The Huskers have punched their ticket to the Final Four.
Tension turned to eruption as every Husker on the floor realized the volleyball didn’t need any more of their attention.
A frenzied dash to an on-court celebration accomplished the trick.
Nebraska was on its way to the Final Four when the ball went long. Again. Sixteen is a magical age, they say. Seventeen is a better number. That’s how many times Husker volleyball has reached the semifinals after a four-set triumph over an Arkansas squad that didn’t show up trembling in its sneakers on Saturday night.
The Razorbacks, on the other hand, led Nebraska for the most of the opening set, won the third set, and had Husker supporters nervous in the fourth. But this Husker squad never loses at home, do they? Right. That was the way it had always been, and it wasn’t going to change tonight, as NU defeated Arkansas 26-24, 25-14, 21-25, 25-23 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
The victory secures a meeting with Pittsburgh in the Final Four on Thursday in Tampa.
It’s not supposed to be simple to get there, and Saturday night was no exception. The Huskers were not only playing from behind early on, but also uncomfortably far behind in the eyes of the home crowd. In fact, he was behind 12-6 and then 21-16. What’s the big deal?
No need to worry. The Huskers scored four straight points and eight of the next ten to take the lead and win the game.
Not surprising given what Husker head coach John Cook has said about this team’s leadership since the offseason.
“One of the characteristics of a great servant leader is that they take care of people and people feel comfortable coming to them and working through things,” Cook said of team leaders like Merritt Beason and Lexi Rodriguez at the time. “This team has mastered that as well as any team I’ve coached.”
The Huskers’ (32-1) teamwork was evident in important moments on Saturday.
Nebraska cruised in Game 2 after the Game 1 rally. Is it easy and breezy all the way home? Not exactly. Arkansas took the lead when the Huskers hit.147 in Game 3 and.119 in Game 4.
However, Beason is a star, and stars shine brightest when they are needed. She fought her way to 19 kills, whereas Harper Murray only had 15. Andi Jackson led the club with seven hits and a.385 batting percentage. Beason and Murray also had 23 digs apiece, with Rodriguez leading the Big Red with 20 and Laney Choboy with 13.
Bergen Reilly recorded 40 assists.
Nebraska also had a significant block advantage: 32 to 18. Bekka Allick recorded a career-high 12 points, while Beason had eight. Nebraska limited Arkansas to a hitting percentage of.100 for the match and.000 in the deciding fourth set.
The fourth game was the type of brawl you’d expect at this point in the tournament. Neither side has it easy.
After a review of a joust at the net in which the Razorback appeared to touch the net, Nebraska appeared to win the game 25-21. The point represented Arkansas. The away team then added another goal to make the score 24-23. Nobody on Nebraska’s team wanted a fifth game to 15 where anything could happen.
Tension.
Then there was the Arkansas dish with too much mustard on it. Actually, the Huskers thought it was just the proper amount. Arkansas had ten service errors against Nebraska’s three. Scream ‘out!” and then scream even louder about what’s coming next.
For the sixth time in the last nine years, the team has advanced to the Final Four.
Certain things become old, but for Husker fans, this is not the case.
Husker commit Barney determined to make difference early for Huskers
Jacory Barney Jr.’s plans go beyond simply being a Husker next year.
The Miami-area wide receiver is motivated to enter the program as an early enrollee next month, gain playbook knowledge and weight, and make a difference for Nebraska in 2024.
Barney seems unfazed by Lincoln’s 5-7 record in Year 1 of the Rhule era. Rhule, he knows, has always been a builder. And wide receivers coach Garret McGuire has also struck a chord with him in terms of seeing the potential.
“I believe in Matt Rhule and McGuire so much…” the Nebraska commit told Husker247 on Saturday. “We played in the majority of the games.” We were really one play away from going over… It’s like, ‘Man, I definitely would’ve made that play and been the difference maker.’ I just use it as an opportunity to contribute.”
In that comment, you can see one of the appeals a playmaker may see even as the Huskers struggled on offense at times in 2023, with turnovers being the source of the problems. A guy could see where he can change the story – and possibly have a say in it sooner rather than later.
In that comment, you can see one of the appeals a playmaker may see even as the Huskers struggled on offense at times in 2023, with turnovers being the source of the problems. A guy could see where he can change the story – and possibly have a say in it sooner rather than later.
But there are lots of other reasons Barney has kept faithful to his July 1 commitment to Nebraska.
