Forget baby steps, the Cornhuskers are hopscotching their way through 2009.
On Wednesday, Nebraska volleyball coach John Cook said his team’s loss to Iowa State was a major step in the wrong direction. Saturday was different. The Huskers found a new drive in a 25-22, 25-22, 22-25, 25-15 win over Oklahoma.
“Even though we weren’t clicking on all cylinders tonight, they mentally stayed with it tonight,” Cook said. “I think that is a really big step.”
NU stormed out to a first-set win, and the Husker offense clicked behind outside hitters Lindsey Licht and Hannah Werth, who totaled five kills each. Adding to the offensive mix, setter Sydney Anderson dropped in two crucial kills. Her swings added to a powerful Licht-led Husker attack that had OU’s defense falling backward.
“I think I did a pretty good job of coming back and not tanking myself,” Licht said. “We worked on our shots more. If a shot worked, it worked. If it didn’t, we knew what we needed to do.”
Nebraska came out and maintained the momentum going into the second set, which was something the Huskers struggled with against Iowa State.
In game two it was Kori Cooper who took charge, dropping in five of 12 kills on the night. The senior middle blocker kept the Huskers in the game, but it was the play-to-play turnaround of Tara Mueller that turned the tide late.
After a Mueller attack error tied the game at 21, Anderson went back to her the very next play. In a scramble, the NU setter was able to bump the ball to Mueller, who put it away with authority, giving the Huskers the lead.
“This is the first time all year that I’ve seen (Mueller) not get down,” Cook said. “She had sparkles in her eyes, and she was ready to compete.”
Two blocks by Brooke Delano and Anderson followed, and the Huskers went into the break with a comfortable 2-0 lead.
Again, the momentum stayed with the Huskers, and they cruised to a 20-15 lead in the third. But six straight NU attack errors later, Oklahoma was on top 21-20. The Sooners went on to win the set, leaving Cook worried about his team’s morale.
“It was a defining moment,” Cook said. “Of all the games this week, that would be the one game to go in the tank.”
The turnaround and giant step forward came when the Huskers switched sides and changed gears.
NU dominated the fourth set behind six of Werth’s career-high 19 kills. Licht’s swing heated up again as she recorded another five-kill set. The Huskers regained control of their attacks and the match, hitting .333 in the final game victory.
Cook said he was proud of the way his team responded and fought back to finish the match.
“There’s not much you can say, not much you can do in that short amount of time,” Licht said. “Just clear you minds and come out strong the next game.”
While Werth was one of the Huskers who came out the strongest after the setback, she said it was the team’s mentality that drove home the win.
“It’s never about keeping the ball in the court,” Werth said. “You either strike out or hit home runs. We did a really good job at focusing on the ‘next play’ mentality.”
davehoufek@dailynebraskan.com
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