In a showcase of the strength of Nebraska volleyball in front of a new NCAA record crowd of 17,675, No. 18 Creighton came just short of securing their first ever win over rival Nebraska, falling in five sets to the No. 1 team in the nation.
“They are a phenomenal team, and the true number one team in the country right now,” Head Coach Brian Rosen said. “I’m proud of the fight, proud of the way that we showed Creighton volleyball on a national stage and continue to prove to everyone that we belong here, and that we’re as good as anyone. Now we just have to win a couple more points.”
The Jays got off to a hot start with senior setter Annalea Maeder serving an ace to open the match, but momentum shifted quickly. After Creighton briefly led 7-6 behind a kill from senior middle Kiara Reinhardt, a successful Nebraska challenge allowed the Huskers to reclaim the energy and they never looked back, pulling away for a 25-17 win. Nebraska’s offense hit .306 in the frame, while Reinhardt and sophomore Jaya Johnson combined for six kills to keep Creighton close early.
The name of the game was service pressure and errors, with both teams finishing in double digits from the line. Still, Creighton steadied itself in the second set. Johnson opened with a big block to spark a 3-0 start, and the Bluejays never trailed. Junior outside hitter Destiny Ndam-Simpson delivered a crosscourt kill to push the lead to 10-7, and senior outside hitter Ava Martin added four kills in the frame.
Nebraska crept back within one at 22-21, but an ace from Ndam-Simpson and a Husker net violation sealed the 25-21 set win, the first-time all-season Nebraska failed to lead at any point in a set.
“I love the way we responded in the second set; we went back to just who we are,” Rosen said. “We are a great serving team, we got them out of system and we limited the hitters we thought we could slow down and went on some runs of our own. I thought we had a good offensive night on a really tough defense.”
Nebraska regained control in the third set, using an 11-2 run to break open an 8-7 score. Freshman Virginia Adriano was nearly unstoppable, recording seven kills on seven swings for Nebraska, and the Huskers rolled to a 25-18 win in the third set.
With the match on the line, Creighton refused to fold. Rosen made a switch in the fourth set, bringing in junior Sydney Breissinger at libero for a new look. The Jays fought through 15 ties in a back-and-forth set, highlighted by Reinhardt’s steady net play and a late push from Martin. With the crowd at full volume, freshman outside hitter Abbey Hayes added a clutch kill to keep Creighton within reach, and Martin capped the set 26-24 with her seventh kill of the frame to force a decisive fifth.
“She [Reinhardt] has always been such a good leader for this team, but I think offensively she’s really been able to shine,” Martin said. “I’m glad that everyone else has been able to see that, because we see it in the gym every day. It helps me too because I know when we’re up there together, the block is staying home because of Kiara.”
The final set opened with promise as redshirt freshman Nora Wurtz delivered back-to-back aces for a 2-0 lead. But Nebraska’s depth showed as they responded with an 8-3 surge and stretched their advantage after switching sides. The Bluejays trailed 10-8 but could not close the gap. The match came to a close as Husker libero Olivia Mauch sprawled for a highlight-reel dig before Rebekah Allick ended it with the final kill in a 15-9 decision.
While it was technically a home game for the Bluejays, the 17,675 fans in attendance — a new NCAA indoor volleyball regular season record — created a sea of red that gave the night a neutral-site feel.
“It was really cool to see the support we got for the game. At one point one of the Nebraska girls went back to serve and it was so loud in there … you could hear the two different chants,” Martin said. “I think it’s such a fun environment to play in, and we kept saying, win or lose, this is something really special so don’t take this moment for granted.”
Statistically, Martin paced Creighton with 17 kills while Reinhardt had one of her strongest outings as a Bluejay, hitting .526 with 11 kills and six blocks. Maeder tallied her sixth double-double of the season with 38 assists and 12 digs, and Damrow collected 14 digs. The Bluejays finished with 49 kills, seven aces, 54 digs and 8.5 blocks while hitting .173 — the best mark posted against Nebraska so far this season.
The Bluejays continue their homestand tomorrow against South Florida in the Creighton Classic before hosting Kansas in a rematch of the Opening Spike Weekend. First serve is set for 3 p.m. at D.J. Sokol Arena.