Huskers Sweep Creighton at CenturyLink CenterHuskers Sweep Creighton at CenturyLink Center
Volleyball

Huskers Sweep Creighton at CenturyLink Center

Omaha, Neb. - The No. 4 Nebraska volleyball team made its first trip to the CenturyLink Center since 2012 a quick one, defeating the Creighton Bluejays 3-0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-22) on Tuesday night before a crowd of 10,131.

The Huskers improved to 8-1 entering their final non-conference match of the season at Iowa State on Saturday. Creighton fell to 4-6, though four of the six losses are to ranked teams and three are to top-six teams. 

Freshman Mikaela Foecke, the Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week, continued her streak of impressive performances with 13 kills and a .522 hitting percentage. Over her last three matches, Foecke has totaled 38 kills and just two errors for a .571 hitting percentage.

Kelsey Fien chipped in nine kills and hit .350, while Kadie Rolfzen had six kills and three blocks. The Huskers were solid at the net, posting a season-high-tying 11 blocks. Amber Rolfzen led the way with six, while Cecilia Hall added four along with six kills. Setter Kelly Hunter had a career-high five blocks to go with 33 assists and eight digs.   

NU hit .229 to .115 for Creighton. Justine Wong-Orantes had 17 digs to lead NU to a 50-47 edge. 

Nebraska trailed 7-5 in the first set before reeling off four straight points to go up 9-7, highlighted by a Kenzie Maloney pancake dig and service ace. NU took control of the set with an 8-1 run to go up 20-13. Foecke had five kills during the run. Nebraska hit .303 in the set and tallied four blocks with six different Huskers combining on at least one. The Huskers held Creighton to .135 hitting.

The Huskers bolted to a 10-4 lead in the second set but committed four service errors as Creighton got within 15-12. The Huskers went up five after a CU service error and Hunter/Amber Rolfzen block. But Creighton pulled within 19-17 with three straight rallies. NU responded with a left-side kill from Kadie Rolfzen and an Annika Albrecht service ace around a CU hitting error to go back up 22-17. Foecke notched a kill and a solo block to make it 24-18, and the Rolfzen twins combined for a block on the right side to finish off set two. 

Albrecht served the Huskers to a 6-1 lead to begin the third set. Creighton inched back within one on multiple occasions and tied the set at 20-20. Two kills by Foecke were answered by two kills by CU freshman Jaali Winters to make it 22-22. But Foecke came back with yet another one, and CU hit wide for a 24-22 Husker lead. Hunter capped the sweep with her third kill.