The University of Arizona women’s volleyball team (6-4) returned to the court on Saturday, Sept. 20, looking to test themselves against the No. 1 University of Nebraska in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Wildcats showed some fight, but the Huskers ultimately proved why they’re the top-ranked team in the country, taking the match in three straight sets on their home court.
Arizona and Nebraska first met in 1983, with Arizona taking the win in a five-set battle. Since then, Nebraska has controlled the series, winning the last six meetings. The two teams last competed in 2019, when the Huskers won 3-1 in San Diego.
Now, meeting again in Nebraska, the Huskers extended its record to 10-0 on the season, while Arizona dropped to 6-4. Nebraska’s outside hitter Harper Murray led the Huskers with 14 kills, and freshman setter Bergen Reilly tallied 40 assists to run the offense.
For Arizona, senior outside hitter Jordan Wilson put down 17 kills, and sophomore libero Brenna Ginder kept rallies alive with nine key digs. Even so, the Huskers’ size and consistency at the net were too much for the Wildcats to overcome.
Set 1
In the first set, Nebraska came out firing. They earned a .441 hitting percentage which was well above Arizona’s .258. This was a result of the Huskers’ notably strong offense and high-pressure serving. Arizona managed to keep close early on but ultimately couldn’t keep up, as Nebraska pulled away in the later part of the set.
Set 2
Arizona tightened up its offense in the second set with 14 kills but still gave away 6 points on hitting mistakes. Nebraska slowed their pace a bit, lowered their hitting percentage to .256 but had enough execution down the stretch to edge out the 25-23 win.
Set 3
In the third set, Arizona was able to keep up the momentum and raised its hitting percentage to .286 while being able to keep the score closer early. In response, Nebraska’s offense took off with .542, allowing them to run crucial points and close the match 25-18.
Looking ahead
Despite Arizona’s tough loss, the team hopes to bounce back against their next opponent, Kansas State University, on Friday, Sept. 26, at 4:30 p.m. in the Morgan Family Arena. Coming off of four straight losses, Arizona will need a redemption match.
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