Husker volleyball sweeps Jackson State in first round of NCAA tournament

As Jackson State and Nebraska ran by the net to high-five before the start of the first round game of the Division I NCAA Volleyball Tournament at the NU Coliseum, the first few Huskers bent down to slap the hands of the opposition.

The Tigers featured just four players 6-foot or taller. The Huskers have 10.

And the height difference was apparent on the court. JSU managed a single block on the night while NU produced six, as the Huskers swept the Tigers 25-10, 25-16 and 25-13.

After one set of action where libero Lara Dykstra only saw one dig, the freshman was pulled out of the game and replaced with Paige Hubl in a black jersey.

There was nothing wrong with Dykstra, NU coach John Cook said, he just wanted to see how Hubl could perform in her place in case of any issues NU might face down the road in the tournament.

"I've noticed in my experience in coaching the NCAA tournament tends to bring out a few more nerves," Cook said. "I just wanted to get these guys in a bit so going down the stretch they're comfortable, so I played everybody I could tonight."

But the Tigers knew that they would have to put together their best game of the season to even compete, JSU coach Rose Washington said.

"We knew we had to play almost a perfect game," Washington said. "That's just the reality. There's size, but as the match went on, size was a factor."

Added to the size was the atmosphere in the NU Coliseum, which created a hostile environment unlike anything the Tigers had seen, JSU outside hitter Christine Edwards said.

"It was a little nerve-wracking playing in a closed gym with so many fans," Edwards said. "And playing against a team that's twice our size, but we just played our hardest and did what we had to do."

Edwards was the most valuable player for the Tigers, Cook said, on a night where the Huskers forced the junior, who hit .261 on the season, to hit .061 on 49 swings.

Overall, what Cook was most pleased with was Nebraska's ability to force its tempo on Jackson State.

"When you go from the teams you've been playing in the Big Ten it's a different style," Cook said. "In that the athletes aren't as big and as physical. So you can't let them dictate how you play."

And the Huskers were able to force their will on the Tigers. On the evening, NU had 43 kills, 20 more than JSU and hit .438 with only eight errors.

But more importantly to the players, the Huskers were able to enjoy the first-round win and their second-to-last game in the Coliseum for the 2011 season.

"We wanted to make it a point tonight and the whole tournament to have fun with the whole team," Brooke Delano said. "Because this is our last opportunity with this team, so why not have fun while you're doing it?"

"I think we made it an extra point tonight, a lot more than the last couple matches."

And Delano didn't just have fun Thursday night, she also performed. The senior had two block assists along with 10 kills on 16 swings with only one error to post a hitting percentage of .562 for the evening.

She was just living up to Cook's expectations. The Huskers will need Delano and the other middle blockers to keep perform well offensively if they plan to go far in the tournament, Cook said.

Delano knows that she'll have to keep performing well on the court because there won't be another opportunity for the senior at a national title.

"I had some talks with the coaches and it's kind of now or never," she said. "You just have to live in the moment and love this team, because there's a lot of girls who want to get this back."

robbykorth@

dailynebraskan.com