Three Takes: Husker Volleyball advance to Final Four after upsetting Texas

No. 10 Nebraska upset No. 2 Texas 3-1 in the regional finals to punch their ticket to the Final Four in Columbus, Ohio on Thursday, Dec. 16.

The Huskers went up 2-0 taking the first two sets 25-19 and 25-23. Texas outlasted Nebraska 25-23 in the third set then Nebraska got to work a won the fourth 25-21.

Texas staged two big comebacks in the second and fourth sets but fell short despite a home crowd that was extremely loud and energetic.

Next, Nebraska will play No. 3 Pittsburgh on Thursday, Dec. 16.

Here are three takes from Nebraska’s redemption match against Texas:

The Huskers had their best match in all three phases of the game against Texas.

Nebraska hit .259 as a team. Outside hitter Madi Kubik hit .041 and added 15 kills with 13 errors. If Kubik’s numbers are subtracted, the Huskers hit .384.

Defensive specialist Keonilei Akana led the match with seven of Nebraska’s nine service aces. Madi Kubik and Lexi Rodriguez both led big scoring runs from behind the service line. Kubik had an 8-0 scoring run in the fourth set and Rodriguez served a 7-0 run in set two.

“I thought they played extremely well on the defensive side and they clearly won the serve and pass battle,” Texas Head Coach Jerritt Elliot said.

The Longhorns had six service aces and 14 service errors. Along with the aces allowed, that’s 23 points in the serve and pass battle that Texas gave up, Elliot pointed out.

As for passing and digging, Rodriguez had 20 digs and four assists. Setter Nicklin Hames had 13 digs to add to her 43 assists and two blocks.

Nebraska dug 55 balls, 13 more than Texas.

“This team is some of the most talented individuals and teams I’ve ever been a part of and ever seen,” six-year senior Lauren Stivrins said.

She said she sees that every day in practice but it finally translated to a game.

“I feel like this is one of those games where it finally came to fruition and everyone was able to see just how talented we can be and how good we are,” she said.

Freshmen Lindsay Krause and Ally Batenhorst have had their ups and downs this season. Both have been benched during matches and/or had someone start instead of them but they found a way to play their best when Nebraska needed them the most.

Krause, whose 19th birthday was on Saturday, had 13 kills and hit .500. She tied Stivrins for a team-high five blocks. The opposite hitter had the match-winning kill to send Nebraska to the Final Four.

Batenhorst, who is from Houston, Texas, had a team-high-tying 15 kills and hit .406. In the first set, Batenhorst scored three consecutive points to give Nebraska a 21-13 lead. She is the same thing in set four, scoring three points in a row, adding six kills in the set.

“They’ve really progressed as the season has gone on,” Nebraska Head Coach John Cook said. “For them to perform when it matters most, it just shows they’ve bought into everything we’ve been doing and trusted our training.”

Kubik was high-error against Texas but Batenhorst and Krause helped make up for it with only having four errors combined.

Krause and Batenhorst have a bright future at Nebraska.

Nebraska was the underdog in this game by seed and also by history.

The Huskers played a very similar Texas team in the 2020 Elite Eight and lost 3-1 in Omaha, Neb. But the Huskers found a way to take down this Longhorn squad despite that.

“The past couple of years, we’ve kind of come up short and not played great in the final game and everyone’s stepped up in this game,” Hames said.

Gregory Gym was packed with 5,080 fans, whose cheers ricocheted off the cement stands. The music was blaring and seemed to get louder and the match went on.

Nebraska still found a way.

“It wasn’t perfect, but it was our way and we had each other’s backs,” Hames said. “We out-hearted and out-teamed to them. That’s what’s the most special part of it and so we finally got over the hump and we did it together.”