Huskers Head to Rutgers, Maryland

• After a 2-0 start to the Big Ten schedule, the No. 3 Nebraska volleyball team hits the road this weekend for two matches in three days. The Huskers play at Rutgers on Friday at 6 p.m. (CT) at Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway, N.J. Nebraska will then head to Maryland to face the Terrapins on Sunday at Noon (CT) at XFINITY Center Pavilion in College Park, Md. 
• Both matches this weekend will be streamed on B1G+ (subscription necessary). 
• The Huskers Radio Network will broadcast all the action on their radio affiliates, including 107.3 FM in Lincoln and AM 590 in Omaha. A live audio stream will be provided at Huskers.com and the Huskers app. John Baylor is in his 29th season doing play-by-play for the Husker volleyball program. Lauren (Cook) West, a former All-America setter for the Huskers, will provide color commentary.

NOTING THE HUSKERS

• The Huskers are hitting .246 as a team and are holding their opponents to .133 hitting, which ranks second nationally. 

• Outside hitter Madi Kubik is averaging a team-high 3.45 kills per set and adds 2.26 digs per set. Kubik surpassed 1,000 career kills on Sept. 10 against Long Beach State, becoming the 24th Husker all-time to reach that mark. 

• Outside hitter Whitney Lauenstein is averaging 3.16 kills per set with a .282 hitting percentage to go with 0.97 blocks per set. Lauenstein had a career-high 25 kills on .385 hitting in a win at No. 17 Creighton on Sept. 7. It was the most kills by a Husker in a match since Mikaela Foecke had 27 kills in the NCAA Championship match against Stanford in 2018. 

• Middle blocker Kaitlyn Hord is averaging 1.42 kills and a team-best 1.39 blocks per set, which ranks 24th nationally. Hord ranks among the NCAA active career leaders in three categories. Entering the week, the Penn State grad transfer ranks No. 2 among active NCAA Division I players in career blocks (575), No. 3 in blocks per set (1.32) and is No. 4 in career hitting percentage (.402). 

• Sophomore libero Lexi Rodriguez is averaging a team-best 4.08 digs per set and is tied for the team lead with seven service aces. Rodriguez is the reigning AVCA National Freshman of the Year and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.  

• Sophomore Lindsay Krause averages 2.23 kills per set for the Big Red. 

• Freshman middle blocker Bekka Allick is…