Nebraska volleyball entered the second round of the NCAA tournament after sweeping Long Island on Friday. The Huskers faced the Kansas State Wildcats, who defeated San Diego in five sets yesterday.

Nebraska swept the Wildcats (25-17, 25-21, 25-16) despite offensively struggling at times against the Kansas State defense, posting 14 blocks and 32 digs. The Huskers finished with 43 kills off 99 attacks for a .253 hitting percentage. The Huskers also earned 48 digs and eight blocks to help hold Kansas State to .118 and 27 kills on 102 attacks.

Harper Murray and Andi Jackson co-led Nebraska in the sweep, both tallying 10 kills. Murray also earned six digs while Jackson posted a team-high three blocks. Taylor Landfair finished 8-of-18 on the night, while Virginia Adriano hit 7-of-12 with a service ace.

Rebekah Allick delivered six kills off 13 attacks, while Allie Sczech earned 2-of-4. Bergen Reilly tallied 34 set assists and a service ace. Laney Choboy and Olivia Mauch combined for 25 digs and four service aces.

TOPEKA (KSNT) – The man accused of killing a Kansas priest outside a northeast Kansas church is headed to the state’s largest psychiatric facility for evaluation, prosecutors said Friday.

Gary Hermesch is accused of shooting Father Arul Carasala on April 3 outside Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Seneca. Carasala died at a nearby hospital.

Authorities said Hermesch went to the sheriff’s office immediately after the shooting and confessed.

A judge is determining whether Hermesch, of Tulsa, Okla., is competent to stand trial. An evaluation at Larned State Hospital in southwest Kansas will help make that determination, Nemaha County Attorney Brad Lippert said.

A status conference in the case is set for Dec. 18.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Today’s the day we learn which countries might play FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage matches in Kansas City.

Kansas City set to learn which countries it might see play in FIFA World Cup 2026

FIFA is set to announce during a special ceremony on Friday in Washington D.C. which countries will be in which groups for FIFA World Cup 2026.

It’s called the Final Draw, and it’s something KC2026, the committee that’s in charge of organizing Kansas City’s hosting of six matches next June and July, will be following closely.

RELATED | More FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage from KSHB 41

There’s a watch party starting at 9 a.m. at the Power & Light District in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.

The draw, hosted by Conductor Rio Ferdinand, Samantha Johnson, with Red Carpet reporting from Eli Manning, starts at 11 a.m. from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C.

Live coverage will be provided on FIFA’s website.

The draw will assign 48 countries to 12 different groups. The FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off with group stage matches starting Thursday, June 11, with a Group A match featuring co-host nation Mexico hosting a Group A opponent in Mexico City.

LINK | FIFA World Cup 2026 Match Schedule

Canada, which is co-hosting the 2026 World Cup, gets underway with a Friday, June 12, match against a Group B opponent in Toronto.

Co-host United States, assigned to Group D, will kick off their World Cup campaign on Friday, June 12, against a Group D opponent in Los Angeles.

Kansas City is set to host four group stage matches at Kansas City Stadium (that’s what FIFA is calling GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium):

• Tuesday, June 16, will feature a group stage match between two countries assigned to Group J;
• Saturday, June 20, will feature a group stage match between two countries assigned to Group E;
• Thursday, June 25, will feature a group stage match between two countries assigned to Group F;
• Saturday, June 27, will feature a group stage match between two countries assigned to Group J.

To recap, Kansas City World Cup fans will want to pay close attention to which countries are assigned to Groups J, E and F.

On Saturday, Dec. 6, FIFA will announce the World Cup 2026 schedule, when we’ll learn which specific countries will play when and where.

Kansas City is also set to host a Round of 32 match on Friday, July 3, and a quarterfinal match on Tuesday, July 7. We don’t know which countries will play in these matches until after the completion of the Group Stage.

The Kansas City region is also in a position to serve as a “base camp” for as many as three national teams during the World Cup. The countries could base their World Cup operations at one of three locations in Kansas City throughout the tournament. Countries are expected to be announced in early 2026.

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