Nebraska Volleyball Preview: Nebraska Classic

Nebraska volleyball continues one of its most challenging stretches of the season with a pair of matches against Arizona State and Wichita State in another home tournament for NU.

Harper Murray celebrates a point against Creighton. / Amarillo Mullen

A challenging stretch for the No. 5 Nebraska volleyball team continues this weekend as the Huskers prepare to host the Nebraska Classic. 

NU’s season could have turned on its head on Tuesday, narrowly escaping with a five-set win over in-state rival No. 9 Creighton thanks to some fifth-set heroics from Harper Murray and Lindsey Krause. The victory over the Bluejays was easily the best for the Huskers in this early season. 

Rather than succumbing to Creighton’s attempted reverse sweep, Nebraska gave a reminder why this group reached the national championship last December, shooting out to a quick 5-1 lead before burying the hatchet on a Murray kill to lock up a 15-10 fifth-set win. It moved the Huskers to 23-0 all-time against CU, but the job isn’t finished yet. 

Tuesday began one of the hardest stretches in NU’s schedule as the Huskers now host No. 14 Arizona State and perennial AAC contender Wichita State in consecutive nights. Plus, No. 2 Stanford comes to town next week for a Wednesday night blockbuster followed by Nebraska visiting Louisville for the first-ever regular season college volleyball match televised on ABC. 

It's a busy time if you’re a fan of Nebraska Volleyball, so here’s all you need to know for this weekend’s Nebraska Classic. 

How to Follow Along 

Matchup: No. 5 Nebraska (5-1) vs. No. 14 Arizona State (6-0) 

Where: Bob Devaney Sports Center, Lincoln, NE 

Time: 7 p.m. CDT 

Watch: B1G Network 

Listen: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates

Arizona State Scout

Head Coach: JJ Van Niel | 2nd Season | 34-7 record at school | 2023 Pac-12 Coach of the Year

2023 Record: 28-7 (14-6 Pac-12, T-3rd) | AVCA All-American First Team, Two AVCA Honorable Mentions, One All-Pac-12 Selection | Lost in four sets to regional No. 1 seed Stanford in Sweet 16

Record Against Nebraska: 1-4-1 (2021 Last Matchup) 

Key Returners: Claire Jeter, MB, Gr. | Mary Shroll, L, Gr. | Geli Cyr, OH, Sr. | Roberta Rabelo, OH, Gr. | 

Key Additions: Argentina Ung, S, Gr. (Washington State) | Savannah Kjolhede, MB, Gr. (Indiana) | Bailey Miller, OH, Jr. (West Virginia) 

Key Departures: Marta Levinska, OPP (Eligibility) | Shannon Shields, S (Eligibility) | Maddie McLaughlin, MB (Eligibility) 

Shannon Shields (9) graduated from ASU after leading the Sun Devils to the Sweet 16. / Diannie Chavez/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Outlook: It was a banner year for first-year head coach JJ Van Niel in the desert. Coming over from USC as the Trojans associate head coach, Van Niel went 28-7 in his first season at the helm, being named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year and helping the Sun Devils to its second-highest win total in school history.

Arizona State did lose a lot of production from that 2023 squad as AVCA First-Team All-American outside hitter Marta Levinska ran out of eligibility. She had 517 kills on a .348 clip and 75 blocks. Shannon Shields spent her last season running the ASU offense and was named an AVCA Honorable Mention. Plus, middle blocker Maddie McLaughlin came up with 109 blocks, but she ran out of eligibility and signed with a professional team in Puerto Rico. 

Claire Jeter leads the group of returners for ASU, who is out to a quick 6-0 start to begin 2024. Jeter recorded a team-high 130 blocks with 195 kills for 315 points last season. She’ll anchor the middle along with Indiana transfer Savannah Kjolhede. She’ll bring needed experience from a Big Ten program in Indiana who was on the rise. 

Libero Mary Shroll is another big returner for ASU at the libero position. Shroll tied for second on the team with 43 aces last season and averaged 3.79 digs per set. The Tempe native wraps up her college career at ASU after four seasons with Loyola Marymount from 2019-22. 

Geli Cyr and Roberta Rabelo each carry experience and grit to the hitter core for ASU. Cyr is expected to take over the hole left behind by Levinska after averaging 2.76 kills per set last season which was second on the team. Rabelo will need to up her production as well after totaling 2.08 kills per set a year ago. West Virginia transfer Bailey Miller provides depth and another attacker at Van Niel’s disposal. Miller shined in her first two collegiate seasons with the Mountaineers leading the team in kills her freshman season with 293 before upping that to 339 her sophomore year. 

With Shields gone, Van Niel dipped into the transfer portal to get his setter in Argentina Ung from Washington State. The graduate student played four seasons with the Cougars, running a 5-1 offense as the starter in 2022 and 2023. She was an AVCA Honorable Mention last season after leading WSU to the Sweet 16. She racked up 2,513 career assists in Pullman and tallied over 1,200 assists in back-to-back seasons.  

Roberta Rabelo (18) returns to Arizona State as part of the hitter group. / Diannie Chavez/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Friday should be a great litmus test for this Arizona State squad whose schedule starts to ramp up. Ung will have to set a clean game while ASU’s servers will need to get Nebraska out of system. With the Creighton win creating some momentum, the Huskers should roll in this, but don't’ be shocked to see the Sun Devils pull out a set if it gets away from NU. Friday shold show if ASU is a top 15 or not. Nebraska native Estella Zatechka makes the return to her home state. She’s a junior libero for the Sun Devils after transferring from Missouri following the 2022 season. 

How to Follow Along 

Matchup: No. 5 Nebraska (5-1) vs. Wichita State (3-3) 

Where: Bob Devaney Sports Center, Lincoln, NE 

Time: 2 p.m. CDT 

Watch: B1G+ 

Listen: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates

Wichita State Scout

Head Coach: Chris Lamb | 25th Season | 511-239 record at school | 19th Active HC in NCAA D1 with 500 wins | Leads active AAC coaches in career wins 

2023 Record: 26-8 (15-4 AAC, 2nd, East Division) | Swept UTEP to win NIVC 

Record Against Nebraska: 0-13 (2019 Last Matchup) 

Key Returners: Morgan Stout, MB, Sr. | Emerson Wilford, OH, Jr. | Gabi Maas, L, Jr. | Izzi Strand, S, Gr. 

Key Additions: Sarah Barham, MB, Gr. (Wofford) | Alyssa Gonzales, OH, R-Fr. (TCU) 

Key Departures: Natalie Foster, MB (SMU) | Sophia Rohling, OPP (Eligibility) | Brylee Kelly, OH (Eligibility) | Barbara Koehler, OH (FGCU) 

Outlook: Tenured at Wichita State longer than John Cook has at Nebraska, Chris Lamb led Wichita State to 20 wins for the 16th time in the last 21 years in 2023. It ended with the program’s first national postseason tournament victory by winning the NIVC. The Shockers dropped just one set in five matches en route to the title. 

Unfortunately, WSU lost its point leader and best player in middle blocker Natalie Foster to SMU. Foster played a key role in the Mustangs sweeping Nebraska earlier this season. Plus, leading opposite Sophia Rohling ran out of eligibility and multi-time all-conference selection Brylee Kelly suffered an injury-plagued senior campaign to end her career. Then, bench hitter Barbara Koehler transferred to Florida Gulf Coast in January. 

UTEP vs Wichita State in the final of the NIVC postseason volleyball tournament at Memorial Gym, El Paso, Texas, Tuesday, December 12, 2023. / Ivan Pierre Aguirre / USA TODAY NETWORK

Middle blocker Morgan Stout is back after totaling 381.5 points and an AAC Second Team All-Conference selection in 2023. Lamb convinced setter Izzi Strand to return for her second season in Wichita. A transfer from San Diego, Strand was an all-conference second team member alongside Stout last season dishing out 1,340 for first in the AAC and sixth in the nation. She was even named NIVC MVP after averaging 11.2 assists per set in five matches.

Libero Gabi Maas put together a strong first season in Wichita after coming over from TCU, totaling 496 digs which was 65th nationally.

Emerson Wilford is the only attacker to return who produced more than 100 points last season. She’s racked up double-digit kills in three of her six matches this season. Brooklyn Leggett takes over as the primary attacker after only four matches and eight sets last season. She paces the offense with 64 kills in 24 sets so far in 2024. 

Lamb had to dip into the transfer portal to replenish his roster, grabbing middle blocker Sarah Barham from Wofford. The 6-foot-1 North Carolina native was one of the most decorated players in program history being named to the SoCon All-Conference team all four seasons while helping the Terriers to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2023. Plus, redshirt freshman Alyssa Gonzales brings high upside after coming over from TCU. 

Expect Nebraska to cruise in this one barring a complete breakdown. The Shockers do field a pair of Nebraska natives in freshman middle blocker Haley Wolfe from Elkhorn and junior libero Katie Galligan from Elkhorn South. 

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