Nebraska Volleyball: Nebraska SMU Match Preview

Nebraska volleyball is set for a third consecutive match against a team from Texas when the Huskers travel to Dallas to square off with SMU at 7 p.m. CT tonight.

The match will be available to watch on TV on the ACC Network and will be streamed live on WatchESPN.com. It will also be broadcast live on the Huskers Radio Network’s volleyball affiliate stations, in addition to the audio feed being aired online on Huskers.com and on the Huskers app.

We get you ready for the action before the No. 2-ranked Huskers (3-0) and the Mustangs (1-1) face off at Moody Coliseum.

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All stats and game notes provided courtesy of Nebraska Athletics Communications

>> Nebraska opened the college volleyball season with a 3-1 win over No. 9 Kentucky at the AVCA First Serve Showcase in Louisville, Ky., last Tuesday. The Huskers had 18 blocks in the match, which was their most in a match since 2018.

>> Rebekah Allick led the way with 11 kills on .667 hitting to go with 12 blocks, which tied her career high. Allick was named Best Middle Blocker and MVP of the AVCA First Serve Showcase.

>> Bergen Reilly was named Best Setter, dishing out 39 assists with 11 digs to lead the Huskers to their season-opening win.

>> The Huskers followed up with a pair of home wins at the Ameritas Players Challenge over the weekend. NU swept Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Friday while hitting .427 in the match, its best offensive outing since 2021. The Huskers then beat TCU, 3-1, with Harper Murray leading the way with 20 kills on Saturday.

>> Nebraska has now won 25 home matches in a row dating back to the 2022 season.

>> Murray, an outside hitter, is leading the Huskers with 3.30 kills per set on .289 hitting.

>> Outside hitter Lindsay Krause adds 2.64 kills per set and she has served a team-high six aces.

>> Allick, a middle blocker, adds 2.40 kills per set on .415 hitting and has put up 19 blocks for an average of 1.90 blocks per set.

>> Reilly is averaging 10.73 assists per set and 3.18 digs per set and is tied for the team lead in aces with six.

>> Three-time All-American Lexi Rodriguez guides the Husker back row with 3.82 digs per set .

>> SMU went 26-7 last season and won the American Athletic Conference title. The Mustangs reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

>> SMU opened the season with a split in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Mustangs fell 3-2 to Hawaii before defeating San Diego, 3-1.

>> In its inaugural season in the ACC, the Mustangs were picked to finish sixth in the preseason poll.

>> Setter Celia Cullen was the American Athletic Conference Setter of the Year last season and earned AVCA All-Region honorable mention. Cullen is averaging 9.00 assists per set.

>> Maya Tabron, a graduate transfer from Colorado, leads the attack with 3.22 kills per set on .268 hitting.

>> Jamison Wheeler and Naya Shime both add 2.89 kills per set.

>> Nebraska swept the Mustangs last season on Aug. 27, 2023 at the Devaney Center which is so far, the only all-time meeting between the two programs. In that match, Nebraska held SMU to .045 hitting and had 11 blocks.

>> Allick was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, and Reilly was named Big Ten Setter of the Week on Monday by the conference office.

>> Allick earned her first career Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week award. Allick was named Best Middle Blocker and Most Valuable Player at the season-opening AVCA First Serve Showcase in Louisville, Ky. Allick had 11 kills and 12 blocks to lead the Huskers to a 3-1 win over No. 9 Kentucky. She also hit .667 in the match. Allick averaged 2.40 kills and 1.90 blocks per set with a .415 hitting percentage in the Huskers’ three wins against Kentucky, A&M-Corpus Christi and TCU.

>> Reilly earned her fifth career Big Ten Setter of the Week honor. She led the Huskers to three victories with 10.73 assists per set and 3.18 digs per set. Reilly was named Best Setter at the AVCA First Serve Showcase in Louisville, Ky., as she led the Huskers to a 3-1 win over No. 9 Kentucky with 39 assists and 11 digs. Reilly had three double-doubles on the week, including 43 assists and 14 digs in a 3-1 win over TCU.

Reilly also set a career high with five service aces in a sweep of A&M-Corpus Christi, as she opened the match on a 10-0 run at the service line. Overall, Reilly set the Huskers to a .286 hitting percentage in the three wins.