Huskers Sweep Tigers

Lincoln ? Jordan Larson’s 16 kills led three Huskers in double figures, as the third-ranked Nebraska volleyball team swept Missouri, 25-19, 25-22, 25-14 Wednesday night at the NU Coliseum.

Larson totaled 16 kills and 13 digs for her 10th double-double of the year, as the Huskers (24-1, 15-1 Big 12) posted their 17th sweep of the season.

Tara Mueller added 13 kills and eight digs, while Kori Cooper chipped in 10 kills, as the Huskers hit .351 on the night and upped their home win streak to 84 matches. Sydney Anderson dished out 38 assists, while four of the Huskers’ five primary attackers hit at least .300 on the night.

“I thought it was a nice match tonight,” Nebraska Coach John Cook said. “I thought Missouri played well, and we had to battle really hard tonight. I was really proud of our team. They competed really well and we did some really good things tonight. We hit .350 and I thought it was a fun, entertaining match for the fans.”

The Huskers got a big boost from redshirt freshman Brooke Delano, who came off the bench to slam home four kills and add four blocks, including three solos in the right side hitter spot. Delano, who had 18 blocks in her previous 12 appearances, was clutch in the opening set, recording three straight stuffs to key a decisive 7-1 spurt.  Delano and Amanda Gates totaled four blocks apiece, while Gates put down five kills in seven swings to help the Huskers remain in first place in the Big 12.

“Brooke, as I’ve said all year, has had a very difficult role on our team (backing up all three positions). The last few times she went in, it’s been late in the games and it’s hard to go in and do well. She started off great tonight, and you can’t help but get excited. I know our whole team was excited.”

Larson said that Delano’s effort has been typical of a resilient Husker team that has battled throughout the year.

“I think that’s been the story of our team this entire season,” Larson said. “Everyone is stepping up and willing to give everything they have to this team. I just want to commend Brooke because I can’t imagine coming off the bench and knowing she has to play such a big role. She really did a great job and really helped fire up our team.”

Megan Wilson led Missouri (12-13, 6-9 Big 12) with 16 kills on .500 hitting, while Julianna Klein added 10 kills in a losing effort.

The Huskers used the strong blocking of Delano to key a decisive 8-1 spurt, keying the Big Red to a 25-19 victory. The Huskers totaled six blocks, including three by the redshirt freshman, and held the Tigers to .000 hitting.  Larson and Mueller had four kills apiece in the opening-set win. Trailing 5-4, Nebraska used a 4-0 spurt to take a three-point lead, at 8-5, after a pair of Larson kills. The Tigers pulled to within 11-10, but the Husker block took over, getting four stuffs in an 8-1 run. Delano closed the spurt with three straight swats, including a pair of solo blocks to spot the Big Red a seven-point lead. NU built on the cushion, leading by as many as nine points before MU ran off four straight points to pull within 24-19. Mueller then closed out the spurt with her fourth kill of the set to give NU the final margin.

Both teams got untracked offensively in the second set, as the Huskers pulled away late for a 25-22 victory. Mueller and Larson had five kills apiece for NU, as the Huskers hit .385 in the set. The Tigers were not to be outdone, as Wilson totaled eight of her team-high 16 kills in the set as MU hit .395. Leading 7-5, Nebraska used an Anderson tip and a Mueller kill to take a three-point lead and force a timeout. The Tigers fought back, trying the score at 11-all on a Klein kill and the teams traded points, With the score tied at 15, Nebraska got some breathing room, winning four of the next five rallies, taking a 19-16 lead after three Mueller kills. MU would pull to within 22-21, but two kills from Cooper gave NU breathing room before Larson's service ace caught the line to give the Huskers a 2-0 lead.

Nebraska kept firing offensively in the finale, hitting .444 as a team in posting a 25-15 victory. Larson totaled seven of her 16 kills in the set, while NU also out-dug the Tigers, 22-13 to keep numerous rallies alive. NU wasted little time, using runs of 5-1 and 5-2 to take an early 10-3 lead after a Cooper kill. The Tigers made one last run, pulling to within 15-11, but two Larson kills highlighted a 5-0 spurt that put the set away, as NU took a 20-11 lead and was never threatened.

The Huskers return to action on Saturday night, when they travel to Lawrence, Kan., to take on the Jayhawks. First serve is set for 7 p.m. and the match will be carried on selected Husker Sports Network stations.