Nebraska Volleyball Preview: UCLA & No. 20 USC

The No. 2 Huskers welcome in a new pair of Big Ten schools to open up conference play.

Nebraska enters conference play with an eight-match winning streak. / Amarillo Mullen

The No. 2 Nebraska volleyball team is on a roll going into conference play. 

Ever since being the victim of the biggest upset of the college volleyball season in a straight-set defeat at SMU on Sept. 3, the Huskers have responded with eight-straight wins. After a pair of easy sweeps, a five-set thriller over Creighton seemed to inspire NU. The Huskers have won 12 consecutive sets, including back-to-back sweeps of No. 2 Stanford at home and No. 4 Louisville in front of over 14,000 at the KFC Yum! Arena. 

As the defending conference champions, Nebraska will have a target on its back, especially as the Huskers welcome in two of the four new members from the west coast. 

Here’s all you need to know as the Huskers kick off Big Ten play.  

How to Follow Along 

Matchup: No. 2 Nebraska (10-1) vs. UCLA (6-3)  

Where: Devaney Sports Center, Lincoln, NE

Time: 7 p.m. CDT 

Watch: Big Ten Network 

Listen: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates

UCLA's Anna Dodson (2) and Cheridyn Leverette (9) try to block Tennessee's Paityn Chapman's (4) spike during a NCAA volleyball game between Tennessee and UCLA at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center on Thursday, September 5, 2024. / Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

UCLA Scout

Head Coach: Alfee Reft | 2nd Season | 24-15 (.615) career HC record | Assistant coach for U.S. Women’s National Team in Paris 2024, winning a silver medal. 

2023 Record: 18-12 (10-10 Pac-12, 6th) | One AVCA Honorable Mention | One All-Pac-12 selection | Did not qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

Record Against Nebraska: 5-13 (2019 last matchup, Nebraska won 3-0) 

Fun Fact: The Huskers have won four-straight matches against the Bruins starting in 2012. NU last lost to UCLA at home in 2009 when John Cook’s daughter, Lauren, was the starting setter for the Bruins before she transferred to the Huskers. 

Key Returners: Anna Dodson, MB, Gr. | Cheridyn Leverette, OH, Jr. | Grayce Olson, OH / OPP, Jr. | Peyton Dueck, L, Sr. | Audrey Pak, S, Gr. 

Key Additions: Kiki Horne, OH, Fr. (Recruit) | Kate Reilly, DS / L, Gr. (Stanford) 

Key Departures: Iman Ndiaye, OH / OPP (Eligibility) | Desiree Becker, MB (Eligibility) 

Outlook: It was a middling debut season for new UCLA head coach Alfee Reft in 2023. A .500 conference record in the last year of the Pac-12 didn’t garner a postseason berth despite an 18-12 record. The Bruins were one of the first eight teams who didn’t make the dance. 

However, five of the seven starters return for the 2024 season. Unfortunately, one of those departures came in leading point scorer and opposite Iman Ndiaye. She left behind a 3.14 kills per set statline with a team-high 441 points in 118 sets. Plus, starting middle blocker and Northwestern transfer Desiree Becker graduated after leading UCLA with 136 total blocks supplemented by 1.42 kills per set on a .342 clip. 

Despite the losses, Reft and the Bruins return an intriguing core that’s gotten UCLA to a 6-3 record entering the weekend. The only impressive win for the Bruins so far is a five-set victory over No. 14 Georgia Tech in the season opener. They were later swept by No. 17 Tennessee and lost to No. 25 TCU in four sets in the other high profile matches. 

Leading the way has been breakout junior Cheridyn Leverette. After fitting into a secondary role last season, Leverette has been unleashed as the primary attacker racking up 4.07 kills per set (6th in B1G)  on a .325 hitting percentage. Plus, she leads the team with 3.0 digs per set and has five aces. Freshman recruit Kiki Horne completes a dynamic duo for the Bruins. The North Carolina native is second on the team with 3.04 kills per set on a .218 clip with 11 blocks. She was the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 2022 and was also VolleyballMag.com Player of the Year for North Carolina. Grayce Olson will also be seen at both outside hitter and opposite. The 6-foot-4 hitter ranked second on the team in kills in 2023 and is on a similar pace to start 2024 with 2.48 kills per set. 

Named an AVCA Honorable Mention last season, Anna Dodson returns for her graduate student season after working with the USA Volleyball Collegiate Women’s National Team over the summer. Dodson popped off during her senior season with 233 kills on a .374 clip with 1.24 blocks per set. Her efficiency is down this year with only a .262 hitting percentage and 2.14 kills per set. She also leads the team with 31 blocks (1.11 per set). Filling the shoes left behind by Becker, redshirt freshman Brooklyn Briscoe lines up as the second middle. She rehabbed from an injury in 2023, but brings plenty of pedigree to Hollywood being the former No. 12 overall recruit in her class, according to PrepVolleyball. She’s been the one that’s efficient with a .352 clip on 71 swings with 34 kills and 22 blocks. 

Graduate student Audrey Pak returns to run the offense as the starting setter. She split time with freshman Ashley Mullen in the first half of 2023 before making the final 15 starts. She’s improved her numbers as the starter this season with 9.03 assists and 2.45 digs per set. Returning senior Peyton Dueck is back at libero and is averaging 3.0 digs per set in nine matches. Kate Reilly transferred from Stanford and has provided valuable playing time as a defensive specialist with 2.52 digs per set. 

The Bruins look to be on the upswing under Reft, who was part of the 2022 Final Four San Diego team that played in Omaha. The Bruins should be aiming for a top half finish in the Big Ten, but it’s going to be hard to snap Nebraska’s 31-match winning streak on Friday. 

How to Follow Along 

Matchup: No. 2 Nebraska (10-1) vs. No. 20 USC (8-2)  

Where: Devaney Sports Center, Lincoln, NE

Time: 6:30 p.m. CDT 

Watch: Big Ten Network 

Listen: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates

Oct 21, 2023; Lincoln, NE, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers outside hitter Ally Batenhorst (14) attacks against Wisconsin Badgers middle blocker Caroline Crawford (9) and setter Izzy Ashburn (11) during the first set. / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

USC Scout

Head Coach: Brad Keller | 5th Season | 71-49 (.592) USC record | Previous rmen’s and women’s volleyball assistant coach at UCLA

2023 Record: 19-13 (12-8 Pac-12, 5th) | AVCA First Team All-American | Two All-Pac-12 selections, One Pac-12 All-Freshman Team selection | 3-1 loss to No. 4 Pittsburgh in Round of 32.

Record Against Nebraska: 7-2 (2008 last matchup, Nebraska won 3-1) 

Fun Fact: Nebraska has only faced USC at home once in a regular season setting, losing in four sets in 1985. This will also be the first matchup between the two schools since 1997 to be a part of the regular season. The past three matches have all come in the postseason where the Trojans have won two of those three. 

Key Returners: Lindsey Miller, MB, Sr. | London Wijay, OH, Soph. | Gala Trubint, L, Jr. | Mia Tuaniga, S, Sr. | Tyrah Ariail, MB, R-Jr. 

Key Additions: Ally Batenhorst, OH, Gr. (Nebraska) | Grae Gosnell, OH, Gr. (Indiana) 

Key Departures: Skylar Fields, OH (Eligibility) | Kalyah Williams, OPP (Eligibility) Ellie Snook, DS (Eligibility) 

Outlook: USC enters its first season in the Big Ten looking to improve off a 19-13 2023 campaign. Head coach Brad Keller lost one of the program’s best players in history with Skylar Fields who earned AVCA First Team All-American honors in her last season after averaging over five kills per set and 666.5 points. The former No. 1 overall recruit excelled after transferring from Texas and left a big hole for Keller and the Trojans to fill. 

That’s where Nebraska transfer Ally Batenhorst comes in. Unable to secure consistent playing time during her tenure in Lincoln, Batenhorst has turned into the primary option for the Women of Troy. The Houston native leads the team with a career-high 3.84 kills per set on a .219 clip with 2.18 digs per set and 32 blocks. She’s aided by opposite Adonia Faumuina (2.14 K/S) and the combination of London Wijay (2.29 K/S) and true freshman Jadyn Livings (3.29 K/S) who’s racked up the kills, but has yet to be efficient with a .188 hitting percentage. 

However, setter Mia Tuaniga may be the best player on the court for the Trojans. She’s averaging 10.39 assists and 2.34 digs per set along with a team-leading 18 aces in only 10 matches played. The senior wears the distinct No. 91 and was a two-time All-Pac 12 all-conference team selection. Plus, she was an AVCA Honorable Mention in 2022. Junior libero Gala Trubint provides a veteran presence and leads the team with 3.53 digs per set. 

Tyrah Ariail returns as the leading middle blocker with a team-high 42 blocks as well as 1.6 kills per set on a .325 clip. The second middle blocker has been somewhat of a rotating door as redshirt freshman Leah Ford (1.64 B/S) and freshman Favor Anyanwu (1.83 K/S) have seen playing time. Lindsey Miller has been absent despite producing 107 blocks and 1.59 kills per set on a .335 clip last season. 

The Trojans are nearly halfway to its 2023 win count, but pulling out 11 wins in the Big Ten to match that total will be a challenge. USC’s only two losses have come to two of the top teams in the country with a four-set loss at No. 6 Creighton and a sweep at the hands of No. 1 Pittsburgh at home. The return of Batenhorst and former assistant coach Tyler Hildebrand will create some emotion on Sunday night, but Nebraska is a favorite for a reason. 

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