The Huskers mix up the lineup and use their depth to dominate during a sweep in front of 15,127 fans.
Even with a different setter, Andi Jackson remains an effective offensive weapon.
With Nebraska’s Bergen Reilly held out of action because of a sore ankle, Campbell Flynn got the start and made the most of her connection with Jackson. The Husker senior middle blocker finished with 12 kills on a .455 hitting percentage. The reigning National Player of the Week also doubled her previous career best with six aces while recording five blocks and four digs.
Jackson powered the top-ranked Huskers to a 25-13, 25-20, 25-15 victory over Maryland Saturday evening in front of a school-record 15,127 fans at the XFINITY Center.
Flynn finished with 35 assists, eight digs and four blocks as Nebraska (15-0, 4-0) hit .278 after a spate of hitting errors in the third set. NU coach Dani Busboom Kelly said Reilly could have played, but with matches against No. 15 Indiana and No. 6 Wisconsin in the next week, they decided not to push it.
“Campbell did great running the offense,” Busboom Kelly said during a postgame radio interview. “I just don’t know if (Reilly) would have been 100 percent and with a big week coming up, I thought this was a good opportunity for Campbell.”
Led by Jackson, 10 NU players recorded a kill against the Terrapins — including the first career kill from senior defensive specialist Laney Choboy. Teraya Sigler tallied eight kills on a .429 hitting percentage. Ryan Hunter earned the start at opposite and finished with six kills and six errors. Senior outside Harper Murray also finished with six kills.
Middle blocker Kenna Cogill, outside hitters Skyler Pierce and Gabby DiVita and defensive specialist Keri Leimbach all got in on the action in the third set.
“Not every team can say that they have players who can come off the bench and be game changers,” Jackson said on the B1G+ broadcast. “It really shows how bought in and they love this program, and they’re going to do whatever it takes. When their number gets called, they’re going to step up.”
Jackson was at the service line for a 6-0 run that put the Huskers up 11-6 in the first set.
In the second set, Jackson recorded another ace, NU’s first point on its serve. After that point, the teams traded 16 straight side outs before the Huskers ran off four consecutive points to go up 16-14.
Perhaps Jackson’s best service run came in the third set, when she scored six straight points, including three aces, to erase a 4-0 deficit early (three points that came via hitting errors) and put the Huskers up for good at 11-7.
In all, the Huskers finished with 11 aces. Choboy added two. Sigler also tallied a pair of aces and was subbed out after her second one in the third set. DiVita continued the scoring streak and notched an ace of her own.
“It’s our goal to be the best serving team in the world,” Jackson said. “I got to give credit to Dani because we do it a lot every single day in practice.”
Junior libero Olivia Mauch led the floor defense with 10 digs and recorded four assists.
Maryland (11-3, 1-3) finished with a .117 hitting percentage, its second-lowest of the season. Sydney Bryant led the Terps with eight kills as just four players recorded a kill. The Huskers outblocked Maryland 8-3 as the Terps finished with just 23 kills.
