LINCOLN — Unlike last time, this go-round against Texas A&M brought out nothing but the best in the Nebraska volleyball team.

The No. 9 Huskers, frustrated by the Aggies 3-1 six weeks ago in College Station, Texas, rode stellar performances from Lindsey Licht, Brooke Delano and Kori Cooper to a 29-27, 25-17, 25-15 sweep of the Aggies in front of a sellout crowd of 4,144 at the NU Coliseum on Friday night.

The trio of Delano, Licht and Cooper combined for 38 kills and a .687 hitting percentage to lead the Huskers (19-6, 12-4 Big 12), who gained a little sense of revenge against the Aggies and, most important, showed they are playing Nebraska volleyball again.

“They forced us to play our best game of the year,” said NU coach John Cook, who earned his 300th career win as a Husker and saw his team sweep its third straight match, including one on the road against No. 8 Iowa State. “That was as high of a level of volleyball we’ve played all year.”

Much like the first meeting between A&M (14-10, 7-9) and the Huskers in late September, a tight first set set the tone for the rest of the match. This time, though, it was the Huskers that came out on top.

Nebraska traded punches with A&M in the first set as no team gained more than a two-point lead throughout. The Huskers held off a set point at 26-25 thanks to a Cooper kill that sent the Coliseum into a frenzy. After A&M tied the set at 27, the Huskers took the lead on one of Licht’s 13 kills and clinched the set when the Aggies’ Sarah Ammermen sent a spike wide left.

Surviving that first game point serves as Example A of the resurgence the Huskers say they’re feeling.

“We’re playing Nebraska volleyball,” said Cooper, who hit a career-high .765 on 17 swings. “Tonight that was Nebraska volleyball.”

In sets two and three. NU kept the Aggies at a comfortable distance and cruised as Cooper, Licht and Delano pounded kill after kill, almost all set up by Sydney Anderson, who racked up 47 assists on the night.

The Huskers slowly pulled away from a 7-5 advantage in game two to lead 18-11 behind three kills from Cooper and four from Delano. The Aggies mounted a threat early in set three, keeping it close until midway when the Huskers breezed to the finish line on a 16-8 run.

Cooper, the lone senior on the Husker squad, said the last month has seen the Huskers develop more trust and more determination.

“We’re a lot better,” she said. “You can come to practice and watch how hard we’re working. We’re getting after it.”

Delano’s 12 kills are just the latest in a three-match blitz that has won Cook’s praise. Delano, a sophomore out of Bellevue West, has racked up 30 kills in her last three matches while swinging at a .636 clip.

“We think she can be an All-American middle here for us,” Cook said. “If she keeps going like this, it’ll be this year.”

Delano missed the final month of last season with appendicitis after serving as a reserve utility player. She credits the time she spent last year playing all over the court, outside and inside, for making her comfortable hitting almost anything set for her.

“That’s really helped me coming back to the middle,” she said. “I have different shots, and that all comes from playing different positions.”

Texas A&M...............27 17 15

Nebraska...................29 25 25

Texas A&M (kills-aces-blocks): Sarah Ammerman 13-0-0, Jennifer Banse 12-0-0, Alisia Kastmo 7-0-0, Lindsey Miller 7-0-3, Mary Batis 2-0-1, Kristen Schevikhoven 1-0-2. Totals 42-0-3.0.

Nebraska (kills-aces-blocks): Kori Cooper 13-0-2, Lindsey Licht 13-0-3, Brooke Delano 12-0-5, Hannah Werth 8-0-0, Tara Mueller 3-0-1, Sydney Anderson 2-0-2, Gina Mancuso 0-2-0. Totals 51-2-8.0.

Set assists: A&M 40 (Schevikhoven, Kristen 35, Miller 1, Batis 1, Mellinger 1, Black 1, Faulkner 1); NU 50 (Anderson 47, Mueller 2, Banwarth 1).

Contact the writer:

444-1201, sports@owh.com

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