3 thoughts on a weekend sweep for Nebraska volleyball

The Nebraska volleyball team was pushed to the brink on Friday night against 10th-ranked Purdue as the Huskers faced a 2-1 deficit before rallying for a 3-2 win (25-22, 22-25, 23-25, 25-22, 17-15).

It was the fifth win over a top-10 team this season for Nebraska volleyball, but it might have taken the most effort. Creighton took Nebraska to five sets at the BOB earlier this season, but that was after the Huskers built a 2-0 lead.

On Friday, Nebraska faced gut-check time but rallied to win the fourth set before closing things out in the fifth thanks to a match-winning kill from Merritt Beason, who was epic with 22 kills.

Harper Murray was just as clutch with 17 kills, while Andi Jackson, in her return to the lineup, hit .429 on her way to 14 kills. Bergen Reilley was incredible with 60 assists, 17 digs, one block, one ace, and a kill.

The Huskers followed up that win with a 3-0 sweep over Rutgers, which entered the match winless in Big Ten play (25-12, 25-16, 25-12). Murray had another stellar showing with 10 kills, 11 digs, and two aces. In the big picture, they are 6-0 in the Big Ten and 16-1 overall.

Here are three thoughts from this past weekend.

The Huskers showed guts

Nebraska’s talent is undeniable. But you need more than talent to win a championship and that’s the goal for this team to win the Big Ten championship and the national championship.

In that sense, the Purdue match was a good sign. The Boilermakers hit off the charts and boasted a .311 hitting percentage, way above what Nebraska volleyball normally allows.

Part of that was just Purdue having a great night. Even in the fourth set, the Huskers had to overcome some hitting errors (.147 percentage) to force a fourth set. Then, Beason and Murray helped the Huskers hit .481 in the fifth to bring home the win.

Championship teams can win even when they aren’t at their best and Friday’s win was a really good sign in that regard. It showed that when adversity strikes, Nebraska can answer the bell.

Bergen Reilly is the truth

Everyone will focus on Beason and Murray on Friday night for good reason but Bergen Reilly might be the most consistent producer on this team.

Not only did she notch a career-high for assists with 60, she added 17 digs and followed it up with 33 assists, 12 digs, and a block against Rutgers. Murray struggled with her hitting and even Beason hit just .056 on Saturday.

Reilly didn’t have an off day though and some of the other hitters benefited. Frankly, there isn’t a star on this Nebraska volleyball team who shines brighter.

Good to have Andi Jackson back

Jackson didn’t make a huge impact on Saturday but her presence was felt on Friday night. Not only is she an intimidating presence around the net and one of the best defensive blockers in the Big Ten, but she’s also a dangerous attacker.

Jackson doesn’t score at the volume of Murray or Beason but she’s just as diffcult to dig. Her slide-and-swing shot is nearly impossible to stop and to be honest, the Huskers are more fun to watch when she’s out there.

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