Huskers Sweep Hawkeyes for 11th Straight Win

LINCOLN, Neb. - The Nebraska volleyball team picked up its 11th straight win with a 25-14, 25-18, 26-24 sweep of Iowa on Wednesday night in front of 8,262 fans at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

The Huskers (23-1, 14-1 Big Ten) maintained their lead in the Big Ten standings with their victory over the much-improved Hawkeyes (18-9, 8-7 Big Ten), who have already won their most matches in a season since 1994. 

The middle blockers had big nights to spark the Huskers. Briana Holman tallied 12 kills and four blocks while hitting .409, and Amber Rolfzen had nine kills with no errors for a .643 hitting percentage to go with her team-high five blocks. 

Kadie Rolfzen added eight kills, 14 digs and five blocks, as the Huskers tallied a 10-5 advantage in blocks. The Huskers hit .284 and held Iowa to .108 hitting. 

Mikaela Foecke had eight kills, and Andie Malloy contributed six. Kelly Hunter had 34 assists, and Justine Wong-Orantes recorded 12 digs, as Nebraska compiled a 46-42 edge in digs.

Meghan Buzzerio led Iowa with 10 kills. 

Set 1: Nebraska took an 8-6 lead after a Malloy kill and a block by Foecke and Amber Rolfzen. Holman and Foecke terminated back-to-back kills to set off a 4-0 run that put the Big Red up 13-8. NU pulled away with back-to-back Amber Rolfzen blocks - one with Hunter and one with Kadie Rolfzen - and a Malloy kill to help make it 20-11, part of an 11-3 run. A pair of kills by Holman finished the set in the Huskers' favor, 25-14. Nebraska held a .467 to .133 advantage in hitting percentage. 

Set 2: The Huskers fell behind 4-1 before Holman willed the Huskers into a 4-4 tie with a kill and two blocks with Kadie Rolfzen. Nebraska took its first lead of the set at 8-7 on a Hunter kill, but Iowa answered and reclaimed a 10-9 lead. The Huskers pulled ahead 16-10 with a 6-0 run on Hunter's serve, as Holman tacked on another kill and block and Foecke pounded two kills. The Huskers led 19-12 before Iowa chipped it down to five points at 20-15. But Hunter and Amber Rolfzen each had a kill and teamed up for a block to restore a 23-15 lead, and the Huskers won 25-18 on a Foecke kill. The Huskers cooled off in set two, hitting .174, but their defense improved by posting four blocks and holding Iowa to -.022 hitting.

Set 3: Iowa built an 11-7 lead on the strength of .385 hitting, while the Huskers had four kills and three errors on their first 15 swings. Foecke turned things around with a kill out of a timeout, and Kadie Rolfzen added a solo block and Iowa hit wide to make it 11-10 Hawkeyes. After Iowa used a timeout, the teams sided out until a block by Holman and Kadie Rolfzen tied it 12-12. With the score deadlocked at 13-13, Malloy and Amber Rolfzen combined for a block that would boost the Huskers' into the lead. Kadie Rolfzen and Hunter followed with kills, and Wong-Orantes served an ace to put NU ahead 17-13. Iowa put together three straight points to trim a 20-16 Husker lead to 20-19.The Hawkeyes eventually came all the way back to tie it 22-22 before Holman's 12th kill. Iowa immediately tied the set again, but Kadie Rolfzen connected for set point to make it 24-23. After a timeout, Iowa's Buzzerio extended the match with a kill, but Iowa then served into the net and a kill by Malloy finished off the sweep, 26-24.  

Up Next: The Huskers travel to face Indiana on Saturday at 6 p.m. (CT).