Phase one of the 2024 season is complete for Nebraska volleyball. The Huskers navigated the first four weeks with a 10-1 record including five wins over top-15 teams, and now they head into phase two: Big Ten play.
“I don’t have much to complain about,” Coach John Cook said about his team’s nonconference performance. “We got better as the four weeks went on; that’s all I can ask as a coach. We learned from our SMU match, so they’ve done a nice job.”
The evidence for that steady improvement lies in the results of the final weekend of the nonconference as the Huskers swept two top-five teams in Stanford and Louisville, one at home and one on the road.
“It was definitely very special and unlike, I honestly want to say, any team that I’ve been a part of here,” senior Lexi Rodriguez said. “I just feel like, especially during preseason, it’s really rare to bounce back from a loss and recover in the way that we did and be able to go dominate against two top-five teams. I believed that we could do it, but I give huge props to the entire team, the entire staff, because the ability that everyone was able to bring themselves to for those two games was just incredible. So I think it was pretty awesome.”
A key to the strong finish was improved passing as Nebraska allowed just three aces over its past three matches (a 0.33 per set average, down from 0.75 in the first eight matches which was a strong number to begin with). The serve and pass game was a key to SMU’s victory over the Huskers on Sept. 3, but Nebraska dominated in that area over the past three matches with 15 aces (and just 12 errors) during that stretch.
“It’s definitely something that we try and be a backbone of our team, just trying to keep our team in system, because we know when we are in system, we have weapons all over the court and we just want to get Bergen [Reilly] in the right in the right spot so she can run a great offense,” Rodriguez said. “But I think hearing stats like that, it’s like, ‘Oh, our work is paying off,’ and it can be challenging sometimes, especially against some of those tougher serving teams, but it’s definitely something where I think all of us have felt like we’ve grown in areas. I think it’s even going to get better, just as we become more comfortable next to each other in passing.”
In part, the strong passing has allowed Nebraska to run an elite offense, hitting .300 through 11 matches (eighth in the country and second in the Big Ten). Now, as Cook often says, the ante goes up, although week one of Big Ten play for the Huskers looks a little different this year as two newcomers to the conference will visit the Devaney Center.
“The nonconference, kind of four weeks is a good time, and now everything’s on the line,” Cook said. “We’re chasing something right now. So I’m excited. I think it’s historic. We open with UCLA and USC, so that’ll be very interesting, because it’s so new. Just like USC football going to Michigan the other day, I don’t know what the ratings were, but it had to be a pretty highly-watched football game and I just think there’s a lot of interest in it. So it will be exciting.”
Nebraska will open against UCLA (6-3) on Friday. The Bruins’ three losses have all come to teams currently in the top 25 — No. 13 Georgia Tech in five, No. 20 Tennessee in three and No. 22 TCU in four. Their lone high-major win is over an 8-4 Cal team.
Junior outside hitter Cheridyn Leverette is sixth in the Big Ten in kills at 4.07 per set on .325 hitting. Preseason All-Big Ten middle blocker Anna Dodson is contributing 2.14 kills per set on .262 hitting and 1.11 blocks per set.
First serve against UCLA is set for 7 p.m. CT on the Big Ten Network.
The Huskers will get Saturday off before returning to the Devaney Center on Sunday to host No. 20 USC (8-2) led by a familiar face in former Husker Ally Batenhorst. The 6-foot-4 outside hitter transferred to USC after the spring semester.
“I’m really looking forward to it, actually,” Rodriguez said. “I know Husker nation is going to give her a warm welcoming. I haven’t seen her in a really long time, and then I also just loved playing with her, I want to see her succeed and even though we’re going to have to stop her, I think it’s going to be fun to see her over there on the other side of the net and just in a different role, a different jersey, and no matter how she does, I’m going to be super proud of her.”
Batenhorst is playing six rotations for the Trojans and is eighth in the Big Ten in kills at 3.89 per set on .219 hitting. She’s started all 10 matches and has recorded four double-doubles.
“I think she’s just a lot happier in her role,” Rodriguez said. “She’s playing six rotations, she’s probably going to be their priority hitter and I just think she looks like she’s having a lot of fun. She’s taking big swings, she’s taking a lot of swings, but I think she’s been balling out. It’s really good to see because she’s my best friend, so I’m proud of her.”
Outside of Batenhorst, USC boasts the third-best blocking average in the country at 3.17 stuffs per set. Seven different Trojans are averaging better than 0.80 blocks per set including setter Mia Tuaniga who is at 0.89 in addition to 10.39 assists per set and a team-high 18 service aces.
First serve on Sunday is set for 6:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network.
