LINCOLN, Nebraska – Going up against one of the best in the nation in front of a sold-out crowd, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi volleyball fell 3-0 to #2 Nebraska Friday night in the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
It got the Islanders' (0-1) season underway as part of the Ameritas Players Challenge, hosted by the nationally ranked Huskers (2-0) who felt the backing of an 8,956-person home opener to garner the 3-0 win.
The Islanders settled in after the first set, playing tight through the second but ultimately going down 2-0 (25-9, 25-20) in the match. They jumped on Nebraska early in the third, going up 4-1 before the Huskers showed their experience and pulled back ahead to finish out a 25-15 third set.
The second set featured A&M-Corpus Christi's best hitting at a .265 attack percentage, but Nebraska managed just five more kills for the five-point difference in the closest set of the night.
"Nebraska runs a top-notch program on all aspects," said head coach
Steve Greene. "Coach Cook and his staff prepared them very well and they were outstanding in all facets of the game. Regardless of score, their team is relentless in pursuit and effort on each and every play. That's a sign of a well-coached and well-intentioned team."
Senior
Kyndal Payne and junior
Tori Arrington tied for team-lead with seven kills apiece, while junior
Rylee Achtzehn hit for a .444 mark after going 4-for-9. Payne was one of two Islanders to drop in an ace against the Huskers as well as senior
Leah Stolfus.
Stolfus was also one of two to record a block, quickly going up for the solo stuff in the second half following a one-handed dig. Arrington also got up for the one-on-one and got her first block of the season also in the second set.
"After a jittery first set, I was really proud of how we settled in and competed the rest of the match. Kayle White was outstanding on defense and really held her own tonight.
Tori Arrington came off the bench and made key kills when we needed her to perform at her best," said Greene.
Senior
Kayla White suited up as libero and picked up 13 digs, her 31
st career double-figure dig performance. Payne and Achtzehn came in behind her with five digs each. Newcomer
Alex Hoglund got the start at setter and recorded 27 of the team's 29 assists in her first outing as an Islander.
It was just the second-ever meeting between A&M-Corpus Christi and Nebraska and first since 2022. The 20 points in set two is the most the Islanders have ever scored in a set against the Huskers. They recorded 30 kills tonight, 10 more than the last meeting with Nebraska.
"After the match, our whole team provided great insight on what we can improve upon as we prepare for a tough opponent in Oklahoma tomorrow," Greene said.
The Islanders will continue in the weekend tournament, taking on Oklahoma tomorrow at 1 p.m. CT to wrap up play in Lincoln. They will then make a stop in College Station Monday to face Texas A&M at 4 p.m. before returning home for their home tournament, the Islander Classic, Sept. 5-7.
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