Huskers Top Maryland, 3-1, To End Road Swing

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The No. 8 Nebraska volleyball team finished its four-match road stretch with a 3-1 (25-21, 23-25, 25-21, 25-18) win over Maryland at XFINITY Center Pavillion on Saturday night.

With their sixth straight win, the Huskers moved to 22-4 overall and 13-3 in the Big Ten. Maryland dropped to 13-17 overall and 3-13 in the Big Ten. 

The Huskers hit .294 for the match to overcome an off night at the service line, where they committed a season-high 18 errors. But Nebraska fought through it, holding Maryland to .165 hitting, the fifth time its held an opponent below .200 during the six-match win streak.

Mikaela Foecke led a balanced effort with 15 kills and a .303 hitting percentage. Kelsey Fien had 13 kills, and Amber Rolfzen had 12 kills and five blocks while hitting .478. Kadie Rolfzen added seven kills and 13 digs, one of four Huskers with double-digit digs. Kelly Hunter had 45 assists and 10 digs. Annika Albrecht had 12 digs, and Kenzie Maloney had 11. Cecilia Hall finished with six kills and five blocks.

Nebraska outblocked Maryland, 10-5, and led in digs, 55-48.  

Maryland got 15 kills from Liz Twilley. Adreene Elliott had 12.

Set 1: Nebraska and Maryland were neck and neck throughout the first set, but the Huskers took their first lead of the set at 18-17. After an NU service error tied it, Hall and Foecke notched back-to-back kills for a 20-18 lead. Foecke and Fien later made it 23-20, and the Big Red finished off the 25-21 win despite six service errors in the set. Nebraska hit .333 and got four kills from Amber Rolfzen and Fien.

Set 2: Early service errors again had the Huskers playing from behind. Maryland went up 15-11 after a 3-0 run and then led 19-14. A Maryland hitting error and Fien/Hall block got the Huskers within 19-16, and then Maryland hit in the net again before a Kadie Rolfzen kill cut it to 19-18. Maryland stopped the comeback there and rebuilt the lead to 23-19. Back-to-back kills by Foecke cut it to 23-21, but the Terps finished off a 25-23 win on a Twilley kill to even the match, 1-1.

Set 3: The Huskers came out of the break sharp, taking a 3-0 lead with two kills by Hall. Nebraska held leads of 9-7 and 13-10, but Maryland tied it each time. An Amber Rolfzen kill and a great pair of digs by Kadie Rolfzen led to a Hall/Hunter block for a 19-16 Husker lead. The Huskers suffered another service error, coupled with a hitting error, to let Maryland within 20-19. Kadie Rolfzen ripped a kill to make it 23-21 and Hunter caught Maryland by surprise with a kill. A Maryland hitting error capped the set at 25-21.

Set 4: Kills by Fien, Hall and Albrecht put NU up 4-1 early on. NU separated from a 5-4 lead with a 6-1 run to go up 11-5 with Amber Rolfzen providing a kill and two blocks with Hunter. Maryland climbed back to within 12-11 before making two hitting errors to restore a 14-11 Husker advantage. A Foecke kill and block by the Rolfzens pushed it to 18-13. Maryland cut it to 21-18 before a Fien kill started a 4-0 Husker run to seal the match.

Up Next: The Huskers are at home for the first time in November when they host Indiana on Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m.