Nebraska Volleyball Sweeps Iowa, Moves to 40-0 All-Time Against Hawkeyes

The Huskers go into Iowa City and leave with another win.

Enrique Alvarez-Clary | Nov 20, 2024

Nebraska volleyball players celebrate a point at Iowa. / Nebraska Athletics

Nebraska has never lost to Iowa in volleyball.

No. 2 Nebraska (27-1, 17-0 B1G) swept Iowa (10-19, 4-13 B1G) 25-9, 25-16, 25-17 to remain spotless in Big Ten Conference play and spotless all-time against the Hawkeyes. The Huskers lead the all-time series 40-0.

Carried by quick starts in the first and third Sets, Nebraska doubled up Iowa in kills (50-25) despite taking eight fewer swings. It was an uncharacteristic showing on serve receive for the Huskers, however, as they allowed the Hawkeyes to add five aces to their season total. Nebraska fired back with four aces of its own.

Bergen Reilly, building off her fourth Big Ten Setter of the Week award this season, piloted Nebraska to a .472 hitting percentage with 41 assists and a perfect 3-for-3 attacking. She distributed the ball to all her attackers as a full team effort saw no single Husker hitter with over 19 swings.

Harper Murray, despite getting her hand taped up in the third set because of a broken nail, was the only player in double figures with 11 kills while hitting .556.

Merritt Beason attempts to get a kill vs Arizona State inside the Bob Devaney Sports Center / Nebraska Athletics

Taylor Landfair, Merritt Beason and Andi Jackson added seven kills each with Landfair and Beason chipping in defensively with three blocks apiece. Jackson was efficient as her seven kills came on just eight swings.

Rebekah Allick continued her run of balanced games with six kills and five blocks despite not playing in the third set.

Leyla Blackwell and Lindsay Krause came in in the third set and immediately made themselves known. Krause lit the court up with six kills on eight swings while Blackwell contributed three kills and two blocks.

Nebraska hosts No. 6 Wisconsin for the final regular-season match inside the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Saturday. First serve is set for 7 p.m. CST on the Big Ten Network.

Box score

Nebraska Athletics Set Synopses

Set 1: A 4-0 run served by Olivia Mauch had the Huskers up 6-2. Allick started the Huskers off strong with two kills and two blocks. Beason, Murray and Jackson had consecutive kills as the Huskers went ahead 12-5. Two kills by Landfair and one from Murray increased NU's advantage to 16-7. Reilly dumped a kill, and Allick and Landfair combined for back-to-back blocks before a Landfair kill made it 21-9. Reilly's 9-0 service run to end the set included two more kills by Allick and one each by Landfair, Beason and Murray. Nebraska hit a blistering .630 in the 25-9 win and held Iowa to .000.

Set 2: The Huskers were aced twice early on as the Hawkeyes jumped out to a 7-3 lead. Iowa committed a service error and Murray terminated from the back row before Landfair tooled a block to get within 7-6. Jackson and Landfair posted kills before Iowa hit wide to give Nebraska its first lead of the set at 9-8. Murray added a kill and Kennedi Orr served an ace before Reilly dumped another kill for a 12-8 lead. Allick, Beason and Landfair tacked on kills to push NU's lead to 17-11. Jackson pounded two kills and a block with Reilly, and Reilly served an ace to end a 25-16 Husker win.

Set 3: Krause and Leyla Blackwell started the third set and registered back-to-back kills before an ace by Reilly made it 3-0. Kills by Murray and Beason and a solo block by Jackson put NU on top 8-5, and Reilly posted a kill before Murray served an ace and Krause terminated back-to-back kills as the Huskers built a 12-6 lead. Krause and Blackwell again tallied consecutive kills as the Huskers went up 17-10. Krause's sixth kill of the set made it 18-11, and Murray added another before a block by Beason and Blackwell put the Huskers up nine, 20-11. Blackwell, Jackson and Murray added kills as the Huskers finished off the sweep, 25-17.

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Published Nov 20, 2024|Modified Nov 20, 2024

ENRIQUE ALVAREZ-CLARY

Enrique Alvarez-Clary, better known as Rico, is the Assistant Program Director at 93.7 The Ticket in Lincoln, Nebraska as well as the Executive Producer for the Supernovas Radio Network which broadcasts every Omaha Supernovas match during the inaugural season of the Professional Volleyball Federation. A native of Nebraska, Rico first graduated from the prestigious Bellevue West High School and went on to graduate from the University of Nebraska-Kearney where he also competed in Track & Field. Being behind the scenes for so long, Enrique has shifted into a more on-air role co-hosting the "Happy Hour" and lending his voice to many other shows on 93.7. Enrique focuses his coverage of Nebraska on football, volleyball, mens & womens basketball, softball, and track and field. When Enrique isn't covering Huskers Athletics you can find him hanging out with his wife Rachael and their two children Elliot (daughter) and Kade (son). Rico can be reached at rique2688@gmail.com or on Twitter/X @RadioRicoAC