MATCH PREVIEW
• The second-ranked Nebraska volleyball team begins Big Ten action this weekend with a pair of matches at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The Huskers will face No. 21 Ohio State on Friday at 8 p.m. in their Big Ten opener, and NU will host No. 12 Minnesota on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. 
• Both matches this weekend will be televised on Big Ten Network and streamed on FoxSports. Larry Punteney and Emily Ehman will be on the broadcast for both matches. 
• The Huskers Radio Network will broadcast all the action on their radio affiliates, including 107.3 FM in Lincoln and AM 590 in Omaha. A live audio stream will be provided at Huskers.com and on the Huskers app. 
• John Baylor is in his 30th season doing play-by-play for the Husker volleyball program. Lauren (Cook) West, a former All-America setter for the Huskers, will provide color commentary.

ABOUT THE HUSKERS
• Nebraska (9-0) has won its first nine matches of the season for the first time since 2016, when NU started 12-0. Nebraska is in the midst of playing five straight ranked teams and thus far has beaten No. 5 Stanford (3-1) and No. 21 Kentucky (3-1). 
• The Huskers went undefeated in non-conference play for the first time since 2016 and just the second time since 2008. 
• The Huskers, who led the nation in defense in 2022, have held their opponents this season to a combined .101 hitting percentage, which ranks first nationally. 
• Nebraska has been sharp offensively of late, upping its season average hitting percentage to .299, which is first in the Big Ten and ninth nationally. 
• The Big Red is averaging 2.88 blocks per set, which ranks 10th in the country. 
• Two-time All-America junior libero Lexi Rodriguez paces the Husker defense with 3.53 digs per set. 
• Junior opposite hitter Merritt Beason, a Florida transfer, contributes a team-leading 3.30 kills per set and 1.87 digs per set. Beason was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Sept. 18. 
• Freshman outside hitter Harper Murray is averaging 3.23 kills per set on .318 hitting and has a team-best nine service aces. Murray was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Aug. 28 and Sept. 18. 
• Sophomore middle blocker Bekka Allick ranks fourth nationally with 1.71 blocks per set. Allick is also hitting .287 with 1.50 kills per set. 
• Freshman middle blocker Andi Jackson is off to a strong start as a Husker, averaging 2.30 kills per set on a team-high .515 hitting percentage, which ranks second nationally. Jackson is also contributing 1.26 blocks per set. 
• Freshman setter Bergen Reilly is putting up 9.63 assists and 2.73 digs per set. Reilly became just the second true freshman setter to be a day one starter under John Cook (Nicklin Hames). 
• Nebraska was the last NCAA Division I program to drop a set this season when Creighton won set three of NU’s 3-1 win on Sept. 6. The Huskers had opened the season with 17 consecutive set wins. The Huskers have dropped just three out of 30 sets played this season. All three were third sets.  

SCOUTING REPORT: OHIO STATE
• Emily Londot leads the Buckeyes (3-6) with 4.86 kills per set, which ranks fifth nationally. Londot is a two-time All-American and three-time All-Big Ten selection. 
• Ohio State is hitting .215 as a team and allowing opponents to hit .243. All six Buckeye losses are to teams currently ranked in the top 20 of the AVCA Coaches Poll. 

SCOUTING REPORT: MINNESOTA
• Mckenna Wucherer leads the Golden Gophers (4-4) with 3.38 kills per set. Reigning Big Ten Player of the Year Taylor Landfair adds 2.47 kills set. 
• Minnesota has a .231 team hitting percentage and an opponent hitting percentage of .188. Libero Kylie Murr leads all Big Ten players with 4.34 digs per set. 

SERIES HISTORY
• Nebraska is 18-10 against Ohio State, though the Buckeyes have won three of the last four matches. The teams split two matches last year with each team winning at home. NU won in five sets in Lincoln on Sept. 24, and Ohio State won in four sets in Columbus on Nov. 13. Friday’s matchup will be the only meeting between the teams this regular season. 
• Nebraska is 36-12 all-time against Minnesota. The Golden Gophers have won five of the last seven times the teams have played, including a 3-0 sweep at the Bob Devaney Sports Center last year on Nov. 26. 

HUSKERS RANKED NO. 2 IN AVCA COACHES POLL
• Nebraska is ranked second in the AVCA Coaches Poll this week.
• The Huskers have been ranked in the top 10 a total of 547 times, which is also the most in NCAA history.
• Nebraska has appeared in all 608 AVCA Coaches Polls it has been eligible for since it was established in 1982. Nebraska is the only program to be ranked in every eligible poll all-time.
• Nebraska’s 608 consecutive weeks of being ranked is the longest active streak in Division I for any sport, leading Connecticut women’s basketball and North Carolina women’s soccer.
• Nebraska has been ranked No. 1 in 102 all-time polls, the most in NCAA history. 

AVCA HALL OF FAMER JOHN COOK IN 24TH SEASON AT NEBRASKA
• Nebraska head coach John Cook is in his 24th season as the Nebraska volleyball head coach in 2023. He has led the Huskers to four national championships, 10 final fours, 12 conference championships and 21 top-10 final rankings since 2000. 
• Cook has 826 career wins and is one of the all-time winningest coaches in NCAA history. Since taking over the program in 2000, Cook has led the Huskers to a nation-leading .872 win percentage (665-98). 
• Under Cook, the Huskers have achieved 64 AVCA All-Americans and 20 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, both among the best in the nation. He is a two-time AVCA National Coach of the Year, earning the prestigious honor in 2000 and 2005, and a seven-time conference coach of the year, including Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2016 and 2017, his first and second Big Ten honors with the Huskers in their Big Ten era (2011-present).
• Cook is one of only two active coaches - and one of six all-time - to be a two-time AVCA National Coach of the Year and was honored in 2008 by USA Volleyball, receiving its All-Time Great Coach Award.
• Cook was inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame in 2017, joining former Husker volleyball coach Terry Pettit in the hall. 

HUSKER VOLLEYBALL SETS ATTENDANCE RECORDS
• It was a record-breaking night at Memorial Stadium on Aug. 30 when Nebraska hosted Omaha in an outdoor volleyball match. The attendance of 92,003 set a record for the largest crowd to watch a women’s sporting event in the United States. The crowd of more than 92,000 also surpassed what is widely regarded as the world-record attendance for any women’s sporting event.
• The previously recognized world record was 91,648 fans in an UEFA Champions League match between Barcelona and Wolfsburg on April 22, 2022, at Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain. The previous record for an American women’s sporting event was 90,185 in USA’s FIFA World Cup Final against China on July 10, 1999, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.
• Along with the two records mentioned above, the Huskers shattered a pair of NCAA records, exceeding the previous records for any NCAA volleyball match and an NCAA volleyball regular-season match. 
• Entering the match, the largest-ever crowd for any NCAA volleyball match was 18,755 when Nebraska played Wisconsin in the NCAA Final at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on Dec. 18, 2021. The largest NCAA volleyball regular-season attendance was 16,833 when Wisconsin hosted Florida at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis., on Sept 16, 2022.
• The Husker volleyball program has sold out 309 consecutive regular-season matches. Nebraska’s sellout streak is an NCAA women’s record. The Huskers have led the nation in attendance every season since moving into the Bob Devaney Sports Center in 2013.
• Nine of the top 11 crowds in NCAA volleyball history are matches that have involved the Huskers. 
• Of the 16 largest NCAA volleyball regular-season crowds, 14 have been Nebraska matches.
• On Sept. 6, Nebraska broke its Devaney Center attendance record since the arena was reconfigured for volleyball in 2013. A crowd of 8,656 turned out to see the Nebraska-Creighton match. Over the summer, 402 seats were added to the Devaney Center, increasing the capacity to 8,309. 

BEASON, MURRAY EARN BIG TEN AWARDS ON SEPT. 18
• Merritt Beason was named Big Ten Player of the Week and Harper Murray was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Sept. 18. 
• Beason led the Huskers to a 3-1 road win at No. 5 Stanford and a 3-1 home win against No. 21 Kentucky with 4.00 kills per set on a .354 hitting percentage to go with 1.88 digs per set. Beason had a season-high 17 kills and 10 digs and hit .438 in the win over Kentucky. Last Tuesday, the junior from Gardendale, Ala., had 15 kills and hit .273 at Stanford. 
• Murray earned her second Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor after averaging 3.63 kills per set with a .349 hitting percentage and 2.00 digs per set in Nebraska’s two victories. The Ann Arbor, Mich., native finished with 17 kills and 10 digs and hit .308 in Sunday night’s win over Kentucky. She had 12 kills, six digs, four blocks and three aces while hitting a season-best .417 at Stanford last Tuesday. 

MURRAY NAMED BIG TEN FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK ON AUG. 28
• Nebraska freshman outside hitter Harper Murray was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Aug. 28 by the conference office.
• In her first collegiate matches, Murray led the Huskers to a 3-0 record at the Ameritas Players Challenge. The Ann Arbor, Mich., native averaged 3.67 kills per set with a .343 hitting percentage. She also posted 2.33 digs per set and totaled six blocks, five aces and four set assists. 
• Murray had nine kills on .350 hitting with five blocks and four digs in her collegiate debut against Utah State. She followed with 10 kills on .389 hitting with seven digs and three aces. Murray finished the weekend with 14 kills on .310 hitting with 10 digs for her first collegiate double-double. 

SEASON PREVIEW
• Nebraska is coming off a 26-6 (16-4 Big Ten) season and second-place finish in the Big Ten. The Huskers advanced to an NCAA regional semifinal, where they lost to Oregon in five sets. NU ended the year at No. 9 in the AVCA Coaches Poll, its 11th straight year finishing in the top 10 of the AVCA poll. 
• Nebraska had a nation-leading opponent hitting percentage of .128 in 2022. Junior libero and co-captain Lexi Rodriguez is back to lead the Huskers defensively once again. Rodriguez is a two-time AVCA All-American and All-Big Ten selection. 
• Sophomore middle blocker Bekka Allick was named to the AVCA All-Region Team in 2022 after finishing her first season as a Husker with 1.89 kills per set, 1.01 blocks per set and a team-high .326 hitting percentage. Allick was an All-Big Ten Second Team and a unanimous All-Big Ten Freshman Team member. 
• Junior opposite hitter Merritt Beason was an All-SEC and AVCA All-Region selection as a sophomore at Florida in 2022 before transferring to Nebraska and being named a team captain for the 2023 season. In her sophomore season at Florida, Beason helped the Gators win a share of the SEC Championship by averaging 3.35 kills per set with a .261 hitting percentage.
• Junior outside hitter Lindsay Krause averaged 2.25 kills per set with a .269 hitting percentage and totaled 44 blocks and 45 digs last season. Over the final 12 matches of the season, Krause averaged 2.72 kills per set with a .359 hitting percentage. 
• Ally Batenhorst posted 2.33 kills per set to go with 1.06 digs per set in 2022. The junior outside hitter was named to the Louisville Regional All-Tournament Team after 15 kills and 12 digs against No. 9 Oregon in the NCAA regional semifinal. 

HUSKERS ANNOUNCE LOADED 2023-24 SCHEDULE

The Nebraska women's basketball team announced its full 2023-24 season schedule for the first time on Thursday, Sept. 21, when the Big Ten released the conference-wide schedule at 11:30 a.m. (CT) on the Big Ten Network.

The Huskers, who have been postseason eligible for four consecutive seasons, will play 16 regular-season games at Pinnacle Bank Arena including nine Big Ten home games. The times and television designations for Nebraska's Big Ten games will be announced at a later date.

Nebraska tips off practice for the regular season next week, and the women's basketball program will join the men's team for Opening Night with Husker Hoops at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Friday, Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. The event will include practices by both men's and women's basketball programs, contests with members of the teams and a performance by nationally recognized recording artist DDG. Fans can register for up to four free tickets per person now at Huskers.com/Tickets. Doors to the event open on Friday, Sept. 29 at 6 p.m.

Nebraska previously announced its non-conference schedule and Big Ten match-ups (without dates). Today's announcement gives the Huskers their first look at the season from start to finish, as they begin their journey in pursuit of an NCAA Tournament bid under Coach Amy Williams.

"We're excited to see the road for the season laid out before us for the first time," Williams said. "It is obviously going to be filled with some great challenges and some thrilling home games at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Our players have been working hard in their offseason preparation, and we can't wait to get started in practice next week preparing full speed for our season. We have the best fans in the nation, and we can't wait to see them at Pinnacle Bank Arena this season."

Fans can purchase season tickets now at Huskers.com/Tickets or by calling 1-800-8-BIG-RED. Nebraska's Starting Five ticket plan will be available soon. Single-game tickets will go on sale at a later date, as more information on game times becomes available. Nebraska ranked No. 13 nationally in average home attendance at Pinnacle Bank Arena in 2022-23 with 5,761 fans per game, including a Pinnacle Bank Arena women's basketball-record crowd of 14,289 on Feb. 18, 2023. The Big Red has been ranked among the top 25 nationally in average home attendance in women's basketball for 13 consecutive seasons.

The Huskers play their lone exhibition game against Dakota Wesleyan on Sunday, Oct. 29 at noon at Pinnacle Bank Arena, before tipping off the regular season against Northwestern State on Monday, Nov. 6. The game with the Lady Demons will begin at noon, following Nebraska's annual Life Skills Sportsmanship Pep Rally, which will start at 9:30 a.m. at PBA. The Life Skills Sportsmanship Pep Rally featured more than 2,500 middle grade students from more than 40 schools across Nebraska last season. For more information, or to register your school for this year's event, please contact Kate Frazier at kfrazier@huskers.com.

Following a road game at 2023 WNIT qualifier and Mountain West Conference runner-up Wyoming (Nov. 10, 7:30 p.m.), the Huskers return to Pinnacle Bank Arena to face Alcorn State (Nov. 14, 7 p.m.) before taking on 2023 NCAA Tournament-qualifier Creighton on Sunday, Nov. 19.

The Big Red will spend the Thanksgiving holiday at the St. Pete Showcase, battling Lamar on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 23, 2:30 p.m.) before squaring off with TCU on Saturday, Nov. 25 at noon. Lamar was the 2023 Southland Conference runner-up after winning 20 games last season.

Nebraska returns to Pinnacle Bank Arena to open a three-game home stand against Florida Atlantic (Nov. 29, 7 p.m.) before battling ACC foe Georgia Tech on Saturday, Dec. 2. The Huskers conclude the stand against UNC Wilmington on Tuesday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m.

The Huskers get their first taste of Big Ten Conference action when they travel to East Lansing to square off with Michigan State on Saturday, Dec. 9. The Spartans, who will be led by first-year head Robyn Fralick, finished with a 16-14 record a year ago.

After a one-game Big Ten road trip, Nebraska returns to Pinnacle Bank Arena to face 2023 NCAA Tournament qualifier and SWAC Champion Southern on Sunday, Dec. 17. The Huskers then close non-conference play on the road by tangling with 2023 WNIT Champion Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse on Wednesday, Dec. 20. Nebraska split a pair of games with the Jayhawks last year, defeating the beaks in blue 85-79 in triple-overtime at Pinnacle Bank Arena (Dec. 21, 2022) before being eliminated from the WNIT Super 16 at Allen Fieldhouse with a 64-55 loss on March 23.

Nebraska will get 10 days off from competition at holiday break, before opening the full Big Ten slate at home against 2023 NCAA Elite Eight qualifier Maryland on Sunday, Dec. 31. The New Year's Eve clash with the Terrapins at Pinnacle Bank Arena will be the lone regular-season meeting with Maryland in 2023-24, after the Huskers split a pair of games with the Terps last season.

The Huskers hit the road to take on Wisconsin (Wednesday, Jan. 3), before returning for a weekend home clash with 2023 Big Ten regular-season champion Indiana (Sunday, Jan. 7) at Pinnacle Bank Arena. It will be Nebraska's lone regular-season meeting with the Hoosiers, after falling in overtime to IU in Bloomington last season.

Nebraska stays at home on Thursday, Jan. 11 to face 2023 NCAA qualifier Illinois at PBA, before making its third conference road trip of the season to Minnesota (Sunday, Jan. 14). 

The Big Red then play a fourth consecutive Big Ten home game against 2023 NCAA Tournament competition, when the Huskers face Michigan (Wednesday, Jan. 17) at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

The Huskers travel for back-to-back weekend road games at Penn State (Sunday, Jan. 21) and Iowa (Saturday, Jan. 27) around their first conference mid-week bye of the season, before returning for a fifth straight home battle with a 2023 NCAA Tournament team against Purdue (Wednesday, Jan. 31).

Nebraska completes a two-game home stand by colliding with Rutgers (Saturday, Feb. 3) at PBA, in its only regular-season meeting with the Scarlet Knights.

The Huskers face arguably their toughest stretch of the season in early February, beginning with a road game at Michigan (Tuesday, Feb. 6), before playing host to NCAA runner-up Iowa (Sunday, Feb. 11) at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska then travels to 2023 NCAA Elite Eight qualifier Ohio State (Wednesday, Feb. 14), before completing its home-and-home series at Purdue (Saturday, Feb. 17), capping four consecutive games against 2023 NCAA Tournament teams with three coming on the road.

Nebraska ends its regular-season home schedule with back-to-back games against Northwestern (Tuesday, Feb. 20) and Minnesota (Saturday, Feb. 24) at Pinnacle Bank Arena before getting its second mid-week bye in conference play. The Huskers close the regular season at Illinois (Sunday, March 3), before heading to the Target Center in Minneapolis for the Big Ten Tournament (March 6-10).

The NCAA Tournament Selection Show is scheduled for Sunday, March 17, ahead of the NCAA First Four (March 20-21) and NCAA First and Second Round games (March 22-25) at 16 campus sites around the country. Two, eight-team NCAA Regionals will be held in Albany, N.Y., and Portland, Ore. (March 29-April 1) before the NCAA Women's Final Four in Cleveland, Ohio (April 5-7).

2023-24 Nebraska Women's Basketball Schedule
Sept. 29 (Friday) - Opening Night with Husker Hoops - Pinnacle Bank Arena - 7 p.m.
Oct. 29 (Sunday) - Dakota Wesleyan (exhibition) - Pinnacle Bank Arena - Noon
Nov. 6 (Monday) - Northwestern State (Life Skills Pep Rally) - Pinnacle Bank Arena - Noon
Nov. 10 (Friday) - at Wyoming - Laramie, Wyo. - 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 14 (Tuesday) - Alcorn State - Pinnacle Bank Arena - 7 p.m.
Nov. 19 (Sunday) - Creighton - Pinnacle Bank Arena - TBA
Nov. 23 (Thursday) - vs. Lamar (St. Pete Showcase) - St. Petersburg, Fla. - 2:30 p.m.
Nov. 25 (Saturday) - vs. TCU (St. Pete Showcase) - St. Petersburg, Fla. - Noon
Nov. 29 (Wednesday) - Florida Atlantic - Pinnacle Bank Arena - 7 p.m.
Dec. 2 (Saturday) - Georgia Tech - Pinnacle Bank Arena - TBA
Dec. 5 (Tuesday) - UNC Wilmington - Pinnacle Bank Arena - 7 p.m.
Dec. 9 (Saturday) - at Michigan State - East Lansing, Mich. - TBA
Dec. 17 (Sunday) - Southern - Pinnacle Bank Arena - TBA
Dec. 20 (Wednesday) - at Kansas - Lawrence, Kan. - TBA
Dec. 31 (Sunday) - Maryland - Pinnacle Bank Arena - TBA
Jan. 3 (Wednesday) - at Wisconsin - Madison, Wis. - TBA
Jan. 7 (Sunday) - Indiana - Pinnacle Bank Arena - TBA
Jan. 11 (Thursday) - Illinois - Pinnacle Bank Arena - TBA
Jan. 14 (Sunday) - at Minnesota - Minneapolis, Minn. - TBA
Jan. 17 (Wednesday) - Michigan - Pinnacle Bank Arena - TBA
Jan. 21 (Sunday) - at Penn State - University Park, Pa. - TBA
Jan. 27 (Saturday) - at Iowa - Iowa City, Iowa - TBA
Jan. 31 (Wednesday) - Purdue - Pinnacle Bank Arena - TBA
Feb. 3 (Saturday) - Rutgers - Pinnacle Bank Arena - TBA
Feb. 6 (Tuesday) - at Michigan - Ann Arbor, Mich. - TBA
Feb. 11 (Sunday) - Iowa - Pinnacle Bank Arena - TBA
Feb. 14 (Wednesday) - at Ohio State - Columbus, Ohio - TBA
Feb. 17 (Saturday) - at Purdue - West Lafayette, Ind. - TBA
Feb. 20 (Tuesday) - Northwestern - Pinnacle Bank Arena - TBA
Feb. 24 (Saturday) - Minnesota - Pinnacle Bank Arena - TBA
March 3 (Sunday) - at Illinois - Urbana-Champaign, Ill. - TBA
March 6-10 (Wednesday-Sunday) - Big Ten Tournament - Minneapolis, Minn. (Target Center)
March 17 (Sunday) - NCAA Tournament Selection Show
March 20-21 (Wednesday-Thursday) - NCAA First Four
March 22-25 (Friday-Monday) - NCAA First & Second Rounds (16 campus sites)
March 29-April 1 (Friday-Monday) - NCAA Regionals (Albany, N.Y. & Portland, Ore.)
April 5-7 (Friday-Sunday) - NCAA Women's Final Four (Cleveland, Ohio)

TREY MCGOWENS NAMED TO USA 3X3 U23 WORLD CUP TEAM

A former Husker basketball player will make his debut for Team USA, as Trey McGowens has been selected to play in the 2023 FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup next week.

The event, which takes place in Lublin, Poland, from Sept. 27-Oct. 1, marks the first time the USA has played in the FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup since 2019. McGowens is one of four NBA G League players to represent the USA in the event.  This will be McGowens’ first appearance in USA Basketball and his 3x3 debut.

Pool play takes place on Wednesday, Sept. 27 and Friday, Sept. 29.  The 2023 3x3 U23 World Cup will stream live on YouTube at www.youtube.com/fiba3x3.  Joining McGowens on the four-member USA team includes Matthew Hurt, Jalen Lecque and Bryce Wills.

McGowens, who was with the New Jersey Nets Summer League roster, spent the 2022-23 season with the Long Island Nets in the G League, appearing in 23 games as a rookie.  

At Nebraska, McGowens was a two-year starter for the Huskers (2020-22). He averaged 9.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game at NU while he was often assigned to the opponent’s top perimeter scoring threat.

His best season at NU was in 2020-21 when he averaged 10.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game. He finished fifth in the Big Ten Conference in steals per game and ranked second on the squad in both scoring and assists in 2020-21. McGowens played in just 15 games in 2021-22 after suffering a broken foot early in the season. As a collegian, he totaled nearly 1,200 points, 200 steals and 400 rebounds including his two seasons at Pittsburgh (2018-20).

He is the third Husker to represent his country in 3x3 in international play, joining Tai Webster (New Zealand) and Keisei Tominaga (Japan), as Tominaga played in the Tokyo Olympics in the event.

Preliminary Round: Pool D
Sept. 27
vs. Japan              3:50 a.m.
vs. Italy                 6:05 a.m.

Sept. 29
vs. Egypt            4:15 a.m.
vs. Lithuania       6:05 a.m.

HUSKERS OPEN FALL SEASON WITH MILWAUKEE TENNIS CLASSIC

Nebraska men’s tennis is set to open its fall season in Milwaukee, Wis., at the Milwaukee Tennis Classic. Play will begin Sept. 22 and go through Sept. 24. Two Huskers are set to compete, sophomore Leo Linquet and junior Calvin Mueller, in both doubles and singles.

Linquet will enter the tournament coming off a successful freshman season with the Big Red. Linquet spent the majority of the season in the No. 2 singles spot, where he finished the year with a 7-10 record. In doubles, Linquet posted an 8-7 record and played in the No. 1 doubles spot for the last seven matches going 4-2.

Mueller will also be competing in Milwaukee, after his best collegiate season to date. In the 2022-23 season, Mueller had career highs in both singles wins (12) and doubles wins (14).

Nebraska has seven returning letterwinners, including Rudi Christiansen, Roni Hietaranta, Lars Johann, Leo Linquet, Shunya Maruyama, Calvin Mueller and Nic Wiedenhorn. NU welcomes four newcomers, transfers Henry Bilicic, Anton Shepp and Nikolay Sysoev, and freshman Colson Wells, for the 2023-24 season.

The Milwaukee Tennis Classic is hosting players from 12 D1 schools; Mississippi State, Virginia Commonwealth, Denver, Marquette, Wisconsin, Yale, Southern Methodist, Western Michigan, Toledo, Michigan State, Illinois and Navy, in addition to the Cornhuskers. Play is set to start at 10 a.m. (CT) each day.

Stay tuned to the Milwaukee Tennis Classic Instagram and Nebraska Men’s Tennis social channels to keep up with Milwaukee Tennis Classic updates and content.

ITA Milwaukee Tennis Classic Tournament Schedule:

SCARLET SHUTS OUT CREAM

On a night where Nebraska's pitchers impressed, it was a three-run blast from Emmerson Cope that powered the Scarlet team to a 4-0 win over the Cream team Thursday in the second of three fall scrimmages for the Husker softball team.

Cope not only drove in three of the game's four runs, she also contributed to the strong night for Nebraska's pitching staff. Cope finished 1-for-3 at the plate and tossed three scoreless innings in the circle to close out the game. She struck out two and did not walk a batter while scattering three hits, needing only 32 pitchers to get through her 3.0 innings.

Nebraska’s starting pitchers were effective and efficient. Sarah Harness was credited with the win, earning the start and pitching 4.0 perfect innings for the Scarlet with one strikeout. Jordy Bahl started for the Cream and allowed only one hit with five strikeouts in 4.0 innings, and each of the three runs she allowed were unearned. Combined, Harness and Bahl pitched 8.0 innings and allowed just one hit. Neither pitcher went to a three-ball count and Bahl threw just 43 pitches (33 strikes), while Harness needed only 45 pitches (31 strikes).

Offensively, freshmen had all four RBIs in the game. In addition to Cope's three RBIs, Samantha Bland drove in the fourth and final run for the Scarlet, which out-hit the Cream, 4-3.

The Scarlet team took advantage of a pair of Husker errors to grab a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. The first three balls were all put in play – all ground balls to an infielder – but a pair of misplays put runners on first and third for Cope, who blasted the first pitch she saw well over the fence in left for a three-run homer.

The Cream team nearly found the scoreboard in the top of the fifth. Smetter led off with a single and a one-out single from Mckinley Malecha put runners at first and third with one out. But Cope – in her first inning in the circle – escaped the jam by coaxing a pair of ground outs.

The Scarlet then added to their lead with a run in the bottom of the fifth. Assistant coach Olivia Ferrell came on in the circle and walked a pair of batters ahead of Bland, who delivered an RBI single that scored Ava Bredwell and made it a 4-0 final.

Nebraska will host its final intrasquad scrimmage on Thursday, Sept. 28 at 5:30 p.m.

WEBER NETS TWO IN NU’S VICTORY AT OSU

Columbus, Ohio – Junior Sarah Weber netted a goal in each half, as the Nebraska soccer team defeated Ohio State 2-1 on Thursday evening.

The Huskers, who improved to 7-1-2 (1-0-1 Big Ten) on the season, held the Buckeyes to just one shot on goal as they fell to 4-3-2 (0-1-1 Big Ten) on the year.

In the first half, Weber sparked the offense with her fifth goal of the season in the 25th minute. Junior Florence Belzile won the battle to keep the possession before passing the ball to forward Abbey Schwarz. The Bennington, Neb., native sent a cross into the 18-yard box which Eleanor Dale jumped over before Weber met the cross and found the back of the net for the score.

The Huskers controlled the first 45 minutes offensively and entered halftime with the 1-0 advantage. NU also led in shots (14-4), shots on goal (3-0) and corner kicks (4-0) halfway. 

In the 55th minute, Weber had a chance to score but her shot hit the crossbar, and the teams reminded scoreless in the opening minutes of the second half. NU continued to apply the pressure offensively until Ohio State’s Emma Sears scored the equalizer in the 76th minute. 

Then in the 78th minute, Weber responded with the game winner to tally her second brace of the season and 22nd career goal. Schwarz recorded her second assist of the game as she dribbled downfield and passed the ball to Belzile who sent a cross just outside the goalbox which Weber met and scored.

OSU was unable to score again as NU tallied its first conference win of the season. Overall, the Huskers held the advantage in shots (29-13), shots on goal (7-1) and corners (11-2).

In the goal, senior Sami Hauk played the entire game and earned her 18th career win. Hauk was joined by defenders Nicola Hauk and Lauryn Anglim, and forward Dale who also played 90 minutes. Additionally, senior Gwen Lane, a starter for all 20 games last season, saw her first action of the season as she played 25 minutes.

The Big Red returns to action at 12 p.m. (CT) on Sunday, Sept. 24 in University Park, Pa., against Penn State. Action will be streamed on B1G+.