Minneapolis – Behind a gritty team effort, the 14th-ranked Nebraska volleyball team rallied from a 2-0 deficit for an epic 3-2 (21-25, 16-25, 25-21, 25-19, 15-7) comeback win at No. 25 Minnesota on Wednesday night.
The Huskers (12-6, 6-3 Big Ten) found themselves in a deep hole after dropping the first two sets and falling behind 16-13 in the third set. But just as they did at Minnesota in 2011, the Huskers roared back to win the match in five. Behind the arm of Kelsey Fien, the Huskers rallied to the 25-21 third-set victory, controlled the fourth set and ended the match on a dominating 8-0 run.
Kadie Rolfzen had 17 kills and 14 digs to lead the Huskers, while Fien had 14 kills over the last three sets off the bench. Cecilia Hall chipped in nine kills and seven blocks, and Amber Rolfzen had seven kills, seven blocks and a team-high 18 digs. Annika Albrecht had a career-high five kills. Mary Pollmiller had a season-best 54 assists.
Nebraska hit .244 for the match, but hit .714 in the fifth set with 12 kills on 14 attacks. Minnesota hit .198 for the match after starting out hitting .304 through the first two sets. The Huskers outblocked the Gophers 12-11 and outdug them 72-69.
Nebraska held a 9-7 lead in the first set before the Gophers rallied with a 7-1 run to go up 14-10. Two kills by Hall kept the Huskers within four at 16-12, but three consecutive Gopher kills gave them a 19-12 lead. Nebraska put together a mini rally with kills by Hall and Kadie Rolfzen surrounding a Meghan Haggerty/Amber Rolfzen block to get within 19-15. A Pollmiller/Haggerty block cut it to 21-18, but two NU hitting errors put the Gophers up 23-18. Justine Wong-Orantes and Alexa Ethridge had rare back-to-back kills to get Nebraska within 23-20, but the Gophers closed out the 25-21 win. Nine hitting errors and three service errors hindered the Huskers’ chances of opening the match with a first-set win.
The Huskers held another early lead in set two at 6-5, but a 4-0 Gopher run erased that. Nebraska fought back to within 10-9 on a Hall kill and Pollmiller ace. But the Gophers built the lead back to 21-14 and finished off the 25-16 win. The Huskers reduced their hitting errors to five in the second set, but still had three more service errors for a total of six through two sets.
Minnesota tallied another 4-0 run with the third set tied 8-8 to go up 12-8, but kills by Kelsey Fien and Kadie Rolfzen cut the lead in half, 12-10. After the Gophers pushed the lead to 16-13 on another Husker service error, Pollmiller and Haggerty blocked a Minnesota attack, and Fien struck again to get NU within 16-15. After a Gopher timeout, a pancake dig by Amber Rolfzen led to another Fien kill to tie the set. Paige Tapp regained the lead for the Gophers, but Fien continued to find the floor, tying it at 17-17. Hall and Fien teamed up for a block, and Minnesota’s net violation put the Huskers up 19-17. Fien continued her domination in the set with three straight kills to break a 19-19 tie and put NU up 22-19. The Huskers won the set, 25-21, on a block by Amber Rolfzen. Fien finished the frame with seven kills on 10 attacks, leading the Huskers to a much better .297 clip in the third set. After hitting .406 in set two, Minnesota was held to .140 in the third set.
Nebraska carried its momentum into the fourth set, building an 8-5 lead to force a Gopher timeout, as the Gophers became prone to errors. The Huskers went up 12-7 on a service ace by Pollmiller and 15-9 on Minnesota’s eighth of 11 attacking errors in the set. Nebraska went up 18-11 on a Kadie Rolfzen kill, and she later finished the set in favor of the Huskers, 25-19, with her 13th kill of the night.
In the final set, Kadie Rolfzen served an ace, and Fien produced for the Huskers again to put them up 7-5 after battling from behind once again. After Minnesota tied it, Haggerty gave the Huskers the 8-7 lead at the crossover with a swing from the right side. Haggerty’s kill began an 8-0 Husker run that ended the match. Hall had a kill at the net after Minnesota misplayed a serve, then Pollmiller and Hall teamed up for a stuff. Ethridge served an ace and Fien fooled the Gophers with a soft touch to the middle of the court for the 12-7 lead, forcing Minnesota’s second timeout of the set. Kadie Rolfzen then came out of the back row and swung down for a 13-7 lead. The Huskers completed the win with kills by Fien and Pollmiller.
The Huskers are on the road at No. 5 Wisconsin on Sunday for a 4 p.m. match on ESPN2.
Category: Sports
Concussion Study says NCAA Needs Improvement
BOSTON (AP) — Colleges remain inconsistent in the way they handle athletes’ concussions, according to a Harvard University study that comes more than four years after the NCAA began requiring schools to educate their players about the risks of head trauma and develop plans to keep injured athletes off the field.
In a survey that included responses from 907 of the NCAA’s 1,066 members, researchers found that nearly one in five schools either don’t have the required concussion management plan or have done such a poor job in educating their coaches, medical staff and compliance officers that they are not sure one exists.
The study was co-written by Harvard researcher Christine Baugh and published this week in the American Journal of Sports Medicine.
World Series Rating for Opener Drops to Low
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A World Series opener involving the San Francisco Giants set a record low TV rating for the second time in three seasons.
San Francisco’s 7-1 win over Kansas City drew a 7.3 rating and 12.2 million viewers Tuesday night on Fox, according to fast national ratings by Nielsen Media Research.
That broke the previous low of a 7.6 rating and 12.2 million for the Giants’ 8-3 victory over Detroit in 2012. San Francisco’s 11.7 win over Texas in the 2010 opener got an 8.9 rating.
The rating for this year’s opener began with a 6.9 from 8:05-8:30 p.m. EDT and peaked at 8.5 in the half hour starting at 9 p.m. With the Giants scoring three runs in the first inning and leading 5-0 by the fourth, the rating ended at 5.7 from 11:30-11:41 p.m.
Still, Fox said Wednesday it expects to win the prime-time night and have its best Tuesday night since February 2012.
Fox Deportes averaged 273,000 viewers, a record for Spanish-language World Series coverage.
Limited Number of Non-Conference Tickets Available
Lincoln – The University of Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office announced Wednesday that a limited number of men’s basketball non-conference tickets will go on sale to the general public on Thursday, Oct. 30, at 8 a.m. Tickets will be available on Huskers.com or by calling the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office at 800-8-BIGRED.
The tickets, which are located in the 300 section, will be available for $7 apiece, except for the Dec. 13 game against Cincinnati, which are priced at $10 each. Tickets will be available for the Huskers’ exhibition game and every home non-conference game except for the Dec. 7 contest against Creighton.
The Huskers enter the 2014-15 season ranked 21st in the USA Today Coaches Poll and return five starters, including All-Big Ten performers Terran Petteway and Shavon Shields, from a team that won 19 games and reached the NCAA Tournament. Nebraska ranked 13th nationally in attendance in 2013-14, averaging a school-record 15,419 fans per game at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Fans will have their first opportunity to see the 2014-15 Huskers at the Big Red Tip-Off on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at 6:30 p.m. The scrimmage is free and open to the public and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Huskers Set to Battle Nittany Lions, Buckeyes
The Nebraska soccer team looks to continue its momentum from back-to-back wins when the Huskers travel to No. 7 Penn State and Ohio State this weekend.
The Huskers face the Nittany Lions on Friday at 6 p.m. (CT) at Jeffrey Field in University Park, Pa. On Sunday, NU squares off against the Buckeyes at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus, Ohio at noon. Live stats for both games will be available on GameTracker.
The Huskers trail the all-time series against Penn State, 2-1-0, and are tied against Ohio State, 2-2-0.
Last Time Out: Huskers Shutout Purdue, Indiana
Nebraska earned a weekend sweep at the Nebraska Soccer Field when the Huskers took down Purdue, 1-0, on Friday, Oct. 17, before defeating Indiana, 3-0, on Sunday, Oct. 19.
Jaycie Johnson’s goal off an assist from Caroline Gray in the 20th minute against the Boilermakers proved to be the deciding factor in the victory. Goalkeeper Kelly Schatz earned her third shutout of the season, collecting two saves in the process.
Johnson also scored against the Hoosiers after Caroline Flynn and Mayme Conroy each added goals. Flynn scored in the 12th minute off an assist from Conroy, while Conroy’s came in the 79th minute from Katie Kraeutner’s assist. Johnson scored in the 85th minute.
Scouting the Penn State Nittany Lions
No. 7 Penn State is 14-2-0 on the season, and leads the Big Ten standings with a 9-1-0 mark. The Nittany Lions opened the season with wins over West Virginia, Syracuse and Connecticut before suffering a double overtime defeat to then-No. 14 North Carolina on Sept. 5. Following the loss, PSU strung together nine consecutive wins before falling to then-No. 20 Rutgers 1-0. Last weekend, Penn State took down Michigan and Michigan State.
Frannie Crouse leads the Nittany Lion offense with seven goals, while Mallory Weber, Megan Schafer and Raquel Rodriguez each have five scores. Goalkeeper Britt Eckerstrom has six shutouts on the season, while contributing to an additional one. She has 45 saves, while giving up only nine goals in 16 games.
Scouting the Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State is 5-8-3 this season, and holds a 2-5-3 record in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes opened the season with a win over Duke before dropping three straight games. OSU strung together three wins in a row before another three-game losing streak in conference play. Ohio State’s last win was over Northwestern on Sept. 28, but the Buckeyes have three ties to go along with two losses since then.
Sammy Edwards leads the team with four goals, while Michela Paradiso, Kayla Varner and Alexis Degler each have three goals. Goalkeeper Megan Geldernick has two shutouts and 58 saves, while surrendering 27 goals this season.
Schatz Named Big Ten Defender of the Week
Goalkeeper Kelly Schatz earned Big Ten Defender-of-the-Week honors on Monday, Oct. 20.
Schatz helped the Huskers to a pair of shutout victories, as Nebraska took down Purdue on Friday, Oct. 17 by a 1-0 margin before defeating Indiana, 3-0, on Sunday, Oct. 19. Against the Boilermakers, Schatz collected two saves in 90 minutes of action. She added one save in 75 minutes while facing the Hoosiers.
Huskers Showing Ability to Score Late
Nebraska has scored in the 75th minute or later on 10 occasions in 16 games this season. Jaycie Johnson has scored four times in the 75th minute or later, while Mayme Conroy has two goals during that time stretch. Nebraska scored twice in the final 15 minutes against Indiana on Oct. 19.
The Huskers have failed to score down the stretch in seven of their games, but made late goals in each of their first four games of the season. Overall, NU is 6-2-1 when scoring in the last 15 minutes. The Huskers are 1-5-1 when they don’t.
Schatz Filling Goalkeeper Role
Sophomore Kelly Schatz has started all 16 games at goalkeeper for the Huskers this season, playing more than 1,444 minutes. Schatz has 45 saves and has earned three complete game shutouts, while contributing to two more. Schatz earned Big Ten Defender-of-the-Week accolades on Oct. 20.
Johnson Continues to Produce on Offense
Nebraska’s leading goal scorer Jaycie Johnson has 11 goals through 16 games. Johnson scored two goals in each of the first three weekends, managing a pair of scores in both the Marquette and North Dakota matches. She scored once against SMU, DePaul, Maryland, Michigan State, Minnesota, Purdue and Indiana. The Lake Winnebago, Mo. native has taken 59 shots this season, 37 of which have been on goal.
Huskers Drop 3-1 Decision at Minnesota
Nebraska struck first against Minnesota, but lost by a 3-1 margin after the Gophers scored three unanswered goals on Thursday, Oct. 9 at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium.
Sophomore Jaycie Johnson scored in the 31st minute to give NU an early 1-0 lead. Senior Caroline Gray assisted on the goal, as Johnson knocked it in to the top right corner of the goal. On the defensive end, goalkeeper Kelly Schatz earned seven saves in 90 minutes of action to tie her career high.
The Gophers tied the score, 1-1, in the 42nd minute when Josee Stiever scored off an assist from Simone Kolander. Kolander also assisted on Minnesota’s second goal, as Taylor Stainbrook knocked it in to the top right corner of the goal to give the Gophers a 2-1 advantage. In the 68th minute, Stainbrook added her second goal of the game, this time off an assist from Rashida Beal.
Huskers Drop Two in Michigan
Nebraska fell to Michigan and Michigan State during a two-game road trip to the Great Lakes State to start October.
Mayme Conroy scored the lone goal for the Huskers against the Wolverines in the eighth minute. Michigan’s Nicky Waldeck responded, though, with a hat trick to lead U-M to a 3-1 triumph.
Against the Spartans, Jaycie Johnson scored in the 83rd minute off a penalty kick, but it came after Michigan State had scored three goals.
Conroy Collects Big Ten Honor
Senior forward Mayme Conroy earned Big Ten Offensive Player-of-the-Week accolades on Monday, Sept. 29, after scoring three goals in two games during the previous week.
Conroy, an Omaha, Neb., native, tallied two goals in Nebraska’s 4-3 overtime triumph over Maryland, including the game winner in the 96th minute. Her first score of the game came in the 22nd minute off an assist from Katie Kraeutner.
On Thursday, Sept. 25, Conroy delivered in the 37th minute against No. 25 Rutgers, helping the Huskers’ to a 1-1 tie at the Nebraska Soccer Field. She took three shots in 105 minutes of action while facing the Scarlet Knights.
Conroy Leads NU to Win, Tie
Nebraska got back to its winning ways on Sunday, Sept. 28 at the Nebraska Soccer Field as the Huskers posted a 4-3 overtime win over Maryland after tying No. 25 Rutgers on Thursday, Sept. 25.
Against the Scarlet Knights, senior Mayme Conroy scored in the 37th minute off a pass from Jourden Casey to tie the game at 1. Neither team scored for the remainder of the game, as goalkeeper Kelly Schatz registered a career-high seven saves.
Conroy scored two goals, including the game winner in the 96th minute, against Maryland in Sunday’s match. Caroline Gray and Jacyie Johnson also scored for the Huskers, and Casey earned two assists.
Huskers Fall to No. 13 Wisconsin, 3-0
Nebraska outshot Wisconsin 10-7 at McClimon Soccer Complex in Madison, Wis., but fell by a 3-0 margin on Saturday, Sept. 20. The Badgers scored goals in the first, 20th and 86th minutes.
Jaycie Johnson (three shots on goal), Caroline Gray (two shots on goal), Mayme Conroy (one shot on goal) and Caroline Flynn (one shot on goal) led Nebraska’s offense.
NU Ties Big Ten Opener, Falls to Illinois
Nebraska opened its Big Ten season with a pair of home matches on Thursday, Sept. 11 and Sunday, Sept. 14. The Huskers tied Northwestern in the first game, 1-1, before dropping a 3-0 decision to Illinois.
Against the Wildcats, Northwestern’s Sami Schrakamp struck first in the 12th minute to put the Wildcats up 1-0. With time winding down in the game, Katie Kraeutner scored off an assist from Jaycie Johnson in the 88th minute to tie the game. Neither team scored in the extra time.
Against the Fighting Illini, the Huskers took six shots but failed to score in a 3-0 setback. Illinois’ Allison Stucky scored in the 40th minute, while Jannelle Flaws added two goals, scoring in the 71st and 80th minute.
NU Responds to 2OT Loss with 4-0 Win
Nebraska went 1-1 at home in its third weekend of play, falling to No. 20 Oklahoma in double overtime on Friday, Sept. 5, before dominating North Dakota by a 4-0 margin onSunday, Sept. 7.
Against the Sooners, Katie Kraeutner scored in the sixth minute to put NU up early, but Oklahoma tied the score 1-1 in the 71st minute with Ayana O’Neal’s goal. Despite Nebraska controlling on offense to start the second overtime, Oklahoma’s defense managed to withstand the pressure and scored in the 107th minute for the win.
On Sunday, the Huskers outshot North Dakota 32-2, as Jaycie Johnson scored twice, and Mayme Conroy and Courtney Claassen each added one goal in the 4-0 win.
Both of Johnson’s goals came in the first three minutes of the second half. Conroy scored NU’s first goal of the game in the ninth minute. Claassen scored off a rebound in the 76th minute for her first career goal. Caroline Flynn recorded two assists.
Huskers Sweep Butler, Marquette
Nebraska took down Butler, 1-0, on Friday, Aug. 29 at the Nebraska Soccer Field before defeating Marquette, 3-2, on Sunday, Aug. 31 at Valley Fields in Milwaukee, Wis.
The Huskers outshot the Bulldogs 17-2, but it wasn’t until Caroline Flynn’s goal in the 83rd minute that NU got on the scoreboard. Flynn scored from 30 yards out to the top left corner of the net from the right side of the field. Goalkeeper Kelly Schatz earned two saves during the shutout.
Against the Golden Eagles, Nebraska trailed 2-0 before scoring three goals in the final 26 minutes en route to a 3-2 triumph. Jaycie Johnson scored twice, making her first goal in the 65th minute before adding the game winner off an assist from Caroline Gray in the 83rd minute. Mayme Conroy added a goal for the Huskers in the 69th minute.
Huskers Split Opening Weekend Games
Nebraska opened the regular season on Friday, Aug. 22 with a 4-0 victory over SMU before falling to DePaul, 2-1, on Sunday, Aug. 24 at the Nebraska Soccer Field.
Against the Mustangs, goalkeeper Kelly Schatz earned a shutout in her first career start at the position. She compiled five saves, four of which came in the second half. Caroline Gray, Caroline Flynn, Jaycie Johnson and Sydney Miramontez each scored for the Huskers in the home opener.
Against the Blue Demons, Johnson scored the lone goal for the Huskers in the 89th minute off an assist from Flynn, but DePaul had already built a 2-0 lead. Elise Wyatt scored for the Blue Demons in the 16th minute before Abby Reed added a goal in the 85th minute.
Final Season at Nebraska Soccer Field
The Huskers are in their 10th and final season at the Nebraska Soccer Field before moving into the Nebraska Soccer and Tennis Complex next season. Since moving to campus in 2005, NU has compiled a 69-27-14 record and has one home game remaining in 2014.
2014 Season Outlook
Nebraska’s 2014 team includes five seniors in Head Coach John Walker’s 21st season at the helm of the school’s soccer program. The Huskers also welcomed back All-Big Ten second-team member Jaycie Johnson, who is a sophomore in 2014 after leading the team with 17 goals last season. The Huskers added 12 newcomers in the offseason in addition to their 12 returning letterwinners from 2013.
NBA Owners Vote Down Lottery Reform
NEW YORK (AP) — NBA owners have voted down proposed changes to the league’s draft lottery system, staving off efforts to curb tanking for the time being.
The proposal was defeated 17-13 on Wednesday at the league’s board of governors meetings. It was a somewhat surprising turn of events after appearing earlier in the week that there was support for reforms that would make it more difficult for teams with the worst records to secure the top pick in the draft.
The vote means the existing system will remain in place for now. The team with the worst record will still have a 25 percent chance at getting the top pick and cannot drop lower than fourth.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says there was some concern that implementing changes would “have unintended consequences.”
Chiefs’ Charles Passes Battery of Concussion Tests
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs insisted Wednesday that Jamaal Charles has passed a battery of tests and does not show signs of a concussion, one day after the star running back said he exhibited symptoms in last weekend’s win over San Diego.
Charles took a blow from Brandon Flowers when he dove into the endzone Sunday. Charles popped up and trotted off the field, and trainers met him on the sideline. He remained in the game.
On Tuesday, Charles told ESPN Radio that he saw “light bulbs” a few plays later, and that he tried to avoid going through the league’s concussion protocol.
After the Chiefs learned of the interview, they put Charles through a battery of tests. The team said he passed all of them.
Whopper of a Bill for NCAA in O’Bannon Lawsuit
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The bill has come in for former UCLA basketball star Ed O’Bannon’s successful court challenge of the NCAA — and it’s a whopper.
Lawyers for O’Bannon want more than $50 million from the NCAA in attorney fees and other costs as part of the price of winning an antitrust lawsuit that took five years to make its way to trial.
The proposed award means individual lawyers would end up with far more than the $5,000 a year the judge in the case ruled that football players in FBS schools and Division I men’s basketball players could receive as compensation for the rights to their names, images and likenesses.
In a filing late Tuesday night, lead counsel Michael Hausfeld asked for payments of up to $985 an hour for senior attorneys in the case.
British Government Wants an NFL Team in London
LONDON (AP) — The British government wants an NFL team based in London.
George Osborne, the British treasury chief, told the Evening Standard newspaper on Wednesday that the government will do whatever it can “to make this happen.”
The NFL has been playing regular-season games at Wembley Stadium every year since 2007, and this season there are three games on the schedule.
The NFL says it welcomes Osborne’s comments and his “strong support for the possibility of an NFL team in London.”
Detroit and Atlanta will play Sunday at Wembley, the home of England’s national soccer team. Last month, the Miami Dolphins beats the Oakland Raiders 38-14, and next month, the Dallas Cowboys will face the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Gregory Named Lott IMPACT Trophy Quarterfinalist
Nebraska junior defensive end Randy Gregory is one of 20 standout defenders who were been named as quarterfinalists for the 2014 Lott IMPACT Trophy Wednesday.
The Lott Trophy is named in honor of former USC and NFL standout Ronnie Lott and is presented to the nation’s most impactful defensive player.
The 6-6, 245-pound Gregory is a disruptive force for the Nebraska Blackshirt defense. Gregory has 28 total tackles, including six tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks. Gregory also has an interception, a fumble caused, two pass breakups and a team-high nine quarterback hurries.
Gregory was named the Lott Trophy Player of the Week following his performance against Miami, when he had seven tackles, including a pair of sacks, and forced a fumble.
Gregory is one of two defenders from the Big Ten on the list, joining Michigan State defensive end Shilique Calhoun. Gregory and Calhoun are among six defensive ends on the Lott quarterfinalists list.
Eight semifinalists for the Lott Trophy will be chosen on Nov. 11, before balloting determines the four finalists. The winner will be announced on Dec. 14 in Newport Beach, Calif.