Huskers Shut Down Hoosiers in Sweep

LINCOLN, Neb. - The No. 7 Nebraska volleyball team swept Indiana 25-8, 25-14, 25-13 on Saturday night in front of a sold-out crowd of 8,267 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

Mikaela Foecke led the Huskers (20-4, 13-1 Big Ten) with 14 kills on .591 hitting as NU won its seventh straight match in Big Ten play and nation-leading 25th straight match at home. The Huskers remain tied with Penn State atop the Big Ten standings with six matches to play in the regular season.

Briana Holman had eight kills and six blocks, four of which came in the first set. Jazz Sweet had six kills and hit .357. Lauren Stivrins added five kills and six blocks. Kelly Hunter chipped in 30 assists, and Annika Albrecht had a team-best 10 digs to go with five kills. 

The Huskers hit an efficient .393 and held Indiana to -.062, the lowest percentage by a Big Ten foe against Nebraska this season. The Huskers had a decisive edge in blocks (12-4), aces (9-1) and kills (41-14). Indiana's 14 kills were the fewest by a Husker opponent this season. Foecke, Hunter Atherton and Sydney Townsend each had two service aces.

Indiana fell to 12-14 overall and 1-13 in the Big Ten. Jessica Leish had five kills to lead the Hoosiers.

Set 1: Holman sparked the Huskers with three early kills and three blocks, and Foecke served two straight aces as NU staked a 12-3 lead with a 7-0 run. The Huskers grew the lead to 13 at 20-7 with kills by Foecke and Holman as part of a 4-0 spurt. NU scored the final five points of the set for the 25-8 win. Holman had five kills and four blocks in the set, and NU outhit Indiana .667 to -.087. It marked the Huskers' best hitting percentage in a set since Sept. 1. 

Set 2: Hunter Atherton served six points, including an ace, as the Huskers went up 7-1. After Indiana pulled within 13-8, the Huskers went on a 6-0 run with Stivrins contributing two blocks and a kill. Townsend served the run and capped it with an ace. The Huskers went up 23-11 on Atherton's second ace of the night, and NU took a 2-0 lead in the match with a 25-14 win. The Huskers held Indiana to a -.111 hitting percentage in the set. 

Set 3: Nebraska opened up an 8-3 lead with Foecke posting two kills. Indiana remained within striking distance at 9-7, but Sweet tallied a pair of kills, and Stivrins and Albrecht teamed up for a block and a 12-7 lead. Townsend served the Huskers' seventh ace of the night to double up Indiana, 16-8. Townsend's service run continued to a 19-8 Husker lead. The Huskers began to rotate in some substitutes, including Sami Slaughter who combined with Stivrins for a block. The Huskers clinched the match with a 25-13 win.

Up Next: Nebraska continues its four-match home stretch with a Wednesday match against Maryland at 6 p.m.