Nebraska sweeps Delaware State in NCAA first-round action

Nebraska won 25-15, 25-9, 25-10 at the Devaney Center.

Nebraska had 15 blocks, and Lexi Rodriguez added 19 digs.

Delaware State finished with just 18 kills and a minus .108 hitting percentage. That’s the second-lowest opponent attack percentage by a Husker opponent since 2001.

Nebraska advances to play Kansas (19-10) at 7 p.m. on Friday.

Kaitlyn Hord led Nebraska with nine blocks, and Bekka Allick had five.

It’s the fourth time this season the nation’s No. 1 defense has held an opponent to a negative hitting percentage.

To start the match Delaware State hung around for a bit, before Nebraska found its timing blocking and took control with four straight points for a 15-9 lead. To end the set freshman walk-on Maisie Boesiger served a 4-0 run, including one ace, to win the set 25-15.

Nebraska made a drastic improvement over the final 2 ½ sets.

Nebraska coach John Cook said the Hornets had a great start to the match.

“They were setting the ball literally on a line, and their hitters are quick,” Cook said. “So our block, it just took us a while to adjust to that speed.”

After that, Nebraska’s blockers were more disciplined, and not as open to getting shots hit of their hands.

“Once we started setting up in a good spot I think our (back-row) defense was able to read around us, and Lexi, as per usual, went off,” Hord said.

Rodriguez extended several long rallies with digs that helped Nebraska go on to win the point.

“It’s just like, ‘Dang, she got that one, too,’” Hord said. “It’s awesome to see her back there flinging her body and giving it all for the sport, and for us.”

Lindsay Krause led Nebraska with 10 kills with a .500 hitting percentage. Ally Batenhorst pulled the Huskers along early in the match, and finished with eight kills.

Nebraska was hoping for a reset to start the NCAA Tournament after losing two matches, and Kenzie Knuckles to a knee injury, over a stretch of four days last week.

And while Nebraska won Thursday, they didn’t exactly get the fresh start they’d hoped for because Nicklin Hames didn’t play due to injury and Whitney Lauenstein also didn’t play the full match. Lauenstein has been ill recently and didn’t enter the match until the third set.

Freshman Maggie Mendelson played at right-side hitter, appearing in a match for the first time in five matches. Mendelson played well with four kills and four blocks.

Hames got hit during Nebraska’s match against Wisconsin, and hasn’t played the last two matches.

Cook couldn’t say definitively if Hames will be able to play again this season.

“She has to get cleared by our trainers,” Cook said.

Nebraska’s setting wasn’t always smooth, with both Kennedi Orr and Anni Evans each getting called for a two-hit violation. But Nebraska’s offense had 34 kills, wasn’t blocked once, and hit .341 against the nation's No. 2 defense.

In the second set Nebraska took control when Batenhorst served a 7-0 run for a 16-8 lead.

Nebraska also had a long serving run in the third set, when Madi Kuibk served an 8-0 run for an 18-6 lead. That run put Nebraska in control and allowed Hayden Kubik to sub in for her sister for the final few points of the match.

Alondra Maldonado led Delaware State with eight kills, while no other Hornet had more than three.

Now Nebraska faces a Kansas team that the Huskers actually played in its spring match in April, with Nebraska winning in four sets.

Kansas got a surprising sweep of Miami on Thursday, winning 25-17, 25-18, 25-20.

The Jayhawks have a balanced attack, and also a setter, Camryn Turner, who will attack.

“They beat Miami pretty easily,” Cook said. “They’re a well-balanced team, and they got a great setter. They got five good attackers. So it’s going to be a really good challenge for us.”

Delaware State (24-7)... 15  9  10

Nebraska (25-5)........... 25  25  25

DSU (kills-aces-blocks): Maldonado 8-0-0, Allen 3-0-0, Dawson 2-0-0, Otero 2-0-0, Cordero 1-2-0, Lacy 1-1-0, Lewis 1-0-0, Andersohn 0-1-0. Totals: 18-4-0.

NU: Krause 10-0-2, Batenhorst 8-2-2, M. Kubik 6-1-4, Allick 4-0-5, Mendelson 4-0-4, Hord 2-0-9, Rodriguez 0-2-0, Boesiger 0-1-0, Lauenstein 0-0-2. Totals: 34-6-28.

Digs: DSU 36 (Cruz 10, Otero 8, Andersohn 8, Cordero 6, Lacy 3, Maldonado 1), NU 56 (Rodriguez 19, M. Kubik 10, Orr 10, Evans 8, Boesiger 4, Krause 2, Allick 1, Hord 1, H. Kubik 1). Set assists: DSU 17 (Andersohn 9, Lacy 5, Tuncay 2, Cruz 1), NU 31 (Evans 10, Orr 10, Rodriguez 4, Boesiger 2, Batenhorst 1, M. Kubik 1, Allick 1, Mendelson 1, Hord 1).