After a record setting night in Devaney on Friday, the Huskers will look to close out the Ameritas Players Challenge with a 2-0 record and, hopefully, their 1st sweep of the weekend. The Huskers hosted #25 North Carolina on Friday night and what looked like what as going to be a sweep, turned into a 4 set match with the Tar Heels.
Even though the 2nd set looked rough, they still managed to set a record: most service aces in the Devaney Center with 13 of them. Their serving has come a long way since
the senior classes freshman year when we had to have had at least 10 service errors a match.
North Carolina and FGCU will play today and the Huskers will have the day off to rest and recharge before the finale match on Sunday.
Florida Gulf Coast Eagles
2025 Record: 19-9
2025 Conference Record: 13-3 (ASUN Conference)
Last NCAA Tournament Appearance: 2024 (Lost to Marquette in First Round)
FGCU have had a winning standard in their program for years and years. They have had winning seasons dating all the way back to 2013 being their last losing season with a 14-19 record.
They started the 2026 season kind of slow though with a 3-5 record. All 3 losses came to Power teams losing to #24 BYU, Florida State, and West Virginia. Nebraska expects to continue this trend for them on Sunday afternoon.g
They won the ASUN Regular Season in 2025, their 9th regular-season crown, but not the Tournament. Their last tournament win doesn’t date that far back though as they won their conference tournament in 2o24 beating Queens, Eastern Kentucky, and Lipscomb to clinch it. They had won 4 consecutive ASUN titles before losing in 2025 to North Florida in the Quarterfinals.
That win also clinched them a NCAA tournament appearance as well. They have consistently been making the tournament qualifying in 2018 and then 2021-2024. Their best finish in the NCAA tournament was both in 2018 and 2021 when they made it to the 2nd Round. They ultimately lost to Florida in 2018 and Wisconsin in 2021.
FGCU is the favorite again this year to win the ASUN, receiving all but 2 first-place votes in the preseason coaches poll. #2 Jacksonville and #5 Queens received the other votes.
The Eagles offense is led by both a senior and a freshman this year with both making some noise on the team right out of the gates. They both played all sets this season and make up for 48% of the teams kills so far.
Senior OH Julija Grubisic Cabo is part of the ASUN Preseason Team this year and her stats are already showing us why she is. She has 94 kills and is averaging 3.03 kills/set. She is also 2nd on the team in digs with 77, just behind the libero Anna Marzella.
Freshman OPP Maju Hildebrand has been making herself known early in this season with the team high 99 kills, averaging 3.19 a set. Hildebrand is from Brazil and was named the MVP of all Brazilian Clubs and the Best Opposite of all Brazilian Clubs last year. She also represented the Brazilian National Team in 2024.
The Eagles could run a 6-2 at some point with both Seniors Eliska Vytiskova and Dinara Sabitova getting almost equal playing time this season. Sabitova has been their go-to though playing every set and averaging 6.81 assists/set.
Even though FGCU is a powerhouse in their conference, they are about to run into one of the top powerhouse programs in the country on Sunday afternoon. Sunday’s match will begin at 12:00pm CST and will be available to stream on B1G+.
#1 Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-0)
#1 Keri Leimbach 5’4” SO DS/L
#2 Bergen Reilly 6’1” SR Setter
#3 Virginia Adriano 6’5” SO OPP
#4 Campbell Flynn 6’3” SO Setter
#6 Laney Choboy 5’3” SR DS/L
#8 Kenna Cogill 6’4” SO MB
#10 Olivia Mauch 5’6” JR DS/L
#11 Teraya Sigler 6’3” SO OH
#14 Manaia Ogbechie 6’3” SO MB
#15 Andi Jackson 6’3” SR MB
#17 Keoni Williams 6’4” FR MB
#18 Ryan Hunter 6’2” SO OPP
#20 Jayden Robinson 6’3” FR OH
#21 Skyler Pierce 6’2” JR OH
#23 Gabby DiVita 6’1” FR OH
#27 Harper Murray 6’2” SR OH
Florida Gulf Coast Eagles (3-5)
#2 Ava Theiller 6’0” FR OH
#3 Julija Grubisic Cabo 5’11” SR OH
#4 Anna Marzella 5’8” SR DS/L
#5 Erica Muhizi 6’2” SO MB
#6 Eliska Vytiskova 5’9” SR Setter
#8 Abby Toeniskoetter 6’3” SR MB
#9 Katie Gielas 6’2” SO OH
#10 Shay Heaney 6’1” SO OH
#11 Dinara Sabitova 5’8” SR Setter
#12 Maju Hildebrand 6’0” FR OPP
#13 Camila Soto 5’11” JR OH
#14 Devynn Schulze 5’6” SO DS/L
#17 Catharina Scorza 6’0” JR OPP
#18 Amany Kuwa 6’0” FR MB
