Story by NPCC Athletic Communications

Sophomore Mariah Gardner led all scorers with 13 points, as the Knights women’s basketball team earned the 55-48 victory over Colby Community College on Tuesday night.

Dazjanae Greene chipped in 12 points, six rebounds and three steals, while freshman Nariah Golden tallied 10 points on 5-of-13 shooting against the Trojans.

As a team, the Knights shot 41.4 percent (24-58) from the floor, including 4-of-12 from beyond the arc. North Platte held the Trojans to just 23.5 percent (16-68) shooting on the night, while forcing 22 Colby turnovers.

North Platte surged midway through the first quarter after a very quiet opening six minutes. Grigsby split the Trojan defense and completed the runner in the lane to jumpstart the Knights offense. North Platte used a 9-2 run to build a 14-6 lead by the end of the opening quarter, before Colby countered to narrow the margin to 25-20 at the halftime break.

The Trojans attacked the deficit in the opening 3:28 of the third quarter to cut the margin to two. A Grigsby layup ignited a 16-3 run, as the Knights built a 43-28 lead headed into the final period. North Platte continued to use stifling defense in the final quarter to seal their second road win of the season.

Knights (3-1) return to the hardwood on Friday to take on Kansas City Kansas Community College. Tip is set for 6 p.m. inside the Hy-Vee Arena in Kansas City, Kan.

Story by NPCC Athletic CommunicationsSophomore Mariah Gardner led all scorers with 13 points, as the Knights women’s basketball team earned the 55-48 victory over Colby Community College on Tuesday night.Dazjanae Greene chipped in 12 points, six rebounds and three steals, while freshman Nariah Golden tallied 10 points on 5-of-13 shooting against the Trojans.As a team, the Knights shot 41.4 percent (24-58) from the floor, including 4-of-12 from beyond the arc. North Platte held the Trojans to just 23.5 percent (16-68) shooting on the night, while forcing 22 Colby turnovers.North Platte surged midway through the first quarter after a very quiet opening six minutes. Grigsby split the Trojan defense and completed the runner in the lane to jumpstart the Knights offense. North Platte used a 9-2 run to build a 14-6 lead by the end of the opening quarter, before Colby countered to narrow the margin to 25-20 at the halftime break.The Trojans attacked the deficit in the opening 3:28 of the third quarter to cut the margin to two. A Grigsby layup ignited a 16-3 run, as the Knights built a 43-28 lead headed into the final period. North Platte continued to use stifling defense in the final quarter to seal their second road win of the season.Knights (3-1) return to the hardwood on Friday to take on Kansas City Kansas Community College. Tip is set for 6 p.m. inside the Hy-Vee Arena in Kansas City, Kan.

Knights earn road win against Trojans

North Platte men’s basketball team opened up road action with a 75-65 win over Colby Community College on Tuesday night.

Simeon Smith led all scorers with a season high 22 points, while Davion Evans chipped in 21 points and eight rebounds in 37 minutes of action.

The first half belonged to the Knights, as they utilized a 23-2 run beginning at the 13:49 mark to take control of the game. Colby rebounded over the final 4:47 to cut the margin to 38-27 by halftime.

The adjustments were made by Colby during the halftime break, as they cut the deficit to 49-43 with 12:11 to play. The Trojan offense continued rolling in the second half to cut the deficit to one on a corner three by D'Necco Rucker.

The Knights lead drifted to six, but Colby once again narrowed the margin to one possession with 3:24 remaining. North Platte remained composed in the final minutes making the most of their free throw opportunities to close out the Trojans on the road.

Knights (2-1) will take a week off before returning to the hardwood Tuesday, Nov. 14 to take on Barton Community College. Tip is set for 7 p.m. inside the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium.

Story by NPCC Athletic CommunicationsNorth Platte men’s basketball team opened up road action with a 75-65 win over Colby Community College on Tuesday night.Simeon Smith led all scorers with a season high 22 points, while Davion Evans chipped in 21 points and eight rebounds in 37 minutes of action.The first half belonged to the Knights, as they utilized a 23-2 run beginning at the 13:49 mark to take control of the game. Colby rebounded over the final 4:47 to cut the margin to 38-27 by halftime.The adjustments were made by Colby during the halftime break, as they cut the deficit to 49-43 with 12:11 to play. The Trojan offense continued rolling in the second half to cut the deficit to one on a corner three by D'Necco Rucker.The Knights lead drifted to six, but Colby once again narrowed the margin to one possession with 3:24 remaining. North Platte remained composed in the final minutes making the most of their free throw opportunities to close out the Trojans on the road.Knights (2-1) will take a week off before returning to the hardwood Tuesday, Nov. 14 to take on Barton Community College. Tip is set for 7 p.m. inside the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium.

Knights steal win from Colby on the road

North Platte Community College volleyball players Vanessa Wood, Jaelyn Dicke and Emily Johnson have been named to the National Junior College Athletic Association All-Region 9 Team.

Wood, a sophomore from Greeley, Neb., served as an outside hitter for the Knights. She ended the season first in the region and 15th in the nation for Division II with 455 kills – a total that also earned her a sixth-place all-time seat in the NPCC Volleyball record books.

Additionally, Wood led the region in kills per set (3.5) on an eighth place .166 hitting percentage. She finished fourth in digs (417) and fifth in digs per set (3.21). Her .37 average blocks per set put her 11th in the regional standings. Wood ranked 13th in service aces per set (.25).

This was Dicke’s first year playing for the Knights. The freshman outside hitter from Waverly, Neb. came in&nbsp;second regionally&nbsp;in kills (327), kills per set (2.53) and service aces per set (.45). Dicke rounded out the season sixth in both digs (407) and digs per set (3.16).

Johnson is a sophomore middle blocker from Briggsdale, Colo. She ended up fourth on the leaderboard with .84 blocks per set. She was 11th in kills (155) and 14th in kills per set (1.19).

A complete list of the 2023-24 women’s volleyball Division II leaders can be found at:&nbsp;<a href="https://region9athletics.com/sports/wvball/div_II/2023-24/leaders" target="_blank">https://region9athletics.com/sports/wvball/div_II/2023-24/leaders</a>.

Story by NPCC Athletic CommunicationsNorth Platte Community College volleyball players Vanessa Wood, Jaelyn Dicke and Emily Johnson have been named to the National Junior College Athletic Association All-Region 9 Team.Wood, a sophomore from Greeley, Neb., served as an outside hitter for the Knights. She ended the season first in the region and 15th in the nation for Division II with 455 kills – a total that also earned her a sixth-place all-time seat in the NPCC Volleyball record books.Additionally, Wood led the region in kills per set (3.5) on an eighth place .166 hitting percentage. She finished fourth in digs (417) and fifth in digs per set (3.21). Her .37 average blocks per set put her 11th in the regional standings. Wood ranked 13th in service aces per set (.25).This was Dicke’s first year playing for the Knights. The freshman outside hitter from Waverly, Neb. came in&nbsp;second regionally&nbsp;in kills (327), kills per set (2.53) and service aces per set (.45). Dicke rounded out the season sixth in both digs (407) and digs per set (3.16).Johnson is a sophomore middle blocker from Briggsdale, Colo. She ended up fourth on the leaderboard with .84 blocks per set. She was 11th in kills (155) and 14th in kills per set (1.19).A complete list of the 2023-24 women’s volleyball Division II leaders can be found at:&nbsp;<a href="https://region9athletics.com/sports/wvball/div_II/2023-24/leaders" target="_blank">https://region9athletics.com/sports/wvball/div_II/2023-24/leaders</a>.

Three NPCC volleyball players named to All-Region Team

Story by Omaha Supernovas Communication

OMAHA, Nebraska – The first professional volleyball league in the United States, the Pro Volleyball Federation, has announced the match schedule for its inaugural season, to include 24 matches for Nebraska’s first and only major professional team, the Omaha Supernovas. Omaha will host the inaugural match for the League on Wednesday, January 24 at the CHI Health Center.

Supernovas outside hitter Gina Mancuso-Prososki said, “Not only is this historic, but this is an honor and a true gift for the State of Nebraska that the Supernovas will host the first Pro Volleyball Federation match. I’m incredibly excited that my hometown, my home state and my home people will be the making of this monumental moment in women’s sports. Maybe I’m biased, but they deserve this without a doubt because they are the best volleyball fans in the world. The Supernovas are eager to not only mark their spot in history, but to make their fans proud.”

REAL PRO VOLLEYBALL competition will officially begin in the United States with the Omaha Supernovas hosting the Atlanta Vibe in the first match in League history at 7 p.m. CT. The State of Nebraska supports volleyball better than anyone, as evidenced by the 92,000+ that turned out this season for a collegiate match at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Memorial Stadium in August, setting a new world record for women’s sporting attendance.

Pro Volleyball Federation CEO, Jen Spicher, said, “We are excited to launch this world-class league and make sports history - starting with the Omaha Supernovas facing off against the Atlanta Vibe. The seven teams we have for 2024 are stacked with the very best world-class athletes and we know fans will show up to support these teams and their top-level play.”

Supernovas President Diane Mendenhall shared, “What an honor for Nebraska to be selected to host the inaugural match for major professional volleyball in the United States! We are honored

to be part of this movement sweeping our country. This January 24 historic match pays homage to the Nebraska legends who have paved the way for Nebraska to be the ‘Epicenter of

Volleyball’ on the world’s stage -- Doctor Hibner, Coach Pettit, Coach Cook, and all the great high school, club, and college coaches across Nebraska. Plus, all the communities that supported and embraced this sport since the first days of Title IX.”

The Supernovas join six other U.S. teams for the inaugural season: Atlanta Vibe, Columbus Fury, Grand Rapids Rise, Vegas Pro Volleyball, and San Diego Pro Volleyball. An eighth team, Dallas Pro Volleyball, has been announced as the League’s first expansion team for season two in 2025. Overall, in season one, the League will be showcased in three different time zones in the United States. Matches will take place on 67 different dates between January and May 2024 as opponents will be competing on every day of the week.

“There was no question as to where we wanted to place our historic first match,” said Dave Whinham, co-founder of Pro Volleyball Federation. “The state of Nebraska’s support of

women’s volleyball speaks for itself. We were in attendance when more than 92,000 people

packed Memorial Stadium in Lincoln to set a world record for attendance at a women’s sporting event, and we look forward to Omaha setting a record for attendance at a professional women’s volleyball match in North America, if not the world.”

After the regular season, the Supernovas are aiming to be one of the top four squads in the standings that will compete for the Pro Volleyball Federation Championship during the weekend of May 16-19, 2024. The location of the championship will be determined and announced at a later date.

The Supernovas roster includes Olympians, National Champions, and All-Americans. To date, 12 world-class professional players have been announced to includes Bethania de la Cruz, Tori Dixon, Danielle Hart, Sydney Hilley, Gina Mancuso-Prososki, Brooke Nuneviller, Yossiana Pressley, Nia Reed, Natalia Valentín-Anderson, Hristina Vuchkova, Lindsey Vander Weide and Kendall White.

Supernovas Head Coach, Shelton Collier, said, “It is so exciting for us to be able to see our Supernovas schedule as we prepare to compete in season one of the Pro Volleyball Federation. Our coaches and players are fired up for the challenge. We’re looking forward to having some great matches and awesome home crowds at the CHI Center, as well as competing in the other cities. Every team in the league has talented, experienced players, so fans can expect an unprecedented level play and competition here in the U.S. throughout the entire season.”

Mendenhall added, “Attendance records are tumbling across the country since that historic evening on August 30. We are seeing the proof that the Nebraska Effect is real in our season ticket sales, which have been unbelievable even prior to having a schedule. We know now, with this schedule, season tickets will soar.”

Season tickets are currently on sale through the team’s website, Supernovas.com, and download the Omaha Supernovas app for your smartphone and tablet devices.

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.

Pro Volleyball Federation is REAL PRO VOLLEYBALL 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. For more information, visit ProVolleyball.com.

Story by Omaha Supernovas CommunicationOMAHA, Nebraska – The first professional volleyball league in the United States, the Pro Volleyball Federation, has announced the match schedule for its inaugural season, to include 24 matches for Nebraska’s first and only major professional team, the Omaha Supernovas. Omaha will host the inaugural match for the League on Wednesday, January 24 at the CHI Health Center.Supernovas outside hitter Gina Mancuso-Prososki said, “Not only is this historic, but this is an honor and a true gift for the State of Nebraska that the Supernovas will host the first Pro Volleyball Federation match. I’m incredibly excited that my hometown, my home state and my home people will be the making of this monumental moment in women’s sports. Maybe I’m biased, but they deserve this without a doubt because they are the best volleyball fans in the world. The Supernovas are eager to not only mark their spot in history, but to make their fans proud.”REAL PRO VOLLEYBALL competition will officially begin in the United States with the Omaha Supernovas hosting the Atlanta Vibe in the first match in League history at 7 p.m. CT. The State of Nebraska supports volleyball better than anyone, as evidenced by the 92,000+ that turned out this season for a collegiate match at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Memorial Stadium in August, setting a new world record for women’s sporting attendance.Pro Volleyball Federation CEO, Jen Spicher, said, “We are excited to launch this world-class league and make sports history - starting with the Omaha Supernovas facing off against the Atlanta Vibe. The seven teams we have for 2024 are stacked with the very best world-class athletes and we know fans will show up to support these teams and their top-level play.”Supernovas President Diane Mendenhall shared, “What an honor for Nebraska to be selected to host the inaugural match for major professional volleyball in the United States! We are honoredto be part of this movement sweeping our country. This January 24 historic match pays homage to the Nebraska legends who have paved the way for Nebraska to be the ‘Epicenter ofVolleyball’ on the world’s stage -- Doctor Hibner, Coach Pettit, Coach Cook, and all the great high school, club, and college coaches across Nebraska. Plus, all the communities that supported and embraced this sport since the first days of Title IX.”The Supernovas join six other U.S. teams for the inaugural season: Atlanta Vibe, Columbus Fury, Grand Rapids Rise, Vegas Pro Volleyball, and San Diego Pro Volleyball. An eighth team, Dallas Pro Volleyball, has been announced as the League’s first expansion team for season two in 2025. Overall, in season one, the League will be showcased in three different time zones in the United States. Matches will take place on 67 different dates between January and May 2024 as opponents will be competing on every day of the week.“There was no question as to where we wanted to place our historic first match,” said Dave Whinham, co-founder of Pro Volleyball Federation. “The state of Nebraska’s support ofwomen’s volleyball speaks for itself. We were in attendance when more than 92,000 peoplepacked Memorial Stadium in Lincoln to set a world record for attendance at a women’s sporting event, and we look forward to Omaha setting a record for attendance at a professional women’s volleyball match in North America, if not the world.”After the regular season, the Supernovas are aiming to be one of the top four squads in the standings that will compete for the Pro Volleyball Federation Championship during the weekend of May 16-19, 2024. The location of the championship will be determined and announced at a later date.The Supernovas roster includes Olympians, National Champions, and All-Americans. To date, 12 world-class professional players have been announced to includes Bethania de la Cruz, Tori Dixon, Danielle Hart, Sydney Hilley, Gina Mancuso-Prososki, Brooke Nuneviller, Yossiana Pressley, Nia Reed, Natalia Valentín-Anderson, Hristina Vuchkova, Lindsey Vander Weide and Kendall White.Supernovas Head Coach, Shelton Collier, said, “It is so exciting for us to be able to see our Supernovas schedule as we prepare to compete in season one of the Pro Volleyball Federation. Our coaches and players are fired up for the challenge. We’re looking forward to having some great matches and awesome home crowds at the CHI Center, as well as competing in the other cities. Every team in the league has talented, experienced players, so fans can expect an unprecedented level play and competition here in the U.S. throughout the entire season.”Mendenhall added, “Attendance records are tumbling across the country since that historic evening on August 30. We are seeing the proof that the Nebraska Effect is real in our season ticket sales, which have been unbelievable even prior to having a schedule. We know now, with this schedule, season tickets will soar.”Season tickets are currently on sale through the team’s website, Supernovas.com, and download the Omaha Supernovas app for your smartphone and tablet devices.ABOUT OMAHA SUPERNOVASThe 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.ABOUT PRO VOLLEYBALL FEDERATIONPro Volleyball Federation is REAL PRO VOLLEYBALL 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. For more information, visit ProVolleyball.com.2024 OMAHA SUPERNOVAS SCHEDULEDate	Opponent	Time (CT)01.24		Atlanta	7:00 p.m.02.03		San Diego	6:00 p.m.02.07		Las Vegas	7:00 p.m.02.12	at	Grand Rapids	6:00 p.m.02.15	at	Las Vegas	9:00 p.m.02.18		Orlando	1:30 p.m.02.21	at	Columbus	6:00 p.m.02.25	at	Orlando	2:00 p.m.02.29	at	Atlanta	6:00 p.m.03.09	at	Orlando	6:00 p.m.03.14		Atlanta	7:00 p.m.03.16		Orlando	6:00 p.m.03.28		Grand Rapids	7:00 p.m.03.30		Las Vegas	6:00 p.m.04.02	at	San Diego	9:00 p.m.04.04		Columbus	7:00 p.m.04.13	at	Atlanta	6:00 p.m.04.20		San Diego	6:00 p.m.04.23	at	San Diego	9:00 p.m.04.26		Grand Rapids	7:00 p.m.05.04	at	Columbus	6:00 p.m.05.06	at	Las Vegas	9:00 p.m.05.09		Columbus	7:00 p.m.05.12	at	Grand Rapids	3:00 p.m.*All times subject to change*

Omaha Supernovas to make history hosting first Pro Volleyball Federation match on Jan. 24

Story by Pro Volleyball Federation

COLUMBUS, Ohio / FRISCO, Texas –&nbsp;Pro Volleyball Federation has announced the match schedule for its inaugural season, with a total of 84 exciting regular season matches on tap for the first campaign.&nbsp;

League competition will begin on Wednesday, January 24 as the Omaha Supernovas host the Atlanta Vibe in the first match in League history at 7 p.m. CT.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“There was no question as to where we wanted to place our historic first match,” said Dave Whinham, co-founder of Pro Volleyball Federation. “The state of Nebraska’s support of women’s volleyball speaks for itself. We were in attendance when more than 92,000 people packed Memorial Stadium in Lincoln to set a world record for attendance at a women’s sporting event, and we look forward to Omaha setting a record for attendance at a professional women’s volleyball match in North America, if not the world.”&nbsp;

Five of the seven Pro Volleyball Federation squads will take the court in the first week, when Columbus travels to Grand Rapids and Atlanta plays at Orlando during the week one slate.&nbsp;&nbsp;The remaining two squads – San Diego (Feb. 1) and Las Vegas (Feb. 7) – will open play in weeks two and three, respectively.&nbsp;

Overall, the League will be showcased in three different time zones in the United States. Matches will take place on 67 different dates between January and May as League competition will be featured on every day of the week.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“The next 84 days cannot come fast enough,” boasted Jen Spicher, CEO of Pro Volleyball Federation. “To see the lineup of matches we have in 16 weeks of regular season play is exciting and we know that our&nbsp;REAL PRO VOLLEYBALL&nbsp;players will showcase the sport like never before.”&nbsp;

After the regular season, the top four squads in the standings will compete for the Pro Volleyball Federation Championship during the weekend of May 16-19, 2024. The location of the championship will be determined and announced at a later date.&nbsp;&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. For more information, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.provolleyball.com/" target="_blank">ProVolleyball.com</a>.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699372115846.jpeg" alt="Omaha Supernovas" />
 <figcaption>Omaha Supernovas</figcaption>
 </figure>Story by Pro Volleyball FederationCOLUMBUS, Ohio / FRISCO, Texas –&nbsp;Pro Volleyball Federation has announced the match schedule for its inaugural season, with a total of 84 exciting regular season matches on tap for the first campaign.&nbsp;League competition will begin on Wednesday, January 24 as the Omaha Supernovas host the Atlanta Vibe in the first match in League history at 7 p.m. CT.&nbsp;&nbsp;“There was no question as to where we wanted to place our historic first match,” said Dave Whinham, co-founder of Pro Volleyball Federation. “The state of Nebraska’s support of women’s volleyball speaks for itself. We were in attendance when more than 92,000 people packed Memorial Stadium in Lincoln to set a world record for attendance at a women’s sporting event, and we look forward to Omaha setting a record for attendance at a professional women’s volleyball match in North America, if not the world.”&nbsp;Five of the seven Pro Volleyball Federation squads will take the court in the first week, when Columbus travels to Grand Rapids and Atlanta plays at Orlando during the week one slate.&nbsp;&nbsp;The remaining two squads – San Diego (Feb. 1) and Las Vegas (Feb. 7) – will open play in weeks two and three, respectively.&nbsp;Overall, the League will be showcased in three different time zones in the United States. Matches will take place on 67 different dates between January and May as League competition will be featured on every day of the week.&nbsp;&nbsp;“The next 84 days cannot come fast enough,” boasted Jen Spicher, CEO of Pro Volleyball Federation. “To see the lineup of matches we have in 16 weeks of regular season play is exciting and we know that our&nbsp;REAL PRO VOLLEYBALL&nbsp;players will showcase the sport like never before.”&nbsp;After the regular season, the top four squads in the standings will compete for the Pro Volleyball Federation Championship during the weekend of May 16-19, 2024. The location of the championship will be determined and announced at a later date.&nbsp;&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. For more information, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.provolleyball.com/" target="_blank">ProVolleyball.com</a>.&nbsp;

Pro Volleyball federation announces inaugural schedule  

Story by NU Athletic Communications

Merritt Beason was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday, while Bergen Reilly was named Big Ten Setter of the Week.&nbsp;

For Beason, it's the fourth time this season the junior opposite hitter has received Big Ten Player of the Week. Reilly, meanwhile, has been selected Big Ten Setter of the Week four times this season.&nbsp;

Beason had a career weekend for the Huskers, averaging 6.00 kills per set on .447 hitting with 1.75 digs per set and 1.00 blocks per set. She totaled 48 kills with just six errors on 94 swings in wins at No. 16 Penn State and Rutgers. In a 3-2 reverse sweep of the Nittany Lions, Beason had a career-high 27 kills on .426 hitting with five digs and three blocks and one ace. The Gardendale, Ala., native had six kills alone in the decisive fifth set. She followed up that career performance with 21 kills on a .475 hitting percentage with nine digs and five blocks in a sweep of the Scarlet Knights. Her 21 kills in the sweep tied Kelsey Robinson for the most by a Husker in a three-set match in the 25-point rally-scoring era (since 2008).&nbsp;

Reilly averaged 11.88 assists per set and 3.13 digs per set while posting double-doubles in both matches. The Sioux Falls, S.D., native had 52 assists and 13 digs in the 3-2 comeback win at Penn State on Friday. She followed up on Sunday at Rutgers with 43 assists and 12 digs.&nbsp;

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsMerritt Beason was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday, while Bergen Reilly was named Big Ten Setter of the Week.&nbsp;For Beason, it's the fourth time this season the junior opposite hitter has received Big Ten Player of the Week. Reilly, meanwhile, has been selected Big Ten Setter of the Week four times this season.&nbsp;Beason had a career weekend for the Huskers, averaging 6.00 kills per set on .447 hitting with 1.75 digs per set and 1.00 blocks per set. She totaled 48 kills with just six errors on 94 swings in wins at No. 16 Penn State and Rutgers. In a 3-2 reverse sweep of the Nittany Lions, Beason had a career-high 27 kills on .426 hitting with five digs and three blocks and one ace. The Gardendale, Ala., native had six kills alone in the decisive fifth set. She followed up that career performance with 21 kills on a .475 hitting percentage with nine digs and five blocks in a sweep of the Scarlet Knights. Her 21 kills in the sweep tied Kelsey Robinson for the most by a Husker in a three-set match in the 25-point rally-scoring era (since 2008).&nbsp;Reilly averaged 11.88 assists per set and 3.13 digs per set while posting double-doubles in both matches. The Sioux Falls, S.D., native had 52 assists and 13 digs in the 3-2 comeback win at Penn State on Friday. She followed up on Sunday at Rutgers with 43 assists and 12 digs.&nbsp;

Beason and Reilly pick up Big Ten awards

Nebraska jumped to a 16-0 lead on its way to a 90-42 season-opening win over Northwestern State on Monday afternoon at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Playing in front of the second-largest opening-day crowd (7,065) in Nebraska women's basketball history, the Huskers shot to a double-digit lead in the first five minutes and pushed the lead to 46-12 at halftime. The 12 points allowed by Nebraska's defense tied for the second-lowest total in school history, trailing only a 10-point first half by Illinois in 2018.

Nebraska's starting five did not allow a point while they were on the floor together in the first, second or third quarters, while also supplying a balanced offense for the Big Red.

Six Huskers finished the game in double figures, led by Jaz Shelley's game-high 17 points. The graduate guard from Moe, Australia knocked down a trio of three-pointers while adding a game-high six assists to go along with five rebounds and a game-high three steals.

Fellow graduate guard Darian White (Boise, Idaho) produced an outstanding performance in her Husker regular-season debut, contributing 13 points, a game-high nine rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Posts Alexis Markowski and Annika Stewart each added 13 points of their own while combining for 15 rebounds. Callin Hake added 12 points on 4-for-4 three-point shooting off the bench, while also pitching in four rebounds, three assists and two steals in a strong all-around effort.

True freshman Natalie Potts rounded out the six Huskers in double figures with 10 points and five rebounds while providing outstanding defense in nearly 20 minutes of action in her first career start.

As a team, Nebraska hit 42.6 percent (26-61) of its shots from the field, including 10-of-32 (.313) three-pointers. The Huskers lived at the free throw line, connecting on 28-of-33 free throws (.848). Nebraska won the battle of the boards, 51-33, and posted a 21-14 edge in the turnover department.

The Big Red held Northwestern State to just 21.8 percent (12-55) shooting for the game, including 3-of-27&nbsp; (.111) in the first half. The Lady Demons finished 5-of-20 (.250) from long range and 13-of-19 (.684) at the free throw line.&nbsp;

Karmelah Dean led NSU with 13 points off the bench, while Sharna Ayres added 11 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Jiselle Woodson contributed nine points on a trio of three-pointers.

Nebraska returns to action on Friday by traveling to Wyoming. Tip-off against the 2023 Mountain West runner-up Cowgirls is set for 7:30 p.m. (CT) in Laramie.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsNebraska jumped to a 16-0 lead on its way to a 90-42 season-opening win over Northwestern State on Monday afternoon at Pinnacle Bank Arena.Playing in front of the second-largest opening-day crowd (7,065) in Nebraska women's basketball history, the Huskers shot to a double-digit lead in the first five minutes and pushed the lead to 46-12 at halftime. The 12 points allowed by Nebraska's defense tied for the second-lowest total in school history, trailing only a 10-point first half by Illinois in 2018.Nebraska's starting five did not allow a point while they were on the floor together in the first, second or third quarters, while also supplying a balanced offense for the Big Red.Six Huskers finished the game in double figures, led by Jaz Shelley's game-high 17 points. The graduate guard from Moe, Australia knocked down a trio of three-pointers while adding a game-high six assists to go along with five rebounds and a game-high three steals.Fellow graduate guard Darian White (Boise, Idaho) produced an outstanding performance in her Husker regular-season debut, contributing 13 points, a game-high nine rebounds, four assists and three steals.Posts Alexis Markowski and Annika Stewart each added 13 points of their own while combining for 15 rebounds. Callin Hake added 12 points on 4-for-4 three-point shooting off the bench, while also pitching in four rebounds, three assists and two steals in a strong all-around effort.True freshman Natalie Potts rounded out the six Huskers in double figures with 10 points and five rebounds while providing outstanding defense in nearly 20 minutes of action in her first career start.As a team, Nebraska hit 42.6 percent (26-61) of its shots from the field, including 10-of-32 (.313) three-pointers. The Huskers lived at the free throw line, connecting on 28-of-33 free throws (.848). Nebraska won the battle of the boards, 51-33, and posted a 21-14 edge in the turnover department.The Big Red held Northwestern State to just 21.8 percent (12-55) shooting for the game, including 3-of-27&nbsp; (.111) in the first half. The Lady Demons finished 5-of-20 (.250) from long range and 13-of-19 (.684) at the free throw line.&nbsp;Karmelah Dean led NSU with 13 points off the bench, while Sharna Ayres added 11 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Jiselle Woodson contributed nine points on a trio of three-pointers.Nebraska returns to action on Friday by traveling to Wyoming. Tip-off against the 2023 Mountain West runner-up Cowgirls is set for 7:30 p.m. (CT) in Laramie.Nebraska Postgame Notes<ul>
 <li>The Huskers improved to 47-3 all time in season-opening home games, including 10-1 at Pinnacle Bank Arena.</li><li>Nebraska's crowd of 7,065 was its second-largest opening-day crowd in school history, trailing only the 9,750 fans in attendance for the opening of Pinnacle Bank Arena against UCLA in 2013.&nbsp;</li><li>Monday's opener followed the Nebraska Life Skills Sportsmanship Pep Rally, which featured more than 3,300 students and accompanying adults from 62 middle grades schools from across the state of Nebraska.</li><li>Nebraska's starting five against Northwestern State included first-time Husker starters Darian White (graduate) and Natalie Potts (true freshman), while Kendall Moriarty (junior) made the second start of her career.</li><li>Nebraska opened each of the first three quarters with double-digit runs (16-0, 1st; 12-0, 2nd; 10-0, 3rd).</li><li>The Huskers improved to 2-0 all time against Northwestern State.</li>
 </ul>

Defense fuels Husker opening-day win

Sam Hoiberg’s 15 points led five Huskers in double figures, as the Nebraska men’s basketball team opened the 2023-24 season with an 84-52 win over Lindenwood Monday evening.

Nebraska showed a balanced attack with five players in double figures and 10 cracking the scoring column, as the Huskers took control early with a dominant offensive performance.&nbsp;

Hoiberg tied his career high with 15 points, while Rienk Mast (13), Brice Williams (13), C.J. Wilcher (13) and Josiah Allick (11) all finished in double figures. NU had 19 assists on 27 baskets, including 13 on 17 first-half baskets.

The Huskers (1-0) shot 57 percent in the first half, including nine 3-pointers, in building a 51-24 halftime lead. NU had a 10-0 run and a pair of 9-0 spurts in opening 20 minutes, as Hoiberg and Mast combined for 20 first-half points.

Lindenwood was within 11-8 with 14:56 mark of the first half before Nebraska took control with a 17-2 spurt to build a 28-10 lead after two straight baskets from Mast, who hit 4-of-5 shots in the opening half. From there, NU took control from long range, hitting six 3-pointers in the last six minutes of the half in leading by as many as 29 points before taking a 51-24 lead at the break.

Nebraska opened the second half with seven straight points to build a 58-24 lead and led by as much as 36 points before cruising to a 32-point win.

Keenon Cole led Lindenwood (0-1) with 14 points, while Jeremiah Talton added 10 points off the bench as the Lions shot just 32 percent, including 3-of-16 from 3-poin range.

The Huskers will return to action at Pinnacle Bank Arena this Thursday, Nov. 9, when they face off against Florida A&amp;M at 7 p.m. (CT). The game will be streamed on B1G+ with audio coverage provided on the Huskers Radio Network. Tickets are available by visiting Huskers.com/Tickets or calling 800-8-BIGRED during business hours (8-5 p.m., Mon.-Fri.).

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsSam Hoiberg’s 15 points led five Huskers in double figures, as the Nebraska men’s basketball team opened the 2023-24 season with an 84-52 win over Lindenwood Monday evening.Nebraska showed a balanced attack with five players in double figures and 10 cracking the scoring column, as the Huskers took control early with a dominant offensive performance.&nbsp;Hoiberg tied his career high with 15 points, while Rienk Mast (13), Brice Williams (13), C.J. Wilcher (13) and Josiah Allick (11) all finished in double figures. NU had 19 assists on 27 baskets, including 13 on 17 first-half baskets.The Huskers (1-0) shot 57 percent in the first half, including nine 3-pointers, in building a 51-24 halftime lead. NU had a 10-0 run and a pair of 9-0 spurts in opening 20 minutes, as Hoiberg and Mast combined for 20 first-half points.Lindenwood was within 11-8 with 14:56 mark of the first half before Nebraska took control with a 17-2 spurt to build a 28-10 lead after two straight baskets from Mast, who hit 4-of-5 shots in the opening half. From there, NU took control from long range, hitting six 3-pointers in the last six minutes of the half in leading by as many as 29 points before taking a 51-24 lead at the break.Nebraska opened the second half with seven straight points to build a 58-24 lead and led by as much as 36 points before cruising to a 32-point win.Keenon Cole led Lindenwood (0-1) with 14 points, while Jeremiah Talton added 10 points off the bench as the Lions shot just 32 percent, including 3-of-16 from 3-poin range.The Huskers will return to action at Pinnacle Bank Arena this Thursday, Nov. 9, when they face off against Florida A&amp;M at 7 p.m. (CT). The game will be streamed on B1G+ with audio coverage provided on the Huskers Radio Network. Tickets are available by visiting Huskers.com/Tickets or calling 800-8-BIGRED during business hours (8-5 p.m., Mon.-Fri.).Game Notes<ul>
 <li>Nebraska put five players in double figures, led by Sam Hoiberg’s 15 points. Hoiberg tied a career high with 15 points (also at Maryland on 1/28/23).</li><li>Three of the Huskers’ five double-figure efforts were by players making their NU debut, including Rienk Mast (13), Brice Williams (13) and Josiah Allick (11). In all, 47 of NU’s 84 points were by newcomers.</li><li>Nebraska’s 84 points is the most since scoring 88 against Boston College on Nov. 30, 2022.</li><li>Nebraska’s 51-point first half was NU’s highest scoring first half since scoring 57 against Doane on Dec. 17, 2000. It tied NU’s highest first-half vs. a Division I team under Hoiberg, as Nebraska also had 51 against South Dakota State on Nov. 15, 2019. Nebraska shot 57 percent in the first half, including 9-of-19 from 3-point range.</li><li>Nebraska improved to 87-41 in season openers and has won 21 of the last 23 season openers.</li><li>Nebraska finished with 19 assists and just nine turnovers on the night. NU had 13 assists on its 17 first-half basket.</li><li>Nebraska finished with 11 3-pointers on the night. The Huskers had just three games with 10+ three-pointers in 2022-23.</li>
 </ul>

Huskers rout Lions in season opener

The Nebraska soccer team earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament when the 64-team bracket was announced on Monday.&nbsp;

The Huskers will host South Dakota State on Friday, Nov. 10 at 7:05 p.m. (CT) at Barbara Hibner Stadium in the first round. The winner will face either Tennessee or Xavier in the second round. &nbsp;

This year marks the 13th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history and first since 2016. NU has made it to the Sweet 16 on eight occasions and twice advanced to the Elite Eight. Nebraska holds a 17-12 record all-time in the NCAA Tournament. &nbsp;

The Huskers are 14-3-3 this season and won the Big Ten regular season title with a 7-1-2 mark. In the Big Ten semifinals, NU battled but fell 3-1 to then-No. 12 Wisconsin 3-1. &nbsp;

The second round, third round and quarterfinals will each be held at campus sides leading up to the Women’s College Cup Semifinals (Dec. 1) and National Championship Game (Dec. 4), both of which will be played at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. &nbsp;

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsThe Nebraska soccer team earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament when the 64-team bracket was announced on Monday.&nbsp;The Huskers will host South Dakota State on Friday, Nov. 10 at 7:05 p.m. (CT) at Barbara Hibner Stadium in the first round. The winner will face either Tennessee or Xavier in the second round. &nbsp;This year marks the 13th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history and first since 2016. NU has made it to the Sweet 16 on eight occasions and twice advanced to the Elite Eight. Nebraska holds a 17-12 record all-time in the NCAA Tournament. &nbsp;The Huskers are 14-3-3 this season and won the Big Ten regular season title with a 7-1-2 mark. In the Big Ten semifinals, NU battled but fell 3-1 to then-No. 12 Wisconsin 3-1. &nbsp;The second round, third round and quarterfinals will each be held at campus sides leading up to the Women’s College Cup Semifinals (Dec. 1) and National Championship Game (Dec. 4), both of which will be played at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. &nbsp;

Huskers selected for NCAA Tournament 

Story by UNK Athletic Communications

Kearney, Neb. –&nbsp;Right side&nbsp;Jaden Ferguson&nbsp;had an all-around effort and defensive specialist&nbsp;Jensen&nbsp;Rowse&nbsp;is closing in on 1,000 career digs as 10th-ranked Nebraska Kearney got past Missouri Western State in four sets (<a href="https://lopers.com/boxscore.aspx?path=wvball&amp;id=7527" target="_blank">-19, -12, 25-17, -21</a>) Saturday night in St. Joseph, Mo. The&nbsp;Lopers&nbsp;(25-3, 15-3) take the season series from the Griffons (19-8, 12-6) and improve to 7-3 in true road matches. They finish up the regular season next weekend at Missouri Southern and No. 23 Central Missouri (19-7, 16-2).UNK was poised for a sweep as it held leads of 19-14, 23-20 and 24-23 in the third set. However, the Griffs recorded back-to-back kills to make it 2-1 on the scoreboard. Mo West hit just .111 (14-9-45) in this set but held the&nbsp;Lopers&nbsp;to a .109 (13-8-42) efficiency. The Blue &amp; Gold never trailed in the fourth set, but the Griffs tied things up at 17, 18 and 19. It was a 22-21 Loper lead when outside&nbsp;Emersen&nbsp;Cyza&nbsp;(Alliance) smashed home a kill. The night ended after back-to-back&nbsp;MWSU&nbsp;errors with one coming via a double block by middle&nbsp;Trista&nbsp;Marx&nbsp;(Limon, Colo.) and setter&nbsp;Peyton Neff&nbsp;(North Platte).Ferguson paced UNK with a season-high 16 kills, 15 digs, four blocks, two aces and a 14 of 14 effort in serve receive. She also hit .295 with half her kill total coming in the second set (8-0-9). Including her All-American career at Northwest Missouri State, her career kill total is up to 991.&nbsp;Next,&nbsp;Rowse&nbsp;had 11 digs to push her career total to 998. She'll become just the 34th Loper to reach four figures in career digs. Libero&nbsp;Lauren&nbsp;Taubenheim&nbsp;(Lincoln Pius) will soon join&nbsp;Rowse&nbsp;on that dig list as she had 21 more tonight, as well as a 42 for 42 effort in serve receive. Her career dig tally is up to 902.&nbsp;Note Ferguson, Rowse and Taubenheim's career totals don't include the "non-countable" 2021 spring COVID season.Finally, Marx was a force in the middle (nine kills, three blocks, .412 pct.), outside&nbsp;Asha&nbsp;Regier&nbsp;(Newton, Kan.) was at nine kills, three stuffs and a .308 hitting efficiency and&nbsp;Cyza&nbsp;finished with up 12 kills in 43 swings. Danielle&nbsp;Moje&nbsp;(15 kills, three blocks, .400 pct.) and Emma&nbsp;Salker&nbsp;(13 kills) and Taylor Russell (12 kills, three blocks, .296 pct.) paced the Griffs.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Story by UNK Athletic CommunicationsKearney, Neb. –&nbsp;Right side&nbsp;Jaden Ferguson&nbsp;had an all-around effort and defensive specialist&nbsp;Jensen&nbsp;Rowse&nbsp;is closing in on 1,000 career digs as 10th-ranked Nebraska Kearney got past Missouri Western State in four sets (<a href="https://lopers.com/boxscore.aspx?path=wvball&amp;id=7527" target="_blank">-19, -12, 25-17, -21</a>) Saturday night in St. Joseph, Mo. The&nbsp;Lopers&nbsp;(25-3, 15-3) take the season series from the Griffons (19-8, 12-6) and improve to 7-3 in true road matches. They finish up the regular season next weekend at Missouri Southern and No. 23 Central Missouri (19-7, 16-2).UNK was poised for a sweep as it held leads of 19-14, 23-20 and 24-23 in the third set. However, the Griffs recorded back-to-back kills to make it 2-1 on the scoreboard. Mo West hit just .111 (14-9-45) in this set but held the&nbsp;Lopers&nbsp;to a .109 (13-8-42) efficiency. The Blue &amp; Gold never trailed in the fourth set, but the Griffs tied things up at 17, 18 and 19. It was a 22-21 Loper lead when outside&nbsp;Emersen&nbsp;Cyza&nbsp;(Alliance) smashed home a kill. The night ended after back-to-back&nbsp;MWSU&nbsp;errors with one coming via a double block by middle&nbsp;Trista&nbsp;Marx&nbsp;(Limon, Colo.) and setter&nbsp;Peyton Neff&nbsp;(North Platte).Ferguson paced UNK with a season-high 16 kills, 15 digs, four blocks, two aces and a 14 of 14 effort in serve receive. She also hit .295 with half her kill total coming in the second set (8-0-9). Including her All-American career at Northwest Missouri State, her career kill total is up to 991.&nbsp;Next,&nbsp;Rowse&nbsp;had 11 digs to push her career total to 998. She'll become just the 34th Loper to reach four figures in career digs. Libero&nbsp;Lauren&nbsp;Taubenheim&nbsp;(Lincoln Pius) will soon join&nbsp;Rowse&nbsp;on that dig list as she had 21 more tonight, as well as a 42 for 42 effort in serve receive. Her career dig tally is up to 902.&nbsp;Note Ferguson, Rowse and Taubenheim's career totals don't include the "non-countable" 2021 spring COVID season.Finally, Marx was a force in the middle (nine kills, three blocks, .412 pct.), outside&nbsp;Asha&nbsp;Regier&nbsp;(Newton, Kan.) was at nine kills, three stuffs and a .308 hitting efficiency and&nbsp;Cyza&nbsp;finished with up 12 kills in 43 swings. Danielle&nbsp;Moje&nbsp;(15 kills, three blocks, .400 pct.) and Emma&nbsp;Salker&nbsp;(13 kills) and Taylor Russell (12 kills, three blocks, .296 pct.) paced the Griffs.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Ferguson, Rowse and Taubenheim all closing in on 1k milestones

Story by the Omaha Supernovas Communication

Nebraska’s first major league professional volleyball team with the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.provolleyball.com/" target="_blank">Pro Volleyball League</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.supernovas.com/" target="_blank">Omaha Supernovas</a>, announced the signing of three-time All-American, and former Cyclone,&nbsp;Jess Schaben-Lansman. A 6-foot-2inch outside hitter graduated in 2019 as one of the best players in Iowa State history, becoming the first player in program history to have more than 300 kills in all four of her seasons.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Schaben-Lansman&nbsp;said, “I’m so excited for the opportunity to join the Omaha Supernovas. Omaha is the perfect place for professional volleyball because there are so many amazing fans and young athletes who will be impacted by the sport.”&nbsp;

“I'm super excited for Jess, she was one of the best players to ever play at Iowa State and is such a good worker and great volleyball player,” said Iowa State head coach and former Nebraska national champion&nbsp;Christy Johnson-Lynch. “I always felt like she was well-suited to play professional volleyball because she can adapt and work with anybody. It's such an honor to be a part of the inaugural season and inaugural teams, particularly in Omaha and being close to her hometown and Iowa State fans. It's going to be exciting to follow her career and we wish her the best.”&nbsp;

Supernovas head coach,&nbsp;Shelton Collier, said, “Jess had a tremendous career as a very talented, high-level and competitive player at Iowa State. She has an impressive all-around skill set as both a strong attacker and as an exceptional backrow player, and also as a high-level beach player. It’s certainly exciting for us to sign an Iowa-native to the Supernovas.”&nbsp;

A three-time All-American for the Cyclones,&nbsp;Schaben-Lansman&nbsp;also earned three-straight AVCA All-Midwest Region Team selections from 2016-2018. Schaben-Lansman proved to be one of the best in the Big 12 Conference, being named First Team All-Big 12 three times while picking up both offensive and defensive player of the week nods throughout her career. Schaben left her mark from the start as she was named AVCA Midwest Region Freshman and Big 12 Freshman of the Year in 2015.&nbsp;As a senior, the outside hitter had her most outstanding season notching 516 kills at 4.20 per set. She ranks fourth in school history with 1,548 career kills, achieving the total at an average of 3.57 per set, the second-highest average in program history.&nbsp;Schaben-Lansman&nbsp;also brought in 1,005 digs and 148 blocks throughout her Cyclone career. She is one of only three players in ISU history to reach 1,500 career kills and 1,000 career digs.&nbsp;

Following her stellar career at Iowa State, the Defiance, Iowa, native parlayed her hardcourt success to the beach.&nbsp;Schaben-Lansman&nbsp;competed for the #1 ranked LSU Tigers Beach Volleyball Team and garnered a gold medal playing for the 2018 USA Collegiate National Beach Team.&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 Center on January 24, at 7p.m. CT. The State of 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 University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Memorial Stadium in August, setting a new world record for women’s sporting attendance.&nbsp;

The Supernovas are one of seven U.S. teams for the inaugural season: Omaha Supernovas, Atlanta Vibe, Columbus Fury, Grand Rapids Rise, Vegas Pro Volleyball, and San Diego Pro Volleyball. An 8th team, Dallas Pro Volleyball, has been announced as the League’s first expansion team for Season Two in 2025. Overall, in Season One, the League will be showcased in three different time zones in the United States. Matches will take place on 67 different dates between January and May 2024 as opponents will be competing on every day of the week.&nbsp;

The Supernovas will play 12 home matches and 12 away matches, with the full season available on the team’s website:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.supernovas.com/" target="_blank">www.Supernovas.com</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

After the regular season, the Supernovas are aiming to be one of the top four squads in the standings that will compete for the Pro Volleyball Federation Championship during the weekend of May 16-19, 2024. The location of the championship will be determined and announced at a later date.&nbsp;

The Supernovas roster includes Olympians, National Champions, and All-Americans. After adding Schaben to the roster, it brings the Supernovas squad to 13 professional players. She joins teammates Bethania de la Cruz, Tori Dixon, Danielle Hart, Sydney Hilley, Gina Mancuso-Prososki, Brooke Nuneviller, Yossiana Pressley, Nia Reed, Natalia Valentín-Anderson, Hristina Vuchkova, Lindsey Vander Weide and Kendall White.&nbsp;

Season Tickets are currently on sale through the team’s website, <a href="http://supernovas.com/" target="_blank">Supernovas.com</a>, and on the team’s app, available for download on smartphones and tablets.&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.&nbsp;

ABOUT PRO VOLLEYBALL FEDERATION&nbsp;

Pro Volleyball Federation is REAL pro volleyball 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. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.provolleyball.com/" target="_blank">ProVolleyball.com</a>.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699292318160.jpeg" alt="Schaben, Jess" />
 <figcaption>Schaben, Jess</figcaption>
 </figure>Story by the Omaha Supernovas CommunicationNebraska’s first major league professional volleyball team with the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.provolleyball.com/" target="_blank">Pro Volleyball League</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.supernovas.com/" target="_blank">Omaha Supernovas</a>, announced the signing of three-time All-American, and former Cyclone,&nbsp;Jess Schaben-Lansman. A 6-foot-2inch outside hitter graduated in 2019 as one of the best players in Iowa State history, becoming the first player in program history to have more than 300 kills in all four of her seasons.&nbsp;&nbsp;Schaben-Lansman&nbsp;said, “I’m so excited for the opportunity to join the Omaha Supernovas. Omaha is the perfect place for professional volleyball because there are so many amazing fans and young athletes who will be impacted by the sport.”&nbsp;“I'm super excited for Jess, she was one of the best players to ever play at Iowa State and is such a good worker and great volleyball player,” said Iowa State head coach and former Nebraska national champion&nbsp;Christy Johnson-Lynch. “I always felt like she was well-suited to play professional volleyball because she can adapt and work with anybody. It's such an honor to be a part of the inaugural season and inaugural teams, particularly in Omaha and being close to her hometown and Iowa State fans. It's going to be exciting to follow her career and we wish her the best.”&nbsp;Supernovas head coach,&nbsp;Shelton Collier, said, “Jess had a tremendous career as a very talented, high-level and competitive player at Iowa State. She has an impressive all-around skill set as both a strong attacker and as an exceptional backrow player, and also as a high-level beach player. It’s certainly exciting for us to sign an Iowa-native to the Supernovas.”&nbsp;A three-time All-American for the Cyclones,&nbsp;Schaben-Lansman&nbsp;also earned three-straight AVCA All-Midwest Region Team selections from 2016-2018. Schaben-Lansman proved to be one of the best in the Big 12 Conference, being named First Team All-Big 12 three times while picking up both offensive and defensive player of the week nods throughout her career. Schaben left her mark from the start as she was named AVCA Midwest Region Freshman and Big 12 Freshman of the Year in 2015.&nbsp;As a senior, the outside hitter had her most outstanding season notching 516 kills at 4.20 per set. She ranks fourth in school history with 1,548 career kills, achieving the total at an average of 3.57 per set, the second-highest average in program history.&nbsp;Schaben-Lansman&nbsp;also brought in 1,005 digs and 148 blocks throughout her Cyclone career. She is one of only three players in ISU history to reach 1,500 career kills and 1,000 career digs.&nbsp;Following her stellar career at Iowa State, the Defiance, Iowa, native parlayed her hardcourt success to the beach.&nbsp;Schaben-Lansman&nbsp;competed for the #1 ranked LSU Tigers Beach Volleyball Team and garnered a gold medal playing for the 2018 USA Collegiate National Beach Team.&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 Center on January 24, at 7p.m. CT. The State of 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 University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Memorial Stadium in August, setting a new world record for women’s sporting attendance.&nbsp;The Supernovas are one of seven U.S. teams for the inaugural season: Omaha Supernovas, Atlanta Vibe, Columbus Fury, Grand Rapids Rise, Vegas Pro Volleyball, and San Diego Pro Volleyball. An 8th team, Dallas Pro Volleyball, has been announced as the League’s first expansion team for Season Two in 2025. Overall, in Season One, the League will be showcased in three different time zones in the United States. Matches will take place on 67 different dates between January and May 2024 as opponents will be competing on every day of the week.&nbsp;The Supernovas will play 12 home matches and 12 away matches, with the full season available on the team’s website:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.supernovas.com/" target="_blank">www.Supernovas.com</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;After the regular season, the Supernovas are aiming to be one of the top four squads in the standings that will compete for the Pro Volleyball Federation Championship during the weekend of May 16-19, 2024. The location of the championship will be determined and announced at a later date.&nbsp;The Supernovas roster includes Olympians, National Champions, and All-Americans. After adding Schaben to the roster, it brings the Supernovas squad to 13 professional players. She joins teammates Bethania de la Cruz, Tori Dixon, Danielle Hart, Sydney Hilley, Gina Mancuso-Prososki, Brooke Nuneviller, Yossiana Pressley, Nia Reed, Natalia Valentín-Anderson, Hristina Vuchkova, Lindsey Vander Weide and Kendall White.&nbsp;Season Tickets are currently on sale through the team’s website, <a href="http://supernovas.com/" target="_blank">Supernovas.com</a>, and on the team’s app, available for download on smartphones and tablets.&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.&nbsp;ABOUT PRO VOLLEYBALL FEDERATION&nbsp;Pro Volleyball Federation is REAL pro volleyball 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. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.provolleyball.com/" target="_blank">ProVolleyball.com</a>.&nbsp;

Supernovas sign “Stellar” former Iowa State All-American Jess Schaben-Lansman

The No. 9 Nebraska wrestling team dominated North Dakota State, recording five bonus-point victories to defeat NDSU (0-1, 0-0 Big 12) 31-12 on Saturday afternoon.#14 Caleb Smith (125) started the day off strong for the Huskers as he used a reversal, two takedowns and an escape to claim the 9-5 decision and his first career Husker victory. Jacob Van Dee then got the start at 133 as he recorded a takedown, escape and the riding time point for the 5-1 victory.At 141, NDSU tallied its first win of the day as sophomore Blake Cushing was tied with Gavin Drexler 4-4 after two periods, but fell by decision 9-4. #1 Ridge Lovett (149) got the Huskers back on track as he earned the first bonus-point victory for NU. Lovett used a takedown in each period to claim the 11-1 major decision win over NDSU’s #11 Kellyn March.&nbsp;

With the 10-3 overall team lead, #3 Peyton Robb kept the Huskers rolling at 157. The Husker senior scored two takedowns and two nearfall points in the opening period and added a reversal and a takedown in each of the following periods en route to the 18-3 tech. fall against NDSU’s Landen Johnson. Next up at 165, Antrell Taylor came out quickly as he tallied a pin in the opening period of the match to help the Huskers hold the 15-3 advantage with four matches remaining.&nbsp;

At 174, sophomore #20 Elise Brown Ton got the start. He recorded an opening-period takedown, but it was not enough as NDSU’s Aidan Brenot topped Brown Ton by decision, 8-3. The next two matches of the day saw the Big Red rack up two-straight tech. falls. #9 Lenny Pinto used six takedowns in his match at 184 to claim the 19-4 fall in Period 3. #7 Silas Allred followed suit at 197 as he tallied five takedowns and four nearfall points to earn the 20-4 victory.

With the 31-6 lead, heavyweight Harley Andrews battled but was pinned in Period 3 by NDSU’s Devon Dawson.&nbsp;

NU (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten) will return to action next week as the team hosts Campbell on Friday, Nov. 10. Action is set for 7 p.m. (CT) and will be streamed on Big Ten Plus.

#9 Nebraska 31, North Dakota State 12125: #14 Caleb Smith dec. Carlos Negrete Jr. (NDSU) 9-5 (NEB 3, NDSU 0)133: Jake Van Dee dec. Fernando Barreto (NDSU) 5-1 (NEB 6, NDSU 0)141: Gavin Drexler (NDSU) dec. Blake Cushing 9-4 (NEB 6, NDSU 3)149: #1 Ridge Lovett major dec. #11 Kellyn March (NDSU) 11-1 (NEB 10, NDSU 3)157: #3 Peyton Robb tech. fall Landen Johnson (NDSU) 18-3 6:58 (NEB 15, NDSU 3)165: Antrell Taylor pinned Brendan Howes (NDSU) 2:29 (NEB 21, NDSU 3)174: Gaven Sax (NDSU) dec. #20 Elise Brown Ton 8-3 (NEB 21, NDSU 6)184: #9 Lenny Pinto tech. fall Aidan Brenot (NDSU) 19-4 6:24 (NEB 26, NDSU 6)197: #7 Silas Allred tech. fall Spencer Mooberry (NDSU) 20-4 5:25 (NEB 31, NDSU 6)HWT: Devon Dawson (NDSU) pinned Harley Andrews 6:23 (NEB 31, NDSU 12)

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsThe No. 9 Nebraska wrestling team dominated North Dakota State, recording five bonus-point victories to defeat NDSU (0-1, 0-0 Big 12) 31-12 on Saturday afternoon.#14 Caleb Smith (125) started the day off strong for the Huskers as he used a reversal, two takedowns and an escape to claim the 9-5 decision and his first career Husker victory. Jacob Van Dee then got the start at 133 as he recorded a takedown, escape and the riding time point for the 5-1 victory.At 141, NDSU tallied its first win of the day as sophomore Blake Cushing was tied with Gavin Drexler 4-4 after two periods, but fell by decision 9-4. #1 Ridge Lovett (149) got the Huskers back on track as he earned the first bonus-point victory for NU. Lovett used a takedown in each period to claim the 11-1 major decision win over NDSU’s #11 Kellyn March.&nbsp;With the 10-3 overall team lead, #3 Peyton Robb kept the Huskers rolling at 157. The Husker senior scored two takedowns and two nearfall points in the opening period and added a reversal and a takedown in each of the following periods en route to the 18-3 tech. fall against NDSU’s Landen Johnson. Next up at 165, Antrell Taylor came out quickly as he tallied a pin in the opening period of the match to help the Huskers hold the 15-3 advantage with four matches remaining.&nbsp;At 174, sophomore #20 Elise Brown Ton got the start. He recorded an opening-period takedown, but it was not enough as NDSU’s Aidan Brenot topped Brown Ton by decision, 8-3. The next two matches of the day saw the Big Red rack up two-straight tech. falls. #9 Lenny Pinto used six takedowns in his match at 184 to claim the 19-4 fall in Period 3. #7 Silas Allred followed suit at 197 as he tallied five takedowns and four nearfall points to earn the 20-4 victory.With the 31-6 lead, heavyweight Harley Andrews battled but was pinned in Period 3 by NDSU’s Devon Dawson.&nbsp;NU (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten) will return to action next week as the team hosts Campbell on Friday, Nov. 10. Action is set for 7 p.m. (CT) and will be streamed on Big Ten Plus.#9 Nebraska 31, North Dakota State 12125: #14 Caleb Smith dec. Carlos Negrete Jr. (NDSU) 9-5 (NEB 3, NDSU 0)133: Jake Van Dee dec. Fernando Barreto (NDSU) 5-1 (NEB 6, NDSU 0)141: Gavin Drexler (NDSU) dec. Blake Cushing 9-4 (NEB 6, NDSU 3)149: #1 Ridge Lovett major dec. #11 Kellyn March (NDSU) 11-1 (NEB 10, NDSU 3)157: #3 Peyton Robb tech. fall Landen Johnson (NDSU) 18-3 6:58 (NEB 15, NDSU 3)165: Antrell Taylor pinned Brendan Howes (NDSU) 2:29 (NEB 21, NDSU 3)174: Gaven Sax (NDSU) dec. #20 Elise Brown Ton 8-3 (NEB 21, NDSU 6)184: #9 Lenny Pinto tech. fall Aidan Brenot (NDSU) 19-4 6:24 (NEB 26, NDSU 6)197: #7 Silas Allred tech. fall Spencer Mooberry (NDSU) 20-4 5:25 (NEB 31, NDSU 6)HWT: Devon Dawson (NDSU) pinned Harley Andrews 6:23 (NEB 31, NDSU 12)

Huskers win 31-12 at NDSU

Mariah Gardner led the way for the Knights with her team-high 18 points, as the Knights overcame the late rally to defeat the Lancers of Eastern Wyoming College 67-60 on Saturday afternoon.

The sophomore finished the game with 18 points, four rebounds and two assists, while teammate Jada Grigsby closed out the game with 11 points and three rebounds against the Lancers.

"I am proud of our resiliency and fight today," said head coach Jeff Thurman. "The way we responded after the loss on Friday, proved we have what it takes to take the next step toward achieving our goals this season."

North Platte and Eastern Wyoming battled it out throughout the opening ten minutes, but the Lancers managed to take a slight 11-8 lead into the second quarter.

The deficit grew to five before a 12-3 run capped off by a Dazjanae Greene runner gave North Platte the 20-16 lead with 4:38 to play. Eastern Wyoming slowly chipped away at the deficit before hitting the equalizer inside three minutes. Gardner broke the deadlock with a timely three pointer to ignite a short burst and give the Knights the 29-22 lead at the break.

North Platte continued their run in the third quarter, as a flurry of shots from beyond the arc helped the Knights extend their lead to 46-32. The Lancers narrowed the deficit down in the final minute, before making a run in the final ten minutes of regulation.

In the final quarter, Eastern Wyoming outscored the Knights 22-11 in the opening 6:36 to cut the margin to 57-56. Gardner once again responded from deep to ignite the cold offense. Eastern Wyoming attempted to mount the momentum needed to make one final rally, but the Knights closed the game out at the free throw line.

North Platte (2-1) will hit the road to take on Colby Community College on Tuesday, Nov. 7 at 5:30 p.m.

Story by NPCC Athletic CommunicationsMariah Gardner led the way for the Knights with her team-high 18 points, as the Knights overcame the late rally to defeat the Lancers of Eastern Wyoming College 67-60 on Saturday afternoon.The sophomore finished the game with 18 points, four rebounds and two assists, while teammate Jada Grigsby closed out the game with 11 points and three rebounds against the Lancers."I am proud of our resiliency and fight today," said head coach Jeff Thurman. "The way we responded after the loss on Friday, proved we have what it takes to take the next step toward achieving our goals this season."North Platte and Eastern Wyoming battled it out throughout the opening ten minutes, but the Lancers managed to take a slight 11-8 lead into the second quarter.The deficit grew to five before a 12-3 run capped off by a Dazjanae Greene runner gave North Platte the 20-16 lead with 4:38 to play. Eastern Wyoming slowly chipped away at the deficit before hitting the equalizer inside three minutes. Gardner broke the deadlock with a timely three pointer to ignite a short burst and give the Knights the 29-22 lead at the break.North Platte continued their run in the third quarter, as a flurry of shots from beyond the arc helped the Knights extend their lead to 46-32. The Lancers narrowed the deficit down in the final minute, before making a run in the final ten minutes of regulation.In the final quarter, Eastern Wyoming outscored the Knights 22-11 in the opening 6:36 to cut the margin to 57-56. Gardner once again responded from deep to ignite the cold offense. Eastern Wyoming attempted to mount the momentum needed to make one final rally, but the Knights closed the game out at the free throw line.North Platte (2-1) will hit the road to take on Colby Community College on Tuesday, Nov. 7 at 5:30 p.m.

Knights survive late rally by Lancers to earn win

North Platte, Neb. – Davion Evans and Michael Cooper led the way with a team-high 16 points, but strong defense propelled North Platte Community College past Eastern Wyoming College on Saturday afternoon, 72-63.

North Platte connected on 46.8 percent (29-62) of their shots from the field, including 14-of-23 from the free throw line. Knights won the battle of the boards, 49-38, while making the most of their second chance opportunities against Eastern Wyoming.

A Landon Broer steal and transition layup helped the Knights extend their early lead to 20-11 with 8:37 to play in the opening half. Eastern Wyoming narrowed the margin to one, before another layup by Broer pushed the lead back to three. Knights and Lancers continued to exchange buckets for the remainder of the half, as North Platte held on for the 34-30 advantage at the break.

Eastern Wyoming erased the deficit in the early stages of the second half, by using a 10-0 run to steal the momentum away from the Knights. Bryce Baez fought through the Lancers defense to answer with a contested layup to stop the momentum shift. The game would remain tight the rest of the way, but the Knights defense tightened up to close out the Lancers.

North Platte (1-1) will begin the road portion of their schedule with Colby Community College on Tuesday, Nov. 7. Tip is set for 7:30 p.m. from the Colby Event Center.

Story by NPCC Athletic CommunicationsNorth Platte, Neb. – Davion Evans and Michael Cooper led the way with a team-high 16 points, but strong defense propelled North Platte Community College past Eastern Wyoming College on Saturday afternoon, 72-63.North Platte connected on 46.8 percent (29-62) of their shots from the field, including 14-of-23 from the free throw line. Knights won the battle of the boards, 49-38, while making the most of their second chance opportunities against Eastern Wyoming.A Landon Broer steal and transition layup helped the Knights extend their early lead to 20-11 with 8:37 to play in the opening half. Eastern Wyoming narrowed the margin to one, before another layup by Broer pushed the lead back to three. Knights and Lancers continued to exchange buckets for the remainder of the half, as North Platte held on for the 34-30 advantage at the break.Eastern Wyoming erased the deficit in the early stages of the second half, by using a 10-0 run to steal the momentum away from the Knights. Bryce Baez fought through the Lancers defense to answer with a contested layup to stop the momentum shift. The game would remain tight the rest of the way, but the Knights defense tightened up to close out the Lancers.North Platte (1-1) will begin the road portion of their schedule with Colby Community College on Tuesday, Nov. 7. Tip is set for 7:30 p.m. from the Colby Event Center.

Knights edge Lancers in Region IX matchup

Story by Tri-City Athletic Communications

The Tri-City Storm dropped an overtime decision to the Youngstown Phantoms by a final score of 5-4 Saturday night at the Covelli Centre. Jake Rozzi, Artemi Nizameyev, Trevor Connelly, and A.J. Lacroix each netted a goal during the contest for the Storm. Tri-City set a new season-high with three powerplay goals during the matchup. The Storm also tied a season-high for most goals scored in a road game this year in the overtime loss. Tri-City will return home to the Viaero Center on Friday night in hopes of snapping a five-game losing streak. Puck drop for Friday’s home game against Waterloo is scheduled for 7:05pm CT. &nbsp;

Conner De Haro scored his first goal of the year at 7:17 of the 1st&nbsp;period to give the Phantoms a one-goal lead in the matchup. Charlie Cerrato and Finn McLaughlin each notched an assist on the scoring play. Jake Rozzi scored his first goal with the Storm at 9:39 of Saturday’s opening period to bring the game to a 1-1 tie. Rozzi’s goal was the Storm’s first of three scored on the powerplay during Saturday night’s matchup. Trevor Connelly and Cooper Simpson each recorded an assist on the Storm’s scoring play. The Phantoms outshot the Storm 10-9 during the 1st&nbsp;period, and Saturday’s 2nd&nbsp;period began in a 1-1 tie. &nbsp;

Artemi Nizameyev scored his third goal of the year at 3:31 of Saturday’s middle period to give Tri-City a 2-1 lead in the matchup. The goal was netted on the powerplay, and was assisted by Trevor Connelly. Connelly scored his fourth goal of the year at 11:30 of the middle period to increase the Storm’s lead to two goals. The goal was scored on the powerplay, and was assisted by Artemi Nizameyev and Jake Rozzi. The final goal of Saturday’s 2nd&nbsp;period was netted by Kuzma Voronin with under six minutes to play. Voronin’s goal was his second of the year, and was assisted by Adam Pietila and Braiden Clark. The Phantoms outshot the Storm 9-8 in the 2nd&nbsp;period, but trailed by a single goal entering Saturday’s 3rd&nbsp;period. &nbsp;

A.J. Lacroix scored the first goal of his USHL career at 8:29 of Saturday’s 3rd&nbsp;period to give Tri-City a 4-2 lead in the matchup. Philippe Blais-Savoie and Luke Posthumus each notched an assist on Lacroix’s even-strength goal. The Phantoms lifted goaltender Colin Winn for an extra attacker with under two minutes to play in Saturday’s 3rd&nbsp;period. Youngstown scored on a six-on-four attack while Charlie Kinsman served a minor penalty for hooking. The goal was netted by Tory Pitner, and was assisted by Kuzma Voronin. Ryan Botterill scored his seventh goal of the year with under a minute to play to tie the game at 4-4 and to force an overtime finish to Saturday’s game. The Phantom’s game-tying goal was also netted with an extra attacker on the ice. &nbsp;

The Storm outshot the Phantoms 5-3 during the overtime period, but fell by a final score of 5-4. Ryan Botterill scored his second goal of the night, and eighth goal of the year with less than fifteen seconds remaining in the overtime period to seal the Phantoms’ victory. The Storm was outshot by an overall margin of 35 to 25 during the battle. &nbsp;

Ivan Zhigalov recorded the overtime loss in net for Tri-City after making 30 saves on 35 shots during the contest. Colin Winn collected the win in net for Youngstown after turning away 21 of Tri-City’s 25 shots on net. Winn was assessed a ten-minute misconduct penalty following the game. &nbsp;

The Storm finished the game 3/7 on the powerplay, and 5/6 on the penalty kill. Tri-City dropped to 7-6-1-0 on the season in Saturday’s loss. &nbsp;

Tri-City will return home for back-to-back games against the Waterloo Black Hawks on Friday, November 10th, and Saturday, November 11th. Friday’s game will feature a $5 Kids Friday presented by Big Apple Fun Center. Saturday’s game will serve as the organization’s annual Military Appreciation Night presented by Nebraska Warriors. The Storm will wear specialty jerseys for the contest that will be auctioned off following the game. Puck drop for Friday’s game against Waterloo is set for 7:05pm CT. Saturday’s game will begin at 6:05pm CT. Tickets to each upcoming home game can be purchased online by skating to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stormhockey.com/" target="_blank">www.StormHockey.com</a>, or by contacting a member of the Storm sales staff by calling the Viaero Center Box Office at 308-338-8144. &nbsp;

The Storm hits the ice again on Friday, November 10th, in a home game against the Waterloo Black Hawks. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05pm CT. Skate to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stormhockey.com/" target="_blank">www.StormHockey.com</a>&nbsp;for individual game tickets and more information regarding the Tri-City Storm&nbsp;organization.&nbsp;The Tri-City Storm is presented by Viaero Wireless.

Story by Tri-City Athletic CommunicationsThe Tri-City Storm dropped an overtime decision to the Youngstown Phantoms by a final score of 5-4 Saturday night at the Covelli Centre. Jake Rozzi, Artemi Nizameyev, Trevor Connelly, and A.J. Lacroix each netted a goal during the contest for the Storm. Tri-City set a new season-high with three powerplay goals during the matchup. The Storm also tied a season-high for most goals scored in a road game this year in the overtime loss. Tri-City will return home to the Viaero Center on Friday night in hopes of snapping a five-game losing streak. Puck drop for Friday’s home game against Waterloo is scheduled for 7:05pm CT. &nbsp;Conner De Haro scored his first goal of the year at 7:17 of the 1st&nbsp;period to give the Phantoms a one-goal lead in the matchup. Charlie Cerrato and Finn McLaughlin each notched an assist on the scoring play. Jake Rozzi scored his first goal with the Storm at 9:39 of Saturday’s opening period to bring the game to a 1-1 tie. Rozzi’s goal was the Storm’s first of three scored on the powerplay during Saturday night’s matchup. Trevor Connelly and Cooper Simpson each recorded an assist on the Storm’s scoring play. The Phantoms outshot the Storm 10-9 during the 1st&nbsp;period, and Saturday’s 2nd&nbsp;period began in a 1-1 tie. &nbsp;Artemi Nizameyev scored his third goal of the year at 3:31 of Saturday’s middle period to give Tri-City a 2-1 lead in the matchup. The goal was netted on the powerplay, and was assisted by Trevor Connelly. Connelly scored his fourth goal of the year at 11:30 of the middle period to increase the Storm’s lead to two goals. The goal was scored on the powerplay, and was assisted by Artemi Nizameyev and Jake Rozzi. The final goal of Saturday’s 2nd&nbsp;period was netted by Kuzma Voronin with under six minutes to play. Voronin’s goal was his second of the year, and was assisted by Adam Pietila and Braiden Clark. The Phantoms outshot the Storm 9-8 in the 2nd&nbsp;period, but trailed by a single goal entering Saturday’s 3rd&nbsp;period. &nbsp;A.J. Lacroix scored the first goal of his USHL career at 8:29 of Saturday’s 3rd&nbsp;period to give Tri-City a 4-2 lead in the matchup. Philippe Blais-Savoie and Luke Posthumus each notched an assist on Lacroix’s even-strength goal. The Phantoms lifted goaltender Colin Winn for an extra attacker with under two minutes to play in Saturday’s 3rd&nbsp;period. Youngstown scored on a six-on-four attack while Charlie Kinsman served a minor penalty for hooking. The goal was netted by Tory Pitner, and was assisted by Kuzma Voronin. Ryan Botterill scored his seventh goal of the year with under a minute to play to tie the game at 4-4 and to force an overtime finish to Saturday’s game. The Phantom’s game-tying goal was also netted with an extra attacker on the ice. &nbsp;The Storm outshot the Phantoms 5-3 during the overtime period, but fell by a final score of 5-4. Ryan Botterill scored his second goal of the night, and eighth goal of the year with less than fifteen seconds remaining in the overtime period to seal the Phantoms’ victory. The Storm was outshot by an overall margin of 35 to 25 during the battle. &nbsp;Ivan Zhigalov recorded the overtime loss in net for Tri-City after making 30 saves on 35 shots during the contest. Colin Winn collected the win in net for Youngstown after turning away 21 of Tri-City’s 25 shots on net. Winn was assessed a ten-minute misconduct penalty following the game. &nbsp;The Storm finished the game 3/7 on the powerplay, and 5/6 on the penalty kill. Tri-City dropped to 7-6-1-0 on the season in Saturday’s loss. &nbsp;Tri-City will return home for back-to-back games against the Waterloo Black Hawks on Friday, November 10th, and Saturday, November 11th. Friday’s game will feature a $5 Kids Friday presented by Big Apple Fun Center. Saturday’s game will serve as the organization’s annual Military Appreciation Night presented by Nebraska Warriors. The Storm will wear specialty jerseys for the contest that will be auctioned off following the game. Puck drop for Friday’s game against Waterloo is set for 7:05pm CT. Saturday’s game will begin at 6:05pm CT. Tickets to each upcoming home game can be purchased online by skating to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stormhockey.com/" target="_blank">www.StormHockey.com</a>, or by contacting a member of the Storm sales staff by calling the Viaero Center Box Office at 308-338-8144. &nbsp;The Storm hits the ice again on Friday, November 10th, in a home game against the Waterloo Black Hawks. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05pm CT. Skate to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stormhockey.com/" target="_blank">www.StormHockey.com</a>&nbsp;for individual game tickets and more information regarding the Tri-City Storm&nbsp;organization.&nbsp;The Tri-City Storm is presented by Viaero Wireless.

Storm drops overtime decision to Phantoms 

Junior Calvin Mueller claimed the Big Ten Individual Championships singles title as the Nebraska men’s tennis team wrapped up fall competition on Sunday.

Mueller used four-straight victories to find himself in the championship match against Penn State’s Miko Eala where Mueller won in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2. Shunya Maruyama also had a successful tournament as he made it to the semifinals before falling to Eala in a third-set tiebreak.&nbsp;

Rudi Christiansen, Lars Johann and Nikolay Sysoev also competed in the singles draw, as Johann and Sysoev won their opening two matches and Christiansen won his first match but fell in the Round of 32.&nbsp;

In doubles, Maruyama and Sysoev won their first match, but fell in the Round of 16 to Michigan’s Nino Ehrenschneider and Patorn Hanchaikul. Mueller and Johanan earned a bye in the first round, but also fell in the Round of 16.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsJunior Calvin Mueller claimed the Big Ten Individual Championships singles title as the Nebraska men’s tennis team wrapped up fall competition on Sunday.Mueller used four-straight victories to find himself in the championship match against Penn State’s Miko Eala where Mueller won in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2. Shunya Maruyama also had a successful tournament as he made it to the semifinals before falling to Eala in a third-set tiebreak.&nbsp;Rudi Christiansen, Lars Johann and Nikolay Sysoev also competed in the singles draw, as Johann and Sysoev won their opening two matches and Christiansen won his first match but fell in the Round of 32.&nbsp;In doubles, Maruyama and Sysoev won their first match, but fell in the Round of 16 to Michigan’s Nino Ehrenschneider and Patorn Hanchaikul. Mueller and Johanan earned a bye in the first round, but also fell in the Round of 16.

Mueller wins, Huskers finish play at Big Tens

The No. 4 Nebraska rifle team moved to 3-3 on the season after grabbing a 4,704-4,632 win over The Citadel on Saturday.

NU took four of the top five spots overall. Sophomore Emma Rhode placed first with an aggregate score of 1,182 and sophomore Tori Watts was second with the same score. The tiebreaker was determined by the number of 10-point shots by each athlete. Senior Cecelia Ossi (third, 1,175) and freshman Charlie Mick (fourth, 1,174) rounded out the top finishers.

“The team didn’t have a great performance today,” Head Coach Mindy Miles said. “There were moments of pride depending on the position and athlete, but the team is missing out on major points due to consistency.”

The Huskers also grabbed the top five spots in the air rifle. Watts posted a 597 in the event to finish in first. Her score ties for the second-highest in program history. Rhode was second (594) while Ossi finished third (592). Junior Mackenzie Strauch (592) and Mick (591) were fourth and fifth, respectively.

Rhode earned a first-place finish in the smallbore with a score of 588. Watts finished in second with a 585, while Ossi placed third (583) and Mick was fourth (583).

Nebraska will travel to Morgantown, W.V., to take on No. 1 WVU, No. 5 Air Force and No. 11 Murray State in the Fall Classic on Nov. 11 and 12.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsThe No. 4 Nebraska rifle team moved to 3-3 on the season after grabbing a 4,704-4,632 win over The Citadel on Saturday.NU took four of the top five spots overall. Sophomore Emma Rhode placed first with an aggregate score of 1,182 and sophomore Tori Watts was second with the same score. The tiebreaker was determined by the number of 10-point shots by each athlete. Senior Cecelia Ossi (third, 1,175) and freshman Charlie Mick (fourth, 1,174) rounded out the top finishers.“The team didn’t have a great performance today,” Head Coach Mindy Miles said. “There were moments of pride depending on the position and athlete, but the team is missing out on major points due to consistency.”The Huskers also grabbed the top five spots in the air rifle. Watts posted a 597 in the event to finish in first. Her score ties for the second-highest in program history. Rhode was second (594) while Ossi finished third (592). Junior Mackenzie Strauch (592) and Mick (591) were fourth and fifth, respectively.Rhode earned a first-place finish in the smallbore with a score of 588. Watts finished in second with a 585, while Ossi placed third (583) and Mick was fourth (583).Nebraska will travel to Morgantown, W.V., to take on No. 1 WVU, No. 5 Air Force and No. 11 Murray State in the Fall Classic on Nov. 11 and 12.

Huskers grab win against Bulldogs

The No. 1 Nebraska volleyball team swept Rutgers 25-15, 25-20, 25-18 in front of yet another record crowd as 6,757 turned out to watch the Huskers and Scarlet Knights at Jersey Mike's Arena on Sunday afternoon.

With a 23-0 (14-0 Big Ten) record, the Huskers have equaled the 2006 team that began the season with 23 straight wins. The 2005 Huskers started the year 28-0.&nbsp;

Merritt Beason continued her monstrous weekend with 21 kills, nine digs and five blocks with a .475 hitting percentage. Combined with her career-high 27 kills at Penn State on Friday night, Beason totaled 48 kills for an average of 6.00 kills per set on a .447 hitting percentage on the weekend. Her 21 kills in Sunday's sweep tied Kelsey Robinson for the most by a Husker in a three-set match in the 25-point rally-scoring era (since 2008).&nbsp;

Ally Batenhorst added 11 kills and seven digs, while Bekka Allick posted seven kills and five blocks and Andi Jackson tallied seven kills on .467 hitting. Harper Murray contributed six kills and seven digs.&nbsp;

Nebraska hit .288 and held Rutgers to a .127 hitting percentage. The Huskers had a 52-28 advantage in kills, 61-51 edge in digs and 8-2 in blocks.&nbsp;

Lexi Rodriguez had 16 digs, while Bergen Reilly finished with 43 assists and 12 digs. Laney Choboy added nine digs.&nbsp;

Alissa Kinkela led Rutgers (10-14, 2-12 Big Ten) with eight kills.&nbsp;

Set 1: Nebraska went up 4-1 early with kills by Beason and Murray and a block by Beason and Allick. The Huskers continued to pile up kills in building the lead to 12-5. Rutgers got within five at 15-10, but an Allick kill started an 8-2 run that gave the Huskers a 23-12 advantage. A solo block by Batenhorst and kill by Murray helped close out the set, 25-15. NU hit .326 in the opening set while holding Rutgers to .075. Beason had seven kills on 12 error-free swings in the opening set.&nbsp;

Set 2: Nebraska trailed through most of the second set before finishing it on an 8-1 run to win 25-20. The Scarlet Knights led by as many as four at 9-5 before the Huskers began to chip away. Back-to-back kills by Beason began the comeback, and a Batenhorst kill tied the set at 12-12. But Rutgers went back ahead 18-15 and held a 19-17 lead when the Huskers took over. Allick and Beason began the final 8-1 surge with a block, and Beason followed with three more kills around one by Batenhorst to make it 22-19. Batenhorst then posted a solo block and kill for set point at 24-19, and Batenhorst finished off the set at 25-20 with another kill. Beason had nine kills in the second set, while Batenhorst had seven.&nbsp;

Set 3: Nebraska took control early with an 8-1 start, as Allick had a kill and two blocks and Beason had two kills and two blocks. Rutgers pulled within four at 14-10, but a kill by Murray and block by Reilly and Jackson helped restore an 18-11 lead. A kill by Beason and ace by Murray kept NU ahead by seven, 22-15, and Allick and Batenhorst had kills down the stretch for a 25-18 win.&nbsp;

Up Next: The Huskers begin a stretch of three straight home matches with a 7 p.m. contest against Northwestern at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Wednesday.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsThe No. 1 Nebraska volleyball team swept Rutgers 25-15, 25-20, 25-18 in front of yet another record crowd as 6,757 turned out to watch the Huskers and Scarlet Knights at Jersey Mike's Arena on Sunday afternoon.With a 23-0 (14-0 Big Ten) record, the Huskers have equaled the 2006 team that began the season with 23 straight wins. The 2005 Huskers started the year 28-0.&nbsp;Merritt Beason continued her monstrous weekend with 21 kills, nine digs and five blocks with a .475 hitting percentage. Combined with her career-high 27 kills at Penn State on Friday night, Beason totaled 48 kills for an average of 6.00 kills per set on a .447 hitting percentage on the weekend. Her 21 kills in Sunday's sweep tied Kelsey Robinson for the most by a Husker in a three-set match in the 25-point rally-scoring era (since 2008).&nbsp;Ally Batenhorst added 11 kills and seven digs, while Bekka Allick posted seven kills and five blocks and Andi Jackson tallied seven kills on .467 hitting. Harper Murray contributed six kills and seven digs.&nbsp;Nebraska hit .288 and held Rutgers to a .127 hitting percentage. The Huskers had a 52-28 advantage in kills, 61-51 edge in digs and 8-2 in blocks.&nbsp;Lexi Rodriguez had 16 digs, while Bergen Reilly finished with 43 assists and 12 digs. Laney Choboy added nine digs.&nbsp;Alissa Kinkela led Rutgers (10-14, 2-12 Big Ten) with eight kills.&nbsp;Set 1: Nebraska went up 4-1 early with kills by Beason and Murray and a block by Beason and Allick. The Huskers continued to pile up kills in building the lead to 12-5. Rutgers got within five at 15-10, but an Allick kill started an 8-2 run that gave the Huskers a 23-12 advantage. A solo block by Batenhorst and kill by Murray helped close out the set, 25-15. NU hit .326 in the opening set while holding Rutgers to .075. Beason had seven kills on 12 error-free swings in the opening set.&nbsp;Set 2: Nebraska trailed through most of the second set before finishing it on an 8-1 run to win 25-20. The Scarlet Knights led by as many as four at 9-5 before the Huskers began to chip away. Back-to-back kills by Beason began the comeback, and a Batenhorst kill tied the set at 12-12. But Rutgers went back ahead 18-15 and held a 19-17 lead when the Huskers took over. Allick and Beason began the final 8-1 surge with a block, and Beason followed with three more kills around one by Batenhorst to make it 22-19. Batenhorst then posted a solo block and kill for set point at 24-19, and Batenhorst finished off the set at 25-20 with another kill. Beason had nine kills in the second set, while Batenhorst had seven.&nbsp;Set 3: Nebraska took control early with an 8-1 start, as Allick had a kill and two blocks and Beason had two kills and two blocks. Rutgers pulled within four at 14-10, but a kill by Murray and block by Reilly and Jackson helped restore an 18-11 lead. A kill by Beason and ace by Murray kept NU ahead by seven, 22-15, and Allick and Batenhorst had kills down the stretch for a 25-18 win.&nbsp;Up Next: The Huskers begin a stretch of three straight home matches with a 7 p.m. contest against Northwestern at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Wednesday.

Huskers sweep Scarlet Knights

3rd place match: #3 Gothenburg Vs. #5 Pierce

#3 Gothenburg Vs. #2 MindenSet 1: 25-19 GothenburgSet 2: 25-18 GothenburgSet 3: 25-16 MindenSet 4: 25-22 MindenSet 5: 15-7 Minden&nbsp;3rd place match: #3 Gothenburg Vs. #5 PierceSet 1: 25-19 GothenburgSet 2: 25-12 GothenburgSet 3: 25-20 PierceSet 4: 26-24 PierceSet 5: 15-9 Gothenburg

Area volleyball scores from the NSAA State Volleyball Championship 11/3 - 11/5

Nebraska had chances on the road but was unable to mount enough offense to overcome a 10-point fourth quarter deficit in a 20-17 loss at Michigan State on Saturday afternoon in East Lansing.

The Huskers, who slipped to 5-4 overall and 3-3 in the Big Ten, held Michigan State to just 63 rushing yards on 31 carries, but the Spartans (3-6, 1-5 Big Ten) used several long pass plays to help amass 232 yards through the air. Nebraska went for 154 rushing yards on 41 carries, but managed just 129 yards on 12-of-28 passing.

The Spartans out-gained the Huskers 295-283, but MSU was also flagged seven times for 70 yards, while Nebraska committed no penalties on the day. Nebraska also racked up 19 first downs compared to just 11 for Michigan State.

However, the Spartans got four long pass plays from three different throwers to account for nearly half (141) of their total yardage (295) in the game, including a 46-yard first-quarter pass from Katin Houser to Jaylan Franklin, a 42-yard pass from Alante Brown to Montorie Foster Jr. in the second quarter, a 28-yard pass from Houser to Tyrell Henry early in the third quarter, and a 25-yard touchdown pass from Sam Leavitt to Foster early in the fourth quarter. All four big plays led to MSU's scores in the game, including Foster's touchdown grab that put the Spartans up 20-10.&nbsp;

Haarberg, who managed 37 yards on 14 carries on the day with one touchdown despite being sacked seven times, answered with a big play of his own, a 43-yard fourth-quarter run that set up a four-yard Emmett Johnson touchdown with 3:35 left to cut MSU's lead to 20-17. Johnson led Nebraska with 57 yards on 13 carries on the day.&nbsp;

Michigan State missed a field goal attempt with less than a minute remaining, and Nebraska took over with 43 seconds left at its own 27 needing a field goal to send the game to overtime. Haarberg opened the drive with a nine-yard completion to Malachi Coleman before a 10-yard defensive holding penalty put the Huskers near midfield with 19 second left.&nbsp;

Haarberg's next pass attempt was knocked out of his hand as his arm moved forward, but the play was ruled a fumble on the field. With Nebraska out of timeouts, the clock kept running and one last pass attempt fell incomplete as time expired, ending Nebraska's three-game winning streak.

Tight end Thomas Fidone led the Huskers with three receptions for 43 yards, while Alex Bullock added three catches for 37 yards. Coleman contributed a pair of catches for 39 yards.

Luke Reimer led the Blackshirts with seven tackles, while Isaac Gifford, Nick Henrich, Jibari Butler and Javin Wright all added five stops apiece.

Houser's 46-yard pass to Franklin on Michigan State's fourth offensive play set up Jonathan Kim's 35-yard field goal to give the Spartans a 3-0 lead just over three minutes into the game. Houser finished the day 13-of-20 for 165 passing yards with one touchdown.

The MSU lead held until early in the second quarter when Haarberg ran into the end zone untouched from five yards out with 12:40 left in the half to give Nebraska a 7-3 lead.

Michigan State answered with Houser's 11-yard touchdown pass to Christian Fitzpatrick just over three minutes later. The key play on the drive was Brown's 42-yard pass to Foster, after an initial lateral from Houser to Brown.

The Spartans led 10-7 until Tristan Alvano tied the score with his 24-yard field goal with 10 seconds left in the half. Alvano's field goal capped a 12-play, 74-yard drive that consumed 4:56 and sent the two teams to the halftime locker room tied at 10.

Nebraska opened the second half with the ball but had its drive stall near midfield. MSU took over at its own 14 and began its drive with Houser's 28-yard pass to Henry. The big play sparked a 12-play, 53-yard drive that ate up 6:24 on the clock and resulted in Kim's 50-yard field goal to give the Spartans a 13-10 lead heading to the final quarter.

The Huskers return home to Memorial Stadium next Saturday to take on Maryland. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. (CST) with live television coverage from Peacock.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsNebraska had chances on the road but was unable to mount enough offense to overcome a 10-point fourth quarter deficit in a 20-17 loss at Michigan State on Saturday afternoon in East Lansing.The Huskers, who slipped to 5-4 overall and 3-3 in the Big Ten, held Michigan State to just 63 rushing yards on 31 carries, but the Spartans (3-6, 1-5 Big Ten) used several long pass plays to help amass 232 yards through the air. Nebraska went for 154 rushing yards on 41 carries, but managed just 129 yards on 12-of-28 passing.The Spartans out-gained the Huskers 295-283, but MSU was also flagged seven times for 70 yards, while Nebraska committed no penalties on the day. Nebraska also racked up 19 first downs compared to just 11 for Michigan State.However, the Spartans got four long pass plays from three different throwers to account for nearly half (141) of their total yardage (295) in the game, including a 46-yard first-quarter pass from Katin Houser to Jaylan Franklin, a 42-yard pass from Alante Brown to Montorie Foster Jr. in the second quarter, a 28-yard pass from Houser to Tyrell Henry early in the third quarter, and a 25-yard touchdown pass from Sam Leavitt to Foster early in the fourth quarter. All four big plays led to MSU's scores in the game, including Foster's touchdown grab that put the Spartans up 20-10.&nbsp;Haarberg, who managed 37 yards on 14 carries on the day with one touchdown despite being sacked seven times, answered with a big play of his own, a 43-yard fourth-quarter run that set up a four-yard Emmett Johnson touchdown with 3:35 left to cut MSU's lead to 20-17. Johnson led Nebraska with 57 yards on 13 carries on the day.&nbsp;Michigan State missed a field goal attempt with less than a minute remaining, and Nebraska took over with 43 seconds left at its own 27 needing a field goal to send the game to overtime. Haarberg opened the drive with a nine-yard completion to Malachi Coleman before a 10-yard defensive holding penalty put the Huskers near midfield with 19 second left.&nbsp;Haarberg's next pass attempt was knocked out of his hand as his arm moved forward, but the play was ruled a fumble on the field. With Nebraska out of timeouts, the clock kept running and one last pass attempt fell incomplete as time expired, ending Nebraska's three-game winning streak.Tight end Thomas Fidone led the Huskers with three receptions for 43 yards, while Alex Bullock added three catches for 37 yards. Coleman contributed a pair of catches for 39 yards.Luke Reimer led the Blackshirts with seven tackles, while Isaac Gifford, Nick Henrich, Jibari Butler and Javin Wright all added five stops apiece.Houser's 46-yard pass to Franklin on Michigan State's fourth offensive play set up Jonathan Kim's 35-yard field goal to give the Spartans a 3-0 lead just over three minutes into the game. Houser finished the day 13-of-20 for 165 passing yards with one touchdown.The MSU lead held until early in the second quarter when Haarberg ran into the end zone untouched from five yards out with 12:40 left in the half to give Nebraska a 7-3 lead.Michigan State answered with Houser's 11-yard touchdown pass to Christian Fitzpatrick just over three minutes later. The key play on the drive was Brown's 42-yard pass to Foster, after an initial lateral from Houser to Brown.The Spartans led 10-7 until Tristan Alvano tied the score with his 24-yard field goal with 10 seconds left in the half. Alvano's field goal capped a 12-play, 74-yard drive that consumed 4:56 and sent the two teams to the halftime locker room tied at 10.Nebraska opened the second half with the ball but had its drive stall near midfield. MSU took over at its own 14 and began its drive with Houser's 28-yard pass to Henry. The big play sparked a 12-play, 53-yard drive that ate up 6:24 on the clock and resulted in Kim's 50-yard field goal to give the Spartans a 13-10 lead heading to the final quarter.The Huskers return home to Memorial Stadium next Saturday to take on Maryland. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. (CST) with live television coverage from Peacock.