LINCOLN – For the 11th straight year, the Nebraska volleyball team will open the NCAA Tournament at home, as the Bob Devaney Sports Center was chosen as one of the 16 host sites for the NCAA first and second rounds next weekend.

The Huskers, making their 33rd straight NCAA Tournament appearance, were selected as the No. 14 overall seed in the 64-team field. Nebraska will open the tournament on Friday, Dec. 5 against Hofstra (28-5). The Pride were crowned tournament champions of the Colonial Athletic Association last weekend. That match will start at either 7 p.m. or 30 minutes after the conclusion of the 4:30 p.m. match, which features the Kansas State Wildcats (22-8) of the Big 12 conference and the Utah Utes (19-12) of the Pac-12 conference.

Friday’s winners will meet in the second round at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6 to battle for a spot in the Seattle Regional on Dec. 12-13. The winner of the Lincoln bracket will take on the winner of the Washington first and second round bracket, featuring the third-seeded Huskies against New Hampshire, and Hawaii against Duke.

Tickets for the first and second rounds in Lincoln will go on sale online at Huskers.com on Sunday at 9 p.m. They will also be available on Monday, pending availability, by calling the NU Ticket Office at 800-8-BIGRED or visiting the NU Athletic Ticket Office in person after 8 a.m. All-session ticket prices are set at $34 (reserved A and B sections) and $30 (C section) and
include the two first-round games on Friday, as well as the second-round match on Saturday.

Nebraska will be meeting Hofstra for the second time. NU beat Hofstra 3-1 on Sept. 16, 1989. The Huskers are 82-4 all-time against Kansas State and 2-0-1 all-time against Utah.

The Huskers finished the regular season 20-9 and 14-5 in the Big Ten Conference. Nebraska is 89-29 (.754) in 32 previous NCAA Tournament appearances, ranking second among NCAA schools in both wins and winning percentage.

Six Big Teams were selected to the 2014 field. Joining the Huskers are No. 4 national seed Wisconsin, No. 5 national seed Penn State, No. 9 national seed Illinois, Ohio State and Michigan State.

The 2014 season marks the 30th time that Lincoln has hosted first and second round competition. Last season, the Huskers hosted at the Devaney Center for the first time since moving from the NU Coliseum and swept Fairfield and Oregon to advance to a regional for the 19th time in the last 20 years.

Nebraska has not been outside the state for an NCAA Tournament match since 2010, when they also went to the Seattle Regional. The Huskers also went to Seattle in 2008.

NCAA First and Second Round Schedule
First Round – Friday, Dec. 5
4:30 p.m. – Utah vs. Kansas State
7 p.m.* – Hofstra vs. Nebraska
*or 30 minutes following the conclusion of the 4:30 p.m. match

Second Round – Saturday, Dec. 6
7 p.m. – First Round Winners

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – The No. 10 Nebraska volleyball team closed out the regular season on Saturday night, falling 3-0 (25-21, 25-15, 25-16) at No. 4 Penn State at Rec Hall.

The Huskers finished the regular season 20-9 overall and 14-6 in the Big Ten. Penn State finished 30-3 overall and 18-2 in the Big Ten.

Kelsey Fien had a team-high 10 kills. Meghan Haggerty added seven kills, her most in her last 17 matches. Alicia Ostrander also added seven kills. Mary Pollmiller had 25 assists, and Justine Wong-Orantes had 13 digs. 

Nebraska hit .133 for the match, while Penn State hit .257. The Nittany Lions served up eight aces, a season high by a Husker foe. All-American setter Micha Hancock had four in the first eight points of the match. She added 33 set assists. Ali Frantti had a match-high 17 kills. 

Hancock, the NCAA leader in service aces with 105 entering the match, began her Senior Night with two straight aces and added two more in her run to spark Penn State to an 8-0 lead in set one. But the Huskers got out of the serve with an Amber Rolfzen kill and ripped off a 10-3 run to cut the deficit to 11-10. Haggerty had two kills and a block with Fien to boost the Huskers back into the set. But Penn State came back with four straight points to go up 15-10 at the media timeout, the last point coming on its fifth service ace of the set. Fien recorded two kills out of the timeout to get Nebraska back within 15-13. After Penn State built the lead to 21-17, the Huskers came back to within 21-19 on a kill by Haggerty and a big swing by Pollmiller after a set from Sydney Townsend. After a Penn State timeout, the Nittany Lions went in the net to trim their lead to 21-20. Haleigh Washington killed for a 22-20 lead, and Lacey Fuller served up an ace to make it 23-20. The Nittany Lions held on for the 25-21 win.

The Huskers took a 3-1 lead in the second set but Penn State rallied to go up 6-3. Later, three kills by Frantti and a Dominique Gonzalez ace gave the Nittany Lions a 14-7 lead, and they pushed it to 18-9 before the Huskers’ second timeout of the set. Penn State finished off the 25-15 win to take the second set, hitting .419 after hitting just .105 in the first set. Meanwhile, after hitting .290 in set one, NU cooled off to a .061 hitting percentage in set two.

Penn State got off to another quick start in set three, taking a 6-2 lead after a 5-0 run. Kills by Haggerty and Fien pulled the Huskers back within 9-6, and another Haggerty kill followed by a PSU hitting error cut it to 14-12. But Penn State closed the set on an 11-4 run to win 25-16. 

The 2014 NCAA Tournament Selection Show will air on ESPNU on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. The first and second round begins next weekend. Should the Huskers be selected to host the first and second round at the Bob Devaney Sports Center, tickets would go on sale online at Huskers.com on Sunday at 9 p.m.

After facing No. 11 Illinois Wednesday night in Champaign, the No. 10 Nebraska volleyball team travels to State College, Pa., where the Huskers will take on No. 4 Penn State on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. (CT) on BTN. The match against the Nittany Lions concludes the regular season. 

The Huskers are 20-8 overall and 14-5 in the Big Ten after a 3-2 loss at Illinois on Wednesday snapped the Huskers’ eight-match win streak. Nebraska is 7-3 in true road matches this season and 9-3 in all matches played away from the Devaney Center. John Cook is in his 15th season as head coach at Nebraska and is 433-56 leading the Huskers. The two-time AVCA National Coach of the Year is 594-129 in his 22nd overall season as a head coach. 

Penn State swept Northwestern on Wednesday and is now 29-3 overall and 17-2 in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions have won 13 straight matches – and 12 in a row by sweep – since falling at home to Illinois, 3-1, on Oct. 11. Penn State is 15-1 at home. Russ Rose is 1,154-180 in his 36th season as head coach at Penn State.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Despite a spirited comeback to force a fifth set, the No. 10 Nebraska volleyball team fell at No. 11 Illinois, 3-2 (25-16, 22-25, 25-18, 24-26, 15-10), on Wednesday night at Huff Hall. 

The loss snapped the Huskers’ eight-match win streak and perfect month of November. Nebraska dropped to 20-8 overall and 14-5 in the Big Ten, while Illinois moved to 23-7 and 15-4 in conference play. The Illini improved their home record to 11-1 this season.

Kadie Rolfzen had a team-high 19 kills with 11 digs. Kelsey Fien added 13 kills, and Amber Rolfzen had eight kills and 10 digs with five blocks. The Huskers outblocked Illinois 16-10, led by 10 blocks from Cecilia Hall. But Nebraska committed 11 service errors and hit just .146 for the match, while Illinois hit .232 and outdug NU 78-69. 

Mary Pollmiller had 39 assists, and Justine Wong-Orantes had a team-high 20 digs.

Jocelynn Birks led the Illini with 22 kills and added 10 digs. Michelle Strizak had 15 kills, and Liz McMahon had 13. Morganne Criswell, who had 21 kills against the Huskers in Lincoln on Oct. 18, sat out the first four sets with an injury but came in to the match in set five to post four kills and lead the Illini in the decisive set.

Illinois broke free from a 5-5 tie in set one with a 7-0 run to stake a 12-5 lead. Strizak had three kills and a block in that stretch. Two kills by Fien and a Hall/Pollmiller block cut it to 12-8, but the Illini quickly restored the seven-point lead at 16-9 and pushed it to 22-13 before settling on the 25-16 win. The Huskers hit just .032 in the set with eight attacking errors. 

Illinois led set two 9-7 before a Fien kill and block by Amber Rolfzen and Hall to tie it at 9-9. After trading sideouts, the Huskers strung together three straight with an Illini hitting error, Kadie Rolfzen kill and Annika Albrecht ace for a 13-10 lead. NU went up 17-13 on back-to-back kills by Amber and Kadie Rolfzen. Leading 18-15, the Huskers got a kill from Pollmiller and ace serve from Kadie Rolfzen for a 20-15 lead. Two more kills from Fien helped put the Huskers up 23-18 before Illinois drew within 23-20. But after Nebraska called timeout to set up an attack for Kadie Rolfzen, the Huskers had set point at 24-20. Illinois fought off two set points, but again out of a timeout the Huskers ran a play to set up Kadie Rolfzen, and she delivered the winning point to give the Huskers the 25-22 win and even the match.

The teams engaged in a sideout battle early in the third set before Illinois gained a 14-9 lead with a 4-0 run. Nebraska came back, sparked by a spectacular dig by Albrecht leading to a Kadie Rolfzen kill, and then an Albrecht kill of her own to get within 14-12. But the Illini went up 17-12 with kills by Birks and Ali Stark around a Husker attacking error, and after Illinois went up 18-13, the Huskers never got closer than five points again. NU fought off two set points down 24-16, but the Illini finished the 25-18 win to go up 2-1.

A tremendous hustle play in the fourth set that saw Kadie Rolfzen fly into the bench and Sydney Townsend dig up three near kills led to a Husker block to tie the fourth set at 9-9. NU went up 12-11 on a kill by Amber Rolfzen, but the Illini went on a key 5-0 run to lead 16-12. The Huskers got within 17-15 on a Townsend service ace, and a Fien kill cut it to 19-18. But back-to-back kills by McMahon put Illinois up 21-18 and forced the Huskers’ final timeout. The Huskers pulled within 22-21 after a Hall/Amber Rolfzen block and kill by Hall, and Illinois took a timeout. After the timeout, Albrecht tallied her third ace of the night to tie the set 22-22. Back-to-back Kadie Rolfzen kills gave the Huskers set point at 24-23, but Birks took one swing to tie it 24-24. However, Kadie Rolfzen completed the comeback with two more kills to record the Huskers’ last four kills of the set for a 26-24 win.

After the Huskers took a 1-0 lead in set five, Birks went out with an injury for the Illini. But they subbed in Criswell, who had been sitting out injured until then. Criswell – who had 21 kills against the Huskers on Oct. 18, immediately posted three kills on five swings to put Illinois up 5-4. Amber Rolfzen killed to tie it 5-5, but the Illini took the next three points for an 8-5 lead before the teams switched sides. The Huskers got within 9-7 after an Illini service error, but a service error of their own, followed by a collision going for the ball put Illinois up 11-7. Criswell’s fourth kill of the set made it 13-8 Illini. NU pulled within 13-10 after a stuff by Hall and Kadie Rolfzen, but the Huskers’ 11th service error of the night gave Illinois match point, and the Illini won 15-10 after a Husker attacking error.

Nebraska closes the regular season on Saturday at No. 4 Penn State at 7:30 p.m. (CT) on Big Ten Network.

LINCOLN – Behind the dynamic defensive duo of Cecilia Hall and Amber Rolfzen, the No. 11 Nebraska volleyball team posted a 25-23, 25-20, 25-21 sweep against Michigan on Senior Night at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Saturday. 

The Huskers (20-7, 14-4 Big Ten) avenged a sweep at the hands of the Wolverines (12-16, 7-11 Big Ten) in Ann Arbor on Oct. 12 and did so with an impressive defensive display. NU tallied 15 total blocks with Hall posting 13 block assists and Rolfzen adding 12, both career highs. Hall’s 13 blocks assists were the most by a Big Ten player in a match this season and tied the school record for block assists in a three-set match.

Kadie Rolfzen had 13 kills and nine digs, and Kelsey Fien had 11 kills. In addition to her 12 blocks, Amber Rolfzen had eight kills, and Hall finished with four kills on six attacks. Senior setter Mary Pollmiller had 33 assists and three kills in her final regular-season match at the Devaney Center. The Husker captain was honored following the match. 

NU hit .262 and held Michigan to .174. During the Huskers’ eight-match win streak, they have held each opponent under .200 hitting. The last time NU held eight straight opponents under .200 hitting was 2008 when the Huskers did so 13 times in a row. Abby Cole led Michigan with 12 kills, and Caroline Knop had 11, but the two hit .121 and .027, respectively. 

Nebraska fell behind 9-5 in the first set but reeled off a 4-0 run to tie it 9-9, capped by a Kadie Rolfzen kill. Kills by Cole and Knop with a hitting error by the Huskers gave Michigan a 13-10 lead, however, forcing a Husker timeout. Michigan pushed the lead to 21-16, but the Huskers roared back with a block by Amber Rolfzen and Hall, a Kadie Rolfzen kill, a Michigan attack error and Annika Albrecht ace to cut it to 21-20. The teams traded points before Michigan hit long to tie the set 22-22. Amber Rolfzen killed off a block after a Michigan timeout for the Huskers’ first lead of the set, 23-22. Knop tied it, but Michigan hit wide for a 24-23 Husker lead. Kadie Rolfzen capped off the comeback with her seventh kill of the set. She had no errors while hitting .412 in the first set.

The Huskers held the early edge in set two, but an Adeja Lambert ace tied the set at 8-8. The Huskers used a 4-0 run to go back in front, 15-10, with kills by Amber and Kadie Rolfzen and a block by Amber Rolfzen and Hall. The Huskers continued to pull away after the media timeout, going up 17-11 with a kill by Amber Rolfzen and Michigan error to force the Wolverines to take a timeout. Michigan pulled within 20-19 on a Cole kill, but Fien answered to put NU up 21-19. Out of a Michigan timeout, an Albrecht ace off the top of the net put NU up 23-20. Amber Rolfzen killed to give NU set point, 24-20, and then she teamed up with Hall for a stuff for the set win, 25-20.

In the third set, Amber Rolfzen and Hall combined for four blocks in the Huskers’ first six points to spark a 6-2 lead. The duo went on to combine on five blocks in the set, and the Huskers led by as many as seven at 23-16. The Huskers hit .387 in the final frame with Fien contributing five kills and Kadie Rolfzen four. NU had eight of its 15 blocks in the third set. 

The Huskers are on the road next week for two top-10 matches. Nebraska is at Illinois on Wednesday at 7 p.m. and at Penn State on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. (CT) to close out the regular season.