Nebraska Volleyball beats Maryland to Earn a Share of the Big Ten Title

At least a share!

No. 2 Nebraska (29-2, 19-1 B1G) took down Maryland (14-17, 5-15 B1G) in four sets Saturday, 25-27, 25-14, 25-8, 25-12. With the win, NU becomes co-Big Ten champions with Penn State. The Huskers win back-to-back Big Ten Championships for the first time since they went back-to-back in 2016 and 2017.

The 2017 Big Ten champion Huskers actually shared the conference title with Penn State as well and went on to win the national championship.

A perfect balance of offense and defense led to 50 kills on a .259 hitting percentage, 50 digs, and 20 blocks, a new season high, for Nebraska. That high number of digs and blocks had Maryland in a tizzy finishing with a -.059 hitting percentage and 39 attacking errors.

Bergen Reilly distributed the ball well amongst her attackers finishing with 43 assists, while also flying around defensively with 14 digs.

Merritt Beason was exceptionally dominant, finishing with a match-high 19 kills on .471 hitting. The No. 1 pick in the Pro Volleyball Federation draft added nine blocks.

Harper Murray joined Beason with double-digit kills, notching 12.

Nebraska now waits to see how the seeding shakes out for the NCAA Tournament. The Selection Show airs Sunday at 5 p.m. CST on ESPN. The first and second rounds will take place on Dec. 5-7, with Nebraska in line to be a host.

Box score

Set 1: The Huskers separated from a 6-6 tie with a 4-1 run to go up 10-7. Allick and Beason had back-to-back kills and combined for a block before another Beason kill. Two kills and an ace by Murray made it 13-10, and Landfair and Murray recorded back-to-back kills for a 15-10 lead. After a Maryland timeout, the Huskers committed a service error and Maryland served an ace before the Huskers hit out to see their lead shrink to 15-13. Another ace by Maryland and a block tied the score at 16-16. Reilly dumped a kill to put the Huskers back in front, and Beason tipped a kill before a Mauch ace made it 19-17 Huskers. The Terps proceeded to hit long for a 20-17 Nebraska lead. Allick stuffed a Maryland attack to make it 21-17, but the Huskers gave up a kill and then hit out twice to let Maryland within 21-20. A kill by Beason put NU up 23-21, but a Maryland kill and back-to-back Husker attacking errors gave Maryland set point, 24-23. Murray rolled a kill to tie the score at 24-24, but Maryland answered with a kill for another set point. Landfair registered a kill for a 25-25 tie,  but a service error gave the Terps set point, and they won 27-25 on Nebraska’s ninth attacking error of the set. 

Set 2: The Huskers responded by going up 6-1 thanks in part to two kills and a block by Beason and a kill and two blocks by Jackson. Leading 11-6, Nebraska went on an 8-0 run served by Reilly to take control with a 19-6 lead. Beason got it going with back-to-back kills and a block with Allick, and Landfair and Beason tacked on two more kills to put the Huskers way out in front. Three straight unforced hitting errors allowed Maryland to get within 10 at 21-11, but Beason stepped up once again with back-to-back blocks, one with Allick and one with Jackson, to make it 23-11. The Huskers won 25-14 with Beason terminating the final two points. 

Set 3: Mauch served three aces, and Beason and Allick had kills for a 6-1 start. Murray and Jackson tallied kills to keep NU up by five, 8-3. Jackson and Murray teamed up for two blocks, and Jackson had a solo block before a Beason kill, as the Huskers went up 12-4. Murray posted a kill, and Landfair and Allick stuffed an attack to make it 16-6 Huskers. Maryland committed an error, and Allick terminated a kill for an 18-6 lead after a 5-0 run served by Kennedi Orr. Allick added another kill and a solo block, and Beason followed up with a solo block for a 22-8 advantage. Murray terminated another kill to make it 23-8, and back-to-back blocks by Allick, one with Murray and one with Beason, earned a 25-8 win. The Huskers had nine blocks alone in the third set as Maryland hit -.179. 

Set 4: For the third set in a row, the Huskers jumped out to a 6-1 lead. Allick, Beason and Murray all had kills as the Huskers inched closer to a conference title. Jackson posted two kills and a block with Reilly to lift NU to an 11-4 lead, and Landfair and Beason struck back-to-back kills to make it 13-5. A 5-0 run served by Rodriguez put NU in control at 22-8, and the Huskers finished off the win, 25-12. 

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