Huskers Ready for a Challenge Against Big Ten Rival Wisconsin

Ask Rebekah Allick about the Nebraska-Wisconsin match at the Devaney Center from 2023, and her face lights up with a smile.

The senior middle blocker recalled the adrenaline of the final moments, the chaos after it appeared Harper Murray’s attack sailed long to tie the fifth set at 14-all, then the ecstasy after a replay review ruled the Badgers were in the net, giving the Huskers a win over Wisconsin.

“It was one of those moments where I felt like I was swept up in the momentum,” Allick said earlier this week. “I’m glad we won, because in the same way, if we lost, it probably would have sucked a lot, but it was just a really, really fun game.”

The two Big Ten rivals will meet again on Friday evening in Madison with an 8 p.m. first serve. While it doesn’t have the marquee of the matchup two years ago when the teams were both undefeated and No. 1 and 2 in the polls, it still carries some heft as the top-ranked Huskers try to create more room between them and the No. 11 Badgers, which are tied for second in the Big Ten.

The win in Devaney Center snapped a streak of 10 straight wins by Wisconsin from 2017-22. Now, the Huskers have the advantage after recording sweeps in all three meetings last year, including in the regional final in Lincoln.

Bergen Reilly said she enjoys playing good opponents and is excited to take on the Badgers.

“We’re hungry just to play some super fun competition. Not that there hasn’t been other competition, but this is just a rivalry match,” the junior setter said. “It’s going to be challenging for us, and we’re excited to get that challenge.”

The Huskers celebrate their three-set sweep over Wisconsin. — The Huskers celebrate their three-set sweep over Wisconsin in 2023. | Amarillo Mullen

However, this Wisconsin team looks quite different from a year ago. Of the nine players who played in the regional final, only middle blocker Carter Booth is likely to be on the court against the Huskers. Sophomore setter Charlie Fuerbringer is back for the Badgers but suffered a shoulder injury earlier this month, and it is unclear when —or if —she will return this season.

In her place, freshman Addy Horner has filled in and is averaging 10.75 assists per set since she took over the starting job. The offense has taken a small step back as the Badgers were hitting .333 when Fuerbringer went down, and have a .255 hitting percentage over the last six matches.

Replacing Fuerbringer, who was a third-team All-American last year, is not an easy task. Horner is still developing relationships with her attackers and still gaining game experience. In addition, a setter of Fuerbringer’s caliber brings a lot to the game besides just running the offense.

“Usually, an All-American setter is very good at all the other parts of the game, blocking, defense, serving,” NU coach Dani Busboom Kelly said. “You’re not only losing a lot from the setting position, but everything else that usually shows up in big moments and big plays, whether it be a great dig or a serve that those types of players can deliver.”

Wisconsin outside hitter Mimi Colyer at Big Ten Media Days in Chicago. She is second in the league in kills at 5.2 per set. | Ryan Kuttler

Oregon transfer Mimi Colyer leads for a new-look Wisconsin (15-3, 8-2). She is second in the Big Ten and fifth nationally with 5.2 kills per set. The 6-foot-3 senior also has a 0.317, which is the highest in the conference for an outside hitter.

Colyer has recorded double-digit kills in all but one match this season and five matches this season with 20 kills.

Busboom Kelly said the most impressive part of Colyer’s performance this year is her consistency from match to match and also her ability to terminate from all over the court.

“She’s so good out of the back row as well,” Busboom Kelly said. “Players like that are very challenging, because when they go back to serve, you can’t think like, ‘Oh, thank gosh, she’s out of the front row. We can score some points.’ Because they’re just as lethal out of the back row as they are in the front row, so you really don’t get any break from a player like that.”

Colyer has received some help with the return of opposite Grace Egan, who missed more than a month with a knee injury. The 6-foot-1 redshirt sophomore recorded 13 kills on 23 swings during two matches last week.

The Huskers have already faced the Big Ten leader for kills when they played Penn State’s Kennedy Martin. She put up 11 kills on 33 swings, but the rest of the Nittany Lions combined for just five kills.

Allick said when an opponent has an attacker who takes a high percentage of swings, it’s essential to know where she is, but not to worry only about her.

“If we’re not taking care of defense all across the board, it could be something that instead of working for us in the scouting report, it actually works against us,” she said. “So honoring her, but not obsessing over it.”

Rebekah Allick (5) celebrates a block. — Rebekah Allick celebrates a block against Michigan State. The senior middle blocker is third in the conference with 1.33 blocks per set. | Amarillo Mullen

In addition to a rivalry match, the Huskers could win the Discover Challenge Friday night if they beat Wisconsin. NU is currently tied with Purdue at 4-0 during their weekday matches in October.

The Boilermakers play Michigan State on Friday night. If both teams win, the Huskers would win via tiebreaker because they haven’t dropped a set in challenge matches.

Reilly said she wasn’t too familiar with the challenge, but winning it would be a nice perk as they continue to work toward their primary goal.

“I hope we win the volleyball game (against Wisconsin), and then if that wins us the challenge, it’d be awesome,” she said. “At the end of the season, we have one goal, and it’s not to be No.1, it’s not to be undefeated, it’s to win that last game of the season.”

More From Nebraska On SI

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.