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Nebraska man sentenced for impersonating 17-year-old high school student: Reports

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Nebraska man sentenced for impersonating 17-year-old high school student: Reports



Zachary Scheich, 27, was sentenced to 85 to 120 years in prison for impersonating a 17-year-old Nebraska high school student and sexually assaulting teenage girls.

A 27-year-old man who posed as a Nebraska high school student to prey on teenage girls has been sentenced to 85 to 120 years in prison, according to multiple reports.

Zachary Scheich, who was known by peers as 17-year-old “Zak Hess,” disguised himself as a high school student for more than 50 days to exploit and sexually assault over a dozen girls, with some being as young as 13, the Washington Post and KOLN reported.

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Scheich blended in with other students using his 5 feet 4-inch height and 120-pound stature, Lincoln police said. He attended multiple schools throughout the Lincoln Public Schools District.

Although Scheich passed as a student, in reality, he had graduated from the same district in 2015, Lincoln Police Department assistant chief Brian Jackson said at a news conference in July 2023.

USA TODAY contacted Lancaster County officials on Monday but did not receive a response. It is unclear who Scheich’s legal representation is.

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Judge scolds Zachary Scheich during sentencing hearing

Lancaster District Judge Darla S. Ideus handed down the sentence on Sept. 11 on charges of sexual assault, child enticement with electronic communication and generating sexually explicit images of children, the Washington Post reported. Scheich did not talk during his sentencing hearing, but he instead submitted a letter to the judge that was not read aloud in court, according to the outlet.

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The lengthy sentence comes after Scheich pleaded no contest in July as part of a plea deal to reduce the number of felony counts against him from 15 to five.

“The children you exploited were not equipped to protect themselves because they thought you were their peer,” Ideus said during the brief sentencing hearing,” Ideus said during the sentencing hearing, per the Post.

How did Zachary Scheich get caught?

The investigation in Scheich began on June 1, when Lincoln police were contacted by the school district. The district had discovered that a person was impersonating a student during the 2022-23 school year using the name Zak Hess.

Hess, who was secretly Scheich, enrolled at Northwest High School during the first semester and later transferred to Southeast High School during the second semester. Investigators would soon find out Hess was a 26-year-old who graduated from Lincoln Public Schools in 2015.

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School records revealed Scheich went to the schools under the Hess alias for a total of 54 days, police said.

‘I am supposed to feel safe in school’

During the sentencing hearing, Ideus read an impact statement from one of the girls Scheich had victimized.

“I am supposed to feel safe in school, and I no longer feel safe in a place that I used to,” Ideus read from the girl’s letter, per the Post. “I’m so guarded that anyone who tries to talk to me or get to know me, I shut it down. I never believe what anyone says anymore. My trust is so broken, that even if I want to believe someone, I can’t.”

Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Amber Schlote called the harm to Scheich’s victims immeasurable, as it led them to miss school, suffer failing grades and have anxiety, shame and a deep mistrust of adults.

“It has undeniably altered their life’s trajectories,” Schlote said, according to the Post.

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Along with Scheich, a 23-year-old woman faces criminal impersonation charges related to the case. Angela Navarro pleaded not guilty and maintains she was manipulated by Scheich, KOLN reported. She was arrested on Sept. 29, 2023, according to the TV station.

Navarro, who police say was 22 at the time, posed as Scheich’s mother while using the alias “Danielle Hess” to attend meetings with school counselors, KOLN said, citing an arrest affidavit. Navarro remains free on bond and is awaiting trial.

What did Lincoln Public Schools say about Zachary Scheich?

Lincoln Public Schools sent out an alert to families at Northwest and Southeast High Schools, police said. According to documents provided to USA TODAY by the school division, the alert gave families a breakdown of what happened.

  • October 20, 2022: He began attending Northwest High School.
  • January 12, 2023: He transferred to Southeast High School.
  • May 31: The school district received a report that an adult male may be attending one of its high schools pretending to be a junior. The district’s student services and security department contacted the police and turned the information over to the police as it was discovered.
  • July: Police confirmed that Zachary Scheich did enroll and attend two high schools during the 2022-23 school year under the name Zak Hess.
  • He was arrested in July 2023.

Lincoln Public Schools Superintendent Paul Gausman and Associate Superintendent for Educational Services Matt Larson spoke to community members in July 2023 and said the district gave out Hess’s picture to schools and let them know he was no longer allowed on the premises while police tried to confirm his identity.

The officials also said the district follows state and federal requirements for enrolling students, which can be done online or in person. Regardless of whether someone applies online or in person, the district requests a birth certificate, immunization records, physicals and transcripts, school administrators said.

The district explained that the man exploited the enrollment process by using fake documents. Now, enrollment processes will be reviewed.

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Extra safeguards have been put into place, such as multiple in-person conversations with parents and guardians who are trying to enroll students. District officials also said it will continue to accommodate families whose schedules do not allow for multiple meetings.



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Gallery: Huskers Punch Their Ticket to The Final Four in Louisville

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Gallery: Huskers Punch Their Ticket to The Final Four in Louisville


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NCAA volleyball tournament: How to watch Nebraska vs. Wisconsin (12/15/24) | FREE LIVE STREAM, Time, TV, Channel for regional final game

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NCAA volleyball tournament: How to watch Nebraska vs. Wisconsin (12/15/24) | FREE LIVE STREAM, Time, TV, Channel for regional final game


The Wisconsin Badgers face the Nebraska Huskers in the regional finals of the NCAA Division I volleyball tournament on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 (12/15/24) at Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln, Neb.

How to watch: Fans can watch the game for free via a trial of DirecTV Stream or fuboTV. You can also watch via a subscription to Sling TV, which is offering half off your first month.

DirecTV Stream is offering $30 off on Entertainment with Sports Pack featuring NFL RedZone, Big Ten Network and more.

fuboTV plans start at $79.99 per month.

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Sling TV is offering plans for as low as $20 for your first month

Here’s what you need to know:

What: NCAA volleyball regional final

Who: Wisconsin vs. Nebraska

When: Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024

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Where: Bob Devaney Sports Center

Time: 3 p.m. ET

TV: ABC

Live stream: fuboTV (free trial), DirecTV Stream (free trial)

***

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Regional final results

Saturday, Dec. 14

Pitt 3, Kentucky 0

Louisville 3, Stanford 1

Regional semifinals results

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Thursday, Dec. 12

Kentucky 3, Missouri 1

Pitt 3, Oregon 2

Stanford 3, Florida 1

Louisville 3, Purdue 0

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Friday, Dec. 13

Creighton 3, Texas 1

Penn State 3, Marquette 1

Wisconsin 3, Texas A&M 2

Nebraska 3, Dayton 1

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***

First Round Results

Thursday, Dec. 5

Loyola Chicago 3, No. 5 BYU 0

No. 6 Minnesota 3, Western Kentucky 1

No. 7 Missouri 3, Texas State 0

No. 6 Southern Cal 3, UT Arlington 0

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Mississippi 3, No. 7 Florida St. 2

No. 5 Dayton 3, South Carolina 1

No. 7 Georgia Tech 3, Tennessee 2

No. 4 Purdue 3, Western Michigan 0

No. 5 Marquette 3, Florida Gulf Coast 0

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No. 5 TCU 3, Hawaii 0

No. 3 Kentucky 3, Cleveland St. 0

No. 3 Texas 3, Texas A&M-CC 0

No. 2 Creighton 3, South Dakota 0

No. 2 Wisconsin 3, Fairfield 0

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No. 2 SMU 3, Wichita 0

No. 4 Baylor 3, Wofford 0

No. 4 Oregon 3, High Point 0

No. 4 Utah 3, Charleston 0

Friday, Dec. 6

No. 8 Oklahoma 3, UTEP 2

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No. 8 N. Iowa 3, Illinois 1

No. 6 Florida 3, NC State 0

No. 8 North Carolina 3, Yale 1

No. 8 Miami 3, South Dakota St. 0

No. 6 Texas A&M 3, Colorado St. 1

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No. 1 Pittsburgh 3, Morehead St. 0

No. 1 Louisville 3, Chicago St. 0

No. 3 Kansas 3, Colgate 0

No. 7 Loyola Marymount 3, Washington 2

No. 1 Penn State 3, Delaware St. 0

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No. 1 Nebraska 3, Florida A&M 0

No. 3 Arizona St. 3, New Hampshire 0

No. 2 Stanford 3, Sacramento St. 0

Second Round Results

Friday, Dec. 6

No. 4 Purdue 3, Loyola Chicago 0

No. 1 Texas 3, No. 6 Southern California 0

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No. 7 Missouri 3, No. 2 SMU 1

No. 3 Kentucky 3, No. 6 Minnesota 1

No. 2 Creighton 3, Mississippi 0

No. 2 Wisconsin 3, No. 7 Georgia Tech 1

No. 5 Dayton 3, No. 4 Baylor 2

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No. 5 Marquette 3, No. 4 Utah 2

No. 4 Oregon 3, No. 3 TCU 1

Saturday, Dec. 7

No. 1 Louisville 3, No. 8 N. Iowa 2

No. 1 Penn St. 3, No. 8 North Carolina 1

No. 1 Pittsburgh 3, No. 8 Oklahoma 0

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No. 6 Florida 3, No. 3 Kansas 2

No. 1 Nebraska 3, No. 8 Miami 0

No. 6 Texas A&M 3, No. 3 Arizona St, 1

No. 2 Stanford 3, No. 7 Loyola Marymount 0

***

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Final Top 25 NCAA Volleyball Rankings

Games through Dec. 2, 2024

1, Pitt; 2, Penn State; 3, Nebraska; 4, Louisville; 5, Stanford; 6, Creighton; 7, Wisconsin; 8, Arizona State; 9, Purdue; 10, SMU; 11, Kentucky; 12, Kansas; 13, Teas; 14, Oregon; 15, Minnesota; 16, Baylor; 17, Utah; 18, Georgia Tech; 19, Southern California; 20, TCU; 21, Florida State; 22, Florida; 23, Dayton; 24, BYU; 25, Missouri.

***

Here are the best streaming options for college sports:

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Fubo TV (free trial): fuboTV carries ESPN, FOX, ABC, NBC and CBS.

DirecTV Stream (free trial): DirecTV Stream carries ESPN, FOX, NBC and CBS.

Sling TV – Sling TV carries ESPN, FOX, ABC and NBC.

ESPN+ ($11.99 a month): ESPN+ carries college basketball games each week for only $11.99 a month. These games are exclusive to the platform.

Peacock TV ($7.99 a month): Peacock is the exclusive home of 75-plus Big Ten men’s and women’s basketball games for the 2024-25 season. The streaming service will also broadcast several Big East men’s basketball and Atlantic 10 men’s women’s basketball contests.

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Paramount+ (free trial): Paramount Plus will live stream college football games airing on CBS this year.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription



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Quotebook: Nebraska and Wisconsin VB coaches + players preview Elite Eight

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Quotebook: Nebraska and Wisconsin VB coaches + players preview Elite Eight


Quotebook: Nebraska and Wisconsin VB coaches + players preview Elite Eight

It’s red vs. red. It’s powerhouse vs. powerhouse. It’s Nebraska volleyball vs. Wisconsin volleyball.

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All for the right to net a trip to Louisville, boast yet another win in the rivalry series, secure another Final Four berth and an opportunity to win another national championship.

Ahead of today’s Elite Eight matchup between the two Big Ten foes (2 p.m. CT on ABC and WatchESPN), below is a Quotebook from Saturday’s pre-match press conference with the Huskers and Badgers.

Here are the key takeaways from Nebraska coach John Cook and Husker stars Andi Jackson and Bergen Reilly, plus Wisconsin coach Kelly Sheffield and Badger stars Julia Orzol and Anna Smrek.

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>> Sound off on the hot topics on our INSIDER’S BOARD

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>> Subscribe for FREE to the Inside Nebraska YouTube channel

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NEBRASKA VOLLEYBALL

Huskers head coach John Cook:

Opening statement

“This is what ABC wanted. This is what everybody wanted, what the NCAA Tournament wanted was us and Wisconsin. Now they’ve got it. Huskers will be fired up.”

**********

On playing a team three times in one season

“Our mindset is that we take every match one at a time. I can’t even remember when we played them last because we’ve had so many other matches in between. We prepare just like we normally do. We break everything down and treat it like this is the first time we’re playing them.”

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**********

On players stepping up in big moments

“That’s why they call it a team. Not everybody is going to be an All-American all-star every night. Our goal is to be a great team every night. We can win with somebody getting hot, we can win with our block and defense. We don’t have to be perfect every night. That’s one of the great things about this team. We’ve won a lot of different ways. Our goal tomorrow will be to have everybody play their best match of the year and our crowd to have their best match of the year.”

**********

On playing a regional final on national television

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“TV is just really recognizing the interest in women’s volleyball, and putting it on ABC is a statement that they really think this is worth it. It’s a great product, it’s a great show, it’s a great sport. It’s exciting. We’ve been watching tons of volleyball. It was exciting watching the Texas A&M/Wisconsin match yesterday. This is a time of year where everything is on the line. To be on ABC, and ESPN2 is also televising, I wasn’t really excited about playing until midnight last night. I’m sure you guys aren’t either. The good thing is, we’re not playing at 9 in the morning, which we’ve had to do in the past. Women’s sports are exploding and this is a great statement to that.”

**********

On the seniors’ last match at Devaney

“I don’t even want to think about it. I’m not going there.”

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Middle blocker Andi Jackson

On the team’s mindset going into the first two matches against Wisconsin

“I wouldn’t say it’s intimidating playing Wisconsin, I would say it’s exciting. I think they’re a really good program and a great team and getting to play such high level volleyball is super exciting for our team. I know that we really enjoy that. Preparing for it, it’s more just, go out and take it. We have nothing to lose. At the end of the day, it’s just another volleyball game. It’s volleyball versus volleyball. It’s not us versus Wisconsin.”

**********

On being vocal about what’s at stake

“This team does a really good job of not having too many chefs in the kitchen. We all understand that we have one common goal. Sometimes it can feel very overwhelming with how many people are throwing stuff out there, and I think we do a really good job of balancing, everyone pulling their weight, everyone is giving their 100%. That doesn’t mean everyone needs to give 100% vocally. It’s more like, you give 100% physically and we can have a couple people give their 100% vocally.”

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**********

On Sunday being the last match at Devaney and sending the seniors out with a win

“I’m very motivated. It’s going to be a really fun game, a super fun environment. It’s the last game in the Bob for our seniors and Bergen and I’s sophomore year. Time is flying, so I want to absorb it and absorb the moment and play our best match of the year, to an extent.”

**********

On how she handles it when things aren’t clicking

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“That’s the incredible thing about our team. When I’m not having my best night or if any of our hitters aren’t having their best night, we’re such a balanced team. Not that it doesn’t matter, but they can carry your weight. If you’re having a 60% night, then they have your 40%. I think that’s what makes this team so special. If I’m struggling one night, I know that I can control the controllables. Maybe hitting isn’t going well, but what can I do blocking-wise, what can I do defensively to help the team still? There are so many ways you can show up. That’s what makes volleyball such an incredible sport. It’s not just one thing. There’s so much that goes into it and all those different factors. So it’s just, what can I do right now even if this isn’t working?”

Setter Bergen Reilly

On the benefits of playing a team they’re familiar with

“It definitely helps. We have their tendencies in our head and we kind of know a little bit about what’s coming. Each game, they’ve made little changes, so we have to adjust to those too. Having this day in between will be really good for us to refresh on that and get back used to it. It definitely helps that we already have a scouting report in our head and don’t have to start from scratch.”

**********

On Harper Murray and finding her hand when she’s hot

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“I like to set the hot hand. This season, luckily, we’ve had a lot of hot hands pretty much every game. It’s been easy to balance. Like you said, she was on fire last night and finding her as much as you can is really all you can do, while also trying to keep everybody else in it and not let the block just go to her. It’s a balance of wanting to feed her a lot, but also keeping the other team honest and keeping the rest of our team in it and running a normal offense, too.”

**********

On being vocal about what’s at stake

“I think we do a good job of preparing that in advance. We can just talk about meetings that we’ve had, keywords that we have for our team to just bring us back to the moment. Like Coach said, every game is one game at a time. We’re not necessarily thinking ‘we want to win this so we can play on Sunday or we can get to Louisville.’ It’s more like, ‘let’s win this next point and then we can go from there.’ I think we do a lot of that communication and that prep in advance, so it helps us a lot in the moment.”

**********

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On running the offense when Wisconsin is familiar with it

“I think just keeping the balance. It’s hard to defend any team that has a really good balance, no matter what kind of scouting report or anything you have on them. If everyone can put a ball down at any time, they’re going to be a tough team to stop. I think focusing on that going in, and we have our little wrinkles to our offense too. Keeping a balance and keeping them on their toes.”

WISCONSIN VOLLEYBALL

Badgers head coach Kelly Sheffield

Opening statement

“This is a special group. They’ve accomplished a lot. We’ve got two seniors here that have been a part of a lot of great seasons. It’s a group that I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoy being around, on and off the court. We’re certainly looking forward to the challenge we have tomorrow, playing a great team in a great venue.”

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**********

On playing on national TV

“We’re certainly excited about playing the match. It’s pretty cool that it’s on ABC and I’m sure there will be a lot of people that are watching. No matter what the result is, it’s usually pretty compelling volleyball when the two teams meet up. It’s usually pretty high level. I’m sure that’ll show. The matches so far in this tournament, the number of really high-level, compelling, tough matches, it’s been an unbelievable tournament so far. It’s kind of interesting because you see almost all 1s and 2s. I think you have one third seed. You would think that it’s just the favorites that are going, but man, everybody has had to grind and dig in and fight. It’s been awesome, and the fact that you have one of these on that network is pretty cool.”

**********

On how challenging it is to beat a team three times in a season

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“When you’re the team that has lost the first two, the obvious question is, do they believe that they can win? That’s the obvious. When you get to this stage, I think when maybe there’s a thought that somebody is going to take somebody for granted, that just doesn’t happen with competitors. There’s too much at stake. The opportunity to go to a Final Four is a dream for anybody. When that’s right in front of you, you’re going to get everybody’s best, no matter how many times you’ve beaten somebody. I think our players believe and I don’t think that’s going to be a problem on our end. On their end, they’re pretty driven to get to that next step again. I think you’ll see two really highly driven teams. Should make it a lot of fun.”

**********

On how much scouting they’ll do

“We didn’t stick around. That would be a little bit unusual, but there was a lot going on here. Sometimes you’re not able to really watch too much with distractions. We thought it was more important to go and get a good meal and get a good sleep. I’m sure everybody was watching last night as we were getting ourselves cleaned up and all those things. If it was an environment we wanted our players to get used to, we probably would have stayed here, or if it was a team we didn’t know much about. You’re right, it was pretty late. The turnaround is pretty quick. It’s a day and a half. You’re immediately just trying to think of, how do we get our minds right and our bodies right? It quickly gets into that mode.”

**********

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On the senior class and what it means to Wisconsin volleyball

“They’ve elevated it. Can you leave a program better than when you walked into it? Certainly, that’s a focus of mine as a coach and that’s something we talk to our players about. I don’t think there’s any question about these two and any other seniors. They’ve elevated the program and they’ve inspired a lot of people along the way, as they’ve played. They’ve represented the university and athletic department with a lot of class and enthusiasm. These two and everybody in that class is the epitome of what a student-athlete should be. I’m proud to be their coach and excited to get after it with them tomorrow.”

**********

On the Big Ten season with four new teams

“It was an awesome challenge. It’s always hard to win a Big Ten championship. That’s just really impressive seasons by both Penn State and Nebraska to be able to do that. You have the travel element. Compression has gotten to be even more of a thing. The level of play and the style of play, all four of those teams bring a different style. It was a fun year. When it’s all said and done, I’ll say it was an exhausting year. Right now, I’m pretty energized. John (Cook) has mentioned numerous times over the years, how much harder winning a Big Ten championship is than winning a national championship. I haven’t seen any stats on that or anything, but it is really hard to do. You just have so much respect when somebody is able to do it. And it just got worlds harder this year. If you’re a competitive junkie, there isn’t anything better, and adding those four teams has just elevated it.”

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Outside hitter Julia Orzol

On the mentality of the team going into Sunday

“I feel excitement. There’s excitement that we get another chance to meet this team and show better volleyball. That’s what we’re focusing on. For now, for preparation, what we can do during this one day of transitioning from yesterday. We know what’s waiting, neither team is going to lose this game. Somebody will have to go and grab that win. We are preparing for a great fight and great volleyball.”

**********

On the Nebraska/Wisconsin rivalry

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“It’s just good volleyball. It’s so fun going into these games and knowing that you’ll get their best every time. I would say it’s just fun.”

Opposite hitter Anna Smrek

On playing a team they’re familiar with when there’s a quick turnaround

“I think it comes in handy, but each team is going to look a little bit different trying to get that upper hand on teams. I think it’s just, how can we get better from each time we’ve seen them and learn from our own game? Also, what were they trying to do against us? It’s about still finding ways to get better and not just staying stagnant with the information we do already know.”

**********

On the Nebraska/Wisconsin rivalry

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“That’s one of the reasons that we all love the game of volleyball, is the competitiveness. Each side is just so driven with that. A lot of people sometimes question what goes on through the net or that little back and forth banter, but that’s some of the fun, and the competition that just drives even more. Especially being able to do that as a team, having backup, it’s just so fun.”





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