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Husker VB matches on BTN today


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I just watched the Illinois match last night. It was classic Nebraska volleyball. Big hits, big blocks, tough digs, and a setter that is out-of-her-mind good. Cook (the setter) can throw up any set from about anywhere on the court at just about any time, it seems. She's ridiculous, in a very good way.

 

Werth is a holy terror on the left side. You give her a paper-thin gap and she's going to punch that hit through, and God help your back court if you don't close the block fast enough.

 

Mancuso is turning into the fine all-around player she was billed as coming out of high school. Lots of folks were saying she would be better than Dani, and she may very well be. Dani was a tough competitor, but G-Train seems to have all the tools, the superlative court vision, and she also plays very solid defense behind the block. That kill she had from the back court in the third set where she just ripped it off the face of the blocker – wicked. Nasty. Brutal. But beautiful.

 

We have a LOT of star power on this team. Werth, Cook, Mancuso – they're just the start. Thramer is really rounding into shape. She's improved tremendously on the net, both blocking and hitting. Brooke Delano is as solid as ever, and seems to be building as the year goes on (she had off-season surgery, remember, then spent all summer planking with Zac Lee).

 

Morgan Broekhuis has some moments where she's out of synch, but when she gets going she is a brutal attacker. Her defense is outstanding, she's talented enough to allow Cook (the coach) the ability to pull Cook (the setter) for Simpson to block and let Morgan set. What kind of weapon is that? That's almost unfair from a 6-4 right-side hitter.

 

I am pretty sure we could dig up a thread after the Red/White Match where I was nervous about this team. I came away from that match concerned. They just looked shaky. They looked out of sorts. I thought they should have been in much better form, and I was concerned heading into the Big Ten, which is a tremendously tough conference (not at all like the Big XII). Here we are two months into the season, and things seem to be working out OK.

 

We had one five-set loss to then-#15 Colorado State, at their house, in front of a huge crowd. We were up 2-0 and very clearly started coasting, and it cost us the match.

 

We were middling around through the next few matches, and then came Penn State. Same thing happened that happened against CSU – we went up 2-0, then the opponent came roaring back and forced a fifth game. You could see the surprise, almost shock, on the faces on the bench between Game 4 and Game 5. I was very concerned, and figured we were going to lose to Penn State, again.

 

But a funny thing happened. They found themselves, there on the bench, and the fifth game was a near-rout. That was probably our defining moment from this season. They realized their potential, saw it out there, and went and grabbed it.

 

It's been a tsunami ever since. It seems we keep rolling along, building and building, and we're playing ball at a really high level right now.

 

I doubt we'll go undefeated in Big Ten play. We still have to play at Penn State, at Illinois and at Purdue, and we have Michigan State, Michigan and Minnesota coming to the Coliseum. That's a lot of very tough matches to presume we'll go undefeated. But you have to like our chances in every single match.

 

It's been a fun ride thus far, halfway through the inaugural Big Ten schedule. Can't wait to see the second half.

 

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