Kansas gave Nebraska a fight during a spring match in Grand Island.
But the Huskers made the plays down the stretch to escape the Jayhawks 26-24, 18-25, 25-16, 25-17 in front of a sold-out crowd of a 6,117 Saturday at the Heartland Events Center.
Nebraska was playing its first competitive match since falling in the national championship match last December, while Kansas was in the Sweet 16 last year, which made NU coach John Cook a little nervous before the match, he said.
“Everyone on the team was nervous before the match. The players were so hyped to play and so excited to play and we have a young team,” Cook said. “It was a stressful match to watch. We had to adjust to a lot of stuff but we played a lot smoother as the match went on.”
Madi Kubek, who led the Huskers with 20 kills, said it took a while for the Huskers to get going.
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“I think we were a little jittery going into the match,” she said. “I think it took a while to settle in but I think we played a lot better as the match went on.”
Kansas took it the Huskers early in the first set, jumping to a 12-8 lead.
But Kubik wouldn’t let the Huskers go down. She had eight kills during the first. She had a solo block to give them a 24-23 lead.
Kansas stayed alive on a Rachel Langs block. But after a Whitney Lauenstein kill gave Nebraska its second set point, Kubik hammered down her eighth kill of the set to give the Huskers the first set.
However, the Jayhawks didn’t let the first set affect them as they jumped to a 12-4 lead, forcing Nebraska to play catch-up again.
The closest the Huskers could get was three points a couple of times, but Kansas kept that lead. Gracie Van Driel started a 5-0 run with a kill, then Molly Schultz served the next four points to give the Jayhawks a 22-16 lead, which they wouldn’t give up in taking the second set.
Then Kubik came alive in the third set. She had four straight kills that turned a 14-13 deficit into 17-14 lead, then Lauenstein had a block for an 18-14 lead.
Later, Kubik served the set’s final five points with two ace serves to give the Huskers a third-set win and a 2-1 lead in the match.
Later, Kubik served the set’s final five points with two ace serves to give the Huskers a third-set win and a 2-1 lead in the match.
Cook said Kubik played well when she had to.
“She’s our rock and one of the few players in the country that does everything very well,” Cook said. “She practically won game three for us. She made some great digs and had some big kills when we needed them. She’s one of those six-rotation players that are hard to find and every team need players like her.”
The fourth set was close throughout. But a Kansas service error started a 10-1 surge that turned a 16-15 deficit into a four-set victory, which ended on a Jayhawk net violation. Setter Nicklin Hames served a key 4-0 run during that time.
Lauenstein chipped in 12 kills, while freshman Bekka Allick had six kills. Hames, who opted to return this season, dished out 38 assists.
Cook said he expected a tough fight from the Jayhawks. Anezka Szabo, who used to play for the Huskers, led the Jayhawks with 12 kills on a .455 hitting efficiency.
“This was one of the better competitive spring matches that I can remember playing,” Cook said. “Kansas is very good. They have a nice team with a great setter and they pass very well. It was competitive for these fans to see.”
Cook was able to get 14 players into the match, which included Hayden Kubik, Madi’s younger sister and the No. 1 national recruit. Cook said he wanted to try and get everyone in.
“I tried to but it’s so hard to keep everyone in and not lose our rhythm and momentum.” he said. “I think I got everybody in.”
Cook said he’s excited to see what the Huskers can do once the fall season begins, especially with the Final Four being in Omaha next season.
“I can’t wait ‘til August,” he said. “This is going to be a fun group. We have two more players coming and they are a fun group. We have a great schedule and the Final Four is in Omaha. We got to go for it.”
Huskers enjoyed playing in Grand Island
This is the third time Nebraska has come to Grand Island to play in its spring match.
The Huskers were scheduled to play in 2020 but couldn’t because of COVID.
Once tickets went on sale, they were sold out within eight minutes. The match was also televised statewide on Nebraska Public Media.
“Everytime we come here is awesome,” Cook said. “The crowds are great, the venue is great and the people treat us very, very well. Grand Island gets very excited when we come to play here.”
Lauenstein said the experience was special for her as she has a few family members that live in Clarks, which is just a few miles east of Central City.
“That was special,” Lauenstein said. “It was cool that they were able to drive 30 minutes and come watch us play.”
Kubik said she has never been to Grand Island before, but she said the experience was fun.
“The people here were like ‘hey we love you.’ That’s really special and we get that everywhere we go. I felt the experience here was very similar to playing in Devaney. We’re so thankful for our fans with how loyal they are.”
Caffey status still unclear
Kayla Caffey was at the match but was not able to participate.
Caffey’s status for next season still isn’t finalized. She decided soon after last season that she’d like to play a super-senior season for the Huskers. But she needed to get a waiver from the NCAA to be eligible because she’d be a rare seven-season college athlete, and that process can take time.
“I don’t know when it will get resolved but I hope it gets resolved soon,” Cook said after the match.
City coaches honored at match
Three Grand Island volleyball coaches were recognized before the match.
Former coaches Bill Root of Grand Island Senior High and Diane Rouzee of Northwest, along with current coach Sharon Zavala of Grand Island Central Catholic, were honored for their accomplishments for volleyball in the state of Nebraska.
The three coaches have a combined 2,599 wins between them that involve 17 state championships and 19 runner-ups during their careers.
Cook said it was important to make sure the Grand Island coaches got recognized for their involvement in the sport of volleyball over the years.
“That’s huge that we did that and I felt like we should have done more for them but I hope they felt appreciated. I’m sure they felt the love of our team, our program and the fans,” Cook said. “They are all Hall of Famers and helped create the foundation of volleyball in this state. They have a ton of wins between them. They produced great players over the years.”