Huskers Open Big Ten Slate with 3-1 Victory
Evanston,
Ill. – The No. 12 Nebraska volleyball team (8-2, 1-0) opened the 2013
Big Ten Conference schedule with a 3-1 (25-16, 20-25, 25-21, 25-20) win
over the Northwestern Wildcats on Friday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Kelsey
Robinson led the Huskers in front of her hometown crowd as she recorded
her sixth double-double of the season with 25 kills and 12 digs. She
tallied 48 swings on the night for a hitting clip of .438. Kadie
Rolfzen also had a double-double with 19 kills and 10 digs, recording a
.378 hitting percentage. Mary Pollmiller dished out 54 assists, while
Cecilia Hall and Meghan Haggerty both had four blocks. Nebraska
hit .307 on the night, while Northwestern hit .200. The Huskers
out-blocked the Wildcats 10-9 and out-dug Northwestern 48-43. The
Huskers open the first set with a 7-4 lead on a kill by Robinson. NU
used a pair of runs to take a 16-9 advantage as Northwestern was forced
to use its second timeout of the set. Four consecutive points put the
Huskers up 21-13 and the Huskers held on for the 25-16 first set win. Kadie
Rolfzen notched eight kills in the set; Robinson had seven, the two
combined for 26 total swings in the set. Pollmiller notched 16 assists,
while the Huskers hit .405 as a team. Northwestern was held to a .194
hitting clip in the first set. Northwestern came out
firing in the second set, taking an early 5-1 lead and forcing NU to
use a timeout. The Huskers cut the Wildcats’ lead to 12-9, but
Northwestern then went up 16-10. Nebraska used a double-block from
Morgan Broekhuis and Haggerty to make it 16-12, Northwestern, but the
Wildcats did not let up and went up 22-17 and won the second set 25-20. Robinson
posted seven kills in the second set, while Haggerty recorded four.
Nebraska hit just .135 in the set, as the Wildcats hit .357. Nebraska
was out-blocked 4-2. The Huskers took a 6-4 lead in
the third set following a Northwestern error, while a double-block from
Haggerty and Amber Rolfzen put NU ahead 13-10. Nebraska fought off the
Wildcat effort and a block from Kadie Rolfzen and Hall made it 17-13,
Huskers and forced Northwestern to call a timeout. Hall showed up big
for the Huskers at the end of the third set, helping NU to a 21-15 lead
on a kill and two double-blocks with Amber Rolfzen. The Huskers went on
to post a 25-21 third-set victory. Robinson notched six
kills in the third set, while Kadie Rolfzen had three and Hall notched
two. Pollmiller dished out 13 assists as the Huskers hit .314 as a
team. Northwestern was held to a .194 hitting clip for the set, but
out-blocked NU 8-7. A solo block from Pollmiller put the
Huskers up 6-4 early in the fourth set, while Nebraska went on a 5-1
run and took a 12-6 lead with the help of an error by Northwestern. NU
went up 18-12 on a double-block from Haggerty and Pollmiller, while a
kill from Robinson made it 22-18, Huskers. Nebraska held on and won the
fourth set, 25-20, sealing the 3-1 win. Kadie Rolfzen had
six kills in the final set, while Robinson tallied five. Nebraska hit
.393 in the set, while Northwestern hit a match-low .067.
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