LINCOLN, Neb. - The Nebraska volleyball team moved to 3-0 after a 25-16, 25-23, 25-16 sweep of SMU in front of a crowd of 8,311 on Sunday at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

The Huskers kept their opponent under a .100 hitting percentage for the third straight match, as the Mustangs (1-2) hit .045. Nebraska hit .144 with 38 kills and 22 errors, but outserved SMU with a 4-1 edge in aces and a six fewer service errors. Nebraska had four more blocks (11-7) and 19 more digs (60-41). 

Harper Murray led Nebraska with 14 kills with a .310 hitting percentage. She also had 10 digs and was named the most outstanding player of the tournament. Merritt Beason added eight kills and eight digs, and Bekka Allick chipped in seven kills and four blocks. 

Andi Jackson had five kills and seven blocks, while Lindsay Krause had three kills and five blocks. 

Bergen Reilly posted 29 assists and nine digs, and Lexi Rodriguez notched 14 digs and two service aces. Rodriguez was also named to the All-Tournament Team, along with Laney Choboy, who had seven digs on Sunday. 

The Huskers had 38 kills to SMU's 25 and outdug the Mustangs 60-41.

Set 1: The Huskers went on the first run of the game behind two aces from Rodriguez to take a 6-3 lead. SMU got to within one point before Allick and Murray notched two kills each as NU went on a 10-2 run to make the score 18-9. Nebraska rattled off six straight points to get to set point at 24-10 before the Mustangs went on a 6-0 run of their own. The Huskers closed out the set on Murray’s eighth kill of the set to win 25-16.

Set 2: The teams traded points for the first half of the second set. NU scored two straight heading into the media timeout, part of a 5-0 run that gave the Huskers a 17-13 advantage. Kills by Krause and Jackson helped the Huskers make the score 20-15. SMU fought back and cut NU's lead to 23-22 before a Krause kill took the Huskers to set point. With NU clinging to a 24-23 lead, Jackson and Krause ended the set with a block to give Nebraska a 2-0 advantage in the match.

Set 3: The Huskers started quickly in the third set, notching three blocks in the first four points to grab a 4-1 lead. Behind kills from Allick and Krause, NU brought the advantage to 7-2 and forced a Mustang timeout. Murray had two kills and Beason had one in a 4-0 Husker run later in the set that made it 16-7, and the Big Red never looked back. NU pulled away to a 25-16 win for a perfect three sweeps in three matches to start the season. 

Up Next: The Huskers will face the Omaha Mavericks on Volleyball Day in Nebraska on Wednesday at Memorial Stadium. The match is slated to start at 7 p.m. and will be televised on BTN and streamed on the Fox Sports app. Fans can also listen on the Huskers Radio Network.

Ameritas Players Challenge All-Tournament Team
Delaney Smith, Lipscomb
Natalie Perdue, SMU
Kennedi Boyd, Utah State
Shelby Capllonch, Utah State
Laney Choboy, Nebraska
Lexi Rodriguez, Nebraska
Harper Murray, Nebraska (Most Outstanding Player)

DALE’S BRACE POWERS NU PAST GONZAGA, 3-1

Spokane, Wash. – Senior forward Eleanor Dale scored twice in the first half as the Nebraska soccer team topped Gonzaga 3-1 at Luger Field on Sunday.

With the victory, the Huskers (3-0-1) wrap up their trip West with two road wins and a combined nine goals in just two games. Additionally, senior goalie Sami Hauk tallied six saves in her 14th career victory and third of the season.

For the second-straight game, senior defender Nicola Hauk tallied a score as she found the back of the net in the second minute of the game. From inside the penalty box, Sarah Weber gathered the corner kick from Lauryn Anglim and headed the ball into the goal box, which was gathered and shot by Hauk for the score.

In the 23rd minute, Dale scored the game-winner and her first goal of the match as she gathered the errant Gonzaga (3-1-0) pass in the Bulldog backfield, dribbled and punched the ball into the top right corner of the net.

Dale then extended the Husker lead to 3-0 in the 38th minute as she scored again. Hauk dribbled across midfield and shot a pass down the pitch to Maggie Altman. Altman gathered and passed the ball to Dale who sent a sliding shot past the Gonzaga goalie. This finish marked Dale’s 20th career goal and fourth of the year.

Despite the Bulldogs outshooting Nebraska by an 8-5 margin, the Huskers held Gonzaga scoreless in the first 45 minutes and took the three-score advantage into the break.

In the second half, Gonzaga fought back with a goal in the 64th minute by Kate Doyle, but the Huskers were able to hold on and grab the 3-1 victory.

Overall, the Bulldogs held the advantage in shots (17-10) and shots on goal (7-5), but NU led in saves (6-1).

Up next, the Huskers host Missouri on Thursday, Aug. 31 at Hibner Stadium before hitting the road for a match against Kansas State on Sunday, Sept. 3 in Manhattan, Kan.