The second-ranked Nebraska volleyball team fell 3-0 (22-25, 21-25, 22-25) to No. 13 Wisconsin on Saturday night in front of a crowd of 8,393 at the Devaney Center.
The Huskers (11-2, 3-1 Big Ten) lost for the first time in conference play despite hitting .336 against the Badgers (8-4, 4-0 Big Ten). Wisconsin was even more efficient, hitting .376 and out-serving the Huskers with a 3-0 advantage in aces and three fewer service errors.
Nebraska fell for the first time in
John Cook's tenure at Nebraska when hitting .300 or better in a match. The Badgers' .376 hitting percentage was the best by a Husker opponent since 2011 (Purdue, .410). Offensively, Nebraska's .336 performance was its third-best outing of the season and was also the second-best hitting percentage by a Wisconsin opponent this season.
Lexi Sun had 15 kills for NU, and
Jazz Sweet had 13 kills with a .524 hitting percentage and a team-best three blocks.
Lauren Stivrins had nine kills on .727 hitting, and
Madi Kubik added nine kills and 10 digs while hitting a career best for the second straight match (.364).
Nicklin Hames had 42 assists, and
Kenzie Knuckles had 10 digs to lead the Big Red.
Wisconsin (8-4, 4-0 Big Ten) had three players with double-digit kills, and all three hit better than .390. Molly Haggerty had 11 kills, and Dana Rettke and Danielle Hart each had 10 kills.
Although the Huskers were swept at home for the first time since 2014, they had chances in all three sets as they led 21-20 in set one, led 16-14 in set two and led 20-19 in set three. But the Badgers played cleaner down the stretch in all three sets. The match featured 11 lead changes and 34 tie scores.
The Huskers are back at home next weekend for a pair of matches. The Big Red hosts Michigan State next Friday at 8 p.m., and Michigan on Sunday at 1 p.m. Friday's match will be televised on BTN, and Sunday's match will be televised on ESPN2. Husker Sports Network will broadcast all the action on HSN radio affiliates, Huskers.com and the Huskers app.
