By Alex Benzegala Panhandle Post

Alliance went on the road to Gering to start the high school basketball season, but despite spirited efforts they lost both games, 49-41 for the girls and 57-52 for the boys.

The girl's game was a back-and-forth battle for three quarters as they were tied 14-14 after one quarter and Alliance outscored Gering 12-9 to take a three-point lead at halftime.&nbsp;

The third quarter belonged to Alliance as they shut down Gering 8-2 to take a nine-point lead into the fourth.

The final quarter belonged to Gering as they used a full court press to turnover Alliance and outscore them 24-7 to earn the win.

Jaelynne Clarke earned Nebraska Bank Player of the Game Honors after leading Alliance in points and steals and rebounds before fouling out late in the fourth quarter.

On the boy's side, Alliance led 10-1 early in the first quarter against Gering, but Uriah Ybarra got going offensively for Gering to finish for 25 points in his teams win.&nbsp;

Alliance fell behind by double digits in the 2nd half but rallied in the fourth quarter to get within two points before Gering took advantage of layup and foul on Ybarra plus a technical foul that helped Gering pull away in the final minutes. Tristen Timbers earned Player of the Game honors for leading Alliance in scoring despite getting into foul trouble throughout the game. Timbers and Seth Meyring were the two Alliance players in double figure scoring. Espen Lanik hit two big three pointers in the fourth quarter to get Alliance closer and Filippo Bandera also scored six of his seven points in the fourth as well.

Next up for Alliance is home games against North Platte on Friday.

By Alex Benzegala Panhandle Post Alliance went on the road to Gering to start the high school basketball season, but despite spirited efforts they lost both games, 49-41 for the girls and 57-52 for the boys.The girl's game was a back-and-forth battle for three quarters as they were tied 14-14 after one quarter and Alliance outscored Gering 12-9 to take a three-point lead at halftime.&nbsp;The third quarter belonged to Alliance as they shut down Gering 8-2 to take a nine-point lead into the fourth.The final quarter belonged to Gering as they used a full court press to turnover Alliance and outscore them 24-7 to earn the win.Jaelynne Clarke earned Nebraska Bank Player of the Game Honors after leading Alliance in points and steals and rebounds before fouling out late in the fourth quarter.On the boy's side, Alliance led 10-1 early in the first quarter against Gering, but Uriah Ybarra got going offensively for Gering to finish for 25 points in his teams win.&nbsp;Alliance fell behind by double digits in the 2nd half but rallied in the fourth quarter to get within two points before Gering took advantage of layup and foul on Ybarra plus a technical foul that helped Gering pull away in the final minutes. Tristen Timbers earned Player of the Game honors for leading Alliance in scoring despite getting into foul trouble throughout the game. Timbers and Seth Meyring were the two Alliance players in double figure scoring. Espen Lanik hit two big three pointers in the fourth quarter to get Alliance closer and Filippo Bandera also scored six of his seven points in the fourth as well.Next up for Alliance is home games against North Platte on Friday.

Alliance basketball fights hard, but loses doubleheader at Gering

LINCOLN, Neb.&nbsp;- The top-ranked Nebraska volleyball team moved on in the NCAA Tournament after a 25-13, 25-16, 25-22 sweep of Long Island on Friday night in front of a crowd of 8,599 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.&nbsp;

The Huskers (29-1) were balanced offensively with five players posting at least six kills. Merritt Beason led the way with a match-high 13 kills on .478 hitting. Harper Murray added nine kills in her NCAA Tournament debut while Ally Batenhorst had seven kills. Middles Andi Jackson and Maggie Mendelson had six kills apiece, with Mendelson tying her career high in kills and blocks (4).

Nebraska had 44 kills to LIU's 28, and the Huskers hit .280 compared to .151 by the Sharks. NU also had a 46-33 advantage in digs and had seven services aces. Camelia Melendez paced LIU with 12 kills while Rumur Rouille had a match-high seven blocks.

Set 1:&nbsp;Mendelson started the match off with a block with Beason and a kill, and two kills each by Batenhorst and Jackson - along with an ace by Beason - put the Huskers up 8-3. The Huskers kept their foot on the gas, going up 14-5 after two kills by Murray and one by Reilly as part of another 4-0 run. Reilly and Murray each served an ace, while Beason and Mendelson teamed up for a block, and the Huskers built the lead to 19-7. Rodriguez served the Huskers' fourth ace for a 21-8 lead, and Batenhorst, Jackson and Reilly posted kills down the stretch as the Huskers won 25-13. Nebraska held LIU to -.040 hitting in the first set.&nbsp;

Set 2:&nbsp;LIU hung around in game two, trailing 9-7 after a kill by Camelia Melendez. Murray and Beason then combined for three kills in a row to help the Huskers go up 12-7, but the Sharks fought back to get within two, 15-13. Jackson and Murray had kills to lift the Big Red back to a five-point lead at 18-13, and Beason and Murray had kills while Reilly served two aces, and the Huskers led 23-15. Mendelson then posted two kills to close out the set, 25-16.&nbsp;

Set 3:&nbsp;The Huskers fell into an 8-3 hole as Long Island clicked offensively. The Sharks led 11-5 before a kill by Murray and ace by Kennedi Orr. After an LIU kill, Mendelson had a kill and back-to-back blocks with Murray, and an LIU attacking error cut the deficit to one, 12-11. The Sharks held firm, however, building the lead back to three at 19-16. Jackson responded out of a timeout with a kill, and Beason terminated from the back row to make it 19-18. The teams traded points before Murray tooled a block to tie it 20-20. The teams then traded kills on the next four rallies, and a hitting error by LIU made it 23-22 Nebraska, the Huskers' first lead of the set. After a Long Island timeout, Beason earned match point with a kill, and the Huskers won 25-22.&nbsp;

LINCOLN, Neb.&nbsp;- The top-ranked Nebraska volleyball team moved on in the NCAA Tournament after a 25-13, 25-16, 25-22 sweep of Long Island on Friday night in front of a crowd of 8,599 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.&nbsp;The Huskers (29-1) were balanced offensively with five players posting at least six kills. Merritt Beason led the way with a match-high 13 kills on .478 hitting. Harper Murray added nine kills in her NCAA Tournament debut while Ally Batenhorst had seven kills. Middles Andi Jackson and Maggie Mendelson had six kills apiece, with Mendelson tying her career high in kills and blocks (4).Nebraska had 44 kills to LIU's 28, and the Huskers hit .280 compared to .151 by the Sharks. NU also had a 46-33 advantage in digs and had seven services aces. Camelia Melendez paced LIU with 12 kills while Rumur Rouille had a match-high seven blocks.Set 1:&nbsp;Mendelson started the match off with a block with Beason and a kill, and two kills each by Batenhorst and Jackson - along with an ace by Beason - put the Huskers up 8-3. The Huskers kept their foot on the gas, going up 14-5 after two kills by Murray and one by Reilly as part of another 4-0 run. Reilly and Murray each served an ace, while Beason and Mendelson teamed up for a block, and the Huskers built the lead to 19-7. Rodriguez served the Huskers' fourth ace for a 21-8 lead, and Batenhorst, Jackson and Reilly posted kills down the stretch as the Huskers won 25-13. Nebraska held LIU to -.040 hitting in the first set.&nbsp;Set 2:&nbsp;LIU hung around in game two, trailing 9-7 after a kill by Camelia Melendez. Murray and Beason then combined for three kills in a row to help the Huskers go up 12-7, but the Sharks fought back to get within two, 15-13. Jackson and Murray had kills to lift the Big Red back to a five-point lead at 18-13, and Beason and Murray had kills while Reilly served two aces, and the Huskers led 23-15. Mendelson then posted two kills to close out the set, 25-16.&nbsp;Set 3:&nbsp;The Huskers fell into an 8-3 hole as Long Island clicked offensively. The Sharks led 11-5 before a kill by Murray and ace by Kennedi Orr. After an LIU kill, Mendelson had a kill and back-to-back blocks with Murray, and an LIU attacking error cut the deficit to one, 12-11. The Sharks held firm, however, building the lead back to three at 19-16. Jackson responded out of a timeout with a kill, and Beason terminated from the back row to make it 19-18. The teams traded points before Murray tooled a block to tie it 20-20. The teams then traded kills on the next four rallies, and a hitting error by LIU made it 23-22 Nebraska, the Huskers' first lead of the set. After a Long Island timeout, Beason earned match point with a kill, and the Huskers won 25-22.&nbsp;

Husker Volleyball Sweep Sharks in NCAA Div 1 Opener

By Alex Benzegala Panhandle Post

The Hemingford girls and boys basketball teams opened up the season against Gordon Rushville Friday night, and the Bobcats girls lost 62-24.

Hemingford boys had a picture-perfect start as they won over G-R 45-26.

It was a tough start for the Bobcats girls as the Mustangs came out of the gates fast surging to a 23-5 lead after the first quarter.

The 2nd quarter was the best scoring output for the Bobcats as they scored ten points but were outscored by 11 21-10 for a 43-17 halftime score.

Both teams are in action against Hyannis on Saturday.

By Alex Benzegala Panhandle PostThe Hemingford girls and boys basketball teams opened up the season against Gordon Rushville Friday night, and the Bobcats girls lost 62-24.Hemingford boys had a picture-perfect start as they won over G-R 45-26.It was a tough start for the Bobcats girls as the Mustangs came out of the gates fast surging to a 23-5 lead after the first quarter.The 2nd quarter was the best scoring output for the Bobcats as they scored ten points but were outscored by 11 21-10 for a 43-17 halftime score.Both teams are in action against Hyannis on Saturday.

Hemingford boys bb wins big over G-R, girls stumble

By: John Murphy CSC Sports Information Director

PUEBLO, Colo. -- CSU-Pueblo outscored Chadron State 15-4 in the first quarter on its home court to propel the hosts to a 62-52 victory in the conference opener Friday for both teams in Pueblo, Colorado.

The loss drops the Eagles to 2-3 overall and 0-1 in conference play.

Chadron State's lone lead of the game occurred with 6:59 to play in the first quarter. Awoti Akoi, a junior from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, made two free throws that gave the Eagles a 2-1 lead. A CSU-Pueblo basket gave them a 3-2 lead in which they never lost.

The Eagles outscored their opponents by three in the second quarter to trail by eight at half. A buzzer beater three at the end of the third period extended the hosts lead to seven and the Eagles never were able to lower their deficit to less than six in the final period.

The Pack shot 36.5 percent from the field in the victory compared to CSC's 31.3 percent. Both teams struggled from behind the arc, where the Eagles made four of their 16 attempts while CSU-Pueblo made seven of their 25.  Chadron State outrebounded its opponent 39 to 35 in the loss.

A total of 26 Eagle turnovers resulted in 23 points for the home team. CSU-Pueblo had 19 turnovers that Chadron State turned in to 18 points.

Liberty Line, a redshirt sophomore from Parker, Colorado, stayed true to her name, making 10 of her 11 attempts from the line for a team high 14 points. The Eagles finished 18 of 21 from the free throw line, good for 85.7 percent.

Kylie Krise, a Western Colorado transfer and native of Briggsdale, Colorado, chipped in ten points to join Line in double-digits.

Three Thunderwolves scored in double-digits, led by Alisha Little with 16 points. Autumn Watts and Landri Hudson added 15 and 14 points, respectively.

Ashayla Powers, a junior from Longmont, Colorado had a team high eight rebounds for CSC. Little also led the Thunderwolves in rebounds with 13 to finish with the double-double.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701529482954.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By: John Murphy CSC Sports Information DirectorPUEBLO, Colo. -- CSU-Pueblo outscored Chadron State 15-4 in the first quarter on its home court to propel the hosts to a 62-52 victory in the conference opener Friday for both teams in Pueblo, Colorado.The loss drops the Eagles to 2-3 overall and 0-1 in conference play.Chadron State's lone lead of the game occurred with 6:59 to play in the first quarter. Awoti Akoi, a junior from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, made two free throws that gave the Eagles a 2-1 lead. A CSU-Pueblo basket gave them a 3-2 lead in which they never lost.The Eagles outscored their opponents by three in the second quarter to trail by eight at half. A buzzer beater three at the end of the third period extended the hosts lead to seven and the Eagles never were able to lower their deficit to less than six in the final period.The Pack shot 36.5 percent from the field in the victory compared to CSC's 31.3 percent. Both teams struggled from behind the arc, where the Eagles made four of their 16 attempts while CSU-Pueblo made seven of their 25. Chadron State outrebounded its opponent 39 to 35 in the loss.A total of 26 Eagle turnovers resulted in 23 points for the home team. CSU-Pueblo had 19 turnovers that Chadron State turned in to 18 points.Liberty Line, a redshirt sophomore from Parker, Colorado, stayed true to her name, making 10 of her 11 attempts from the line for a team high 14 points. The Eagles finished 18 of 21 from the free throw line, good for 85.7 percent.Kylie Krise, a Western Colorado transfer and native of Briggsdale, Colorado, chipped in ten points to join Line in double-digits.Three Thunderwolves scored in double-digits, led by Alisha Little with 16 points. Autumn Watts and Landri Hudson added 15 and 14 points, respectively.Ashayla Powers, a junior from Longmont, Colorado had a team high eight rebounds for CSC. Little also led the Thunderwolves in rebounds with 13 to finish with the double-double.

🏀WBB: Line's strong night not enough to bring CSC back at Pueblo to open RMAC play

By: Dave Collins&nbsp; Sports DIrector

🏀 Western Nebraska High School Hoops Friday Night Scoreboard

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1607523775411.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By: Dave Collins&nbsp; Sports DIrector🏀 Western Nebraska High School Hoops Friday Night ScoreboardBOYSBridgeport 61, Perkins County 36Garden County 55, Brady 22Gering 67, Alliance 52Hemingford 45, Gordon-Rushville 26Hyannis 64, Banner County 41Kimball 72, Leyton 56Morrill 43, Potter-Dix 31Ogallala 62, Lexington 22Scottsbluff 64, Mitchell 27Sidney 44, Chadron 43South Platte 48, Minatare 34<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629461621684.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>GIRLSBayard 55, Crawford 17Brady 57, Garden County 28Bridgeport 81, Perkins County 34Gering 49, Alliance 41Gordon-Rushville 62, Hemingford 24Hay Springs 49, Cody-Kilgore 32Hyannis 44, Banner County 13Leyton 48, Kimball 25Morrill 61, Potter-Dix 18Ogallala 63, Lexington 18Scottsbluff 52, Mitchell 21Sidney 44, Chadron 41

🏀 Western Nebraska High School Hoops Friday Night Scoreboard

By: Con Marshall CSC Sports Information

PUEBLO, Colo. -- Thanks to a driving layup by senior guard Bryce Latimer with three seconds remaining, the Chadron State College men's basketball won  84-82 over homestanding Colorado State-Pueblo on Friday night in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference opener for both teams.

The Eagles took a 7-5 lead and never trailed the rest of the game. They outscored the ThunderWolves 10-2 in the final 2:14 of the first half to own a 45-35 halftime advantage. Chadron State took a 13-point lead early in the second half and was still on top 78-67 with 3:53 to play.

But things got dicey late in the game when Brevin Walter, a 6-foot-4 senior transfer from South Dakota Mines, scored the ThunderWolves' final 10 points, six of them at the free throw line.

His two fouls shots with 18 seconds remaining tied the score at 82-82. But Latimer was able to take the ball to the hoop for the winning shot. Just three seconds were left when Pueblo got the clock stopped, and the hosts could not respond before the buzzer sounded.

Latimer led the Eagles with 25 points on 11 of 25 shooting from the field and going three of four at the free throw line. Walter paced Pueblo with 26 points, making seven of 16 field goal shots and 12 of 14 free throws.

Senior forward Josh Robinson scored 19 points and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds for the Eagles.  Center Porter Anderson added nine points while making all four of his field goal shots and his only free throw.  He also pulled down seven rebounds, but played only 12 minutes because of early foul trouble.

De'Shaun Cooper, a 6-foot-9 junior, made eight of his nine field goal attempts while scoring 16 points for Pueblo, but he grabbed only one rebound.

Chadron State outrebounded the Wolves by a 39 to 26 margin, helping the Eagles get off 10 more field goal attempts.  CSC was 33 of 66 from the field while Pueblo was 29-56, but the hosts were 21-29 at the charity stripe and the Eagles 13-18.

Now 3-3 for the season, the Eagles will play at New Mexico Highlands on Saturday night. The Cowboys defeated Colorado Christian 72-63 Friday night,

Chadron State—Bryce Latimer 25, Josh Robinson 19, Porter Anderson 9, Jalen Patterson 8, Dalton Peterson 5, Jarrett Taylors 5, Raul Nunez 5, Martin Poznanovic 4, Malakai 4. Totals: 33-66 (5-16) 13-18, 85 points, 39 rebounds. 11 turnovers.

CSU-Pueblo—Brevin Walter 26, De'Shaun Cooper 16, Armon Muldrew 11, Makiah Morris 10, Daeyon James 6, Ty Adams 6, Aurrion Harris 5, Isaish Morris 2.  Totals: 29-56 (3-15) 21-29 82 points, 26 rebounds, 7 turnovers.

Chadron State                45             39       ---84

CSU-Pueblo                   35             47       ---82

3-pointers: CSC—Patterson 2, Peterson, 1, Taylor 1, Harris 1.  CSU-P—James 2, Adam 1.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701529328616.jpeg" alt="Bryce Latimer CSC Basketball" />
 <figcaption>Bryce Latimer CSC Basketball</figcaption>
 </figure>By: Con Marshall CSC Sports InformationPUEBLO, Colo. -- Thanks to a driving layup by senior guard Bryce Latimer with three seconds remaining, the Chadron State College men's basketball won 84-82 over homestanding Colorado State-Pueblo on Friday night in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference opener for both teams.The Eagles took a 7-5 lead and never trailed the rest of the game. They outscored the ThunderWolves 10-2 in the final 2:14 of the first half to own a 45-35 halftime advantage. Chadron State took a 13-point lead early in the second half and was still on top 78-67 with 3:53 to play.But things got dicey late in the game when Brevin Walter, a 6-foot-4 senior transfer from South Dakota Mines, scored the ThunderWolves' final 10 points, six of them at the free throw line.His two fouls shots with 18 seconds remaining tied the score at 82-82. But Latimer was able to take the ball to the hoop for the winning shot. Just three seconds were left when Pueblo got the clock stopped, and the hosts could not respond before the buzzer sounded.Latimer led the Eagles with 25 points on 11 of 25 shooting from the field and going three of four at the free throw line. Walter paced Pueblo with 26 points, making seven of 16 field goal shots and 12 of 14 free throws.Senior forward Josh Robinson scored 19 points and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds for the Eagles. Center Porter Anderson added nine points while making all four of his field goal shots and his only free throw. He also pulled down seven rebounds, but played only 12 minutes because of early foul trouble.De'Shaun Cooper, a 6-foot-9 junior, made eight of his nine field goal attempts while scoring 16 points for Pueblo, but he grabbed only one rebound.Chadron State outrebounded the Wolves by a 39 to 26 margin, helping the Eagles get off 10 more field goal attempts. CSC was 33 of 66 from the field while Pueblo was 29-56, but the hosts were 21-29 at the charity stripe and the Eagles 13-18.Now 3-3 for the season, the Eagles will play at New Mexico Highlands on Saturday night. The Cowboys defeated Colorado Christian 72-63 Friday night,Chadron State—Bryce Latimer 25, Josh Robinson 19, Porter Anderson 9, Jalen Patterson 8, Dalton Peterson 5, Jarrett Taylors 5, Raul Nunez 5, Martin Poznanovic 4, Malakai 4. Totals: 33-66 (5-16) 13-18, 85 points, 39 rebounds. 11 turnovers.CSU-Pueblo—Brevin Walter 26, De'Shaun Cooper 16, Armon Muldrew 11, Makiah Morris 10, Daeyon James 6, Ty Adams 6, Aurrion Harris 5, Isaish Morris 2. Totals: 29-56 (3-15) 21-29 82 points, 26 rebounds, 7 turnovers.Chadron State 45 39 ---84CSU-Pueblo 35 47 ---823-pointers: CSC—Patterson 2, Peterson, 1, Taylor 1, Harris 1. CSU-P—James 2, Adam 1.

Latimer wins it with driving layup for CSC in final seconds

Kearney, Neb. –&nbsp;All-American middle Taya Beller had a match-high 22 kills and third-ranked Wayne State controlled the final two sets to rally past 13th-ranked Nebraska Kearney (<a href="https://lopers.com/boxscore.aspx?path=wvball&amp;id=7814" target="_blank">18-25, -23, 20-25, -22, -9</a>) Friday night in an NCAA Tournament second round match in St. Paul, Minn.This was the first meeting between the Wildcats (30-2) and the&nbsp;Lopers&nbsp;(29-6) in eight years and the first-ever national tourney battle between the two. UNK still has a healthy 69-10 all-time series advantage.

Wayne will meet either Concordia-St. Paul or Central Missouri on Saturday night for the right to advance to the “Elite Eight.”"In both matches this weekend I thought we competed at a different level. I'm proud of our team as if we had won because they came out here and left it all out on the court," said UNK head coach&nbsp;Rick Squiers&nbsp;on the&nbsp; Radio&nbsp;postgame&nbsp;show. "A little bit of the inexperience we have that maybe they don't shows up once or twice and that's about all it takes to put you in a tough spot."Ranked number one for much of the last two seasons, Wayne had fewer kills and digs than the&nbsp;Lopers&nbsp;and hit six points lower. However, they registered six more blocks, took advantage of seven UNK service errors and hit .260 over the final two sets. The Blue &amp; Gold amassed 21 kills in the fourth and fifth sets but had only early leads in both."In the fourth when we kind of made a run at them at the end (7-1 run to make it 21-20), I thought we're right there again. It comes down to just a play or two in moments like that and they were able to make a couple. Some of that is because they have good athletes who have a little more margin for error," said Squiers.

UNK's best set was the third when it hit .306 (14-3-36) to help erase deficits of 4-1, 7-3 and 10-6. The Lopers closed on an 11-6 run with back-to-back blocks making it 2-1 on the scoreboard. In the first set, Kearney had an 18-9 outburst to erase a four-point hole. They then closed with three straight points, the final one being a block.In the fifth, Wayne took advantage of two service errors and four kills from senior outside&nbsp;Kelsie&nbsp;Cada&nbsp;to control the&nbsp;action. UNK led 2-1 after a kill from sophomore outside&nbsp;Emilee&nbsp;Lane&nbsp;(Hays, Kan.) but the 'Cats zoomed ahead to lead 7-4 and 9-7.

The&nbsp;Lopers&nbsp;got within 11-9 but the final four points of the match all went to the Black &amp; Gold."We ran out of juice a little bit," said&nbsp;Squiers. "Every year is a different journey but this one was unique by the way it started … the outdoor match and then going for the regular season attendance record."Beller, a 6-2 fifth-year junior, hit .383 and added six blocks to her offensive output. She had six kills in each of the first two sets and then four in both the third and fourth. Next,&nbsp;Cada&nbsp;had 14 kills and went 26 for 27 in serve receive with freshman outside Channatee Robles and fifth-year junior middle Maggie Brahmer having 11 kills apiece. A 2022 All-American, Brahmer had a team-best nine blocks with sophomore Taylor Bunjer adding seven more. 

Finally,&nbsp;libero&nbsp;Jordan McCormick had 23 digs.Lane, in relief of All-American&nbsp;Emersen Cyza&nbsp;(Alliance) due to injury, went for 16 kills in a team-best 50 swings. The total was one shy of tying her career high. For the fifth straight match, junior outside&nbsp;Asha Regier&nbsp;(Newton, Kan.) had a double digit kill total, going for 16 in 48 swings. Next, right side&nbsp;Jaden Ferguson&nbsp;(Lincoln SW) had her 10th double double (17 digs, 13 kills, .297 pct.) of the year with freshman middle&nbsp;Mia Berg&nbsp;(Eureka, Mo.) hot early and ending with 10 kills and six stuffs. Sophomore middle&nbsp;Trista&nbsp;Marx&nbsp;(Limon, Colo.) was strong late to the tune of eight kills, two blocks and a .375 efficiency.Also for the&nbsp;Lopers,&nbsp;libero&nbsp;Lauren Taubenheim&nbsp;(Lincoln Pius) had 23 digs, junior DS&nbsp;Jensen&nbsp;Rowse&nbsp;(Minden) had 16 and two aces with setter&nbsp;Peyton Neff&nbsp;(North Platte) having her typical all-around effort; 59 assists, 17 digs, four aces, block and kill.This was the curtain call for&nbsp;Cyza&nbsp;and Ferguson with&nbsp;Taubenheim,&nbsp;Rowse&nbsp;and DS/S&nbsp;Rhianna Wilhelm&nbsp;(Henderson) all having a "COVID" year available if they wish to return in 2024.

Peter Yazvac/ UNK Media RelationsKearney, Neb. –&nbsp;All-American middle Taya Beller had a match-high 22 kills and third-ranked Wayne State controlled the final two sets to rally past 13th-ranked Nebraska Kearney (<a href="https://lopers.com/boxscore.aspx?path=wvball&amp;id=7814" target="_blank">18-25, -23, 20-25, -22, -9</a>) Friday night in an NCAA Tournament second round match in St. Paul, Minn.This was the first meeting between the Wildcats (30-2) and the&nbsp;Lopers&nbsp;(29-6) in eight years and the first-ever national tourney battle between the two. UNK still has a healthy 69-10 all-time series advantage.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/12/1701529474714.png" alt="Wayne State Postgame" />
 <figcaption>Wayne State Postgame</figcaption>
 </figure>Wayne will meet either Concordia-St. Paul or Central Missouri on Saturday night for the right to advance to the “Elite Eight.”"In both matches this weekend I thought we competed at a different level. I'm proud of our team as if we had won because they came out here and left it all out on the court," said UNK head coach&nbsp;Rick Squiers&nbsp;on the&nbsp; Radio&nbsp;postgame&nbsp;show. "A little bit of the inexperience we have that maybe they don't shows up once or twice and that's about all it takes to put you in a tough spot."Ranked number one for much of the last two seasons, Wayne had fewer kills and digs than the&nbsp;Lopers&nbsp;and hit six points lower. However, they registered six more blocks, took advantage of seven UNK service errors and hit .260 over the final two sets. The Blue &amp; Gold amassed 21 kills in the fourth and fifth sets but had only early leads in both."In the fourth when we kind of made a run at them at the end (7-1 run to make it 21-20), I thought we're right there again. It comes down to just a play or two in moments like that and they were able to make a couple. Some of that is because they have good athletes who have a little more margin for error," said Squiers.(Wayne State Postgame Press Conference)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/I9JnegOVrj4?si=588veHnmJxDaLMsV" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>UNK's best set was the third when it hit .306 (14-3-36) to help erase deficits of 4-1, 7-3 and 10-6. The Lopers closed on an 11-6 run with back-to-back blocks making it 2-1 on the scoreboard. In the first set, Kearney had an 18-9 outburst to erase a four-point hole. They then closed with three straight points, the final one being a block.In the fifth, Wayne took advantage of two service errors and four kills from senior outside&nbsp;Kelsie&nbsp;Cada&nbsp;to control the&nbsp;action. UNK led 2-1 after a kill from sophomore outside&nbsp;Emilee&nbsp;Lane&nbsp;(Hays, Kan.) but the 'Cats zoomed ahead to lead 7-4 and 9-7. The&nbsp;Lopers&nbsp;got within 11-9 but the final four points of the match all went to the Black &amp; Gold."We ran out of juice a little bit," said&nbsp;Squiers. "Every year is a different journey but this one was unique by the way it started … the outdoor match and then going for the regular season attendance record."Beller, a 6-2 fifth-year junior, hit .383 and added six blocks to her offensive output. She had six kills in each of the first two sets and then four in both the third and fourth. Next,&nbsp;Cada&nbsp;had 14 kills and went 26 for 27 in serve receive with freshman outside Channatee Robles and fifth-year junior middle Maggie Brahmer having 11 kills apiece. A 2022 All-American, Brahmer had a team-best nine blocks with sophomore Taylor Bunjer adding seven more. Finally,&nbsp;libero&nbsp;Jordan McCormick had 23 digs.Lane, in relief of All-American&nbsp;Emersen Cyza&nbsp;(Alliance) due to injury, went for 16 kills in a team-best 50 swings. The total was one shy of tying her career high. For the fifth straight match, junior outside&nbsp;Asha Regier&nbsp;(Newton, Kan.) had a double digit kill total, going for 16 in 48 swings. Next, right side&nbsp;Jaden Ferguson&nbsp;(Lincoln SW) had her 10th double double (17 digs, 13 kills, .297 pct.) of the year with freshman middle&nbsp;Mia Berg&nbsp;(Eureka, Mo.) hot early and ending with 10 kills and six stuffs. Sophomore middle&nbsp;Trista&nbsp;Marx&nbsp;(Limon, Colo.) was strong late to the tune of eight kills, two blocks and a .375 efficiency.Also for the&nbsp;Lopers,&nbsp;libero&nbsp;Lauren Taubenheim&nbsp;(Lincoln Pius) had 23 digs, junior DS&nbsp;Jensen&nbsp;Rowse&nbsp;(Minden) had 16 and two aces with setter&nbsp;Peyton Neff&nbsp;(North Platte) having her typical all-around effort; 59 assists, 17 digs, four aces, block and kill.This was the curtain call for&nbsp;Cyza&nbsp;and Ferguson with&nbsp;Taubenheim,&nbsp;Rowse&nbsp;and DS/S&nbsp;Rhianna Wilhelm&nbsp;(Henderson) all having a "COVID" year available if they wish to return in 2024.

Wayne St takes down UNK to move on in NCAA Tournament

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 <iframe width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/y8qHz2MhtUs"></iframe>
 <figcaption>JV starts at 4:30PM central with Varsity beginning at 5:00 PM central </figcaption>
 </figure>

Wrestling - Clash in the Commons

• The Nebraska volleyball team was selected as the No. 1 overall seed for the 2023 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship and will host the first and second rounds at the Bob Devaney Sports Center this Friday and Saturday.&nbsp;• The Huskers, making their 42nd straight NCAA Tournament appearance and hosting the first round for the 38th time, will open the tournament on Friday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. against Long Island University (13-18), champions of the Northeast Conference. The 4:30 p.m. match will feature Missouri (17-12) of the SEC and Delaware (24-4) of the Colonial Athletic Association. Friday’s winners will meet in the second round on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m.• All first and second round matches will be streamed on ESPN+.&nbsp;• The Huskers Radio Network will broadcast all the action on their radio affiliates, including 107.3 FM in Lincoln and AM 590 in Omaha. A live audio stream will be provided at Huskers.com and on the Huskers app.&nbsp;• John Baylor is in his 30th season doing play-by-play for the Husker volleyball program. Lauren (Cook) West, a former All-American setter for the Huskers, will provide color commentary.

ABOUT THE HUSKERS• Nebraska is the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in program history. The other years were 2000 (NCAA Champion), 2004 (NCAA Regional Finalist), 2005 (NCAA Runner-Up), 2006 (NCAA Champion) and 2016 (NCAA Semifinalist).• The Huskers won the outright Big Ten title this season with a 19-1 league record, earning their first Big Ten title since 2017. Nebraska has now won four Big Ten titles since joining the conference in 2011. The years were 2011, 2016, 2017 (co-champions) and 2023. All-time, Nebraska volleyball has won 35 conference titles. John Cook has been head coach for 13 of them.&nbsp;• Nebraska won 27 matches in a row to begin the season and finished 28-1, its best regular-season record since going 28-1 in 2005.&nbsp;• NU went 17-0 in home matches in the regular season. The last time the Huskers went undefeated at home in the regular season was 2017 (15-0).&nbsp;• From Sept. 12-Sept. 29, Nebraska played five straight ranked teams and won all five matches. It was the sixth time in school history Nebraska played five matches in a row against ranked teams but the first time NU won all five.&nbsp;• The Huskers went undefeated in non-conference play for the first time since 2016 and just the second time since 2008.• The Huskers, who led the nation in defense in 2022, have held their opponents this season to a combined .141 hitting percentage, which ranks third nationally.&nbsp;• Nebraska has been sharp offensively this season, hitting .282 to rank 15th nationally. The Huskers rank 10th nationally with 14.16 kills per set and 12th in assists per set at 13.10.&nbsp;• Nebraska had four All-Big Ten First Team selections and two All-Big Ten Second Team selections for a total of six all-conference players this season, the most in program history.

HUSKERS RACK UP POSTSEASON AWARDS• Junior libero Lexi Rodriguez was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year for the second time in her career, becoming the fifth player in Big Ten history to receive that honor twice in a career. Rodriguez, who averages 3.60 digs and 1.24 assists per set with a .979 serve reception percentage, leads a Husker defense that ranks third nationally in opponent hitting percentage. She also received All-Big Ten First Team (unanimous) honors for the third time in three years. The junior from Sterling, Ill., was twice named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week this season despite opponents frequently tailoring their game plans to avoid Rodriguez on the court. Rodriguez was a first-team AVCA All-American in 2021 and a second-team AVCA All-American in 2022, as well as an All-Big Ten libero both years. Rodriguez was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year as a freshman in 2021 and also excels academically, earning Academic All-America honors in 2022.&nbsp;• Freshman setter Bergen Reilly was chosen Big Ten Setter of the Year, becoming the first ever freshman to earn the award since it originated in 2012. She also earned All-Big Ten First Team and unanimous All-Big Ten Freshman Team accolades. Reilly, just the second true freshman setter to be the starter at Nebraska under head coach John Cook, is putting up 10.74 assists and 2.60 digs per set and has 12 double-doubles this season. The Sioux Falls, S.D., native ranks 13th nationally in assists per set. Reilly was named Big Ten Setter of the Week four times this year and Big Ten Freshman of the Week twice. She paces a Husker offense that ranks in the top 15 nationally in hitting percentage (.282) and kills per set (14.16). Reilly posted her career high of 54 assists in a 3-2 win at then-No. 17 Purdue on Sept. 29. She also recorded 12 digs and a career-best five kills in that match.&nbsp;• Freshman outside hitter Harper Murray was voted Big Ten Freshman of the Year, making her the second ever Husker (Madi Kubik, 2019) to receive that distinction. She also earned All-Big Ten First Team and unanimous All-Big Ten Freshman Team accolades. Murray, a freshman outside hitter from Ann Arbor, Mich., ranks second on the Huskers in kills with 3.29 per set on .250 hitting and adds 2.10 digs per set with a team-high 31 service aces. Murray was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week three times this season and has seven double-doubles. She hit a career-high 21 kills in a 3-2 win at then-No. 17 Purdue on Sept. 29.&nbsp;• Merritt Beason, a junior opposite hitter who transfered to NU from Florida, has stepped in as a team captain and is contributing a team-leading 3.81 kills per set this season with 2.08 digs per set and a .284 hitting percentage. Beason was a unanimous All-Big Ten First Team selection. A native of Gardendale, Ala., Beason earned four Big Ten Player of the Week honors this season and was the AVCA National Player of the Week on Oct. 24 following 21 kills in a 3-2 win over then-No. 1 Wisconsin. Beason had a career-high 27 kills on .426 hitting in a 3-2 reverse sweep at then-No. 16 Penn State on Nov. 3. As a sophomore at Florida in 2022, Beason was an All-SEC and AVCA All-Region selection.• Bekka Allick, a sophomore middle blocker from Lincoln, Neb., has been Nebraska’s top defensive presence at the net with a team-best 1.35 blocks per set this season. Offensively, Allick adds 1.82 kills per set on .324 hitting. Allick had a career-high nine blocks in the regular-season finale at Minnesota. Allick received second-team All-Big Ten honors for the second year in a row.&nbsp;• Andi Jackson, a freshman middle blocker from Brighton, Colo., averages 2.10 kills per set and 1.06 blocks per set and has a team-high .408 hitting percentage, which ranks 15th nationally. Jackson was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week in November and has hit .500 or better in 12 matches this season. She was selected to the All-Big Ten Second Team and All-Big Ten Freshman Team. &nbsp;

SCOUTING REPORT: LIU• LIU (13-18) is making its 13th NCAA Tournament appearance after winning the Northeast Conference Tournament as the No. 4 seed. After finishing 9-5 in NEC play, LIU upset No. 1 seed Sacred Heart (3-1) and No. 2 Fairleigh Dickinson (3-1) to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2020.&nbsp;• Libero Alasha Colon was the NEC Defensive Player of the Year and first-team All-NEC after averaging 5.45 digs per set, which ranks 10th nationally. Camelia Melendez leads the Sharks with 3.08 kills per set and was first-team All-NEC.&nbsp;• Amable Martinez is in his first year as head coach at LIU. Martinez was previously the head coach at St. Francis Brooklyn for four years, but the school ended its athletic programs following the 2022-23 year. Prior to that, Martinez was head coach at Saint Peter’s for two seasons.&nbsp;

SCOUTING REPORT: MISSOURI• Missouri (17-12) earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2020. The Tigers went 9-9 in the SEC to finish seventh in the standings.&nbsp;• Libero Maya Sands and opposite hitter Jordan Iliff were named to the All-SEC Team. Sands was named the SEC Libero of the Year, averaging 4.81 digs per set. Iliff leads the Tigers with 3.44 kills per set and 42 service aces.&nbsp;• Dawn Sullivan is in her first year as head coach and was the SEC Coach of the Year. Sullivan was previously at UNLV, where she was the Mountain West Coach of the Year in 2020 and 2022.&nbsp;

SCOUTING REPORT: DELAWARE• Delaware (24-4) won the Coastal Athletic Association Tournament to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time and first since 2011.&nbsp;• Outside hitter Lani Mason was an All-CAA First Team member for the third year in a row, averaging 3.66 kills per set. Setter Ezgi Basaranlar and middle blocker Kirah Johnson were honored on the second team. Basaranalar averages 9.55 assists per set, while Johnson provides 2.38 kills per set and 1.01 blocks per set. &nbsp;• Kimberly Lambert is in her second season as head coach at Delaware after serving as associate head coach for three years.&nbsp;

SERIES HISTORY• Nebraska and LIU will be playing for the first time.&nbsp;• Nebraska is 73-3-1 all-time against Missouri. The Huskers have won 17 straight matches against their former Big 8 and Big 12 Conference foe dating back to 2003. The last time the teams met was Dec. 7, 2019 in the NCAA Tournament Second Round in Lincoln, a 3-1 Husker win.&nbsp;• Nebraska has never played Delaware.&nbsp;

HUSKERS RANKED NO. 1 IN AVCA COACHES POLL• Nebraska is ranked No. 1 in the AVCA Coaches Poll this week.• Nebraska has been ranked No. 1 in 108 all-time polls, the most in NCAA history.&nbsp;• The Huskers have been ranked in the top 10 a total of 557 times, which is also the most in NCAA history.• Nebraska has appeared in all 618 AVCA Coaches Polls it has been eligible for since it was established in 1982. Nebraska is the only program to be ranked in every eligible poll all-time.• Nebraska’s 618 consecutive weeks of being ranked is the longest active streak in Division I for any sport, leading Connecticut women’s basketball and North Carolina women’s soccer.

AVCA HALL OF FAMER JOHN COOK IN 24TH SEASON AT NEBRASKA• Nebraska head coach John Cook is in his 24th season as the Nebraska volleyball head coach in 2023. He has led the Huskers to four national championships, 10 final fours, 13 conference championships and 21 top-10 final rankings since 2000.&nbsp;• Cook has 845 career wins and is one of the all-time winningest coaches in NCAA history. Since taking over the program in 2000, Cook has led the Huskers to a nation-leading .874 win percentage (684-99).&nbsp;• Under Cook, the Huskers have achieved 64 AVCA All-Americans and 20 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, both among the best in the nation. He is a two-time AVCA National Coach of the Year, earning the prestigious honor in 2000 and 2005, and an eight-time conference coach of the year, including Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2016, 2017 and 2023.• Cook was voted Big Ten Coach of the Year by both coaches and media this season after leading a young Nebraska team with no seniors to its first Big Ten title since 2017. The Huskers finished the regular season 28-1 overall, their best regular season record since going 28-1 in 2005. After going 26-6 last year and missing the NCAA Regional Finals for the first time since 2011, the Huskers started over with a starting lineup featuring four true freshmen and a junior transfer (Beason). Cook’s Huskers won their first 27 matches of the season and held the No. 1 ranking from Oct. 23 through the end of the regular season. Despite having no seniors on the roster for just the second time in Cook’s 24 years at Nebraska - as well as starting a true freshman at setter for only the second time in Cook’s tenure - the Huskers earned the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016 and the sixth time overall under Cook.• Cook is one of only two active coaches - and one of six all-time - to be a two-time AVCA National Coach of the Year and was honored in 2008 by USA Volleyball, receiving its All-Time Great Coach Award.• Cook was inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame in 2017, joining former Husker volleyball coach Terry Pettit in the hall.&nbsp;

• The Nebraska volleyball team was selected as the No. 1 overall seed for the 2023 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship and will host the first and second rounds at the Bob Devaney Sports Center this Friday and Saturday.&nbsp;• The Huskers, making their 42nd straight NCAA Tournament appearance and hosting the first round for the 38th time, will open the tournament on Friday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. against Long Island University (13-18), champions of the Northeast Conference. The 4:30 p.m. match will feature Missouri (17-12) of the SEC and Delaware (24-4) of the Colonial Athletic Association. Friday’s winners will meet in the second round on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m.• All first and second round matches will be streamed on ESPN+.&nbsp;• The Huskers Radio Network will broadcast all the action on their radio affiliates, including 107.3 FM in Lincoln and AM 590 in Omaha. A live audio stream will be provided at Huskers.com and on the Huskers app.&nbsp;• John Baylor is in his 30th season doing play-by-play for the Husker volleyball program. Lauren (Cook) West, a former All-American setter for the Huskers, will provide color commentary.ABOUT THE HUSKERS• Nebraska is the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in program history. The other years were 2000 (NCAA Champion), 2004 (NCAA Regional Finalist), 2005 (NCAA Runner-Up), 2006 (NCAA Champion) and 2016 (NCAA Semifinalist).• The Huskers won the outright Big Ten title this season with a 19-1 league record, earning their first Big Ten title since 2017. Nebraska has now won four Big Ten titles since joining the conference in 2011. The years were 2011, 2016, 2017 (co-champions) and 2023. All-time, Nebraska volleyball has won 35 conference titles. John Cook has been head coach for 13 of them.&nbsp;• Nebraska won 27 matches in a row to begin the season and finished 28-1, its best regular-season record since going 28-1 in 2005.&nbsp;• NU went 17-0 in home matches in the regular season. The last time the Huskers went undefeated at home in the regular season was 2017 (15-0).&nbsp;• From Sept. 12-Sept. 29, Nebraska played five straight ranked teams and won all five matches. It was the sixth time in school history Nebraska played five matches in a row against ranked teams but the first time NU won all five.&nbsp;• The Huskers went undefeated in non-conference play for the first time since 2016 and just the second time since 2008.• The Huskers, who led the nation in defense in 2022, have held their opponents this season to a combined .141 hitting percentage, which ranks third nationally.&nbsp;• Nebraska has been sharp offensively this season, hitting .282 to rank 15th nationally. The Huskers rank 10th nationally with 14.16 kills per set and 12th in assists per set at 13.10.&nbsp;• Nebraska had four All-Big Ten First Team selections and two All-Big Ten Second Team selections for a total of six all-conference players this season, the most in program history.HUSKERS RACK UP POSTSEASON AWARDS• Junior libero Lexi Rodriguez was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year for the second time in her career, becoming the fifth player in Big Ten history to receive that honor twice in a career. Rodriguez, who averages 3.60 digs and 1.24 assists per set with a .979 serve reception percentage, leads a Husker defense that ranks third nationally in opponent hitting percentage. She also received All-Big Ten First Team (unanimous) honors for the third time in three years. The junior from Sterling, Ill., was twice named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week this season despite opponents frequently tailoring their game plans to avoid Rodriguez on the court. Rodriguez was a first-team AVCA All-American in 2021 and a second-team AVCA All-American in 2022, as well as an All-Big Ten libero both years. Rodriguez was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year as a freshman in 2021 and also excels academically, earning Academic All-America honors in 2022.&nbsp;• Freshman setter Bergen Reilly was chosen Big Ten Setter of the Year, becoming the first ever freshman to earn the award since it originated in 2012. She also earned All-Big Ten First Team and unanimous All-Big Ten Freshman Team accolades. Reilly, just the second true freshman setter to be the starter at Nebraska under head coach John Cook, is putting up 10.74 assists and 2.60 digs per set and has 12 double-doubles this season. The Sioux Falls, S.D., native ranks 13th nationally in assists per set. Reilly was named Big Ten Setter of the Week four times this year and Big Ten Freshman of the Week twice. She paces a Husker offense that ranks in the top 15 nationally in hitting percentage (.282) and kills per set (14.16). Reilly posted her career high of 54 assists in a 3-2 win at then-No. 17 Purdue on Sept. 29. She also recorded 12 digs and a career-best five kills in that match.&nbsp;• Freshman outside hitter Harper Murray was voted Big Ten Freshman of the Year, making her the second ever Husker (Madi Kubik, 2019) to receive that distinction. She also earned All-Big Ten First Team and unanimous All-Big Ten Freshman Team accolades. Murray, a freshman outside hitter from Ann Arbor, Mich., ranks second on the Huskers in kills with 3.29 per set on .250 hitting and adds 2.10 digs per set with a team-high 31 service aces. Murray was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week three times this season and has seven double-doubles. She hit a career-high 21 kills in a 3-2 win at then-No. 17 Purdue on Sept. 29.&nbsp;• Merritt Beason, a junior opposite hitter who transfered to NU from Florida, has stepped in as a team captain and is contributing a team-leading 3.81 kills per set this season with 2.08 digs per set and a .284 hitting percentage. Beason was a unanimous All-Big Ten First Team selection. A native of Gardendale, Ala., Beason earned four Big Ten Player of the Week honors this season and was the AVCA National Player of the Week on Oct. 24 following 21 kills in a 3-2 win over then-No. 1 Wisconsin. Beason had a career-high 27 kills on .426 hitting in a 3-2 reverse sweep at then-No. 16 Penn State on Nov. 3. As a sophomore at Florida in 2022, Beason was an All-SEC and AVCA All-Region selection.• Bekka Allick, a sophomore middle blocker from Lincoln, Neb., has been Nebraska’s top defensive presence at the net with a team-best 1.35 blocks per set this season. Offensively, Allick adds 1.82 kills per set on .324 hitting. Allick had a career-high nine blocks in the regular-season finale at Minnesota. Allick received second-team All-Big Ten honors for the second year in a row.&nbsp;• Andi Jackson, a freshman middle blocker from Brighton, Colo., averages 2.10 kills per set and 1.06 blocks per set and has a team-high .408 hitting percentage, which ranks 15th nationally. Jackson was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week in November and has hit .500 or better in 12 matches this season. She was selected to the All-Big Ten Second Team and All-Big Ten Freshman Team. &nbsp;SCOUTING REPORT: LIU• LIU (13-18) is making its 13th NCAA Tournament appearance after winning the Northeast Conference Tournament as the No. 4 seed. After finishing 9-5 in NEC play, LIU upset No. 1 seed Sacred Heart (3-1) and No. 2 Fairleigh Dickinson (3-1) to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2020.&nbsp;• Libero Alasha Colon was the NEC Defensive Player of the Year and first-team All-NEC after averaging 5.45 digs per set, which ranks 10th nationally. Camelia Melendez leads the Sharks with 3.08 kills per set and was first-team All-NEC.&nbsp;• Amable Martinez is in his first year as head coach at LIU. Martinez was previously the head coach at St. Francis Brooklyn for four years, but the school ended its athletic programs following the 2022-23 year. Prior to that, Martinez was head coach at Saint Peter’s for two seasons.&nbsp;SCOUTING REPORT: MISSOURI• Missouri (17-12) earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2020. The Tigers went 9-9 in the SEC to finish seventh in the standings.&nbsp;• Libero Maya Sands and opposite hitter Jordan Iliff were named to the All-SEC Team. Sands was named the SEC Libero of the Year, averaging 4.81 digs per set. Iliff leads the Tigers with 3.44 kills per set and 42 service aces.&nbsp;• Dawn Sullivan is in her first year as head coach and was the SEC Coach of the Year. Sullivan was previously at UNLV, where she was the Mountain West Coach of the Year in 2020 and 2022.&nbsp;SCOUTING REPORT: DELAWARE• Delaware (24-4) won the Coastal Athletic Association Tournament to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time and first since 2011.&nbsp;• Outside hitter Lani Mason was an All-CAA First Team member for the third year in a row, averaging 3.66 kills per set. Setter Ezgi Basaranlar and middle blocker Kirah Johnson were honored on the second team. Basaranalar averages 9.55 assists per set, while Johnson provides 2.38 kills per set and 1.01 blocks per set. &nbsp;• Kimberly Lambert is in her second season as head coach at Delaware after serving as associate head coach for three years.&nbsp;SERIES HISTORY• Nebraska and LIU will be playing for the first time.&nbsp;• Nebraska is 73-3-1 all-time against Missouri. The Huskers have won 17 straight matches against their former Big 8 and Big 12 Conference foe dating back to 2003. The last time the teams met was Dec. 7, 2019 in the NCAA Tournament Second Round in Lincoln, a 3-1 Husker win.&nbsp;• Nebraska has never played Delaware.&nbsp;HUSKERS RANKED NO. 1 IN AVCA COACHES POLL• Nebraska is ranked No. 1 in the AVCA Coaches Poll this week.• Nebraska has been ranked No. 1 in 108 all-time polls, the most in NCAA history.&nbsp;• The Huskers have been ranked in the top 10 a total of 557 times, which is also the most in NCAA history.• Nebraska has appeared in all 618 AVCA Coaches Polls it has been eligible for since it was established in 1982. Nebraska is the only program to be ranked in every eligible poll all-time.• Nebraska’s 618 consecutive weeks of being ranked is the longest active streak in Division I for any sport, leading Connecticut women’s basketball and North Carolina women’s soccer.AVCA HALL OF FAMER JOHN COOK IN 24TH SEASON AT NEBRASKA• Nebraska head coach John Cook is in his 24th season as the Nebraska volleyball head coach in 2023. He has led the Huskers to four national championships, 10 final fours, 13 conference championships and 21 top-10 final rankings since 2000.&nbsp;• Cook has 845 career wins and is one of the all-time winningest coaches in NCAA history. Since taking over the program in 2000, Cook has led the Huskers to a nation-leading .874 win percentage (684-99).&nbsp;• Under Cook, the Huskers have achieved 64 AVCA All-Americans and 20 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, both among the best in the nation. He is a two-time AVCA National Coach of the Year, earning the prestigious honor in 2000 and 2005, and an eight-time conference coach of the year, including Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2016, 2017 and 2023.• Cook was voted Big Ten Coach of the Year by both coaches and media this season after leading a young Nebraska team with no seniors to its first Big Ten title since 2017. The Huskers finished the regular season 28-1 overall, their best regular season record since going 28-1 in 2005. After going 26-6 last year and missing the NCAA Regional Finals for the first time since 2011, the Huskers started over with a starting lineup featuring four true freshmen and a junior transfer (Beason). Cook’s Huskers won their first 27 matches of the season and held the No. 1 ranking from Oct. 23 through the end of the regular season. Despite having no seniors on the roster for just the second time in Cook’s 24 years at Nebraska - as well as starting a true freshman at setter for only the second time in Cook’s tenure - the Huskers earned the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016 and the sixth time overall under Cook.• Cook is one of only two active coaches - and one of six all-time - to be a two-time AVCA National Coach of the Year and was honored in 2008 by USA Volleyball, receiving its All-Time Great Coach Award.• Cook was inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame in 2017, joining former Husker volleyball coach Terry Pettit in the hall.&nbsp;

Husker NCAA Volleyball Tournament preview

Girls Team Scores1	Bridgeport Girls 	81.02	Mitchell Girls 	73.03	North Platte Girls 	64.04	Chadron Girls 	59.05	Bayard Girls 	58.06	Sidney Girls 	55.07	Hemingford Girls 	51.08	Gordon-Rushville Girls 	48.09	Gering Girls 	41.010	Alliance Girls 	40.011	Scottsbluff Girls 	22.012	Morrill Girls 	20.013	Paxton Girls 	14.014	Hay Springs Girls 	9.014	South Platte Girls 	9.0

Hemingford Season opener girls Wrestling scores

Coach Rhule's after season press conference

&nbsp;The Alliance boys and girls' basketball both feel that they have a good blend of young and veteran players to have strong seasons, with the girls bringing back key players from last year's team that fell just one game short of the Class-B State Tournament.

The Bulldogs have four seniors, Jaelynne Clarke, Haylie Winter, Cierra Hudson and Regan Braun three of which started last season.

Clarke was an all-conference performer in 2022, averaging 12.7 PPG and feels this team has the makings to be special.&nbsp;

"I think last year we came out and shocked everybody, this year we're excited to come out, compete and show them who we are."

On the boy's side, Alliance feels like they have the potential to make a deep post-season run thanks to their returning starters in Tristen Timbers, Seth Meyring and Espen Lanik.&nbsp; Landen Crowe and newcomer Fillipo Bandera, a foreign exchange student from Italy round out the frontcourt for Alliance.

The season opener for both teams is tonight, Friday starting at 5:30 with the girl's game and the boys to follow at 7. Coverage of both games will be on KCOW and Panhandlepost.com, with pregame coverage estimated for 5:15.

By Alex Benzegala Panhandle Post&nbsp;The Alliance boys and girls' basketball both feel that they have a good blend of young and veteran players to have strong seasons, with the girls bringing back key players from last year's team that fell just one game short of the Class-B State Tournament.The Bulldogs have four seniors, Jaelynne Clarke, Haylie Winter, Cierra Hudson and Regan Braun three of which started last season.Clarke was an all-conference performer in 2022, averaging 12.7 PPG and feels this team has the makings to be special.&nbsp;"I think last year we came out and shocked everybody, this year we're excited to come out, compete and show them who we are."On the boy's side, Alliance feels like they have the potential to make a deep post-season run thanks to their returning starters in Tristen Timbers, Seth Meyring and Espen Lanik.&nbsp; Landen Crowe and newcomer Fillipo Bandera, a foreign exchange student from Italy round out the frontcourt for Alliance.The season opener for both teams is tonight, Friday starting at 5:30 with the girl's game and the boys to follow at 7. Coverage of both games will be on KCOW and Panhandlepost.com, with pregame coverage estimated for 5:15.

Alliance basketball has high hopes for season, opens at Gering tonight

The Eagles have three wrestlers ranked in the top 12 nationally and a HUGE dual coming up with Nebraska-Kearney! Coach Brett Hunter and Voice of the Eagles Dave Collins talk about the team and the upcoming showdown with the rival Lopers!

<div><iframe title="CSC Sports Journal - Men’s Wrestling Head Coach Brett Hunter 11/29/23" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=v4im2-151040f-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1b1b1b&font-color=&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=c73a3a" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>The Eagles have three wrestlers ranked in the top 12 nationally and a HUGE dual coming up with Nebraska-Kearney! Coach Brett Hunter and Voice of the Eagles Dave Collins talk about the team and the upcoming showdown with the rival Lopers!<figure>
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🎙 CSC SJ: Eagle Wrestling Head Coach Brett Hunter - 11/29/23



Kearney, Neb. –&nbsp;The 13th-ranked Nebraska Kearney volleyball team is in the NCAA Tournament for the 27th time and will face seventh-ranked Southwest Minnesota State Thursday afternoon in a first-round Central Regional match.

The Lopers (28-5) and Mustangs (23-6) start off the day at 12 p.m. in St. Paul, Minn. The winner advances to a 5 p.m. match on Friday against the winner of third-ranked Wayne State (28-2) and&nbsp;15th-ranked Minnesota-Duluth (18-0).The match is available via&nbsp;<a href="https://themiaanetwork.com/unklopers/">The MIAA Network</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://listen.streamon.fm/krvnfm">The River 93.1/106.9 KRVN FM</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://cspbears.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary">live stats</a>.&nbsp;There's also a&nbsp;<a href="https://cspbears.com/feature/2023CentralVB">tourney website</a>&nbsp;that includes links to post-match press conferences.&nbsp;

 UNK upset SMSU, 3-1, in the second round of the 2010 regional held in Marshall. Two years later, the Lopers did it again, beating the 'Stangs in four sets in a second-round match held in St. Paul. Southwest got its revenge in 2014 as they got past UNK in five sets in a first-round match played in Duluth. Overall, UNK is 6-2 all-time against Southwest.&nbsp;This SMSU squad is led by four all-conference players including 6-2 outside hitter Leah Jones, the 2023 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conf. (NSIC) Freshman of the Year. The hometown product leads her team in kills (3.14) and is third in digs (2.41).

Southwest is 5-0 in neutral site matches with UNK at 8-1. The 'Stangs suffered a home loss to Concordia-St. Paul (28-2) in its regular season finale and then fell to Duluth in four sets in the first-round of the NSIC Tournament. Their other setbacks came to Wayne (two), Concordia (away) and Spring Hill (Ala.), a 2023 NCAA tourney qualifier in the South.&nbsp;&nbsp;Besides Jones, six-foot junior outside Saari Kuehl (2.79 kills), senior setter Alisa Bengen (10.3 assists, 3.08 digs &amp; 26 aces) and sophomore libero McKenzie Tolk (4.68 digs, 29 aces) earned all-league honors. SMSU has 174 aces compared to just 84 serve receive errors while holding its foes to a .174 efficiency. Finally, they swept Pitt State early in the season. 

Going 7-4 down the stretch, UNK has four players between 2.83-2.99 kills per set in outsides&nbsp;<a href="https://lopers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/emersen-cyza/7777">Emersen Cyza</a>&nbsp;(Alliance),&nbsp;<a href="https://lopers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/emilee-lane/7833">Emilee Lane</a>&nbsp;(Hays, Kan.) and&nbsp;<a href="https://lopers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/asha-regier/7785">Asha Regier</a>&nbsp;(Newton, Kan.) and right-side&nbsp;<a href="https://lopers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/jaden-ferguson/8637">Jaden Ferguson</a>&nbsp;(Lincoln SW).

This foursome has combined for 65% of UNK's kill total with each hitting at least .220.Running the show is two-time first-team All-MIAA setter&nbsp;<a href="https://lopers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/peyton-neff/7781">Peyton Neff</a>&nbsp;(North Platte). She is at 11.4 assists, 2.3 digs, 0.8 kills and 0.6 blocks per set and hitting a team-high .330. Neff also is one of four Lopers with 20 aces; UNK has a 158-104 ace advantage over its foes.Defensively, fourth-year libero&nbsp;<a href="https://lopers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/lauren-taubenheim/7791">Lauren Taubenheim</a>&nbsp;(Lincoln Pius) is at a team-high 3.99 dps and needs 19 more to be the 35th Loper to reach the 1k mark. Backrow mate&nbsp;<a href="https://lopers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/jensen-rowse/7786">Jensen Rowse</a>&nbsp;(Minden) reached four figures earlier this year and now ranks 30th on the all-time list (1,047). Finally, UNK is 33-26 all-time in the NCAA's and has gone 3-5 in matches held at Concordia-St. Paul.

By UNK Athletics

Kearney, Neb. –&nbsp;The 13th-ranked Nebraska Kearney volleyball team is in the NCAA Tournament for the 27th time and will face seventh-ranked Southwest Minnesota State Thursday afternoon in a first-round Central Regional match.The Lopers (28-5) and Mustangs (23-6) start off the day at 12 p.m. in St. Paul, Minn. The winner advances to a 5 p.m. match on Friday against the winner of third-ranked Wayne State (28-2) and&nbsp;15th-ranked Minnesota-Duluth (18-0).The match is available via&nbsp;<a href="https://themiaanetwork.com/unklopers/">The MIAA Network</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://listen.streamon.fm/krvnfm">The River 93.1/106.9 KRVN FM</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://cspbears.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary">live stats</a>.&nbsp;There's also a&nbsp;<a href="https://cspbears.com/feature/2023CentralVB">tourney website</a>&nbsp;that includes links to post-match press conferences.&nbsp; UNK upset SMSU, 3-1, in the second round of the 2010 regional held in Marshall. Two years later, the Lopers did it again, beating the 'Stangs in four sets in a second-round match held in St. Paul. Southwest got its revenge in 2014 as they got past UNK in five sets in a first-round match played in Duluth. Overall, UNK is 6-2 all-time against Southwest.&nbsp;This SMSU squad is led by four all-conference players including 6-2 outside hitter Leah Jones, the 2023 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conf. (NSIC) Freshman of the Year. The hometown product leads her team in kills (3.14) and is third in digs (2.41).<figure>
 <img src="https://lopers.com/images/2018/11/12/vballNCAA.png" alt="" />
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 </figure>Southwest is 5-0 in neutral site matches with UNK at 8-1. The 'Stangs suffered a home loss to Concordia-St. Paul (28-2) in its regular season finale and then fell to Duluth in four sets in the first-round of the NSIC Tournament. Their other setbacks came to Wayne (two), Concordia (away) and Spring Hill (Ala.), a 2023 NCAA tourney qualifier in the South.&nbsp;&nbsp;Besides Jones, six-foot junior outside Saari Kuehl (2.79 kills), senior setter Alisa Bengen (10.3 assists, 3.08 digs &amp; 26 aces) and sophomore libero McKenzie Tolk (4.68 digs, 29 aces) earned all-league honors. SMSU has 174 aces compared to just 84 serve receive errors while holding its foes to a .174 efficiency. Finally, they swept Pitt State early in the season. Going 7-4 down the stretch, UNK has four players between 2.83-2.99 kills per set in outsides&nbsp;<a href="https://lopers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/emersen-cyza/7777">Emersen Cyza</a>&nbsp;(Alliance),&nbsp;<a href="https://lopers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/emilee-lane/7833">Emilee Lane</a>&nbsp;(Hays, Kan.) and&nbsp;<a href="https://lopers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/asha-regier/7785">Asha Regier</a>&nbsp;(Newton, Kan.) and right-side&nbsp;<a href="https://lopers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/jaden-ferguson/8637">Jaden Ferguson</a>&nbsp;(Lincoln SW). This foursome has combined for 65% of UNK's kill total with each hitting at least .220.Running the show is two-time first-team All-MIAA setter&nbsp;<a href="https://lopers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/peyton-neff/7781">Peyton Neff</a>&nbsp;(North Platte). She is at 11.4 assists, 2.3 digs, 0.8 kills and 0.6 blocks per set and hitting a team-high .330. Neff also is one of four Lopers with 20 aces; UNK has a 158-104 ace advantage over its foes.Defensively, fourth-year libero&nbsp;<a href="https://lopers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/lauren-taubenheim/7791">Lauren Taubenheim</a>&nbsp;(Lincoln Pius) is at a team-high 3.99 dps and needs 19 more to be the 35th Loper to reach the 1k mark. Backrow mate&nbsp;<a href="https://lopers.com/sports/womens-volleyball/roster/jensen-rowse/7786">Jensen Rowse</a>&nbsp;(Minden) reached four figures earlier this year and now ranks 30th on the all-time list (1,047). Finally, UNK is 33-26 all-time in the NCAA's and has gone 3-5 in matches held at Concordia-St. Paul.

UNK Volleyball and Alliance's Emersen Cyza open D-2 NCAA Tourney Thu

Records are meant to be broken. Limits are supposed to be tested, and ultimately surpassed. Unforeseen waters are made are made to be explored.

On Thursday night, former Alliance Bulldog volleyball star Jordan Hopp will do something no other Bulldog has done before in recorded Alliance history, play in a Division-1 Volleyball Tournament.&nbsp;

There have been many great volleyball players to come out of Alliance, including her former teammate Emersen Cyza who is playing in Division-2 national tournament on Thursday for Nebraska-Kearney. Hopp's journey from Alliance star to starting for Iowa State in the National Tournament, is uncommon for many division athletes, but also greatly mirrors many of the great traits of her hometown of Alliance, Nebraska.

Many Division one athletes started or even starred as freshman and sophomores in high school. Hopp, while lettering, did not begin to shine as a Bulldog until her Junior year, when she helped lead the Bulldogs to their first State Tournament since 2000. After graduating as a two-time Class B All Nebraska All-selection, she embarked to Ames Iowa, an almost nine-hour car ride from Alliance.

In her first three years at ISU, she played just 13 games. But like all those who call Alliance home, she used grit, hard work and determination to pay her dues. After starting all games this season for the 20-9 Cyclones, she now gets the opportunity to showcase her skills and hard work on the biggest stage of college volleyball.

"I just worked hard, and put the time in," Hopp said. "College volleyball takes a lot of patience, and you got to understand that there are going to be girls that are ahead of you. I came in as a freshman and there were two 5th-year seniors and an Olympian in front of me, and I just put my nose down and put the work in and it paid off."

Paid off it has as Hopp has started in every match and has totaled 52 kills and 102 blocks going into Thursday's 1st round National Tournament Match in Eugene against the champion of the Big West Conference Hawaii. Iowa State seeded 7th in their bracket and would most likely have to play #2 seed Oregon on their home floor in Eugene.&nbsp; Iowa State, like one of their leaders from Alliance might be one of the underdogs, but that's just like how Hopp likes it.

"We made it our goal that we're not going to be out in the first round, we're not going to be out in the 2nd round, we're going to make it to that sweet-sixteen," Hopp said. "We're going to do everything we can to have grit and make it as far as possible."

By Alex Benzegala Panhandle PostRecords are meant to be broken. Limits are supposed to be tested, and ultimately surpassed. Unforeseen waters are made are made to be explored.On Thursday night, former Alliance Bulldog volleyball star Jordan Hopp will do something no other Bulldog has done before in recorded Alliance history, play in a Division-1 Volleyball Tournament.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701288114245.jpeg" alt="Jordan Hopp awaits a serve in a game this season. Photo courtesy of Iowa State Athletics." />
 <figcaption>Jordan Hopp awaits a serve in a game this season. Photo courtesy of Iowa State Athletics.</figcaption>
 </figure>There have been many great volleyball players to come out of Alliance, including her former teammate Emersen Cyza who is playing in Division-2 national tournament on Thursday for Nebraska-Kearney. Hopp's journey from Alliance star to starting for Iowa State in the National Tournament, is uncommon for many division athletes, but also greatly mirrors many of the great traits of her hometown of Alliance, Nebraska.Many Division one athletes started or even starred as freshman and sophomores in high school. Hopp, while lettering, did not begin to shine as a Bulldog until her Junior year, when she helped lead the Bulldogs to their first State Tournament since 2000. After graduating as a two-time Class B All Nebraska All-selection, she embarked to Ames Iowa, an almost nine-hour car ride from Alliance.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701289481415.jpeg" alt="Hopp gets set for a match in Ames. (Photo Courtesy of ISU athletics)" />
 <figcaption>Hopp gets set for a match in Ames. (Photo Courtesy of ISU athletics)</figcaption>
 </figure>In her first three years at ISU, she played just 13 games. But like all those who call Alliance home, she used grit, hard work and determination to pay her dues. After starting all games this season for the 20-9 Cyclones, she now gets the opportunity to showcase her skills and hard work on the biggest stage of college volleyball. "I just worked hard, and put the time in," Hopp said. "College volleyball takes a lot of patience, and you got to understand that there are going to be girls that are ahead of you. I came in as a freshman and there were two 5th-year seniors and an Olympian in front of me, and I just put my nose down and put the work in and it paid off."Paid off it has as Hopp has started in every match and has totaled 52 kills and 102 blocks going into Thursday's 1st round National Tournament Match in Eugene against the champion of the Big West Conference Hawaii. Iowa State seeded 7th in their bracket and would most likely have to play #2 seed Oregon on their home floor in Eugene.&nbsp; Iowa State, like one of their leaders from Alliance might be one of the underdogs, but that's just like how Hopp likes it. "We made it our goal that we're not going to be out in the first round, we're not going to be out in the 2nd round, we're going to make it to that sweet-sixteen," Hopp said. "We're going to do everything we can to have grit and make it as far as possible."

Former Bulldog set be first Alliance volleyball player to play in D-1 tourney

Story by NU Athletic Communications

Eight members of Nebraska’s defense were honored on Tuesday as the Big Ten Conference office announced its 2023 defensive honors.&nbsp;

The 2023 defense ranked as Nebraska’s best since joining the Big Ten in several statistical categories. The Blackshirts’ averages in total defense (303.5 ypg), scoring defense (18.3 ppg) and rushing defense (92.9 ypg) were all program bests since at least 2010. The Huskers held eight of 12 opponents to 14 or fewer points. NU limited eight opponents to fewer than 100 rushing yards and six foes under 300 yards of total offense.

The honorees included senior linebacker&nbsp;Luke Reimer,&nbsp;who earned third-team honors by the Big Ten coaches and honorable-mention accolades from the media panel. Other honorable-mention selections included safety&nbsp;Omar Brown&nbsp;(coaches, media), rover&nbsp;Isaac Gifford&nbsp;(coaches, media), cornerback&nbsp;Tommi Hill&nbsp;(coaches, media), nose tackle&nbsp;Nash Hutmacher&nbsp;(coaches, media), cornerback&nbsp;Quinton Newsome&nbsp;(coaches, media), defensive lineman&nbsp;Ty Robinson&nbsp;(coaches, media), and defensive end&nbsp;Jimari Butler&nbsp;(media).

Reimer, a graduate of Lincoln North Star High School, earned all-conference recognition for the third consecutive season. He finished the season with 48 tackles in 10 games, while his five sacks ranked second on the team and his 7.5 tackles for loss were third for the Blackshirts. Reimer, who had earned honorable-mention recognition in both 2021 and 2022, finished his Husker career third on the school’s all-time tackles list with 293 stops.

A senior cornerback from Suwanee, Ga., Newsome earned conference honors for the second straight season after also being an honorable-mention choice in 2022. Newsome finished the year with 37 tackles, an interception and a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown.

The remaining defensive honorees earned All-Big Ten recognition for the first time in 2023. Brown tied for second on the team with 51 tackles, while forcing two fumbles, recovering a fumble and adding an interception. Gifford manned the rover position for Nebraska and led the Huskers in tackles with 86 stops, the most by a Husker defensive back in nine seasons. Gifford was second on the team with eight pass breakups while his 6.5 tackles for loss was among the best for Big Ten defensive backs.

The fourth member of the secondary to be honored was junior cornerback Tommi Hill, who led the Huskers with four interceptions and nine pass breakups. In conference play, Hill led the Big Ten with 1.33 passes defended per game.

Nebraska’s strong run defense was led by a trio of defensive linemen who earned honorable-mention recognition. Hutmacher manned the middle of the Nebraska defense and recorded 40 tackles to go along with eight tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and a blocked field goal against Iowa. Robinson finished the year with 29 tackles, including four tackles for loss. He was disruptive at the line of scrimmage with six pass breakups and a team-high 11 quarterback hurries along with a blocked field goal against Iowa. Defensive end Jimari Butler led the Huskers with 5.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss among his 34 overall tackles on the season.

The Big Ten will announce all-conference offensive honors on Wednesday.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsEight members of Nebraska’s defense were honored on Tuesday as the Big Ten Conference office announced its 2023 defensive honors.&nbsp;The 2023 defense ranked as Nebraska’s best since joining the Big Ten in several statistical categories. The Blackshirts’ averages in total defense (303.5 ypg), scoring defense (18.3 ppg) and rushing defense (92.9 ypg) were all program bests since at least 2010. The Huskers held eight of 12 opponents to 14 or fewer points. NU limited eight opponents to fewer than 100 rushing yards and six foes under 300 yards of total offense.The honorees included senior linebacker&nbsp;Luke Reimer,&nbsp;who earned third-team honors by the Big Ten coaches and honorable-mention accolades from the media panel. Other honorable-mention selections included safety&nbsp;Omar Brown&nbsp;(coaches, media), rover&nbsp;Isaac Gifford&nbsp;(coaches, media), cornerback&nbsp;Tommi Hill&nbsp;(coaches, media), nose tackle&nbsp;Nash Hutmacher&nbsp;(coaches, media), cornerback&nbsp;Quinton Newsome&nbsp;(coaches, media), defensive lineman&nbsp;Ty Robinson&nbsp;(coaches, media), and defensive end&nbsp;Jimari Butler&nbsp;(media).Reimer, a graduate of Lincoln North Star High School, earned all-conference recognition for the third consecutive season. He finished the season with 48 tackles in 10 games, while his five sacks ranked second on the team and his 7.5 tackles for loss were third for the Blackshirts. Reimer, who had earned honorable-mention recognition in both 2021 and 2022, finished his Husker career third on the school’s all-time tackles list with 293 stops.A senior cornerback from Suwanee, Ga., Newsome earned conference honors for the second straight season after also being an honorable-mention choice in 2022. Newsome finished the year with 37 tackles, an interception and a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown.The remaining defensive honorees earned All-Big Ten recognition for the first time in 2023. Brown tied for second on the team with 51 tackles, while forcing two fumbles, recovering a fumble and adding an interception. Gifford manned the rover position for Nebraska and led the Huskers in tackles with 86 stops, the most by a Husker defensive back in nine seasons. Gifford was second on the team with eight pass breakups while his 6.5 tackles for loss was among the best for Big Ten defensive backs.The fourth member of the secondary to be honored was junior cornerback Tommi Hill, who led the Huskers with four interceptions and nine pass breakups. In conference play, Hill led the Big Ten with 1.33 passes defended per game.Nebraska’s strong run defense was led by a trio of defensive linemen who earned honorable-mention recognition. Hutmacher manned the middle of the Nebraska defense and recorded 40 tackles to go along with eight tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and a blocked field goal against Iowa. Robinson finished the year with 29 tackles, including four tackles for loss. He was disruptive at the line of scrimmage with six pass breakups and a team-high 11 quarterback hurries along with a blocked field goal against Iowa. Defensive end Jimari Butler led the Huskers with 5.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss among his 34 overall tackles on the season.The Big Ten will announce all-conference offensive honors on Wednesday.All-Big Ten Defensive HonorsThird TeamLuke Reimer, LB (Coaches)Honorable-MentionLuke Reimer, LB (Media)Jimari Butler, DE (Media)Omar Brown, S (Coaches, Media)Isaac Gifford, Rover (Coaches, Media)Tommi Hill, CB (Coaches, Media)Nash Hutmacher, NT (Coaches, Media)Quinton Newsome, CB (Coaches, Media)Ty Robinson, DL (Coaches, Media)

Eight Blackshirts earn Big Ten Honors

DENVER (AP) — For the first time in seven seasons, the Denver Broncos will head into December with a winning record, something that seemed unfathomable when they stumbled to a 1-5 start.

In their first month under Sean Payton, the Broncos (6-5) lost three games at home to underdogs — the Raiders, Commanders and Jets — who are a combined 10-22 against other opponents.

Of course, their worst loss was that 70-20 meltdown in Miami in Week 3 when they surrendered 10 touchdowns — one more than they've given up in their last six games combined.

They put together their most complete game yet in their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/broncos-browns-score-wilson-turnovers-injuries-edc63231bcc7864487f330d104324ad1">29-12 rout of the Browns</a>&nbsp;(7-4), neutralizing Myles Garrett and the league's best defense, thwarting Cleveland's vaunted ground game, recovering three fumbles and scoring three red zone touchdowns, which has been their bugaboo.

“There were a lot of things we did that I was pleased with,” the notoriously nitpicking Payton said after moving above .500 for the first time with the Broncos. “And I felt like we beat a good football team.”

The Broncos jumped out to a 14-0 lead, which helped the defense capitalize on heavier fronts to stop the run.

“Our offense did such a great job to set us up, to be able to pin our ears back and put them in passing situations to let us get after it,” safety Justin Simmons said. “It was just great team ball. I am really proud of this team and how we have fought to keep it rolling."

The Broncos allowed only two field goals in the first half, but the second one, with 22 seconds left before the break, prevented Denver from taking its first double-digit halftime lead in the 26 games Russell Wilson has been their starting quarterback.

And the Broncos again slogged through the third quarter, which has been their weakness all season. They took a 17-12 lead into the fourth quarter before pulling away on a Wilson touchdown pass, a Wil Lutz field goal and a safety by Zach Allen that gave Denver its largest margin of victory in nearly two years.

The Broncos' resiliency, which has been on display going back to their last loss (19-8 at Kansas City on Oct. 12), was epitomized by how they handled Baron Browning's debatable roughing-the-passer flag that knocked rookie QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson out of the game and turned a third-and-12 stop into a first down for the Browns.

Two plays later, defensive tackle D.J. Jones recovered a fumble by backup QB P.J. Walker for Denver's second takeaway, this one setting up Wilson at the Cleveland 20-yard line to start the fourth quarter.

“First of all, we’re resilient," said Wilson, who responded with an 8-yard touchdown toss to tight end Adam Trautman. "The best part about us is we’ve been resilient for all of these games. We’ve played some really great teams, top-echelon teams, Kansas City, obviously, Buffalo on the road, which is a tough environment. Cleveland has been great all year. It’s a great defense.

“I think the best thing about us, though, is it’s about us. It’s about us being together,” Wilson said. "Our defense has been lights out. One of the best defenses in the world. Those guys have been unbelievable. ... We’ve handled the adversity. The reality is that we have a lot more ball to go. We have to stay humble and hungry. We have a lot more to do. We feel like we’re just getting started.”

Denver’s defense has done an about-face since its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/broncos-dolphins-penalties-52f51e639d6483640334095c3c2b81f2">Miami meltdown</a>&nbsp;in Week 3.

Halftime adjustments. The Broncos have managed just one field goal and one touchdown on their opening drives after halftime. Seven times they've punted, including four 3-and-outs, and they've missed a field goal and saw another one blocked. Overall, they've been outscored 71-20 in the third quarter, an eerily similar score to their loss to the Dolphins.

RB Samaje Perine has been Mr. Reliable all season and on Sunday he ran seven times for 55 yards and and a touchdown.

WR Jerry Jeudy had three targets and two catches for a season-low 11 yards.

There were no injuries of consequence in the game as the Broncos remain one of the league's healthiest teams. WR Brandon Johnson (hamstring) is eligible to return from IR this week.

5:1 — Wilson's NFL-best touchdown-to-interception ratio. Wilson has thrown for at least one touchdown in every game this season and he hasn't thrown an interception during Denver's five-game winning streak.

Plus-12 — Denver's turnover differential over its last four games, its best such stretch since 2000.

If the Broncos can extend their winning streak to six on Sunday at Houston, they'll have wins — and tiebreakers — over the Bills, Browns and Texans, three teams they're jockeying with to get into the AFC playoff picture.

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701191612835.jpeg" alt="" />
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 </figure>DENVER (AP) — For the first time in seven seasons, the Denver Broncos will head into December with a winning record, something that seemed unfathomable when they stumbled to a 1-5 start.In their first month under Sean Payton, the Broncos (6-5) lost three games at home to underdogs — the Raiders, Commanders and Jets — who are a combined 10-22 against other opponents.Of course, their worst loss was that 70-20 meltdown in Miami in Week 3 when they surrendered 10 touchdowns — one more than they've given up in their last six games combined.They put together their most complete game yet in their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/broncos-browns-score-wilson-turnovers-injuries-edc63231bcc7864487f330d104324ad1">29-12 rout of the Browns</a>&nbsp;(7-4), neutralizing Myles Garrett and the league's best defense, thwarting Cleveland's vaunted ground game, recovering three fumbles and scoring three red zone touchdowns, which has been their bugaboo.“There were a lot of things we did that I was pleased with,” the notoriously nitpicking Payton said after moving above .500 for the first time with the Broncos. “And I felt like we beat a good football team.”The Broncos jumped out to a 14-0 lead, which helped the defense capitalize on heavier fronts to stop the run.“Our offense did such a great job to set us up, to be able to pin our ears back and put them in passing situations to let us get after it,” safety Justin Simmons said. “It was just great team ball. I am really proud of this team and how we have fought to keep it rolling."The Broncos allowed only two field goals in the first half, but the second one, with 22 seconds left before the break, prevented Denver from taking its first double-digit halftime lead in the 26 games Russell Wilson has been their starting quarterback.And the Broncos again slogged through the third quarter, which has been their weakness all season. They took a 17-12 lead into the fourth quarter before pulling away on a Wilson touchdown pass, a Wil Lutz field goal and a safety by Zach Allen that gave Denver its largest margin of victory in nearly two years.The Broncos' resiliency, which has been on display going back to their last loss (19-8 at Kansas City on Oct. 12), was epitomized by how they handled Baron Browning's debatable roughing-the-passer flag that knocked rookie QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson out of the game and turned a third-and-12 stop into a first down for the Browns.Two plays later, defensive tackle D.J. Jones recovered a fumble by backup QB P.J. Walker for Denver's second takeaway, this one setting up Wilson at the Cleveland 20-yard line to start the fourth quarter.“First of all, we’re resilient," said Wilson, who responded with an 8-yard touchdown toss to tight end Adam Trautman. "The best part about us is we’ve been resilient for all of these games. We’ve played some really great teams, top-echelon teams, Kansas City, obviously, Buffalo on the road, which is a tough environment. Cleveland has been great all year. It’s a great defense.“I think the best thing about us, though, is it’s about us. It’s about us being together,” Wilson said. "Our defense has been lights out. One of the best defenses in the world. Those guys have been unbelievable. ... We’ve handled the adversity. The reality is that we have a lot more ball to go. We have to stay humble and hungry. We have a lot more to do. We feel like we’re just getting started.”WHAT’S WORKINGDenver’s defense has done an about-face since its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/broncos-dolphins-penalties-52f51e639d6483640334095c3c2b81f2">Miami meltdown</a>&nbsp;in Week 3.WHAT NEEDS WORKHalftime adjustments. The Broncos have managed just one field goal and one touchdown on their opening drives after halftime. Seven times they've punted, including four 3-and-outs, and they've missed a field goal and saw another one blocked. Overall, they've been outscored 71-20 in the third quarter, an eerily similar score to their loss to the Dolphins.STOCK UPRB Samaje Perine has been Mr. Reliable all season and on Sunday he ran seven times for 55 yards and and a touchdown.STOCK DOWNWR Jerry Jeudy had three targets and two catches for a season-low 11 yards.INJURIESThere were no injuries of consequence in the game as the Broncos remain one of the league's healthiest teams. WR Brandon Johnson (hamstring) is eligible to return from IR this week.KEY NUMBERS5:1 — Wilson's NFL-best touchdown-to-interception ratio. Wilson has thrown for at least one touchdown in every game this season and he hasn't thrown an interception during Denver's five-game winning streak.Plus-12 — Denver's turnover differential over its last four games, its best such stretch since 2000.NEXT STEPSIf the Broncos can extend their winning streak to six on Sunday at Houston, they'll have wins — and tiebreakers — over the Bills, Browns and Texans, three teams they're jockeying with to get into the AFC playoff picture.

After a 1-5 start Broncos are back in playoff push - How'd they do it?

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Denver Nuggets were undermanned, on the road and playing the second night of a back-to-back without Nikola Jokic.

Tell that to&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/nuggets">Reggie Jackson</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/deandre-jordan-with-the-dunk?plsrc=nba&amp;game-highlights=0022300257">DeAndre Jordan</a>, a couple of former Clippers who light up when facing their former team.

<a href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/reggie-jackson-deandre-jordan-incredible-game-nov-27?plsrc=nba&amp;game-highlights=0022300257">Jackson</a>&nbsp;had 35 points and 13 assists, and Jordan added 21 points and 13 rebounds in the Nuggets' 113-104 victory over Los Angeles on Monday night.

“Definitely one of the sweeter ones,” Jackson said. “We got our main guys out and it was really great for the team, a resilient group, the way we came together. I was just proud of the way we kept battling.”

Jackson and Jordan ran the pick-and-roll to near perfection, with Jordan soaring above the rim for vicious dunks.

“I might have been the one that was the recipient of the points,” Jackson said, “but my old head DJ getting on the rim, being back in this building looking like young Lob City a little bit. He drew all the defense in and everybody was open on the weak side.”

The duo combined for 20 points in the fourth, when the Nuggets trailed by 11 to start. Jackson began and ended a 22-6 spurt with 3-pointers that put the Nuggets ahead 99-94. In between, he fed Jordan for two slams.

“Tonight the lob was there. We made them pay on different things,” Jordan said.

The Nuggets were missing starters Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon, who average a combined 58.2 points. Jokic sat out the second game of a back-to-back because of low back pain. Murray has a right hamstring strain and Gordon has a right heel strain.

“When you can win games like this with some of your best players out, that speaks to your depth but also the belief in one another,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “Tonight was special.”

Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 31 points and Ivica Zubac had 23 points and 14 rebounds. Paul George picked up his fourth and fifth fouls early in the fourth. He finished with six points on 2-of-13 shooting.

“It's a frustrating loss,” George said. “The guys stepped up over there, but a lot of the stuff we could have prevented. I thought just the energy there wasn't well enough to compete.”

The Clippers were limited to four field goals in the fourth, when they went 8 of 12 from the free throw line. Russell Westbrook airballed a free throw with the Clippers trailing 102-98. James Harden had two turnovers in the final minutes and George shot an airball in the closing seconds as the Clippers lost their eighth in a row to the Nuggets.

“Reggie just did a great job putting pressure on in the pick-and-roll, and DeAndre is one of the best still at getting out slipping and playing above the rim. They just had it working tonight,” George said.

The defending NBA champion Nuggets improved to 4-6 on the road.

The Clippers outscored Denver 32-19 in the third. Tied 72-all, Zubac scored six in a row to spark a 17-5 run that was capped by Westbrook's four straight points and sent the Clippers into the fourth leading 88-77.

The Clippers' reserves gave them an 11-point lead to open the second. Then Jackson took over, scoring 14 points in the quarter, including a free throw that sent the Nuggets into halftime leading 58-56.

Jackson and Jordan teamed for several scores in the game, reminding the home crowd of days gone by. Jordan converted Jackson's alley-oop pass into a dunk and he scored on a reverse dunk off a feed from Jackson in the first half.

The Clippers' Norman Powell hit a free throw in the second quarter that gave him 6,000 career points.

Clippers: Visit Sacramento on Wednesday to begin a two-game trip to Northern California.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701191523861.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Denver Nuggets were undermanned, on the road and playing the second night of a back-to-back without Nikola Jokic.Tell that to&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/nuggets">Reggie Jackson</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/deandre-jordan-with-the-dunk?plsrc=nba&amp;game-highlights=0022300257">DeAndre Jordan</a>, a couple of former Clippers who light up when facing their former team.<a href="https://www.nba.com/watch/video/reggie-jackson-deandre-jordan-incredible-game-nov-27?plsrc=nba&amp;game-highlights=0022300257">Jackson</a>&nbsp;had 35 points and 13 assists, and Jordan added 21 points and 13 rebounds in the Nuggets' 113-104 victory over Los Angeles on Monday night.“Definitely one of the sweeter ones,” Jackson said. “We got our main guys out and it was really great for the team, a resilient group, the way we came together. I was just proud of the way we kept battling.”Jackson and Jordan ran the pick-and-roll to near perfection, with Jordan soaring above the rim for vicious dunks.“I might have been the one that was the recipient of the points,” Jackson said, “but my old head DJ getting on the rim, being back in this building looking like young Lob City a little bit. He drew all the defense in and everybody was open on the weak side.”The duo combined for 20 points in the fourth, when the Nuggets trailed by 11 to start. Jackson began and ended a 22-6 spurt with 3-pointers that put the Nuggets ahead 99-94. In between, he fed Jordan for two slams.“Tonight the lob was there. We made them pay on different things,” Jordan said.The Nuggets were missing starters Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon, who average a combined 58.2 points. Jokic sat out the second game of a back-to-back because of low back pain. Murray has a right hamstring strain and Gordon has a right heel strain.“When you can win games like this with some of your best players out, that speaks to your depth but also the belief in one another,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “Tonight was special.”Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 31 points and Ivica Zubac had 23 points and 14 rebounds. Paul George picked up his fourth and fifth fouls early in the fourth. He finished with six points on 2-of-13 shooting.“It's a frustrating loss,” George said. “The guys stepped up over there, but a lot of the stuff we could have prevented. I thought just the energy there wasn't well enough to compete.”The Clippers were limited to four field goals in the fourth, when they went 8 of 12 from the free throw line. Russell Westbrook airballed a free throw with the Clippers trailing 102-98. James Harden had two turnovers in the final minutes and George shot an airball in the closing seconds as the Clippers lost their eighth in a row to the Nuggets.“Reggie just did a great job putting pressure on in the pick-and-roll, and DeAndre is one of the best still at getting out slipping and playing above the rim. They just had it working tonight,” George said.The defending NBA champion Nuggets improved to 4-6 on the road.The Clippers outscored Denver 32-19 in the third. Tied 72-all, Zubac scored six in a row to spark a 17-5 run that was capped by Westbrook's four straight points and sent the Clippers into the fourth leading 88-77.The Clippers' reserves gave them an 11-point lead to open the second. Then Jackson took over, scoring 14 points in the quarter, including a free throw that sent the Nuggets into halftime leading 58-56.Jackson and Jordan teamed for several scores in the game, reminding the home crowd of days gone by. Jordan converted Jackson's alley-oop pass into a dunk and he scored on a reverse dunk off a feed from Jackson in the first half.The Clippers' Norman Powell hit a free throw in the second quarter that gave him 6,000 career points.UP NEXTNuggets: Host Houston on Wednesday.Clippers: Visit Sacramento on Wednesday to begin a two-game trip to Northern California.

Former Clippers push Nuggets past LA, 113-104

Nebraska's Natalie Potts collected her second Big Ten honor in three weeks, as she was named the Big Ten Women's Basketball Freshman of the Week on Monday, Nov. 27.

The 6-2 forward from O'Fallon, Mo., averaged 14.0 points on 12-of-16 shooting from the field in a pair of games for the Huskers at the St. Pete Showcase (Nov. 23-25). Her week was highlighted by a career-high 22 points on 9-of-10 shooting from the field in a 75-61 win over Lamar on Thanksgiving Day. Potts hit all eight of her two-point field goal attempts and all three of her free throws, while knocking down 1-of-2 three-pointers in a remarkably efficient performance against the Cardinals.

The two-time Missouri MaxPreps High School Player of the Year is leading the Big Ten in field goal percentage (.738), including a scorching 90 percent (27-of-30) from two-point range. Through six games as a starter, Potts is averaging 12.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.0 block. She has hit 33.3 percent (4-12) of her three-point tries and 71.4 percent (10-14) of her free throws.

Potts and the Huskers return to action on Wednesday when they take on Florida Atlantic. Tip-off at Pinnacle Bank Arena is set for 7 p.m., with tickets available now at Huskers.com.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsNebraska's Natalie Potts collected her second Big Ten honor in three weeks, as she was named the Big Ten Women's Basketball Freshman of the Week on Monday, Nov. 27.The 6-2 forward from O'Fallon, Mo., averaged 14.0 points on 12-of-16 shooting from the field in a pair of games for the Huskers at the St. Pete Showcase (Nov. 23-25). Her week was highlighted by a career-high 22 points on 9-of-10 shooting from the field in a 75-61 win over Lamar on Thanksgiving Day. Potts hit all eight of her two-point field goal attempts and all three of her free throws, while knocking down 1-of-2 three-pointers in a remarkably efficient performance against the Cardinals.The two-time Missouri MaxPreps High School Player of the Year is leading the Big Ten in field goal percentage (.738), including a scorching 90 percent (27-of-30) from two-point range. Through six games as a starter, Potts is averaging 12.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.0 block. She has hit 33.3 percent (4-12) of her three-point tries and 71.4 percent (10-14) of her free throws.Potts and the Huskers return to action on Wednesday when they take on Florida Atlantic. Tip-off at Pinnacle Bank Arena is set for 7 p.m., with tickets available now at Huskers.com.

Potts Picks Up Second Big Ten Freshman Honor

By: Mike Glesinger&nbsp; Panhandle Post

The Iowa State University Volleyball Team is set to make thier 17th appearance in the NCAA&nbsp; Championships.&nbsp; The Cyclones finished the regular season with a 5 set victory over Cincinnati on Saturday, in Ames, to finish at 20-9, and 11-7,&nbsp; 4th in the Big 12 Conference.&nbsp;&nbsp;

2019 Alliance High School Graduate Jordan Hopp, finished the match with 9 kills and 5 blocks.&nbsp; Hopp has been a starter most of the season for the Cyclones. This year Jordan totaled 52 kills and 102 blocks. She had a season high 14 kills vs #21 Houston, Nov. 17.&nbsp; &nbsp;Iowa State also had wins vs two other Top-25 Teams...#14 Kansas and #18 Baylor.&nbsp; Iowa State is coached by UNL&nbsp; alum Christy Johnson-Lynch.

Jordan saw limited playing time as a Freshman in 2020 and Redshirted in 2021.&nbsp; In 2022 she played in 24 matches with 7 starts,&nbsp; before becoming a starter this season.&nbsp; &nbsp;Iowa State earned a #7 seed and will face Hawaii (23-8) in opening round play, Thursday, Nov 30, 6 pm CT&nbsp; in Eugene, Oregon.&nbsp; &nbsp; #2 seed Oregon will face Southeastern Louisiana on the other side of the bracket. The winners will meet on Dec. 1.&nbsp; &nbsp; Wisconsin is the #1 seed in the bracket.&nbsp; Nebraska, Stanford and Pittsburgh are the other Top seeds.&nbsp; The first and second rounds will be played at campus sites Nov. 30-Dec. 1-2.&nbsp; Regionals, rounds of 16 and 8,&nbsp; &nbsp;will be at campus sites Dec. 7-8-9.&nbsp; &nbsp;The Final 4 Semifinals Dec. 14,&nbsp; with the National Championship Dec. 17&nbsp; in Tampa, Flordia.&nbsp; &nbsp;Matches will be televised on the ESPN Networks with the Championship Match on ABC.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Jordan is the daughter of Trista and Steve Hopp, formally of Alliance.

Mike Glesinger visited with Jordan about her Alliance High School and Iowa State Career. Click on the arrow above to hear the interview.

<div><iframe title="POST PODCAST: Catching up with former AHS Bulldog and Iowa State Cyclone Jordan Hopp" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=u3aas-150d461-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=2&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=5" loading="lazy"></iframe></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701114581735.jpeg" alt="Iowa State Photo,&nbsp; Jordan Hopp" />
 <figcaption>Iowa State Photo,&nbsp; Jordan Hopp</figcaption>
 </figure>By: Mike Glesinger&nbsp; Panhandle PostThe Iowa State University Volleyball Team is set to make thier 17th appearance in the NCAA&nbsp; Championships.&nbsp; The Cyclones finished the regular season with a 5 set victory over Cincinnati on Saturday, in Ames, to finish at 20-9, and 11-7,&nbsp; 4th in the Big 12 Conference.&nbsp;&nbsp;2019 Alliance High School Graduate Jordan Hopp, finished the match with 9 kills and 5 blocks.&nbsp; Hopp has been a starter most of the season for the Cyclones. This year Jordan totaled 52 kills and 102 blocks. She had a season high 14 kills vs #21 Houston, Nov. 17.&nbsp; &nbsp;Iowa State also had wins vs two other Top-25 Teams...#14 Kansas and #18 Baylor.&nbsp; Iowa State is coached by UNL&nbsp; alum Christy Johnson-Lynch.Jordan saw limited playing time as a Freshman in 2020 and Redshirted in 2021.&nbsp; In 2022 she played in 24 matches with 7 starts,&nbsp; before becoming a starter this season.&nbsp; &nbsp;Iowa State earned a #7 seed and will face Hawaii (23-8) in opening round play, Thursday, Nov 30, 6 pm CT&nbsp; in Eugene, Oregon.&nbsp; &nbsp; #2 seed Oregon will face Southeastern Louisiana on the other side of the bracket. The winners will meet on Dec. 1.&nbsp; &nbsp; Wisconsin is the #1 seed in the bracket.&nbsp; Nebraska, Stanford and Pittsburgh are the other Top seeds.&nbsp; The first and second rounds will be played at campus sites Nov. 30-Dec. 1-2.&nbsp; Regionals, rounds of 16 and 8,&nbsp; &nbsp;will be at campus sites Dec. 7-8-9.&nbsp; &nbsp;The Final 4 Semifinals Dec. 14,&nbsp; with the National Championship Dec. 17&nbsp; in Tampa, Flordia.&nbsp; &nbsp;Matches will be televised on the ESPN Networks with the Championship Match on ABC.&nbsp;&nbsp;Jordan is the daughter of Trista and Steve Hopp, formally of Alliance.Mike Glesinger visited with Jordan about her Alliance High School and Iowa State Career. Click on the arrow above to hear the interview.

Post Podcast: Catching up With Iowa State Cyclone and AHS Grad Jordan Hopp

&nbsp; The long trip to San Francisco last weekend proved to be worthwhile for the Chadron State College wrestling team.&nbsp; The Eagles defeated the San Francisco Gators 40-3, while winning nine of the 10 weight classes, and improving their record to 2-0.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;The margin of victory was wider than Coach&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/coaches/brett-hunter/541">Brett Hunter</a>&nbsp;had anticipated.&nbsp; Prior to heading west, he noted that the Gators are usually tough to beat early in the season before several of the Division I teams they are forced to meet, because there are no other Division II teams in California or remaining Far-West states, and they are still full of pep.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

In addition, when San Francisco State came to Chadron a year ago to dual the Eagles, the Gators won by a 25-6 score. This year, the Eagles turned the tables in a big way.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It also is noteworthy that on Saturday, the Nebraska-Kearney Lopers had visited the Gators and lost three weight classes, although still winning by a 30-9 score.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

The Eagles earned bonus points Sunday in four of the eight contested matches. Redshirt freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/logan-berger/9310">Logan Berger</a>&nbsp;pinned his 174-pound opponent, Conrado Trevino-Oceguera, in the third period to collect six points for the visitors. In last year's dual, Trevino-Oceguera was one of the Gators' three winners when he pinned his CSC opponent.&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/quade-smith/9331">Quade Smith</a>, who had failed to make weight in the Eagles' season opener on Nov. 3, and had to forfeit his 125-pound match, was in the groove this time and won by an 18-0 technical fall.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

CSC veterans Quen Campbell and&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/ethan-leake/9323">Ethan Leake</a>&nbsp;each won 13-point major decisions in the second and third matches of the Sunday dual.&nbsp; Campbell, the nation's No. 2 ranked 133-pounder, was a 19-6 winner and Leake, a native of California whose parents were in attendance, blanked his is foe 13-0.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

The Eagles' other winners on the mat scored regular decisions.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/brody-lamb/9322">Brody Lamb</a>&nbsp;won the 149-pound bout 11-8,&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/eli-hinojosa/4520">Eli Hinojosa</a>&nbsp;was a 12-6 victor at 197 and&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/mason-watt/4531">Mason Watt</a>&nbsp;bested his heavyweight rival 4-0.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

The Eagles received forfeits at 157 and 185 pounds because the Gators had no one to fill those weights.&nbsp; Thus&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/tayten-gillette/9396">Tayten Gillette</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/rowdy-pfeil/4540">Rowdy Pfeil</a>&nbsp;had W's added to their records without having to do more than step on the mat and let the referee raise their hand.&nbsp; They would much rather have been challenged.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The Eagles' only loss was at 165 pounds, where Kyle Botelho, one of the Gators' top grapplers who also defeated his Kearney opponent, took an 8-1 decision over CSC's&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/jaziah-whaley/9398">Jaziah Whaley</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

This Saturday, nearly all 40 of the CSC team members will be among the more than 500 contestants at the UNK Open Tournament, one of the biggest in the nation.&nbsp; It will be a major challenge, but one many of those in this year's roster should be able to handle well.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;125—<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/quade-smith/9331">Quade Smith</a>, CSC, tech fall Hayden Ancheta, 18-0.133—Quen Campbell, CSC, major dec. Zach Wright, 19-6.141—<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/ethan-leake/9323">Ethan Leake</a>, CSC, major dec. Sean Yamasaka, 13-0.149—<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/brody-lamb/9322">Brody Lamb</a>, CSC, dec. Zane Stoddard, 11-8.157—<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/tayten-gillette/9396">Tayten Gillette</a>, CSC, won by forfeit.165—Kyle Botelho, SFSU, dec. Jaziah Whalen, 8-1.174—<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/logan-berger/9310">Logan Berger</a>, CSC, pinned Conrado Trevino-Oceguera, 6:39.185—<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/rowdy-pfeil/4540">Rowdy Pfeil</a>, CSC, won by forfeit.197—<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/eli-hinojosa/4520">Eli Hinojosa</a>, CSC, dec. Rivera Vazquez, 12-6.Hwt—<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/mason-watt/4531">Mason Watt</a>, CSC, dec. Emilio Franco Sandoval, 4-0.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Exh. 149—<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/hunter-gilmore/9317">Hunter Gilmore</a>, CSC, major dec. Zane Stoddard. 15-3.&nbsp;&nbsp;

By Con Marshall&nbsp; The long trip to San Francisco last weekend proved to be worthwhile for the Chadron State College wrestling team.&nbsp; The Eagles defeated the San Francisco Gators 40-3, while winning nine of the 10 weight classes, and improving their record to 2-0.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;The margin of victory was wider than Coach&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/coaches/brett-hunter/541">Brett Hunter</a>&nbsp;had anticipated.&nbsp; Prior to heading west, he noted that the Gators are usually tough to beat early in the season before several of the Division I teams they are forced to meet, because there are no other Division II teams in California or remaining Far-West states, and they are still full of pep.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; In addition, when San Francisco State came to Chadron a year ago to dual the Eagles, the Gators won by a 25-6 score. This year, the Eagles turned the tables in a big way.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It also is noteworthy that on Saturday, the Nebraska-Kearney Lopers had visited the Gators and lost three weight classes, although still winning by a 30-9 score.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;The Eagles earned bonus points Sunday in four of the eight contested matches. Redshirt freshman&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/logan-berger/9310">Logan Berger</a>&nbsp;pinned his 174-pound opponent, Conrado Trevino-Oceguera, in the third period to collect six points for the visitors. In last year's dual, Trevino-Oceguera was one of the Gators' three winners when he pinned his CSC opponent.&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/quade-smith/9331">Quade Smith</a>, who had failed to make weight in the Eagles' season opener on Nov. 3, and had to forfeit his 125-pound match, was in the groove this time and won by an 18-0 technical fall.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; CSC veterans Quen Campbell and&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/ethan-leake/9323">Ethan Leake</a>&nbsp;each won 13-point major decisions in the second and third matches of the Sunday dual.&nbsp; Campbell, the nation's No. 2 ranked 133-pounder, was a 19-6 winner and Leake, a native of California whose parents were in attendance, blanked his is foe 13-0.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The Eagles' other winners on the mat scored regular decisions.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/brody-lamb/9322">Brody Lamb</a>&nbsp;won the 149-pound bout 11-8,&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/eli-hinojosa/4520">Eli Hinojosa</a>&nbsp;was a 12-6 victor at 197 and&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/mason-watt/4531">Mason Watt</a>&nbsp;bested his heavyweight rival 4-0.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The Eagles received forfeits at 157 and 185 pounds because the Gators had no one to fill those weights.&nbsp; Thus&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/tayten-gillette/9396">Tayten Gillette</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/rowdy-pfeil/4540">Rowdy Pfeil</a>&nbsp;had W's added to their records without having to do more than step on the mat and let the referee raise their hand.&nbsp; They would much rather have been challenged.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The Eagles' only loss was at 165 pounds, where Kyle Botelho, one of the Gators' top grapplers who also defeated his Kearney opponent, took an 8-1 decision over CSC's&nbsp;<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/jaziah-whaley/9398">Jaziah Whaley</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; This Saturday, nearly all 40 of the CSC team members will be among the more than 500 contestants at the UNK Open Tournament, one of the biggest in the nation.&nbsp; It will be a major challenge, but one many of those in this year's roster should be able to handle well.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;125—<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/quade-smith/9331">Quade Smith</a>, CSC, tech fall Hayden Ancheta, 18-0.133—Quen Campbell, CSC, major dec. Zach Wright, 19-6.141—<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/ethan-leake/9323">Ethan Leake</a>, CSC, major dec. Sean Yamasaka, 13-0.149—<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/brody-lamb/9322">Brody Lamb</a>, CSC, dec. Zane Stoddard, 11-8.157—<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/tayten-gillette/9396">Tayten Gillette</a>, CSC, won by forfeit.165—Kyle Botelho, SFSU, dec. Jaziah Whalen, 8-1.174—<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/logan-berger/9310">Logan Berger</a>, CSC, pinned Conrado Trevino-Oceguera, 6:39.185—<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/rowdy-pfeil/4540">Rowdy Pfeil</a>, CSC, won by forfeit.197—<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/eli-hinojosa/4520">Eli Hinojosa</a>, CSC, dec. Rivera Vazquez, 12-6.Hwt—<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/mason-watt/4531">Mason Watt</a>, CSC, dec. Emilio Franco Sandoval, 4-0.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Exh. 149—<a href="https://chadroneagles.com/sports/wrestling/roster/hunter-gilmore/9317">Hunter Gilmore</a>, CSC, major dec. Zane Stoddard. 15-3.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Eagles’ wrestlers thrive in San Francisco

DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic had a season-high 39 points to go with 11 rebounds and nine assists, and the Nuggets spoiled the Denver debut of Victor Wembanyama with a 132-120 win over San Antonio on Sunday night, sending the Spurs to their 12th straight loss.

Wembanyama,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-draft-2023-wembanyama-b3449d1a5f7a7de5906bb1979ffb2a26">the top pick in the June draft</a>, finished with 22 points, 11 rebounds, six steals and four blocks in 24 minutes to become the first rookie with those stats.

“I like bringing something new to the game,” he said. “I’m glad I can already put my name in history a little bit. It’s a good feeling.”

Wembanyama’s big night couldn’t stop San Antonio’s slide. It is the third longest losing streak in franchise history. The Spurs lost 13 in a row in the 1988-89 season and 16 in a row last season.

Michael Porter Jr. scored 25 points and Reggie Jackson had 20 for Denver, which improved to 8-0 at home. The Nuggets had dropped four of five on their recent road trip, including a loss to Houston on Friday night that eliminated them from the NBA In-Season Tournament.

“All of us are kind of frustrated trying to figure out why we play so different and so at a different pace,” Porter said of the poor road play. “We’re running more at home. I don’t know what it is, so I think we got to figure it out.”

Porter spent some time guarding Wembanyama, who continues to impress his coach despite the losses mounting.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1701100346571.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic had a season-high 39 points to go with 11 rebounds and nine assists, and the Nuggets spoiled the Denver debut of Victor Wembanyama with a 132-120 win over San Antonio on Sunday night, sending the Spurs to their 12th straight loss.Wembanyama,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-draft-2023-wembanyama-b3449d1a5f7a7de5906bb1979ffb2a26">the top pick in the June draft</a>, finished with 22 points, 11 rebounds, six steals and four blocks in 24 minutes to become the first rookie with those stats.“I like bringing something new to the game,” he said. “I’m glad I can already put my name in history a little bit. It’s a good feeling.”Wembanyama’s big night couldn’t stop San Antonio’s slide. It is the third longest losing streak in franchise history. The Spurs lost 13 in a row in the 1988-89 season and 16 in a row last season.Michael Porter Jr. scored 25 points and Reggie Jackson had 20 for Denver, which improved to 8-0 at home. The Nuggets had dropped four of five on their recent road trip, including a loss to Houston on Friday night that eliminated them from the NBA In-Season Tournament.“All of us are kind of frustrated trying to figure out why we play so different and so at a different pace,” Porter said of the poor road play. “We’re running more at home. I don’t know what it is, so I think we got to figure it out.”Porter spent some time guarding Wembanyama, who continues to impress his coach despite the losses mounting.“He’s playing aggressively. He’s affecting the game in a lot of different ways,” Gregg Popovich said. “He’s blocking shots. He’s scoring. He’s a willing assist man. He’s very unselfish. He doesn’t worry about making a mistake.”Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon sat out with a right heel strain that was bothering him in the blowout loss against the Rockets, a game in which he missed all 12 of his field goal attempts. Justin Holiday made his first start of the season in place of Gordon.Denver coach Michael Malone said he would shake up his rotation in the wake of the 1-4 road trip and it meant DeAndre Jordan getting time as Jokic’s backup. The veteran had six points and five rebounds in six minutes in the first half and made all three of his shots from the field.The Nuggets led by four after the first quarter and 68-48 late in the second before San Antonio rallied to get within 12 at halftime. The Spurs opened the third on a 7-2 run but Denver outscored them 33-17 the rest of the period to lead by 23 heading into the fourth.Wembanyama nearly had a highlight dunk in the second half when he soared to the basket, but Julian Strawther fouled him to deny the bucket.“A lot of guys are getting out of the way,” Malone said. “People have a phobia of being on SportsCenter, getting dunked on. Victor Wembanyama, he’s going to dunk on a lot of people. That guy is a hell of a player, he’s only going to get better.”UP NEXTSan Antonio: Hosts Atlanta on ThursdayDenver: At the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night.