%20--%3e%3csvg%20version='1.1'%20id='Nebraska_N'%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns:xlink='http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20x='0px'%20y='0px'%20viewBox='0%200%20163%20152'%20style='enable-background:new%200%200%20163%20152;'%20xml:space='preserve'%3e%3cstyle%20type='text/css'%3e%20.st0{fill:%23FFFFFF;}%20%3c/style%3e%3cg%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M159.1,144c-2.3,0-4.1,1.8-4.1,4s1.8,4,4,4s4-1.8,4-4S161.2,144,159.1,144z%20M159,151.2c-1.8,0-3.2-1.4-3.2-3.2%20s1.4-3.2,3.2-3.2c1.7,0,3.2,1.5,3.2,3.2C162.2,149.8,160.8,151.2,159,151.2z'/%3e%3cg%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M157.4,145.6h1.4c0.6,0,0.8,0,1.1,0.2c0.4,0.2,0.6,0.6,0.6,1.1c0,0.4-0.1,0.7-0.3,1c-0.1,0.2-0.3,0.2-0.6,0.4%20h-0.1l1.1,2.1h-0.8l-1-2h-0.6v2h-0.8L157.4,145.6L157.4,145.6z%20M158.6,147.7c0,0,0.3,0,0.4,0c0.4-0.1,0.6-0.3,0.6-0.8%20c0-0.3-0.1-0.5-0.4-0.6c-0.1,0-0.1,0-0.6,0h-0.4v1.4L158.6,147.7L158.6,147.7z'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3cg%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M147,0H93h-5v5v35v5h5h5v24.8L55.2,2.3L53.7,0H51H5H0v5v35v5h5h5v62H5H0v5v35v5h5h54h5v-5v-35v-5h-5h-5V82.2%20l42.8,67.5l1.5,2.3h2.7h46h5v-5v-35v-5h-5h-5V45h5h5v-5V5V0H147z%20M150,5v35v3h-3h-7v66h7h3v3v35v3h-3h-46h-1.6l-0.9-1.4L52,75.3%20V109h7h3v3v35v3h-3H5H2v-3v-35v-3h3h7V43H5H2v-3V5V2h3h46h1.7l0.9,1.4L100,76.7V43h-7h-3v-3V5V2h3h54h3V5z'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M103,87L103,87L51,5H5v35c0,0,7.8,0,10,0c0,3.3,0,68.7,0,72l0,0c-2.2,0-10,0-10,0v35h54v-35c0,0-7.8,0-10,0l0,0%20c0-2.6,0-47,0-47l52,82h46v-35c0,0-7.8,0-10,0l0,0c0-3.3,0-68.7,0-72c2.2,0,10,0,10,0V5H93v35c0,0,7.8,0,10,0%20C103,42.6,103,87,103,87z'/%3e%3c/svg%3e)
Lincoln -- The No. 11 Nebraska volleyball team claimed its 22nd conference crown in 24 seasons Saturday night when it defeated No. 15 Texas 15-12, 16-14, 15-9, before a sellout crowd of 4,084 fans at the NU Coliseum. The win by the Huskers (25-5 overall and 17-3 in the Big 12 Conference) avenged an earlier five-game loss to the Longhorns on Oct. 23. It also prevented a three-way tie for first in the league that would have given the Longhorns (21-7, 15-5) and No. 13 Texas A&M (24-5, 16-4) a share of the Big 12 title.
Nebraska overcame a 2-2 conference start to storm through the second half of the Big 12 season with a perfect 10-0 record, avenging early-season losses to Kansas State, Texas A&M and Texas. The Huskers will learn of their postseason fate Sunday night at 9 p.m., CST, when the 64-teams selected for the NCAA tournament are announced during the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Selection Show.
Junior outside hitter Nancy Meendering led the Big 12 champion Huskers with 23 kills and moved into third place on the NU single-season kill chart. Her 73 hitting attempts shattered the school record of 58 attempts in a three-game match set by Lisa Reitsma in 1996 against New Mexico.
Junior outside hitter Angie Oxley and freshman middle blocker Amber Holmquist each contributed 13 kills for the Huskers. Erin Aldrich led the Longhorns with 19 kills. Holmquist was nearly unstoppable, hitting .611 with just one error in 18 attacks.
"An ordinary team would have let go," NU Coach Terry Pettit said. "Other teams in the conference have had the (conference) lead and have ended up spitting it out. We've had the lead for six weeks knowing that we couldn't lose or we would be done. Now that's pressure. You have to be a championship team to want to be there and to stay there. I've been really impressed with our people."
In the 41-minute first game, Nebraska trailed by five before it tied the score at 9 with a 7-2 run. After a tying the game at 12, the two teams totaled eight side-outs before Holmquist broke the stalemate with her sixth kill of the game, giving the Huskers a 13-12 advantage. Meendering brought Nebraska to game point on the next possession, and the Huskers sealed the 15-12 win on an attack error by UT's Meggan Kohnen.
Texas bounced back in the second game, jumping to a 13-4 lead before Nebraska came to life. Nebraska scored nine consecutive points to tie the score at 13. Texas took a one-point lead on a kill by Aldrich. NU then regained possession on a kill by Oxley. Reserve outside hitter Katie Jahnke served two points, including an ace, to give the Huskers a 15-14 advantage. Meendering pounded her 15th kill of the match for the 16-14 improbable rally.
Meendering led NU with seven kills in the second game, and the Huskers' totaled five blocks. But the key to the rally was Jahnke. The West Bend, Wis., native entered the game with Nebraska trailing 10-3 and sparked the Huskers with two momentum-swinging kills, a solo block, a block assist and a service ace.
"I think we really have a good thing going," Pettit said. "Before the match, we weren't talking about winning the Big 12. We were talking about kicking the door down and playing great volleyball for the NCAA tournament people. We needed to be in a game like this where we didn't just dominate. We needed a game where we had to come back and win."
Nebraska never trailed in the third game. The Huskers led 8-6 before senior defensive specialist Nikki Henk served five straight points to put NU up 13-6. A solo block by Holmquist brought the Huskers to match point. Meendering sealed the 15-9 win and the match with a block of Texas' Kathy Tilson.
Saturday's match marked the final regular-season home contest for four Nebraska seniors. Monson, Henk, Tonia Tauke, and Kim Crandall were honored in a pre-match ceremony for their contributions to the NU program. All four players earned first-team academic All-Big 12 honors this year.
Senior outside hitter Mandy Monson also placed her name in the school record books. With 12 digs Saturday, Monson now ranks 10th on the NU all-time career dig chart.