Nicklin Hames' injury could create lineup dilemma for John Cook

LINCOLN - Nebraska senior setter Nicklin Hames, who took herself out of a four-set loss to Stanford because of an apparent muscle injury, could miss the Huskers’ Sunday match at No. 13 Kentucky

 “She’s out for right now. I don’t know,” Nebraska coach John Cook said Thursday night during the Nebraska volleyball radio show. “It’s one of those things where she just needs some rest. Time.”

Sophomore outside hitter Ally Batenhorst has also missed the past two matches due to an abdominal muscle injury.

Cook is already trying to choose between a two-setter rotation or one setter. Injuries make that evaluation even more difficult.

So Nebraska may have to play a two-setter rotation with Anni Evans and Kennedi Orr or go back to a one-setter offense.

“We always work on both because when you run out of subs you have to go to a 5-1,” Cook said. “So if one setter can really separate and show that they can be a difference maker and make all of those hitters better, it’s better always to go with a one-setter offense. And if they’re both a wash then it’s better to go 6-2. We’ll see how practice goes.”

When Hames left, Orr got put into a tough spot entering the match in the third set, but Nebraska’s hitters had a good hitting percentage when Orr was in the match, Cook said.

“(Orr) stepped up and helped us when we really needed it because we could have folded up right then,” Cook said. “Nicklin was trying to play hurt and she couldn’t set the ball. She couldn’t move. She said, ‘I can’t go.’”

Batenhorst is slowly working her way back to doing more during practice.

More notes:

Setters working to help Hord: Nebraska has a three-time All-American middle blocker with Kaitlyn Hord, but the Huskers haven’t been able to consistently take advantage of her as a hitter yet, with Hord having just a .299 hitting percentage.

When Hord and the setters have connected for a great set the result is almost always a kill, but that hasn’t occurred enough.

“She’s had three different setters trying to set her,” Cook said. “She’s a unique player because of her build and how she jumps and swings. So we just haven’t found the rhythm yet with her, and part of it is our system makes it hard on her. So we just got to keep working at it.”

Record may prompt match at PBA: The Husker volleyball program’s version of the Blackshirts question posed to Nebraska football coaches is about the volleyball team playing one match at Pinnacle Bank Arena, where the Huskers could try to pack in a crowd of more than 15,000 spectators.

If that’s your wish, too, keep an eye on Madison, Wisconsin, on Friday. That’s where national champion Wisconsin is moving Friday’s match against Florida to its basketball arena, the 17,000-seat Kohl Center. The Badgers are hoping to set the NCAA regular season attendance record, which was set just last week during Nebraska’s match against Creighton at CHI Health Center Omaha (15,797).

A caller to the radio show once again asked if the Huskers could play at PBA.

“We’ll see what happens this week at Wisconsin, and how big of crowd they get,” Cook said. “And if we got to go to PBA to get it back we will.”

Long Beach State could be back: Long Beach State, coached by former Husker assistant Tyler Hildebrand, had a great time playing Nebraska in Lincoln last week, and Hildebrand is already talking to Cook about playing the Huskers again next season in Lincoln.

The Nebraska Athletic Department was also able to get tickets for the Long Beach players and coaches to attend the Nebraska-Georgia Southern football game on Saturday night. That was a different experience for the Long Beach players because the school doesn’t have a football team.