Nebraska

Nebraska state senator given award for courage, leadership

Published

1 year ago

October 10, 2023

Nebraska state senator given award for courage, leadership

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – On May 12, 1879, Chief Standing Bear, arm outstretched, declared “I am a man,” in front of a federal judge and changed history forever.

That history has weighed heavily on Tom Brewer, the first Native American Nebraska state senator. It’s shaped what legislation he’s fought for.

“Native Americans haven’t had a champion in the Legislature, so when I first came in, I knew it had to be something I focused on,” said Sen. Brewer.

The Oglala Sioux Tribe member became the second person to receive the prestigious, national Chief Standing Bear Prize for Courage. The only other person to receive the award so far is Wes Studi, the first Native American to win an Oscar. The prize aims to continue Standing Bear’s legacy of leadership.

“As native people, we’re always thinking what our actions today, how they’re going to impact our descendants seven generations from now,” said Katie Brossy, the resident of the Chief Standing Bear Project.

Brewer grew up poor on the Pine Ridge Reservation. He joined the Army, and his service took him from the jagged mountains of Afghanistan to grim hospital rooms. He earned two Purple Hearts but said the Chief Standing Bear prize stands above that.

“It probably will be the largest honor I receive in my lifetime in terms of the value that I put on it,” Sen. Brewer said.

Brewer said one of the highlights of his career was helping to stop the flow of alcohol out of White Clay onto the Pine Ridge Reservation in 2017.

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Nebraska

Nebraska flips four-star OLB Dawson Merritt away from Alabama

Published

8 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Press Room

Nebraska flips four-star OLB Dawson Merritt away from Alabama

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on Rivals.com, the leader in college football and basketball recruiting coverage. Be the first to know and follow your teams by signing up here.

Flip season is on and just got real for Nebraska. Four-star outside linebacker Dawson Merritt has announced that he’s flipped from Alabama to the Huskers.

Merritt had been a long time target of the Huskers and remained a priority even after his initial commitment to Alabama.

The Overland Park (Kan.) Blue Valley four-star is the 20th commitment for Nebraska’s 2025 recruiting class. The class currently sits inside the top 20 the Rivals team recruiting rankings.

WHAT MERRITT MEANS FOR NEBRASKA

If Nebraska is going to return to the national scene part of the story will be that the program started landing elite talent from the Midwest. So it’s a huge deal that the Huskers were able to pull the flip with Merritt who is among the best players in the region this cycle.

Merritt joins offensive lineman Julian Marks, linebacker Christian Jones, running back Jamarion Parker, defensive lineman Tyson Terry and wide receiver Isaiah Mozee as four-stars in the class from the Midwest. That’s a terrific haul for Rhule as he rebuilds the program.

This commitment also shows another important thing for Rhule. He can land players that want to go to elite programs. The relationship between Rhule and the Merritt family is fantastic. That’s because of Rhule’s ability to connect and how he kept on Dawson even after he gave his commitment to Alabama.

WHAT MERRITT BRINGS FOR THE HUSKERS

Versatility is the name of the game for Merritt. He’s exactly the type of potential defensive chess piece that defensive coordinator Tony White loves to coach. The Kansas native has the arm length, bend and quickness that can make him a good pass rusher. There are moments he flashed that ability when I saw him play in person this season.

But Merritt has a frame (6-3, 200) that will likely be able to hold 20-30 more pounds. Strength coach Corey Campbell will want to put some additional muscle mass on him before he hits the field in Lincoln. If that happens, Merritt could also be a player that plays some off-ball linebacker in the way that John Bullock currently plays for the team.

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Nebraska

Thursday Tim-Bits: Huskers heating up in final stretch to Signing Day

Published

15 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Press Room

Thursday Tim-Bits: Huskers heating up in final stretch to Signing Day

Nebraska sits at 19 commits in the 2025 class just weeks away from Early Signing Day. The Huskers are heating up, ramping up pursuit and NIL efforts as they look to put the finishing touches on the class. Here’s the latest on top targets like Michael Terry, Dawson Merritt and Jordan Allen, along with a note on the Huskers making the top group for two 2026 four-star targets and two 2026 targets set to see Nebraska in action this weekend.

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Nebraska

VB Previews: Nebraska hosts Minnesota and Indiana amid 21-game win streak

Published

23 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Press Room

VB Previews: Nebraska hosts Minnesota and Indiana amid 21-game win streak

Slowly but surely, the Nebraska volleyball team is grinding its way into the No. 1 spot in the Top 25 national rankings.

The Huskers (24-1 overall, 14-0 Big Ten) remain just behind Pittsburgh (23-1) in the latest AVCA Top 25, released on Monday, in the No. 2 spot. They garnered their most first-place votes (12) in the poll in the last four weeks, however, amid their current 21-game win streak.

Now, they will be putting that dominant run to the test once again as they match up with Minnesota (16-8, 9-5) and Indiana (12-12, 5-9) this week in Lincoln.

Below are the stats to know, players to watch and more information on the Huskers’ upcoming home matches against the Gophers and Hoosiers.

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HOW TO WATCH, STREAM & LISTEN

#2 NEBRASKA (24-1 overall, 14-0 Big Ten) vs. MINNESOTA (16-8, 9-5)

Time: 8:00 p.m. CT on Thursday

TV Channel: Big Ten Network

Commentators: Larry Punteney (play by play) and Emily Ehman (color)

Streaming: Fox Sports App

Radio: Huskers Radio Network with John Baylor and Lauren (Cook) West will broadcast all the action on their volleyball affiliate stations

Listen online: Huskers.com (LINK)

App Audio: Official Huskers App

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#2 NEBRASKA (24-1 overall, 14-0 Big Ten) vs. INDIANA (12-12, 5-9)

Time: 7:30 p.m. CT on Saturday

TV Channel: Big Ten Network

Commentators: Larry Punteney (play by play) and Lauren Stivrins (color)

Streaming: Fox Sports App

Radio: Huskers Radio Network with John Baylor and Lauren (Cook) West will broadcast all the action on their volleyball affiliate stations

Listen online: Huskers.com (LINK)

App Audio: Official Huskers App

SERIES HISTORY

NEBRASKA-MINNESOTA:

>> Nebraska is 38-12 all-time against Minnesota and won both matches against the Golden Gophers last year.

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NEBRASKA-INDIANA:

>> Nebraska is 23-1 all-time against Indiana and has won 23 straight against the Hoosiers since Indiana’s lone win in 1978.

SCOUTING REPORTS

NEBRASKA

All stats and info provided courtesy of Nebraska Athletics Communications

>> Nebraska has won 21 matches in a row since a loss at SMU on Sept. 3. Seventeen of the 21 wins have been sweeps, including the last four matches.

>> Entering Thursday’s match, Nebraska has won 15 sets in a row.

>> Nebraska is 6-0 against top-10 teams this season, which is the most top-10 wins in a regular season in school history.

>> Nebraska is 9-0 against ranked foes this season, as SMU was not in the AVCA Top 25 at the time of that match.

>> The Huskers rank 11th nationally and second in the Big Ten with a team hitting percentage of .295.

>> Nebraska ranks seventh nationally in kills per set (14.28).

>> Outside hitter Harper Murray is leading the Huskers with 3.30 kills per set and 25 service aces and is hitting .255. Murray also adds 2.15 digs per set.

>> Opposite hitter Merritt Beason is averaging 3.06 kills per set for the Big Red and is hitting .258 with 1.30 digs per set and 23 aces.

>> Taylor Landfair is putting up 2.51 kills per set and hitting .254.

>> Middle blocker Andi Jackson is averaging 2.67 kills with a .444 hitting percentage, which ranks fourth in the nation.

>> Middle blocker Rebekah Allick adds 1.68 kills per set on .337 hitting with 1.28 blocks per set. Allick has moved into the top 10 in school history in career blocks with 354.

>> Setter Bergen Reilly is averaging 11.12 assists per set, which ranks sixth in the nation and leads the Big Ten. She also adds 2.90 digs per set and has 17 aces. Reilly has 13 double-doubles and has been named Big Ten Setter of the Week three times this season.

>> Three-time All-American and two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Lexi Rodriguez guides the Husker back row with 3.70 digs per set. Last week, Rodriguez passed Kayla Banwarth for No. 2 all-time in career digs at Nebraska. Rodriguez now has 1,731 and is chasing Justine Wong-Orantes (1,890).

SCOUTING REPORT: MINNESOTA

>> No. 16 Minnesota is 16-8 overall and 9-5 in Big Ten play after suffering home defeats to Washington (3-1) and No. 12 Oregon (3-0) last week.

>> Julia Hanson leads the Golden Gophers with 3.73 kills per set and is hitting .270. She also has a team-high 26 aces.

>> Lydia Grote adds 2.87 kills per set and also has 26 aces.

>> Phoebe Awoleye ranks seventh nationally in blocks per set with 1.49. As a team, Minnesota ranks 13th (2.78).

SCOUTING REPORT: INDIANA

>> Indiana is 12-12 overall and 5-9 in the Big Ten after losses at home to No. 9 Purdue (3-1) and No. 20 USC (3-1) last week.

>> Candela Alonso-Corcelles paces the Hoosiers with 3.58 kills per set, while Avry Tatum adds 3.42 kills per set.

>> Camryn Haworth averages 9.96 assists per set and has 42 aces on the season.

>> Libero Ramsey Gary ranks second in the Big Ten with 4.20 digs per set.

STATS TO KNOW: NEBRASKA

SERVE AND PASS

>> Nebraska has allowed just 46 service aces this season, which leads the nation. The next closest team is Pittsburgh with 54 aces allowed.

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BALANCED ATTACK

>> Nebraska has seven different players averaging between 1.68 and 3.30 kills per set.

>> Six different players have led the Huskers in kills in a match this season.

>> Reilly ranks sixth nationally averaging 11.12 assists per set.

>> Nebraska’s attack has been one of the best in the nation this season. The Huskers rank 11th in hitting percentage (.295) and seventh in kills per set (14.28).

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HOME SWEET HOME

>> Nebraska has won 38 home matches in a row dating back to Dec. 1, 2022, which is the longest active streak in the nation.

>> The Huskers’ home win streak is its longest since moving into the Devaney Center in 2013.

>> Nebraska’s longest all-time home win streak was 88 matches from 2004-09. Since then, NU also has a home win streak of 38 matches in a row from 2009-11.

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