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VB Preview: Regional Final vs. #6 Texas A&M – University of Nebraska

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PREVIEW
• The top-ranked Nebraska volleyball team hosts an NCAA Regional Final for the third straight year at John Cook Arena at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Sunday.
• No. 1 Nebraska will face No. 6 Texas A&M at 2 p.m. on ABC. Courtney Lyle and Holly McPeak will be on the call with Madison Fitzpatrick as the sideline reporter. 
• Huskers Radio Network will broadcast all the action on their volleyball affiliate stations, on Huskers.com and on the Huskers App. John Baylor and Lauren Cook West will be on the call. 

ABOUT THE HUSKERS
• Nebraska (33-0) finished the regular season unbeaten for the third time in school history (1994 and 2000), dropping only seven sets overall and one in Big Ten play. 
• Nebraska’s 33 straight wins is the second-longest win streak in school history in the NCAA era. The Huskers have won at least 33 matches in three straight seasons.
• The Huskers also hold a nation-leading home court win streak of 63 matches, tied for the second-longest home win streak in program history. Nebraska has won 29 consecutive NCAA Tournament matches played in the Devaney Center, a school record. 
• The Huskers won their third straight Big Ten title with a perfect 20-0 record in conference play. It was the Huskers’ first unbeaten conference season since 2004 in the Big 12.
• Nebraska has now won 37 conference titles all-time, including six in the Big Ten (2011, 2016, 2017, 2023, 2024, 2025). 
• The Huskers have won three straight conference titles for the first time since 2004-08. 
• Dani Busboom Kelly became the first volleyball coach in Big Ten history to win the conference title in their first year as head coach at the school. John Cook won a Big Ten title at Nebraska in his first year in the conference in 2011, but it was his 12th season as head coach at Nebraska at the time.
• Nebraska has hit over .400 nine times this season, a school record in the rally-scoring era. 
• Nebraska is 95-0 this season in sets when reaching the red zone (20 points) first.
• The Huskers have won 48 consecutive sets at home, tied for the second-longest streak in school history, trailing only the 52 consecutive home sets won spanning the 2001-02 seasons.
• NU’s offense ranks first nationally with a .355 hitting percentage. The Huskers haven’t hit better than .300 in a season since 2007 (.327). The school record for hitting percentage in a season is .331 in 1986. 
• The Huskers rank first nationally in opponent hitting percentage at .121. NU led the nation in opponent hitting percentage in 2022 and 2023 and was sixth in 2024.
• The gap between Nebraska’s hitting percentage and opponent hitting percentage is .234, by far the best in the nation. The next closest are American (.149), Pittsburgh (.145) and Wisconsin (.144).
• Nebraska ranks fourth nationally in kills per set at 14.69.
• The Huskers are seventh nationally in assists per set at 13.47. 
• Nebraska ranks 16th nationally with 2.74 blocks per set. 
• Over the last five seasons (2021-25), Dani Busboom Kelly has a 153-15 record for a .911 winning percentage, which is the best by any Division I head coach in that span. 
• Nebraska is 13-0 against ranked opponents this season. The 13 victories against ranked opponents are tied for second in school history, one shy of the school record (14 in 1998).
• Nebraska played 24 sets in the month of October and went 24-0. In only two sets did an opponent reach 20 points (at Purdue – 23 in set one, and at Michigan State – 20 in set three).   
• Nebraska swept 15 matches in a row and won 48 sets in a row from late September through mid-November. Both were the longest such streaks since the 2007 team swept 17 matches in a row and won 53 sets in a row. 

NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES
• With the win over Kansas, Nebraska advanced to an NCAA Regional Final for the 34th time in program history. The Huskers’ 34 regional final appearances are the most in NCAA history. Nebraska has made an NCAA Regional Final in 13 of the past 14 seasons.
• With the win, Nebraska improved to 137-38 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. The Huskers rank second in NCAA history in postseason wins and winning percentage (.783).
• Nebraska improved to 34-7 all-time in NCAA Regional Semifinal matches, including a 17-1 record in matches played in Lincoln.
• The Huskers improved to 90-7 all-time in home NCAA Tournament matches, including a 35-2 record at the Devaney Center.
• Nebraska has won 90 home matches in the NCAA Tournament while only four other schools have 90 or more total victories in the NCAA Tournament.
• Nebraska won the first two sets and is now 106-2 all-time in the NCAA Tournament when taking a 2-0 lead.
• The Huskers held Kansas to fewer than 15 points in all three sets. That marked the second time this season that Nebraska has held its opponents to fewer than 15 points in every set, with both occurrences coming against top-25 teams (also against No. 25 Penn State on Nov. 28).

ROTATION RUNDOWN
• Junior setter Bergen Reilly orchestrates the balanced Husker attack with 10.41 assists per set and is an AVCA Player of the Year Semifinalist. Reilly was named Big Ten Player of the Year and Big Ten Setter of the Year, as well as All-Big Ten First Team and AVCA All-Region for the third time. 
• Behind Reilly’s setting, the Huskers are on pace for a single-season school record with a .355 team hitting percentage, which ranks first nationally and is the best hitting percentage by a Big Ten team since 2009 Penn State.
• Reilly has set Nebraska to a .400 or better hitting percentage nine times this season, a school record in the rally-scoring era. 
• A standout defensive player, Reilly is a huge reason the Huskers rank first nationally in opponent hitting percentage (.121). She is second on the team in digs (2.70 per set) and has 64 blocks.
• Reilly has double-doubles in all five of the Husker matches that have gone longer than three sets, and she has four double-doubles in sweeps. She also has 67 kills on a .387 attack percentage and has 17 aces.
• Of Reilly’s top five attacking options, all five average at least 2.08 kills per set, and all five are having career-best years hitting at least .284 or better. 
• A two-time Big Ten Setter of the Year and AVCA All-American, Reilly has been named Big Ten Setter of the Week four times this season and 13 times in her career.  
• Reilly ranks No. 3 in school history in career assists in the rally-scoring era with 3,665.
• Reilly’s career assists per set average of 10.69 ranks No. 4 among active Division I players and No. 2 in school history in the rally-scoring era.
• Outside hitter Harper Murray is having a sensational junior season. The two-time AVCA All-American leads the balanced Huskers with career highs of 3.47 kills per set and a .297 hitting percentage. She earned All-Big Ten First Team and AVCA All-Region honors for the third time. 
• Murray averages 2.18 digs per set and has a team-high 31 aces along with 62 blocks for a team-leading 4.14 points per set, and she is an AVCA Player of the Year Semifinalist.
• Murray is one of the best passers in the nation at her position, passing a 2.50 during the regular season. 
• A Big Ten Player of the Week honoree this season, Murray has 1,156 career kills, which ranks 20th all-time at NU and 10th in the rally-scoring era. 
• Murray is seventh in school history in the rally-scoring era in career aces with 106 and with two more can move into a tie for sixth.  
• Junior middle blocker Andi Jackson is averaging 2.79 kills per set on .486 hitting with 1.16 blocks per set and is an AVCA Player of the Year Semifinalist. Jackson was chosen to the All-Big Ten First Team for the second time and AVCA All-Region Team for the third time. 
• Jackson’s .486 hitting percentage leads the nation and ranks as the best single-season hitting percentage in school history.
• Only eight times has an NCAA Division I player hit better than .486 in a season in the rally-scoring era. 
• In conference-only matches, Jackson hit .559 to break the Big Ten record for hitting percentage in conference-only matches in a season, which was .541 by Arielle Wilson from Penn State in 2008.
• The reigning AVCA All-American has a career hitting percentage of .443, which is the No. 1 mark in school history and the No. 1 mark among active Division I players.
• Jackson has 380 career blocks, cracking the top 10 in school history in the rally-scoring era after the Kansas match.  
• Jackson earned Big Ten Player of the Week, Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week and AVCA First Serve Match MVP honors this season.
• Senior middle blocker Rebekah Allick is having the best season of her standout career with 2.54 kills per set on .449 hitting with a team-high 1.29 blocks per set. She earned All-Big Ten First Team accolades for the first time and AVCA All-Region for the third time.
• Allick’s .449 hitting percentage ranks as the No. 5 single-season mark in school history, as well as the No. 4 mark in the country this season. 
• Allick ranks No. 5 in career blocks at Nebraska in the rally-scoring era with 539, which also ranks No. 4 among active Division I players.
• Allick has been named AVCA National Player of the Week, a two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, and to the AVCA All-First Serve Team.
• Allick was on the AVCA Player of the Year Watch List at the midway point of the season.  
• Senior outside hitter Taylor Landfair averages 2.08 kills per set and is hitting a career-best .315 and was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team and received AVCA All-Region honorable mention. 
• In Big Ten play, Landfair’s numbers were even better at 2.08 kills per set with a .355 hitting percentage.
• A 2022 AVCA All-American, Landfair has played in 152 career matches, the most by any active DI player.
• Landfair has 1,537 career kills, which ranks 19th among active Division I players.
• Junior libero Laney Choboy leads the Huskers in digs at 2.74 per set and was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team and AVCA All-Region Team.
• Choboy was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 10 after a career-high 20 digs against Illinois and 15 digs at Minnesota. 
• Choboy was also on the AVCA All-First Serve Team in August after 16 digs against Pittsburgh.
• Freshman opposite hitter Virginia Adriano was chosen to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team, averaging 2.19 kills per set with a .284 hitting percentage in her first season playing volleyball in America. 
• Adriano also contributes 0.67 blocks per set and has 15 service aces on the year.
• In Big Ten play, Adriano came on strong with 2.34 kills per set on .318 hitting.
• Adriano was a two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week and received AVCA All-Region honorable mention.
• Sophomore libero Olivia Mauch ranks third on the team in digs per set at 2.56 and is second with 21 aces on 384 serve attempts, also second most on the team.
• Mauch recorded a career-high 16 digs with seven set assists and one ace in a 3-2 win at No. 18 Creighton.
• Mauch led Nebraska’s back row in passing during the regular season at 2.77.

SCOUTING TEXAS A&M
• No. 6 Texas A&M (26-4, 14-1 SEC) is back in Lincoln for an NCAA Regional for the second year in a row under third-year head coach Jamie Morrison. The Aggies were at the Devaney Center in 2024, falling in five sets to Wisconsin in the regional semifinal. 
• A&M is led by senior opposite hitter Logan Lednicky’s 4.06 kills per set on .315 hitting. The reigning AVCA All-American is a four-time All-SEC honoree. 
• Senior middle blocker Ifenna Cos-Okpalla is averaging 2.07 kills per set on .422 hitting with 1.70 blocks per set, which ranks third nationally. Cos-Okpalla received All-SEC First Team honors for the second straight season.
• Setter Maddie Waak leads the nation in assists at 11.37 per set and was an All-SEC honoree. 

SERIES HISTORY
• Nebraska is 32-7 against Texas A&M but the last meeting was Nov. 27, 2010 when both teams were members of the Big 12. NU is has won three in a row in the series and 22 of the last 23. 

REILLY, BUSBOOM KELLY HEADLINE REGION HONORS
• Nebraska junior setter Bergen Reilly was named AVCA West Region Player of the Year, and Head Coach Dani Busboom Kelly earned AVCA West Region Coach of the Year to highlight the AVCA All-Region awards.
• Reilly was one of five Huskers on the AVCA West All-Region Team. Joining her were Rebekah Allick, Laney Choboy, Andi Jackson and Harper Murray.
• Virginia Adriano and Taylor Landfair both received honorable mention. 
• Reilly is the fourth Husker overall and third in a row to be named AVCA Region Player of the Year, joining Kelly Hunter (2017), Merritt Beason (2023) and Lexi Rodriguez (2024). 
• Busboom Kelly earned her fifth career AVCA Region Coach of the Year accolade (2017, 2020, 2021, 2022 at Louisville). In her first year as head coach at Nebraska, Busboom Kelly made history with a 30-0 regular-season record and 20-0 mark in Big Ten play. She was voted Big Ten Coach of the Year after becoming the first coach to win a Big Ten volleyball conference title in the first year as head coach at the school. 
• Jackson, Murray and Reilly have been named to the AVCA All-Region Team each of the past three years. Allick earned her third career selection, while Choboy was named to the team for the first time. 

HUSKERS HAUL IN BIG TEN POSTSEASON HONORS
• After completing the Big Ten’s first 20-0 campaign since 2009, the Nebraska volleyball program was well represented in the Big Ten Volleyball Postseason Honors.
• Junior setter Bergen Reilly was named the Big Ten Player of the Year and Big Ten Setter of the Year. Head Coach Dani Busboom Kelly was voted Big Ten Coach of the Year by both the coaches and media. 
• Reilly was joined on the All-Big Ten First Team by Rebekah Allick, Andi Jackson and Harper Murray. Jackson, Murray and Reilly were three of nine unanimous selections.
• Laney Choboy and Taylor Landfair were selected to the All-Big Ten Second Team. Virginia Adriano was named to the All-Freshman Team, and Maisie Boesiger earned a Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. 
• Reilly became the first setter to win Big Ten Player of the Year since Samantha Seliger-Swenson in 2018. She is Nebraska’s second-ever Big Ten Player of the Year (Kelsey Robinson, 2013) and the first Husker setter to earn conference player of the year since Greichaly Cepero in 2002. Reilly also became the second player in Big Ten history to be named Big Ten Setter of the Year three times (Sydney Hilley, Wisconsin). 
• In her first year as head coach at Nebraska, Busboom Kelly made history with a 30-0 regular-season record and 20-0 mark in Big Ten play. She was voted Big Ten Coach of the Year after becoming the first coach to win a Big Ten volleyball conference title in the first year as head coach at the school. Busboom Kelly has won four conference coach of the year honors in the last six years, as she was a three-time ACC Coach of the Year at Louisville (2020, 2021, 2022). Busboom Kelly has had two undefeated regular seasons in her nine-year coaching career (2021 at Louisville).
• Reilly and Murray are three-time All-Big Ten First Team selections. Jackson earned her third career All-Big Ten honor and second selection to the first team. Allick earned her third career All-Big Ten honor, but her first selection to the first team.
• Landfair is a four-time All-Big Ten honoree, while Choboy was named All-Big Ten for the first time in her career. 

HOME SWEET HOME
• Nebraska has won 63 home matches in a row dating back to Dec. 1, 2022, which is the longest active streak in the nation. It is tied for the fifth-longest streak in NCAA history. 
• The Huskers’ home court win streak is its longest since moving into the Devaney Center in 2013, and it’s the tied for the second-longest home court win streak in program history. 
• Nebraska’s longest all-time home win streak was 90 matches from 2004-09. Nebraska also won 63 straight at home from 1999-2002. 
• Penn State holds the all-time record of 94 from 2006-10. 
• The Huskers went 22-0 at home in 2024, a school record for home wins in a season. 
• Nebraska has won 29 consecutive NCAA Tournament matches played in the Devaney Center, a school record. 

THREE HUSKERS ARE AVCA POTY SEMIFINALISTS
• Three Huskers are among the remaining 14 players eligible to be named AVCA Player of the Year. Andi Jackson, Harper Murray and Bergen Reilly were all named semifinalists. 
• Jackson, a middle blocker, and Reilly, a setter, are the only players at their respective positions still in contention. 
• Finalists will be announced on Dec. 15, and the Player of the Year Award will be presented in Kansas City at the AVCA Awards Banquet on Friday, Dec. 19.

BIG RED WINS BIG TEN DISCOVER CHALLENGE
• The Nebraska volleyball team collected the first-ever Big Ten Discover Challenge trophy in the month of October. 
• Five selected matches for each Big Ten team played on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays in October counted toward the challenge standings. 
• Nebraska and Purdue both went 5-0, but the Huskers won the tiebreaker with a perfect 15-0 record in sets. 

BUSBOOM KELLY DEBUTS AS NEW HEAD COACH    
• Nebraska native Dani Busboom Kelly was named the fourth head coach in program history on Jan. 29, 2025 by Nebraska Director of Athletics Troy Dannen. Busboom Kelly succeeds her former coach and mentor, John Cook, who announced his retirement following the 2024 season after 25 seasons as Nebraska’s head volleyball coach. 
• A Husker national champion player and assistant coach, Busboom Kelly spent eight years (2017-24) building Louisville into a national power. The Cardinals reached two NCAA Championship matches, three NCAA Semifinals, five regional finals and won four ACC titles. 
• Busboom Kelly compiled a 203-44 (.822) record in her eight seasons at Louisville, including a 120-15 (.889) mark from 2021-24, which was the second-best winning percentage in the country during that span. In 2024, the Cardinals reached the NCAA Championship match for the second time in three seasons. 
• Busboom Kelly was the starting libero on Nebraska’s 2006 national championship team, and she was an assistant coach when the Huskers won the 2015 national championship in Omaha. She took the helm at Louisville late in 2016 after being named AVCA National Assistant Coach of the Year in her final season as a Husker assistant, and she guided the Cardinals to heights the program had never experienced.  

HUSKERS WELCOME EIGHT NEWCOMERS
• Eight of the 17 players on the 2025 roster are newcomers.
• Senior opposite hitter Allie Sczech is the lone transfer the Huskers brought in for 2025. Sczech was a two-time All-Big 12 Second Team performer at Baylor, averaging 2.44 kills per set with a .273 hitting percentage in 2024. Sczech posted a career-high 21 kills and hit .463 in Baylor’s NCAA Tournament second round defeat to Dayton last year. She totaled 754 kills in three seasons at Baylor. 
• In addition to Sczech, seven freshmen have joined the fold. Campbell Flynn (6-3, Setter), Ryan Hunter (6-2, Opposite Hitter), Keri Leimbach (5-4, Libero) and Teraya Sigler (6-3, Outside Hitter) all enrolled at Nebraska in January. Virginia Adriano (6-5, Opposite Hitter), Kenna Cogill (6-4, Middle Blocker) and Manaia Ogbechie (6-3, Middle Blocker) joined the Huskers in June.

REGENTS APPROVE NAMING OF JOHN COOK ARENA
• The home of Nebraska Volleyball will now officially bear the name of one of the legendary coaches in the history of the sport, as the University of Nebraska Board of Regents approved the naming of John Cook Arena at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
• Cook retired in January following a remarkable 25-year run as the Huskers’ head coach. He guided the Huskers to four national championships, 12 NCAA Semifinal appearances and 14 conference championships. Cook achieved a career record of 883-176 (.834), the fifth-best winning percentage all-time for a Division I volleyball coach. His record of 722-103 at Nebraska was the best winning percentage (.875) for any DI program from 2000-24.
• In addition to the naming of John Cook Arena at the Bob Devaney Sports Center, the project also includes a bronze statue honoring Cook on the north side of the Devaney Sports Center. Nationally recognized sculpture artist and Nebraska native George Lundeen was commissioned to produce the life-size tribute to Cook and his career.
• The court inside John Cook Arena will continue to hold the name of Terry Pettit Court to recognize Cook’s predecessor and fellow Hall of Famer. Additionally, the full athletics complex will continue to be named the Bob Devaney Sports Center in honor of Nebraska Hall of Fame football coach and long-time athletic director Bob Devaney.

Landfair, Sczech Selected in MLV Draft
• Nebraska volleyball seniors Taylor Landfair and Allie Sczech were selected in the 2025 Major League Volleyball Draft on Nov. 24. 
• Landfair was the No. 28 overall pick by the Indy Ignite. One pick later at No. 29, Sczech was selected by the Omaha Supernovas. 

HUSKERS SET FOR 23 TV BROADCASTS
• Nebraska volleyball airs on television 23 times this season. The Huskers have 18 national TV appearances on Big Ten Network, FOX, FS1, ABC and ESPN.  
• Additionally, Nebraska Public Media was granted the rights to televise the Red-White Scrimmage (Aug. 9), the Alumni Match (Aug. 16), and three regular-season home matches: Grand Canyon (Sept. 13), Maryland (Sept. 27) and Northwestern (Oct. 24). 
• All matches that are televised on Nebraska Public Media are also streamed on B1G+. All home matches and Big Ten road matches not selected for TV are streamed on B1G+. 
• NU’s match at Lipscomb is available on ESPN+. 

FOUR HUSKERS NAMED PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN
• Four student-athletes from the Nebraska volleyball team were named to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team after a vote by the league’s 18 head coaches.  
• Juniors Andi Jackson, Harper Murray and Bergen Reilly were three of just five unanimous selections to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team. They were joined on the 20-player team by senior Rebekah Allick. 
• The coaches picked Nebraska as the top team in the preseason poll. The Huskers won their fifth Big Ten title in 2024 with a 19-1 conference record to share the crown with Penn State. Nebraska finished the season at 33-3 and reached the NCAA Semifinals. Penn State, Wisconsin, Minnesota and UCLA rounded out the top five.
• Jackson, a junior middle blocker, had a breakout year in 2024, earning AVCA All-America First Team and unanimous All-Big Ten First Team honors. Jackson averaged 2.62 kills per set with a .439 hitting percentage, which ranked sixth in the nation and fourth in school history. She also put up 1.18 blocks per set. 
• Murray, a junior outside hitter, was an AVCA Second Team All-American last year after earning third-team honors as a freshman. Murray led the Huskers in 2024 with 3.40 kills per set and a team-high 39 service aces. She is a two-time All-Big Ten First Team selection. Murray was selected to the NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team last season and was the NCAA Lincoln Regional Most Outstanding Player. 
• Reilly, a junior setter, is the first player in Big Ten history to win Big Ten Setter of the Year as both a freshman and sophomore, and she is coming off her second straight AVCA All-America Second Team honor. Reilly averaged 11.08 assists per set in 2024 while leading the Huskers to a .284 hitting percentage, their best since 2016.  
• Allick, a senior middle blocker, recorded 1.82 kills per set in 2024 with a career-best .357 hitting percentage. She had a team-high 1.43 blocks per set, which ranked third among Big Ten players and 14th nationally. Allick ranks sixth in school history with 415 career blocks entering the 2025 season. She was an All-Big Ten Second Team selection in 2022 and 2023. 

FLYNN NAMED GATORADE NATIONAL POTY
• Freshman Campbell Flynn was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year on Jan. 10.
• Flynn, a 6-3 setter from Oakland, Mich., was a two-time Gatorade Michigan Volleyball Player of the Year. She recorded 730 assists and 180 digs in her senior season for Mercy High School, leading the Marlins to a 31-3 record and the Division I regional semifinals in 2024. Flynn also compiled 131 kills, 52 blocks and 36 service aces while posting a .394 hitting percentage at net. 
• Flynn was a member of the U.S. U21 Women’s National Team that won the gold medal at the NORCECA Championships in 2024 and was ranked as the nation’s No. 4 overall recruit and top setter recruit in the Class of 2025 by PrepDig.com. Flynn concluded her prep volleyball career, which included a state championship in 2023, with 1,973 assists and 737 kills. She also competed in the Under Armour All-America Game. Off the court, Flynn maintained a 3.94 GPA in the classroom. 
• Flynn is the sixth Husker all-time to be named the Gatorade National Player of the Year. The others are Harper Murray (2022-23), Ally Batenhorst (2020-21), Lexi Sun (2016-17), Mikaela Foecke (2014-15) and Gina Mancuso (2008-09). 

FLYNN, SIGLER EARN GATORADE PLAYER OF THE YEAR 
• In addition to being named Gatorade National Player of the Year, Campbell Flynn was named the Gatorade Michigan Volleyball Player of the Year for the second straight year, while fellow Husker newcomer Teraya Sigler was named the Gatorade Arizona Volleyball Player of the Year for the second straight time. 
• Sigler, a 6-2 outside hitter from Scottsdale, Ariz., led Horizon High School to a 25-5 record and a fourth straight Conference 5A state championship in 2024. Sigler amassed 619 kills and 354 digs, including 33 kills and 20 digs in the state championship match. She also had 65 service aces and 28 blocks while posting a .398 hitting percentage. 
• Ranked as the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2025 by PrepDig.com, Sigler was a member of the U.S. U21 Women’s National Team that won the gold medal at the NORCECA Championships in 2024. She concluded her prep volleyball career with 1,951 kills and 1,128 digs and competed in the Under Armour All-America Game.

2024 SEASON IN REVIEW
• Nebraska finished the 2024 season 33-3 overall and advanced to the NCAA Semifinals for the second year in a row and seventh time in the last 10 years.
• Nebraska won its 36th all-time conference title and fifth Big Ten title with a 19-1 record in Big Ten play last season. The Huskers went back-to-back as Big Ten champions for the second time, also accomplishing that feat in 2016 and 2017. 
• The Huskers’ 29 regular-season wins last year tied the 1983 school record for most wins in a regular season in the NCAA era. 
• The Huskers’ 33 wins last season were tied for the most victories by a Husker team since the 2000 national championship team went 34-0. 
• The Huskers ranked 11th nationally with a team hitting percentage of .284 in 2024.
• The Huskers ranked sixth nationally and first in the Big Ten in opponent hitting percentage at .143 last season. NU led the nation in opponent hitting percentage in 2022 and 2023. 

 



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Sports

No. 3 Volleyball Topples No. 1 Nebraska to Earn Program’s First Final Four – Texas A&M Athletics

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LINCOLN – The No. 3 seed Texas A&M volleyball team handed the No. 1 overall seed Nebraska Cornhuskers their first home loss since November 26, 2022, to claim victory in Sunday afternoon’s NCAA Regional Final at the Bob Devaney Sports Center, 3-2 (25-22, 25-22, 20-25, 35-37, 15-13).
 

The Aggies (27-4) won an instant classic over Nebraska (33-1) to punch their ticket to the Final Four. The teams split the opening four frames setting up a winner-take-all finale, and it was the Maroon & White who reigned victorious behind a complete team victory which included 75 kills, 17 blocks and nine aces.

 

Nebraska came out of the gate on the front foot, as head coach Jamie Morrison called his first timeout of the match trailing 9-3. The Aggies found their footing, cutting into the deficit to 12-9 behind a stretch at the service line from Tatum Thomas. The Cornhuskers won the race to 15 (15-10), but Texas A&M answered right back with a 7-0 run forcing Nebraska to burn both of its timeouts. The onslaught continued, as Cos-Okpalla recorded two aces paired with a Cornhusker error, stretching the lead to 20-15. Nebraska battled back within one as coach Morrison huddled up his squad up 21-20. The Maroon & White would not be denied, as once again the service line was the difference, with an ace from Maddie Waak sealing the opener, 25-22.

 

Carrying the momentum into the second, the Aggies forged an early 5-2 lead. Nebraska responded with a streak of its own inch ahead 10-9. Waak once again got the ball rolling, spearheading a 4-0 run from the service line which included two aces, a kill from Kyndal Stowers and a solo block from Cos-Okpalla as the Maroon & White went ahead 14-11. The train kept rolling, as the gap extended by one as the Cornhuskers huddled up for the time in the frame down 19-15. Nebraska mounted a late comeback in the frame, trimming the deficit to 24-22, but a timeout from coach Morrison was what the team needed Lednicky landed the final blow of the set with the Aggies prevailing 25-22 for a two-set advantage.

 

The Cornhuskers strung together a streak early in the third building a 10-5 advantage, but a response came once again as the Maroon & White ripped off four-straight to shrink the gap to one. The programs began trading points down the stretch and it was Nebraska who grabbed the frame, 25-20, and cut into the match lead, 2-1.

 

Back-and-forth scoring opened fourth, as the teams were knotted on five occasions through the first 14 points including 7-7. Texas A&M was the team to create some breathing room, again thanks to Thomas leading three-straight from the service line as Nebraska huddled up down 10-7. The Aggies would not be waver, extending the gap to 15-10 as the Cornhuskers called their final timeout. Nebraska grabbed one back, as Coach Morrison collected his squad with a break (18-14). The set went the well in extras and it was Nebraska narrowly took the frame, 37-35, and sent the match to a fifth set.

 

In the deciding final frame, it was the Aggies who captured the early momentum leading 8-6 as the programs swapped ends. Texas A&M kept rolling with a 4-1 streak, forcing the Cornhuskers to burn both timeouts trailing 12-8. Nebraska persisted, as the Maroon & White called a break with the advantage down to 13-11. The Aggies found themselves one point from victory and it was Lednicky who dealt the game-winning blow (15-13) ensuring their spot in the Final Four.

 

Following the conclusion of the Regional, the Aggies claimed four of the seven All-Tournament Team selections, headlined by Lednicky who was named the Regional Most Outstanding Player, while Waak, stowers and Ava Underwood were also named to the team.

 

STAT LEADERS

Kills – Kyndal Stowers – 25

Hitting Percentage (Min. 10 kills) – Kyndal Stowers – .327

Assists – Maddie Waak – 63

Aces – Maddie Waak – 4

Digs – Kyndal Stowers – 16

Blocks – Morgan Perkins – 9

 

GAME NOTES

  • Logan Lednicky recorded her 21st consecutive game with 10 or more kills and climbed to No. 3 in career kills passing Hollann Hans (1,640).
  • Ifenna Cos-Okpalla climbed to No. 2 on the program’s career block list passing Cindy Lothspeich (552).
  • The Aggies secured their first Final Four berth in program history.
  • The victory over Nebraska marks the programs second win versus a No. 1 ranked opponent and first in 30 years.

 
UP NEXT

The Maroon & White head to Kansas City for the NCAA Tournament Final Four where they will face No. 1 seed Pittsburgh, Thursday, Dec. 18 with timing details to be announced at a later date.
 
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Texas A&M after upsetting Nebraska volleyball: ‘We’re the grittiest team in the country by far’

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Women’s Volleyball

Dec. 14, 2025

Texas A&M after upsetting Nebraska volleyball: ‘We’re the grittiest team in the country by far’

Dec. 14, 2025

Watch the postgame interview with Texas A&M volleyball seniors Kyndal Stowers, Logan Lednicky and Ifenna Cos-Okpalla after the Aggies stunned undefeated No. 1 overall seed Nebraska in a five-set regional final battle.



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Nebraska volleyball’s dream season comes to a whimpering end | Sports

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This story has been told multiple times over the last few years with Nebraska volleyball. Harper Murray said that she would win three more titles the rest of her time with the Huskers two seasons ago. The reverse sweep at the hands of last year’s Penn State team, on the backs of head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley beating cancer, felt like sports destiny. 

Sports destiny seemed to be on their side for the last 16 weeks. An undefeated, storybook season, with the final games of the season just three short hours away in Kansas City, Missouri, seemed almost too perfect to draw up. Then it was all whisked away in a form far too familiar on the biggest stage.

In the regional final, the third-seeded and ninth-overall team, Texas A&M, stormed into Lincoln and fought through one of the greatest regular-season teams of all time. The Aggies did something that no team, not even the Kentucky Wildcats in the fourth game of the season, could do. Kentucky held a two-set lead on Nebraska and couldn’t get the job done in Nashville. But in one of the toughest environments in college sports, not just college volleyball, Texas A&M ran through the proverbial buzzsaw with its own jackhammer.

What had caused the Huskers’ trouble all year long came back to bite them in the worst way: serve receive. Nine aces were recorded by the Aggies today, with eight of those aces coming before intermission. Junior libero Laney Choboy was responsible for five of the first eight aces. After the serve receive seemingly was cleaned up after giving up nine aces to Maryland on Sept. 27, the issue came back to rear its ugly head. Between Sunday’s game and the Maryland match, Nebraska had not given up more than five aces (twice, Oregon and UCLA) in one contest.

Sunday’s match was a grueling dogfight all the way around, something unlike Nebraska had seldom seen all season long. See to the 37-35 set four score, which felt like a repeat of Oregon’s 41-39 set two win over Minnesota in the 2018 tournament. The fight never ran out. Until it was too late.

No matter where the 2025 Huskers finished in the tournament, the squad would live forever in the history books. A perfect regular season with a coach at her alma mater with a legend riding off into the sunset? The storylines wrote themselves.

Written with emotion, Nebraska experienced what they thought they wouldn’t this year. Since summer workouts, whether it was spoken into existence or not, the goal really was championship or bust. Finishing first in a grueling Big Ten wouldn’t suffice. Neither would a regional title. Nor would an appearance in the title game. Only would hoisting the big prize on December 21, 2025, inside the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, be enough.

The difference between 2023’s dominant team and 2025’s was the heat check that came in the regular season. The Huskers’ loss to rival Wisconsin, a three-set drubbing on Black Friday, allowed for an opportunity to reset themselves before postseason play began just a week later. That opportunity was not afforded to this version of Nebraska because they were far too dominant all season long.

The Huskers assembled one of the largest rosters in recent memory, fueled by an NIL siphon into a program that has risen to stardom not just on a national, but on a worldwide scale. With 17 players on the roster, the talent rivaled an all-star caliber squad that a professional team could put together. Depth bit them right in the foot.

With freshman setter Campbell Flynn breaking her finger earlier in the week, and senior opposite hitter Allie Sczech suffering a freak accident during warmups, the roster was already smaller. With three redshirts on the bench, that meant only 12 active bodies. Nebraska head coach Dani Busboom Kelly attributes the thin bench, but also sickness floating around the locker room, as part of the problem at hand.

No depth problem will be able to sideline the performance on the court.

Freshman middle blocker Manaia Ogbechie was thrust into the limelight with junior counterpart Andi Jackson struggling to find any kind of momentum. With a few more healthy bodies, Busboom Kelly might have had a chance to sub in Flynn or Sczech for an under-the-weather Reilly or an at-times struggling freshman opposite Virginia Adriano.

“I think she’s really mature for her age and as a competitor,” senior middle blocker Rebekah Allick said postgame on Ogbechie. “We told her just to hit everything, and she did that.”

The celebration that Nebraska has had so close in their grasp has availed them times aplenty. Over the last three seasons, the Huskers are 99-6 but with just one appearance on the sport’s biggest stage. Texas A&M will now get to be front and center for the first time ever.

A team of dreams, overlooked by many in their own conference, with rival Texas and Kentucky running away with their regionals, slayed the giant. David took down Goliath.

“There are no words to describe this feeling,” senior outside hitter Logan Lednicky said postgame. “Why not us?”

The team that has yelled “Why not us?” from the mountaintop, a program that has built itself from the ground up since head coach Jamie Morrison’s arrival, can now scream that same phrase when they play the Pittsburgh Panthers on Thursday in the same gym Nebraska wanted to get to. 

“We have the most wins that this program has ever had,” Morrison said postgame after achieving his 27th win of the year. “That’s not an accident.”

Nor is it an accident that they will play for the national title. It wasn’t going to be an accident that the Huskers could play for a national title either. 

“I wanted to be somewhere that could be developed into one of the best programs in the country,” senior middle blocker Ifenna Coz-Okpalla said postgame. “To be sitting here after beating Nebraska, it’s insane.”

A Husker team that was hyped all year long has fallen short of its goals. A national champion banner is still waiting to be hoisted inside the Bob Devaney Sports Center after their most recent in 2017. So many close calls. So many heartbreaks. The book is far from being finished.

Look to the alumni who continue to be a part of the program even though their eligibility is gone. Merritt Beason and Leyla Blackwell, two graduates from the 2024 team, were in attendance on Sunday. Lexi Rodriguez, arguably one of the greatest liberos in college volleyball, continues to have relationships with the players.

“I’ve always looked up to Lexi Rodriguez,” Allick said postgame. “She maybe didn’t always have something to say, but she always made the play, but maybe it was the random hand hold or the hug. It was very intentional.”

With a senior class, specifically spotlighted by four-year letterwinners Allick and senior defensive specialist Maisie Boesiger, that has poured so much into the program throughout their time, don’t expect that continuity to end.

“[Allick] has put her heart and soul into this program, and you can tell by her face how much she cares,” Murray said postgame, speaking on behalf of her distraught teammate. “I don’t even care if we win or lose. She’s going to take away the memories and the relationships we’ve made, winning and losing.”

The loss hurts. Undoubtedly. The book on a video game-level team has written its final chapter on the 2025 season. It went out with a bang, a five-set thriller, but on the wrong side. Perhaps the new version of the John Cook Arena will bear more fruit when it comes online next year. 

But for now, the dreams and destiny of hoisting the big prize will have to wait another year.

“We’re excited to be back next year,” Murray said postgame.

Danny Berg is a volleyball beat writer for the Daily Nebraskan. Follow him on X

sports@dailynebraskan.com 



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Texas A&M stuns Nebraska, advances to NCAA volleyball Final Four

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LINCOLN, Neb. — Texas A&M earned its first trip to the Final Four in women’s volleyball, upsetting previously unbeaten Nebraska in five sets on Sunday.

The top-ranked Huskers lost for the first time in 34 matches this season and saw streaks snapped of 29 consecutive postseason home wins and 63 consecutive home wins. Coach Dani Busboom Kelly’s team was denied a 19th trip to the Final Four.

A&M, seeded third in the Lincoln regional, won 15-13 in the decisive fifth set on Logan Lednicky’s 24th kill of the match. The Aggies (27-4) will make the trip to Kansas City to face Pitt on Thursday in a semifinal match. Kentucky will face Texas or Wisconsin in the other semifinal at the T-Mobile Center, with the winners to play for the national championship on Sunday, Dec. 21.

Coach Jamie Morrison’s team stunned the crowd at Devaney Center by winning the first two sets, both by scores of 25-22. The Huskers had won 54 of 55 sets at home this season before the regional final.

Nebraska rebounded with a 25-20 win in the third set and came back from 18-11 down in an epic fourth set that rated as one of the most dramatic in NCAA postseason history. Nebraska notched 10 set points, finally winning on a kill by Virginia Adriano. The Huskers fought off three match points.

“I think it might have been one of the most entertaining matches in the history of the sport,” Texas A&M coach Jamie Morrison said.

In the fifth set, the Aggies led 12-8 before Nebraska made a run. It staved off two more match points and came within one point of evening the score on a Harper Murray kill before Lednicky’s game-winner.

“We’re this good,” Morrison said. “(Nebraska) hadn’t been around a team that was going to stand up the way we did. We’re this tough. We’re this resilient. We’re this gritty.”

Kyndal Stowers led Texas A&M with 25 kills. Murray had 25 for Nebraska.

Pitt (30-4) beat third-seeded Purdue in four sets on Saturday. The Panthers advanced to a national semifinal for the fifth consecutive season — the first program to complete such a run since Texas from 2012 to 2016. Pitt is seeking its first appearance in a national championship match. It lost last year against Louisville in the semifinals.

Reigning national player of the year Olivia Babcock, among 14 semifinalists for the award this season, was named the most outstanding player of the Pitt regional.

Kentucky (29-2) swept third-seeded Creighton on Saturday to reach Kansas City. Outside hitters Brooklyn DeLeye and Eva Hudson combined for 32 kills. The Wildcats have won 26 consecutive matches and swept the SEC regular-season and tournament titles.



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Texas A&M upsets No. 1 Nebraska, advances to first-ever Final Four

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Updated Dec. 14, 2025, 5:11 p.m. CT

The Texas A&M volleyball program upset the No. 1 seed Nebraska Cornhuskers, 3-2, and is advancing to the Final Four for the first time in program history.

The Aggies’ miraculous reverse sweep of Louisville on Friday showed that this team has the determination and talent to beat any team in the country. That sentiment was proven again on Sunday afternoon, as the Aggies powered past the Cornhuskers for the program’s first win over a top-ranked opponent since 1985.

It all started with a dominant 2-0 lead through the first two sets. Texas A&M outscored Nebraska 50-44 and seemed in firm control of the match. The deficit was the first the Cornhuskers had faced since August 31 against the Kentucky Wildcats, in which the program reverse swept to take the match. Sunday was a different story, however. Texas A&M let the third and fourth set slip by, but the 15-13 win in the fifth set sealed the deal for the Aggies to send them to the school’s first Final Four.





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Texas A&M women’s volleyball upsets Nebraska to reach final 4

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The NCAA women’s volleyball tournament was rocked Sunday as Texas A&M upset previously undefeated No. 1 Nebraska 3-2, sending the Aggies to the program’s first final four.

The Huskers, who have won five national championships, had mostly cruised through this season but ran into an Aggies squad playing its best at the most important time.

“A lot of us are seniors, and we’ve been doing this for a really long time,” said Texas A&M’s Logan Lednicky, who had 24 kills and 6 block assists. “And I think all the newbies came in ready to work, ready to grind.”

Sophomore Kyndal Stowers had 25 kills and 16 digs for Texas A&M (27-4), which finished second to Kentucky in the SEC regular-season standings. The Wildcats are also headed to the final four; they advanced Saturday with a 3-0 win against Creighton.

Kentucky will face the winner of Sunday’s last regional final, between No. 1 seed Texas and No. 3 Wisconsin, on Thursday in Kansas City. The Aggies will meet No. 1 seed Pitt in the semifinals after the Panthers advanced Saturday with a 3-1 win over Purdue.

Texas A&M, the No. 3 seed in the Lincoln regional, upset No. 2 seed Louisville in a reverse sweep Friday. The Aggies almost had the same thing done to them when they won the first two sets against the Huskers, but lost the next two and were forced to a first-to-15 fifth set (must win by 2).

Texas A&M won the deciding set 15-13 in front of stunned sold-out crowd at Nebraska’s Bob Devaney Center. It was the Huskers’ first loss at home since Nov. 26, 2022, against Minnesota.

It was just the second time in Texas A&M program history that the Aggies defeated a No. 1-ranked team. They previously did so in 1995 against Stanford.

For Nebraska, it was another heartbreaking end to the season. The Huskers last won the national championship in 2017, when it was also held in Kansas City, and were hopeful of repeating that this year in the city just 3.5-hours south of their campus.

Since 2017, Nebraska has lost three times in the national championship match — in 2018, 2021 and 2023 — and fell in the national semifinals last season to eventual champion Penn State.

Former Huskers player and assistant Dani Busboom Kelly took over the program this season when longtime coach John Cook retired. She led Louisville to the NCAA final last year and in 2022, and it seemed things were set up for a storybook finish to her first season guiding Nebraska.

But it wasn’t to be, as Texas A&M out-blocked Nebraska 30-16 in what was one of the biggest keys to the upset.

“A really awesome game by Texas A&M,” Busboom Kelly said. “They played like they had six seniors on the court. I’m proud of the way we fought back. We played our hearts out.”

After losing the first two sets, both 25-22, Nebraska won the third set 25-20. That set the stage for what turned into a match-within-the-match, a 37-35 fourth set won by the Huskers on their 10th set point. It seemed as if that turned the momentum toward Nebraska, but the Aggies still had the last word in the fifth set.

“You play sports to prove who’s better in that moment,” Texas A&M coach Jamie Morrison said. “We came out on top of that, and I’m fired up.”



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