No. 2 Huskers Dominate No. 7 Badgers In Sweep

The No. 2 Nebraska volleyball team (12-0) extended its winning streak to 12 matches with a dominating sweep (25-14, 25-16, 25-18) over the No. 7 Wisconsin Badgers (11-3) on Saturday night in front of a raucous crowd at the Devaney Center.

A Complete Performance

The Huskers were in control from the start, hitting .426 as a team while holding the Badgers to a .157 hitting percentage. Nebraska also dominated at the net, outblocking Wisconsin 12 to 3. Kaitlyn Hord led the Huskers with 15 kills, while Madi Kubik added 13 kills and Lauren Stivrins chipped in with 10.

Defensively, the Huskers were led by libero Kenzie Knuckles, who had a match-high 15 digs. Nebraska also had six blocks from Stivrins and five from Hord.

Badgers Struggle

The Badgers, who came into the match ranked No. 7 in the country, never seemed to find their rhythm. Wisconsin hit just .157 as a team and had 18 errors. Grace Loberg led the Badgers with 10 kills, while Dana Rettke added 9 kills. However, Loberg also had 8 errors, while Rettke had 6.

Wisconsin also struggled at the service line, committing 10 service errors. The Huskers, on the other hand, had just 3 service errors.

Dominant Start Sets Tone

The Huskers set the tone for the match with a dominant first set. Nebraska hit .500 as a team and held the Badgers to a -.056 hitting percentage. Hord led the way with 6 kills in the set, while Kubik added 5.

The Huskers continued to roll in the second set, hitting .429 as a team. Wisconsin hit just .133 in the set, and the Huskers took a 2-0 lead in the match.

Nebraska closed out the match with a strong third set. The Huskers hit .375 as a team and held the Badgers to a .143 hitting percentage. Hord had 5 kills in the set, while Kubik added 4.

Implications

The win was Nebraska’s first over a top-10 opponent this season. It also extended the Huskers’ winning streak to 12 matches and improved their record to 12-0. The Huskers are now 7-0 in the Big Ten Conference and are in first place.

The loss dropped Wisconsin to 11-3 on the season and 6-2 in the Big Ten Conference. The Badgers are now in third place in the conference standings.

The Huskers will be back in action on Wednesday, October 12, when they travel to Iowa City to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes. The Badgers will be back in action on Friday, October 14, when they host the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Conclusion

The No. 2 Nebraska volleyball team showed why they are one of the top teams in the country with a dominating sweep of the No. 7 Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday night. The Huskers were in control from the start and never allowed the Badgers to get into a rhythm. Nebraska’s win was their first over a top-10 opponent this season and extended their winning streak to 12 matches.

The Huskers’ win also has implications for the Big Ten Conference standings. Nebraska is now 7-0 in the Big Ten and is in first place, while Wisconsin is 6-2 and is in third place. The Huskers will be looking to continue their winning ways when they travel to Iowa City to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes on Wednesday, October 12.