Link:
Full Match Notes (Huskers.com)
#3 NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS (31-2) | #23 DAYTON FLYERS (31-2) | #7 WISCONSIN BADGERS (25-6) | TEXAS A&M AGGIES (21-7) |
| | | |
| | | |
MATHCUPS
at Bob Devaney Sports Center | Lincoln, NE
FRIDAY - DECEMBER 13
Wisconsin vs. Texas A&M
6:00 PM | ESPN2
Nebraska vs. Dayton
30 min after WI/A&M | ESPN2
REGIONAL FINAL
Sunday, December 15 | 2:00 PM (ABC)
====================
NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS
Record: 31-2 (19-1 Big Ten)
Head Coach: John Cook (720-102, 25th year at NU | 881-175, 31st year overall)
Rank: #3
DAYTON FLYERS
Record: 31-2 (18-0 Atlantic-10)
Head Coach: Tim Horsmon (406-109, 16th year | 582-273, 26th year overall)
Rank: #23
WISCONSIN BADGERS
Record: 25-6 (17-3 Big Ten)
Head Coach: Kelly Sheffield (317-67, 12th year at Wisconsin | 590-179, 24th year overall)
Rank: #7
TEXAS A&M AGGIES
Record: 21-7 (10-6 SEC)
Head Coach: Jamie Morrison (37-20, 2nd year at A&M | 2nd year overall)
Rank: NR
=====================
PREVIEW
• The third-ranked Nebraska volleyball team will host an NCAA Regional in Lincoln for the second straight year when the Huskers welcome No. 23 Dayton to the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Friday night on ESPN2.
• The first regional semifinal features No. 7 Wisconsin and Texas A&M at 6 p.m. Nebraska and Dayton will have first serve 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first match.
• Friday’s winners will meet in the regional final on Sunday at 2 p.m. on ABC.
• Courtney Lyle, Holly McPeak, Katie George and Madison Fitzpatrick will be on the call for the TV broadcasts in Lincoln this weekend. All three matches can be streamed on WatchESPN.
• Huskers Radio Network with John Baylor and Lauren (Cook) West will broadcast the Nebraska matches on their volleyball affiliate stations, on Huskers.com and on the Huskers App.
ABOUT THE HUSKERS
• Nebraska (31-2) won its 36th all-time conference title and fifth Big Ten title with a 19-1 record in Big Ten play this season. The Huskers went back-to-back as Big Ten champions for the second time, also accomplishing that feat in 2016 and 2017.
• The Huskers advanced to a 13th straight NCAA Regional after sweeping Florida A&M and Miami last weekend. The Huskers hit a combined .341 last weekend and held their two opponents to .010.
• The Huskers’ 29 regular-season wins tied the 1983 school record for most wins in a regular season in the NCAA era.
• Nebraska won 25 matches in a row after a Sept. 3 loss at SMU. Of those 25 wins, 20 were sweeps. NU’s win streak ended on Nov. 29 in a 3-1 loss at No. 4 Penn State.
• Nebraska went 7-1 against top-10 teams in the regular season, which is the most top-10 wins in a regular season in school history.
• Nebraska is 11-1 against ranked foes this season.
• After the Sept. 3 loss at SMU, Nebraska won 27 straight sets on the road until the Nov. 29 loss at No. 4 Penn State.
• The Huskers rank ninth nationally with a team hitting percentage of .290.
• The Huskers rank seventh nationally and first in the Big Ten in opponent hitting percentage at .141. NU led the nation in opponent hitting percentage in 2022 and 2023.
• Nebraska ranks 11th nationally in kills per set (14.19).
NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES
- Nebraska is making its 40th all-time NCAA Regional appearance and 13th consecutive appearance. The Huskers' 40 regional appearances are the most in NCAA history.
- Nebraska is 132-37 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. The Huskers rank second in NCAA history in postseason wins and winning percentage (.781)
- Nebraska has won 24 consecutive home NCAA Tournament matches dating back to 2013, a school record. The Huskers are 30-2 in NCAA Tournament matches at the Devaney Center
- Overall, Nebraska has won 43 consecutive home matches dating back to Dec. 1, 2022. The Huskers own the nation's longest home winning streak, and the streak is the longest since Nebraska moved into the Devaney Center in 2013.
- John Cook is 91-20 in the NCAA Tournament as Nebraska's head coach, and he is 99-25 overall in his career. One more NCAA Tournament win would make him the second coach all-time to reach 100 career NCAA Tournament wins. Only Russ Rose (106) has more career postseason wins
- The Huskers have reached six of the last nine NCAA Semifinals, including winning NCAA Championships in 2015 and 2017. Nebraska also won national titles in 1995, 2000 and 2006.
- This year's NCAA Championship is set for December 19-22 at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky, where the Huskers have already won two times this season against No. 9 Kentucky on Aug. 27 and No. 4 Louisville on Sept. 22.
ROTATION RUNDOWN
• Outside hitter
Harper Murray is the team leader in kills at 3.29 per set, and also in aces with 32. One of the top six-rotation players in the country, Murray adds 2.30 digs per set.
• Opposite hitter
Merritt Beason is second on the team in kills at 2.95 per set, and the two-year captain also contributes 1.23 digs per set and 27 aces.
• Middle blocker
Andi Jackson is averaging 2.57 kills per set with a .435 hitting percentage, which ranks seventh in the nation.
• Middle blocker
Rebekah Allick adds 1.80 kills per set on .354 hitting with 1.40 blocks per set. Allick has moved into the top 10 in school history in career blocks at No. 6 with 395.
• Setter
Bergen Reilly is averaging 11.10 assists per set, which ranks 10th in the nation. She also adds 2.90 digs per set and has 20 aces. Reilly has 16 double-doubles and was named Big Ten Setter of the Year for the second straight year.
• The 2024 Big Ten Libero of the Year,
Lexi Rodriguez leads the Husker back row with 3.81 digs per set. Rodriguez ranks No. 2 in school history in career digs with 1,843, needing 47 to tie the school record of 1,890 set by Justine Wong-Orantes (2013-16).
SCOUTING REPORT: DAYTON
• No. 23 Dayton advanced to an NCAA Regional for the first time in program history after beating No. 16 Baylor 3-2 in Waco, Texas last weekend.
• The Flyers rank sixth nationally in offense (.301) and fifth in defense (.140).
• Outside hitter Lexie Almodovar is a two-time Atlantic 10 Player of the Year. Almodovar ranks sixth nationally averaging 5.02 kills per set and is Dayton’s all-time career leader in kills with more than 2,000. She had a career-high 34 kills in Dayton’s second-round win over Baylor.
• Setter Alyssa Miller puts up 10.79 assists per set and was an All-Atlantic 10 First Team pick.
SERIES HISTORY
- Nebraska is 4-0 all-time against Dayton. The last meeting was Sept. 5, 2014, a 3-0 Nebraska win at Dayton.
- The teams have played once in the NCAA Tournament, a 3-0 Husker win on Dec. 6, 2003 in the second round in East Lansing, Michigan.
SERVE AND PASS
• Nebraska has allowed just 67 service aces this season, which leads the nation. The next closest teams are Creighton with 80 and Pittsburgh with 84.
• NU allowed 77 aces in the 2022 season and 80 aces in 2017. Last season, the Huskers were aced 104 times.
• The Huskers have served 139 aces and committed 176 errors so far this season. The ace-to-error ratio of 0.79 is NU’s best in a full season since 2010 (0.86).
• Nebraska is on pace to record its fewest service errors in a full season since 2011 (161).
BALANCED ATTACK
• Nebraska has seven different players averaging between 1.80 and 3.29 kills per set.
• Six different players have led the Huskers in kills in a match this season.
• Setter
Bergen Reilly ranks 10th nationally averaging 11.10 assists per set.
• Nebraska’s attack has been one of the best in the nation this season. The Huskers rank ninth in hitting percentage (.290) and 11th in kills per set (14.19).
HOME SWEET HOME
• Nebraska has won 43 home matches in a row dating back to Dec. 1, 2022, which is the longest active streak in the nation.
• The Huskers’ home win streak is its longest since moving into the Devaney Center in 2013.
• Nebraska’s longest all-time home win streak was 88 matches from 2004-09.