Murray’s career night powers Nebraska past Dayton in NCAA Tournament
Behind a career performance from Harper Murray, the third-ranked Nebraska volleyball team defeated No. 23 Dayton 3-1 on Friday night in front of a packed crowd of 8,725 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
By News Channel NebraskaLINCOLN, Neb. – Behind a career performance from sophomore Harper Murray, the third-ranked Nebraska volleyball team defeated No. 23 Dayton 3-1 on Friday night in front of a packed crowd of 8,725 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
Murray dominated on both sides of the net, tallying a career-high 22 kills on .318 hitting while adding a season-high 16 digs, four blocks, and four aces.
The Huskers opened the match strong, rallying from an early deficit in the first set to win 25-17. Timely kills from Taylor Landfair and Rebekah Allick, combined with a critical six-point service run from setter Bergen Reilly, put Nebraska in control. Murray’s third kill of the set gave Nebraska its first lead at 14-13, and the Huskers closed on a dominant 7-1 run.
Nebraska continued to roll in the second set, jumping out to a 7-3 lead on an ace from Lexi Rodriguez. Murray then fired off three straight aces during a 4-0 run, helping the Huskers build a commanding 21-14 lead. The Flyers attempted a late push, but a kill from Landfair sealed the 25-18 victory.
Dayton took the third set 27-25 in a back-and-forth battle. Lexie Almodovar carried the Flyers with 20 kills on 68 swings, including two clutch finishes late in the set. Nebraska appeared poised to sweep after Murray delivered back-to-back kills for match point at 25-24, but Dayton capitalized on a Husker net violation and a strong block to stay alive.
Murray registered four early kills in the fourth set, and Jackson added two blocks during a 10-4 run. The Huskers’ defense stifled Dayton’s attack, holding the Flyers to an .087 hitting percentage for the match – the first time in over 100 contests that Dayton has hit below .100. Reilly, Landfair, and Allick delivered key points, and a late ace by Laney Mauch capped a 25-13 victory to send Nebraska into the next round.
The win propels the Huskers into Sunday’s NCAA Regional Final, where they will face No. 7 Wisconsin. at 2 p.m. CDT at the Devaney Center. Nebraska is 30-2 on the season.
The loss ended Dayton’s 31-3 season.