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Four Observations from Nebraska Volleyball's 3-1 Win Over Michigan

After an ugly start to a homecoming for multiple Huskers, No. 1 Nebraska found its footing.
Abbie Harris|
Harper Murray, Andi Jackson and Virginia Adriano celebrate during the match Friday in Ann Arbor.
Harper Murray, Andi Jackson and Virginia Adriano celebrate during the match Friday in Ann Arbor. | Nebraska Athletics

Coming into the weekend, Nebraska had dropped just one set in conference play. But the Michigan Wolverines, who had taken the opening set off of Wisconsin just last week, were not intimidated by the name, the ranking, or the contingency of fans cheering for the scarlet and cream Friday night in Ann Arbor. Michigan didn't make it easy for the Huskers, who entered the match as the best team in the NCAA in both offensive and defensive efficiency.

With their 3-1 win over the Wolverines, Nebraska extended their perfect record in 2026 and set a program record with its 53rd consecutive regular-season win, dating back to the end of the 2024 season.

A Slow Start Catches Up to the Huskers

From the jump, Michigan played like a more motivated team. Nebraska was able to take their first lead of the first set at 10-9 on a 6-0 run with Olivia Mauch behind the service line. Michigan chipped away and retook the lead at 20-19. The Wolverines survived a 4-0 run from Laney Choboy to tie the game at 25 to trade points back and forth. Nebraska had a lead at 27-26, but a timely challenge by Michigan head coach Erin Virtue gave the point to the Wolverines. Back-to-back kills by Ella Demetrician closed the set for Michigan at 28-26.

Nebraska didn't necessarily play poorly on offense. The Huskers hit .396, led by Andi Jackson's perfect 6 kills and .545 hitting percentage and Virginia Audriano's perfect 5 kills and .714 hitting. Shockingly, it was the Husker defense that let them down. Nebraska had just 1 block and allowed Michigan to hit a season-high .465.

This is not the first time that the Huskers have looked sluggish at the start of a match or set. But fans should be encouraged that when their backs were against the wall, the Huskers finally looked like the number one team in the country and fought off six set points. And thankful it was only the first set and not a "must-win"

Nebraska's Block Was Late to the Party

Coming into the night, Nebraska was averaging almost three blocks per set (2.93). Through two sets, the Huskers had two total blocks, both from pin hitters Audriano and Teraya Sigler. This doubled in the third set, thanks to the duo of Sigler and Manaia Ogbechie who earned back-to-back blocks to get Nebraska into the red zone first. Seniors Andi Jackson and Harper Murray each tallied a block in the fourth, bringing the Huskers up to 6 total.

The impact of the block (or lack of block) was felt throughout the match. In the first two sets, Michigan hit .465 and .261, with only 6 combined errors. When the block showed up in the later sets, Michigan was held to .171 and .214, with 11 combined errors. The early sets set the tone, however, as the Wolverines ended the match hitting .289, the highest opponent hitting percentage all season for Nebraska.

No Answers for Ella Demetrician and Cymarah Gordon

Two Michigan players led both teams in kills in the match. Demetrician racked up 21 kills with only 5 errors, hitting .302. And opposite Cymarah Gordon had 16 kills with 6 errors, hitting .357. But their final numbers do not tell their entire stories. In the first set, they combined for 16 kills, 1 error, and .555 hitting %. By the second set, they were up to 23 kills, 3 errors and a combined .488 hitting %. And in the third, they were up to 32 combined kills, hitting .333.

Virginia Adriano Stepped Up

Salve, Virginia Adriano. The opposite has been playing better and better over the last few matches and Friday night was perhaps her best. After a perfect first set, Adriano tallied five more kills in the second set with only one error on nine swings.

As other hitters got going, Adriano's usage dropped, taking only seven swings in the third but getting three more kills with zero additional errors. And in the fourth, she added one more kill off of three swings. She ended the match with 14 kills, 1 errors, and a .500 hitting %. If Adriano can play similarly against Michigan State on Saturday, she may be in contention for a Big Ten weekly award.

Michigan Natives Made Their Mark

When asked about putting all three Michigan natives on the floor, Nebraska head coach Dani Busboom Kelley said in her postgame interview on BTN+ that she likes to reward players for their hard work. Fans both in Ann Arbor and watching at home were similarly rewarded as Harper Murray, Campbell Flynn, and Gabi DiVita all made an impact with their time on the floor as they all appeared together during the final points of the fourth set.

Murray came out of the gate strong and provied to be setter Bergen Reilly's top choice with a team-high 16 kills on 39 swings. She had timely kills, including two during each of Nebraska's runs in the first set, a kill to bring up set point in both the third and fourth sets. Flynn was primarily used as a serving specialist in every set. And DiVita entered into the fourth set at 21-12, notching a kill on her first attempt.

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Abbie Harris
ABBIE HARRIS

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