Volleyball overcomes Missouri with strategy shift

When a team creates a game plan to beat Nebraska, it is hoping to manipulate certain strengths of the Cornhuskers.

Doing this only creates openings for players who were unaccounted for in the strategy.

While the opponent's attention is focused on one aspect of Nebraska's attack, other players can take advantage.

The No. 5 Huskers did just that during a 25-17, 25-15, 21-25, 25-13 win against Missouri on Saturday.

Nebraska's middle blockers Brooke Delano and Kori Cooper have been dominating throughout the season. Delano leads the team with a .359 hitting percentage and Cooper has hit .421 over the last five matches.

The Tigers (12-8, 4-5 Big 12) conspired to shut the two down during the match.

"(Missouri was) committing on our middles, so our other game plan was to get it to our left side," NU coach John Cook said. "Tara (Mueller) and Hannah (Werth) had a lot of kills out there on the left. We were in a really good rhythm going with that."

NU (14-4, 7-2) took advantage of the openings created by Delano and Cooper. Werth finished the match with 17 kills on 38 swings, while Mueller added 10 kills of her own.

Werth generated kills to start and finish the first set and started the fourth set with one as well.

Right-side hitter Lindsey Licht also benefitted from her high-profile teammates, tallying 13 kills on a .367 hitting percentage.

But setter Sydney Anderson said it's not always easy for the middle blockers to share the wealth when she passes them up for a more favorable matchup.

"Sometimes they get frustrated because they are doing their jobs so well that they're holding the blockers, and I'm setting away, and Tara and Hannah have one-on-ones," Anderson said.

Delano and Cooper were still effective against Missouri, though. Delano had eight kills on 18 total attacks, and Cooper added nine kills with a .471 hitting percentage.

"My favorite set as a setter is to set middle, especially when the middle is screaming for the ball and wanting the ball," Anderson said. "And that's definitely Brooke and (Cooper) for you. They want to get set. They don't care if they have two blockers up. They always want the ball."

Anderson contributed 57 assists, leading the Huskers to a .315 hitting percentage as a team.

"Our connection with Sydney has been really good the last few weeks," Cooper said. "If we can continue that, I think we are going to be firing on all cylinders as a team, and we will be hard to defend."

NU's defense was equally impressive in the four-set victory.

The Huskers had 66 total digs, led by Kayla Banwarth's 25. Banwarth's play landed her Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors.

"She dug some great shots," Cook said. "She has a lot of confidence. I thought our whole team dug really well."