Cooper leads surging Huskers past Aggies
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By TODD HENRICHS / Lincoln Journal Star
It remains anyone’s guess if Nebraska can improve enough over the next month to beat the very best volleyball teams in the country.
But two weeks from the regular-season finale, we do know that these Huskers have come a long way. Evidence came in the form of last week’s win at Iowa State, and Friday, it came in a single rally against Texas A&M.
In September, Nebraska had a set point against it and crumpled against the very same Aggies. This time, the No. 9 Huskers stared defeat in the eye and never wavered in a 29-27, 25-17, 25-15 victory.
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“We’ve grown in many ways, and tonight it showed,” middle blocker Brooke Delano said.
A budding star, Delano dazzled the sold-out crowd at the NU Coliseum with another brilliant night offensively. There are no records for such things, but NU coach John Cook was ready to declare one for Delano’s three-match efficiency.
With 12 kills on .556 hitting against the Aggies, Delano is averaging 3.3 kills per set on .636 hitting in November.
And Delano is not alone in the attacking stratosphere. Lindsey Licht enjoyed a season high Friday, hitting .619, and for senior Kori Cooper, it was a career-best .765 night.
Licht and Cooper each had 13 kills to lead Nebraska, which has hit .300 or better in three straight matches. And in the past two outings, the Huskers (19-6, 12-4) have avenged two of their uglier losses from the first half of conference play.
“We’re a completely different team, and everyone is a completely different player,” Cooper said.
That’s certainly true of Nebraska’s lone senior, who is seemingly mashing the gas after taking things quite cautiously at the beginning of the year. Cooper leads the Big 12 in hitting efficiency in conference matches, and her Big 12 numbers this year (.388, 2.66 kills per set) are ahead of last year (.383, 2.08).
“She’s at a whole another level,” Cook said. “For several matches, she just kind of ran out of gas, but tonight, she was as strong in game three as she was in game one. That’s good to see.”
Cook, too, has been pleased to see Sydney Anderson re-emerge as one of the best setters in the college game. Nebraska’s hitters enjoyed one-on-one opportunities all night against the 14-10 and 7-9 Aggies, who Cook credited for playing at a level that forced the Huskers to raise their game.
That was never more true than the opening set, where Nebraska, after being denied on two set-point opportunities, suddenly trailed 26-25.
Lose the next point, and who knows what might happen, but Anderson bravely risked it all, firing a quick-tempo set to Cooper for the kill. From there, Nebraska rolled.
“That’s how we’ve reversed the tide since September,” Cook said. “We’ve become a much more mentally tough team, and I think we imposed that on them tonight.”
Reach Todd Henrichs at 473-7320 or thenrichs@journalstar.com.
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