The No. 4 Nebraska volleyball team welcomes No. 11 Ohio State to the Bob Devaney Sports Center for a pair of top-15 showdowns this weekend. The Huskers and undefeated Buckeyes will battle on Friday at 6 p.m. on NET and Saturday at 8 p.m. Both matches will be broadcast on KBBN 95.3 FM with coverage on the Huskers Sports Network beginning at 5:30 on Friday and 7:30 on Saturday.
About the Huskers
• The Huskers led the Big Ten in defense last season and so far this season have picked up where they left off, holding opponents to .149 hitting to rank second in the conference behind only Wisconsin (.122).
• Nebraska’s .261 season hitting percentage ranks third in the Big Ten behind Wisconsin (.351) and Ohio State (.267).
• Nebraska ranks first in the conference in kills (14.48 per set), assists (13.00 per set) and third in digs (15.12 per set).
• Senior outside hitter Lexi Sun leads the Huskers with 3.94 kills per set with a team-high 12 service aces as well as 2.33 digs per set. She ranks fourth in the Big Ten in kills per set. Sun was named the Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday after averaging 5.17 kills per set on .315 hitting in the two wins at Illinois.
• Senior middle blocker Lauren Stivrins is putting up 3.42 kills per set on a team-high .490 hitting percentage, which ranks first in the Big Ten Conference and fourth nationally.
• Sophomore outside hitter Madi Kubik adds 3.24 kills per set and 2.76 digs per set.
• Junior setter Nicklin Hames paces the Husker attack with 11.21 assists per set – most in the Big Ten – and she chips in 3.12 digs per set with nine service aces.
• Junior middle blocker Kayla Caffey has stepped in for the Huskers and contributed 2.08 kills per set on .411 hitting with 1.31 blocks per set. Caffey ranks fourth in the Big Ten in hitting percentage.
• Junior middle blocker Callie Schwarzenbach leads the team in blocks per set at 1.40.
Scouting Ohio State
• Ohio State, under first-year head coach Jen Flynn Oldenburg, has been the surprise of the Big Ten this season. The Buckeyes were picked to finish seventh in the Big Ten but are off to a 12-0 start, including two wins over No. 12 Penn State. The Buckeyes’ series at Minnesota last weekend was postponed due to COVID issues within the Minnesota program.
• Ohio State ranks second in the Big Ten in hitting percentage (.267) and third in opponent hitting percentage (.177). Freshman Emily Londot leads OSU with 3.80 kills per set. Setter Mac Podraza adds 10.63 assists per set and has been named Big Ten Setter of the Week twice this season.
Series History
• Nebraska is 16-7 all-time against Ohio State and has won five in a row since 2016 after the Buckeyes had taken three straight in the series, including two in Lincoln, from 2014-16. As Big Ten foes, Nebraska holds a 9-4 record against Ohio State. The teams met once in 2019, a 25-15, 25-16, 25-19 Husker win in Lincoln.
