Huskers Reach Midway Point of Big Ten Season at Illinois

MATCH PREVIEW
• The No. 3 Nebraska volleyball team continues its three-match road stretch when it takes on Illinois on Saturday at 6 p.m. at Huff Hall in Champaign. The Huskers are in the midst of playing three straight road matches and seven of nine overall away from home over a span of five weeks. Saturday’s match will be televised on Big Ten Network and can be streamed on FoxSports.com. 
• 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

• Nebraska (17-1, 9-0 Big Ten) is riding a 10-match win streak and is the only Big Ten team without a conference loss heading into match No. 10 of the 20-match schedule. Nebraska’s 17-1 start to the season is its best since 2016, when the Big Red went 26-1 before a Nov. 23 loss at Minnesota. 

• The Huskers have won five Big Ten matches in a row by sweep for only the second time since joining the conference in 2011. The only other time NU swept five straight Big Ten matches was in 2016. 

• Nebraska is hitting .254 as a team and is holding opponents to .118 hitting, which leads the nation. The Huskers rank eighth nationally at 2.80 blocks per set. 

• In Big Ten matches only, Nebraska ranks first in opponent hitting percentage (.108), first in opponent kills  allowed (10.63 per set) and first in opponent service aces allowed (0.37).

• Nebraska opened the season in a 5-1 system but has been in a 6-2 system since Sept. 1 against Loyola Marymount. Three setters have all been involved for the Huskers this season: Kennedi Orr (5.54 assists per set), Nicklin Hames (5.06 assists per set) and Anni Evans (4.83 assists per set). In 26 sets played as a setter, however, Hames leads the Big Red with 6.77 assists per set. She returned to the Husker lineup on Oct. 14 against Penn State after a one-month absence with an injury. 

• Hames, who is in her fifth season at NU, has 4,815 career assists and with 10 more will break the Nebraska career record for assists. Fiona Nepo (1995-98) currently holds that…