Saleaumua Dominant in Sweep of No. 12 UNI

Lincoln ? Jennifer Saleaumua drilled 18 kills on a .500 hitting percentage to lead No. 11 Nebraska to a 30-21, 30-28, 30-22 win over No. 12 Northern Iowa Sunday night before 4,133 fans at the NU Coliseum. The sophomore outside hitter also tallied a match-high 11 digs for her team-leading 11th double-double of the season.

"Jennifer Saleaumua has an amazing ability to control the ball," Northern Iowa Coach Bobbi Peterson said. "She sees the court so well and can put the ball where ever she wants to. She is really one of the best players I’ve seen all year. She was everywhere."

Junior right side hitter Ally Rebholz joined Saleaumua in double figures with 12 kills on a .364 hitting percentage. Freshman outside hitter Dani Mancuso had eight kills in her second straight start on the left side. Husker setters Michelle Lynch and Dani Busboom led Nebraska to a .304 hitting percentage.

Nebraska held the Panthers to a .157 hitting percentage. Setter Jill Arganbright was the only UNI player to hit over .200.

With the win, the Huskers improved to 20-3 overall and 4-3 against teams ranked in this week’s USA Today/AVCA Coaches poll. UNI (20-4) is the highest-ranked opponent Nebraska has defeated this season.

"We put a lot into this weekend and this match," Husker Coach John Cook said. "We were focused, and we were on a mission. You could just feel it in the huddle. We had been a little shaky at times. Maybe we’ve discovered a lineup that will allow us to play at a high level consistently. That means a lot heading into a tough stretch in the Big 12 later this week."

Against the Panthers in game one, Nebraska took a 20-13 lead, its largest advantage of the game, after Anna Schrad sparked a 4-0 run with a kill from the right side. A kill by Rebholz and a Northern Iowa net violation made it 25-16, NU, but the Panthers fought back. Northern Iowa scored four of the next five points to close the Huskers’ lead to 26-19. Mancuso responded with a kill, and the Huskers wrapped up a 30-21, first-game win on Saleaumua’s eighth kill of the match.

Saleaumua hit .615 in game one, while Schrad had three kills and swung at a .750 clip. The Huskers hit a sizzling .447 to UNI’s .212 in game one.

In game two, Rebholz slammed a kill through the UNI block to increase Nebraska’s advantage to 20-16. Northern Iowa slowly chipped away at the lead with the help of kills from Shari Vermeer and Rachael Tink. Molly O’Brien drilled a kill to cut NU’s advantage to 25-24. The Panthers tied it at 26 when Tink and Michelle Burvew blocked Melissa Elmer, but Mancuso and Rebholz pounded back-to-back kills to make it 28-26, Huskers. Another kill by Rehholz minutes later forced a game point situation, and the Huskers eventually won, 30-28, when UNI was called for a net violation.

Nebraska began to pull away in game three when Rebholz posted back-to-back kills, increasing NU’s advantage to 18-14. Saleaumua followed with an ace serve, and she served two more point to open the lead to 21-14. The Huskers eventually won, 30-22, on Saleaumua’s 18th kill of the match.

The Huskers return to action Wednesday, Nov. 5, when they play host to College Station, Texas, to face No. 21 Texas A&M in a 7 p.m. match at G. Rollie White Coliseum.