Houghtelling Leads No. 1 Huskers to Sweep at CU

Boulder, Colo. ? Christina Houghtelling made sure there was no repeat of last year’s loss at Colorado, recording a season-high 19 kills and leading No. 1 Nebraska to a 30-25, 30-18, 30-20 victory over Colorado Saturday night.

The Huskers, who have now won their last 24 matches dating back to last year, relied on the senior outside hitter, who finished with a match-high 19 kills on .410 hitting, 11 digs and three blocks. Nebraska needed a strong effort and leadership from the senior from Cambridge, as it fell behind 17-9 before making a strong charge.

"We were a little flustered and rushed, and finally we got together and decided to focus on getting one point at a time and playing Nebraska volleyball," Houghtelling, who collected her fourth double-double, said. "We even were joking that we have been down in situations like this before and won and that seemed to settle us down."

Houghtelling led the Huskers back in front of a boisterous pro-Nebraska crowd of 3,708 that turned the Coors Event Center into Coliseum West. She ran off nine straight points from the service line in a 10-0 Husker run, as Nebraska regained its footing and posted its 12th straight sweep.

"We started off making a lot of errors and it took us a little to adjust," Nebraska Coach John Cook said. "Colorado played very well and was digging and passing at a high level. We did a good job of weathering that storm, keeping our composure and winning the game."

Houghtelling was one of two Huskers to record double-doubles on Saturday, as she totaled 13 kills, a team-high 14 digs and a season-high five blocks, including a trio of solo stuffs. Pavan also finished with 13 kills, including eight kills on 10 swings in game three, as the Huskers hit .525 as a team. Nebraska (14-0, 7-0 Big 12) hit .311 as a team and held Colorado to .132 hitting in remaining in front in the Big 12 race. The Huskers also recorded a season-high 12 blocks.

The Huskers had to work for the win in game one, as Houghtelling keyed dramatic Husker comeback in a 30-25 victory. The senior All-American had eight five kills and eight digs in the opener, while her serving keyed the Huskers’ decisive 10-0 spurt that led the rally. NU was held to. 155 hitting in the opener, while CU dug up nearly every Husker attempt, recording 27 digs in game one. The Huskers were also stout defensively with 23 digs, including six each from Jordan Larson and Rachel Schwartz. The teams traded points early on, and NU with within 9-7 before CU ran off four straight points and took a 13-7 lead on a Schylur Edelman kill that forced the Huskers to take a timeout. The Buffaloes eventually pushed their advantage to 17-9 before the Huskers mounted their comeback. Trailing 19-12, Houghtelling’s kill began the run before the senior ran off nine straight points at the line, giving NU a 20-19 advantage. NU eventually pushed the lead to 22-19 on a Larson block, but the Buffaloes fought back, tying the score at 23-all after a Husker hitting error. Two straight kills from Pavan helped NU go up 25-23, and a third Pavan kill gave NU a two-point lead after Colorado pulled within 26-25. That would be as close as the Buffs would get, as NU ran off the final three points for a five-point win.

Nebraska continued to rely on its defense in game two holding Colorado to .029 hitting and recording four blocks in a 30-18 triumph. While Houghtelling’s serving brought NU back in the opener, the play of freshman Kayla Banworth and Larson allowed NU to turn in runs of 6-0 and 5-0, respectively, to turn a close contest into a comfortable Husker win. Banwarth, who came into the game early in game two as a back-row specialist, came up big in NU’s 6-0 spurt, running off five straight points to give the Huskers a 13-9 lead. Colorado stayed within striking distance and was within 18-13 before Larson keyed the Husker spurt with three aces in a four-point span, as her third ace gave NU a 10-point cushion, at 23-13. CU got to within 24-18, but a Houghtelling kills and a Buffalo attack error quickly pushed the lead back to double digits as NU took a 2-0 lead into intermission.

The Huskers turned up the offense in the finale, hitting a blistering .525 on 40 swings in a 30-20 win. NU’s outside trio of Hougtelling, Larson and Pavan combined for 22 of NU’s 24 kills. Houghtelling totaled 10 kills on .529 hitting, while Pavan had eight kills on 10 swings to put Colorado away. NU took control early, using an early 8-3 spurt to erase an early deficit, including three kills from Houghtelling. Colorado was within 12-9 after a Callie Webster service ace, but two straight Pavan kills began Nebraska’s final 10-4 surge that put the game and gave the Huskers a 22-13 lead after Larson and Holloway combined on a stuff of Lauren Schaefer.

Edelman led Colorado (5-10, 0-7 Big 12) with 10 kills and five blocks, while no other Buffalo player reached double figures.

The Huskers return to action Wednesday night, as they take on Iowa State at the NU Coliseum. First serve is set for 7 p.m. and the match can be heard on the Husker Sports Network and shown live on NET.