NU shows mental toughness in win over OU

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BY TODD HENRICHS / Lincoln Journal Star

After piggybacking a nonconference match onto a Big 12 weekend a year ago, the Nebraska volleyball team went for a Texas-sized mid-week tumble.

So, even though it was a sub-.500 Oklahoma team coming to town this time around, and not a road trip to powerful Texas, NU coach John Cook entered Wednesday’s match looking for a measure of mental toughness from the present-day Huskers.

“To get up for four matches in seven days, emotionally, that’s tough to do,” Cook said. “We challenged them, and they responded really well.”

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Nebraska's Rachel Schwartz dives for a ball during Wednesday's win over Oklahoma at the NU Coliseum, October 8th, 2008. (Jacob Hannah)

Nebraska's Rachel Schwartz dives for a ball during Wednesday's win over Oklahoma at the NU Coliseum, October 8th, 2008. (Jacob Hannah)

Jordan Larson scored 14 kills and Tara Mueller added 13 as the second-ranked Huskers stayed unbeaten with a 25-16, 25-19, 25-14 win against a shorthanded Oklahoma squad at the NU Coliseum.

The Sooners, playing without starters Bridget Laplante and Chrissy Disarro and another regular, all who sat out the match as disciplinary action for violating team rules, started three freshmen and three sophomores. Among them was a middle blocker who had played in only four sets all year.

Another Sooner who rotated into the back row hadn’t played all season prior to Wednesday’s match.

But despite being without their top blocker, their second-leading hitter and their defensive specialist, Oklahoma was, at times, a handful for the Huskers.

Oklahoma, which hasn’t won even a set in Lincoln since 1993, appeared to pull within 20-19 in Wednesday’s second set. But officials ruled that a rally won by the Sooners had to be replayed because NU’s Lindsey Licht had become entangled with a TV cameraman at courtside, disrupting her approach to the net.

Oklahoma coach Santiago Restrepo, easily the most animated of the head coaches in the league, argued for several moments, but to no avail. Nebraska won the replay and four of the next five rallies to close out the second set.

Nebraska (16-0, 7-0 Big 12) went on to dominate the third set, building a 21-10 lead as Cook worked some of the Huskers’ younger players into the lineup.

“I didn’t see what happened, but she was down and out, and couldn’t get up,” Cook said, describing Licht’s tumble as she pursued a ball set by Sydney Anderson. “A point should be replayed if a camera takes out one of our players.”

While unusual to see a player stumble, it’s not rare to see an outside hitter begin her approach in the shadow of a cameraman’s rolling chair. Snug is the best word to describe the surroundings of the Coliseum, where Nebraska played before a 112th-consecutive sellout on Wednesday night.

“I don’t really pay attention to it,” said Larson, who couldn’t recall ever making contact with a cameraman. “I just kind of go on with what I’m doing.”

Larson scored 13 of her 14 kills in the first two sets, and the senior erred only twice on 41 swings as NU hit .293 as a team.

Oklahoma (7-9, 3-5) hit just .096, becoming only the fourth NU opponent to hit below .100 this season. Mueller added 10 digs for her third double-double of the season. Amanda Gates chipped in four blocks.

With their busiest stretch during conference play behind them, Nebraska will now enjoy an extra day to prepare for Sunday’s road test at Missouri. The Tigers (8-8, 2-4) lost Wednesday at Kansas State.

Reach Todd Henrichs at 473-7320 or thenrichs@journalstar.com.