No. 5 Nebraska Volleyball Defeats No. 9 Creighton in Five-Set Thriller

Huskers Win Third Straight Match over Bluejays

Lincoln, Neb. –

No. 5 Nebraska volleyball continued its dominance over in-state rival No. 9 Creighton on Saturday night, winning in five sets (25-22, 25-18, 23-25, 19-25, 15-9) in front of a sold-out crowd at the Devaney Center in Lincoln. The Huskers (11-2) have now won three straight matches against the Bluejays (9-3) and improved to 11-0 all-time at home against their in-state rivals. Nebraska was led by a balanced offensive attack, with four players recording double-digit kills. Madi Kubik led the way with 16 kills, followed by Lindsay Krause with 15, Ally Batenhorst with 13 and Whitney Lauenstein with 12. Nicklin Hames dished out 52 assists and added 13 digs for her sixth double-double of the season. Lexi Rodriguez led the Huskers with 21 digs, followed by Kubik with 18. Creighton was led by Keeley Davis, who had a match-high 23 kills. Norah Sis had 10 kills and Jaela Zimmerman added nine kills for the Bluejays. The Huskers hit .244 for the match, while Creighton hit .225. Nebraska also had a 9-3 advantage in blocks. The first set was back-and-forth early on, but Nebraska took control midway through the set and won 25-22. The Huskers hit .353 in the first set, while Creighton hit .222. Nebraska continued to play well in the second set, hitting .333 and winning 25-18. The Huskers took a 2-0 lead in the match and looked to be in control. However, Creighton rallied in the third set, hitting .316 and winning 25-23. The Bluejays also won the fourth set, 25-19, to force a fifth and deciding set. The Huskers came out strong in the fifth set, taking a 5-1 lead. Creighton closed to within 8-6, but Nebraska scored the next three points to take an 11-6 lead. The Huskers eventually won the set 15-9 to clinch the match.