Tag: Merritt Beason

Three Huskers named to U.S. Women’s National Team for upcoming tournament

Merritt Beason, Taylor Landfair, and Lexi Rodriguez will compete in the NORCECA Women’s Final Six Pan American Cup on June 26-30 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Three Nebraska volleyball players have been named to the United States Women’s National Team for an upcoming tournament. Merritt Beason, Taylor Landfair, and Lexi Rodriguez will compete in the NORCECA Women’s Final Six Pan American Cup on June 26-30 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

U.S. Women’s Head Coach Karch Kiraly said this opportunity is the beginning of a cycle that leads to 2028.

“We are treating NORCECA Final 6 as the first tournament of the new Olympic cycle that eventually leads to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. We are really excited about the future possibilities and potential of the athletes on this roster who will represent our women’s senior national team. Many of these athletes have the potential to have a real impact with our U.S. National Team on the international level in years to come.”

The U.S. Women are the defending tournament champions, having won the 2023 edition in Rostratter. The women’s first game will take place on Wednesday, June 26 at 4:00 p.m. CT vs. Mexico.

Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.

Nebraska volleyball sweeps Pitt to advance to the NCAA Championship

The No. 1 ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers entered the Final Four of the NCAA volleyball tournament on Thursday night, facing off against Pittsburgh.

The No. 1 ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers entered the Final Four of the NCAA volleyball tournament on Thursday night, facing off against Pittsburgh. The Huskers swept the Panthers (25-20, 25-23, 25-17) in dominating fashion to advance to its 11th NCAA Championship Game.

The Huskers held the lead for nearly the entire match, trailing for just four rallies. Nebraska hit .245 against Pittsburgh and limited the Panthers to a .137 attack percentage, which marked Pitt’s second-lowest mark of the season and its lowest since its season opener against BYU.

Harper Murray racked up the most kills for the Huskers, landing 13 off 33 attacks while also earning five digs. Merritt Beason followed with eight kills off 26 attacks and accompanied it with five blocks, four digs, and four service aces. Ally Batenhorst also tallied up eight kills off 21 attacks and added four blocks.

Bekka Allick led the block for Nebraska, putting up 10 in the win. Allick also racked up four kills off seven attacks. Andi Jackson added to the offense with five kills off nine attacks. Bergen Reilly once again delivered in set assists, serving up 31. Lexi Rodriguez finished as the team leader in digs with 14.

With the win, Nebraska advances to the NCAA Championship, where it’ll take on Texas on Sunday afternoon. The match is set for 2 p.m. and will be televised on ABC.

Four Huskers named to AVCA All-American Team

Four Nebraska volleyball players were named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America Teams on Wednesday morning.

On Wednesday morning, four Nebraska volleyball players were named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America Teams. Merritt Beason and Lexi Rodriguez were named to the AVCA All-America First Team.

Setter Bergen Reilly was selected to the AVCA All-America Second Team, while outside hitter Harper Murray was named to the Third Team. Rodriguez is now a three-time All-American, while Beason, Reilly, and Murray are all first-time selections.

The No. 1 ranked Cornhuskers are 32-1 and will take the floor on Thursday night in the Final Four. Nebraska will face Pittsburgh at 6:00 p.m. in Tampa, Florida.

Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.

Nebraska volleyball takes down Arkansas to punch its ticket to the Final Four

The No. 1 Huskers concluded the second week of the NCAA Tournament in the Elite Eight.

The No. 1 Huskers concluded the second week of the NCAA Tournament in the Elite Eight. One team stood in their way from heading to Tampa, No. 9 and third-seed Arkansas. The Razorbacks brought the fight to Nebraska, hanging with them throughout three of the four sets. But the Huskers held their ground at home and took down Arkansas (26-24, 25-14, 21-25,25-22) to punch their ticket to the Final Four.

The defense was the name of the game in the win. Both teams finished the night under .200 in hitting, falling victim to blocks, digs, and attack errors. The Razorbacks did have an advantage over Nebraska in one category: service aces. Arkansas finished the match with eight aces, while the Huskers only shot one. But Nebraska triumphed in every other stat category, finishing with 57 kills off 155 attacks, 78 digs, and 17 blocks.

Merritt Beason and Harper Murray acted as the main driving force for the Huskers’ offense, combining 34 kills off 89 attacks. The duo also combined for 23 digs to add to Nebraska’s defensive showing. Bekka Allick finished as the Huskers’ lead blocker, racking up 12 for a career-high.

Bergen Reilly again finished with another stellar showing at setter, delivering 40 set assists and 16 digs. Lexi Rodriguez finished as Nebraska’s leader in digs, cracking 20 for the first time this season. Freshman Laney Choboy also served up a collection of digs, earning 13 to be one shy of her season high.

The Huskers travel down to Tampa, Florida, and will play Pittsburgh in the Final Four for the second straight time. The match is set for Thursday night, but the time is to be determined.

Nebraska volleyball advances to Sweet Sixteen following sweep over Missouri

The No. 1 Huskers returned to postseason action with the second round of the NCAA Tournament Saturday night.

The No. 1 Huskers returned to postseason action with the second round of the NCAA Tournament Saturday night. Nebraska played host to eighth-seeded Missouri and swept the Tigers to advance to the Sweet Sixteen.

The Huskers once again brought a powerhouse showing to ensure victory over Missouri. Nebraska produced 35 kills off 87 attacks and 14 total blocks, while the Tigers finished with 36 kills off 101 attacks and five total blocks. Attack errors also plagued Missouri as it suffered 27 in the match, while the Huskers only saw 12.

Merritt Beason continued to be Nebraska’s leader in the kill column, this time racking up 12 off 23 attacks. Bergen Reilly accompanied Beason’s offensive performance by delivering an all-around showcase. The freshman finished the match with 26 set assists, 10 digs, four service aces, and two blocks while also snatching two kills off five attacks.

Lexi Rodriguez earned the honors of being the Huskers’ leader in digs on the night, tallying up 11 while also earning three set assists. Bekka Allick and freshman Andi Jackson led the block party in the win. Allick put up eight, while Jackson delivered six.

Nebraska will remain host for the Sweet Sixteen and the Elite Eight as it welcomes Georgia Tech, Kentucky, and either Arkansas or TCU. The Huskers will face off against Georgia Tech for the Sweet Sixteen next week.

 

Nebraska volleyball sweeps Long Island in opening round

The No. 1 Huskers began the NCAA tournament for the 42nd consecutive season, hosting the Northeast Conference Champions, Long Island.

The No. 1 Huskers began the NCAA tournament for the 42nd consecutive season, hosting Northeast Conference Champions, Long Island. Nebraska swept the Sharks (25-13, 25-16, 25-22) to advance to the second round.

The Huskers controlled the match from the start despite Long Island attempting a comeback in the third set. Nebraska finished the night with 44 kills off 100 attacks, while the Sharks only produced 28 kills off 93 attacks.

Merritt Beason led the Huskers in the win, racking up 13 kills off 23 attacks, along with seven digs. Freshman Harper Murray finished second on the night for Nebraska in kills, delivering nine off 26 attacks while also snatching eight digs.

Freshman Laney Choboy topped the Huskers’ stats sheet for digs, cracking double-digits with ten on the night. Freshman Bergen Reilly meanwhile continued her role as setter, aiding with 33 set assists, nine digs, and even three service aces.

Nebraska advances to the second round of the tournament and will play host to Missouri on Saturday night. The match is set for 7:00 p.m. and can be viewed on ESPN+. The winner will advance to the Sweet Sixteen to take on Georgia Tech.

 

Husker volleyball dominate Big Ten Conference honors

The Nebraska volleyball team dominated the postseason honors for the Big Ten Conference.

The Nebraska volleyball team dominated the postseason honors for the Big Ten Conference. The Huskers would see seven team members win awards, including head coach John Cook, who was named the Big Ten Volleyball Coach of the Year.

The Huskers would win four of the five individual awards. Junior libero Lexi Rodriguez won Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year for the second time. Bergen Reilly was named Setter of the Year and is the first freshman to win Setter of the Year, and Harper Murray was awarded Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

Those three players and Merritt Beason were named All-Big Ten First Team. Beason and Rodriguez were unanimous selections. It’s the first time the Huskers have had four first-team selections since it joined the Big Ten in 2011. Bekka Allick and Andi Jackson were also named second-team All-Big Ten.

Nebraska volleyball earns 25th win with 3-1 victory over Illinois

The No. 1 ranked Huskers hosted Illinois in their only matchup of the season on Sunday afternoon.

The No. 1 ranked Huskers hosted Illinois in their only matchup of the season on Sunday afternoon. Nebraska dominated the first two sets, winning both 25-14, but Illinois attempted to upset the Huskers by winning the third set and attempting to win the fourth. Nebraska stood its ground in set four to take the win (25-14, 25-14, 24-26, 25-22).

The Huskers provided an all-around performance in their 25th straight win of the season, with four players reaching double-digits in kills. Bekka Allick finished as the top Nebraska player in kills, earning 12 off of 19 attacks. She also led the team in blocks with five.

Merritt Beason and Ally Batenhorst each finished with 11 kills. Beason added eight digs, four blocks, and three service aces in the Huskers’ win. Freshman Harper Murray rounded out the double-digit squad with ten kills off 35 attacks while providing seven digs and four service aces.

Another notable performer on offense was Andi Jackson. The freshman delivered nine kills off 11 attacks for an attack percentage of .818. Freshman Bergen Reilly provided excellent support with 45 set assists and eight digs, while Lexi Rodriguez led the team in digs with 16.

Nebraska will host its final home match of the regular season against Michigan. The match is set for Friday at 8:00 p.m. and can be viewed on Big Ten Network.

Nebraska volleyball defeats Northwestern in four-sets

The No. 1 ranked Huskers began their first of three of their final home matches of the season on Wednesday night.

The No. 1 ranked Huskers began their first of three of their final home matches of the season on Wednesday night. Nebraska began the stretch by hosting Northwestern and defeating them in a four-set bout (28-26, 24-26, 25-11, 25-20).

The Huskers and Wildcats split the first two sets of the match in an aggressive fashion, taking them both past 25 points. Nebraska took control of the match in the third set, decimating Northwestern 25-11, before taking set four 25-20.

The Wildcats finished ahead of the Huskers in total attacks, attempting 140 over Nebraska’s 126. But Northwestern only delivered 50 kills while the Huskers racked up 56. Merritt Beason and freshman Harper Murray acted as the main driving force for Nebraska. The duo combined for 26 kills off 73 attacks, 17 digs and seven blocks.

Bekka Allick and Ally Batenhorst also finished with double-digit kills in the win. Allick went 11-of-16 and led the team in blocks with seven. Batenhorst delivered ten kills for Nebraska off 21 attacks. Freshman Andi Jackson also had a notable performance, tallying up eight kills from 10 attacks and completing six blocks. Freshman Bergen Reilly led the Huskers in assists and digs, racking up 45 and 12, respectively.

Nebraska is now 24-0, its best start to a season since 2005. The team continues their home stand on Sunday, where they’ll welcome in Illinois. The match is set for 2:00 p.m. and can be viewed on Nebraska Public Media and B1G+.

Pair of Huskers earn weekly conference awards

A pair of Husker volleyball players have won weekly Big Ten awards.

A pair of Husker volleyball players have won weekly Big Ten awards. Merritt Beason was named Big Ten Player of the Week, and Bergen Reilly was announced as the Big Ten Setter of the Week. 

This is the fourth time that Beason was named the conference player of the week. This is also the fourth time that Reilly has won the Setter of the Week award. 

Beason had a career-high 27 kills with a .426 hitting percentage, along with five digs and one ace in a 3-2 win over Penn State. She followed that up with a record-setting match against Rutgers. 

The junior had 21 kills in a three-set sweep over the Scarlet Knights. She tied Kelsey Robinson for the most kills by a Husker in a three-set match, which goes back to 2008. 

Reilly averaged 11.88 assists per set and 3.13 digs while posting double-doubles in both matches. The No. 1 ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers will host the Northwest Wildcats on Wednesday with a start time at 7:00 p.m.

Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.