Nebraska
VB Match Previews: Huskers return home to face Illinois and Michigan
VB Match Previews: Huskers return home to face Illinois and Michigan
Nebraska volleyball, still standing strong as the nation’s No. 2-ranked team, is set to close out its October stretch with two Big Ten home matches this weekend.
The Huskers (18-1 overall, 8-0 Big Ten) will first battle Illinois (13-5, 5-3) on Friday and then face Michigan (15-4, 5-3) on Saturday at the Devaney Center.
Let’s take a look at the stats to know and players to watch on both sides, plus how to watch and listen to the two B1G matchups.
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HOW TO WATCH, STREAM & LISTEN
#2 NEBRASKA (18-1 overall, 8-0 Big Ten) vs. ILLINOIS (13-5, 5-3)
Time: 7:00 p.m. CT
TV Channel: NONE
Commentators: Jacob Schrantz (play by play) and Camden Cohn (color)
Streaming: B1G+
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 (18-1 overall, 8-0 Big Ten) vs. MICHIGAN (15-4, 5-3)
Time: 7:00 p.m. CT
TV Channel: NONE
Commentators: Jacob Schrantz (play by play) and Camden Cohn (color)
Streaming: B1G+
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-ILLINOIS:
>> Nebraska is 35-8-1 all-time against Illinois and has won 10 in a row in the series, including a 25-18, 25-22, 25-17 sweep in Champaign on Oct. 3.
>> Illinois is one of Nebraska’s three Big Ten double-play opponents this season.
>> Nebraska coach John Cook is 12-1 all-time against Illinois coach Chris Tamas, one of his former assistants. Overall, Cook is 26-2 all-time coaching against his former assistant coaches.
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NEBRASKA-MICHIGAN:
>> Nebraska is 23-3 against Michigan and has won 15 straight in the series. The last five matches have been Husker sweeps.
SCOUTING REPORTS
NEBRASKA
All stats and info provided courtesy of Nebraska Athletics Communications
>> Nebraska has won 15 matches in a row since a loss at SMU on Sept. 3. Twelve of the 15 wins have been sweeps.
>> The Huskers rank ninth nationally and third in the Big Ten with a team hitting percentage of .301.
>> Nebraska ranks ninth nationally in kills per set (14.28).
>> Outside hitter Harper Murray is leading the Huskers with 3.32 kills per set and 18 service aces. Murray also adds 2.13 digs per set.
>> Opposite hitter Merritt Beason is averaging 3.03 kills per set for the Big Red and is hitting .243 with 1.28 digs per set and 13 aces.
>> Lindsay Krause and Taylor Landfair have split time at NU’s other outside hitter position and have averaged 2.33 and 2.41 kills per set, respectively.
>> Middle blocker Andi Jackson is averaging 2.70 kills with a .480 hitting percentage, which leads the Big Ten.
>> Middle blocker Rebekah Allick adds 1.77 kills per set on .382 hitting with 1.29 blocks per set.
>> Setter Bergen Reilly is averaging 11.20 assists per set, which ranks fifth in the nation and leads the Big Ten. She also adds 3.02 digs per set and has 14 aces. Reilly has 11 double-doubles and has been named Big Ten Setter of the Week three times this season.
>> Three-time All-American Lexi Rodriguez guides the Husker back row with 3.73 digs per set and is coming off a season-high 22 digs in a sweep at Ohio State last Saturday.
ILLINOIS
>> Illinois (13-5, 5-3 Big Ten) has won five matches in a row since an Oct. 3 loss to Nebraska in Champaign. The Fighting Illini swept Indiana and Maryland last weekend.
>> Raina Terry averages 4.28 kills per set.
>> Brooke Mosher ranks 13th nationally with 40 service aces.
>> Former Nebraska assistant coach Chris Tamas is in his eighth year as head coach at Illinois and is 144-90 overall. Tamas was an assistant at Nebraska from 2015-16 and was on the staff of the Huskers’ 2015 NCAA Championship team.
MICHIGAN
>> Michigan (15-4, 5-3 Big Ten) has already surpassed its overall win total from last season (7) and equaled its Big Ten win total (5) with 12 matches remaining. The Wolverines play at Iowa on Friday night before coming to Lincoln.
>> Allison Jacobs leads the Wolverines with 4.12 kills per set.
>> Valentina Vaulet ranks fifth nationally with 49 service aces on the season.
STATS TO KNOW: NEBRASKA
SERVE AND PASS
>> Nebraska has allowed just 35 service aces this season, which leads the nation. The next closest team is Pittsburgh with 43.
>> Nebraska’s opponents have served 14 aces and committed 120 service errors over the last 12 matches.
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BALANCED ATTACK
>> Nebraska has seven different players averaging between 1.77 and 3.32 kills per set.
>> Six different players have led the Huskers in kills in a match this season.
>> Reilly ranks fifth nationally averaging 11.20 assists per set.
>> Nebraska’s attack has been one of the best in the nation this season. The Huskers rank ninth in hitting percentage (.301) and kills per set (14.28).
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HOME SWEET HOME
>> Nebraska has won 36 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.
Nebraska
Mental health by the numbers in Nebraska
OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – A deeper look tonight as First Alert 6 continues to dig deeper into the state of mental health care in Nebraska and possible solutions, ever since last week’s two instances involving law enforcement.
A Douglas County sheriff’s deputy was shot responding to a domestic call. Investigators said the suspect, Brian Huggins, had a history of behavioral health issues. Huggins died by suicide.
And then Noemi Guzman, who police say kidnapped a 3-year-old from inside an Omaha Walmart and cut him in the arm and face with a stolen kitchen knife. Omaha police officers shot and killed her before she could strike again.
Guzman had been on a court-ordered mental health treatment plan since last summer for her schizophrenia. According to court records, psychiatrists determined she could live in the community. Remember, this was after she was arrested for setting her father’s house on fire and threatening a priest with a knife.
Monitoring system
We wanted to know who is part of the system monitoring those who may not be following their mental health treatment plan and are a risk to others or themselves. When that happens, the Board of Mental Health will often notify the local sheriff so a warrant can be issued and deputies can track the individual down.
Here are the numbers since 2023:
In 2023, 842 warrants were issued for those not following their treatment plans according to the Board of Mental Health. In 2024, 756. In 2025, 690. So far in 2026, 190.
But out of these 2,500 warrants, 85% of them didn’t have a second warrant, meaning deputies picked them up, got them back into treatment and the individuals continued to thrive after the one hiccup.
But in 15% of these cases, the individuals messed up again and had another warrant issued by the Board of Mental Health. Twenty-five individuals had five or more issued in Douglas County.
Sheriff Hanson said there has to be a better way, a more team approach for this.
One model to explore is the way Nebraska’s problem-solving courts work like drug court and veterans’ treatment court where experts from a variety of stakeholders help individuals who are on the fringes to do everything to make them productive citizens.
Copyright 2026 WOWT. All rights reserved.
Nebraska
‘Nothing can hold me back’: Nebraska teen scores on first play after open heart surgery
(InvestigateTV) — Sometimes sports are about more than the final score.
For Jack Burke, a high school football player in Nebraska, a medical diagnosis at birth has never stopped him from competing — and a touchdown catch in his first play back from open heart surgery proved it.
Born with a rare heart defect
Burke was born with Scimitar syndrome, a rare heart defect in which babies are born with an underdeveloped right lung and pulmonary artery. The condition also affects blood flow to the right lung. Treatment often includes surgery, and many adults with the condition go on to live healthy lives.
“As a kid, I never really understood,” Burke said. “It was always natural for me that I had to push myself harder to keep up.”
His mother, Bridget Burke, says the condition was not initially considered dangerous for sports participation.
“His Scimitar Syndrome never really came into play as being dangerous for him to play sports,” she said.
The decision to operate
That changed in the spring of 2025, when Burke’s family and doctors decided it was time for a surgery that had been anticipated for years.
“I’ve kind of known I’ve had to get surgery my whole life,” Burke said. “Once I knew I could get the surgery sooner, I was all in. I wanted to get it so I could get back to sports.”
His father, Ryan Burke, says the timing was deliberate.
“This will be done before school gets started, and still have a chance to do almost everything you want to do,” Ryan Burke said.
Jack Burke underwent open-heart surgery, leaving a visible reminder of what he went through.
“There’s a six-inch scar in the middle of his chest that represents a pretty big thing that happened,” Ryan Burke said.
For Bridget Burke, the moment her son was taken to the operating room was difficult.
“When the rubber hits the road and your kid is being wheeled back to the OR, it is scary and emotional,” she said.
The comeback
Burke eased back into football following his cardiologist’s recommended recovery timeline. His return came in week three of the season.
“Before the Schuyler game I talked to his dad and he’s like, ‘I think we might be ready,’” said coach Jay Landstrom.
Bridget Burke says the family approached the return with caution.
“I mean, I was nervous. We didn’t really know how much he would play. It was going to be some cautious situations,” she said.
Those concerns were set aside — at least for a moment — when Burke caught a touchdown pass on his very first play back.
“All the parents were high-fiving everybody and they were like, ‘Was that really Jack?’” Bridget Burke said.
Landstrom called it a special moment.
“It was just meant to be and that was really special,” he said.
For Burke, the touchdown meant something beyond the scoreboard.
“I just remember one of my teammates came up to me and said, ‘He’s back. He’s back,’” Burke said. “It kind of shows something that tried to stop me — I hurdled that obstacle.”
Burke says the surgery has given him a new sense of freedom.
“Now I can do whatever I want. Nothing can hold me back,” he said.
Copyright 2026 Gray Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Nebraska
Nebraska Lottery results: See winning numbers for Pick 3, Pick 5 on April 19, 2026
The results are in for the Nebraska Lottery’s draw games on Sunday, April 19, 2026.
Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on April 19.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 19 drawing
4-3-3
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 5 numbers from April 19 drawing
14-19-24-30-34
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning 2 By 2 numbers from April 19 drawing
Red Balls: 01-02, White Balls: 09-26
Check 2 By 2 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning MyDay numbers from April 19 drawing
Month: 08, Day: 16, Year: 61
Check MyDay payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from April 19 drawing
32-42-52-53-55, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Nebraska Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3, 5: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
- Lucky For Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- 2 By 2: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
- MyDaY: By 10 p.m. CT daily.
- Lotto America: 9:15 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 USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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