Friday, September 27
Lincoln, NE
5:00 PM
UCLA
6-4,0-1Big Ten
1
at
3
No. 2 Nebraska
11-1,1-0Big Ten
1
2
3
4
F
UCLA
22
10
25
22
1
Nebraska
25
25
23
25
3
Photo by: Suzi Mellano
Bruins Fall to No. 2 Nebraska in Big Ten Opener
September 27, 2024 | Women's Volleyball
LINCOLN, Neb. – The UCLA women's volleyball team began its Big Ten Conference schedule with a four-set loss to No. 2 Nebraska on Friday night inside a packed Bob Devaney Sports Center.
Set scores were 22-25, 10-25, 25-23, and 22-25.
Following a fiercely contested opening set, Nebraska's firepower became evident. Outside hitter Taylor Landfair spearheaded the Cornhuskers' attack with 13 kills at an impressive .414 hitting percentage and middle blocker Andi Jackson matched with 13 kills of her own, hitting .409.
UCLA completely turned the tide in the third set, concluding the frame with a remarkable 11-1 run to secure the set victory and extend the match. The Bruins carried this momentum into the fourth stanza, however, the nationally-ranked Cornhuskers managed to do just enough to secure the four-set win.
With the win, Nebraska head coach John Cook earns his 700th career victory at the helm.
Junior outside hitter Cheridyn Leverette maintained her outstanding streak of consecutive games with double-digit kills, extending it to nine by recording 17 kills in the match, just one shy of her season-high. Additionally, she achieved her third double-double of the season with 10 digs on the defensive end.
Freshman outside hitter Kiki Horne contributed 11 kills for her sixth game in double figures and graduate middle blocker was a defensive force, racking up eight blocks while chipping in with six kills of her own (.235).
Senior libero Peyton Dueck recorded double figure digs for the fourth consecutive match, tallying 16 digs on the night. Enjoying her best night of the season was graduate setter Audrey Pak who totaled a season-best 44 assists while snuffing out eight digs.
The first set was nothing short of electric as the teams traded blows in the early stages of the match. Neither side led by more than two points until the Nebraska clinched the set at 25-22. Leverette started off with the hot hand, slamming down six kills, but the Cornhuskers flexed their muscles by hitting .317 in the frame. UCLA nearly fought off a set point after it appeared that it came up with a block, but after a lengthy review, the call was overturned and the hosts gained an early lead.
Nebraska leveraged the energy of their home crowd to start the second set with a commanding 6-2 run, forcing UCLA to call an early timeout. Despite efforts to regroup, UCLA faced challenges in finding its offensive rhythm. Nebraska closed the set with a dominant 11-2 run, securing a 25-10 victory. The Cornhuskers' offense was highly efficient, hitting .611, while the Bruins struggled to find any source of momentum on the offensive end, resulting in a hitting percentage of -.033.
The hosts rallied for another big lead to begin the third set with a quick 6-2 run. This eventually became a 22-14 advantage for Nebraska until junior outside hitter Grayce Olson knocked down a kill to give her team the sideout. This kill proved to change the tide of the match, sparking a run of 10 consecutive points. Sophomore defensive specialist Kat Lutz held the service line and was brilliant in her role, keeping Nebraska out of system while the Bruins took advantage of the hosts' mishaps.
This allowed UCLA to set up the block and A. Dodson started to flourish. She picked up four of her eight blocks during this stretch and quieted the Devaney Center in the process. Olson contributed two more kills during the run, and the Bruins managed to snatch the third set, 25-23.
The fourth set was highly competitive, featuring five lead changes. Both teams exchanged runs early in the frame, but Nebraska maintained their edge for most of the set. Despite Leverette contributing two crucial kills down the stretch, it was not enough to hold off the Cornhuskers, who secured a 25-22 victory to clinch the match.
UCLA will play inside Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom for the first time this season when it welcomes Ohio State on Sunday, Sept. 29 at 1 p.m. The match will be available for viewing on B1G+.
Set scores were 22-25, 10-25, 25-23, and 22-25.
Following a fiercely contested opening set, Nebraska's firepower became evident. Outside hitter Taylor Landfair spearheaded the Cornhuskers' attack with 13 kills at an impressive .414 hitting percentage and middle blocker Andi Jackson matched with 13 kills of her own, hitting .409.
UCLA completely turned the tide in the third set, concluding the frame with a remarkable 11-1 run to secure the set victory and extend the match. The Bruins carried this momentum into the fourth stanza, however, the nationally-ranked Cornhuskers managed to do just enough to secure the four-set win.
With the win, Nebraska head coach John Cook earns his 700th career victory at the helm.
Junior outside hitter Cheridyn Leverette maintained her outstanding streak of consecutive games with double-digit kills, extending it to nine by recording 17 kills in the match, just one shy of her season-high. Additionally, she achieved her third double-double of the season with 10 digs on the defensive end.
Freshman outside hitter Kiki Horne contributed 11 kills for her sixth game in double figures and graduate middle blocker was a defensive force, racking up eight blocks while chipping in with six kills of her own (.235).
Senior libero Peyton Dueck recorded double figure digs for the fourth consecutive match, tallying 16 digs on the night. Enjoying her best night of the season was graduate setter Audrey Pak who totaled a season-best 44 assists while snuffing out eight digs.
The first set was nothing short of electric as the teams traded blows in the early stages of the match. Neither side led by more than two points until the Nebraska clinched the set at 25-22. Leverette started off with the hot hand, slamming down six kills, but the Cornhuskers flexed their muscles by hitting .317 in the frame. UCLA nearly fought off a set point after it appeared that it came up with a block, but after a lengthy review, the call was overturned and the hosts gained an early lead.
Nebraska leveraged the energy of their home crowd to start the second set with a commanding 6-2 run, forcing UCLA to call an early timeout. Despite efforts to regroup, UCLA faced challenges in finding its offensive rhythm. Nebraska closed the set with a dominant 11-2 run, securing a 25-10 victory. The Cornhuskers' offense was highly efficient, hitting .611, while the Bruins struggled to find any source of momentum on the offensive end, resulting in a hitting percentage of -.033.
The hosts rallied for another big lead to begin the third set with a quick 6-2 run. This eventually became a 22-14 advantage for Nebraska until junior outside hitter Grayce Olson knocked down a kill to give her team the sideout. This kill proved to change the tide of the match, sparking a run of 10 consecutive points. Sophomore defensive specialist Kat Lutz held the service line and was brilliant in her role, keeping Nebraska out of system while the Bruins took advantage of the hosts' mishaps.
Script flipped ??@UCLAWomensVB takes set three against No. 2 Nebraska. #B1GVolleyball on @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/WM4bzJGO8H
— Big Ten Volleyball (@B1GVolleyball) September 28, 2024
This allowed UCLA to set up the block and A. Dodson started to flourish. She picked up four of her eight blocks during this stretch and quieted the Devaney Center in the process. Olson contributed two more kills during the run, and the Bruins managed to snatch the third set, 25-23.
The fourth set was highly competitive, featuring five lead changes. Both teams exchanged runs early in the frame, but Nebraska maintained their edge for most of the set. Despite Leverette contributing two crucial kills down the stretch, it was not enough to hold off the Cornhuskers, who secured a 25-22 victory to clinch the match.
UCLA will play inside Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom for the first time this season when it welcomes Ohio State on Sunday, Sept. 29 at 1 p.m. The match will be available for viewing on B1G+.
Team Stats
UCLA
Nebr
Kills
50
54
Errors
26
19
Attempts
157
142
Hitting %
.153
.246
Points
61.0
69.0
Assists
49
51
Aces
1
2
Blocks
10
13
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
17
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Kills
10
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
8
Aces
0
Blocks
8
Players Mentioned
DS/L
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH/OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
S
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