#1 Nebraska vs. Maryland
When: Saturday, September 27th, 3:00pm (CT)
Where: Bob Devaney Sports Center, Lincoln, NE
Watch: Nebraska Public Media
Radio: Husker Radio Network
Live stats
Nebraska comes into this Saturday afternoon match against Maryland after passing very well against Michigan and before that Arizona which resulted two highly efficient wins. The Huskers hit .392 against Arizona and .380 against Michigan. Those are both higher hitting percentages than the already high Nebraska season average of .314.
Huskers rank 4th among all division I programs in hitting percentage, which includes matches against the #3, 6, 7, 18 and 22 ranked teams in the country, so hitting at such
a high clip is a notable accomplishment. The hitting percentage is possible because of the pinpoint passing.
When the pass gets to the setter, Bergen Reilly, inside the three-meter line, she can set to any position and that leads to everyone earning more kills. When all options are available, the opposing blockers have to defend all Husker hitters and that spreads their defense out. Harper Murray leads Nebraska with 131 kills on the season with an average of 3.74 kills/per set, but teammates Andi Jackson, Rebekah Allick and Virginia Adriano are all earning over two kills per set themselves. That many hitters getting the ball and earning kills is hard for an opposing defense to stop.
While the Huskers are coming off two great wins, the Terrapins are fresh off a loss to Iowa in three sets on Thursday night. Maryland plays three key transfer players in their lineup, Ajack Malual, Haley Melby and Olivia Ruy. 70% of the offense runs through these three players. Malual is a 6’1” left-handed opposite hitter who transferred from Tennessee. She is their go-to hitter 3.51 kills per set. Whenever they can get the ball to her, they will.
Melby is a 6’2” junior transfer from Kentucky. Melby won’t leave the court. Similar to Nebraska’s Harper Murray, she plays all six rotations. Melby passes serve, plays defense and hits out of the front and back row. The load that Murray and Melby carry for their respective team is great. But, Melby is prone to errors while passing serve. Watch Nebraska target their serve location to wherever Melby is passing.
Ruy is a 6’2” redshirt sophomore transfer from Arkansas. Ruy played a ton of minutes for the Razorbacks and continues to see the court as a Terrapin. She will swing on the left side of the court and play in the back court too. When Nebraska isn’t serving at Melby, they will be serving Ruy who also has a lower passes average.
The recipe for success against this Maryland team includes hard flat serves that speed toward the passers. Offensively, Nebraska hitters look to use blockers fingers but avoid the base of the block, hands and arms, where opposing blockers are strongest. The faster and more varied Reilly sets the offense, the easier time the Husker hitters will have abusing the block. Passing is always a must.
#1 Nebraska Cornhuskers (11-0)
#1 Keri Leimbach 5’4” FR DS/L
#2 Bergen Reilly 6’1” JR Setter
#3 Allie Sczech 6’4” SR OPP
#4 Campbell Flynn 6’3” FR Setter
#5 Rebekah Allick 6’4” SR MB
#6 Laney Choboy 5’3” JR DS/L
#7 Maisie Boesiger 5’6” SR DS/L
#8 Kenna Cogill 6’4” FR MB
#9 Virginia Adriano 6’5” FR OPP
#10 Olivia Mauch 5’6” SO DS/L
#11 Teraya Sigler 6’3” FR OH
#12 Taylor Landfair 6’5” SR OH
#14 Manaia Ogbechie 6’3” FR MB
#15 Andi Jackson 6’3” JR MB
#18 Ryan Hunter 6’2” FR OPP
#21 Skyler Pierce 6’2” RS-FR OH
#27 Harper Murray 6’2” JR OH
University of Maryland Terrapins (7-4)
#3 Ajack Malual 6’1” SR OH
#4 Haley Melby 6’2” JR OH
#5 Alex McGillivray 5’8” JR DS
#7 Jonna Spohn 5’5” JR DS
#8 Addie Canady 5’5” FR DS
#10 Anniak Sokol 5’10” JR Setter
#12 Katie Scherer 6’2” SO OH
#14 Ellis Crawford 6’2” FR MB
#16 Sydney Bryant 5’11” JR OH
#19 Olivia Ruy 6’2” RS-SO OH
#20 Skylar Gerhardt 6’0” JR OH
#22 Nikki Tawil 5’10” FR Setter
#23 Duru Gokcen 6’3” SO MB
#24 Ally Williams 5’3” SR DS
#26 Lilly Wagner 6’0” RS-FR Setter
#44 Eva Rohrback 6’2” JR MB
