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Nebraska, PSU make NCAA volleyball final four

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Nebraska, PSU make NCAA volleyball final four


The NCAA women’s volleyball final four will feature all four No. 1 seeds, as Nebraska and Penn State won their regional finals Sunday, joining Pitt and Louisville, who advanced Saturday.

The national semifinals are Thursday in Louisville, with the hometown Cardinals facing the Panthers at 6:30 p.m. ET, followed by the Huskers vs. the Nittany Lions. Both matches are on ESPN. The national championship match will be Sunday, Dec. 22, at 3 p.m. ET on ABC.

Both semifinals match up conference foes. ACC rivals Louisville and Pitt are each seeking their first national championship in volleyball. It’s very different on the other side of the bracket: Big Ten rivals Penn State (seven) and Nebraska (five) have 12 NCAA titles and nine runner-up finishes between them.

During the regular season, No. 1 overall seed Pitt beat Louisville in their two matchups, and Penn State beat Nebraska in their meeting.

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The Huskers, now in their 18th NCAA final four, advanced easily Sunday, sweeping Wisconsin 26-24, 25-17, 25-21. Taylor Landfair, a senior playing her first season at Nebraska after transferring from Minnesota, led the Huskers with 11 kills. Nebraska also swept the Badgers in both Big Ten regular-season meetings this year.

Penn State is making its 14th NCAA final four but had a tougher go of it Sunday. The Nittany Lions were pushed to five sets by No. 2 seed Creighton, which was trying to make its first final four and set up an all-Nebraska-school semifinal. But the Nittany Lions, with the advantage of playing the regional on their home court like the other No. 1 seeds, took the fifth set 15-7. Jess Mruzik led Penn State with 20 kills.

No woman head coach has ever won the NCAA Division I volleyball championship, which was first contested in 1981. But there is a chance it could happen this year, as two women — Louisville’s Dani Busboom Kelly and Penn State’s Katie Schumacher-Cawley — are in the final four.

The only coach in the final four who has previously won a title is Nebraska’s John Cook, who has four of the Huskers’ titles. All of Penn State’s championships came under Russ Rose, who retired after the 2021 season.

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Nebraska outfielder Will Jesske coaches local legion team

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Nebraska outfielder Will Jesske coaches local legion team


LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) — After a hamstring injury during Nebraska’s baseball season, Will Jesske was advised to take it easy this summer. He is, but Jesske has found a new way to stay involved in the game.

Jesske is coaching a local legion baseball team. He is a volunteer assistant for Lincoln Hotel Group, the senior legion team for Standing Bear High School.

Jesske, a Lincoln Southeast graduate, describes himself as the “hype man” in the LHG dugout. He brings energy and enthusiasm, which players enjoy. Jesske said coaching is a way he can give back to local players while helping LHG’s coaching staff. Jesske played under Tanner Lewis and Kyle Beacom in high school. They now lead the LHG legion program.

Jesske is entering his senior season at Nebraska. He has appeared in 95 games over his career, including 33 during the Huskers’ 43-win season this spring. Jesske was injured early in the season but played through it as Nebraska hosted an NCAA regional. He hit .318 in his junior season. Jesske said he is fully healthy and credited extended rest with his recovery.

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Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.

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Former Nebraska wrestler AJ Ferrari wanted in Lincoln, accused of assaulting pregnant woman

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Former Nebraska wrestler AJ Ferrari wanted in Lincoln, accused of assaulting pregnant woman


LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – Former Nebraska wrestler AJ Ferrari is wanted in Lancaster County on suspicion of assaulting a pregnant woman in May.

An arrest warrant was filed for Ferrari on Thursday. He faces three felony charges which include first-degree false imprisonment and assault by strangling a pregnant woman.

According to an arrest affidavit, a woman from California contacted police in Lincoln on May 8 just after midnight. She told officers her daughter called for help and pointed them to Ferrari’s apartment.

Police arrived at the apartment and knocked on the door. A pregnant woman came out after several minutes of knocking with no answer. Officers said the woman was visibly upset.

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She told officers that Ferrari tried taking her phone away after an argument, but she wouldn’t let him take it. The arrest affidavit shows Ferrari then dragged her off a bed by her feet.

Police think Ferrari then got on top of her and strangled her, likely until she was unconscious. The woman told police that she felt as though her throat “collapsed” and that she was “breathing through a straw.”

Once regaining consciousness, police said the woman tried hiding in a closet and contacting her mother on another device. But Ferrari followed her, pushed her onto a bed and sat on her until she apologized, according to the affidavit.

She apologized in order to be released, police said. The woman then tried to leave the apartment, but police said Ferrari dragged her by the arm back inside. She found her phone and contacted her mother, yelling “help!”, prosecutors wrote.

Ferrari grabbed the phone and hung up, according to the affidavit. The woman’s mother tried calling several more times before calling police.

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Authorities transported the woman to Bryan West for treatment. Officers said she sustained injuries consistent with strangulation, including bruising around her neck and other abrasions.

Last weekend, Ferrari was arrested in Lincoln County on suspicion of flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving and obstructing the police. He was cited after a trooper chased a Corvette in the North Platte area.

Lincoln County authorities told KOLN that Ferrari is out on bond. His current whereabouts are unclear.

Court records show that the woman has filed for a protection order against Ferrari. A hearing has been set for July 7 to give him an opportunity to show the court why one should not be issued.

AJ Ferrari appears in Lancaster County Court(KOLN)

Previously, Ferrari was booked in Lancaster County, Nebraska for an outstanding warrant in January of this year, but those charges were dismissed later that week.

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Ferrari parted ways with the Huskers in April of this year.

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Discounted tickets for Nebraska State Fair over 4th of July Weekend

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Discounted tickets for Nebraska State Fair over 4th of July Weekend


The Nebraska State Fair is celebrating America’s 250th anniversary with a special 72-hour flash sale on Season Passes.

From July 3 through July 5, fans can purchase a 2026 Season Pass for just $50—a significant discount from its regular value of $132.

The pass includes one admission per day for all 11 days of the 2026 Nebraska State Fair, making it ideal for visitors who plan to attend multiple days.

Fair officials say the promotion is one of the biggest Season Pass discounts offered in years and will not be extended.

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After July 5, Season Passes will remain available at a higher discounted price.



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