Gallery: Huskers Move To 23-0 After Sweep of Illinois

The top-ranked Nebraska volleyball team delivered another dominant performance on Thursday night, sweeping Illinois 25-11, 25-15, 25-14 in front of an energetic crowd of 8,559 at John Cook Arena at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. With the victory, the Huskers improved to a flawless 23-0 overall and 13-0 in Big Ten play, marking their 14th consecutive sweep and extending their streak of consecutive sets won to 43. Nebraska’s offensive efficiency was on full display, as the team hit an impressive .488, the highest hitting percentage recorded by a Husker squad since 2018, and their best against a Big Ten opponent since 2014. This performance also marked the 14th straight match in which Nebraska has hit above .300, continuing a school record in the rally scoring era. The Huskers’ attack was well-balanced, with ten different players contributing kills throughout the match. Middle blocker Andi Jackson led the way with a perfect night, recording nine kills on nine swings for a 1.000 hitting percentage. Virginia Adriano and Harper Murray each tallied eight kills, Teraya Sigler added six, while Taylor Landfair and Skyler Pierce chipped in four apiece. Rebekah Allick, Manaia Ogbechie, and Allie Sczech each contributed three kills to round out Nebraska’s deep offensive performance. Defensively, libero Laney Choboy anchored the back row with a career-high 20 digs, adding two service aces and three set assists. Setter Bergen Reilly orchestrated the offense with 29 assists while also recording seven digs and five blocks, and Campbell Flynn contributed seven assists in sets one and three. Overall, Nebraska controlled every statistical category, holding the edge in kills (49-25), blocks (7-5), digs (40-24), and service aces (4-1). In the opening set, Nebraska came out firing, terminating five of its first six attacks to jump to a 5-0 lead before quickly extending the margin to 8-1 behind kills from Adriano and Murray and a block by Jackson and Reilly. The Huskers dominated from start to finish, hitting an astounding .714 in the first set while committing no attacking errors. Landfair, Adriano, Jackson, and Murray powered the offense as Nebraska closed out the frame 25-11 behind kills from Sczech and Sigler. The second set saw a bit more back-and-forth early on, but Nebraska maintained composure and used a 4-1 run to separate from Illinois, taking a 13-9 lead fueled by kills from Adriano and Allick. Choboy’s ace and Allick’s consistent presence at the net gave the Huskers a 15-10 edge at the media timeout. Jackson and Murray added more kills to push the score to 20-13, and Nebraska finished strong, scoring the final five points of the set, with Landfair delivering a key kill and Reilly sealing it with an ace, 25-15. In the third and final set, freshman standout Teraya Sigler took control at the service line, helping Nebraska go on a 6-0 run that pushed the lead to 9-4. Jackson and Pierce each had multiple kills in the stretch, and the Huskers continued to roll with contributions from Ogbechie and Sczech. A block from Sigler and Ogbechie extended the lead to 15-7, and Sigler’s relentless hitting added two more kills to make it 21-11. Pierce and Ogbechie teamed up for another block before Pierce’s kill brought the Huskers to match point, and Ogbechie finished things off with a decisive swing for the 25-14 win. The sweep not only maintained Nebraska’s perfect record but also reinforced their dominance as one of the most balanced and efficient teams in the country, firing on all cylinders offensively and defensively as they continue their quest for an undefeated season and Big Ten title.

The Huskers ready for their match against Illinois. | Amarillo Mullen

Virginia Adriano (9) blocks an Illinois overpass. | Amarillo Mullen

Virginia Adriano (right) high fives Laney Choboy (red) after a kill. | Amarillo Mullen

Andi Jackson (15) smiles at Bergen Reilly (2) after scoring a point. | Amarillo Mullen

Andi Jackson sends a serve. | Amarillo Mullen

Rebekah Allick gets a block on an Illinois kill. | Amarillo Mullen

Rebekah Allick sets the ball. | Amarillo Mullen

Harper Murray (27) passes the ball from the sideline to keep the ball in play. | Amarillo Mullen

Taylor Landfair (12) tips the ball over an Illinois block. | Amarillo Mullen

The Huskers celebrate a point late in the first set. | Amarillo Mullen

Harper Murray (27) sends a kill early in set two. | Amarillo Mullen

Rebekah Allick (5) tallied three kills and hit .500 against Illinois. | Amarillo Mullen

Virginia Adriano (9) passes an Illinois serve. | Amarillo Mullen

Teraya Sigler (11) sends a kill from the back row. | Amarillo Mullen

Skyler Pierce (21) celebrates a kill. | Amarillo Mullen

Teraya Sigler (11) scored six kills. | Amarillo Mullen

The Huskers celebrate getting match point to remain undefeated. | Amarillo Mullen