The No. 1 Nebraska volleyball team hopped over one of the biggest remaining hurdles to an undefeated season and a Big Ten championship with a 25-23, 25-16, 25-15 win over No. 12 Purdue Sunday in West Lafayette, Ind.
The Cornhuskers’ recent hot streak has included winning by sweep seven straight matches including 22 straight sets. The first set win was the first time Nebraska allowed its opponent to score 20 or more points in 10 sets. NU is the only remaining unbeaten in Big Ten play.
Harper Murray led the Huskers with 16 kills while hitting .640. Andi Jackson added 12 kills while Bergen Reilly notched 44 set assists. The Huskers outhit the Boilermakers, .349-.186, outblocked them 7-5 and outserved them 5-2.
The first set was hotly contested, with 19 ties and five lead changes. A Kenna Wollard kill gave Purdue its last lead of the first set, 21-20. The set was tied at 21 and 22 after that, but Nebraska won three of the final four points, including two Murray kills and a Reilly ace to clinch the first.
In the second, the score was tied seven ties with three lead changes. The Boilermakers led 8-7 early in the second before the Huskers pulled away. Nebraska won seven of the next 10 points to take control of the set and build a 14-11 lead. Purdue cut the lead to 19-16 before the Huskers ran the final six points with Reilly serving to finish off the set.
The third set was all Nebraska. NU won the first three points and eight of the first nine rallies to establish dominance of the set. Purdue never drew close than five points the rest of the set and the Huskers cruised to the sweep.
The only team ranked higher than the Boilermakers remaining on the schedule is No. 7 Wisconsin, who Nebraska will face Oct. 31 in Madison. Nebraska’s next contest is Friday at Michigan State. First serve is slated at 6 p.m., with pregame coverage beginning at 5 p.m. on B-107.3.