New coach. New venue. New season. Same result.
No. 1 Nebraska cruised to a four-set win over No. 3 Pitt, with the Huskers (1-0) topping the Panthers 25-22, 25-11, 20-25, 25-23, Friday at Pinnacle Bank Arena in the AVCA First Serve Showcase, in head coach Dani Busboom Kelly’s debut as Nebraska’s head coach. The victory is the Cornhuskers’ 1500th in program history and came in Nebraska’s first-ever match at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Like many Huskers’ victories of the past, it was keyed by dominance at the net, with NU outblocking the Panthers, 15-8. Nebraska’s stifling defense held Pitt to a .111 team hitting percentage. Reigning National Player of the Year Olivia Babcock totaled 21 kills for the Panthers (0-1), but it took 58 swings and Babcock hit just .121. Meanwhile, the Huskers were led by 15 kills by Harper Murray and 10 by Andi Jackson. Rebekah Allick piled up nine kills while Taylor Landfair had eight. Jackson and Landfair led the block with eight each, while Rebekah Allick totaled seven. Bergen Reilly piled up 40 set assists while Laney Choboy led NU in digs with 16.
The first set was closely contested, with the Huskers hitting just .162 and Pitt hitting .029. Neither team held larger than a three-point lead in the set, but after the Panthers built a 21-18 lead, Nebraska ran five straight points and seven of the last eight to secure set. The momentum continued through set two. After the set was tied at one, the Huskers won seven of the next eight rallies to built an 8-2 lead and lock down control of the set. Nebraska outhit Pitt, .429-(-.062).
The Panthers returned fire in set three, racing out to an early 7-2 lead and never looking back while building a 23-16 lead. The Huskers put up a fight late in the set, winning four of five rallies to cut the lead to 24-20 before Pitt finished off the third. Then in the fourth, the teams stayed within two points of each other until Nebraska pushed its lead to 18-15 on a combo block by Virginia Adriano and Allick. After the Huskers pushed the lead to 20-16, the Panthers won four of the next five rallies to cut the advantage to 21-20. A Panthers serve error plus a Olivia Mauch ace pushed the lead to 23-20, but a Mauch service error plus two Babcock aces tied the set at 23. But a Murray kill followed by a block by Jackson and Reilly finished the match in four sets.
One point of concern from the match: Nebraska’s struggles in serve-receive. Pitt had seven aces to the Huskers’ three.
Still, the victory in the season opener against No. 3 Pitt begins the season with a win against a top-notch opponent. The Huskers will seek their second win against a top-ten foe Sunday at Pinnacle Bank Arena, as Nebraska faces No. 6 Stanford at 2:30 p.m. Pregame coverage begins at 1:30 p.m. on KLIN and B-107.3.
Saturday, Dani Busboom Kelly and John Cook are slated to appear at the Railyard at 1:40 p.m. with the Voice of Nebraska Volleyball, John Baylor, as part of the AVCA Block Party.