Indiana volleyball traveled to Lincoln, Nebraska to play the defending national runners-up Wednesday night. Nebraska has yet to lose to an unranked team at home in the past nine years and continued this streak against the Hoosiers. Indiana kept the sets competitive but ultimately fell to Nebraska 3-0.
[Related: Indiana volleyball goes 1-1 over weekend against Rutgers, No. 12 Purdue]
Indiana sophomore setter Camryn Haworth earned the first point of the night with a service ace in the first set. Off to a dominant start, Indiana held an early lead of 6-3 in the first set. A kill by Haworth in the middle of the set leveled the score to 13 apiece.
Sophomore outside hitter Mady Saris delivered a kill late in the first set to put Indiana within one point. Then, Indiana and Nebraska both conducted service errors, allowing Nebraska to lead 23-22. Nebraska closed out the game by collecting its final three points and winning the first set 25-22.
Head coach Steve Aird took a timeout early in the second set to help the Hoosiers regroup after they fell behind early in the first set 9-3. Sophomore outside hitter Kenzie Daffinee dispensed back-to-back kills, hushing the opposing crowd and compressing Nebraska’s lead to 13-11. Freshman outside hitter Candela Alonso-Corcelles provided a kill late, but Nebraska found the final two points to win the second set 25-18.
With a kill from Saris in the middle of the third set, Indiana found itself within three of Nebraska, 11-14. Consecutive kills from junior outside hitter Morgan Geddes convinced the Cornhuskers’ head coach John Cook to take a time-out late in the third set. After the huddle, though, Nebraska went on a 5-2 run and won the third set 25-19.
Both Saris and Geddes collected double digits kills in the evening, marking the 21st time this season Saris has had over 10 kills in a match. And, for the ninth time in a row, senior defensive specialist Paula Cerame had double-digits digs with 11 on the night.
Indiana will continue its stretch of road games and will play against No. 3 Wisconsin at 2 p.m. Nov. 6 in Madison, Wisconsin. The match will be streamed on BTN+.
