Gallery: Huskers Breeze Past Long Island, Advance to Round Two of NCAA Tournament

Top-ranked Nebraska wasted no time making a statement in its NCAA Tournament opener, sweeping Long Island University 25-11, 25-15, 25-17 on Friday night before a crowd of 8,656 at John Cook Arena inside the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The Huskers, backed by an undefeated regular season and the momentum of a historic year, delivered one of their sharpest and most efficient performances yet as they moved to 31-0.

Nebraska’s offense operated at a blistering pace, finishing with a .476 hitting percentage, its highest ever in a postseason match during the rally-scoring era. The Huskers were equally suffocating defensively, holding LIU to .094 hitting. It marked the 14th opponent this season the Huskers have kept below .100,

Leading the charge was middle blocker Andi Jackson, who turned in a near-flawless performance. Jackson finished with 10 kills and five blocks while hitting .833, setting a new school postseason record for hitting percentage. Fellow middle Rebekah Allick nearly matched her, recording 10 kills on .750 hitting, a number that would rank among the top three postseason hitting performances in Nebraska history. Before Friday night, no Husker had hit .750 or better in a three-set NCAA Tournament match.

Nebraska’s depth continued to show as outside hitters Harper Murray and Taylor Landfair chipped in seven kills each, and Virginia Adriano added six more. Setter Bergen Reilly once again steered the offense with steady precision, collecting 39 assists and adding 11 digs for her ninth double-double of the year. She tied libero Olivia Mauch for the team lead in digs as the Huskers controlled the defensive side of the net as thoroughly as the offensive.

As a team, Nebraska posted a 47-24 advantage in kills, outblocked LIU 10-2, and held a 5-1 edge in aces. The Huskers also led 39-25 in digs.

Nebraska’s control began early in the opening set, where a 4-0 run pushed the Huskers ahead 13-7. Allick delivered a kill to spark the surge, and Jackson teamed with Adriano for a block that forced LIU onto its heels. Nebraska’s attackers continued coming in waves as Murray, Jackson, and Landfair added kills during a 7-0 run that broke the set open. Murray also delivered two aces in that stretch, feeding a crowd already buzzing with postseason energy. Nebraska closed the set at 25-11, hitting .615 while limiting LIU to just .034.

The second set carried the same theme. Teraya Sigler opened with an ace, and Murray and Allick followed with kills to build an immediate 4-0 lead. Nebraska’s middles continued to overwhelm LIU’s block, as Adriano added a pair of kills and teamed with Allick for a block that pushed the Huskers ahead 15-7 at the media timeout. Two consecutive aces from Reilly widened the gap to 23-12, and Allick closed the set with two more kills for a 25-15 win.

The third set felt like déjà vu as Nebraska jumped out to a 7-1 lead behind two kills and two blocks from Jackson. The Huskers continued pouring it on with kills from Allick and Sigler to go up 15-5, and freshman Skyler Pierce’s thunderous kill extended the lead to 18-6. Nebraska’s bench contributed in the final stretch, with Manaia Ogbechie adding two kills as the Huskers pushed to a 23-12 lead. Reilly and Allick each added one more kill as Nebraska closed out the sweep with full command.

Virginia Adriano (9) starts the match with a kill. | Amarillo Mullen

Virginia Adriano (9) celebrates her first of six kills. | Amarillo Mullen

Bergen Reilly sets the ball to a slide attack. | Amarillo Mullen

Bergen Reilly (right) celebrates a kill from Harper Murray (27). | Amarillo Mullen

Andi Jackson (15) and Bergen Reilly (2) celebrate a Husker block. | Amarillo Mullen

Nebraska's Bergen Reilly gets a solo block off a Long Island kill attempt. | Amarillo Mullen

Rebekah Allick (5) celebrates a kill. | Amarillo Mullen

Harper Murray (27) tips the ball over a Long Island block. | Amarillo Mullen

Andi Jackson (15) gets a kill on the slide. | Amarillo Mullen

Taylor Landfair collected seven kills of her own in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. | Amarillo Mullen

The Huskers have now won a school record 27 straight NCAA Tournament matches at home. | Amarillo Mullen

Taylor Landfair (12) and Rebekah Allick (5) get the block near the end of the first set. | Amarillo Mullen

Rebekah Allick nabbed four blocks against Long Island, giving her 80 career postseason blocks. | Amarillo Mullen

Taylor Landfair gets a kill early in the second set. | Amarillo Mullen

The Huskers celebrate a kill from Harper Murray. — The Huskers celebrate a kill from Virginia Adriano. | Amarillo Mullen

Starting libero, Olivia Mauch, passes the ball. | Amarillo Mullen

Harper Murray (right) high fives Andi Jackson (15) after a kill. | Amarillo Mullen

Andi Jackson slams the ball down on an overpass. | Amarillo Mullen

Bergen Reilly (2) wins the joust at the net for a point for the Huskers. | Amarillo Mullen

Rebekah Allick gets a kill late in the third set. | Amarillo Mullen

After sweeping Long Island, the Huskers will now play Kansas State in round two Saturday night. | Amarillo Mullen

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