Holman Leads Huskers to Sweep of UMBC

Lincoln, Neb. - The 12th-ranked Nebraska volleyball team recorded its first victory of the season with a 3-0 (25-19, 25-13, 25-20) sweep of UMBC on Friday afternoon at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. It was the Huskers' first of three matches in the Ameritas Players Challenge.

The Huskers improved to 1-2 by breezing past the Retrievers (1-3). The win was Nebraska head coach John Cook's 500th at Nebraska. 

Briana Holman shined for the Huskers with 10 kills on just 13 swings with no errors for a .769 hitting percentage. She also had a match-best six blocks. Mikaela Foecke had nine kills and hit .412, as the Huskers as a team hit a season-best .273 and held UMBC to .058. NU outblocked UMBC 11-4 with Holman (six), Annika Albrecht (five) and Jazz Sweet (four) leading the way. 

Kelly Hunter made her season debut and had 20 assists and seven digs, while Hunter Atherton also played and had 12 assists, six digs and three aces. Nebraska had a 6-0 advantage in aces. Libero Kenzie Maloney led all players with 14 digs. 

Set 1: The Huskers broke a 7-7 tie with a kill and solo stuff by Albrecht, and then a block by Anezka Szabo and Holman to go up 10-7. NU built the lead to 15-9 with another kill by Albrecht and one from Holman. The Huskers pounded 10 kills before committing an attacking error in the set. An ace serve by Atherton put the Big Red up 18-11, and Nebraska took the set, 25-19, after Holman finished the set with two straight kills.

Set 2: Nebraska came out stronger in the second set and took an 11-4 lead courtesy of four aces, two by Foecke. Holman took over the set with two kills and three blocks in a span of six rallies to boost the Huskers to a 17-7 lead. Foecke scored the Huskers' next three points to put them ahead 20-12, and Foecke served the Huskers to set point with Albrecht pounding two more kills. NU won 25-13 after closing the set on a 6-1 run. The Big Red limited UMBC to -.097 hitting in the set. 

Set 3: UMBC held the upper hand early in the third set, taking a 13-11 lead on the Huskers with a 4-1 run. Nebraska trailed 16-14 before Holman tallied a kill and combined with Sweet for a block to even the score at 16-16. A solo stuff by Albrecht gave the Huskers a 17-16 edge, and Holman and Sweet each added another kill on Albrecht's serve to push the lead to three at 20-17. After UMBC pulled within 21-20, Stivrins and Foecke answered with kills to make it 23-20. After a UMBC timeout, Atherton served her third ace and NU won 25-20 on a kill by Lauren Stivrins. The Huskers hit .360 in the final frame. 

Up Next: Nebraska hosts Oral Roberts at 7:30 p.m. Friday night in its second match of the day.