Nebraska
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.
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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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.”
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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.”
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On playing a regional final on national television
“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.”
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On the seniors’ last match at Devaney
“I don’t even want to think about it. I’m not going there.”
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.”
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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.”
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On how she handles it when things aren’t clicking
“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.”
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On Harper Murray and finding her hand when she’s hot
“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.”
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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.”
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On how challenging it is to beat a team three times in a season
“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.”
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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.”
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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.”
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
“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.”
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On the Nebraska/Wisconsin rivalry
“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.”
Nebraska
Cale Jacobsen scores 15 and No. 9 Nebraska beats Iowa 84-75 in overtime after blowing late lead
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Cale Jacobsen came off the bench to score 13 of his 15 points after halftime and hit the tiebreaking 3-pointer in overtime, and ninth-ranked Nebraska matched its program record for wins in a season with an 84-75 victory over Iowa on Sunday.
Sam Hoiberg, who scored 15 points and had five steals on his senior day, hugged teammate Pryce Sandfort near halfcourt as time ran out and then heaved the ball high into the stands. He and his father, coach Fred Hoiberg, embraced and a short time later the rest of the Huskers came out of the tunnel to salute the sellout crowd at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
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Nebraska (26-5, 15-5 Big Ten) led by 10 points with five minutes left in regulation but missed five of its next seven shots and a couple of late free throws to let the Hawkeyes back in it. Kael Combs scored Iowa’s last eight points of regulation, including a second-chance 3-pointer that tied it 70-all with 2.7 seconds left.
After Cooper Koch tied it at 75-all in overtime, Jacobsen made a 3 from the corner and the Huskers went on to score the final nine points. The Huskers beat Iowa (20-11, 10-10) for the first time in five meetings and split the season series.
Sandfort, who transferred from Iowa after last season, scored 15 points and Rienk Mast added 14 for the Huskers.
Combs and Koch had 18 points apiece for the Hawkeyes, who committed 19 turnovers.
Up next
Iowa: The Hawkeyes are the No. 9 seed in the Big Ten Tournament and play Oregon or Maryland on Wednesday.
Nebraska: The Huskers are the No. 2 seed and play Friday.
Nebraska
Carey’s Two Home Runs Help Nebraska Baseball Stomp Michigan State, Sweep Weekend Series
The first Big Ten Conference series of the year for NU ends in a sweep.
Nebraska baseball pounded Michigan State in Sunday’s series finale at Haymarket Park, 12-2, in seven innings. The Huskers improved to 10-5, while the Spartans fell to 3-11.
With Sunday’s victory, NU moves to 3-0 in the league.
- The Game
- The Stats
- What’s Next
- Nebraska Baseball’s 2026 Schedule
The Game
Down 2-0 in the series, Michigan State needed a spark early to try to salvage at least one win in Lincoln. In the top of the first inning, first baseman Randy Seymour took a 3-1 pitch from Gavin Blachowicz to right center and over the fence.
But, for the Spartans, that spark was quickly extinguished.
Nebraska loaded the bases with no outs on a walk, a single, and a single. Case Sanderson then doubled to score them all. He would cross home plate two batters later when Preston Freeman smacked a 1-0 pitch down the left field line for a two-run homer.
Already up 5-1, Dylan Carey lifted a two-run home run in the second inning. The Huskers would tack on one run in the third, one in the fourth, two in the fifth, and one more in the sixth. At the end of the game, Nebraska scored in every inning in which it went to the plate.
Blachowicz sat down 11 batters from the second through fifth innings. A leadoff double in the sixth inning helped Michigan State add one more run to its tally.
In the top of the seventh inning, with a 10-run rule waiting to be enacted, the Spartans got a one-out single before being put down via a fly out and a fielder’s choice to end the game.
The Stats
Blachowicz pitched the entire 7.0 innings Sunday afternoon. He allowed two earned runs on three hits, walking one and striking out 11.
The Huskers, who rattled off 11 hits, were aided by five Spartan errors. That helped bring home extra runs, with four of the 12 runs scored being unearned.
Carey led the way at the plate for the Big Red. The shortstop went 3-for-4 with four RBI, two home runs, and three runs scored.
Nebraska left seven runners on base, while Michigan State stranded just two.
What’s Next
Nebraska’s nine-game homestand continues with a midweek contest against North Dakota State.
The Bison are 1-14 on the year and coming off a sweep at Vanderbilt. The lone victory was 5-1 over Monmouth at the Stetson Tournament on Feb. 21.
First pitch from Haymarket Park on Wednesday is slated for 6 p.m. CDT. The game will be streamed on B1G+.
Have a question or comment for Kaleb? Send an email to kalebhenry.huskermax@gmail.com.
Nebraska Baseball’s 2026 Schedule
- Feb. 13 Nebraska 12, UConn 2 [7 inn.] (MLB Desert Invitational)
- Feb. 14 Nebraska 7, Northeastern 4 (MLB Desert Invitational)
- Feb. 15 Nebraska 9, Grand Canyon 1 (MLB Desert Invitational)
- Feb. 16 Stanford 11, Nebraska 6 (MLB Desert Invitational)
- Feb. 20 Louisville 4, Nebraska 2 (Amegy Bank College Baseball Series)
- Feb. 21 Kansas State 3, Nebraska 3 FloCollege (Amegy Bank College Baseball Series)
- Feb. 22 Nebraska 10, Florida State 1 (Amegy Bank College Baseball Series)
- Feb. 27 Nebraska 9, Auburn 8 [10 inn.]
- Feb. 28 Auburn 15, Nebraska 4 [7 inn.]
- Mar. 1 Auburn 12, Nebraska 3
- Mar. 3 Nebraska 8, Omaha 5
- Mar. 4 Nebraska 5, South Dakota State 4
- Mar. 6 Nebraska 5, Michigan State 4 [10 inn.]
- Mar. 7 Nebraska 3, Michigan State 1
- Mar. 8 Nebraska 12, Michigan State 2 [7 inn.]
- Mar. 11 vs. North Dakota State 6 p.m.
- Mar. 13 vs. Maine 6 p.m.
- Mar. 14 vs. Maine 2 p.m.
- Mar. 15 vs. Maine 12 p.m.
- Mar. 17 at Wichita State 6 p.m.
- Mar. 18 at Wichita State 2 p.m.
- Mar. 20 at Michigan 3 p.m.
- Mar. 21 at Michigan 1 p.m.
- Mar. 22 at Michigan 12 p.m.
- Mar. 24 at Kansas State 6 p.m.
- Mar. 27 vs. Indiana 6 p.m.
- Mar. 28 vs. Indiana 2 p.m.
- Mar. 29 vs. Indiana 12 p.m.
- Mar. 31 at Creighton 6 p.m.
- Apr. 3 vs. Penn State 6 p.m.
- Apr. 4 vs. Penn State 2 p.m.
- Apr. 5 vs. Penn State 12 p.m.
- Apr. 7 vs. Kansas 6 p.m.
- Apr. 10 at Oregon 7 p.m.
- Apr. 11 at Oregon 4 p.m.
- Apr. 12 at Oregon 2 p.m.
- Apr 14 vs. Creighton 6 p.m.
- Apr. 17 vs. USC 6 p.m.
- Apr. 18 vs. USC 2 p.m.
- Apr. 19 vs. USC 12 p.m.
- Apr. 21 at Kansas 6 p.m.
- Apr. 24 at Illinois 6 p.m.
- Apr. 25 at Illinois 3 p.m.
- Apr. 26 at Illinois 1 p.m.
- Apr. 28 vs. Kansas State 6 p.m.
- May 1 at Ohio State 5 p.m.
- May 2 at Ohio State 2 p.m.
- May 3 at Ohio State 12 p.m.
- May 8 vs. Iowa 6 p.m.
- May 9 vs. Iowa 2 p.m.
- May 10 vs. Iowa 1 p.m.
- May 12 at Creighton 6 p.m.
- May 14 at Minnesota 6 p.m.
- May 15 at Minnesota 6 p.m.
- May 16 at Minnesota 1 p.m.
- May 19-24 Big Ten Tournament
Home games are bolded. All times central.
Nebraska
Nebraska Secures a ‘Grand’ Sweep in Front of Sold Out Crowd
GRAND ISLAND, Neb. — Press release courtesy of LOVB Nebraska:
The state of Nebraska once again proved why it’s the Volleyball Capital of the U.S. as a sold-out Heartland Events Center played host to a LOVB Nebraska sweep of LOVB Salt Lake (29-27, 25-16, 25-22) on Saturday night in Grand Island, Nebraska.
Outside hitter Jordan Larson shined once again for Nebraska (5-7), recording her third-straight match with 15+ points. The Hooper, Nebraska, native tallied 14 kills on a season-high .385 hitting efficiency, tacking on 13 digs for her second double-double in three matches.
“I think I’ve always kind of played like this,” said Larson. “You never know when the last could be, and so to me it’s just like how can I continue to leave it all out there. How do I continue to show up and let my body do it? I’m really trying to enjoy this as much as I can.”
The other half of Nebraska’s dominant outside hitting tandem, Anne Buijs, was close behind Larson, securing 13 points on 13 kills. Opposite hitter Kimberly Drewniok rounded out a trio of Nebraska athletes in the double figures for points and kills, also scoring 13 points on 13 kills.
The true highlight of the match were the fans that filled the Heartland Events Center. Central Nebraska showed up and made it known, creating a tough environment for Salt Lake while continuously energizing the home bench.
“We’re thrilled to be in Grand Island. That’s the best crowd we’ve had all season,” said Nebraska head coach Suzie Fritz.
“You could feel the energy. I think they helped us with a couple points. They really do make a difference and it’s really impactful for us to hear that and be a part of it,” said Larson.
“When Jordan got announced in the starting lineup, I told her I got goosebumps because the fans were just so amazing,” said Drewniok.
Salt Lake (8-6) continues having midseason struggles, extending its losing streak to five matches and now falling one game back of first place. Outside hitter Claire Hoffman led all athletes on the floor tonight with a match-high 16 points and 15 kills.
“Unfortunately, really frustrated after the match,” said Salt Lake head coach Tama Miyashiro. “We gotta look forward and no one’s feeling sorry for us. We’re going to try to get back to work and fix a couple things.”
LOVB Nebraska will look to continue its hot streak next Thursday, March 12, against LOVB Madison for a 7 p.m. Central first serve at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin. The contest will stream on ESPN+.
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