The No. 1-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers continued their flawless season with a commanding 3-0 sweep over Michigan State, winning 25-15, 25-18, 25-20 on Friday night at the Breslin Center. Facing a school-record crowd of 11,578 raucous Spartan fans, Nebraska showcased its trademark precision and power, extending its winning streak to 25 straight sets and improving to 17-0 overall and 7-0 in the Big Ten. Michigan State, now 14-3 (4-3 Big Ten), fought valiantly but couldn’t overcome the Huskers’ relentless attack.
From the opening serve, Nebraska asserted dominance, hitting an impressive .383 as a team while racking up a season-high nine aces and nine blocks. They committed just four errors all match and out-dug the Spartans 30-23, holding MSU to a .209 hitting percentage. The sweep marked Nebraska’s eighth consecutive 3-0 victory and capped a perfect 3-0 run in the Big Ten Discover Challenge, with two more matches still ahead in the gauntlet.
Harper Murray was the undisputed star, erupting for 13 kills on 26 error-free swings (.500 hitting), while adding seven digs. The junior outside hitter reached a career milestone with her 12th kill, pushing her total to 1,000 for her Nebraska tenure. Over her last two matches, Murray has been untouchable, tallying 29 kills on 51 swings without a single error (.569). Teammate Taylor Landfair complemented her with eight kills at .500 efficiency, while Virginia Adriano chipped in seven kills and three blocks.
In the frontcourt, Rebekah Allick anchored the defense with six kills (.400), five blocks, and key partnerships that stifled MSU’s offense. Andi Jackson rounded out the balanced attack with five kills (.571), four blocks, and three aces, proving a menace from the service line. Setter Bergen Reilly orchestrated the onslaught with 32 assists, a kill, and an ace of her own, while libero Laney Choboy scooped six digs and Teraya Sigler led the back row with seven digs and three aces.
Set one belonged entirely to the Huskers, who surged to a 10-3 lead behind kills from Jackson, Murray, and Landfair, capped by a 4-0 service run from Jackson. They hit .636 in the frame, closing with Adriano’s dagger for a 25-15 rout.
The second set saw MSU mount a gritty comeback, erasing an early 7-0 Nebraska run with a 6-0 spurt of their own. But the Huskers responded with a 5-0 surge served by Mauch, and Sigler’s ace sealed a 25-18 victory.
Set 3 was the closest, with Murray’s four early kills fueling a 14-8 lead. As the Spartans clawed back to 16-15, Murray answered with her 13th kill and an ace to restore order. Nebraska locked it down with back-to-back blocks from Allick-Sigler and Allick-Adriano, Reilly’s ace, and Adriano’s match-clinching kill for the 25-20 triumph.
With this road win, Nebraska solidifies their stranglehold on the Big Ten summit and eyes another undefeated conference campaign. Right now, Nebraska is playing in a league of their own and looks to continue their undefeated run on Sunday against Michigan.
