Huskers Reverse Sweep No. 7 Kentucky

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The No. 1 Nebraska volleyball team rallied to reverse sweep No. 7 Kentucky at the Broadway Block Party at Bridgestone Arena on Sunday afternoon. 

After dropping the first two sets 24-26, 20-25, the Huskers regrouped with 25-19, 25-23 and 15-8 set wins to end the match and start the year 4-0. It marked Nebraska’s first reverse sweep win since Nov. 3, 2023 at Penn State.

Harper Murray had a career-high 23 kills with 15 digs and five blocks. Rebekah Allick added 10 kills and eight blocks, and Andi Jackson recorded 10 kills and four blocks. Taylor Landfair chipped in seven kills. 

Bergen Reilly posted 46 assists and 18 digs. Olivia Mauch had 14 digs, playing the final three sets at libero. Laney Choboy contributed 10 digs.

The Huskers had a .221 to .168 edge in hitting percentage. Both teams had 59 kills and 12 blocks. The Huskers had 13 more digs, 73-60.

Brooklyn DeLeye (23) and Eva Hudson (19) combined for 42 of Kentucky's 59 kills in the match.

Set 1: A 5-1 run put the Big Red up 8-4. Jackson served an ace, and Allick had a kill and block with Allie Sczech before a Landfair kill. Jackson and Murray tallied back-to-back kills, and Sigler chased a ball off the court that led to another Murray kill for a 13-8 advantage. Kills by Jackson and Landfair kept NU in front, 16-13, but Kentucky scored three in a row to tie the set at 16-16. Kentucky took a 20-18 lead after a 3-0 run keyed by two DeLeye kills. After a timeout, Murray terminated to cut it to 20-19, and a kill by Murray and back-row attack on Kentucky tied it 22-22. Hudson answered for the Wildcats, but a UK hitting error made it 23-23. Hudson earned set point with a kill, but Allick answered for the Big Red. DeLeye came right back for Kentucky, and a Husker hitting error gave the Wildcats a 26-24 win.    

Set 2: Nebraska led 6-3 when Kentucky went on a 7-1 run to go up 10-7. A pair of Kentucky errors and a Landfair kill made it 10-10. Sczech posted a kill before a block by Jackson and Murray put NU up 16-14. The Wildcats responded with three points in a row to go up 17-16. Kills by Jackson and Landfair helped put the Huskers back on top, 19-18, but the Wildcats ended the set on a 7-1 run to win 25-20 and go up 2-0.  

Set 3: Two kills by Landfair around one by Murray gave NU a 9-7 lead. After UK scored the next three, Allick was in on back-to-back blocks with Virginia Adriano and Murray for a 12-10 Husker advantage. Two straight kills by Murray put the Huskers up 15-12 at the media timeout. Murray and Reilly added kills as the Huskers' lead grew to 20-15. Hudson and DeLeye scored for Kentucky before Murray killed from the back row and Sigler won a long rally for a 22-17 lead. Back-to-back attacking errors by the Wildcats gave NU set point, and an Allick kill put the set away, 25-19. 

Set 4: Murray and Jackson each recorded a pair of kills to take the Huskers to a 6-3 lead. Murray and Sigler added two more kills, and Allick had a block with Adriano, a kill, and another block with Murray for an 11-6 lead. A 5-1 run got Kentucky within one, 12-11, but the Huskers stayed in front and an ace by Murray made it 15-12. Allick and Reilly combined for a block, and Murray flew out of the back row for her 19th kill that made it 18-13. But Kentucky answered with a 6-1 run to tie the score at 19-19. Murray and Jackson put down kills and Kentucky hit wide for a 23-21 NU lead. The teams traded service errors to give NU set point at 24-22, and Jackson finished off a 25-23 win. 

Set 5: NU started strong with a 5-2 lead that led to a Kentucky timeout, thanks to two kills by Murray, and one each by Adriano and Reilly. Landfair and Jackson teamed up for a block to make it 6-2. Kentucky bounced back with a 3-0 run to force a Husker timeout at 6-5, but two Kentucky errors gave NU an 8-5 advantage as the teams changed sides. Allick posted a kill and a block with Adriano to push the Husker lead to four, 11-7. Teraya Sigler served an ace after a Kentucky timeout for a 12-7 lead, and Murray and Allick stuffed another Kentucky attack to make it 13-7. Murray's career-high 23rd kill earned match point, 14-8, and the Huskers won on a Mauch ace.  

Up Next: The Huskers host Wright State at 7 p.m. on Friday at John Cook Arena at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. NU will also host California on Sunday at 1 p.m.