Michigan Starts Hot, But Huskers Stay Steady to Take Down Wolverines

During the first set, Nebraska had no answer for Michigan’s offense. 

The Wolverines hit .465 in the opening set, but still needed seven set points to finish off the Huskers. Eventually, No. 1 Nebraska adjusted to Michigan’s speed and kept swinging away on offense as they earned a 26-28, 25-20, 25-20, 25-14 victory Friday evening at the Crisler Center. 

Despite their inability to slow down the Wolverines early — they recorded 22 kills in the first set — Nebraska kept playing their game and eventually turned the tide in the final three sets. NU struggled to keep up with Michigan’s fast-tempo offense run by Omaha Skutt graduate Morgan Burke, who recorded 30 assists. 

NU coach Dani Busboom Kelly said the mood was still positive in the huddle after dropping the set. They talked about making a few small adjustments to improve their block touches against the Wolverines (13-9, 4-7).

“They came out swinging and were really the aggressors,” Busboom Kelly said during a post-match radio interview. “Just because they were killing everything and their offense was on fire, we didn’t let it affect the rest of our game, which I was pretty proud of. Sometimes when you can’t stop somebody, you get frustrated, and it bleeds into other areas. So we were really steady on offense and then gradually adjusted and were much better on defense.”

Nebraska used a balanced offense as all five starting attackers finished with double-digit kills led by 16 from Harper Murray. Virginia Adriano continued her offensive tear with a career-high 14 kills. Andi Jackson added 13 kills at .455, while Teraya Sigler had 12 kills and 12 digs, and Manaia Ogbechie recorded 11 kills. 

Murray finished with a .282 hitting percentage, but every other attacker hit at least .400, including Adriano and Ogbechie, both at .500. As a team, NU posted a .412 hitting percentage, its third-best of the season, as Bergen Reilly tallied 58 assists to go with her two aces and nine digs. 

In the first set, the Huskers (22-0, 11-0) led 17-14 before Michigan came alive. Cymarah Gordon recorded five kills as the Wolverines went on a 9-2 run. However, the Huskers weren’t ready to cede the game as they fought off six set points. Ella Demetrician finally finished off the set with kills on the final two rallies. 

Gordon and Demetrician each put up eight kills in the set. Demetrician finished with a match-high 21 kills on a .302 hitting percentage while Gordon had 16 kills at a .357 clip. 

“I thought Demetrician was fantastic,” Busboom Kelly said. “Even her tips were really aggressive. She was in it to win it tonight, and when a player has that type of mindset, and everything’s going their way, they get really, really tough to stop.”

Busboom Kelly said she was encouraged that they fought so hard after facing multiple set points, even though they dropped a set for the fifth time this season. 

Nebraska started the second set quickly for a 4-1 advantage, but the Wolverines eventually tied it at 6-all. Reilly recorded back-to-back aces, the first of the match for NU, as they went up 10-6. Reilly later served a 5-0 run to give the Huskers a 21-13 advantage before they closed it out. 

Adriano recorded four of her five kills in the set during the red zone as she finished with double-digit kills for the fourth straight match. 

“She was absolutely hammering balls today,” Busboom Kelly said. “Hopefully, she understands that’s her role. It’s not to have the perfect hitting efficiency. We have to have somebody over there that can kill balls and get better touches on the block.”

The third set was tied 14-all before a Michigan service error sent the teams to the media timeout. After the break, Sigler recorded three kills and two blocks as the Huskers went up 20-16 and took a 2-1 set lead. 

NU kept the pressure on in the fourth set by winning the first four points. Michigan got as close as 8-6, but the Huskers ran away with the set, hitting .625 with 16 kills on 24 attacks. 

Late in the set, Gabby DiVita subbed in for Sigler in the front row, and Campbell Flynn came in to serve as all three Michigan natives on the NU’s roster (including Murray) were on the court at the same time. DiVita recorded a kill on her only attack of the match. 

The night was special for Murray as she played in front of a record-tying crowd of 12,707 at Crisler Center. The Ann Arbor native had many friends and family in the stands, along with almost 1,000 people from her club, Legacy. Murray said it meant the world to play in front of a packed crowd with many familiar faces wearing red and No. 27 jerseys. 

“I grew up coming to basketball and volleyball games here all the time,” Murray said. “When I was sitting on the bench, and they’re playing the fight song and everything, I couldn’t help but sing it. It truly makes me so happy to be here. I’m kind of sad that we have to leave, but it was so fun coming back, and I’m really grateful that I had so many people here.”