Ansley-Litchfield 60 @ Medicine Valley 33

<h2>Football</h2>Ansley-Litchfield 60 @ Medicine Valley 33Arapahoe 67 @ Southern Valley 6Bridgeport 26 @ Perkins County 20Broken Bow 21 @ Ord 14Chadron 22 vs Gothenburg 6Cozad 46 vs Chase County 24Dundy County Stratton 50 vs Hi-Line 7Gering 26 @ Ogallala 8Loomis 46 vs Maywood-Hayes Center 6Mullen 47 vs Brady 8North Platte 47 vs Lincoln Northeast 21North Platte St. Patrick's 1 vs Alma 0Overton 40 vs Hitchcock County 20Sutherland 72 @ Morrill 26

Area Sports scores 9-20

Lincoln - In a prime-time showdown between unbeaten top-25 teams, No. 24 Illinois made plays on both sides of the ball in overtime to hand No. 22 Nebraska its first loss of the season on Friday night.

Playing in front of the 400th consecutive sellout at Memorial Stadium with 86,936 fans on hand and a FOX national TV audience, the Huskers suffered a 31-24 loss after taking a 24-17 lead on the opening play of the fourth quarter. Nebraska slipped to 3-1 overall and 0-1 in the Big Ten, while Illinois improved to 4-0 and 1-0 in the conference.

Dylan Raiola's one-yard touchdown pass to Janiran Bonner was Raiola's third scoring strike of the night, as the freshman completed 24-of-35 passes for 297 yards, including a pair of touchdowns to Isaiah Neyor. The transfer wide receiver finished with four catches for 90 yards in the game, including a 44-yard catch on NU's final scoring drive. 

Fellow transfer Jahmal Banks led the Big Red with eight catches for 94 yards, while tight end Thomas Fidone II added two catches for a career-high 46 yards, including a career-long 29-yard catch on NU's go-ahead drive to open the final period.

Following Nebraska's go-ahead score, the Illini answered with a nine-play, 75-yard drive that was capped by a six-yard pass from Luke Altmyer to Brandon Harrison with 10:36 left. 

Nebraska's ensuing drive was filled with mistakes, but the Blackshirts stepped up as Ceyair Wright forced a fumble by Altmyer that was recovered by Mikai Gbayor on the Illini's next drive. 

Raiola and the offense moved the ball 41 yards to the Illinois 21, thanks in part to 18 yards on four carries from Dante Dowdell early in the drive. Dowdell led all rushers in the game with 72 yards on 20 totes.

The Huskers faced a 3rd-and-3 at the Illinois 21, when Raiola saw Luke Lindenmeyer come free behind the Illini defense in the end zone, but Raiola's pass was too long for Lindenmeyer to reach. The Huskers attempted a 39-yard field goal, but John Hohl missed the kick wide left to leave the game tied at 24 with just under three minutes remaining.

The Illini took over and picked up two quick first downs on the ground, before the Blackshirts stiffened to force a punt on 4th-and-9 from the NU 48. Nebraska started deep inside its own 10-yard line with 26 seconds left and chose to run out the clock and head to overtime.

Nebraska won the toss and chose to defend, but the Blackshirts surrendered a 21-yard run by Kaden Feagin on the first play of overtime. The next play resulted in Altmyer's fourth touchdown pass of the game with a four-yard connection to Pat Bryant. For Bryant, who led Illinois with five receptions for 74 yards, it was his second touchdown catch of the game. 

Altmyer finished the game with 215 yards on 21-of-27 passing, while adding 10 carries for 21 yards, despite a pair of Husker sacks. Feagin led the Illinois rushing attack with 69 yards on 12 carries, while Josh McCray contributed 38 yards on nine carries.

Nebraska's attempt to answer in overtime was unsuccessful, including a false start and three sacks of Raiola, as the Huskers lost their eighth consecutive overtime game dating back to 2014. Raiola had only been sacked twice in regulation, matching the two sacks suffered by Altmyer and the Illini.

After an entertaining first half, Nebraska took a 17-10 lead to the locker room following Raiola's 11-yard touchdown pass to Neyor with 16 seconds left. It was the second touchdown grab of the half by Neyor, who also scored NU's first touchdown in the middle of the end zone to put the Big Red up 10-7 at the end of the first quarter.

Neyor's highlight reel catch on the Husker sideline in the end zone capped a nine-play, 70-yard drive that consumed 3:06 and also featured a 27-yard pass from Raiola to Banks to convert a crucial 3rd-and-6 from the Illinois 38. 

It was the fifth catch of the half by Banks, who finished with 61 receiving yards in the opening 30 minutes. 

Raiola finished the half with 156 yards while completing 16-of-23 with two touchdowns. He and Neyor both had a third touchdown wiped off the books midway through the second quarter. Raiola hooked up with Neyor on a 36-yard strike that was ruled a touchdown initially on the field after Neyor was in possession of both the ball across the goal line and his foot down in the end zone as he was falling to the turf. However, the Illini's Torrie Cox Jr. continued to fight for the ball as Neyor went to the ground in the middle of the end zone near the Husker sideline. Cox took the ball from Neyor and replay overturned the touchdown, keeping the game tied at 10 until Raiola and Neyor's final connection of the half. 

Dowdell also had a strong first half, carrying 13 times for 54 yards to power a Nebraska running game that put up 79 yards on the ground, including 13 from Neyor to set up his first touchdown catch. Rahmir Johnson added three carries for 13 yards in the opening half.

Illinois looked sharp to open the game, stopping Nebraska's opening drive after allowing one first down, before marching 78 yards in just eight plays capped by Altmyer's 27-yard touchdown pass to Bryant. The scoring strike gave the Fighting Illini a 7-0 lead just over three minutes into the game.

Raiola and the Huskers answered with an 18-play, 72-yard drive that chewed up 8:39 on the clock, but Nebraska settled for a 21-yard field goal by Hohl to cut the Illinois lead to 7-3 with 3:15 left in the first period.

The Blackshirst then came up with a big play, as John Bullock forced a fumble after Altmyer's 14-yard completion to Hank Beatty. DeShon Singleton recovered the fumble to set Raiola and the offense up at the Illinois 37. Bullock led the Blackshirts with nine tackles, while Singleton, Wright, Gbayor and MJ Sherman all added six stops.

Dowdell quickly chewed up 18 yards on two carries, before Neyor's 13-yard run to set up Raiola's six-yard scoring strike to him to give NU a 10-7 lead. Illinois answered with a 26-yard field goal after an eight-play, 62-yard drive to tie the game at 10.

For the game, Nebraska finished with 345 total yards, but was set back 25 yards in overtime after closing regulation with 370 yards. The Huskers finished regulation with 86 yards, but the three sacks of Raiola went for minus-38 rushing yards. The Huskers were also flagged nine times for 89 yards in the game, compared to just three penalties for 20 yards by Illinois.

Illinois finished with 381 total yards after producing 356 in regulation. The Illini produced 166 rushing yards.

Nebraska makes its first road trip of the season next Saturday, when the Huskers travel to West Lafayette, Ind., to face Purdue. Kick-off against the Boilermakers is set for 11 a.m. (CT).

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726926974821.jpeg" alt="Dylan Raiola's 11-yard touchdown pass to Neyor with 16 seconds in 2nd Quarter left vs. Illinois (photo courtesty Husker Athletics)" />
 <figcaption>Dylan Raiola's 11-yard touchdown pass to Neyor with 16 seconds in 2nd Quarter left vs. Illinois (photo courtesty Husker Athletics)</figcaption>
 </figure>Written by Jeff GrieschLincoln - In a prime-time showdown between unbeaten top-25 teams, No. 24 Illinois made plays on both sides of the ball in overtime to hand No. 22 Nebraska its first loss of the season on Friday night.Playing in front of the 400th consecutive sellout at Memorial Stadium with 86,936 fans on hand and a FOX national TV audience, the Huskers suffered a 31-24 loss after taking a 24-17 lead on the opening play of the fourth quarter. Nebraska slipped to 3-1 overall and 0-1 in the Big Ten, while Illinois improved to 4-0 and 1-0 in the conference.Dylan Raiola's one-yard touchdown pass to Janiran Bonner was Raiola's third scoring strike of the night, as the freshman completed 24-of-35 passes for 297 yards, including a pair of touchdowns to Isaiah Neyor. The transfer wide receiver finished with four catches for 90 yards in the game, including a 44-yard catch on NU's final scoring drive. Fellow transfer Jahmal Banks led the Big Red with eight catches for 94 yards, while tight end Thomas Fidone II added two catches for a career-high 46 yards, including a career-long 29-yard catch on NU's go-ahead drive to open the final period.Following Nebraska's go-ahead score, the Illini answered with a nine-play, 75-yard drive that was capped by a six-yard pass from Luke Altmyer to Brandon Harrison with 10:36 left. Nebraska's ensuing drive was filled with mistakes, but the Blackshirts stepped up as Ceyair Wright forced a fumble by Altmyer that was recovered by Mikai Gbayor on the Illini's next drive. Raiola and the offense moved the ball 41 yards to the Illinois 21, thanks in part to 18 yards on four carries from Dante Dowdell early in the drive. Dowdell led all rushers in the game with 72 yards on 20 totes.The Huskers faced a 3rd-and-3 at the Illinois 21, when Raiola saw Luke Lindenmeyer come free behind the Illini defense in the end zone, but Raiola's pass was too long for Lindenmeyer to reach. The Huskers attempted a 39-yard field goal, but John Hohl missed the kick wide left to leave the game tied at 24 with just under three minutes remaining.The Illini took over and picked up two quick first downs on the ground, before the Blackshirts stiffened to force a punt on 4th-and-9 from the NU 48. Nebraska started deep inside its own 10-yard line with 26 seconds left and chose to run out the clock and head to overtime.Nebraska won the toss and chose to defend, but the Blackshirts surrendered a 21-yard run by Kaden Feagin on the first play of overtime. The next play resulted in Altmyer's fourth touchdown pass of the game with a four-yard connection to Pat Bryant. For Bryant, who led Illinois with five receptions for 74 yards, it was his second touchdown catch of the game. Altmyer finished the game with 215 yards on 21-of-27 passing, while adding 10 carries for 21 yards, despite a pair of Husker sacks. Feagin led the Illinois rushing attack with 69 yards on 12 carries, while Josh McCray contributed 38 yards on nine carries.Nebraska's attempt to answer in overtime was unsuccessful, including a false start and three sacks of Raiola, as the Huskers lost their eighth consecutive overtime game dating back to 2014. Raiola had only been sacked twice in regulation, matching the two sacks suffered by Altmyer and the Illini.After an entertaining first half, Nebraska took a 17-10 lead to the locker room following Raiola's 11-yard touchdown pass to Neyor with 16 seconds left. It was the second touchdown grab of the half by Neyor, who also scored NU's first touchdown in the middle of the end zone to put the Big Red up 10-7 at the end of the first quarter.Neyor's highlight reel catch on the Husker sideline in the end zone capped a nine-play, 70-yard drive that consumed 3:06 and also featured a 27-yard pass from Raiola to Banks to convert a crucial 3rd-and-6 from the Illinois 38. It was the fifth catch of the half by Banks, who finished with 61 receiving yards in the opening 30 minutes. Raiola finished the half with 156 yards while completing 16-of-23 with two touchdowns. He and Neyor both had a third touchdown wiped off the books midway through the second quarter. Raiola hooked up with Neyor on a 36-yard strike that was ruled a touchdown initially on the field after Neyor was in possession of both the ball across the goal line and his foot down in the end zone as he was falling to the turf. However, the Illini's Torrie Cox Jr. continued to fight for the ball as Neyor went to the ground in the middle of the end zone near the Husker sideline. Cox took the ball from Neyor and replay overturned the touchdown, keeping the game tied at 10 until Raiola and Neyor's final connection of the half. Dowdell also had a strong first half, carrying 13 times for 54 yards to power a Nebraska running game that put up 79 yards on the ground, including 13 from Neyor to set up his first touchdown catch. Rahmir Johnson added three carries for 13 yards in the opening half.Illinois looked sharp to open the game, stopping Nebraska's opening drive after allowing one first down, before marching 78 yards in just eight plays capped by Altmyer's 27-yard touchdown pass to Bryant. The scoring strike gave the Fighting Illini a 7-0 lead just over three minutes into the game.Raiola and the Huskers answered with an 18-play, 72-yard drive that chewed up 8:39 on the clock, but Nebraska settled for a 21-yard field goal by Hohl to cut the Illinois lead to 7-3 with 3:15 left in the first period.The Blackshirst then came up with a big play, as John Bullock forced a fumble after Altmyer's 14-yard completion to Hank Beatty. DeShon Singleton recovered the fumble to set Raiola and the offense up at the Illinois 37. Bullock led the Blackshirts with nine tackles, while Singleton, Wright, Gbayor and MJ Sherman all added six stops.Dowdell quickly chewed up 18 yards on two carries, before Neyor's 13-yard run to set up Raiola's six-yard scoring strike to him to give NU a 10-7 lead. Illinois answered with a 26-yard field goal after an eight-play, 62-yard drive to tie the game at 10.For the game, Nebraska finished with 345 total yards, but was set back 25 yards in overtime after closing regulation with 370 yards. The Huskers finished regulation with 86 yards, but the three sacks of Raiola went for minus-38 rushing yards. The Huskers were also flagged nine times for 89 yards in the game, compared to just three penalties for 20 yards by Illinois.Illinois finished with 381 total yards after producing 356 in regulation. The Illini produced 166 rushing yards.Nebraska makes its first road trip of the season next Saturday, when the Huskers travel to West Lafayette, Ind., to face Purdue. Kick-off against the Boilermakers is set for 11 a.m. (CT).

Huskers fall in Overtime to Illinois

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 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sMQC6WWwYUQ"></iframe>
 <figcaption>Kwik Stop Pregame @ 5:30 PM</figcaption>
 </figure>

Football - Lincoln Northeast @ NPHS Bulldogs

Story by NU Athletic Communications

Nebraska head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/staff/matt-rhule">Matt Rhule</a>&nbsp;met with members of the media following Wednesday’s practice. He spoke on adjusting to gametime decisions and maintaining energy going into Friday night’s game.&nbsp;

“One thing we try to teach the players is that you prepare through the event,” he said. “It’s an old Al Golden saying when I used to work for him; the hay is in the barn. We don’t believe that. As you get in the game, you see how they’re playing and you try to adjust. We have a lot of work to do, but so far the guys have worked hard. We’ll keep trying to pick up steam heading into the game on Friday night.”&nbsp;

Rhule talked about being able to get many players involved on offense.

“We’ve thrown a lot of drop-back,” he said. “So when you throw drop-back, it’s progression one, two, three. You can get touches to guys by calling screens and things, which we do some of that. Let’s get the ball to this guy, get the ball to that guy. Last game we came out, we had a lot of tempo drop-back. Dylan’s pretty good at that. When you go to drop-back passes, the ball finds the open receiver. They pressured us and he threw the hot swing route. They blitzed us, he threw the glance to Isaiah (Neyor). It’s a good challenge to have, there’s only one ball. It’s hard to get everyone involved, I’m sure a ton of guys want to touch the ball more. I thought the wideouts played really well last week. They got open, the ball came to them. Dylan’s not afraid to work his way through all the progressions. He’s hit the fifth progression a couple times which is great to see.”&nbsp;

He also discussed the number of carries he’d like each running back to have.

“Every game is different,” he said. “Last game, I didn’t see the need to put a ton of carries on Dante (Dowdell) with a short week coming up, or our staff didn’t, and that’s pretty high level thinking by those guys. This game is different. As I’ve said, I’d like to have one guy in the low twenties, one guy around 15. We’re not running the quarterback, so you’re running some other guys, and obviously, you have to incorporate the receivers a little bit into the run game. As the game plays, we’re facing a team that has an elite run defense. They’re also an elite pass defense. They’re just an elite defense. Each game is a little different, we’ll see what we need to do in each game to win.”

NU will face off against the Illinois Fighting Illini on Friday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. (CT) at Memorial Stadium. The game will be broadcast on FOX, with radio coverage by the Huskers Radio Network.

<div><iframe allowfullscreen width='720' height='405' scrolling='no' frameborder='0' style='border: none;' src='https://www.wevideo.com/embed/#3555119374' allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsNebraska head coach&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/staff/matt-rhule">Matt Rhule</a>&nbsp;met with members of the media following Wednesday’s practice. He spoke on adjusting to gametime decisions and maintaining energy going into Friday night’s game.&nbsp;“One thing we try to teach the players is that you prepare through the event,” he said. “It’s an old Al Golden saying when I used to work for him; the hay is in the barn. We don’t believe that. As you get in the game, you see how they’re playing and you try to adjust. We have a lot of work to do, but so far the guys have worked hard. We’ll keep trying to pick up steam heading into the game on Friday night.”&nbsp;Rhule talked about being able to get many players involved on offense.“We’ve thrown a lot of drop-back,” he said. “So when you throw drop-back, it’s progression one, two, three. You can get touches to guys by calling screens and things, which we do some of that. Let’s get the ball to this guy, get the ball to that guy. Last game we came out, we had a lot of tempo drop-back. Dylan’s pretty good at that. When you go to drop-back passes, the ball finds the open receiver. They pressured us and he threw the hot swing route. They blitzed us, he threw the glance to Isaiah (Neyor). It’s a good challenge to have, there’s only one ball. It’s hard to get everyone involved, I’m sure a ton of guys want to touch the ball more. I thought the wideouts played really well last week. They got open, the ball came to them. Dylan’s not afraid to work his way through all the progressions. He’s hit the fifth progression a couple times which is great to see.”&nbsp;He also discussed the number of carries he’d like each running back to have.“Every game is different,” he said. “Last game, I didn’t see the need to put a ton of carries on Dante (Dowdell) with a short week coming up, or our staff didn’t, and that’s pretty high level thinking by those guys. This game is different. As I’ve said, I’d like to have one guy in the low twenties, one guy around 15. We’re not running the quarterback, so you’re running some other guys, and obviously, you have to incorporate the receivers a little bit into the run game. As the game plays, we’re facing a team that has an elite run defense. They’re also an elite pass defense. They’re just an elite defense. Each game is a little different, we’ll see what we need to do in each game to win.”NU will face off against the Illinois Fighting Illini on Friday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. (CT) at Memorial Stadium. The game will be broadcast on FOX, with radio coverage by the Huskers Radio Network.

Football report September 19th

Anselmo-Merna def. Sandhills Valley, 25-14, 25-8, 25-5 (3-0)

Bertrand def. Southern Valley, 24-26, 25-18, 25-17 (2-1)

Southern Valley def. Arapahoe, 25-15, 31-33, 29-27 (2-1)

Brady def. Maxwell, 14-25, 13-25, 25-23, 25-15, 15-9 (3-2)

Broken Bow def. Lexington, 25-21, 25-20, 25-18 (3-0)

Cozad def. North Platte St. Patrick's, 22-25, 25-21, 25-23, 7-25, 15-11 (3-2)

Dundy County Stratton def. Cheylin-Bird City, KS, 25-19, 25-22, 25-19 (3-0)

Garden County def. Arthur County, 25-9, 25-19 (2-0)

Mullen def. Arthur County, 25-16, 25-17 (2-0)

Garden County def. Mullen, 25-16, 27-25 (2-0)

Hitchcock County def. Medicine Valley, 25-9, 25-10, 25-13 (3-0)

Maywood-Hayes Center def. Wauneta-Palisade, 25-23, 15-25, 25-27, 25-20, 15-9 (3-2)

North Platte def. Hershey, 25-16, 25-12, 19-25, 25-16 (3-1)

Sutherland def. Kimball, 25-19, 25-17, 25-20 (3-0)

Area Sports scores - Sept 19th

East Lansing, Mich.&nbsp;- In her first game back from competing for Team Canada at the U20 World Cup, junior Sadie Waite breaks #5 Michigan State’s shutout streak, but it was not enough as the Nebraska soccer team fell to MSU 4-1 on Thursday night.

The Huskers battled, but with the loss fell to 3-5-0 on the year and 0-2-0 in Big Ten play, while Michigan State improved to 7-0-2 overall and 2-0-0 in the conference.&nbsp;

The Huskers opened the first half aggressively earning a corner kick within the first two minutes, but it was Michigan State who found the back of the net first. After a shot off the mark from Ella Guyott, the Spartans ran the pitch and Meg Hughes took a shot that scored off an assist from Gabby Mueller.&nbsp;

MSU held the Huskers shotless for the next 20 minutes before Waite tied the game with a finish off the crossbar in the 43rd minute. Sarah Weber passed into the box, which was deflected by the Spartan defense, rebounded by Emma Prososki and sent to Waite who took a shot that bounced off the frame and past the goal line for the score. This finish marked the first goal of the season for Waite and sixth of her career, and was the first score MSU had allowed since September 1 at home against #15 Xavier.&nbsp;

The tie didn’t last long with Michigan State scoring again a minute later, as Emily Mathews tallied a finish off an assist from Remini Tillotson. To end the first half, three Huskers combined for four shots, but MSU held the offensive advantage.&nbsp;

Weber and Florence Belzile combined for four shots in the second half, one on goal by Belzile, but it was not enough as Michigan State continued its strong offensive attack. The Spartans scored goals in the 69th and 79th minutes from Jordyn Wickes and Ella Janz and secured the 4-1 victory.&nbsp;

Cece Villa got the start in goal for the Huskers, securing five saves and playing the entire 90 minutes. She was joined by Reese Borer who also played the complete game.&nbsp;

Up next, the Huskers stay in Michigan and face the Wolverines on Sunday, Sept. 22. Action will be streamed on Big Ten Plus.&nbsp;

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsEast Lansing, Mich.&nbsp;- In her first game back from competing for Team Canada at the U20 World Cup, junior Sadie Waite breaks #5 Michigan State’s shutout streak, but it was not enough as the Nebraska soccer team fell to MSU 4-1 on Thursday night.The Huskers battled, but with the loss fell to 3-5-0 on the year and 0-2-0 in Big Ten play, while Michigan State improved to 7-0-2 overall and 2-0-0 in the conference.&nbsp;The Huskers opened the first half aggressively earning a corner kick within the first two minutes, but it was Michigan State who found the back of the net first. After a shot off the mark from Ella Guyott, the Spartans ran the pitch and Meg Hughes took a shot that scored off an assist from Gabby Mueller.&nbsp;MSU held the Huskers shotless for the next 20 minutes before Waite tied the game with a finish off the crossbar in the 43rd minute. Sarah Weber passed into the box, which was deflected by the Spartan defense, rebounded by Emma Prososki and sent to Waite who took a shot that bounced off the frame and past the goal line for the score. This finish marked the first goal of the season for Waite and sixth of her career, and was the first score MSU had allowed since September 1 at home against #15 Xavier.&nbsp;The tie didn’t last long with Michigan State scoring again a minute later, as Emily Mathews tallied a finish off an assist from Remini Tillotson. To end the first half, three Huskers combined for four shots, but MSU held the offensive advantage.&nbsp;Weber and Florence Belzile combined for four shots in the second half, one on goal by Belzile, but it was not enough as Michigan State continued its strong offensive attack. The Spartans scored goals in the 69th and 79th minutes from Jordyn Wickes and Ella Janz and secured the 4-1 victory.&nbsp;Cece Villa got the start in goal for the Huskers, securing five saves and playing the entire 90 minutes. She was joined by Reese Borer who also played the complete game.&nbsp;Up next, the Huskers stay in Michigan and face the Wolverines on Sunday, Sept. 22. Action will be streamed on Big Ten Plus.&nbsp;

Waite scores, Huskers fall at #5 MSU

Story by NU Athletic Communications&nbsp;

North Platte, Neb. – Knights fell to Central Community College at the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium on Thursday night in straight sets.

In the loss, the Knights fall to 5-15 overall and 1-1 in Region IX play. Central improved to 11-5 and 2-0 in league play.

Jaelyn Dicke&nbsp;powered the North Platte offense, totaling 12 kills and 14 digs.&nbsp;Aubrey Grant&nbsp;tallied 20 assists and three aces against the Raiders.

North Platte fell behind early, allowing the Raiders to open a five-point margin in the opening set. A 4-0 run pulled the Knights back within one on a kill by&nbsp;Ella Rotherham, before a 5-0 rally extended the Raiders lead to 14-9. A late rally evened the match at twenty, before a&nbsp;Jocelyn Cheek&nbsp;kill put the Knights out front. Central overcame the deficit and charged back to take the set, 25-23.

Deadlocked at six, the Knights surged ahead before building a three-point lead on a kill by Cheek. Central stalled the momentum midway through the set to tie the game up six more times in the closing stages. Even at 22-22, Central launched a 3-1 run to take a two-set advantage. &nbsp;

Raiders used a 4-0 run to build a six-point lead early in the third set. The deficit grew to seven, before a late rally helped trim the deficit to 21-18 following an ace by Grant. The Raiders never surrendered their lead as they closed out the match with a 25-19 set win.

North Platte will return to the road to take on rival McCook Community College on Tuesday, Sept. 24. First serve is set for 6 p.m. inside the Peter and Dolores Graff Events Center in McCook.

Story by NU Athletic Communications&nbsp;North Platte, Neb. – Knights fell to Central Community College at the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium on Thursday night in straight sets.In the loss, the Knights fall to 5-15 overall and 1-1 in Region IX play. Central improved to 11-5 and 2-0 in league play.Jaelyn Dicke&nbsp;powered the North Platte offense, totaling 12 kills and 14 digs.&nbsp;Aubrey Grant&nbsp;tallied 20 assists and three aces against the Raiders.North Platte fell behind early, allowing the Raiders to open a five-point margin in the opening set. A 4-0 run pulled the Knights back within one on a kill by&nbsp;Ella Rotherham, before a 5-0 rally extended the Raiders lead to 14-9. A late rally evened the match at twenty, before a&nbsp;Jocelyn Cheek&nbsp;kill put the Knights out front. Central overcame the deficit and charged back to take the set, 25-23.Deadlocked at six, the Knights surged ahead before building a three-point lead on a kill by Cheek. Central stalled the momentum midway through the set to tie the game up six more times in the closing stages. Even at 22-22, Central launched a 3-1 run to take a two-set advantage. &nbsp;Raiders used a 4-0 run to build a six-point lead early in the third set. The deficit grew to seven, before a late rally helped trim the deficit to 21-18 following an ace by Grant. The Raiders never surrendered their lead as they closed out the match with a 25-19 set win.North Platte will return to the road to take on rival McCook Community College on Tuesday, Sept. 24. First serve is set for 6 p.m. inside the Peter and Dolores Graff Events Center in McCook.

Knights fall to Raiders in Region IX play

Panhandle Post/Sandhills Post/North Platte Post

Alliance, Neb. - After hitting the road for the past two weeks, the (1-2) Alliance Bulldogs are back at home for Thursday Night Lights as they welcome in the (0-3) Hershey Panthers to town. We are excited to be broadcasting the game for our sister market Sandhills Post.&nbsp;

Tonight's game can be heard in the Alliance area on KCOW FM 92.5/AM 1400 or <a href="https://kcowradio.com/">click here to listen online</a>. For Hershey fans, the game can be heard on Flatrock 100.7 or <a href="https://flatrock1007.com/">click here to listen online</a>.&nbsp;

Alliance looking to bounce back in the win column after falling to Gering 47-12 last week. Gering improves to 3-0 for the first time since 2012. The Bulldogs would finish for 120 rushing yards and 70 passing yards.

Trini Trejo recorded a team high 109 rushing yards and Jett Herian would throw for 70 yards and 1 touchdown.

Robertson finished the game with 10 tackles while Susano Montes, Nason Thompson and Jay Shelmadine would record seven tackles.

Hershey fell to a tough GICC team last Friday by a score 37-8. The Panthers recorded 164 rushing yards and added 11 yards through the air. Landon Kennicutt had a team high 57 yards while Cole Murdock recorded 48 yards. Hershey runs a triple option.

Rhodee Hill recorded 17 tackles in the game with J.T. Lantis finishing with 8 and Kennicutt and Max Berntson finished with six. Hershey is led by Chris Stier, who is entering his first year at the helm for the Panthers. Stier is the former head coach of Springfield-Platteview from 2014-2019.&nbsp;

&nbsp; &nbsp;Join&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Canon_K9_Sports" target="_blank">Canon Rath</a>&nbsp;from Alliance High School this evening with pregame coverage set to begin at 6:30 pm (MT) with kickoff set for 7:00pm (MT). Listen to all the action on KCOW FM 92.5 / AM 1400 or click here to&nbsp;<a href="https://kcowradio.com/" target="_blank">listen online.</a>

For Hershey fans fan, pregame coverage is set to begin at 7:30pm (CT) with Derek Beck and will join Canon Rath from Alliance at 8:00pm (CT) for kickoff. Listen to all the action on Flatrock (KRNP) 100.7 or <a href="https://flatrock1007.com/">click here to listen online.</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726770795251.jpeg" alt="Alliance @ Gering in week 3 (Canon Rath/POST)" />
 <figcaption>Alliance @ Gering in week 3 (Canon Rath/POST)</figcaption>
 </figure>Panhandle Post/Sandhills Post/North Platte PostAlliance, Neb. - After hitting the road for the past two weeks, the (1-2) Alliance Bulldogs are back at home for Thursday Night Lights as they welcome in the (0-3) Hershey Panthers to town. We are excited to be broadcasting the game for our sister market Sandhills Post.&nbsp; Tonight's game can be heard in the Alliance area on KCOW FM 92.5/AM 1400 or <a href="https://kcowradio.com/">click here to listen online</a>. For Hershey fans, the game can be heard on Flatrock 100.7 or <a href="https://flatrock1007.com/">click here to listen online</a>.&nbsp;Alliance looking to bounce back in the win column after falling to Gering 47-12 last week. Gering improves to 3-0 for the first time since 2012. The Bulldogs would finish for 120 rushing yards and 70 passing yards.Trini Trejo recorded a team high 109 rushing yards and Jett Herian would throw for 70 yards and 1 touchdown.Robertson finished the game with 10 tackles while Susano Montes, Nason Thompson and Jay Shelmadine would record seven tackles.Hershey fell to a tough GICC team last Friday by a score 37-8. The Panthers recorded 164 rushing yards and added 11 yards through the air. Landon Kennicutt had a team high 57 yards while Cole Murdock recorded 48 yards. Hershey runs a triple option.Rhodee Hill recorded 17 tackles in the game with J.T. Lantis finishing with 8 and Kennicutt and Max Berntson finished with six. Hershey is led by Chris Stier, who is entering his first year at the helm for the Panthers. Stier is the former head coach of Springfield-Platteview from 2014-2019.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Join&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Canon_K9_Sports" target="_blank">Canon Rath</a>&nbsp;from Alliance High School this evening with pregame coverage set to begin at 6:30 pm (MT) with kickoff set for 7:00pm (MT). Listen to all the action on KCOW FM 92.5 / AM 1400 or click here to&nbsp;<a href="https://kcowradio.com/" target="_blank">listen online.</a>For Hershey fans fan, pregame coverage is set to begin at 7:30pm (CT) with Derek Beck and will join Canon Rath from Alliance at 8:00pm (CT) for kickoff. Listen to all the action on Flatrock (KRNP) 100.7 or <a href="https://flatrock1007.com/">click here to listen online.</a>

 Alliance welcomes Hershey to town for Thursday Night Lights (KCOW & KRNP Radio Coverage)

Hershey @ Alliance (<a href="https://flatrock1007.com/">Flatrock 100.7 &amp; NorthPlattePost.com, Pregame 7:30pm CDT)</a>

Lincoln Northeast @ North Platte <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@sandhillspost/streams">(FM 98.1/Watch at NorthPlattePost.com, Pregame 5:30pm)</a>

<h2>Thursday, September 19, 2024</h2>Hershey @ Alliance (<a href="https://flatrock1007.com/">Flatrock 100.7 &amp; NorthPlattePost.com, Pregame 7:30pm CDT)</a>Hay Springs @ Creek ValleyHyannis @ MaxwellSouth Loup @ Sandhills Valley<h2>Friday, September 20, 2024</h2>Gothenburg @ ChadronChase County @ CozadHi-Line @ Dundy County StrattonMaywood-Hayes Center @ LoomisCrete @ McCookAnsley-Litchfield @ Medicine ValleySutherland @ MorrillBrady @ MullenLincoln Northeast @ North Platte <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@sandhillspost/streams">(FM 98.1/Watch at NorthPlattePost.com, Pregame 5:30pm)</a>Alma @ North Platte St. Patrick'sGering @ OgallalaBridgeport @ Perkins County

Prep Football around the region this week

Nebraska wraps up its five-match away streak as the Huskers (3-4-0, 0-1-0 Big Ten) travel to Michigan to face the #5 Spartans (6-0-2, 1-0-0 Big Ten) on Thursday and the Wolverines (1-6-1, 0-1-0 Big Ten) on Sunday. Action against MSU is set for 5 p.m. (CT) and will air on BTN, while the match against Michigan will be streamed on Big Ten Plus starting at 12 p.m. (CT).&nbsp;

The Huskers return home to host Illinois on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 7:05 p.m. (CT) on BTN and #9 Penn State on Sunday, Sept. 29 at 1:05 p.m. (CT) on Big Ten Plus.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsNebraska wraps up its five-match away streak as the Huskers (3-4-0, 0-1-0 Big Ten) travel to Michigan to face the #5 Spartans (6-0-2, 1-0-0 Big Ten) on Thursday and the Wolverines (1-6-1, 0-1-0 Big Ten) on Sunday. Action against MSU is set for 5 p.m. (CT) and will air on BTN, while the match against Michigan will be streamed on Big Ten Plus starting at 12 p.m. (CT).&nbsp;Next UpThe Huskers return home to host Illinois on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 7:05 p.m. (CT) on BTN and #9 Penn State on Sunday, Sept. 29 at 1:05 p.m. (CT) on Big Ten Plus.Numbers to Watch<ul>
 <li>Sarah Weber, a 2024 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week, recorded her second career hat trick against Creighton. It’s the 36th hat trick in school history and second of the 2024 season for Weber.&nbsp;</li><li>Weber is also fourth in school history with 284 total shots, sitting just behind Morgan Marlborough (287) in third, and ninth in shots on goal with 114, nine behind Brittany Timko in eighth. Additionally, Weber currently is second in the country in shots per game, as she is averaging 5.57.</li><li>Florence Belzile is currently ninth all-time in Husker history with 25 career assists, just two shy of Lindsay Eddleman in eighth. Jordan Zade, the team’s assists leader, has four on the season.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>Quick Notes<ul>
 <li>The Huskers have 10 regular-season home games scheduled for their 10th season at Hibner Stadium in 2024.&nbsp;</li><li>NU returns three of four All-Big Ten performers from last season, seniors Weber, Haley Peterson and Zade. Nebraska’s all-time all-conference total increased to 110, including 38 honorees since joining the Big Ten in 2011.</li><li>During the 2023 season, the Huskers averaged 1,326 fans per game at Hibner Stadium, third most in Husker history and 15th in the nation. To start the 2024 season, NU has averaged 6,417 fans, good for sixth in the country. This season’s match against Creighton garnered 2,382 fans, second-most all-time at Hibner Stadium.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>Scouting Michigan State&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Michigan State finished the 2023 season with a 14-5-3 mark overall and 7-1-2 record in conference play. The Spartans fell to Iowa in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament but qualified for the NCAA Tournament and made it to the third round.&nbsp;</li><li>The Spartans are undefeated on the season and have five shutouts, with quality wins over Notre Dame and Ole Miss. After hosting Nebraska on Thursday, Michigan State will meet Penn State in University Park, Pa.&nbsp;</li><li>Head Coach Jeff Hosler is in his fourth season at the helm of the Michigan State soccer program. He’s the third coach in program history and holds a 282-80-29 career record and 47-13-11 mark at Michigan State.&nbsp;</li><li>Michigan State leads the all-time series 5-4-2 between the two teams. Most recently, NU fell to the Spartans during the 2022 Big Ten Tournament.</li>
 </ul>Scouting Michigan&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>In the 2023 season, Michigan finished with a 7-7-4 overall record, including a 3-5-2 mark in Big Ten competition. The Wolverines qualified for the NCAA Tournament but fell in the first round to Princeton, 0-1.&nbsp;​</li><li>Michigan has opened the 2024 season with a 1-6-1 record. Their lone win was against #24 Alabama, 1-0, and the Wolverines tied Iowa State, 2-2. Michigan faces Minnesota on Thursday night before its matchup against Nebraska on Sunday.&nbsp;</li><li>Head Coach Jennifer Klein is in her seventh season with the Michigan soccer team. The third Michigan head coach, Klein holds a 64-43-16 career mark, good for the highest winning percentage in Michigan program history.&nbsp;</li><li>Michigan leads the all-time series between the programs, 10-2-3, dating back to 1994. Most recently, the Huskers defeated Michigan in Ann Arbor in 2022, 1-0.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>

Huskers continue Conference play at #5 Michigan State, Michigan  

LINCOLN, Neb. - The No. 5 Nebraska volleyball team swept No. 2 Stanford (25-17, 25-22, 25-14) in front of a crowd of 8,952 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Wednesday night.&nbsp;

It marked the first win by Nebraska (9-1) over Stanford (7-1) in four tries in the Devaney Center since the Huskers moved into the building in 2013.&nbsp;

NU hit .263 on the match and held Stanford to .100, its lowest hitting percentage of the year. Stanford entered the match with the fourth-best hitting percentage in the nation.

The Big Red had a 9-4 advantage in blocks and a 5-2 edge in service aces. Nebraska also only had four service errors to the Cardinals 10.&nbsp;

Andi Jackson notched nine kills on a .600 hitting percentage. She also added five blocks. Lindsay Krause registered nine kills, while Merritt Beason had eight and Harper Murray had six. Rebekah Allick totaled four blocks.

Bergen Reilly contributed 27 assists, along with a season-high four kills and a .667 hitting percentage. She also posted eight digs. Lexi Rodriguez posted nine digs and two service aces.

Elia Rubin led Stanford with 10 kills.&nbsp;

Set 1: Behind kills from Beason, Murray and Jackson and an ace from Rodriguez, NU hopped out to a 5-1 lead. Reilly and Jackson combined for a block and Murray put down an overpass to help extend the lead to 9-2. Stanford brought the score within five at 16-11, before three straight Cardinal errors put the Big Red up 19-11. Jackson’s third and fourth kills of the set stretched the advantage to 21-13, and a Krause kill put the Huskers at set point. A Beason kill closed out the 25-17 set victory. Nebraska hit .406 in the set and held Stanford to .114. The Huskers sided out at 77.8 percent.&nbsp;

Set 2: A Jackson/Murray block, two Beason kills and a Rodriguez ace gave NU an 8-2 lead. But Stanford went on a 8-0 run on the serve of Rubin to take a 10-8 lead. Two Reilly kills helped tie the score at 13-13. The Cardinal grabbed a 17-14 lead, but the Huskers fought back, and two straight Jackson kills and a Stanford hitting error put the Big Red up 20-18. Murray’s fourth kill of the match and a solo block by Allick gave the Huskers a 23-20 lead. Krause put the ball down to give Nebraska set point at 24-21, and a Beason kill won the set, 25-22.

Set 3: Jackson contributed two kills and an assisted block with Beason to put the Huskers ahead 6-3, and a kill apiece by Murray and Krause extended the advantage to 8-4. Allick posted a kill and two straight assisted blocks – one with Krause and one with Beason – to make the score 12-6. The Big Red went on a 6-2 run to take an 18-8 lead. Two straight Murray aces stretched the lead to 23-10. Reilly’s fourth kill put NU at match point, and a Krause kill finished off the 3-0 victory. Nebraska hit .400 in the third set and sided out at 80 percent.

Up Next: The Huskers will head to Louisville, Ky., to take on the No. 4 Louisville Cardinals at the KFC Yum! Center on Sunday, Sept. 22. The match is set to start at 11:30 a.m. (CT) and will be televised on ABC, with audio coverage on the Huskers Radio Network.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsLINCOLN, Neb. - The No. 5 Nebraska volleyball team swept No. 2 Stanford (25-17, 25-22, 25-14) in front of a crowd of 8,952 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Wednesday night.&nbsp;It marked the first win by Nebraska (9-1) over Stanford (7-1) in four tries in the Devaney Center since the Huskers moved into the building in 2013.&nbsp;NU hit .263 on the match and held Stanford to .100, its lowest hitting percentage of the year. Stanford entered the match with the fourth-best hitting percentage in the nation.The Big Red had a 9-4 advantage in blocks and a 5-2 edge in service aces. Nebraska also only had four service errors to the Cardinals 10.&nbsp;Andi Jackson notched nine kills on a .600 hitting percentage. She also added five blocks. Lindsay Krause registered nine kills, while Merritt Beason had eight and Harper Murray had six. Rebekah Allick totaled four blocks.Bergen Reilly contributed 27 assists, along with a season-high four kills and a .667 hitting percentage. She also posted eight digs. Lexi Rodriguez posted nine digs and two service aces.Elia Rubin led Stanford with 10 kills.&nbsp;Set 1: Behind kills from Beason, Murray and Jackson and an ace from Rodriguez, NU hopped out to a 5-1 lead. Reilly and Jackson combined for a block and Murray put down an overpass to help extend the lead to 9-2. Stanford brought the score within five at 16-11, before three straight Cardinal errors put the Big Red up 19-11. Jackson’s third and fourth kills of the set stretched the advantage to 21-13, and a Krause kill put the Huskers at set point. A Beason kill closed out the 25-17 set victory. Nebraska hit .406 in the set and held Stanford to .114. The Huskers sided out at 77.8 percent.&nbsp;Set 2: A Jackson/Murray block, two Beason kills and a Rodriguez ace gave NU an 8-2 lead. But Stanford went on a 8-0 run on the serve of Rubin to take a 10-8 lead. Two Reilly kills helped tie the score at 13-13. The Cardinal grabbed a 17-14 lead, but the Huskers fought back, and two straight Jackson kills and a Stanford hitting error put the Big Red up 20-18. Murray’s fourth kill of the match and a solo block by Allick gave the Huskers a 23-20 lead. Krause put the ball down to give Nebraska set point at 24-21, and a Beason kill won the set, 25-22.Set 3: Jackson contributed two kills and an assisted block with Beason to put the Huskers ahead 6-3, and a kill apiece by Murray and Krause extended the advantage to 8-4. Allick posted a kill and two straight assisted blocks – one with Krause and one with Beason – to make the score 12-6. The Big Red went on a 6-2 run to take an 18-8 lead. Two straight Murray aces stretched the lead to 23-10. Reilly’s fourth kill put NU at match point, and a Krause kill finished off the 3-0 victory. Nebraska hit .400 in the third set and sided out at 80 percent.Up Next: The Huskers will head to Louisville, Ky., to take on the No. 4 Louisville Cardinals at the KFC Yum! Center on Sunday, Sept. 22. The match is set to start at 11:30 a.m. (CT) and will be televised on ABC, with audio coverage on the Huskers Radio Network.

Huskers strike down No. 2 Stanford

• The fifth-ranked Nebraska volleyball team begins its final week of non-conference action with a 7 p.m. match against No. 2 Stanford on Wednesday at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

• Wednesday’s match will be televised on Big Ten Network and streamed on FoxSportsGo. Larry Punteney and Emily Ehman will be on the call. &nbsp;

• Huskers Radio Network with John Baylor and Lauren (Cook) West will broadcast all the action on their volleyball affiliate stations, on Huskers.com and on the Huskers app.&nbsp;

• Nebraska has won 30 home matches in a row dating back to Nov. 26, 2022.&nbsp;

• The Huskers hitting percentage ranks eighth nationally and second in the Big Ten at .303.

• NU ranks ninth nationally in kills per set (14.42) and 11th in assists per set (13.39).&nbsp;

• Outside hitter Harper Murray is leading the Huskers with 3.30 kills per set.&nbsp;

• Opposite hitter Merritt Beason is averaging 2.84 kills per set for the Big Red. In last week’s three matches, Beason put up 3.55 kills per set on .383 hitting.&nbsp;

• Outside hitter Lindsay Krause adds 2.50 kills per set and has served a team-high 10 aces.&nbsp;

• Middle blocker Andi Jackson is averaging 2.65 kills with a team-best .500 hitting percentage, which ranks seventh nationally.&nbsp;

• Middle blocker Rebekah Allick adds 2.17 kills per set on .379 hitting and has put up 34 blocks for an average of 1.42 per set.&nbsp;

• Setter Bergen Reilly is averaging 11.48 assists per set, which ranks third nationally. She also adds 3.19 digs per set and has nine aces.&nbsp;

• Three-time All-American Lexi Rodriguez guides the Husker back row with 3.68 digs per set .

• No. 2 Stanford possesses one of the top offenses in the country. The Cardinal rank fourth in hitting percentage (.313), fifth in kills per set (14.58) and fifth in assists per set (13.58).&nbsp;

• Elia Rubin leads Stanford with 4.23 kills per set, and Ipar Kurt adds 3.15 kills per set.&nbsp;

• Jordyn Harvey contributes 2.73 kills per set and ranks third nationally in aces per set (0.77). &nbsp;&nbsp;

• Setter Kami Miner (10.65 assists per set) is a two-time first-team All-American.&nbsp;

• Stanford leads the all-time series, 12-7. Nebraska won 3-1 in Palo Alto last year on Sept. 12 to snap a five-match losing streak to Stanford.&nbsp;

• Stanford is 3-0 all-time against Nebraska in the Devaney Center.&nbsp;

RODRIGUEZ AMONG ALL-TIME GREAT NU LIBEROS

• Lexi Rodriguez is in her final year of a stellar career as the Huskers’ libero. A four-year starter and a three-year team captain, Rodriguez will go down in history as one of the all-time greats in Nebraska volleyball history.&nbsp;

• Rodriguez is a three-time AVCA All-American, earning first-team honors in 2021 and 2023, and second-team honors in 2022. She will look to join Kadie Rolfzen (2013-16) and Sarah Pavan (2004-07) as the only four-time All-Americans in program history.&nbsp;

• Rodriguez made her mark instantly as a freshman in 2021, earning AVCA National Freshman of the Year and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Over the last two seasons, Rodriguez has guided the Huskers to the No. 1 defense in the country, earning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year again in 2023 to become the fifth player in Big Ten history to receive the honor twice in a career.&nbsp;

• Rodriguez has 1,538 career digs, which ranks fifth in school history. U.S. Olympian Justine Wong-Orantes is the career leader in assists at NU with 1,890. With 30 more digs, Rodriguez will tie Jennifer Saleaumua for No. 4 all-time.

• Opposite hitter Merritt Beason made an instant impact on the Nebraska volleyball program after transferring from Florida in 2023, and she is looking to take the next step in her senior season as a second-year captain.&nbsp;

• Last year, Beason put together a sensational season, earning AVCA first-team All-America honors and AVCA North Region Player of the Year, becoming just the second Husker (Kelly Hunter) to earn that honor.&nbsp;

• Beason averaged a team-leading 3.76 kills per set on .282 hitting with 2.05 digs per set. She was named Big Ten Player of the Week four times and was the AVCA National Player of the Week on Oct. 23 after averaging 4.25 kills per set and 1.75 digs per set in wins against Northwestern and top-ranked Wisconsin.&nbsp;

• Beason was the MVP of the NCAA Lincoln Regional after 19 kills, 11 digs and a career-high eight blocks in a regional final win over Arkansas.&nbsp;

VERSATILE MURRAY HIGHLIGHTS SOPHOMORE CLASS

• Along with Bergen Reilly, Andi Jackson and Laney Choboy, sophomore outside hitter Harper Murray made an instant impact at Nebraska in 2023, earning Big Ten Freshman of the Year, AVCA North Region Freshman of the Year, All-Big Ten First Team and AVCA All-America Third Team honors.&nbsp;

• Murray finished her freshman campaign with 3.23 kills per set, the highest kills per set average by a Husker freshman since Kadie Rolfzen (3.46) in 2013. One of the Big Ten’s best six-rotation players, Murray also added 2.07 digs per set with a team-high 36 aces. She was a three-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week.&nbsp;

• Murray is off to a solid start to her sophomore season, leading the Huskers in kills with 3.30 per set while hitting .249 with 2.37 digs and 0.57 blocks per set.&nbsp;

KRAUSE LOOKING TO PICK UP WHERE SHE LEFT OFF

• Senior outside hitter Lindsay Krause was having the best year of her Husker career in 2023 before it ended in mid-October with an ankle injury. At the time of her injury, Krause was averaging 2.50 kills per set and was hitting .285 for the season.&nbsp;

• Not only that, Krause was putting up 2.82 kills per set on .366 hitting through six Big Ten matches, which led all Big Ten outside hitters in conference action at the time.&nbsp;

• Krause was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Oct. 9 following a season-high 15 kills on .519 hitting at Michigan and nine kills on .381 hitting at Michigan State. &nbsp;

• This season, Krause is averaging 2.50 kills per set and leads the team with 10 service aces.&nbsp;

• Sophomore setter Bergen Reilly was the Big Ten Setter of the Year in 2023, becoming the first freshman to win the award since it originated in 2012. Reilly was also an AVCA second-team All-American and an All-Big Ten first-team selection.&nbsp;

• Reilly led all Big Ten setters with 10.51 assists per set in 2023, and she has received six career Big Ten Setter of the Week honors, including on Sept. 2 and Sept. 16 this season.&nbsp;

• Reilly was named Best Setter at the AVCA First Serve Showcase in Louisville, Ky., as she guided the Huskers to a 3-1 win over No. 9 Kentucky with 39 assists and 11 digs.&nbsp;

• Reilly ranks third nationally with 11.48 assists per set this season.&nbsp;

• Sophomore middle blocker Andi Jackson showed enormous athleticism and potential the first time she stepped on the floor as a Husker, and she followed through with a strong debut season that included AVCA All-Region, All-Big Ten Second Team, and Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors.&nbsp;

• Jackson averaged 2.01 kills per set and 1.09 blocks per set with a .399 hitting percentage in 2023, which ranked third in the Big Ten and 19th in the nation. Her hitting percentage was the best ever by a Husker freshman and ranked seventh all-time in the rally scoring era.&nbsp;

• Along with Reilly, Jackson helped the U.S. U21 National Team win the gold medal at the NORCECA U21 Continental Championship in Toronto this summer, hitting .654 throughout the tournament with 39 kills and 10 blocks.&nbsp;

• Jackson has elevated her game to new heights in 2024, as she is averaging 2.65 kills per set with a .500 hitting percentage, which ranks seventh in the nation.&nbsp;

• Junior middle blocker Rebekah Allick is a two-time AVCA All-Region and All-Big Ten second-team selection. Last season, she averaged 1.76 kills per set with a team-high 1.50 blocks per set, which ranked second among Big Ten players and seven in the nation. Her 1.50 blocks per set was also the No. 2 mark in school history in the rally scoring era.&nbsp;

• Allick was at her best at the end of the 2023 season, registering a career-high 12 blocks in the NCAA regional final win over Arkansas and 10 blocks in the NCAA semifinal sweep of Pittsburgh.&nbsp;

• In the season-opening victory over Kentucky, Allick had 11 kills and hit .667 while tying her career high with 12 blocks. Her performance earned her Best Middle Blocker and Most Valuable Player honors at the AVCA First Serve Showcase. She averaged 1.90 blocks per set in the first three matches of the season, which earned her Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week.

• Allick leads the Huskers with 1.42 blocks per set so far this season. Offensively, she has provided 2.17 kills per set on .379 hitting.&nbsp;

HALL OF FAME COACH COOK IN YEAR 25 AT NU &nbsp; &nbsp;

• Nebraska head coach John Cook is in his 25th season as the Nebraska volleyball head coach in 2024. He has led the Huskers to four national championships, 11 final fours, 13 conference championships and 22 top-10 final rankings since 2000.&nbsp;

• Cook has 858 career wins and is one of the all-time winningest coaches in NCAA history. Since taking over the program in 2000, Cook has led the Huskers to a nation-leading .873 win percentage (697-101).&nbsp;

• Under Cook, the Huskers have achieved 68 AVCA All-Americans and 20 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, both among the best in the nation. He is a three-time AVCA National Coach of the Year, earning the prestigious honor in 2000, 2005 and 2023, and an eight-time conference coach of the year, including Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2016, 2017 and 2023.

• In 2023, Cook was voted AVCA National Coach of the Year and Big Ten Coach of the Year after leading a young Nebraska team with no seniors to its first Big Ten title since 2017. The Huskers finished the regular season 28-1 overall, their best regular season record since going 28-1 in 2005. After going 26-6 last year and missing the NCAA regional finals for the first time since 2011, the Huskers started over with a starting lineup featuring four true freshmen and a junior transfer (Beason). Cook’s Huskers won their first 27 matches of the season and held the No. 1 ranking from Oct. 23 through the end of the regular season. Despite having no seniors on the roster for just the second time in Cook’s time at Nebraska - as well as starting a true freshman at setter for only the second time in Cook’s tenure - the Huskers earned the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016 and the sixth time overall under Cook.

• Cook was inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame in 2017, joining former Husker volleyball coach Terry Pettit in the hall.&nbsp;

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsMATCH PREVIEW• The fifth-ranked Nebraska volleyball team begins its final week of non-conference action with a 7 p.m. match against No. 2 Stanford on Wednesday at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.• Wednesday’s match will be televised on Big Ten Network and streamed on FoxSportsGo. Larry Punteney and Emily Ehman will be on the call. &nbsp;• Huskers Radio Network with John Baylor and Lauren (Cook) West will broadcast all the action on their volleyball affiliate stations, on Huskers.com and on the Huskers app.&nbsp;ABOUT THE HUSKERS• Nebraska has won 30 home matches in a row dating back to Nov. 26, 2022.&nbsp;• The Huskers hitting percentage ranks eighth nationally and second in the Big Ten at .303.• NU ranks ninth nationally in kills per set (14.42) and 11th in assists per set (13.39).&nbsp;• Outside hitter Harper Murray is leading the Huskers with 3.30 kills per set.&nbsp;• Opposite hitter Merritt Beason is averaging 2.84 kills per set for the Big Red. In last week’s three matches, Beason put up 3.55 kills per set on .383 hitting.&nbsp;• Outside hitter Lindsay Krause adds 2.50 kills per set and has served a team-high 10 aces.&nbsp;• Middle blocker Andi Jackson is averaging 2.65 kills with a team-best .500 hitting percentage, which ranks seventh nationally.&nbsp;• Middle blocker Rebekah Allick adds 2.17 kills per set on .379 hitting and has put up 34 blocks for an average of 1.42 per set.&nbsp;• Setter Bergen Reilly is averaging 11.48 assists per set, which ranks third nationally. She also adds 3.19 digs per set and has nine aces.&nbsp;• Three-time All-American Lexi Rodriguez guides the Husker back row with 3.68 digs per set .SCOUTING REPORT: STANFORD• No. 2 Stanford possesses one of the top offenses in the country. The Cardinal rank fourth in hitting percentage (.313), fifth in kills per set (14.58) and fifth in assists per set (13.58).&nbsp;• Elia Rubin leads Stanford with 4.23 kills per set, and Ipar Kurt adds 3.15 kills per set.&nbsp;• Jordyn Harvey contributes 2.73 kills per set and ranks third nationally in aces per set (0.77). &nbsp;&nbsp;• Setter Kami Miner (10.65 assists per set) is a two-time first-team All-American.&nbsp;SERIES HISTORY• Stanford leads the all-time series, 12-7. Nebraska won 3-1 in Palo Alto last year on Sept. 12 to snap a five-match losing streak to Stanford.&nbsp;• Stanford is 3-0 all-time against Nebraska in the Devaney Center.&nbsp;RODRIGUEZ AMONG ALL-TIME GREAT NU LIBEROS• Lexi Rodriguez is in her final year of a stellar career as the Huskers’ libero. A four-year starter and a three-year team captain, Rodriguez will go down in history as one of the all-time greats in Nebraska volleyball history.&nbsp;• Rodriguez is a three-time AVCA All-American, earning first-team honors in 2021 and 2023, and second-team honors in 2022. She will look to join Kadie Rolfzen (2013-16) and Sarah Pavan (2004-07) as the only four-time All-Americans in program history.&nbsp;• Rodriguez made her mark instantly as a freshman in 2021, earning AVCA National Freshman of the Year and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Over the last two seasons, Rodriguez has guided the Huskers to the No. 1 defense in the country, earning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year again in 2023 to become the fifth player in Big Ten history to receive the honor twice in a career.&nbsp;• Rodriguez has 1,538 career digs, which ranks fifth in school history. U.S. Olympian Justine Wong-Orantes is the career leader in assists at NU with 1,890. With 30 more digs, Rodriguez will tie Jennifer Saleaumua for No. 4 all-time.BEASON BACK TO LEAD HUSKER ATTACK AGAIN• Opposite hitter Merritt Beason made an instant impact on the Nebraska volleyball program after transferring from Florida in 2023, and she is looking to take the next step in her senior season as a second-year captain.&nbsp;• Last year, Beason put together a sensational season, earning AVCA first-team All-America honors and AVCA North Region Player of the Year, becoming just the second Husker (Kelly Hunter) to earn that honor.&nbsp;• Beason averaged a team-leading 3.76 kills per set on .282 hitting with 2.05 digs per set. She was named Big Ten Player of the Week four times and was the AVCA National Player of the Week on Oct. 23 after averaging 4.25 kills per set and 1.75 digs per set in wins against Northwestern and top-ranked Wisconsin.&nbsp;• Beason was the MVP of the NCAA Lincoln Regional after 19 kills, 11 digs and a career-high eight blocks in a regional final win over Arkansas.&nbsp;VERSATILE MURRAY HIGHLIGHTS SOPHOMORE CLASS• Along with Bergen Reilly, Andi Jackson and Laney Choboy, sophomore outside hitter Harper Murray made an instant impact at Nebraska in 2023, earning Big Ten Freshman of the Year, AVCA North Region Freshman of the Year, All-Big Ten First Team and AVCA All-America Third Team honors.&nbsp;• Murray finished her freshman campaign with 3.23 kills per set, the highest kills per set average by a Husker freshman since Kadie Rolfzen (3.46) in 2013. One of the Big Ten’s best six-rotation players, Murray also added 2.07 digs per set with a team-high 36 aces. She was a three-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week.&nbsp;• Murray is off to a solid start to her sophomore season, leading the Huskers in kills with 3.30 per set while hitting .249 with 2.37 digs and 0.57 blocks per set.&nbsp;KRAUSE LOOKING TO PICK UP WHERE SHE LEFT OFF• Senior outside hitter Lindsay Krause was having the best year of her Husker career in 2023 before it ended in mid-October with an ankle injury. At the time of her injury, Krause was averaging 2.50 kills per set and was hitting .285 for the season.&nbsp;• Not only that, Krause was putting up 2.82 kills per set on .366 hitting through six Big Ten matches, which led all Big Ten outside hitters in conference action at the time.&nbsp;• Krause was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Oct. 9 following a season-high 15 kills on .519 hitting at Michigan and nine kills on .381 hitting at Michigan State. &nbsp;• This season, Krause is averaging 2.50 kills per set and leads the team with 10 service aces.&nbsp;REILLY SETS THE TONE• Sophomore setter Bergen Reilly was the Big Ten Setter of the Year in 2023, becoming the first freshman to win the award since it originated in 2012. Reilly was also an AVCA second-team All-American and an All-Big Ten first-team selection.&nbsp;• Reilly led all Big Ten setters with 10.51 assists per set in 2023, and she has received six career Big Ten Setter of the Week honors, including on Sept. 2 and Sept. 16 this season.&nbsp;• Reilly was named Best Setter at the AVCA First Serve Showcase in Louisville, Ky., as she guided the Huskers to a 3-1 win over No. 9 Kentucky with 39 assists and 11 digs.&nbsp;• Reilly ranks third nationally with 11.48 assists per set this season.&nbsp;JACKSON IN ACTION• Sophomore middle blocker Andi Jackson showed enormous athleticism and potential the first time she stepped on the floor as a Husker, and she followed through with a strong debut season that included AVCA All-Region, All-Big Ten Second Team, and Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors.&nbsp;• Jackson averaged 2.01 kills per set and 1.09 blocks per set with a .399 hitting percentage in 2023, which ranked third in the Big Ten and 19th in the nation. Her hitting percentage was the best ever by a Husker freshman and ranked seventh all-time in the rally scoring era.&nbsp;• Along with Reilly, Jackson helped the U.S. U21 National Team win the gold medal at the NORCECA U21 Continental Championship in Toronto this summer, hitting .654 throughout the tournament with 39 kills and 10 blocks.&nbsp;• Jackson has elevated her game to new heights in 2024, as she is averaging 2.65 kills per set with a .500 hitting percentage, which ranks seventh in the nation.&nbsp;ALLICK ON A BLOCKING TEAR• Junior middle blocker Rebekah Allick is a two-time AVCA All-Region and All-Big Ten second-team selection. Last season, she averaged 1.76 kills per set with a team-high 1.50 blocks per set, which ranked second among Big Ten players and seven in the nation. Her 1.50 blocks per set was also the No. 2 mark in school history in the rally scoring era.&nbsp;• Allick was at her best at the end of the 2023 season, registering a career-high 12 blocks in the NCAA regional final win over Arkansas and 10 blocks in the NCAA semifinal sweep of Pittsburgh.&nbsp;• In the season-opening victory over Kentucky, Allick had 11 kills and hit .667 while tying her career high with 12 blocks. Her performance earned her Best Middle Blocker and Most Valuable Player honors at the AVCA First Serve Showcase. She averaged 1.90 blocks per set in the first three matches of the season, which earned her Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week.• Allick leads the Huskers with 1.42 blocks per set so far this season. Offensively, she has provided 2.17 kills per set on .379 hitting.&nbsp;HALL OF FAME COACH COOK IN YEAR 25 AT NU &nbsp; &nbsp;• Nebraska head coach John Cook is in his 25th season as the Nebraska volleyball head coach in 2024. He has led the Huskers to four national championships, 11 final fours, 13 conference championships and 22 top-10 final rankings since 2000.&nbsp;• Cook has 858 career wins and is one of the all-time winningest coaches in NCAA history. Since taking over the program in 2000, Cook has led the Huskers to a nation-leading .873 win percentage (697-101).&nbsp;• Under Cook, the Huskers have achieved 68 AVCA All-Americans and 20 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, both among the best in the nation. He is a three-time AVCA National Coach of the Year, earning the prestigious honor in 2000, 2005 and 2023, and an eight-time conference coach of the year, including Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2016, 2017 and 2023.• In 2023, Cook was voted AVCA National Coach of the Year and Big Ten Coach of the Year after leading a young Nebraska team with no seniors to its first Big Ten title since 2017. The Huskers finished the regular season 28-1 overall, their best regular season record since going 28-1 in 2005. After going 26-6 last year and missing the NCAA regional finals for the first time since 2011, the Huskers started over with a starting lineup featuring four true freshmen and a junior transfer (Beason). Cook’s Huskers won their first 27 matches of the season and held the No. 1 ranking from Oct. 23 through the end of the regular season. Despite having no seniors on the roster for just the second time in Cook’s time at Nebraska - as well as starting a true freshman at setter for only the second time in Cook’s tenure - the Huskers earned the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016 and the sixth time overall under Cook.• Cook was inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame in 2017, joining former Husker volleyball coach Terry Pettit in the hall.&nbsp;

No. 5 Huskers host No. 2 Stanford Wednesday

Kearney, Neb. –&nbsp;The now fourth-ranked Nebraska-Kearney volleyball team swept its 10th straight opponent when it got past Hastings College (-<a target="_blank" href="https://lopers.com/boxscore.aspx?path=wvball&amp;id=7956">10, -14, -13</a>) Tuesday night at the Health &amp; Sports Center.

The Lopers (10-0) finish this homestand a perfect 6-0 while the Broncos remain 7-3 as this was an exhibition match for them per NAIA rules. The 10 straight sweeps is the longest by the Blue &amp; Gold since an 11-match effort early in the 2016 season.

UNK once again showed off its depth and defense as eight different Lopers registered a kill with Hastings hitting just .041 (28-23-121). On the season, UNK's foes are hitting only .034 and averaging eight kills per set.

"That's kind of who we are. We pass well and so we can run all five hitters, and we can also bring a couple (hitters) off the bench," said UNK head coach&nbsp;Rick Squiers.&nbsp;"I was pleased how we played tonight from a cleanliness standpoint. We didn't get sloppy, we didn't error, and I thought Hastings came to play. I can see why they are on the rise."

Senior outside&nbsp;Asha Regier&nbsp;(Newton, Kan.) paced the offense with a match-high 11 kills in 32 swings (.312 pct.) with junior middle&nbsp;Trista Marx&nbsp;(Limon, Colo.) at 10 kills in 17 swings (.471 pct.) in a starting role.

"We think we have three middles that can play, and I think we're going to need all three," said Squiers. "Especially coming off this weekend when everybody has a little something; a sore shoulder, little fatigue. You need three lefts, you need three middles and we got the&nbsp;Lizzy Spah&nbsp;in tonight on the right."

There were five ties in the match and no lead changes as UNK dug 60 balls, had four team blocks and served up three aces. Graduate libero&nbsp;Alli Wiese&nbsp;(Mattawan, Mich.) had a season-best 23 digs with sophomore middle&nbsp;Mia Berg&nbsp;(Eureka, Mo.) at three block assists. Finally, redshirt sophomore DS&nbsp;Lexi Stephens&nbsp;(Ankeny, Ia.) served up two more aces, pushing her fall total to a team-best 15."Alli is the anchor (in serve receive) but&nbsp;Lauren Taubenheim&nbsp;is as good as serve receiver passer as we've had here in a long time. We're getting nice production out of Lexi, Asha chips in, we can bring in&nbsp;Rhyan Mock. We've worked hard in that part of the game," said Squiers.

Hastings was paced by Sumner freshman Mikah O'Neill (nine kills), Broken Bow senior Kaitlin Thiebauth (eight kills) and Lincoln senior libero Miriam Miller (18 digs).UNK faces Rockhurst Friday night in Kansas City and then Drury (Mo.) Saturday afternoon in Warrensburg. The RU Hawks (6-2) beat No. 23 Central Missouri tonight in KC, 3-1, with DU facing UCM Friday.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Story by UNK Athletic CommunicationsKearney, Neb. –&nbsp;The now fourth-ranked Nebraska-Kearney volleyball team swept its 10th straight opponent when it got past Hastings College (-<a target="_blank" href="https://lopers.com/boxscore.aspx?path=wvball&amp;id=7956">10, -14, -13</a>) Tuesday night at the Health &amp; Sports Center.The Lopers (10-0) finish this homestand a perfect 6-0 while the Broncos remain 7-3 as this was an exhibition match for them per NAIA rules. The 10 straight sweeps is the longest by the Blue &amp; Gold since an 11-match effort early in the 2016 season.UNK once again showed off its depth and defense as eight different Lopers registered a kill with Hastings hitting just .041 (28-23-121). On the season, UNK's foes are hitting only .034 and averaging eight kills per set."That's kind of who we are. We pass well and so we can run all five hitters, and we can also bring a couple (hitters) off the bench," said UNK head coach&nbsp;Rick Squiers.&nbsp;"I was pleased how we played tonight from a cleanliness standpoint. We didn't get sloppy, we didn't error, and I thought Hastings came to play. I can see why they are on the rise."Senior outside&nbsp;Asha Regier&nbsp;(Newton, Kan.) paced the offense with a match-high 11 kills in 32 swings (.312 pct.) with junior middle&nbsp;Trista Marx&nbsp;(Limon, Colo.) at 10 kills in 17 swings (.471 pct.) in a starting role."We think we have three middles that can play, and I think we're going to need all three," said Squiers. "Especially coming off this weekend when everybody has a little something; a sore shoulder, little fatigue. You need three lefts, you need three middles and we got the&nbsp;Lizzy Spah&nbsp;in tonight on the right."There were five ties in the match and no lead changes as UNK dug 60 balls, had four team blocks and served up three aces. Graduate libero&nbsp;Alli Wiese&nbsp;(Mattawan, Mich.) had a season-best 23 digs with sophomore middle&nbsp;Mia Berg&nbsp;(Eureka, Mo.) at three block assists. Finally, redshirt sophomore DS&nbsp;Lexi Stephens&nbsp;(Ankeny, Ia.) served up two more aces, pushing her fall total to a team-best 15."Alli is the anchor (in serve receive) but&nbsp;Lauren Taubenheim&nbsp;is as good as serve receiver passer as we've had here in a long time. We're getting nice production out of Lexi, Asha chips in, we can bring in&nbsp;Rhyan Mock. We've worked hard in that part of the game," said Squiers.Hastings was paced by Sumner freshman Mikah O'Neill (nine kills), Broken Bow senior Kaitlin Thiebauth (eight kills) and Lincoln senior libero Miriam Miller (18 digs).UNK faces Rockhurst Friday night in Kansas City and then Drury (Mo.) Saturday afternoon in Warrensburg. The RU Hawks (6-2) beat No. 23 Central Missouri tonight in KC, 3-1, with DU facing UCM Friday.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Lopers in K.C. Friday night to face Rockhurst

North Platte, Neb. – North Platte Community College used 49 kills to defeat Southeast Community College, 3-1, at the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium on Tuesday night.

Knights were led by&nbsp;Zoe Maher&nbsp;and&nbsp;Jaelyn Dicke&nbsp;who totaled 11 kills apiece in the match.&nbsp;EmiLee Walnofer&nbsp;finished with 26 digs, while&nbsp;Aubrey Grant&nbsp;tallied 35 assists against the Bobcats.

In the opening set, the Knights used a 6-0 run to distance themselves from the Bobcats. North Platte traded points with the visitors until another 5-0 run stretched the lead to 18-9. The Knights defense allowed just two more points, as they clinched the first set on a kill by Dicke.

Four straight points helped the Knights take the lead early in the second set. Knights continued to cruise as they stretched their lead to 17-6 on a&nbsp;Nya Lual&nbsp;kill. A couple of errors helped Southeast stop the bleeding, before they rallied with four straight points late in the set. Leading 22-12, the Knights secured the final three points to take a two-set advantage.

North Platte led by as many as five in the early moments of the third set. Southeast fought back to knot the game up at 12, before stretching the deficit to four on an attacking error. An&nbsp;Ella Rotherham&nbsp;kill gave the home team a one point advantage, but a 6-1 run helped Southeast secure the set.

Two straight points by the Bobcats was met with a set changing 7-0 run. The lead began to dwindle as Southeast climbed back within one midway through the set. A 4-1 burst provided the breathing room North Platte needed. A kill by&nbsp;Fatima Gomez&nbsp;stretched the lead to 21-17, as the Knights went on to close out the match.

Knights (5-14) continue Region IX play against Central Community College on Thursday. First serve is set for 6 p.m. inside the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium in North Platte.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsNorth Platte, Neb. – North Platte Community College used 49 kills to defeat Southeast Community College, 3-1, at the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium on Tuesday night.Knights were led by&nbsp;Zoe Maher&nbsp;and&nbsp;Jaelyn Dicke&nbsp;who totaled 11 kills apiece in the match.&nbsp;EmiLee Walnofer&nbsp;finished with 26 digs, while&nbsp;Aubrey Grant&nbsp;tallied 35 assists against the Bobcats.In the opening set, the Knights used a 6-0 run to distance themselves from the Bobcats. North Platte traded points with the visitors until another 5-0 run stretched the lead to 18-9. The Knights defense allowed just two more points, as they clinched the first set on a kill by Dicke.Four straight points helped the Knights take the lead early in the second set. Knights continued to cruise as they stretched their lead to 17-6 on a&nbsp;Nya Lual&nbsp;kill. A couple of errors helped Southeast stop the bleeding, before they rallied with four straight points late in the set. Leading 22-12, the Knights secured the final three points to take a two-set advantage.North Platte led by as many as five in the early moments of the third set. Southeast fought back to knot the game up at 12, before stretching the deficit to four on an attacking error. An&nbsp;Ella Rotherham&nbsp;kill gave the home team a one point advantage, but a 6-1 run helped Southeast secure the set.Two straight points by the Bobcats was met with a set changing 7-0 run. The lead began to dwindle as Southeast climbed back within one midway through the set. A 4-1 burst provided the breathing room North Platte needed. A kill by&nbsp;Fatima Gomez&nbsp;stretched the lead to 21-17, as the Knights went on to close out the match.Knights (5-14) continue Region IX play against Central Community College on Thursday. First serve is set for 6 p.m. inside the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium in North Platte.

Knights open region play with win over Bobcats

Bertrand def. South Loup (Callaway/Arnold), 25-22, 25-9 (2-0)

Brady def. Bertrand, 25-20, 22-25, 30-28 (2-1)

Brady def. South Loup (Callaway/Arnold), 25-12, 25-14 (2-0)

Chase County def. Sedgwick County (Julesburg/Revere), CO, 25-17, 25-17, 17-25, 25-23 (3-1)

Gothenburg def. North Platte St. Patrick's, 25-16, 25-16, 25-18 (3-0)

Lexington def. North Platte, 26-24, 22-25, 25-21, 25-23 (3-1)

Maywood-Hayes Center def. Hershey, 26-24, 25-15, 21-25, 25-17 (3-1)

Overton def. Maxwell, 25-13, 25-11, 28-26 (3-0)

Paxton def. South Platte, 25-15, 25-13 (2-0)

Perkins County def. Paxton, 25-15, 23-25, 25-19 (2-1)

Perkins County def. South Platte, 25-13, 22-25, 28-17 (2-1)

Sandhills/Thedford def. Medicine Valley, 25-20, 25-10, 25-17 (3-0)

Southwest def. Wauneta-Palisade, 25-11, 25-15, 25-16 (3-0)

Sutherland def. Mullen, 23-25, 25-22, 25-12 (2-1)

Sutherland def. Wallace, 25-15, 25-16 (2-0)

North Platte High School at Hastings invite

<h2>Softball</h2>Bayard 10 vs Chase County 0Gering 15 @ Chase County 1Bayard 2 vs Gering 12Centura 9 vs Southern Valley/Alma 3Cozad 17 vs Lexington 6Gering 15 @ Chase County 1Gothenburg 0 @ Polk County 12Gothenburg 1 @ Kearney Catholic 13Scottsbluff 15 @ North Platte 3Scottsbluff 6 @ North Platte 14<h2>Volleyball</h2>Bertrand def. South Loup (Callaway/Arnold), 25-22, 25-9 (2-0)Brady def. Bertrand, 25-20, 22-25, 30-28 (2-1)Brady def. South Loup (Callaway/Arnold), 25-12, 25-14 (2-0)Chase County def. Sedgwick County (Julesburg/Revere), CO, 25-17, 25-17, 17-25, 25-23 (3-1)Cozad def. Arapahoe, 25-21, 25-13 (2-0)Gothenburg def. North Platte St. Patrick's, 25-16, 25-16, 25-18 (3-0)Lexington def. North Platte, 26-24, 22-25, 25-21, 25-23 (3-1)Maywood-Hayes Center def. Hershey, 26-24, 25-15, 21-25, 25-17 (3-1)Mullen def. Wallace, 25-15, 25-16 (2-0)Overton def. Maxwell, 25-13, 25-11, 28-26 (3-0)Paxton def. South Platte, 25-15, 25-13 (2-0)Perkins County def. Paxton, 25-15, 23-25, 25-19 (2-1)Perkins County def. South Platte, 25-13, 22-25, 28-17 (2-1)Sandhills/Thedford def. Medicine Valley, 25-20, 25-10, 25-17 (3-0)Southwest def. Wauneta-Palisade, 25-11, 25-15, 25-16 (3-0)Sutherland def. Mullen, 23-25, 25-22, 25-12 (2-1)Sutherland def. Wallace, 25-15, 25-16 (2-0)<h2>Girls Golf</h2>North Platte High School at Hastings inviteThird PlaceScores: Allie Jones 92 - 8th&nbsp;Presley Pettera 94 -PR 12thAmelia Wenburg 96 - 13th&nbsp;Janee Wagner 99 15th Neeva Fisher 108