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Nebraska volleyball sweeps Kansas in NCAA Sweet 16: Score, highlights

Published

5 months ago

December 13, 2025

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Nebraska volleyball sweeps Kansas in NCAA Sweet 16: Score, highlights

The NCAA volleyball tournament’s No. 1 overall seed, Nebraska, continued its undefeated season on Friday.

The Huskers improved to 33-0 after sweeping No. 4 Kansas in the 2025 NCAA regional semifinal in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Huskers advance to the regional final to face No. 3 Texas A&M on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, ABC).

Nebraska has not dropped a set in the postseason. In fact, the Huskers have dropped seven sets all season, the last coming nearly a month ago on Nov. 14 against UCLA.

“We work really hard,” said Andi Jackson, who finished with nine kills on .600 hitting, five blocks and two digs. “It’s all coming to fruition right now with just how many attempts we’re getting and how many kills we’re getting.”

USA TODAY Sports provided live updates and highlights from the match below:

Live score updates: Nebraska 3, Kansas 0

Set 3 final: Nebraska 25, Kansas 12

Nebraska swept Kansas after winning the third set, 25-12. The Huskers have now won 29 straight NCAA tournament matches at home. Andi Jackson (nine kills on .600 hitting) and Rebekah Allick (nine kills on 1.000 hitting) combined for 18 kills with no errors. Nebraska hit .450 collectively, while holding Kansas to .029 hitting.

Set 3: Nebraska first to 15 vs. Kansas

Nebraska is in the driver’s seat once again and was the first team to reach 15 points in the third set, leading 15-8. The Huskers are hitting .762, while Kansas is hitting .353 in the set so far.

Set 2 final: Nebraska 25, Kansas 11

No. 1 Nebraska went on a 5-0 run to claim the second set, 25-11. The Huskers have been dominant on both sides of the ball, recording 22 kills and 17 total blocks through the first two sets, all while holding Kansas to a negative hitting percentage (-.039).

“Our blocking. That’s probably going to be a season high for us,” Huskers coach Dani Busboom Kelly said when asked what she’s liking from her team. “I just feel like we came out on a mission. Our goal was to block a lot of balls tonight.”

Nebraska’s Rebekah Allick has been the hot hand, with nine kills on nine attempts, hitting a perfect 1.000. Andi Jackson added five kills on .500 hitting, in addition to five blocks.

Set 2: Nebraska 13, Kansas 7

The Huskers cruised through the first set, but the second set started out much closer. Kansas cut Nebraska’s lead to 9–7, but the Huskers responded with a 4–0 run to go up 13–7. Rebekah Allick has been the hot hand, with nine kills on nine attempts, hitting a perfect 1.000.

Set 1 final: Nebraska 25, Kansas 12

Nebraska looked every bit like the No. 1 overall seed in a dominant first set against No. 4 Kansas. The Huskers collectively hit .357 and registered six blocks against the Jayhawks, who were held to a negative hitting percentage (-.024) in the first set. Rebekah Allick led the Huskers with six kills on six attempts, while Andi Jackson added four blocks and three kills.

Nebraska takes 12-3 lead vs. Kansas

It was all Nebraska to start. The Huskers jumped to a 12-3 lead over Kansas. Andi Jackson is already up to four blocks for Nebraska, while Harper Murray and Bergen Reilly each added two blocks. Kansas is hitting -.200.

How to watch Nebraska volleyball tonight vs. Kansas

The game Friday begins at 9:30 p.m. ET.

How to watch, stream Nebraska volleyball play Kansas in NCAA tournament

ESPN2 will broadcast the Nebraska vs. Kansas match.

Live stream Nebraska volleyball on ESPN+ (subscriber only)

Nebraska volleyball’s starting lineup

Nebraska volleyball coaching staff

Head Coach: Dani Busboom Kelly

Busboom succeeded longtime coach and mentor John Cook in January. The Nebraska alum won national titles with the program as a player in 2006 and as an assistant coach in 2015. Nebraska (32-0) has kicked off the Busboom Kelly era with its first undefeated season since 2000. Although Busboom Kelly said, “whoever is (coaching Nebraska) would be doing well,” her players argue otherwise.

“When (Busboom Kelly) came in here, that Nebraska standard wasn’t lost at all. She knew what she wanted and she really pushes us to reach that level,” Nebraska middle blocker Andi Jackson told USA TODAY Sports.

Nebraska volleyball assistant coaches

Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator: Jaylen Reyes
Assistant Coach: Kelly (Hunter) Natter
Interim Assistant Coach: Brennan Hagar

How tall is Harper Murray?

Harper Murray is listed at 6-foot-2.

How tall is Andi Jackson?

Andi Jackson is listed at 6-foot-3.

Nebraska women’s volleyball roster

No.	Name	Class	Height	Position	Hometown	High School / Previous School
1	Keri Leimbach	Freshman	5′4″	DS/Libero	Lincoln, Neb.	Lincoln Lutheran
2	Bergen Reilly	Junior	6′1″	Setter	Sioux Falls, S.D.	O’Gorman
3	Allie Sczech	Senior	6′4″	Opposite Hitter	Sugar Land, Texas	George Ranch / Baylor
4	Campbell Flynn	Freshman	6′3″	Setter	Oakland, Mich.	Mercy
5	Rebekah Allick	Senior	6′4″	Middle Blocker	Lincoln, Neb.	Waverly
6	Laney Choboy	Junior	5′3″	DS/Libero	Raleigh, N.C.	Leesville Road
7	Maisie Boesiger	Senior	5′6″	DS/Libero	Firth, Neb.	Norris
8	Kenna Cogill	Freshman	6′4″	Middle Blocker	Gilbert, Ariz.	Perry
9	Virginia Adriano	Freshman	6′5″	Opposite Hitter	Turin, Italy	Liceo Artistico Statale di Brera
10	Olivia Mauch	Sophomore	5′6″	DS/Libero	Bennington, Neb.	Bennington
11	Teraya Sigler	Freshman	6′3″	Outside Hitter	Scottsdale, Ariz.	Horizon
12	Taylor Landfair	Senior	6′5″	Outside Hitter	Plainfield, Ill.	Plainfield Central / Minnesota
14	Manaia Ogbechie	Freshman	6′3″	Middle Blocker	Santa Rosa Valley, Calif.	Oaks Christian
15	Andi Jackson	Junior	6′3″	Middle Blocker	Brighton, Colo.	Brighton
18	Ryan Hunter	Freshman	6′2″	Opposite Hitter	Charlotte, N.C.	Cox Mill
21	Skyler Pierce	Redshirt Freshman	6′2″	Outside Hitter	Lenexa, Kan.	Olathe Northwest
27	Harper Murray	Junior	6′2″	Outside Hitter	Ann Arbor, Mich.	Skyline

Kansas volleyball’s starting lineup

Kansas women’s volleyball roster

No.	Name	Class	Height	Position	Hometown	Last School
2	Grace Nelson	So.	6′1″	Pin	River Forest, Ill.	River Forest HS
3	Kenzie Dean	So.	6′3″	Pin	Johnston, Iowa	Dowling Catholic HS
3	Raegan Burns	Jr.	5′5″	L/DS	Lafayette, Ind.	McCutcheon HS
4	Rhian Swanson	Sr.	6′2″	Pin	McPherson, Kan.	McPherson HS
5	Selena Leban	Fr.	6′0″	Pin	Nova Gorica, Slovenia	Gimnazija Šiška
7	Katie Dalton	Sr.	6′1″	S/Pin	Parker, Colo.	Chaparral HS
8	Ellie Moore	So.	5′9″	S	Darien, Conn.	Darien HS
9	Jovana Zelenovic	Fr.	6′7″	Pin	Novi Sad, Serbia	OK Železnicar
10	Reese Ptacek	So.	6′3″	MB	Prescott, Wis.	Prescott High School
11	Cristin Cline	So.	5′11″	S	Stanfield, N.C.	Hickory Grove Christian School
12	Heidi Devers	So.	5′4″	L/DS	Olathe, Kan.	Saint James Academy
15	Ellie Schneider	Jr.	6′5″	MB	Metairie, La.	Metairie Country Day School
17	Aurora Papac	Fr.	6′4″	MB	Požega, Croatia	Sport Gymnasium Zagreb
19	Molly McCarthy	R-Jr.	5′11″	DS/L	Rancho Mirage, Calif.	Palm Desert HS
20	Brynn Kirsch	Sr.	5′8″	L/DS	Sioux Falls, S.D.	Lincoln HS
22	Ryan White	Sr.	5′9″	L/DS	Richland, Wash.	Richland HS
24	Aisha Aiono	Jr.	6′3″	MB	Liberty, Mo.	Liberty HS
25	Logan Bell	Fr.	5′11″	Pin	Beech Grove, Ind.	Roncalli HS

Check out Harper Murray’s pregame routine

Nebraska outside hitter Harper Murray carefully tapes her hands before every match.

She inscribes ’27’ on the tape binding her left ring finger in honor of her late father Vada Murray, who died when she was 5 years old. He wore No. 27 while playing football at Michigan. Murray then writes former coach John Cook’s initials on her left pointer finger, “a father figure” that helped her grow as a player. She also adds Huskers head coach Dani Busboom Kelly’s initials on her middle finger as a reminder to lay it all on the line.

The initials on her right hand changes every year. She told USA TODAY Sports, “Every year for the past three years, I have written the location of the Final Four. On my pointer finger and my middle finger, I have the letters ‘KC,’ which is Kansas City, which is where the NCAA Tournament is held this year.” Full story here.

Nebraska setter Campbell Flynn suffers season-ending injury

Freshman setter Campbell Flynn suffered a broken pinky finger, according to former head coach John Cook’s pregame radio show. Flynn will be out the remainder of the season with the injury. The freshman averaged 4.50 assists per set.

Nebraska has three Player of the Year semifinalists

When the AVCA Player of the Year semifinalists were announced in November, Nebraska had three of the 14 players on the list — Andi Jackson, Harper Murray and junior setter Bergen Reilly. It’s another example of the Huskers’ depth.

“We have arguably the best in each position for the country,” Andi Jackson told USA TODAY Sports. “We have the best setter in the country, we have the best outside in the country. And I think it just shows how strong our team is, especially at that front row that we have. When Harper (Murray), Bergen (Reilly) and I are up, we always give each other a smile because we know what we have to offer.”

The trio led Nebraska to the nation’s top hitting percentage (.353) and fourth-highest kill per set mark (14.72).

NCAA volleyball tournament regionals schedule

Friday, Dec. 12

No. 1 Texas 3, No. 4 Indiana 0
No. 3 Wisconsin 3, No. 2 Stanford 1
No. 3 Texas A&M 3, No. 2 Louisville 2
No. 1 Nebraska 3, No. 4 Kansas 0

Saturday, Dec. 13

No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 3 Creighton, 5 p.m. | ESPN2
No. 1 Pitt vs. No. 3 Purdue, 7:30 p.m. | ESPN2

Sunday, Dec. 14

No. 1 Nebraska vs. No. 3 Texas A&M, 3 p.m. ET | ABC
No. 1 Texas vs. No. 3 Wisconsin, 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN

NCAA women’s volleyball bracket

Find the full NCAA women’s volleyball tournament bracket on the NCAA website.

Nebraska stats, top players

Nebraska’s nation-leading offense is led by junior outside hitter Harper Murray (347 kills), junior middle blocker Andi Jackson (273) and senior middle blocker Rebekah Allick (235).

Murray also leads the team in service aces (30) and is among the top four on defense for digs. (212). Allick and Jackson lead the team in blocks (121 and 112, respectively).

Setter Bergen Reilly (1,011 assists) runs the show and also is second on the team for digs (264), behind Laney Choboy (276 digs). Olivia Mauch (256 digs) joins them in keeping the ball off the floor.

Kansas stats, top players

Kansas has a trio of heavy hitters with Jovana Zelenovic (369 kills), who also leads the team with 46 serving aces; Rhian Swanson (346 kills); and Reese Ptacek (325 kills).

Senior Katie Dalton (769 assists) and sophomore Cristin Cline (552 assists) anchor the team at the setter position. On defense, Ryan White (5-8 digs) and Grace Nelson (298 digs) lead the way.

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Kansas court sides with Stormont Vail in Medicaid payment dispute

Published

6 hours ago

May 9, 2026

Press Room

Kansas court sides with Stormont Vail in Medicaid payment dispute

Stormont Vail Healthcare is in a legal battle with the state government, alleging the Medicaid program was wrong to refuse payment for the hospitalization of a pregnant patient with complications.

At issue is a disagreement between the Topeka hospital and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment over whether inpatient health care services were medically necessary for the Medicaid patient’s last two weeks of pregnancy.

The Kansas Court of Appeals did not resolve that dispute, but it did side with Stormont Vail in a May 8 decision. The unanimous three-judge panel reversed a decision by Shawnee County District Court Judge Thomas Luedke and vacated an order from KDHE’s State Appeals Committee. The matter now goes back to the appeals committee for reconsideration.

The appellate panel was comprised of Judges Jacy Hurst, Thomas Malone and Stephen Hill, which heard oral arguments on Aug. 5. Hurst wrote the court’s opinion.

The lawsuit stems from a 2018 case of a pregnant patient, who is not named in appellate court documents. She was 28 years old at the time and had an intellectual disability among other complications, including rapid weight loss caused by hyperemesis gravidarum.

The woman was originally admitted at Newman Regional Health in Emporia before she was transferred to Stormont Vail. Part of the hospitalization during her third trimester was covered.

But the final two weeks were not because Sunflower Health Plan, one of the managed care organizations in the state’s privatized Medicaid program known as KanCare, refused to reimburse for the patient’s continued hospitalization through the day the child was born via cesarean section.

“We are here because the Kansas Medicaid program has wrongfully refused to pay for some of an inpatient hospitalization while a Medicaid beneficiary was at Stormont Vail,” said Amanda Wilwert, an attorney for the hospital, during oral arguments. “Stormont believes the inpatient care was medically necessary as defined by the Kansas Medicaid regulations.”

Court records and oral arguments show the state expected Stormont Vail to look into having a home health agency care for the patient in Emporia instead of continued hospitalization — even though home health generally does not take care of pregnant patients and her doctors believed the expectant mother was not stable enough to discharge.

“The way it’s supposed to work,” said Darren Sharp, an attorney representing KDHE, “is the managed care organization, in this case Sunflower Health, on behalf of KDHE reviews the medical records, asks about the appropriate level of care and whether there’s any other interventions that would be more cost effective or appropriate depending on the level of or depending on the patient’s records and the patient’s status.”

Sharp argued medical records showed the patients was getting better because of total parenteral nutrition, or TPN.

“This is when a tube, a PICC, is inserted and your minerals and your electrolytes and all of your nutrition is then intravenously provided,” Sharp said.

He said the treatment “was eliminating her vomiting, her diarrhea, she had no fever, her glucose levels were stabilized.”

In their ruling, the judges indicated the KDHE appeals committee primarily cared about the cost saving of using home health versus hospitalization while disregarding the treating physician for insufficient reasons and ignoring evidence on potential benefits or harms to the patient.

But the judges declined to resolve the dispute. Rather, unless the decision is appealed to the Kansas Supreme Court, the matter goes back to the KDHE administrative process.

There, the agency’s appeals committee must reconsider the case consistent with the Court of Appeal’s ruling. The published decision sets new precedent interpreting state laws and regulations on the Medicaid program.

“While this court provides no opinion on whether the disputed inpatient healthcare services met the definition of medical necessity,” Hurst wrote, “the record shows that some of the (appeals committee’s) factual findings were not supported by the record as a whole and that the (appeals committee) inaccurately applied the law when it failed to consider (the patient’s) individual characteristics and assess the harms and benefits of the healthcare intervention.

“In making a medical necessity determination, the reviewing agency must make an individualized determination based on the record as a whole.”

Jason Alatidd is a Statehouse reporter for The Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at jalatidd@usatodayco.com. Follow him on X @Jason_Alatidd.

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Kansas Lottery Pick 3, 2 By 2 winning numbers for May 7, 2026

Published

1 day ago

May 8, 2026

Press Room

The Kansas Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at May 7, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Pick 3 numbers from May 7 drawing

Midday: 6-2-2

Evening: 0-5-9

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning 2 By 2 numbers from May 7 drawing

Red Balls: 07-15, White Balls: 02-16

Check 2 By 2 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 7 drawing

05-08-21-44-48, Bonus: 01

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Kansas Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599. For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at select Kansas Lottery offices.

By mail, send a winner claim form and your signed lottery ticket to:

Kansas Lottery Headquarters

128 N Kansas Avenue

Topeka, KS 66603-3638

(785) 296-5700

To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a claim form, and deliver the form along with your signed lottery ticket to Kansas Lottery headquarters. 128 N Kansas Avenue, Topeka, KS 66603-3638, (785) 296-5700. Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Kansas Lottery.

When are the Kansas Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3 Midday/Evening: 1:10 p.m. and 9:10 p.m. CT daily.
2 By 2: 9:30 p.m. CT daily.
Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Super Kansas Cash: 9:10 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Kansas editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Kansas City, Kansas, becomes sister city to Concepción, Argentina, ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026

Published

2 days ago

May 7, 2026

Press Room

Kansas City, Kansas, becomes sister city to Concepción, Argentina, ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026

KSHB 41 reporter Fernanda Silva covers stories in the Northland, including Liberty. She also focuses on issues surrounding immigration. Share your story idea with Fernanda.

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Kansas City, Kansas, is now a sister city to Concepción, in the Tucumán province of Argentina.

The connection that carries deep personal meaning for members of the Kansas City area’s Argentinian community, with less than six weeks until Lionel Messi and their national team play at Kansas City Stadium (GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium).

Kansas City, Kansas, becomes sister city to Concepción, Argentina, ahead of World Cup

The official Sister Cities Agreement was signed Wednesday at Sporting Park, in a ceremony that also served as the kickoff of a broader cultural and economic initiative connecting Argentina and Kansas.

Federico Carmona has lived in the United States for more than two decades. He spent Wednesday afternoon cheering and smiling.

“This is my dream,” Carmona said.

For Carmona, the moment was personal — a merging of the two places he calls home.

KSHB/ Brian Luton

“This is a blessing,” Carmona said.

He continued, “Argentina is my heart. I was born in Argentina. I have so much passion for soccer. I used to play, my kids play. We never thought that Argentina was going to be in Kansas City. So that was a big, big surprise for us.”

Claudia Luna West, chair of the Sister Cities Association and a native of Concepción, Tucumán, was one of the driving forces behind the partnership.

“It means the world to me,” Luna West said.

She described the pairing of the two cities as a natural collaboration — like the ingredients of a perfect recipe coming together.

“Everything collaborates to be this great thing,” Luna West said.

That recipe metaphor extended to food. The event featured the announcement of a partnership between Kansas BBQ Empanadas and Jack Stack BBQ — a culinary symbol of the two cultures meeting.

“Now, empanadas aren’t going to be just an ethnic food. They’re going to be a landmark of Kansas,” Luna West said.

Mayor/CEO of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and KCK, Christal Watson, said the designation reflects the city’s diversity and its ability to connect with the world.

“I think it’s important that we set a global stage on how diverse we are and how beautifully, wonderfully made we are with all the different cultures,” Watson said.

Watson said shared experiences — including food — are what bring communities together.

“Food is a common link. Those are the things that get us engaged… those are the things that help us grow and be a better community overall,” Watson said. “We already have a flavor going on.”

Jake Reid, president and CEO of Sporting Kansas City, said the timing of the sister city announcement — with the FIFA World Cup 2026 approaching — felt right.

Jake Reid, President and CEO of Sporting Kansas City .png

“We’ve been planning this for so long. I think to have it on the doorstep now and be probably a month out is becoming very real and exciting,” Reid said. “They’re meant to be from… kind of everything we’ve got going on right now, for sure.”

For Carmona, the day was a long time coming.

“We can’t wait for all this to happen,” Carmona said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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