-57. Check out podcast below to hear what Smith had to say.<div><iframe title="Ogallala BBB post-game interview with Ogallala assistant coach Jeremy Smith" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=wrhvj-152501b-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=1&fonts=Times%20New%20Roman&skin=1b1b1b&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=ff6d00" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

Ogallala BBB post-game interview with Ogallala assistant coach Jeremy Smith vs NPSP (12/12)

Atwood-Rawlins County, KS 48, Dundy County Stratton 29

Maywood-Hayes Center 60, Sandhills Valley 6

Ogallala 40, North Platte St. Patrick's 18

Dundy County Stratton 67, Atwood-Rawlins County, KS 53

Maywood-Hayes Center 59, Sandhills Valley 52

Ogallala 83, North Platte St. Patrick's 57

North Platte Wrestling<div><style type="text/css">
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<table class="tg">
<thead>
 <tr>
 <th class="tg-svha"></th>
 <th class="tg-u04u">165</th>
 <th class="tg-u04u"><a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1702488889367&twSessionId=dvzgraygfv&twId=141856009" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Andrew Pittman</a> (Grand Island) over <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1702488889367&twSessionId=dvzgraygfv&twId=1842057009" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Brenttyn Boe</a> (North Platte) (Fall 1:07)</th>
 <th class="tg-svha">6</th>
 <th class="tg-0lax">0</th>
 </tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-voex"></td>
 <td class="tg-lt2h">175</td>
 <td class="tg-hict"><a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1702488889367&twSessionId=dvzgraygfv&twId=1391890009">Gabriel Moreno</a> (North Platte) over <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1702488889367&twSessionId=dvzgraygfv&twId=1548111135">Max Ross</a> (Grand Island) (Fall 1:59)</td>
 <td class="tg-1z31">0</td>
 <td class="tg-ktyi">6</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-u04u"></td>
 <td class="tg-svha">190</td>
 <td class="tg-u04u"><a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1702488889367&twSessionId=dvzgraygfv&twId=1252091009">Hudson Oliver</a> (Grand Island) over Unknown (For.)</td>
 <td class="tg-svha">6</td>
 <td class="tg-e87f">0</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-hict"></td>
 <td class="tg-1z31">215</td>
 <td class="tg-hict"><a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1702488889367&twSessionId=dvzgraygfv&twId=706360096">Justyce Hostetler</a> (Grand Island) over Unknown (For.)</td>
 <td class="tg-1z31">6</td>
 <td class="tg-ktyi">0</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-u04u"></td>
 <td class="tg-svha">285</td>
 <td class="tg-u04u"><a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1702488889367&twSessionId=dvzgraygfv&twId=141857009">Zachary Pittman</a> (Grand Island) over <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1702488889367&twSessionId=dvzgraygfv&twId=988286135">Alex Gove</a> (North Platte) (Fall 4:47)</td>
 <td class="tg-svha">6</td>
 <td class="tg-e87f">0</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-hict"></td>
 <td class="tg-1z31">106</td>
 <td class="tg-hict"><a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1702488889367&twSessionId=dvzgraygfv&twId=607025009">Brody Pitner</a> (North Platte) over <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1702488889367&twSessionId=dvzgraygfv&twId=2087402009">Riley Bishop</a> (Grand Island) (MD 10-2)</td>
 <td class="tg-1z31">0</td>
 <td class="tg-ktyi">4</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-u04u"></td>
 <td class="tg-svha">113</td>
 <td class="tg-u04u"><a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1702488889367&twSessionId=dvzgraygfv&twId=531966135">Rudy Rodriguez</a> (Grand Island) over <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1702488889367&twSessionId=dvzgraygfv&twId=502049096">DeAngelo Mata</a> (North Platte) (Fall 3:11)</td>
 <td class="tg-svha">6</td>
 <td class="tg-e87f">0</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-hict"></td>
 <td class="tg-1z31">120</td>
 <td class="tg-hict"><a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1702488889367&twSessionId=dvzgraygfv&twId=519114096">Tyler Haneborg</a> (North Platte) over <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1702488889367&twSessionId=dvzgraygfv&twId=1385957135">Frank Rodriguez</a> (Grand Island) (Fall 1:03)</td>
 <td class="tg-1z31">0</td>
 <td class="tg-ktyi">6</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-u04u"></td>
 <td class="tg-svha">126</td>
 <td class="tg-u04u"><a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1702488889367&twSessionId=dvzgraygfv&twId=1001463009">Alex Gates</a> (Grand Island) over <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1702488889367&twSessionId=dvzgraygfv&twId=947742096">Roman Ochoa</a> (North Platte) (Fall 0:47)</td>
 <td class="tg-svha">6</td>
 <td class="tg-e87f">0</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-hict"></td>
 <td class="tg-1z31">132</td>
 <td class="tg-hict"><a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1702488889367&twSessionId=dvzgraygfv&twId=49043135">Kirk Wilson</a> (North Platte) over <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1702488889367&twSessionId=dvzgraygfv&twId=761487135">Ryker Booth</a> (Grand Island) (Fall 2:24)</td>
 <td class="tg-1z31">0</td>
 <td class="tg-ktyi">6</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-u04u"></td>
 <td class="tg-svha">138</td>
 <td class="tg-u04u"><a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1702488889367&twSessionId=dvzgraygfv&twId=630891096">Kaden Harder</a> (Grand Island) over <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1702488889367&twSessionId=dvzgraygfv&twId=950640096">Cayden Eyten</a> (North Platte) (Dec 8-2)</td>
 <td class="tg-svha">3</td>
 <td class="tg-e87f">0</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-hict"></td>
 <td class="tg-1z31">144</td>
 <td class="tg-hict"><a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1702488889367&twSessionId=dvzgraygfv&twId=330528096">Jace Kennel</a> (North Platte) over <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1702488889367&twSessionId=dvzgraygfv&twId=2012978009">Hayden Klimek</a> (Grand Island) (Fall 1:45)</td>
 <td class="tg-1z31">0</td>
 <td class="tg-ktyi">6</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-u04u"></td>
 <td class="tg-svha">150</td>
 <td class="tg-u04u"><a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1702488889367&twSessionId=dvzgraygfv&twId=1267867135">Ethan jackson</a> (North Platte) over <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1702488889367&twSessionId=dvzgraygfv&twId=933468096">Gavin Pedersen</a> (Grand Island) (SV-1 9-7)</td>
 <td class="tg-svha">0</td>
 <td class="tg-e87f">3</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-oi3a"></td>
 <td class="tg-qcr8">157</td>
 <td class="tg-y2n0"><a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1702488889367&twSessionId=dvzgraygfv&twId=1893466009">Lathen Huntsman</a> (North Platte) over <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1702488889367&twSessionId=dvzgraygfv&twId=415026096">Carter Peterson</a> (Grand Island) (Fall 0:55)</td>
 <td class="tg-2ep2">0</td>
 <td class="tg-ktyi">6</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-ufqv"></td>
 <td class="tg-akel">190</td>
 <td class="tg-mfi1">Extra: Junior Varsity - <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1702488889367&twSessionId=dvzgraygfv&twId=379106132">Cole Salpas</a> (Grand Island) over Blake Sorrells (North Platte) (Fall 0:51)</td>
 <td class="tg-mfi1">0</td>
 <td class="tg-e87f">0</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-oi3a"></td>
 <td class="tg-qcr8">126</td>
 <td class="tg-2ep2">Extra: Junior Varsity - Edward Santana (Grand Island) over Alexander Bruns (North Platte) (Fall 1:13)</td>
 <td class="tg-2ep2">0</td>
 <td class="tg-ktyi">0</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-ufqv"></td>
 <td class="tg-akel">126</td>
 <td class="tg-mfi1">Extra: Junior Varsity - Michael Hoss (Grand Island) over <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1702488889367&twSessionId=dvzgraygfv&twId=1051396135">Trenton Schrader</a> (North Platte) (Fall 5:10)</td>
 <td class="tg-mfi1">0</td>
 <td class="tg-e87f">0</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-oi3a"></td>
 <td class="tg-qcr8">126</td>
 <td class="tg-2ep2">Extra: Junior Varsity - <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1702488889367&twSessionId=dvzgraygfv&twId=1450570135">Camden Weaver</a> (North Platte) over <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1702488889367&twSessionId=dvzgraygfv&twId=1233116135">Tanner Dunning</a> (Grand Island) (Fall 3:22)</td>
 <td class="tg-2ep2">0</td>
 <td class="tg-ktyi">0</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-ufqv"></td>
 <td class="tg-akel">132</td>
 <td class="tg-mfi1">Extra: Junior Varsity - Adam Grabast (Grand Island) over <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1702488889367&twSessionId=dvzgraygfv&twId=1917470135">Jace Kackmeister</a> (North Platte) (Fall 2:53)</td>
 <td class="tg-mfi1">0</td>
 <td class="tg-e87f">0</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-oi3a"></td>
 <td class="tg-qcr8">138</td>
 <td class="tg-2ep2">Extra: Junior Varsity - Jesus Ceja (Grand Island) over Jericho Franson (North Platte) (Fall 0:52)</td>
 <td class="tg-2ep2">0</td>
 <td class="tg-ktyi">0</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-ufqv"></td>
 <td class="tg-akel">138</td>
 <td class="tg-mfi1">Extra: Junior Varsity - Roman DeVault (Grand Island) over <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1702488889367&twSessionId=dvzgraygfv&twId=331155096">Carson Cooksley</a> (North Platte) (Fall 0:31)</td>
 <td class="tg-mfi1">0</td>
 <td class="tg-e87f">0</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-oi3a"></td>
 <td class="tg-qcr8">150</td>
 <td class="tg-2ep2">Extra: Junior Varsity - <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1702488889367&twSessionId=dvzgraygfv&twId=1513926135">Joden Schumacher</a> (Grand Island) over <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1702488889367&twSessionId=dvzgraygfv&twId=984523135">Deondray Steele</a> (North Platte) (Fall 5:28)</td>
 <td class="tg-2ep2">0</td>
 <td class="tg-ktyi">0</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-ufqv"></td>
 <td class="tg-akel">150</td>
 <td class="tg-mfi1">Extra: Junior Varsity - <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1702488889367&twSessionId=dvzgraygfv&twId=1389828009">Reece Perry</a> (North Platte) over Aden Stephens (Grand Island) (MD 9-1)</td>
 <td class="tg-mfi1">0</td>
 <td class="tg-e87f">0</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-oi3a"></td>
 <td class="tg-qcr8">157</td>
 <td class="tg-2ep2">Extra: Junior Varsity - <a href="https://www.trackwrestling.com/membership/ViewProfile.jsp?TIM=1702488889367&twSessionId=dvzgraygfv&twId=794156132">Joseph Aguilar</a> (Grand Island) over Brady Kelsey (North Platte) (Fall 0:22)</td>
 <td class="tg-2ep2">0</td>
 <td class="tg-ktyi">0</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-mfi1" colspan="3">unsportsmanlike</td>
 <td class="tg-mfi1">0</td>
 <td class="tg-e87f">-1.0</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td class="tg-2ep2" colspan="3">Team Score:</td>
 <td class="tg-2ep2">39</td>
 <td class="tg-dgl5">36</td>
 </tr>
</tbody>
</table></div><h2>Girls Basketball</h2>Atwood-Rawlins County, KS 48, Dundy County Stratton 29Gothenburg 56, Southern Valley 42Maxwell 39, Brady 29Maywood-Hayes Center 60, Sandhills Valley 6McCook 60, Cozad 43Paxton 65, Perkins County 42Wallace 52, Sutherland 44Ogallala 40, North Platte St. Patrick's 18<h2>Boys Basketball</h2>Dundy County Stratton 67, Atwood-Rawlins County, KS 53Gothenburg 73, Southern Valley 41Maywood-Hayes Center 59, Sandhills Valley 52Ogallala 83, North Platte St. Patrick's 57Perkins County 57, Paxton 44Wallace 57, Sutherland 32

Area sports scores from 12-12

North
Platte, Neb. – North Platte Community College announces that long-time head
coach Kevin O’Connor has stepped down from his head coaching post after 39
years at the helm of the men’s basketball program.

“We
would like to thank Coach O’Connor for his dedication and contributions to the
North Platte Community College men’s basketball team,” said Vice President of
Academic Affairs and NPCC Dr. Jody Tomanek. “His efforts to build successful
teams’ year in and year out elevated the program to historic success.”

O’Connor
is the all-time winningest coach in Region IX, amassing 744 career wins
including 31 winning seasons during his tenure. He guided the Knights to two
NJCAA National Tournament appearances in 2010 and 2013, while claiming 22
Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference titles.

O’Connor
was named Region IX Coach of the Year four times, while also earning NCCAC
Coach of the Year and Omaha World Herald’s Male College Coach of the Year
designations during his storied career. He has coached nine NJCAA All-Americans
and 19 NJCAA Academic Team selections.

O’Connor
began his collegiate playing career in North Platte totaling 659 career points
from 1974-76, before finishing off his eligibility at the University of
Nebraska-Kearney. Prior to returning to North Platte in 1985, O’Connor spent
time as an assistant coach at the College of Great Falls in Montana and the
University of Nebraska-Kearney.

O’Connor
will stay on as the athletic director for NPCC athletics, while continuing to
serve as a mathematics instructor for the institution. 

Assistant
coach Kade Erickson has been named interim head coach for the remainder of the
season.

Story by NPCC Athletic CommunicationsNorth
Platte, Neb. – North Platte Community College announces that long-time head
coach Kevin O’Connor has stepped down from his head coaching post after 39
years at the helm of the men’s basketball program.“We
would like to thank Coach O’Connor for his dedication and contributions to the
North Platte Community College men’s basketball team,” said Vice President of
Academic Affairs and NPCC Dr. Jody Tomanek. “His efforts to build successful
teams’ year in and year out elevated the program to historic success.”O’Connor
is the all-time winningest coach in Region IX, amassing 744 career wins
including 31 winning seasons during his tenure. He guided the Knights to two
NJCAA National Tournament appearances in 2010 and 2013, while claiming 22
Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference titles.O’Connor
was named Region IX Coach of the Year four times, while also earning NCCAC
Coach of the Year and Omaha World Herald’s Male College Coach of the Year
designations during his storied career. He has coached nine NJCAA All-Americans
and 19 NJCAA Academic Team selections.O’Connor
began his collegiate playing career in North Platte totaling 659 career points
from 1974-76, before finishing off his eligibility at the University of
Nebraska-Kearney. Prior to returning to North Platte in 1985, O’Connor spent
time as an assistant coach at the College of Great Falls in Montana and the
University of Nebraska-Kearney.O’Connor
will stay on as the athletic director for NPCC athletics, while continuing to
serve as a mathematics instructor for the institution. Assistant
coach Kade Erickson has been named interim head coach for the remainder of the
season.

Storied coach to step down

Nebraska had a total of 103 student-athletes earn Fall Academic All-Big Ten recognition as announced by the Conference Office on Monday.

The group of Husker student-athletes includes 50 football players, 22 soccer student-athletes, 16 women’s cross country athletes, eight volleyball student-athletes and seven members of the men’s cross country team.

The Husker honorees included three student-athletes who earned a 4.0 grade-point average for the academic year, including&nbsp;Alea Hardie, a cross country runner from Sioux Falls, S.D.,&nbsp;McKenna Lovehaug, a cross country student-athlete from Fargo, N.D., and&nbsp;Abby Vacek, a soccer player from Lincoln.

The 50 football honorees were led by seven players who earned Academic All-Big Ten honors for a fourth time. That group includes offensive tackle&nbsp;Bryce Benhart, tight end&nbsp;John Goodwin, linebacker&nbsp;Nick Henrich, defensive lineman&nbsp;Jacob Herbek, offensive lineman&nbsp;Ethan Piper, linebacker&nbsp;Luke Reimer&nbsp;and linebacker&nbsp;Garrett Snodgrass.&nbsp;A total of 11 football student-athletes made the academic list for the third time in their career.

Soccer student-athlete&nbsp;Marissa Popoola&nbsp;earned Academic All-Big Ten recognition for the fourth year, while teammates&nbsp;Audra Clark, Eleanor Dale, Gwen Lane&nbsp;and&nbsp;Reagan Raabe&nbsp;were recognized for the third time.

Four volleyball student-athletes earned Academic All-Big Ten recognition for a second time including&nbsp;Ally Batenhorst, Lindsay Krause, Kennedi Orr&nbsp;and&nbsp;Lexi Rodriguez.

Men’s cross country runner&nbsp;Jerry Jorgensen&nbsp;picked up his fourth honor, while&nbsp;Trevor Acton&nbsp;and&nbsp;Adam Christopher&nbsp;were honored for a third time. On the women’s side,&nbsp;Taya Skelton&nbsp;earned Academic All-Big Ten for a fourth time, while fellow runners&nbsp;Jacquelyn Abanes, Lindsey Blehm, Brynna McQuillen, Katelyn Mullinax&nbsp;and&nbsp;Emma Ralston&nbsp;each picked up a third award.

To be eligible for Academic All-Big Ten selection, students must be on a varsity team (as verified by being on the official squad list as of Nov. 1 for fall sports), have been enrolled full time at the institution for a minimum of 12 months and carry a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsNebraska had a total of 103 student-athletes earn Fall Academic All-Big Ten recognition as announced by the Conference Office on Monday.The group of Husker student-athletes includes 50 football players, 22 soccer student-athletes, 16 women’s cross country athletes, eight volleyball student-athletes and seven members of the men’s cross country team.The Husker honorees included three student-athletes who earned a 4.0 grade-point average for the academic year, including&nbsp;Alea Hardie, a cross country runner from Sioux Falls, S.D.,&nbsp;McKenna Lovehaug, a cross country student-athlete from Fargo, N.D., and&nbsp;Abby Vacek, a soccer player from Lincoln.The 50 football honorees were led by seven players who earned Academic All-Big Ten honors for a fourth time. That group includes offensive tackle&nbsp;Bryce Benhart, tight end&nbsp;John Goodwin, linebacker&nbsp;Nick Henrich, defensive lineman&nbsp;Jacob Herbek, offensive lineman&nbsp;Ethan Piper, linebacker&nbsp;Luke Reimer&nbsp;and linebacker&nbsp;Garrett Snodgrass.&nbsp;A total of 11 football student-athletes made the academic list for the third time in their career.Soccer student-athlete&nbsp;Marissa Popoola&nbsp;earned Academic All-Big Ten recognition for the fourth year, while teammates&nbsp;Audra Clark, Eleanor Dale, Gwen Lane&nbsp;and&nbsp;Reagan Raabe&nbsp;were recognized for the third time.Four volleyball student-athletes earned Academic All-Big Ten recognition for a second time including&nbsp;Ally Batenhorst, Lindsay Krause, Kennedi Orr&nbsp;and&nbsp;Lexi Rodriguez.Men’s cross country runner&nbsp;Jerry Jorgensen&nbsp;picked up his fourth honor, while&nbsp;Trevor Acton&nbsp;and&nbsp;Adam Christopher&nbsp;were honored for a third time. On the women’s side,&nbsp;Taya Skelton&nbsp;earned Academic All-Big Ten for a fourth time, while fellow runners&nbsp;Jacquelyn Abanes, Lindsey Blehm, Brynna McQuillen, Katelyn Mullinax&nbsp;and&nbsp;Emma Ralston&nbsp;each picked up a third award.To be eligible for Academic All-Big Ten selection, students must be on a varsity team (as verified by being on the official squad list as of Nov. 1 for fall sports), have been enrolled full time at the institution for a minimum of 12 months and carry a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher.

More than 100 Nebraska Student-Athletes earn Academic All-Big Ten Honors

Lincoln, Neb.-&nbsp;Nebraska men’s gymnastics held its annual intrasquad meet on Friday evening at the Devaney Sports Center with team Scarlet narrowly taking the win by .05 to beat out Cream, 248 to 247.95, respectively.

The competition began on floor, with Cream edging Scarlet, 42.45-41.4. The event was led by sophomore Luke James, putting up a 14.75 on the event. Second and third place was claimed by junior Chris Hiser (14.05) and captain Sam Phillips (13.9) respectively.

On pommel horse, Scarlet beat out their competitors after notching a 41.7 over Cream (40.9). Junior Travis Wong took the event title (14.5), while sophomores Nathan York (14.2) and Toby Liang (13.75) followed closely behind.

On rings, the event was highlighted by Sam Phillips claiming a 13.65. Asher Cohen finished in second place with a 13.45. Nathan York rounded out the top three with a score of 13.1. Scarlet secured the win on rings, 39.8-39.2.

After a well fought battle, the rotation on vault was a draw among both teams, finishing at an even score of 43.9 for the Scarlet and the Cream. Freshman Chase Mondi debuted a glimpse of his skill in the upcoming season after taking the event title on vault with a 14.9. Captain Zac Tiderman notched a 14.85, and Sam Phillips finished in third with a 14.6.

Team Cream took the event victory on parallel bars, 40.45-39.3. Asher Cohen snagged the title (13.5), with freshman Cole Partridge (13.5) and senior Yanni Chronopoulos (13.45) securing second and third spot.

The intrasquad concluded on high bar, with team Scarlet just scraping by with the triumph (41.9-41.05). Zac Tiderman led the Scarlet with a score of 14.25. Sam Phillips took second after notching a 14.15, and captain Taylor Christopulos collected the third position with a 13.85.

The All-Around was highlighted by Sam Phillips (81.05) in first place, followed by Toby Liang (80.8), and Joey Pepe (78.85) in second and third, respectively.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsLincoln, Neb.-&nbsp;Nebraska men’s gymnastics held its annual intrasquad meet on Friday evening at the Devaney Sports Center with team Scarlet narrowly taking the win by .05 to beat out Cream, 248 to 247.95, respectively.The competition began on floor, with Cream edging Scarlet, 42.45-41.4. The event was led by sophomore Luke James, putting up a 14.75 on the event. Second and third place was claimed by junior Chris Hiser (14.05) and captain Sam Phillips (13.9) respectively.On pommel horse, Scarlet beat out their competitors after notching a 41.7 over Cream (40.9). Junior Travis Wong took the event title (14.5), while sophomores Nathan York (14.2) and Toby Liang (13.75) followed closely behind.On rings, the event was highlighted by Sam Phillips claiming a 13.65. Asher Cohen finished in second place with a 13.45. Nathan York rounded out the top three with a score of 13.1. Scarlet secured the win on rings, 39.8-39.2.After a well fought battle, the rotation on vault was a draw among both teams, finishing at an even score of 43.9 for the Scarlet and the Cream. Freshman Chase Mondi debuted a glimpse of his skill in the upcoming season after taking the event title on vault with a 14.9. Captain Zac Tiderman notched a 14.85, and Sam Phillips finished in third with a 14.6.Team Cream took the event victory on parallel bars, 40.45-39.3. Asher Cohen snagged the title (13.5), with freshman Cole Partridge (13.5) and senior Yanni Chronopoulos (13.45) securing second and third spot.The intrasquad concluded on high bar, with team Scarlet just scraping by with the triumph (41.9-41.05). Zac Tiderman led the Scarlet with a score of 14.25. Sam Phillips took second after notching a 14.15, and captain Taylor Christopulos collected the third position with a 13.85.The All-Around was highlighted by Sam Phillips (81.05) in first place, followed by Toby Liang (80.8), and Joey Pepe (78.85) in second and third, respectively.Team Scarlet:<ul>
 <li>Sam Phillips</li><li>Max Odden</li><li>Nathan York</li><li>Travis Wong</li><li>Alex Nitache</li><li>Zac Tiderman</li><li>Chris Hiser</li><li>James Friedman</li><li>AJ Morgan</li><li>Jack Critz</li>
 </ul>Team Cream:<ul>
 <li>Taylor Christopulos</li><li>Toby Liang</li><li>Luke James</li><li>Cooper Giles</li><li>Yanni Chronopoulos</li><li>Chase Mondi</li><li>Asher Cohen</li><li>Cole Partridge</li><li>Anthony Koppie</li><li>Joey Pepe</li>
 </ul>Event Scores:Scarlet:<ul>
 <li>F&nbsp;41.4</li><li>PH&nbsp;41.7</li><li>R&nbsp;39.8</li><li>V&nbsp;43.9</li><li>PB&nbsp;39.3</li><li>HB&nbsp;41.9</li>
 </ul>Cream:<ul>
 <li>F&nbsp;42.45</li><li>PH&nbsp;40.9</li><li>R 39.2</li><li>V&nbsp;43.9</li><li>PB&nbsp;40.45</li><li>HB&nbsp;41.05</li>
 </ul>Top 3:Floor:<ol>
 <li>Luke James – 14.75</li><li>Chris Hiser – 14.05</li><li>Sam Phillips – 13.9</li>
 </ol>Pommel Horse:<ol>
 <li>Travis Wong – 14.5</li><li>Nathan York – 14.2</li><li>Toby Liang – 13.75</li>
 </ol>Rings:<ol>
 <li>Sam Phillips – 13.65</li><li>Asher Cohen– 13.45</li><li>Nathan York– 13.1</li>
 </ol>Vault:<ol>
 <li>Chase Mondi – 14.9</li><li>Zac Tiderman – 14.85</li><li>Sam Phillips – 14.6</li>
 </ol>Parallel Bars:<ol>
 <li>Asher Cohen – 13.5</li><li>Cole Partridge – 13.5</li><li>Yanni Chronopoulos – 13.45</li>
 </ol>High Bar:<ol>
 <li>Zac Tiderman – 14.25</li><li>Sam Phillips – 14.15</li><li>Taylor Christopulos – 13.85</li>
 </ol>All-Around:<ol>
 <li>Sam Phillips – 81.05</li><li>Toby Liang – 80.8</li><li>Joey Pepe – 78.85</li>
 </ol>

Scarlet tops Cream at Gymnastics intrasquad

Story by Omaha Supernovas Communications

OMAHA, Neb.&nbsp;– The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.supernovas.com/" target="_blank">Omaha Supernovas,</a>&nbsp;Nebraska’s professional volleyball team in the newly-established&nbsp;<a href="http://www.provolleyball.com/" target="_blank">Professional Volleyball Federation</a>,&nbsp;drafted five players, headlined by Amber Igiede&nbsp;from Hawaii,&nbsp;as&nbsp;part of the&nbsp;2023 Pro Volleyball Federation U.S. College Player Draft&nbsp;held Monday in Atlanta.&nbsp;

The Supernovas' draft class includes Igiede, Paige Briggs from Western Kentucky, Maggie Cartwright of Arkansas, Sophie Davis from James Madison, and Auburn's Kyla Swanson.&nbsp;

"Our coaching staff has invested so many hours in preparing for this draft, and we are ecstatic with our selections,” Supernovas Head Coach&nbsp;Shelton Collier&nbsp;said. “Our first pick, Amber Igiede, is no doubt one of the top middle blockers in the country. For us to be able to trade for Paige Briggs, whom we targeted as the most skilled all-around player we really wanted at the top of the draft, was incredible for us.&nbsp;

Our staff loves&nbsp;Maggie Cartwright and Sophie Davis for their energetic vibe and versatility. We are so fired up about drafting Nebraska native Kyla Swanson, who had an amazing high school career in Wahoo. All five players were so excited when we called them to let them know that they were drafted by the Supernovas. They are all going to add tremendous value to our gym immediately&nbsp;in January.”&nbsp;

Omaha added a middle blocker with its first pick at No. 7 overall, drafting Igiede&nbsp;from Hawaii. The 6-foot-3 Louisiana native has grown into one of the best middles in the country as part of the Rainbow Wāhine. For the past four seasons, Igiede&nbsp;has played nearly every&nbsp;match, becoming a star player as early as her freshman&nbsp;season when she recorded 2.28 kills per set on a .349 hitting percentage en&nbsp;route to being named to the 2019 All-Big West First Team along with VolleyballMag.com Freshman All-American honors.&nbsp;

Igiede&nbsp;turned into an elite middle blocker over the next few seasons, with a massive jump coming between her sophomore and junior years. The Baton Rouge native became an offensive focal point during the 2022 season, averaging 3.79 kills per set on a .433 hitting percentage, which ranked No. 5 overall in the NCAA. Igiede’s&nbsp;blocking was one of the best in college volleyball that season as well, recording 138 total blocks for 1.29 blocks per set. The biggest jump, however, came in serving. Entering that season, Igiede&nbsp;compiled only 12 career aces, but by the season’s end, she had turned in&nbsp;29, which was second on the team.&nbsp;

Igiede&nbsp;was well-rewarded for her efforts, earning AVCA All-America Third Team honors, becoming the first Rainbow Wāhine&nbsp;to accomplish&nbsp;that feat since 2017. She also became the 12th overall and third-straight Hawaii player to be voted Big West Player of the Year.&nbsp;

Igiede&nbsp;nearly matched those totals during her senior season in 2023, averaging 3.72 kills per set on a .396 clip with 28 aces and 127 total blocks. As a result, she was named to her fourth-straight All-Big West First Team while helping the Rainbow Wāhine&nbsp;to the second round of the NCAA Volleyball Tournament this last fall.&nbsp;

"I’m super excited and honored to be picked to the Omaha Supernovas,” Igiede&nbsp;said. “This is an amazing opportunity, and I am really looking forward to playing for great coaches and coming to Omaha in January. What a great and exciting time for volleyball!”&nbsp;

After originally picking Jill Gillen of Arkansas at No. 8 overall and UCF middle blocker Abby Hansen at No. 21, the Supernovas pulled off a trade with the Orlando Valkyries. Omaha traded away Gillen and Hansen for Western Kentucky outside hitter Paige Briggs, as well as the No. 24 overall pick. Briggs was originally selected No. 5 overall. With that newly acquired&nbsp;pick from Orlando, the Supernovas selected another middle blocker in Sophie Davis from James Madison.&nbsp;

In five seasons with the Hilltoppers, Briggs became a program legend amassing over 1,800 career kills and nearly 1,500&nbsp;digs. Briggs turned in her best work over the past two seasons, with her 2022 season resulting in an AVCA and VolleyballMag&nbsp;All-American Honorable Mention. During that 2022 season, Briggs eclipsed the 400-kill mark for the first time in her career.&nbsp;

Briggs returned for a fifth season in 2023 and continued to add to her historic playing career by having&nbsp;career highs in kills (476), kills per set (4.00), hitting percentage (.330), and points (569.5). Briggs was recently named the Alyssa Cavanaugh Conference USA Player of the Year after helping the Hilltoppers to a 30-5 overall record and reaching the second round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament.&nbsp;

“I am extremely excited to join the Omaha Supernovas,” Briggs said. “Nebraska has an amazing volleyball community that it is an honor to just be a part of. I am so blessed to have this opportunity and cannot wait to see professional volleyball in the United States take off.”&nbsp;

The Supernovas went after another Razorback with the selection&nbsp;of Arkansas opposite Maggie Cartwright at No. 22 overall following the trade with Orlando. Cartwright spent all five seasons in Fayetteville, totaling over 1,200 career kills, 1,840 digs, and 108 aces.&nbsp;

Coming back to Arkansas for her fifth and final season, Cartwright had career highs in kills (363) and kills per set (2.85) while posting 89 blocks and 36 aces in helping the Hogs reach the Elite Eight for the first time in program history.&nbsp;

“I am so stoked and cannot wait to be a Supernova,” Cartwright said. “I have always dreamed to play professional volleyball in the United States and with this draft my dreams came true! I am so excited to get in the gym to compete and learn from great coaches. I can’t&nbsp;wait to get to Omaha!”&nbsp;

Using the pick acquired&nbsp;from Orlando, Omaha selected middle blocker Sophie Davis at No. 24, who joins the Supernovas after a historic career at James Madison. Davis was a force for the Dukes&nbsp;as she was an impact player from the day&nbsp;she starred in her first career match. The Fort Lauderdale, Florida native leaves the team as the program’s all-time leader in hitting percentage (.372), solo blocks (136), block assists (447), and total blocks (583) after five seasons.&nbsp;

Davis improved her play dramatically over the past two seasons as she was named the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 after recording 148 total blocks, which led the conference. Her .407 hitting percentage was also the highest in school history. Additionally, she nearly doubled her career aces total that season with 27 after posting 15 in the previous three years. Davis was named to the Sun Belt First Team All-Conference in 2023 after recording similar numbers with 139 blocks, a career-high 3.07 kills per set mark, and 22 aces.&nbsp;

“Words can’t express how grateful and excited I am to have been drafted to one of the premier teams in the league, the Omaha Supernovas,” Davis said. “I have heard so many great things&nbsp;about Coach Collier and his staff and I can’t&nbsp;wait to get in the gym and the team!” &nbsp;

With the final pick of the first college player draft, Omaha picked up a Nebraska native at No. 35 overall in the fifth round by selecting middle blocker Kyla Swanson from Auburn. Raised in Wahoo, Nebraska, Swanson was the top prospect in the state coming out of Wahoo High School in 2019.&nbsp;

Swanson helped the Warriors to back-to-back Class C-1 State Championships in 2017 and 2018 while recording the highest hitting percentage in the state with clips of .488 in 2017 and .462 in 2018.&nbsp;

Swanson committed to Illinois and former Nebraska assistant Chris Tamas, where she would spend the next four years. The 6-foot-4 middle didn’t&nbsp;garner much playing time in her first two seasons, but that changed when she grabbed a starting spot ahead of her junior season in 2021.&nbsp;

Swanson took advantage of the starting role, recording 106 total blocks, which was second on the team, while averaging 1.48 kills per set.&nbsp;She wasn’t able to replicate that success in her senior season, playing 15 matches in 2022.&nbsp;After graduating from Illinois, Swanson transferred to Auburn for her final season, where she had an impressive year, posting a career-high 129 blocks with 154 kills. The Tigers reached new heights during the 2023 season with Swanson, as Auburn was ranked inside the top 25 for the first time in program history while qualifying for the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight year.&nbsp;

“I am so grateful for the opportunity to continue furthering my volleyball career post-graduation&nbsp;with the Omaha Supernovas,” Swanson said. “Nebraska is where I grew up and fell in love with volleyball. To be able to play in Omaha is a momentous homecoming for me. I am extremely honored to learn from and compete with the best players and coaches&nbsp;in the nation.” &nbsp;

All five draftees will join the current roster in January as they attempt&nbsp;to make the Supernovas’ final roster. All Federation teams will cut&nbsp;down to 14-person rosters ahead of their season openers, with two additional roster spots saved for college draftees for a total of 16 players. The Supernovas will host the first Pro Volleyball Federation match on January 24, 2024, as Omaha takes on the Atlanta Vibe at the CHI Health Center, with the first serve set for 7 p.m.&nbsp;

With the conclusion of the draft, any player drafted shall be immediately eligible to sign a standard player agreement.&nbsp;Any college player who goes undrafted will be immediately&nbsp;eligible to sign with any team beginning at 12 p.m. ET on Tuesday, December 12, 2023.&nbsp;

If a college player doesn’t&nbsp;sign a standard player agreement with the team that drafts her, the team shall retain&nbsp;the drafted college player’s rights for two league seasons. If the college player’s rights are traded to another team, those rights carry over to the team receiving the college player’s rights. The extended two-year rights to a player end once that player signs a standard player agreement or practice squad agreement with a specific team.&nbsp;

A team may trade the rights to an unsigned but drafted college player from its college draft rights list to any team at any time. If a drafted player remains unsigned through the course of a league season, she shall remain on the team’s college draft right list for one additional league season, unless she has been traded to another team.&nbsp;

If a college player is drafted by a team and elects to return to school to retain&nbsp;her college eligibility, the college player shall be ineligible to sign with a league team during that league season and shall not be eligible for the college draft the following league season.&nbsp;

The Supernovas are one of seven U.S. teams for the 2024 inaugural season: Omaha Supernovas,&nbsp;<a href="https://atlantavibe.com/inaugural-season-tickets-on-sale/" target="_blank">Atlanta Vibe</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://orlandoprovb.com/" target="_blank">Orlando Valkyries</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.columbusfury.com/" target="_blank">Columbus Fury</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.grrise.com/" target="_blank">Grand Rapids Rise</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://sandiegoprovb.com/" target="_blank">San Diego Mojo</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://vegasthrill.com/" target="_blank">Vegas Thrill</a>. Two expansion teams,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dallasprovolleyball.com/" target="_blank">Dallas Pro Volleyball</a>&nbsp;and Kansas City Pro Volleyball, have been announced for 2025. In Season One, the Pro Volleyball Federation will be showcased&nbsp;in three different U.S. time zones. Matches will take place on 67 different dates between January and May 2024, occurring on every day of the week.&nbsp;

Story by Omaha Supernovas CommunicationsOMAHA, Neb.&nbsp;– The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.supernovas.com/" target="_blank">Omaha Supernovas,</a>&nbsp;Nebraska’s professional volleyball team in the newly-established&nbsp;<a href="http://www.provolleyball.com/" target="_blank">Professional Volleyball Federation</a>,&nbsp;drafted five players, headlined by Amber Igiede&nbsp;from Hawaii,&nbsp;as&nbsp;part of the&nbsp;2023 Pro Volleyball Federation U.S. College Player Draft&nbsp;held Monday in Atlanta.&nbsp;The Supernovas' draft class includes Igiede, Paige Briggs from Western Kentucky, Maggie Cartwright of Arkansas, Sophie Davis from James Madison, and Auburn's Kyla Swanson.&nbsp;"Our coaching staff has invested so many hours in preparing for this draft, and we are ecstatic with our selections,” Supernovas Head Coach&nbsp;Shelton Collier&nbsp;said. “Our first pick, Amber Igiede, is no doubt one of the top middle blockers in the country. For us to be able to trade for Paige Briggs, whom we targeted as the most skilled all-around player we really wanted at the top of the draft, was incredible for us.&nbsp;Our staff loves&nbsp;Maggie Cartwright and Sophie Davis for their energetic vibe and versatility. We are so fired up about drafting Nebraska native Kyla Swanson, who had an amazing high school career in Wahoo. All five players were so excited when we called them to let them know that they were drafted by the Supernovas. They are all going to add tremendous value to our gym immediately&nbsp;in January.”&nbsp;Omaha added a middle blocker with its first pick at No. 7 overall, drafting Igiede&nbsp;from Hawaii. The 6-foot-3 Louisiana native has grown into one of the best middles in the country as part of the Rainbow Wāhine. For the past four seasons, Igiede&nbsp;has played nearly every&nbsp;match, becoming a star player as early as her freshman&nbsp;season when she recorded 2.28 kills per set on a .349 hitting percentage en&nbsp;route to being named to the 2019 All-Big West First Team along with VolleyballMag.com Freshman All-American honors.&nbsp;Igiede&nbsp;turned into an elite middle blocker over the next few seasons, with a massive jump coming between her sophomore and junior years. The Baton Rouge native became an offensive focal point during the 2022 season, averaging 3.79 kills per set on a .433 hitting percentage, which ranked No. 5 overall in the NCAA. Igiede’s&nbsp;blocking was one of the best in college volleyball that season as well, recording 138 total blocks for 1.29 blocks per set. The biggest jump, however, came in serving. Entering that season, Igiede&nbsp;compiled only 12 career aces, but by the season’s end, she had turned in&nbsp;29, which was second on the team.&nbsp;Igiede&nbsp;was well-rewarded for her efforts, earning AVCA All-America Third Team honors, becoming the first Rainbow Wāhine&nbsp;to accomplish&nbsp;that feat since 2017. She also became the 12th overall and third-straight Hawaii player to be voted Big West Player of the Year.&nbsp;Igiede&nbsp;nearly matched those totals during her senior season in 2023, averaging 3.72 kills per set on a .396 clip with 28 aces and 127 total blocks. As a result, she was named to her fourth-straight All-Big West First Team while helping the Rainbow Wāhine&nbsp;to the second round of the NCAA Volleyball Tournament this last fall.&nbsp;"I’m super excited and honored to be picked to the Omaha Supernovas,” Igiede&nbsp;said. “This is an amazing opportunity, and I am really looking forward to playing for great coaches and coming to Omaha in January. What a great and exciting time for volleyball!”&nbsp;After originally picking Jill Gillen of Arkansas at No. 8 overall and UCF middle blocker Abby Hansen at No. 21, the Supernovas pulled off a trade with the Orlando Valkyries. Omaha traded away Gillen and Hansen for Western Kentucky outside hitter Paige Briggs, as well as the No. 24 overall pick. Briggs was originally selected No. 5 overall. With that newly acquired&nbsp;pick from Orlando, the Supernovas selected another middle blocker in Sophie Davis from James Madison.&nbsp;In five seasons with the Hilltoppers, Briggs became a program legend amassing over 1,800 career kills and nearly 1,500&nbsp;digs. Briggs turned in her best work over the past two seasons, with her 2022 season resulting in an AVCA and VolleyballMag&nbsp;All-American Honorable Mention. During that 2022 season, Briggs eclipsed the 400-kill mark for the first time in her career.&nbsp;Briggs returned for a fifth season in 2023 and continued to add to her historic playing career by having&nbsp;career highs in kills (476), kills per set (4.00), hitting percentage (.330), and points (569.5). Briggs was recently named the Alyssa Cavanaugh Conference USA Player of the Year after helping the Hilltoppers to a 30-5 overall record and reaching the second round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament.&nbsp;“I am extremely excited to join the Omaha Supernovas,” Briggs said. “Nebraska has an amazing volleyball community that it is an honor to just be a part of. I am so blessed to have this opportunity and cannot wait to see professional volleyball in the United States take off.”&nbsp;The Supernovas went after another Razorback with the selection&nbsp;of Arkansas opposite Maggie Cartwright at No. 22 overall following the trade with Orlando. Cartwright spent all five seasons in Fayetteville, totaling over 1,200 career kills, 1,840 digs, and 108 aces.&nbsp;Coming back to Arkansas for her fifth and final season, Cartwright had career highs in kills (363) and kills per set (2.85) while posting 89 blocks and 36 aces in helping the Hogs reach the Elite Eight for the first time in program history.&nbsp;“I am so stoked and cannot wait to be a Supernova,” Cartwright said. “I have always dreamed to play professional volleyball in the United States and with this draft my dreams came true! I am so excited to get in the gym to compete and learn from great coaches. I can’t&nbsp;wait to get to Omaha!”&nbsp;Using the pick acquired&nbsp;from Orlando, Omaha selected middle blocker Sophie Davis at No. 24, who joins the Supernovas after a historic career at James Madison. Davis was a force for the Dukes&nbsp;as she was an impact player from the day&nbsp;she starred in her first career match. The Fort Lauderdale, Florida native leaves the team as the program’s all-time leader in hitting percentage (.372), solo blocks (136), block assists (447), and total blocks (583) after five seasons.&nbsp;Davis improved her play dramatically over the past two seasons as she was named the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 after recording 148 total blocks, which led the conference. Her .407 hitting percentage was also the highest in school history. Additionally, she nearly doubled her career aces total that season with 27 after posting 15 in the previous three years. Davis was named to the Sun Belt First Team All-Conference in 2023 after recording similar numbers with 139 blocks, a career-high 3.07 kills per set mark, and 22 aces.&nbsp;“Words can’t express how grateful and excited I am to have been drafted to one of the premier teams in the league, the Omaha Supernovas,” Davis said. “I have heard so many great things&nbsp;about Coach Collier and his staff and I can’t&nbsp;wait to get in the gym and the team!” &nbsp;With the final pick of the first college player draft, Omaha picked up a Nebraska native at No. 35 overall in the fifth round by selecting middle blocker Kyla Swanson from Auburn. Raised in Wahoo, Nebraska, Swanson was the top prospect in the state coming out of Wahoo High School in 2019.&nbsp;Swanson helped the Warriors to back-to-back Class C-1 State Championships in 2017 and 2018 while recording the highest hitting percentage in the state with clips of .488 in 2017 and .462 in 2018.&nbsp;Swanson committed to Illinois and former Nebraska assistant Chris Tamas, where she would spend the next four years. The 6-foot-4 middle didn’t&nbsp;garner much playing time in her first two seasons, but that changed when she grabbed a starting spot ahead of her junior season in 2021.&nbsp;Swanson took advantage of the starting role, recording 106 total blocks, which was second on the team, while averaging 1.48 kills per set.&nbsp;She wasn’t able to replicate that success in her senior season, playing 15 matches in 2022.&nbsp;After graduating from Illinois, Swanson transferred to Auburn for her final season, where she had an impressive year, posting a career-high 129 blocks with 154 kills. The Tigers reached new heights during the 2023 season with Swanson, as Auburn was ranked inside the top 25 for the first time in program history while qualifying for the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight year.&nbsp;“I am so grateful for the opportunity to continue furthering my volleyball career post-graduation&nbsp;with the Omaha Supernovas,” Swanson said. “Nebraska is where I grew up and fell in love with volleyball. To be able to play in Omaha is a momentous homecoming for me. I am extremely honored to learn from and compete with the best players and coaches&nbsp;in the nation.” &nbsp;All five draftees will join the current roster in January as they attempt&nbsp;to make the Supernovas’ final roster. All Federation teams will cut&nbsp;down to 14-person rosters ahead of their season openers, with two additional roster spots saved for college draftees for a total of 16 players. The Supernovas will host the first Pro Volleyball Federation match on January 24, 2024, as Omaha takes on the Atlanta Vibe at the CHI Health Center, with the first serve set for 7 p.m.&nbsp;With the conclusion of the draft, any player drafted shall be immediately eligible to sign a standard player agreement.&nbsp;Any college player who goes undrafted will be immediately&nbsp;eligible to sign with any team beginning at 12 p.m. ET on Tuesday, December 12, 2023.&nbsp;If a college player doesn’t&nbsp;sign a standard player agreement with the team that drafts her, the team shall retain&nbsp;the drafted college player’s rights for two league seasons. If the college player’s rights are traded to another team, those rights carry over to the team receiving the college player’s rights. The extended two-year rights to a player end once that player signs a standard player agreement or practice squad agreement with a specific team.&nbsp;A team may trade the rights to an unsigned but drafted college player from its college draft rights list to any team at any time. If a drafted player remains unsigned through the course of a league season, she shall remain on the team’s college draft right list for one additional league season, unless she has been traded to another team.&nbsp;If a college player is drafted by a team and elects to return to school to retain&nbsp;her college eligibility, the college player shall be ineligible to sign with a league team during that league season and shall not be eligible for the college draft the following league season.&nbsp;REAL PRO VOLLEYBALL&nbsp;competition will officially begin in the United States with the Omaha Supernovas hosting the Atlanta Vibe in the first match in league history at the CHI Health Center in downtown Omaha on January 24, at 7:00 p.m. CT. Nebraska supports volleyball better than anyone, as evidenced by the more than 92,000 fans that turned out this season for a collegiate match at the Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium in August, setting a new world record for the highest attended women’s sporting event.&nbsp;The Supernovas are one of seven U.S. teams for the 2024 inaugural season: Omaha Supernovas,&nbsp;<a href="https://atlantavibe.com/inaugural-season-tickets-on-sale/" target="_blank">Atlanta Vibe</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://orlandoprovb.com/" target="_blank">Orlando Valkyries</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.columbusfury.com/" target="_blank">Columbus Fury</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.grrise.com/" target="_blank">Grand Rapids Rise</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://sandiegoprovb.com/" target="_blank">San Diego Mojo</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://vegasthrill.com/" target="_blank">Vegas Thrill</a>. Two expansion teams,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dallasprovolleyball.com/" target="_blank">Dallas Pro Volleyball</a>&nbsp;and Kansas City Pro Volleyball, have been announced for 2025. In Season One, the Pro Volleyball Federation will be showcased&nbsp;in three different U.S. time zones. Matches will take place on 67 different dates between January and May 2024, occurring on every day of the week.&nbsp;ABOUT OMAHA SUPERNOVAS&nbsp;The Omaha Supernovas aims to be the premier home of professional volleyball throughout the world. The team is owned by global music sensation Jason Derulo and entrepreneurs Danny White and Chris Erickson, Co-Founders of City+Ventures, an investment and business acceleration organization headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska.&nbsp;ABOUT PRO VOLLEYBALL FEDERATION&nbsp;Pro Volleyball Federation is&nbsp;REAL PRO VOLLEYBALL&nbsp;and the premier women’s professional volleyball league in North America. Pro Volleyball Federation will begin play in January 2024 with world class players and coaches, including some of America’s greatest volleyball players and elite players from around the world. Our entire focus is on ensuring that our level and quality of play, our treatment of players, the quality of our event presentations, and our day-to-day fan experience is world class and the very best offered in North America.&nbsp;For more information, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.provolleyball.com/" target="_blank">ProVolleyball.com</a>.

Amber Igiede leads impressive haul for Omaha in first U.S. College Player Draft 

Receiving Votes:&nbsp;Columbus (2-2), NR; Omaha Benson (2-1), NR; Papillion-La Vista (3-1).

Comments:&nbsp;Pius shakes things up with a win over previous No. 1 Bellevue West on Saturday. This jumps Millard West to the top spot, but not much changes behind. Pius inched ahead of Southwest on the win. Omaha Benson moves closer to the top 10.

Story by Nebpreps Communication<h2>CLASS A (RECORD), PREVIOUS</h2><ol>
 <li>Millard West (4-0), 3</li><li>Bellevue West (3-1),</li><li>Millard North (3-1),&nbsp; 2</li><li>Lincoln North Star (3-1), 4</li><li>Omaha Central (6-0), 5</li><li>Lincoln Pius X (2-1), 7</li><li>Lincoln Southwest (4-0), 6</li><li>Lincoln Northeast (3-1), 8</li><li>Omaha Marian (3-1), 9</li><li>Bellevue East (3-1), 10</li>
 </ol>Receiving Votes:&nbsp;Columbus (2-2), NR; Omaha Benson (2-1), NR; Papillion-La Vista (3-1).Comments:&nbsp;Pius shakes things up with a win over previous No. 1 Bellevue West on Saturday. This jumps Millard West to the top spot, but not much changes behind. Pius inched ahead of Southwest on the win. Omaha Benson moves closer to the top 10.<h2>CLASS B (RECORD), PREVIOUS</h2><ol>
 <li>Elkhorn North (3-0), 1</li><li>Skutt Catholic (1-0), 2</li><li>Beatrice (3-0), 5</li><li>Bennington (3-1), 4</li><li>Seward (3-1), 6</li><li>Waverly (3-1), 3</li><li>Norris (3-1), 7</li><li>South Sioux City (3-1), 8</li><li>York (2-1), RV</li><li>Gretna East (3-1), RV</li>
 </ol>Receiving Votes:&nbsp;Blair (4-1), 8.&nbsp;Comments:&nbsp;Some minor reshuffling as York bounced back from an opening loss to Platteview with a 41-31 over then-No. 3 Waverly. The Dukes reenter at ninth and Waverly rumbles to sixth. It will be interesting to see how the coaches grade new Gretna East, which plays just one in-state Class B team all season.&nbsp;<h2>CLASS C-1 (RECORD), PREVIOUS</h2><ol>
 <li>Lincoln Christian (4-0), 2</li><li>Malcolm (4-0), 3</li><li>Adams Central (4-0), 5</li><li>Gothenburg (2-1), 1&nbsp;</li><li>Bridgeport (5-0), 7</li><li>Sidney (4-0), 4</li><li>Minden (3-1), 6</li><li>Platteview (3-2), NR</li><li>Broken Bow (3-1), 9</li><li>Battle Creek (4-0), RV</li>
 </ol>Receiving Votes:&nbsp;DC West (3-0), 10; GICC (4-0), NR; Wahoo (2-2), 8.Comments:&nbsp;Another new&nbsp; No. 1. Good luck to Lincoln Christian who will be the third No. 1 in as many weeks after Adams Central knocked off Gothenburg on Friday night. Platteview enters at eighth with losses to Elkhorn North and Malcolm but a win over Class B No. 9 York.<h2>CLASS C-2 (RECORD), PREVIOUS</h2><ol>
 <li>Crofton (5-0), 1</li><li>Bishop Neumann (3-0), 2</li><li>Elmwood-Murdock (4-0), 4&nbsp;</li><li>Cross County (4-0), 3&nbsp;</li><li>Hastings St. Cecilia (3-1), 6&nbsp;</li><li>Oakland-Craig (3-2), 9</li><li>Yutan (3-1), 10</li><li>Sutton (3-1), NR</li><li>Cedar Catholic (2-2, NR</li><li>Freeman (3-1), NR</li>
 </ol>Receiving Votes:&nbsp;Elkhorn Valley (1-3), 9; Humphrey/LHF (1-3), 6; Johnson County Central (4-1), NR; Superior (4-1), NR; Valentine (4-1), NR.Comments:&nbsp;While there is certainly some consensus on the top half of this class, ranking teams 7-10 has been a difficult ask. Sutton, Cedar Catholic and Freeman join the ranks this week.&nbsp;<h2>CLASS D-1 (RECORD), PREVIOUS</h2><ol>
 <li>Pender (5-0), 1</li><li>Southern Valley (4-0), 3&nbsp;</li><li>Guardian Angels Central Catholic (4-1), 2</li><li>O’Neill St. Mary’s (4-0), 4</li><li>Sumner-Eddyville-Miller (5-0), 6</li><li>McCool Junction (3-1), 7</li><li>Elgin Public/Pope John (5-0), 8</li><li>Amherst (3-1), 5</li><li>Centura (3-1), 10</li><li>Johnson-Brock (2-1), RV</li>
 </ol>Receiving Votes:&nbsp;Bancroft-Rosalie (4-0), NR; Deshler (4-0), NR; Diller-Odell (4-0), RV..Comments:&nbsp;The top eight teams remain solid with some minor changes after GACC lost to Crofton and Amherst lost to Broken Bow. Johnson-Brock enters but faces RV Diller-Odell Tuesday night.&nbsp;<h2>CLASS D-2 (RECORD), PREVIOUS</h2><ol>
 <li>Wynot (3-1), 1</li><li>Falls City Sacred Heart (3-0), 3</li><li>Overton (4-1), 2</li><li>Leyton (4-0), 4</li><li>Humphrey St. Francis (4-1), 5</li><li>Meridian (2-1), 6</li><li>Shelton (3-1), 7</li><li>Sandhills/Thedford (4-0), 9&nbsp;</li><li>Cambridge (3-1), 8</li><li>Howells-Dodge (2-3), 10</li>
 </ol>Receiving Votes:&nbsp;Anselmo-Merna (3-1). NR; Parkview Christian (4-0), RV: Plainview (4-1), RV; Stuart (4-1), RV.Comments:&nbsp;The same 10 teams are ranked with FCSH and Overton flipping spots and Sandhills/Thedford and Cambridge as well. No ranked team has a loss to a Class D-2 team. Wynot is not penalized for a loss to Class D-1 No. 2 GACC last week.&nbsp;