Huskers roll past Jackrabbits
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By TODD HENRICHS / Lincoln Journal Star
What would the NCAA Tournament be without a little drama?
No, South Dakota State didn’t put a scare into second-ranked Nebraska during Friday’s postseason volleyball opener at the NU Coliseum. But even in a 30-13, 30-14, 30-13 NU win in the Jackrabbits’ first-ever Division I tournament appearance, it was hard distinguishing which team was battling nerves the most.
Jitters on Nebraska’s side of the net were in large part due to the absence of fifth-year senior All-American Christina Houghtelling, who sat out for what head coach John Cook described as precautionary reasons. Starting in her place was freshman Tara Mueller, whose only other start came as the team’s libero way back in September.
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Wichita State served and passed its way past Western Kentucky 30-21, 30-19, 30-25 in the first round of the NCAA volleyball tournament Friday at the NU Coliseum.
The Shockers will face Nebraska in the second round at 5 p.m. Saturday.
For just the fourth time this season, WSU recorded more aces than service errors. The Shockers finished with a 9-4 advantage from the service line. After entering the match averaging almost three service errors per game, the Shockers didn’t miss a serve until halfway through the second game.
“When you serve well, that’s why you win, because everything else falls into place,” Wichita State coach Chris Lamb said.
Sophomore Melissa Granville finished with a team-high five aces to match her career best.
The Shocker defense also frustrated Western Kentucky's hitters, as they finished with 60 digs. Emily Stockman and Sara Lungren each recorded double-doubles with 11 digs apiece and 16 and 12 kills, respectively.
The Shockers disrupted Western Kentucky’s system and forced setter Julia Noe to chase down errant digs.
The Hilltoppers entered the match 11th in the nation in hitting percentage, but only hit .179, more than 100 points lower than their season average.
“The frustrating thing was our ball-handing kids didn’t handle it well enough to put us in system enough,” Western Kentucky coach Travis Hudson said. “Serving and passing was going to a big part of the game and there’s no question Wichita State won the serving and passing game.”
-- Lincoln Arneal, for the Journal Star
“Christina’s shoes? That’s a big role to fill,” Mueller said.
It was far from a perfect night. In fact, Mueller’s final line was a mixed bag of five kills and five errors.
But she got through it, she said, thanks in large part to her teammates. Every time she came out of the lineup, Rachel Schwartz would greet her at the sideline with a squeeze of the hands and a pep talk.
Just prior to the first serve, there was a moment where senior captain Tracy Stalls made eye contact with the freshman from Scottsdale, Ariz., and assured her that everything would be OK.
“I’m really proud of her because an option tonight was to just give into being nervous, where you say, ‘Today’s going to be really bad because I’m nervous,’” Stalls said. “But she didn’t do that. She was working to find a way to be good when it was hard.”
The same could be said for Nebraska as a whole. Despite facing an overmatched South Dakota State team, the Huskers for the most part avoided dropping their own level of play down a notch.
Even with freshmen Mueller and Lindsey Licht combining for 21 of NU’s 98 swings, the Huskers hit .378. They served 10 aces, seven of those coming in the final game, and outblocked the Jackrabbits 12-0.
South Dakota State (25-11) managed only 19 kills against 24 hitting errors, joining Alabama A&M and Tennessee-Martin as first-round opponents who finished with a sub-zero attack percentage against the Huskers (28-1).
Take away senior Amy Anderson, who hit .462 against Nebraska with seven kills in 13 swings, and the rest of the SDSU lineup combined for only 12 kills and hit minus-.130.
“You’ve got the atmosphere, you’ve got the size, you’ve got the great athletes. There are just a lot of things that you’re at a lot higher level than where we’re at right now,” said SDSU coach Andrew Palileo. “We got a taste of what it’s like playing against a highly-ranked team.”
And while Stalls led Nebraska in kills with 11 — Sarah Pavan broke NU’s career record for postseason kills, and Jordan Larson turned in another solid all-around performance — Friday’s win was in large part about NU’s other players getting a taste of the NCAA Tournament.
Freshman Kayla Banwarth was sound at libero, recording 14 digs and her first career kill, while Mueller and Licht combined for five kills on nine swings in game three.
“You talk to them all season about you never know when you’re going to get your shot,” Cook said.
While Mueller drew the start, Schwartz saw her most extensive action of the last month, substituting for Mueller as a defensive specialist in the same role that she played last season.
“I didn’t really prep (Schwartz). I just told her to do what she did last year,” Cook said. “I thought she played great.”
In many ways, Cook said being without Houghtelling took him back to 2000, when All-American Laura Pilakowski was out after having her appendix removed, and freshman Anna Schrad drew the start in the NCAA Tournament.
Of course, that Nebraska team nearly lost to South Carolina in the second round en route to claiming the national championship. The Huskers face Wichita State in today’s second round at 5 p.m.
Any nerves?
“The good thing is I think Chris is going to be ready to go,” Cook said.
Reach Todd Henrichs at 473-7320 or thenrichs@journalstar.com.
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