Husker volleyball outlasts Minnesota

Life in the Red
 E-mail Story
 Print
  Share

 digg it!
 Facebook
 del.icio.us
Seed Newsvine
Fark It
Reddit

Text Size: 

BY TODD HENRICHS / Lincoln Journal Star

OMAHA – All the Nebraska volleyball team needed Saturday was some semblance of stability.

Shaken by Friday’s unsightly loss to Michigan, the third-ranked Huskers recovered to defeat Minnesota 25-20, 21-25, 25-19, 15-25, 15-8 and salvage a split in the season-opening Runza/AVCA Showcase.

Stability came in the form of libero Kayla Banwarth, who went from out-of-control at times Friday to in control of the best digging performance (32 digs) by a Husker in the rally-scoring era.

[+]Enlarge

Sydney Anderson (left) and Tara Mueller dive for a ball during Saturday's match against Minnesota at the Qwest Center in Omaha. (Jacob Hannah)

Sydney Anderson (left) and Tara Mueller dive for a ball during Saturday's match against Minnesota at the Qwest Center in Omaha. (Jacob Hannah)

It came from Brooke Delano, who hit .400 and drilled her career-high 14th kill for the match-clincher. It came from Jordan Wilberger, who as she did a year ago, stepped in for Kori Cooper and converted nearly every opportunity down the stretch.

“After last night, for us to win this is a major, major step,” Nebraska coach John Cook said. “This team could have really tanked it today as well, because we had a hangover from last night.

“We were about out of stuff to try, but fortunately, we’ve got some players we can bring in.”

Nebraska never trailed in the final set, allowing Cook and the crowd of 5,989 at the Qwest Center at least a brief respite from what otherwise was a crazy match.

Cook tried virtually every combination possible short of bringing back Jordan Larson or promoting the twins who committed to NU before even becoming high school freshmen.

Nebraska played 11 players in the first set alone, 12 in all. Hannah Werth came in for starter Gina Mancuso, then went right back out. Both appeared in set five.

The Huskers switched to a two-setter system, using Jessica Yanz in one rotation, although she rarely got the chance to actually set a ball.

Cook even subbed out Megan Pendergast in the middle of serving runs, and he called on Wilberger for an “out-of-gas” Cooper in set three.

Tara Mueller led NU with 17 kills, while Delano hit .400 for a team that managed only a .138 percentage but held Minnesota to .110 hitting.

Lincoln Christian graduate Megan Wilson was the most efficient of the Gophers, producing seven kills (.412) and added three blocks and three aces.

“I still think we have work to do,” said Delano, NU’s leader with five blocks. “But at least it was better today.”

Mueller, who had never hit for a negative percentage as a starter before Friday’s monumental struggle, came out firing against the Gophers.

The junior slugged six kills in Nebraska’s first 10 points, and finished 8-of-10 as the Huskers overcame being blocked six times in the opening-set win.

Nebraska might have gone up 2-0, but there was no overcoming six more Minnesota blocks in set two. Leading 12-7, Nebraska erred on seven of the next nine rallies.

In set three, NU wiped out a 5-4 deficit by outscoring the Gophers 13-4 in a decisive run. In set four, NU let an 8-7 lead get away as error compounded error.

The result? A wild ride that ended with Nebraska avoiding its first 0-2 start in 10 years but with the promise of more suspense to come.

Briefly

All-tournament picks included Alex Hunt, Juliana Paz and Lexi Zimmerman of 2-0 Michigan, Delano and Sydney Anderson of Nebraska, Minnesota’s Taylor Carico and Lauren Gibbemeyer and Kelsey Chipman of Kansas State.

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