Huskers Sweep Illinois

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The No. 2 Nebraska volleyball team won its 10th straight match with a 25-18, 25-22, 25-17 sweep of Illinois in front of a crowd of 4,352 on Thursday night.

Nebraska improved to 13-1 overall and 3-0 in Big Ten play, while Illinois dropped to 8-5 on the season and 0-3 in the Big Ten.

The Huskers hit .305 and held the Fighting Illini to .217. Nebraska had five service aces with just one error, while Illinois committed 11 service errors and had just two aces. NU also had a decisive edge in blocks, 12-3.

Merritt Beason had 10 kills and hit .421 with seven blocks. Harper Murray tallied nine kills on .348 hitting with 11 digs, and Taylor Landfair added eight kills.

Leyla Blackwell started at middle blocker and recorded six kills on .385 hitting with three blocks. Rebekah Allick had a team-best nine blocks to go with four kills. 

Bergen Reilly dished out 30 assists with eight digs and three kills. Lexi Rodriguez provided a match-high 14 digs.

Raina Terry and Averie Hernandez led Illinois with 13 and 11 kills, respectively.

Set 1: After falling behind 4-0, the Huskers fought back to go up 7-6 after a 4-0 run of their own. A kill and ace by Murray, and consecutive kills by Reilly, Blackwell and Landfair made it 12-7 Huskers. Illinois pulled within 15-14, but two Illini attacking errors and kills by Beason and Murray put the Big Red up 20-15. A pair of kills by Landfair made it 23-17 Huskers, and Landfair put the set away, 25-18.

Set 2: Nebraska led 8-6 after a Blackwell kill, but Illinois went a 6-0 run including five straight kills, four by Hernandez. Illinois led 15-11 when Allick posted a solo block, and a block by Beason and Blackwell brought the Huskers within 16-14. Murray pounded a kill to cut it to 16-15, and the Illini took a timeout. After the break, Beason terminated from the right pin to tie the score, and Rodriguez served an ace for a 17-16 Husker lead. After an Illinois kill, Beason posted a kill of her own followed by an ace for a 19-17 advantage. But Illinois scored four in a row to go back on top, 21-19. Murray posted a sideout kill, and Landfair put down an overpass to tie the set at 21-21. Blackwell connected for a kill and a 22-21 lead. After an Illinois timeout, Reilly and Blackwell combined for a block to make it 23-21, and a kill by Landfair earned set point at 24-22. An ace by Kennedi Orr, her second of the match, gave the Huskers a 25-22 victory.

Set 3: Blackwell had three early kills and a block to help the Big Red to a 7-5 lead. But a 4-0 run by the Illini put them ahead 9-7. Reilly dumped a kill, and the Huskers gained a 13-11 edge after back-to-back kills by Murray. A kill by Beason and two more by Murray increased the lead to three, 16-13. A 3-0 run put the Huskers up 20-15. Lindsay Krause had a kill, and Beason and Allick combined for a block before an Allick kill. After Illinois cut it to 20-17, Allick and Krause posted a block, and Allick terminated again for a 22-17 Husker lead. Allick closed out the match, 25-17, with a kill in between two blocks with Beason. The Huskers ended the set on an 8-2 run, and Allick was involved in scoring NU's final seven points as the Huskers finished with seven blocks in the set. 

Up Next: The Huskers host Iowa on Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Nebraska Public Media and the Husker Sports Network.