Volleyball: #2 Nebraska vs #17 Creighton Preview

#2 Nebraska (5-0) vs #17 Creighton (5-1)
When: Wednesday, September 7, 2022, 5:00 pm (CT)
Where: CHI Health Center
Video: FS1
Radio: Husker Radio Network

You will hear lots of names announced tonight after kills and digs. You will hear Norah Sis, Madi Kubik, Lexi Rodriguez and Keeley Davis but what you will hear most of all is the roar from the proud Nebraska fans. So proud of these two top 25 teams that consistently COMPETE on the national scene.

There will be over 14,000 fans in the stands and thousands more watching at home. The volleyball will be great so all fans whether you wear blue, red or mix those and wear purple tonight, will have something to cheer about.

The offense for Creighton runs through their two outside, Norah Sis and Keeley Davis. Those two outside hitters receive 50% of the attempts. These are two top tier outside hitters. They will earn kills tonight. Nebraska had too many blocking errors against Ole Miss so expect Bluejays to hit off hands and try to exploit the Husker block.

The setter, Kendra Wait, is also offensive. She will attack the ball about twice a set and averages 1.18 kills per set. She is effective in her attacks.

Nebraska will serve aggressively in order to move the passers around and force the setter, Wait, off the net. This will lead to even more sets going to the outside hitters but the strategy aims to makes those more out of system sets and therefore higher and more predictable.

Creighton is an average blocking team with 1.91 blocks per set. Nebraska is a good blocking team with 2.90 blocks per set. Nebraska works on blocking consistently in practice but it was an even bigger focus after Ole Miss. Expect improvement in Huskers pressing their hands across the net and sealing closed any holes between their arms and the net.

Blocking performance will make a difference in this match. Kaitlyn Hord, Bekka Allick and Whitney Lauenstein all average over 1 block per set. They will block balls AND they will make Creighton hitters do things as attackers that they either don’t want to do or are not practiced at doing. This will force those hitters into error situations.

Hord has the chance to impact this match offensively too. She is the best middle on the court tonight and if the Husker setters give her the ball she will do damage. The Bluejay middle will have trouble stopping an active Hord on offense. Feed her the ball!!

Nebraska (5-0)

#1 Nicklin Hames 5’10’’ SR Setter/DS
#2 Kenzie Knuckles 5’8’’ SR DS/L
#4 Anni Evans 5’9’’ JR Setter/Serving Specialist
#5 Bekka Allick 6’4’’ FR MB
#7 Maisie Boesiger 5’6’’ FR DS/L
#8 Lexi Rodriguez 5’5’’ SO DS/L
#9 Kennedi Orr 6’0’’ SO Setter
#10 Madi Kubik 6’3’’ SR OH
#13 Whitney Lauenstein 6’2’’ SO OH
#14 Ally Batenhorst 6’5’’ SO OH
#22 Lindsay Krause 6’4’’ SO OH
#23 Kaitlyn Hord 6’4’’ SR MB
#33 Hayden Kubik 6’2’’ FR OH
#44 Maggie Mendelson 6’5’’ FR MB

Creighton (5-1)

#1 Ellie Bolton
#2 Norah Sis
#3 Sky McCune
#5 Kiara Reinhardt
#6 Keeley Davis
#8 Ava Martin
#9 Kiana Schmitt
#11 Bethany Clapp
#15 Kendra Wait
#20 Allison Whitten