• Box Score: Kansas State def. Nebraska 3-2
• Photo Showcase: NU volleyball, Dec. 2
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LINCOLN — Perhaps nobody but the Kansas State volleyball team believed the Wildcats had a chance Friday night in their NCAA tournament match at second-ranked Nebraska.
But coach Suzie Fritz's squad pulled off the shocker, outlasting the Huskers in five sets in front of a stunned 4,161 at the NU Coliseum. The win lifts the unranked Wildcats into regional play next week in Honolulu while Nebraska's season ends abruptly at 25-5.
“We talked about playing our best in December,” Fritz said. “I think we're peaking and have hit our stride, and I'm just really proud of my team.”
The Wildcats were the aggressor from the start and won the match 25-22, 22-25, 31-29, 22-25, 15-11.
“That was a great match by K-State,” NU coach John Cook said. “They never let up on the gas and won all of the big points.”
The magnitude of the upset was reflected by the all-time series between the schools. Nebraska held an 80-3 edge entering Friday night and had not lost to the Wildcats since 2003.
“We thought we could play with them,” Fritz said. “We played with confidence and executed tonight.”
The Wildcats helped take the loud crowd out of the match in the first set, pulling away from a 17-17 tie to win 25-22. A hitting error ended that set, but the Huskers were able to bounce back and capture the second set 25-22.
Then came the pivotal third set, the longest of the season for NU. Nebraska held a 19-14 lead but Kansas State rallied to tie 21-21 when a shot by the Huskers' Morgan Broekhuis sailed long.
The set was tied for the next eight points as both teams had their chances to win. The Wildcats then grabbed a 30-29 edge on a kill by Courtney Traxson and won it on a kill by Kaitlynn Pelger.
“That third set was the key,” Cook said. “I think if we win that game, we win the match in four.”
The Huskers again regrouped and won the fourth set 25-22 on a kill by Hannah Werth. But even in defeat, Kansas State had rallied from a 17-13 deficit to pull within one, 23-22, before NU ended it.
With a fifth set looming, Fritz said her team — 7-1 in five-set matches entering Friday night — maintained its confidence.
“We've won a lot of five-set matches this season,” she said. “I told our team that we win these five-setters.”
The Wildcats won the first two points and never trailed in that final set. Nebraska got it tied once at 5-5 when a Kansas State shot went wide, but the Wildcats won the next three points to regain command.
NU later trailed 11-8 and Cook used his first timeout to try to stem the tide. After the Wildcats won the next point on a kill by Pelger, he used his final timeout.
The Huskers got within two, 13-11, on a kill by Werth but the Wildcats closed out the victory after an NU net violation and a shot that went long by Gina Mancuso.
Pelger led the Wildcats with 22 kills while Lilla Porubek had 17 and Traxson 12.
Mancuso paced the Huskers with 25 kills. Broekhuis added 14, Werth 13 and Jordan Wilberger 11.
“I told the girls we still had a heck of a season,” Cook said. “We reached all of our goals except one, and that was the national championship.”
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