Nebraska had to work for it, but the Huskers found their rhythm after dropping the opening set and turned a shaky start into a 3-1 win over Georgia Tech.
The Yellow Jackets came out swinging and briefly had Nebraska on its heels, especially in the first set when Georgia Tech hit .370 and kept the Huskers uncomfortable with tough serving and strong blocking. Nebraska’s offense settled in around the middle, but the early errors and the pressure from the serve game made the Huskers dig out of a 14-20 hole before Georgia Tech eventually closed out the set 26-24 after Nebraska had four set points.
From there, Nebraska started to chip away.
In the second set, Georgia Tech jumped out to a 5-0 lead behind two aces from Magda Kobaidze, but the Huskers steadied themselves with blocks, a kill from Mania Ogbechie, and a stronger stretch from the service line. Keri Leimbach helped spark the comeback again, and Skyler Pierce delivered two kills to push Nebraska ahead 20-15. Ogbechie finished it off, and the Huskers evened the match with a 25-17 set win.
The momentum carried into the third. Nebraska opened with a 3-0 run and kept building, with Pierce and Ogbechie helping the Huskers surge to a 15-6 lead.
Georgia Tech made a push of its own and trimmed the margin, but Nebraska answered and became the first team to reach 20. A service error handed the Huskers the set, 25-18.
The fourth set was Nebraska’s cleanest stretch of the match. After a rough opening with several service errors from both sides, Georgia Tech briefly grabbed an 8-7 lead.
Then Teraya Sigler, who had been benched early and later came in for Harper Murray, made an immediate impact as Nebraska rolled into a 5-0 run. Laney Choboy followed with an ace to get the Huskers to the media break up 15-9, then served through a 9-0 run that included three aces and stretched the lead to 22-10.
Pierce ended it with a kill off the block as Nebraska finished the match 25-12.
Ogbechie led the way again with 12 kills, hit .526, and added five blocks. Pierce finished with 10 kills, hit .348, and had two blocks. Bergan Reilly posted a double-double with 41 assists and 13 digs, and she also had three kills and an ace.
Nebraska finished with eight aces, while Georgia Tech had seven. The Huskers also held the Yellow Jackets to .112 hitting for the match after Georgia Tech opened the day at .370 in the first set.
In Other News...
Nebraska Unveiled An Old School Wrinkle Fans Will Want More Of
Anthony Jones Jr. gave Nebraska a little old-school flavor in the win over Ohio, lining up as a fullback and helping clear the way for touchdowns while still making his presence felt on defense. The defensive lineman also made three tackles in his Husker debut, a tidy start that only added to the value coaches have already seen in his versatility and leadership.
Jones is expected to keep contributing on defense when Nebraska meets Bowling Green next, but the wrinkle he brought to the offense was the kind of detail fans tend to notice quickly. It is not every day a lineman can help in the trenches on one side of the ball and then step into a lead-blocking role on the other, which is part of why his early impact has stood out. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Gets A Key Defender Back With One Big Concern
Owen Chambliss is working his way back at a time when Nebraska could use another steady piece on defense. The linebacker has been dealing with a hamstring injury that kept him out of practice and cut into his availability last game, but the coaching staff is still holding out hope he can get on the field against Bowling Green. His value goes beyond simple depth, too, since Chambliss has already shown he can be a key defender and knows defensive coordinator Rob Aurichs system well.
Even so, there is still real uncertainty around how much he can handle in game action. Hamstring issues can be tricky, and Nebraska does not sound ready to lock in a role for him just yet. For a defense trying to build consistency early, getting Chambliss back in any capacity would help, but the bigger question is whether he can return with enough confidence and enough burst to matter right away. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Looked Every Bit Like No. 1 Against Baylor
Nebraska kept rolling at John Cook Arena, handling Baylor in straight sets and looking every bit like the top-ranked team in the building. The Huskers won 25-20, 25-22 and 26-24 behind balanced production, with Manaia Ogbechie and Harper Murray each putting down 12 kills and Bergen Reilly steering the offense with a season-high 41 assists.
Reilly also added three aces as Nebraska improved to 6-0, while Baylor dropped to 5-2 after pushing the final set deep into extra points. Ogbechies breakthrough night gave the Huskers another efficient option at the net, and the way Nebraska closed out each set suggested a team that is already settling into the kind of rhythm that can make early-season rankings feel less like a snapshot and more like a warning. [Read more 🡒]