Huskers Take Down Bruins in Conference Opener

The No. 2 Nebraska volleyball team defeated the UCLA Bruins, 3-1 (25-22, 25-10, 23-25, 25-22), on Friday night at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in front of a crowd of 8,846. 

The Huskers (11-1, 1-0 Big Ten) hit .246 on the night and recorded 13 blocks, while UCLA (6-4, 0-1 Big Ten) hit .153. The win was the 700th win for Nebraska Head Coach John Cook at Nebraska.

Taylor Landfair came off the bench to notch a season-high 13 kills on 29 swings for a .414 hitting percentage, along with four blocks. Andi Jackson also posted 13 kills with a .409 hitting percentage, and six blocks. Merritt Beason and Harper Murray each had nine kills and Rebekah Allick contributed seven. Allick hit a team-high .538.

Bergen Reilly registered 42 assists and 13 digs with four blocks for the Huskers. Lexi Rodriguez had 20 digs and Olivia Mauch notched eight.

Cheridyn Leverette led the Bruins with a match-high 17 kills on 48 swings. Anna Dodson had eight blocks for UCLA.

Set 1: Two Murray kills helped give Nebraska a 6-4 advantage at the beginning of the set. UCLA continued to fight, and the Huskers’ lead was never more than two early on. Allick’s second and third kills put NU up 11-9, but the Bruins went up 15-13 at the media timeout after a 4-0 run. Nebraska answered with a 4-0 run to reclaim a 17-15 lead with Jackson recording a kill, and Reilly and Allick adding a block. A Landfair kill made the score 18-16 Nebraska, but UCLA went on a 3-0 run to take a 19-18 lead. After a timeout, Landfair, Beason and Murray answered with kills for a 21-19 lead. Jackson put the ball down to give the Huskers set point, 24-22, and a Landfair kill clinched the set after a lengthy review. 

Set 2: The Huskers jumped out to a 7-2 lead in the second set, powered by a Reilly ace and a block from Beason and Jackson. NU went on a 3-0 run to extend the advantage to 10-4. Two kills apiece by Murray and Jackson and a Beason/Jackson block were part of a 7-0 run that helped put the Huskers ahead 21-8. Jackson and Landfair combined for the Huskers’ seventh block of the match to put NU at set point. A Reilly setter dump closed out the 25-10 set victory. NU hit .611 in the second set and sided out at 100 percent. The Huskers held the Bruins to -.033 hitting in set two. 

Set 3: Two kills by Jackson and a Reilly/Allick block put the Big Red up 9-4 in the third set. Two straight Bruin hitting errors stretched the NU lead to 15-8, and Reilly’s second kill made the score 17-9. Landfair notched her ninth kill, which tied her season high, to put Nebraska up 20-13 and force a UCLA timeout. Nebraska led 22-14 when UCLA went on a 10-0 run to earn set point, 24-22, and the Bruins took the set, 25-23.

Set 4: Landfair posted her 10th kill and the Huskers took a 8-7 lead in the fourth. An Orr ace, Reilly solo stuff and Allick/Landfair block gave NU a 12-9 advantage. Nebraska and UCLA went back and forth, and the score was tied at 18-18 before the Big Red took a 20-18 lead after a UCLA service error and another Landfair kill. Beason pounded her ninth kill to earn match point at 24-22, and Jackson and Landfair combined for the Huskers’ 13th block of the night. Nebraska won the set, 25-22, and the match, 3-1.

Up Next: The Huskers will take on the No. 20 USC Trojans at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The match will be televised on the Big Ten Network, with audio coverage from the Huskers Radio Network.