Three takes from Nebraska volleyball’s thrilling four-set win over No. 21 Kentucky
No. 4 Nebraska outlasted a solid Kentucky team to win 3-1 (25-14, 25-22, 23-25, 25-21) for its second top-25 win of the week. The Huskers earn some big momentum entering Big Ten matches on Friday vs. Ohio State and then Sunday vs. Minnesota.
After two sets were NU was in control, the Wildcats came out swinging in set three. They jumped to a 6-2 lead. However, a 4-0 scoring run by Nebraska tied them up. Husker Head Coach John Cook said Kentucky started getting into a rhythm as their hitters started killing more balls.
AVCA Third-Team All-American outside hitter Reagan Rutherford led the Wildcats with 19 kills and hit .382 with eight digs and two blocks. Middle blocker Elise Goetzinger had 14 kills and a .333 clip with four blocks.
As for the Huskers, four hitters were in double-digits figures including Merritt Beason (17), Harper Murray (17), Ally Batenhorst (12) and Andi Jackson (10). Beason and Murray both added 10 digs to earn their first career double-doubles at Nebraska.
Setter Bergen Reilly had a career-high 46 assists with 12 digs and three blocks. Her set percentage was a .479, meaning almost half of her sets resulted into a kill.
Nebraska hit .338 as a team and let Kentucky hit .243, their highest opponent hitting percentage of the season.
The match was highlight by a 72-second long rally in which the Huskers won thanks to a kill by Harper Murray. Both teams showed great resiliance and defense during the rally. Cook said the rally summed up the match, perfectly.
Here are three takeaways from a great volleyball match on both sides of the net:
ALLY B WITH A BULLET. @allybatenhorstt pic.twitter.com/SK5RwtaLbg
— Nebraska Volleyball (@HuskerVB) September 18, 2023
Talent/depth tested
The Huskers’ depth and quality of depth were tested on Sunday as two of their starters were out with injuries.
Nebraska’s starting outside hitter Lindsay Krause and defensive specialist Laney Choboy were both out against Kentucky. Choboy suffered a concussion against Stanford on Tuesday when she and Murray dive into each other.
Cook said after the match that Krause as rear-ended near the intersection of O St and 48th Street on Wednesday. He went on a rant about the lack of safety on O St. Since Wednesday, Krause has only practiced for 10 minutes on Sunday.
Nebraska doesn’t had bench players, they call them game changers. Cook said during the summer they switched to that mindset because of the quality depth they have. He says that the players on the bench have a chance to change the game when they come in.
With the injuries, junior Ally Batenhorst started on the left pin and walk-on Maisie Boesiger substituted with her to play in the back row. Both Batenhorst and Boesiger made some game changing plays on Sunday.
Batenhorst had a great game. She finished with 12 kills on 32 swings to hit .281. The 6-foot-5 junior added two digs, one block and one assist as well.
.@boesiger_maisie serving pancakes for dinner all night. pic.twitter.com/z9QgA9237b
— Nebraska Volleyball (@HuskerVB) September 18, 2023
Batenhorst had some huge swings and kills during important Nebraska’s scoring runs. During NU’s comeback at the beginning of set three, she had two kills and one block to tie it up 6-6. She had five kills and hit .364 in set three.
Boesiger recorded an ace, six digs and three perfect receptions. She had three digs including a diving dig, a one arm punch up and a cover off a block. The sophomore also added two pancakes.
“If somebody gets hurt or somebody’s having a tough night, you’ve got to be a game changer,” Cook said. “I’ve got a whole bench of them that can do that.”
“That’s our depth and it’s also we’ve got those guys believing they can make a difference.”
Batenhorst, Boesiger and serving sub Kennedi Orr make an impact in Nebraska’s win over Kentucky.
This rally is EVERYTHING
No. 4 @HuskerVB and No. 21 Kentucky rally for OVER A MINUTE #NCAAWVB x BTNpic.twitter.com/V2ljIjIjHJ
— NCAA Women’s Volleyball (@NCAAVolleyball) September 18, 2023
The Rally
Nebraska and Kentucky put together one of the best rallies I have seen in my life. Cook, Batenhorst and Murray all said after the match they have been seen a rally so long. 72 seconds to be exact.
On Murray’s fifth swing of the rally, she ended it with a huge kill. She and Jackson sank to their knees in relief and out of exhaustion.
“I think in those situations, that’s why we work out, that’s why we trust our training and all that stuff,” Murray said. “So I think for all of us what was going through our head was stay disciplined and just give it your all. Because all of our legs were dead. We were dead. We were out of breath and that’s what we had to do. And when I went up for that last set, I was just telling myself to use my legs and give it my all and that’s what happened.”
Kentucky Head Coach Craig Skinner challenged Rodriguez’s pancake in the middle of the rally. Murray and her teams were very happy to have a moment to catch their breathe and “decompress” after the rally.
Each team made some incredible diving plays whether that was at the net or while running out of bounds. Winning such a chaotic rally was huge for Nebraska’s momentum.
The Devaney Center erupted after Murray’s kill. Every single person was on their feet in awe of the amazing volleyball they just witnesses.
The rally and this match vs. a tough Kentucky team will help prepare Nebraska for the start of their Big Ten schedule next week. Cook said although the Wildcats have a 2-6 record they are a great team that he thinks will compete for the SEC Championship.
Nebraska took down No. 5 Stanford in four sets on Tuesday on the road and then came home for a huge win over UK. This young team just got an important glimpse at what it takes to win in the Big Ten.
LEXI RODRIGUEZ ARE YOU KIDDING?! @Alexis14Rod
TIMEOUT, KENTUCKY. pic.twitter.com/x91G4XOwK1
— Nebraska Volleyball (@HuskerVB) September 17, 2023
Great defense on both sides
Nebraska’s defense has even more great plays that usual on Sunday. Several players had huge ups to elongate rallies or set up points. Kentucky’s team was no different as there were many huge Husker swings that they were able to pop back up.
Husker libero Lexi Rodriguez had a season-high 18 digs, six assists and one ace. The junior was all over the court. It seemed in every Twitter highlight I wanted to add to this article, Rodriguez was doing something incredible.
She showed for the hundredth time that she can do it all. Well except for let the ball drop. Even when Kentucky was trying to hit away from her, she was there anyway.
Rodriguez had a long bump-set to Batenhorst for a big kill in the four set to tie it up 18-18.
“She continues to amaze me every single day,” Batenhorst said. “Honestly, that girl gets crazy ups that I do not expect at all. Like there are a few balls today that I was like, “Oh, that’s up like I have to keep going.” She’s just that amazing. She’s very consistent and a stable teammate and it’s really good that we have her to rely on all the time.”
Knot it up, @allybatenhorstt!!! pic.twitter.com/9bMudZ4tW4
— Nebraska Volleyball (@HuskerVB) September 18, 2023
Rodriguez was also the cover queen with a few pancakes, many rolling digs and a handful of impressive assists. Her pancake during the rally was huge.
Beason, Murray, Boesiger, Orr and Reilly all made great defensive plays in the back row. Even middle blocker Bekka Allick bumped over a ball in a chaotic out-of-system play that fell to the ground for a kill.
The 72-second long rally was a great example of the fight and defensive effort each team had on Sunday.
Libero Molly Tuozzo led Kentucky with 16 digs and also had some great plays. The Husker hitters took some huge swings that she was able to pop up.
Kentucky had 48 digs in four sets and Nebraska had a season-high 61 digs. All nine Huskers players who touched the court had at least one dig. Four had 10 or more digs.
It’s @harpermurray4 world, we’re just living in it. pic.twitter.com/bUnav1N3VI
— Nebraska Volleyball (@HuskerVB) September 18, 2023
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