Larson Leads Reds to Victory

Lincoln ? For the 3,356 fans at the NU Coliseum, Saturday night’s intrasquad match saw the debut of the new-look Huskers, as the Red squad swept the White squad with a 30-20, 30-25, 30-24 victory.

Nebraska Head Coach John Cook said Saturday’s performance was an impressive first step heading into Tuesday’s season opener against No. 20 San Diego.

“It was hard for me to find anything bad out there tonight. I wanted to see them compete well tonight, and I think we did that. We wanted them to be out there and playing with something on the line, and people watching them.

“I thought the Red team played very well and looked confident on the court, especially in balls that were out of system,” Cook said. “The White team put up a good fight, but they wore down.”

Jordan Larson paced the Red squad with a double-double, totaling 13 kills and 14 digs, while All-American Sarah Pavan tied for team-high honors with 13 kills and four aces. In all, four Red players finished with at least seven kills, as Dani Mancuso and Tracy Stalls chipped in with nine and seven, respectively. Stalls also had a match-high five blocks.

While the Huskers showed offensive balance, the Red squad, featuring the NU starters, was also efficient on the defensive end. Senior Dani Busboom totaled a match-high 20 digs in her debut as NU’s libero, as the Red squad totaled 61 digs and held the White team to just .144 hitting.

“Her effort and athleticism was tremendous,” Cook said of Busboom. “It seems like she can cover the whole court by herself, and she brings a tenacity to that role. I think Dani created that defensive mentality for us on the court.”

In the battle for the starting setter, both Rachel Holloway and Maggie Griffin played well on Saturday. Holloway, who earned the start for the Red squad, totaled 42 assists, seven digs and four blocks. She helped the Reds get off to a quick start in the opener, as the team hit a blistering .353 with only four errors in a 30-20 win.

Griffin totaled 40 assists, seven digs and six kills on 15 swings piloting a White squad that featured freshmen Kori Cooper and Brooke Bartek and former NU All-American Jennifer Saleaumua among others.

“I thought both Rachel and Maggie did a nice job tonight,” Cook said. “Rachel showed that she is athletic and can do some special things at setter. Maggie had a tougher job with the makeup of the lineup for the White team. We will play both during our early tournaments and keep evaluating both players.”

The Huskers open the regular season on Tuesday, Aug. 29, when they host No. 20 San Diego. First serve is set for 7 p.m. for the 72nd consecutive sellout at the NU Coliseum. The match will be carried across the state on the Pinnacle Sports Network.