When Nebraska talks about two-way volleyball, start in the middle. Seniors Andi Jackson and Manaia Ogbechie both rank inside the Big Ten’s top five in hitting percentage and blocks per set heading into Saturday’s sold-out match at No. 12 Oregon.
The numbers
- Jackson leads the conference at .468 hitting, fourth nationally, and ranks fourth in the Big Ten in blocks per set (1.32) with 91 total blocks.
- Ogbechie is fifth in the league at .449 hitting and third in blocks per set (1.34) with 86 blocks.
- With a 10-swing minimum, Jackson has hit above .500 eleven times this season and .400 or better 16 times. She has six matches with at least 10 kills and five blocks.
- Last week Ogbechie totaled 22 kills on .618 hitting (22-1-34) and led Nebraska with 12 blocks across Michigan and Michigan State. Per Nebraska’s notes, that is just the 13th time in the rally-scoring era a Husker has put up 20 kills on .600 hitting with 10-plus blocks in a two-match stretch.
Why Oregon will feel it
Nebraska leads the country in hitting percentage (.337) and opponent hitting percentage (.110). The Huskers average 2.90 blocks per set, first in the Big Ten and seventh nationally, and they are 22-0 dating to last season when they record 10 or more blocks. Jackson has been Big Ten Player of the Week twice this year. Ogbechie won it once and also made the AVCA Player of the Year watch list this week.
Oregon leads the Big Ten alongside Nebraska in kills per set. Efficient middles are how the No. 1 team keeps that margin when the Ducks pack Matthew Knight Arena at 9 p.m. CT on BTN.
Featured image: Photo: Thundrplaya. CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NebraskaPennStVolleyball2013.jpg.
