SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — Suspended Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco failed to show up Thursday for a meeting with a prosecutor who is investigating him for an alleged relationship with a minor.

Prosecutor Olga Diná Llaverías said the investigation will continue regardless of Franco's no-show. She waited for the All-Star player and his lawyers at her office, but they didn't appear.

Dominican prosecutors and police showed up on Tuesday at a Franco property in Baní, his hometown about 60 kilometers (37 miles) southwest of Santo Domingo. They did not find the 22-year-old player to request he appear for testimony.

The Dominican Republic's prosecutors' office said on Aug. 14 that Franco was under investigation because of postings on his social media channels suggesting he had a relationship with a minor. The Associated Press has not been able to verify the reported posts.

Franco's no-show could be because his current lawyers may not have been summoned for the meeting. The AP had access to a document in which lawyers Luz Díaz Rodríguez, Rosalina Trueba, Cristian Cabrera and Manuel Rodríguez were dismissed by Franco.

Franco was suspended by Major League Baseball in August as the investigation started in his country. He will be paid and receive service time while on administrative leave under an agreement with the players’ association. There is no set timetable for a decision on whether he will be disciplined by MLB.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687745699564.jpeg" alt="Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., left, looks on as Tampa Bay Rays' Wander Franco, bottom right, beats a tag by Royals second baseman Samad Taylor for a stolen base during the fourth inning of a baseball game Sunday, June 25, 2023, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., left, looks on as Tampa Bay Rays' Wander Franco, bottom right, beats a tag by Royals second baseman Samad Taylor for a stolen base during the fourth inning of a baseball game Sunday, June 25, 2023, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius)</figcaption>
 </figure>SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — Suspended Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco failed to show up Thursday for a meeting with a prosecutor who is investigating him for an alleged relationship with a minor.Prosecutor Olga Diná Llaverías said the investigation will continue regardless of Franco's no-show. She waited for the All-Star player and his lawyers at her office, but they didn't appear.Dominican prosecutors and police showed up on Tuesday at a Franco property in Baní, his hometown about 60 kilometers (37 miles) southwest of Santo Domingo. They did not find the 22-year-old player to request he appear for testimony.The Dominican Republic's prosecutors' office said on Aug. 14 that Franco was under investigation because of postings on his social media channels suggesting he had a relationship with a minor. The Associated Press has not been able to verify the reported posts.Franco's no-show could be because his current lawyers may not have been summoned for the meeting. The AP had access to a document in which lawyers Luz Díaz Rodríguez, Rosalina Trueba, Cristian Cabrera and Manuel Rodríguez were dismissed by Franco.Franco was suspended by Major League Baseball in August as the investigation started in his country. He will be paid and receive service time while on administrative leave under an agreement with the players’ association. There is no set timetable for a decision on whether he will be disciplined by MLB.

Dominican baseball player Wander Franco fails to appear at prosecutor's office amid investigation

GRANT, NEB. - Perkins County High school is hosting the 2023 Perkins County Booster Club Holiday Basketball Tournament today and tomorrow. We will have radio coverage of tonight's boys and girls' game for Perkins County and Hyannis. Today's games will either be played in the New gym or Pritchett Gym. This year's participants are Perkins County, Wallace, South Loup and Hyannis.

&nbsp;Perkins County (H) vs Hyannis (A)(Boys) - New Gym - 5:00pm MT (Radio coverage, Flatrock 100.7)

Wallace (H) vs South Platte (A)(Girls) - Pritchett Gym - 5:00pm MT

Perkins County (H) vs Hyannis (A)(Girls) - New Gym - 6:30pm MT (Radio Coverage, Flatrock 100.7)

Wallace (H) vs South Platte (A) (Boys) - Pritchett Gym - 6:30pm MT

Tonight's Perkins County boys and girl's games against Hyannis will be on Flatrock 100.7. Our Kwik Stop Pregame coverage is set to begin at 4:45pm MT with tip off set for 5:00pm MT. The girl's game is set to follow 20 minutes after the boy's game. Join Canon Rath on Flatrock 100.7 or online by <a href="https://flatrock1007.com/">clicking here.</a>&nbsp;

Boys' 3rd Place Game - New Gym - 2:00pm MT

Girls' 3rd Place Game - New Gym - 3:30pm MT

Girls' 1st Place Game - New Gym - 5:00pm MT (Radio Coverage, Flatrock 100.7)

Boys' 1st Place Game - New Gym - 6:30pm MT (Radio Coverage, Flatrock 100.7)

Sandhills PostGRANT, NEB. - Perkins County High school is hosting the 2023 Perkins County Booster Club Holiday Basketball Tournament today and tomorrow. We will have radio coverage of tonight's boys and girls' game for Perkins County and Hyannis. Today's games will either be played in the New gym or Pritchett Gym. This year's participants are Perkins County, Wallace, South Loup and Hyannis.Todays Game Schedule:&nbsp;Perkins County (H) vs Hyannis (A)(Boys) - New Gym - 5:00pm MT (Radio coverage, Flatrock 100.7)Wallace (H) vs South Platte (A)(Girls) - Pritchett Gym - 5:00pm MTPerkins County (H) vs Hyannis (A)(Girls) - New Gym - 6:30pm MT (Radio Coverage, Flatrock 100.7)Wallace (H) vs South Platte (A) (Boys) - Pritchett Gym - 6:30pm MTTonight's Perkins County boys and girl's games against Hyannis will be on Flatrock 100.7. Our Kwik Stop Pregame coverage is set to begin at 4:45pm MT with tip off set for 5:00pm MT. The girl's game is set to follow 20 minutes after the boy's game. Join Canon Rath on Flatrock 100.7 or online by <a href="https://flatrock1007.com/">clicking here.</a>&nbsp;Fridays Game Schedule:Boys' 3rd Place Game - New Gym - 2:00pm MTGirls' 3rd Place Game - New Gym - 3:30pm MTGirls' 1st Place Game - New Gym - 5:00pm MT (Radio Coverage, Flatrock 100.7)Boys' 1st Place Game - New Gym - 6:30pm MT (Radio Coverage, Flatrock 100.7)Girls Teams:Big Springs (4-2)Perkins County (3-3)Wallace (2-4)Hyannis (2-3)Boys Teams:Hyannis (7-0)South Platte (5-1)Perkins County (4-2)Wallace (3-3)

Radio Coverage of the 2023 Perkins County Holiday Tournament, PC vs Hyannis tonight

Story by NU Athletic Communications

The Nebraska Men's Gymnastics team was ranked No. 3 in the Big Ten preseason coaches poll announced on Wednesday.Michigan leads the Big Ten as the No. 1 ranked team in the division for the 2024 season as the defending Big Ten Champions. The Wolverines finished 7-1 in the conference for regular season standings in 2023.Behind the Wolverines follows Illinois in second position, Nebraska in third, and Penn State and Ohio State rounding out the top five, respectively.Nebraska is set to open the 2024 season at the Rocky Mountain Open on Saturday, Jan 20 at 6:00 pm CT in Colorado Springs, Colo. where they will compete against Air Force, Oklahoma, and GymACT's Rocky Mountain Pride.Huskers Sam Phillips and Taylor Christopulos each earned a spot on the Big Ten Players to Watch List. Reigning Big Ten Gymnast of the Year Christopulos was named to the list for a third consecutive season, following his intital nomination in 2022.2023-24 Big Ten Men's Gymnastics Preseason Poll1. &nbsp; &nbsp; Michigan2. &nbsp; &nbsp; Illinois3. &nbsp; &nbsp; Nebraska4. &nbsp; &nbsp; Penn State5. &nbsp; &nbsp; Ohio State2023-24 Gymnasts to WatchTate Costa, So., IllinoisBrandon Dang, Fr., IllinoisFred Richard, So., MichiganPaul Juda, Gr., MichiganTaylor Christopulos, Sr., NebraskaSam Phillips, Sr., NebraskaKameron Nelson, Sr., Ohio StateParker Thackston, So., Ohio StateJosh Karnes, Jr., Penn StateIan Raubal, So., Penn State&nbsp;&nbsp;

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsThe Nebraska Men's Gymnastics team was ranked No. 3 in the Big Ten preseason coaches poll announced on Wednesday.Michigan leads the Big Ten as the No. 1 ranked team in the division for the 2024 season as the defending Big Ten Champions. The Wolverines finished 7-1 in the conference for regular season standings in 2023.Behind the Wolverines follows Illinois in second position, Nebraska in third, and Penn State and Ohio State rounding out the top five, respectively.Nebraska is set to open the 2024 season at the Rocky Mountain Open on Saturday, Jan 20 at 6:00 pm CT in Colorado Springs, Colo. where they will compete against Air Force, Oklahoma, and GymACT's Rocky Mountain Pride.Huskers Sam Phillips and Taylor Christopulos each earned a spot on the Big Ten Players to Watch List. Reigning Big Ten Gymnast of the Year Christopulos was named to the list for a third consecutive season, following his intital nomination in 2022.2023-24 Big Ten Men's Gymnastics Preseason Poll1. &nbsp; &nbsp; Michigan2. &nbsp; &nbsp; Illinois3. &nbsp; &nbsp; Nebraska4. &nbsp; &nbsp; Penn State5. &nbsp; &nbsp; Ohio State2023-24 Gymnasts to WatchTate Costa, So., IllinoisBrandon Dang, Fr., IllinoisFred Richard, So., MichiganPaul Juda, Gr., MichiganTaylor Christopulos, Sr., NebraskaSam Phillips, Sr., NebraskaKameron Nelson, Sr., Ohio StateParker Thackston, So., Ohio StateJosh Karnes, Jr., Penn StateIan Raubal, So., Penn State&nbsp;&nbsp;

Nebraska Gymnastics ranked No. 3 in Preseason Poll

Nebraska&nbsp;Head Coach Fred Hoiberg

On Rienk Mast’s injury

“Rienk had some swelling in his knee last week a couple days before the Kansas State game, and got a scan on it just to figure out the best treatment option for him, and they found a little loose piece of cartilage in there. The decision was made to play the Kansas State game. He could not do further damage on it, we just didn’t want that piece floating around and get into a spot where it caused some trouble down the line. We made a decision with the doctors and with Rienk, a decision that he was comfortable with to go in and take care of the problem. Surgery went very well and the doctor was really happy with how it went. He’s got very minimal swelling, he’s moving around really well. He actually walked on the treadmill today, a little bit faster than my treadmill workout that I did this afternoon, but overall hopefully we’ll get him back. We don’t have an exact time frame, I can’t give you an exact day that he’ll be back, but we’re hoping sometime in early January.”

On overcoming the absence of Rienk Mast

“It definitely changes things. You got guys playing different positions than they have been playing. Rienk obviously has been as good as anybody we have on the floor for us especially in those two wins against Michigan State and Kansas State. His absence was felt I thought early, they dominated the glass in the first half, they crushed us out there getting loose balls. At halftime we really challenged them, they just kind of had that blank stare on their face, and they were looking at the floor. I was getting after them to say, ‘guys you understand how good of a basketball team we are when we go out there and are the harder playing more together team’ and it wasn’t the same in the huddles with guys talking to each other and trying to lead out there. After those first couple possessions in the second half, they responded in a big way. They found a formula out there, but the effort, I think we outrebounded them 21-14 in the second half which obviously was a big key as opposed to what they did to us in the first. Then had a big run to get the lead and get that thing all the way up to 10 or 11. Found a way after 4 (Tyree Ihenacho) hit those shots there at the end of the game, but overall I knew this was a game that we had to play well. This is a very good team, especially with Ihenacho, who came out in his second game as a two-time transfer, we knew his talent. They should shoot it all over the place, they’re very physical and have size. We knew this was a good time that we’d have to play well, and we didn’t in the first half, but found a way to come out and play a really complete second half of basketball.”

On the play of Jamarques Lawrence and C.J. Wilcher

“It was great to see Jamarques knock down some shots there at the end of the game and get us organized. I was really proud to see C.J. going out there after the first half and keep us in striking distance and then had that stretch in the second half where we kind of went to him on five, six, seven straight possessions and it paid off, not only with the shot but getting him to the rim. I thought he had patience in there to get some shots at the basket but CJ coming off and he’s been shooting like that in practice and just a matter of time before he had a game like this where he was knocking down shot. On Jamarques, he’s growing and he’s playing a position to his credit that he’s never really played before and he’s learning on the fly so big win for our team. We’ll have a lot of things we can learn from this game but it’s always better to learn from a win.”&nbsp;

On the absence of Rienk Mast

“It’s definitely on the boards for sure. Rienk is just a sound guy, even if his shot isn’t going. If he’s not necessarily scoring the ball he’s going to make plays for other guys. He’s going to get other guys involved. He’s just a great screener too so he gets guys open, so we definitely missed his presence today.”

On overcoming Rienk’s absence

“I think it’s just next man up mentality. It’s the game of basketball, people get hurt, people may have rough nights. Everybody is gonna get an opportunity at some point and time, you just have to be ready to take advantage of those opportunities when they present themselves.”&nbsp;

On Josiah Allick stepping up tonight&nbsp;

“That’s Jo. Jo has been doing that all year, playing hard, super hard-nosed guy. He just came back from twisting his ankle so he’s getting his feet back under him, and like you said he stepped up today in a big way.”

Sophomore Guard Jamarques Lawrence

On changing back to a scorers’ mentality late in the game

“That’s what I’m trying to do with this new role, it’s just day-by-day with me, and I&nbsp;just tell myself to be more aggressive. I can make plays out of it too. I just gotta be more aggressive.”

On how the team feels about where they’re at going into the break

“We’re in a pretty solid place right now, we’re happy. I think we just get a lot better, focusing on our principles, I think we can get better defensively with our principles and stuff like that.”

North Dakota Head Coach Paul Sather:&nbsp;

Opening Statement&nbsp;

“I think that second half, they made that run. I just felt you know, in the confidence aspect we stopped kind of the movement and the pace offensively and our offense is now affecting us. Defensively and rebounding that's kind of what it felt like. Right now we're sad because we're not making the offense. It is what it was in the first and how we're coming down and we're not rebounding the way we should've we don't play with that same energy and you know. I told our guys this that I'm not sitting here satisfied that we were close to beating Nebraska. I mean, we gave it to them. We let them, we let them take it from us. A lot of it dealt with just that they were tougher. They got some second shots where they knew they got points off turnovers and those are areas in that second half where they really built an advantage on us. We had a good one in the first half in those areas, but they really came back and built an advantage in those areas.”

On the competitive feeling in the locker room

“Yeah, they need to be. If they don't feel that way, then there's something wrong and I said man, if you don't feel that way then take an extended break. I'm not that way because I thought our guys aren't that way, like they feel that way. I don't worry about them feeling that way. But this is what I truly believe, and I think the guys believe that too. But if you don't, I mean just take an extended break. I mean every day you should be anxious and excited about getting back. Enjoy being home, enjoy Christmas, but if you're not anxious and excited about getting back knowing what we can become then there's a problem. Let's be excited about this team or what we can become because right now there's a lot of growth that we're gonna continue to make.”

<ul>
 <li>With the win, Nebraska improved to&nbsp;10-2&nbsp;on the season, matching the program’s best 12-game start since 2018-19 </li><li>Nebraska put six players in double figures tonight, the first time Nebraska has done that since also putting six players in double figures against Minnesota on Feb. 25, 2022.</li><li>Nebraska overcame a 14-point second-half deficit, NU’s largest comeback since overcoming a 17-point deficit against Wisconsin on Feb. 11, 2023. Prior to tonight, NU’s largest comeback of the season was seven points against Michigan State.</li><li>Juwan Gary posted his second straight double-double and third of the year with 12 points and 12 rebounds.</li><li>C.J. Wilcher led Nebraska with a season-high 16 points, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range. His previous season high was 13 on two other occasions, most recently against Rider on Nov. 13.</li><li>Wilcher’s effort was the 10th&nbsp;double-figure effort from NU’s bench in 12 games and tonight marked the fourth time this season NU’s leading scorer came off the bench</li><li>Wilcher also hit a season-high four 3-pointers in the win, as his previous season best was also three against Rider</li><li>Nebraska is now 21-4 under Hoiberg when scoring at least 80 points, including 16-1 over the last three seasons.</li><li>Nebraska hit 11 3-pointers on the night, the sixth time this year NU has had double-digit 3-pointers.NU is 6-0 in those contests.</li><li>North Dakota outrebounded Nebraska 42-38 and is just the third team to outrebound Nebraska this season.</li>
 </ul>Nebraska&nbsp;Head Coach Fred HoibergOn Rienk Mast’s injury“Rienk had some swelling in his knee last week a couple days before the Kansas State game, and got a scan on it just to figure out the best treatment option for him, and they found a little loose piece of cartilage in there. The decision was made to play the Kansas State game. He could not do further damage on it, we just didn’t want that piece floating around and get into a spot where it caused some trouble down the line. We made a decision with the doctors and with Rienk, a decision that he was comfortable with to go in and take care of the problem. Surgery went very well and the doctor was really happy with how it went. He’s got very minimal swelling, he’s moving around really well. He actually walked on the treadmill today, a little bit faster than my treadmill workout that I did this afternoon, but overall hopefully we’ll get him back. We don’t have an exact time frame, I can’t give you an exact day that he’ll be back, but we’re hoping sometime in early January.”On overcoming the absence of Rienk Mast“It definitely changes things. You got guys playing different positions than they have been playing. Rienk obviously has been as good as anybody we have on the floor for us especially in those two wins against Michigan State and Kansas State. His absence was felt I thought early, they dominated the glass in the first half, they crushed us out there getting loose balls. At halftime we really challenged them, they just kind of had that blank stare on their face, and they were looking at the floor. I was getting after them to say, ‘guys you understand how good of a basketball team we are when we go out there and are the harder playing more together team’ and it wasn’t the same in the huddles with guys talking to each other and trying to lead out there. After those first couple possessions in the second half, they responded in a big way. They found a formula out there, but the effort, I think we outrebounded them 21-14 in the second half which obviously was a big key as opposed to what they did to us in the first. Then had a big run to get the lead and get that thing all the way up to 10 or 11. Found a way after 4 (Tyree Ihenacho) hit those shots there at the end of the game, but overall I knew this was a game that we had to play well. This is a very good team, especially with Ihenacho, who came out in his second game as a two-time transfer, we knew his talent. They should shoot it all over the place, they’re very physical and have size. We knew this was a good time that we’d have to play well, and we didn’t in the first half, but found a way to come out and play a really complete second half of basketball.”On the play of Jamarques Lawrence and C.J. Wilcher“It was great to see Jamarques knock down some shots there at the end of the game and get us organized. I was really proud to see C.J. going out there after the first half and keep us in striking distance and then had that stretch in the second half where we kind of went to him on five, six, seven straight possessions and it paid off, not only with the shot but getting him to the rim. I thought he had patience in there to get some shots at the basket but CJ coming off and he’s been shooting like that in practice and just a matter of time before he had a game like this where he was knocking down shot. On Jamarques, he’s growing and he’s playing a position to his credit that he’s never really played before and he’s learning on the fly so big win for our team. We’ll have a lot of things we can learn from this game but it’s always better to learn from a win.”&nbsp;Junior Guard C.J. WilcherOn the absence of Rienk Mast“It’s definitely on the boards for sure. Rienk is just a sound guy, even if his shot isn’t going. If he’s not necessarily scoring the ball he’s going to make plays for other guys. He’s going to get other guys involved. He’s just a great screener too so he gets guys open, so we definitely missed his presence today.”On overcoming Rienk’s absence“I think it’s just next man up mentality. It’s the game of basketball, people get hurt, people may have rough nights. Everybody is gonna get an opportunity at some point and time, you just have to be ready to take advantage of those opportunities when they present themselves.”&nbsp;On Josiah Allick stepping up tonight&nbsp;“That’s Jo. Jo has been doing that all year, playing hard, super hard-nosed guy. He just came back from twisting his ankle so he’s getting his feet back under him, and like you said he stepped up today in a big way.”Sophomore Guard Jamarques LawrenceOn changing back to a scorers’ mentality late in the game“That’s what I’m trying to do with this new role, it’s just day-by-day with me, and I&nbsp;just tell myself to be more aggressive. I can make plays out of it too. I just gotta be more aggressive.”On how the team feels about where they’re at going into the break“We’re in a pretty solid place right now, we’re happy. I think we just get a lot better, focusing on our principles, I think we can get better defensively with our principles and stuff like that.”North Dakota Head Coach Paul Sather:&nbsp;Opening Statement&nbsp;“I think that second half, they made that run. I just felt you know, in the confidence aspect we stopped kind of the movement and the pace offensively and our offense is now affecting us. Defensively and rebounding that's kind of what it felt like. Right now we're sad because we're not making the offense. It is what it was in the first and how we're coming down and we're not rebounding the way we should've we don't play with that same energy and you know. I told our guys this that I'm not sitting here satisfied that we were close to beating Nebraska. I mean, we gave it to them. We let them, we let them take it from us. A lot of it dealt with just that they were tougher. They got some second shots where they knew they got points off turnovers and those are areas in that second half where they really built an advantage on us. We had a good one in the first half in those areas, but they really came back and built an advantage in those areas.”On the competitive feeling in the locker room“Yeah, they need to be. If they don't feel that way, then there's something wrong and I said man, if you don't feel that way then take an extended break. I'm not that way because I thought our guys aren't that way, like they feel that way. I don't worry about them feeling that way. But this is what I truly believe, and I think the guys believe that too. But if you don't, I mean just take an extended break. I mean every day you should be anxious and excited about getting back. Enjoy being home, enjoy Christmas, but if you're not anxious and excited about getting back knowing what we can become then there's a problem. Let's be excited about this team or what we can become because right now there's a lot of growth that we're gonna continue to make.”

Nebraska game notes versus North Dakota

Opening Statement:&nbsp;“I had just a couple of people to thank, so if you’ll bear with me, I think it’s very important. Today, for me at least, is always a day of gratitude. It starts with all of the young men who have made the decision to sign with us, both the guys who have signed scholarships and the guys who are coming as walk-ons. Julie and I, as two parents, have a son finishing his senior year in Charlotte, who has decided to come to Nebraska and be a freshman next year. This signing class for us probably means more than it ever has. We understand that when you’re going through this process, knowing that they’re in a safe place with good people, it matters so much. Very grateful to the parents, guardians, highschool coaches, mentors, everyone who have led these young men to these decisions. And I’m grateful for all the players, that they’ve entrusted their future to us. I believe they’ve all come here for the right reasons, and I’m excited to be a part of their future. I’m grateful to our staff. Obviously, you guys see the 10 full-time coaches that go on the road, but we have an army of people who evaluate and help make this process run. Everything from making sure business expenses get done to getting flights on time to identifying the best players. When people come to see us, I think they walk away feeling like there’s a cohesive vision, that there’s sort of a family feel here, and that’s because we all do believe in the same things. So I’m very grateful to our coaches and our staff, and especially their families. This is hard, there’s a lot of time that’s put into this, and our coaches and staff, their families do a lot. Very grateful to Trev (Alberts) and our entire administration. You can’t recruit at this level without an investment and the belief that it’s going to pay off. Very grateful for the way they’ve laid this out for us, where we can be successful. A lot of people in Lincoln, lots of vendors, lots of hotels, they go out of their way to make sure that we have an unbelievable process. I think one of the crown jewels, one of the key recruiters for us is the city of Lincoln. I think when people come here they’re blown away. We could put them at the Kindler Hotel, or show them the Scarlet Hotel, we can take them to eat at J.T.K, or Casa Bovina, or all of the other places we utilize. To me it makes coming to Nebraska that much more real, so I’m grateful. Our fans. As we all know, our fanbase is second to none. It’s something that I think our families feel. It’s hard to send your kid from Florida to Nebraska. It’s hard to send your kid from all across the country. One of the major questions I get is ‘Coach, how is my son going to be treated here?’ When people come on visits and when they get to the airport, or when they walk into a game, they feel so welcome. They feel so welcome for the right reasons. It makes it that much easier to send their kids here, and I’m unbelievably, unbelievably grateful. I want to thank a lot of former players. Too many to name, but just the way that they’ve reached out and sent name in. I’m just really proud of the fact that there’s six players who are legacies. Really proud of the fact that we have one player whose brother is on the team. One player in Eric Ingwerson whose uncle played here, and the fact that Nebraska means that much to them, and that they believe in what we’re doing, that they want to send their sons here. I want to thank Coach Osborne. One of our best recruiters. Put someone in a room with Coach Osborne and give me the credit, I’ll take that all day, but it’s really Coach (Osborne). I want to thank Governor (Jim) Pillen. It’s not very often that the Governor is willing to, not recruit, but build relationships, and tell people what life is really like here, so very grateful to him. Some specific former players that have really gone out of their way; Abdul Mohammad has really laid the groundwork for us as we want to recruit this state. Really proud of the fact that we have eight scholarship kids from Nebraska for the second year in a row. Want to thank Vershan Jackson and Steve Warren, Damon Benning, and others. Without them, I wouldn’t have some of the names that I’ve got, and I’m really grateful for that. I want to thank Tommie Frazier and Eric Crouch. Being willing to come on campus and meet with players. Jay Foreman, Doak Ostergard, those guys have gone way out of their way. Many others have done a lot but I want to make sure I thank them. And then finally, I think having this type of signing class is indicative of what’s happening in our athletic department. When your women’s soccer team is Big Ten champs, you see what the basketball team is doing, it might not seem like a lot, but when you’re trying to find things to talk about with guys, you can say ‘Hey, did you see us beat Michigan State?’, or taking Dylan Raiola and going to watch Jaz (Shelley) score 25 on Sunday. Those things matter. On a personal note, I want to thank Coach Cook and our women's volleyball team. What they did this year was awesome, and for Coach Cook to do that with such a young team, I know it’s brought my family and me closer. I had Baker Mayfield call me from Tampa, and he was like ‘Hey, I’m going to the game on Thursday, bro’. There’s people from all across the country talking about our women’s volleyball team, and to do it so young. I loved what Harper (Murray) said after the game. We took the staff yesterday to see Day By Day. I wasn’t there, Trev (Alberts) can maybe talk about it more than I can, but I don’t know that if ‘94 and ‘95 don’t happen if ‘92 and ‘93 doesn’t. I don’t know that ‘97 doesn’t happen if it’s not for ‘96.I just love being a part of this level of excellence in so many areas of our athletic department. I think it’s part of why you look across the country and people are getting so excited about Nebraska football. Finally, I have to thank 1890. They have backed these athletes, they have backed these players. For us to sit here, I know you’re going to ask me about the transfer portal. We have our own portal. We got Bryce Benhart out of that portal. We got Ben Scott out of that portal. Giff (Isaac Gifford) deciding to come back, even though he’s probably going to get drafted. Ty Robinson, passing on the chance to get drafted to come back. That’s unbelievable. John Bullock coming back. I’m just very grateful for the experience these guys are having, whether it’s Dennis (LeBlanc) or Keith Zimmer in life skills. Also, the way our student athletes have been supported by the Peed family (Tom and Shawn Peed), by Matt Davison, by all the people who have donated. Thank you so much, because this is the modern world of athletics. We are being supported by an organization that’s run the right way and doing things the right way. That comes across to us each and every time we talk to a student-athlete. And finally, our players. Our players are our best recruiters. When they tell recruits what it’s like here, recruits listen. The feedback has been excellent. I think you guys have seen that by the lack of guys going into the transfer portal. People are excited about being part of this program, and that’s why we’ve been able to sign so many guys. I know that was long, but I am extremely grateful for them. I know you guys have a lot of questions, so I’m happy to answer them.”

On the path of Dylan Raiola and possible transfer QBs:&nbsp;“I’m always going to explore everything, but at the end of the day, as I said to you guys, I was never really interested in one-year quarterbacks. I believe in doing due diligence. I don’t believe in just making statements. I always look at those, but it’s really important to me that Chubba (Purdy) and Heinrich (Haarberg) have earned the chance to go compete in the spring without someone coming in that’s a year ahead of them. That was first and foremost. We looked at some things, but didn’t make any offers to anybody. I just wanted to stay true to that message that we had from the end of the year. Daniel Kaelin has been loyal to us from the very beginning. We believe in Daniel, we believe in his skill set, his processing, how quickly he sees it. I love the fact that even this past weekend, he had an opportunity. He just wants to compete and be a Husker. As I sat there and watched that show yesterday and they talked about Tommie Frazier and Brook Berringer, just ‘hey, I want to be here and I want to compete.’ I appreciate that about him. Dylan called last Sunday and said, ‘hey, Coach, my heart is telling me to come to Nebraska. Can I come take another look?’ I challenged him, like ‘hey, make sure you’re serious about this. I don’t want this to be something that isn’t right for you,’ and he said ‘my life has greater purpose than just being the top recruit. I know what Nebraska means to my family, I know what it’s meant to me and I’d like to come there.’ I think in the end, to have a player of Dylan’s caliber, not of his recruiting, but of his caliber. His arm talent, his ability to see the field, but probably more than anything, his work ethic and how much he cares about the game. We obviously took that. I feel great about our quarterback room, we have four players that we believe in. With the young players, with the two freshmen, I think it’s really important that they follow the right trajectory. It’s not about coming in and scripting success. It’s about teaching them to play quarterback the way we want our quarterbacks to play. That’s why I didn’t want a quick fix. I want to build this thing with guys who have been in the program, who learn our way of thinking, our way of seeing the field, our way of viewing defenses, our way of calling protections, our way of training. I think as we move forward, everything will be earned and nothing will be given. It will be great competition. It’ll be great learning and great development. We have some pretty special players in that room.”

On the QB coaching staff: “Yeah, I'm not talking about that today. With all that diversity, today is all about the recruits. When I'm back, if there's anything to talk about it I will but today is about them.”&nbsp;

On how Dylan Raiola changes what the offense is able to do:&nbsp;“You know I think that’s a great question because we would love to be a very diverse offense like the 49ers but somewhat translated to college. When you get players like Carter (Nelson), the ability to stretch the field and throw the ball, we want accuracy, we want guys who are going to protect the football. We love guys who can move, but also the ability to push the ball down the field and throw the ball 55-60 yards down the field at times and be accurate is something that helps those types of offenses. I think after spending a year in the Big Ten and in the weather that we play in, having big quarterbacks with big hands who can spin the ball is vital, and so I think Dylan certainly gives us that. Seeing the throws he was throwing this year in high school, a lot of the same throws that were gonna ask him to throw, he was able to throw them at a really high level. I had the chance to see him throw live last year. He’s got so much arm talent and not many people have that, but again this game comes down to way more than just arm talent. To us, it’s just about how you teach things with process so that he can play fast and free. It’s the same thing we’ll do with Daniel (Kaelin) and continue to do with Heinrich (Haarberg) and Chubba (Purdy).”

On Dylan Raiola ‘tangible wise’: “Well, you know it’s hard for me to sit here and talk very much about a lot of these guys when I’ve met them three or four times. So a lot of it is second hand, what I will say is anytime in my past that I’ve had a chance to take a quarterback or a player whose dad played, usually they’ve grown up in a house where dad’s been harder on them than they have. When I was in the NFL we drafted Jaycee Horn. Talking about a first round pick, his dad Joe Horn was one of the great players to play the game. He probably grew up after every game being told, ‘yeah you did that great, but.’ So, I think that Dylan probably has a lot of intangibles that I haven’t met yet. What I’ve loved about Dylan is he loves football, he loves to talk football, he’s unbelievably kind. You watch him at the basketball game the other day, he’s taking pictures with kids, and not in a selfish way, but in a caring way. It’s the same intangibles I see with a lot of the guys we have. We want to recruit really good people who love football. This is not a ‘what’s in it for me’ type place. You’ve got to come here wanting to be great at football, wanting to be great in the community and wanting to be great in school. Your parents have to want that, you have to want that. I see all that from Dylan. To me it’s the beginning of a journey, this is not the end, this is the very very beginning and that’s my message to all the players. This is not a culmination, this is the start of something, so just take it day by day.”

On managing the quarterback position last week: “Yeah, I think we tried to be as honest as possible. As things come you’re talking in real time. I’m never going to apologize for bringing in good players. I’m never going to apologize for bringing in good competition. We live in a day in age where everyone is trying to find the best situation. I think you should try to find the place where you can get developed the best because no one knows how things are going to work out. So, as long as I’m not taking away your scholarship, I’m not going to apologize to you if I’m bringing someone else in. And I want players who want that, like, ‘I want to be the best, so I have to probably play with the best and compete against the best.’ That’s why I respect Daniel (Kaelin) so much for the decision he made. Obviously the thing with Dylan happened, and it was really honest and transparent. In terms of transfer players and things like that, sometimes you have to have difficult conversations. Sometimes the narrative out there is different than what is actually happening, and that can be difficult. None of these young men ran from competition, no one said, ‘I don’t want to go there.’ Some people were asking me that, and I felt bad about it. Really, at the end of the day, we made a decision, we’re going to go young, we’re going to go with the guys we have and the two freshmen, and build. I don’t mind disappointing people, I hate it, but I don’t want anyone ever to say I lied to you. I try to be honest and say ‘here’s how we see it.’ Sometimes people disagree with it. It’s hard at Quarterback because only one can play. There’s going to be a lot of quarterbacks that went in the portal that don’t find places to go. I always say, ‘go somewhere where you’re being developed. Go somewhere where you’re growing as a quarterback, growing as a person.’ Eventually, things happen, you’ll have your chance to get on the field, and when you get on the field, crush it. We played three quarterbacks this year. Odds would say that most teams would probably play one or two moving forward.”

On if he stayed connected with Dylan Raiola: “Once Dylan committed to Georgia, I didn’t recruit him anymore. I still talked to him, they came to the Michigan game, hugged him, ‘good to see you, how’s things going?’ I don’t really recruit guys after they commit somewhere very often. I won’t say not always, but I think in that decision, it was like go ahead, I appreciate it. Obviously he has a unique perspective in that his uncle is on staff. So, in recruiting everyone is the same way everyday. This year we started off 0-2, you got to see us what we were like at 0-2, then we won three in a row – ‘what are they like after they won three in a row.’ Kind of yoyo the season. Probably found out a little bit more about us from his uncle, ‘what are they like when things are going good, when things aren’t going well.’ Again that’s why I point to the guys that want to come back and play their sixth year, doesn’t happen everywhere. But yeah, in terms of the relationship, he’d shoot me a text, ‘hey, good win coach,’ or something like that. But I’m really respectful of Georgia and Coach Smart’s program. To me, this wasn’t about Georgia, this was about a kid who grew up a Husker fan that his heart wanted to come back and be a Husker.”&nbsp;On Grant Brix:“When I first got here, Donovan (Raiola) told me ‘hey, there’s this guy that came to our camp last year, he’s really special.’ I love, besides the person and the person that he is and the family, I love his versatility. I’ve seen him wrestle, I’ve seen him play in the band, I’ve seen him play football. He can do a little bit of everything. I love his hat speed. There’s a lot of big offensive lineman, there’s not many that are as explosive and athletic as Grant is. I’ve really enjoyed my relationship with him and his family. Again, it’s about an hour and fifteen, an hour and twenty from his house to here. There’s a lot of really great players in this area. The ability to have him want to come here and join us, despite all the offers that he had, was big for us. Again, we want to grow the offensive line the same way. We want to grow it the hard way – through recruiting, through development. He has a lot of talent that, if developed properly, we think could be an awesome player.”

On competing for the quarterback starting spot: “Everybody does, yeah. We’re a team that started multiple non-scholarship players last year. Competition is king. Nothing is handed to anybody. Nothing is handed to anybody.”

On his approach with the transfer portal: “I think because as we retained our guys and guys came back, that affected that. If Bryce Benhart and Ben Scott, two honorable-mention All-Big Ten players, went in the portal right now, they would be getting top everything. People would be fighting for them. So, when they wanted to come back, it alleviated some of the ‘hey, let’s go find an older player.’ Obviously, we visited one or two guys. The portal is still open so things could change, but Blye (Hill) was a unique deal to us. We really saw that 6’3” corner that can run. His dad is an NFL player, mom is a great athlete. We think he has years to develop in our system and can be a really good player. We’ll recruit a couple more guys for sure, but a lot of it is just our numbers. We’ve recruited a lot of high school kids the last two years. That was important to me, to have a strong base of high school players, not knowing how many we would lose. Well, we really haven’t lost many guys. This will be a smaller class this year, this next high school recruiting class. Again, I’m not against the portal at all. When everyone comes here, I want them coming here for the right reasons and to fill a role and have a vision. We have a vision for Blye. We might have one for one or two other ones as we move forward.”

On recruiting in Miami: “I think, obviously, Coop (Evan Cooper) is the one that goes down. Evan is an excellent recruiter and he’s from Miami. People know him. Phil Simpson – Phil played for me 100 years ago and was a really successful high school coach in Miami, so as we go down into Dade county, their experience here speaks volumes to people. When they speak, people listen and the guys on our team, when they come up and see Dwight Bootle or are talking to those guys and they’re having a good experience – those guys that flipped today, they came in last weekend and it was 26 degrees. There’s no tricks, there’s no gimmicks. I said ‘hey, walk around. This is what it feels like.’ They recognize real and they recognize what’s transparent and they’re coming for the right reasons. That was a big day for us today, to get a player of Willis McGahee’s talent and ability level and the way his brain works and an unbelievable family. To get Amare (Sanders), to get Larry (Tarver), to have Vincent (Shavers) just kind of flip over now, those things are all really big things for us.”&nbsp;

On recruiting in-state: “People have been unbelievable since the day we got here. We go to a clinic, people are there. I think the high school football here is really, really strong. You think about it, we go on national shows and they’re like ‘well, you signed eight guys.’ Notre Dame signed a player out of here, Illinois signed a player out of here, so it’s not like we got every one. There’s 10, 11, 12 Division I players here. What I would say was really special about us this year was, because of our camps, we have a lot of guys that we think are scholarship-worthy players that came in as non-scholarship players. They turned down Division I offers to come here. I think the high school coaches have been great. Hopefully our camps will continue to catch on. A lot of players thought you had to be invited to camp. No, we want everybody. I want, by the time you’re a senior, for you to come to my camps since you were in sixth grade. You know me and I know you. This has been your dream. That’s kind of my goal. As we go around the state, you brought up Ainsworth. I’ve been there three times. We had the time of our lives on Saturday in Ainsworth, just unbelievable people. We went to the high school football game, the playoff game a month ago. Unbelievable people. It’s when you go to those towns and you meet those people and those little kids come up to you and you’re not sure what they’re going to say to you – a kid walks up and says ‘I’m glad you ran a fake punt for once.’ I say ‘thanks, bro.’ You just realize – I say this a lot – we have such a responsibility to produce a winner because people are really counting on it. Going back into those towns and those people reciprocating the feelling and welcoming us, is awesome and it makes recruiting in Nebraska a lot of fun.”

On Carter Nelson:&nbsp;“When I talk about that, kind of that model that San Francisco type model, the college version of that. Guys like Carter (Nelson) are imperative, unique, position-less players. You go watch him play, he’s playing quarterback. He’s playing tailback. He’s a wideout, He’s playing tight end. I told him we’re going to hand him the ball like Walter Peyton on fourth and one and let him dive over the top. I said that’s our goal for him, a position-less player and we signed Jacory Barney Jr.. Jacory plays wideout and then all of a sudden he’s playing quarterback for his team. You have a bunch of guys that can do things with the ball and watch how the offense comes alive. We’re kind of a position-less defense, we’d like to be a position-less offense. I think Carter has all the talent in the world and I think it’s really cool that someone from Nebraska can go anywhere in the country. He could’ve flipped anywhere and they would’ve taken him, and he wants to come here. I think it sends a great message.”&nbsp;

On Bryant Rhule coming to Nebraska: “My son? The best part is, I can’t even say it, my wife I’ll get in trouble. I’m very fired up the have Bryant on board. We tried to get him into South Dakota State, Lawrence, some great schools, Wayne State. I wanted him to go live his own journey, but that summer in Selleck dorm, that month in Selleck, pranking coaches with Malachi (Coleman) and those guys he was locked, he was in.”&nbsp;

On former football players sending their sons here: “What’s really interesting is that none of them were overly involved. You’re talking to Dom Raiola, you’re talking to Damon Benning, you’re talking to Neil Smith, guys you did a ton of stuff here. They’re not overbearing, it’s about their kids and I think it’s why their kids are happy and successful and going to have a lot of success and so they all earned it, some of them came to camp. Kamdyn (Koch) came to camp and punted in front of us. I didn’t put the connection together at the time, Ed (Foley) had. We said, ‘Hey we’d love to have him here.’ Quinn (Clark) is a unique story. His father has passed. I had been sent this tape. I want to say Vershan Jackson sent it to me and Damon Benning sent it to me and I get sent a lot of tapes and I was like, ‘Who is this big kid?’ and I was like ‘Man he’s a good player. He’ll have to come to camp though because I don’t really know what football’s like in Bozeman.’ So he comes to camp and he runs the 40 and he’s out there playing this and playing that and camp’s over and I say ‘Is your mom here?’ and his mom’s there and we offer him on the field. If there was any way to incorporate his father into it, maybe doing it in Memorial Stadium or on the field would have been some way to honor him so a lot of really cool things. The fact that they had such a good experience here and this place means so much to them and that they want their sons to be here, I think is important and also they see some good things in us as a coaching staff that we’re doing it the right way. Damon (Benning) has had a lot of a look into who we are and what we do. Obviously Caleb (Benning)’s mom Tanya played soccer here so when Mario Buford, when his parents say, ‘Yes we’re going to let him come here’ and here’s Marques (Buford Jr.) and he’s been through the adversity of a torn ACL and they want him to come play for us. That’s important to me because I think that speaks louder than anything else you can do in recruiting is how people who have been through the program feel.”

On recruiting in Texas: “We went down and did the summer camps in Texas. We found some players, I think a lot of people go to Texas and they think like, ‘airport recruit.’ They’ll fly to DFW and they’ll drive within 40 minutes and then they’ll go back to the airport, and they fly out. As much as we love Hudl here. Hudl hurts teams like us that want to outwork everybody, because now you can watch everyone’s film. Shoutout to them for changing the industry, but we still can go places people don’t want to go. We get to Houston and people stay, our coaches work in a different way. Coop (Evan Cooper), Omar (Hales) and those guys find Roger Gradney and we drive out to Rice Consolidated. Unbelievable program, great high school coach, great talent, here’s this young man that I believe will be a great player here. You go to camps and you see Braylen Prude is 6’ 4, gets up and on my watch he runs a 4.42 and you’re like ‘run that again,’ he runs it again. Part of it is finding the big name recruits that everyone knows. Part of it is working the camps and finding the guys that fit us, we’ll be there every year. We’re going to keep recruiting Florida. We’re going to keep recruiting Texas. We’re going to keep recruiting this area and try to be really consistent with it. If we can get five to six players a year from Texas, then all of a sudden you have 30 players from Texas on your team. We’ve all had a good experience.”&nbsp;

On NIL playing a role in recruiting: “I don’t know, I really don’t. I don’t have any NIL conversations with anybody, that’s other people. I legitimately don’t have those. I don’t want to be talking to you about that. If there’s ever a day where it’s done differently then I will, but it’s done the right way. Is it changing the landscape in recruiting? I've read some of the things people say, ‘more guys going different places,’ so maybe there’s some merit to that, but I don’t know that. A player can walk into my office that’s on our team and say, ‘hey coach I just got offered this amount of money,’ and trust me players have. Players have said on the first day, ‘coach this quarterback from this school called me and offered me this amount.’ And that player doesn’t even know if that’s real. In the NFL there were contracts and there were agents, no one knows what’s real and what’s not real. Thankfully our players are so loyal they all came and let us know and they’re all here. They all stayed, but I don't even know what’s real. People have called me and said it’s going to take this for this guy, some of those numbers are out there. The one thing in the NFL was if an agent told you, Sam McKewon, the Dolphins just offered me three years, $4.2 (million), and then you found out later he signed for less and he lied to you, you’d never deal with that agent again. So everyone is very very very straight up. Seems like a good deal, Sam. As I’ve said there’s just no system, so. With all that being said, I can’t really comment too much, I don’t have a great feel, I just know some of the high end guys are getting some big numbers. Some things aren’t as inflated as they say. I’m looking forward to the day this is all streamlined, so it’s got a bit more of a system to it.”&nbsp;

On describing the recruiting class: “I think that concept of a position-less player is really something that we tried to focus on. We took a lot of guys from our camps and we will continue to take guys from our camps that maybe might seem unrecruited, but we believe in our coaching ability. We believe in height, weight, speed, traits. When we look at a player, it might list him as a safety, but we think some day they might rush the passer. Or it might be him as a wideout, but we think someday they are going to do this. As long as we have players that believe in that process and get here and get with Corey (Campbell) and Christian (Ellsworth), our development and staff here I think can do wonders with players. I don’t sign a player unless I believe they have a chance of playing in the NFL. I look at them and ask if they have the height, weight and speed. So I think that leads some people to ask, ‘hey you signed seven DBs.’ I’m like, ‘yeah.’ I think he’ll play here and he’ll play here. Last year, we signed Jeremiah Charles as a wideout and we think he’d be an unbelievable corner. Sometimes they need to get here. I think a reemergence on the offensive line. We signed a couple guys that came to our camp that to me remind you of what a Nebraska offensive line should be, explosive, powerful, and as they get bigger, going to be really tough, hard-nosed players. And we just signed a couple tackles that we are excited about. It’s hard to find tackles nowadays.” &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

On addressing the running back position:&nbsp;“Yeah, we have four scholarship ones, and we have a couple who’ve walked on that we feel good about so we weren't gonna reach. We could always look in the portal if our numbers allowed us to, but we feel so good about Kwinten Ives. I loved what Emmett Johnson did this year. I think Emmett has a bright future ahead, three more years for us. We get Gabe (Ervin Jr.) back, we get Rahmir (Johnson) back, again we talk a lot about Kwinten, but we like the room. We always look and talk to some other guys but the big thing is with next year's class is that you talk about ‘hey what positions are you gonna target as a staff’ and ya know, running backs should want to come here and play. We kind of revamped the way we play and we ran the ball well this year, so we'll go and try to find a tailback that will really help us in next year's class but if one comes along before then, let's do it.”

On injuries or departures: “We had the young men go in the portal. We had the three scholarship players go in the portal. Nick walked on senior day, right? In terms of scholarship players, Ethan Piper, Garrett Snodgrass, he’s not gonna play anymore, he’s gonna go do his Ag (Agriculture) masters. I think Ethan is just kind of taking it slow and waiting to see. I told him, he’s finishing his degree. He’s either gonna coach for us or play for us but he can’t do anything in the spring. He’s just gonna take his time on it, so i’m not sure where we’ll end up on it, but he’s kinda taking his time.”&nbsp;

On if there’s anyone outside of Ethan Piper and Garrett Snodgrass:&nbsp;“Eric Fields is no longer with us. Eric Fields went home. He’s just home.”

On talking to recruits right before they sign: “As the players sign or sometimes right before, those guys hop on a Facetime and just welcome them to the family. Some guys were laying in bed, some guys were at school and then we also do a lot of 2025s today too. Let them know that, ‘Hey a year from now, this will be your day.’ I hope that today is a wonderful, wonderful moment in their lives and a day that they will remember, a day that their lives change. Where they had a chance to come to the University of Nebraska and earn an amazing degree and meet wonderful people, have great experiences and eventually win a championship and hopefully go get drafted someday. I always remind them that this is just the beginning. There is no linear path to greatness. There’s ups and downs and ups and downs. The key I've learned in life is that you want your highs to be higher than your previous highs and your lows to be higher than your previous lows. When young people understand that life kind of goes like this, you have a chance and they have a chance so I’m really grateful for this group. I think it’s a great group. I think the group we signed last year was awesome. A lot of them played and if this group is as good as last year’s group plus the guys we have coming back, I expect us to have a good team.”

Nebraska Football National Signing Day Press Conference 

Five members of the Chadron Sharks Swim Team competed in their last meet of 2023 at the Black Hills Gold Pentathlon in Spearfish, SD on December 16th. There were 180 swimmers from eleven teams at the meet, representing Buffalo, Gillette, and Newcastle, WY; Chadron and Scottsbluff, NE; and Sturgis, Rapid City, Pierre, Hot Springs, Deadwood/Lead, and Spearfish, SD.

The pentathlon challenges a swimmer’s all-around ability, requiring them to participate and accumulate points in 5 events – Freestyle, Breaststroke, Backstroke, Butterfly, and Individual Medley, with the top 5 total point leaders from each age group landing on the awards podium.

Fabiola Benitez-Socarras, age 11, swam against twenty-two 11–12-year-old girls and finished with an 18th place tie. She achieved personal best times in all events, shaving off a total of 50.72 seconds. 50 Meter Free – 54.79 (-2.30 seconds), 21st place; 50 Meter Breast – 1:01.19 (-4.01 seconds), 16th place; 50 Meter Back – 1:00.30 (-0.88 seconds), 21st place; 50 Meter Fly – 1:37.38 (-2.33 seconds), 22nd place; 100 Meter Individual Medley – 2:35.06 (-41.20 seconds), 22nd place.

Carter Peters, age 14, competed with fifteen 13–14-year-old boys, finishing just off the podium with a 6th place finish. He continues to take time off, a total of 27.74 seconds at this meet, and also achieved personal best times in every event. 100 Meter Free – 1:08.09 (-2.32 seconds), 4th place; 100 Meter Breast – 1:32.34 (-4.83 seconds), 6th place; 100 Meter Back – 1:23.81 (-6.39 seconds), 7th place; 100 Meter Fly – 1:29.11 (-6.93 seconds), 8th place; and 200 Meter Individual Medley – 3:00.60 (-7.27 seconds), 8th place. He has qualified for State in the 50 and 100 Free.

The remaining three Sharks all competed in the 15 &amp; over girls category with fourteen swimmers.

Valeria Benitez-Socarras, age 15, swam 3 personal records, dropping 6.54 seconds this meet and placed 12th overall. 100 Meter Free – 1:23.52 (-2.36 seconds), 12th place; 100 Meter Breast – 1:52.34 (-2.28 seconds), 11th place; 100 Meter Back – 1:37.93 (-1.90 seconds), 11th place; 100 Meter Fly – 2:00.03, 12th place; 200 Meter Individual Medley – 3:46.97, 10th place. She has qualified for State in the 50 Free.

Raylie Pourier, age 16, placed 7th overall, swam 4 personal bests, took off 21.38 seconds through her events, and qualified for State in her second event. 100 Meter Free – 1:13.58, 8th place; 100 Meter Breast 1:37.79(-5.13 seconds), 7th place; 100 Meter Back – 1:28.76 (-2.32 seconds), 8th place; 100 Meter Fly – 1:27.53 (-5.30 seconds), 7th place; 200 Meter Individual Medley – 3:14.79 (-8.63 seconds), 8th place. She has now qualified for State in the 50 and 100 Free.

Kenzie Pourier, age 17, placed 10th in the age group. 100 Meter Free – 1:25.01, 13th place; 100 Meter Breast – 1:57.40, 13th place; 100 Meter Back – 1:36.03, 9th place; 100 Meter Fly – 1:49.82, 11th place; 200 Meter Individual Medley – 3:42.03, 9th place.

The next out-of-town meet for the Sharks will be January 6-7, 2024 in Deadwood, SD. The team will be hosting their meet, the Chadron’s New Year’s Splash at the Chadron Aquatic Center January 13-14, 2024, and invites the community to come out and support the swimmers at their meet.

By Chadron SharksFive members of the Chadron Sharks Swim Team competed in their last meet of 2023 at the Black Hills Gold Pentathlon in Spearfish, SD on December 16th. There were 180 swimmers from eleven teams at the meet, representing Buffalo, Gillette, and Newcastle, WY; Chadron and Scottsbluff, NE; and Sturgis, Rapid City, Pierre, Hot Springs, Deadwood/Lead, and Spearfish, SD.The pentathlon challenges a swimmer’s all-around ability, requiring them to participate and accumulate points in 5 events – Freestyle, Breaststroke, Backstroke, Butterfly, and Individual Medley, with the top 5 total point leaders from each age group landing on the awards podium.Fabiola Benitez-Socarras, age 11, swam against twenty-two 11–12-year-old girls and finished with an 18th place tie. She achieved personal best times in all events, shaving off a total of 50.72 seconds. 50 Meter Free – 54.79 (-2.30 seconds), 21st place; 50 Meter Breast – 1:01.19 (-4.01 seconds), 16th place; 50 Meter Back – 1:00.30 (-0.88 seconds), 21st place; 50 Meter Fly – 1:37.38 (-2.33 seconds), 22nd place; 100 Meter Individual Medley – 2:35.06 (-41.20 seconds), 22nd place.Carter Peters, age 14, competed with fifteen 13–14-year-old boys, finishing just off the podium with a 6th place finish. He continues to take time off, a total of 27.74 seconds at this meet, and also achieved personal best times in every event. 100 Meter Free – 1:08.09 (-2.32 seconds), 4th place; 100 Meter Breast – 1:32.34 (-4.83 seconds), 6th place; 100 Meter Back – 1:23.81 (-6.39 seconds), 7th place; 100 Meter Fly – 1:29.11 (-6.93 seconds), 8th place; and 200 Meter Individual Medley – 3:00.60 (-7.27 seconds), 8th place. He has qualified for State in the 50 and 100 Free.The remaining three Sharks all competed in the 15 &amp; over girls category with fourteen swimmers.Valeria Benitez-Socarras, age 15, swam 3 personal records, dropping 6.54 seconds this meet and placed 12th overall. 100 Meter Free – 1:23.52 (-2.36 seconds), 12th place; 100 Meter Breast – 1:52.34 (-2.28 seconds), 11th place; 100 Meter Back – 1:37.93 (-1.90 seconds), 11th place; 100 Meter Fly – 2:00.03, 12th place; 200 Meter Individual Medley – 3:46.97, 10th place. She has qualified for State in the 50 Free.Raylie Pourier, age 16, placed 7th overall, swam 4 personal bests, took off 21.38 seconds through her events, and qualified for State in her second event. 100 Meter Free – 1:13.58, 8th place; 100 Meter Breast 1:37.79(-5.13 seconds), 7th place; 100 Meter Back – 1:28.76 (-2.32 seconds), 8th place; 100 Meter Fly – 1:27.53 (-5.30 seconds), 7th place; 200 Meter Individual Medley – 3:14.79 (-8.63 seconds), 8th place. She has now qualified for State in the 50 and 100 Free.Kenzie Pourier, age 17, placed 10th in the age group. 100 Meter Free – 1:25.01, 13th place; 100 Meter Breast – 1:57.40, 13th place; 100 Meter Back – 1:36.03, 9th place; 100 Meter Fly – 1:49.82, 11th place; 200 Meter Individual Medley – 3:42.03, 9th place.The next out-of-town meet for the Sharks will be January 6-7, 2024 in Deadwood, SD. The team will be hosting their meet, the Chadron’s New Year’s Splash at the Chadron Aquatic Center January 13-14, 2024, and invites the community to come out and support the swimmers at their meet.

Chadron Sharks Swim team has success at Black Hills Meet

Quarterback Dylan Raiola, one of the top high school football recruits in the country, announced Monday he will sign with Nebraska after months of being a verbal commitment to Georgia.

Raiola, whose father played for Nebraska and uncle is a current assistant coach, made his announcement with a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/RaiolaDylan/status/1736881334641918211?s=20" target="_blank">poem posted to social media.</a>

“No longer a cog in some powerhouse machine, But a quarterback, with an even grander ambition unseen,” Raiola wrote in his post.

The early signing period of high school recruits starts Wednesday, when Raiola and other recruits can make their college decisions official by signing a national letter of intent.

When Raiola signs, he will become one of the highest-rated recruits to ever join Nebraska. He has played high school football in Texas and Arizona before transferring to Georgia this year and playing at Buford High School, a traditional power northwest of Atlanta.

Nebraska is the third commitment for Raiola, who initially pledged to Ohio State in 2022 before switching to Georgia in May.

Raiola's father, Dominic, was a star offensive lineman for Nebraska in the late 1990s who started more than 200 NFL games with the Detroit Lions. Raiola's uncle, Donovan, is the current offensive line coach for Nebraska under head coach Matt Rhule.

Nebraska, a program that claims five national titles, has not even qualified for a bowl game since 2016.

The Cornhuskers went 5-7 last season, with one of the worst offenses in the country.

Nebraska ranked 129th in the country in passing offense.

By Associated PressQuarterback Dylan Raiola, one of the top high school football recruits in the country, announced Monday he will sign with Nebraska after months of being a verbal commitment to Georgia.Raiola, whose father played for Nebraska and uncle is a current assistant coach, made his announcement with a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/RaiolaDylan/status/1736881334641918211?s=20" target="_blank">poem posted to social media.</a>“No longer a cog in some powerhouse machine, But a quarterback, with an even grander ambition unseen,” Raiola wrote in his post.The early signing period of high school recruits starts Wednesday, when Raiola and other recruits can make their college decisions official by signing a national letter of intent.When Raiola signs, he will become one of the highest-rated recruits to ever join Nebraska. He has played high school football in Texas and Arizona before transferring to Georgia this year and playing at Buford High School, a traditional power northwest of Atlanta.Nebraska is the third commitment for Raiola, who initially pledged to Ohio State in 2022 before switching to Georgia in May.Raiola's father, Dominic, was a star offensive lineman for Nebraska in the late 1990s who started more than 200 NFL games with the Detroit Lions. Raiola's uncle, Donovan, is the current offensive line coach for Nebraska under head coach Matt Rhule.Nebraska, a program that claims five national titles, has not even qualified for a bowl game since 2016.The Cornhuskers went 5-7 last season, with one of the worst offenses in the country.Nebraska ranked 129th in the country in passing offense.

#1 quarterback recruit in 2024 class Raiola flips from Georgia to Huskers

Lincoln -&nbsp;No. 8 Nebraska wrestling used a pin and five wins by decision to defeat No. 14 South Dakota State, 21-17, at the Devaney Center in front of 2,401 fans on Saturday night.

In the first bout of the night, No. 8 Caleb Smith used a pair of reversals and two backpoints to secure a win at 125 over No. 18 Tanner Jordan. South Dakota State’s Jordan struck first with a takedown in the first period, but Smith answered with six straight points en route to the 6-4 victory.

At 133, Kyle Burwick fell to No. 13 Derrick Cardinal in a 6-1 decision. Cardinal managed a takedown in the first period and a reversal in the second. In the third, Burwick scored a point off an escape, but Cardinal took the riding time point to put the Jackrabbits on the board.

No. 6 Brock Hardy (141) sparked the Huskers, defeating Caleb Gross with a dominant first-period pin in 2:06, and NU took the 9-3 overall lead with seven matches to go.&nbsp;

Top-ranked Ridge Lovett continued the momentum at 149 with a 5-1 decision over Alek Martin. Lovett went up 4-1 in the first period with a takedown and a stalling call on Martin. SDSU’s Martin notched an escape in the first for his only score of the bout before Lovett was awarded another point in the final period for Martin stalling.&nbsp;

At 157, No. 3 Peyton Robb struck first with a takedown over No. 16 Cael Swensen in the first period. Robb continued with an escape, a stall point and the riding time point while keeping Swensen scoreless, earning a 6-0 decision.

No. 24 Antrell Taylor (165) and No. 31 Tanner Cook went scoreless in the first period. Taylor jumped out to a 4-0 advantage in the second with a takedown and escape. In the final two minutes, Cook managed an escape, but Taylor scored another takedown, good for the 7-1 decision.

With the 18-3 team advantage, Bubba Wilson fell in a hard-fought matchup with fourth-ranked Cade DeVos at 174. In the first period, DeVos tallied three points with an escape and Wilson escaped for a point. DeVos added an escape in the second period, while Wilson had one in the third, closing the bout with a 4-2 decision.

At 184, No. 4 Lenny Pinto brought the offense in an 8-2 decision over No. 23 Bennett Berge. An escape and takedown earned Pinto the early 4-0 lead, but Berge stayed in it, answering with a pair of escapes. Pinto scored four more points with a takedown and the riding-time point in the final two minutes.

Brandyn Van Tassell dropped the 197 bout to No. 6 Tanner Sloan in a technical fall at 4:14.

In the final bout of the night, Silas Allred fell to No. 15 Luke Rasmussen due to a medical forfeit.

Up next,&nbsp;the Huskers host Wyoming and Northern Iowa for a triangular on Saturday, Jan. 6. Action will be streamed on Big Ten Plus and will begin with a neutral dual between Wyoming and Northern Iowa at 12 p.m. (CT) before the Huskers wrestle the Cowboys and the Panthers after, with rolling starts.

#8 Nebraska 21, #14 South Dakota State 17

125: #8 Caleb Smith dec. #18 Tanner Jordan (SDSU) 6-4 (NEB 3, SDSU 0)

133:&nbsp; #13 Derrick Cardinal (SDSU) dec. Kyle Burwick 6-1 (NEB 3, SDSU 3)

141: #6 Brock Hardy pinned Caleb Gross (SDSU) (2:06) (NEB 9, SDSU 3)

149: #1 Ridge Lovett dec. Alek Martin (SDSU) 5-1 (NEB 12, SDSU 3)

157: #3 Peyton Robb dec. #16 Cael Swensen (SDSU) 6-0 (NEB 15, SDSU 3)

165: #24 Antrell Taylor dec. #31 Tanner Cook (SDSU) 7-1 (NEB 18, SDSU 3)

174: #4 Cade DeVos (SDSU) dec. Bubba Wilson 4-2 (NEB 18, SDSU 6)

184: #4 Lenny Pinto dec. #23 Bennett Berge (SDSU) 8-2 (NEB 21, SDSU 6)

197: #6 Tanner Sloan (SDSU) tech. fall Brandyn Van Tassell 17-0 (4:14) (NEB 21, SDSU 11)

HWT: #15 Luke Rasmussen (SDSU) medical forfeit Silas Allred (NEB 21, SDSU 17)

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsLincoln -&nbsp;No. 8 Nebraska wrestling used a pin and five wins by decision to defeat No. 14 South Dakota State, 21-17, at the Devaney Center in front of 2,401 fans on Saturday night.In the first bout of the night, No. 8 Caleb Smith used a pair of reversals and two backpoints to secure a win at 125 over No. 18 Tanner Jordan. South Dakota State’s Jordan struck first with a takedown in the first period, but Smith answered with six straight points en route to the 6-4 victory.At 133, Kyle Burwick fell to No. 13 Derrick Cardinal in a 6-1 decision. Cardinal managed a takedown in the first period and a reversal in the second. In the third, Burwick scored a point off an escape, but Cardinal took the riding time point to put the Jackrabbits on the board.No. 6 Brock Hardy (141) sparked the Huskers, defeating Caleb Gross with a dominant first-period pin in 2:06, and NU took the 9-3 overall lead with seven matches to go.&nbsp;Top-ranked Ridge Lovett continued the momentum at 149 with a 5-1 decision over Alek Martin. Lovett went up 4-1 in the first period with a takedown and a stalling call on Martin. SDSU’s Martin notched an escape in the first for his only score of the bout before Lovett was awarded another point in the final period for Martin stalling.&nbsp;At 157, No. 3 Peyton Robb struck first with a takedown over No. 16 Cael Swensen in the first period. Robb continued with an escape, a stall point and the riding time point while keeping Swensen scoreless, earning a 6-0 decision.No. 24 Antrell Taylor (165) and No. 31 Tanner Cook went scoreless in the first period. Taylor jumped out to a 4-0 advantage in the second with a takedown and escape. In the final two minutes, Cook managed an escape, but Taylor scored another takedown, good for the 7-1 decision.With the 18-3 team advantage, Bubba Wilson fell in a hard-fought matchup with fourth-ranked Cade DeVos at 174. In the first period, DeVos tallied three points with an escape and Wilson escaped for a point. DeVos added an escape in the second period, while Wilson had one in the third, closing the bout with a 4-2 decision.At 184, No. 4 Lenny Pinto brought the offense in an 8-2 decision over No. 23 Bennett Berge. An escape and takedown earned Pinto the early 4-0 lead, but Berge stayed in it, answering with a pair of escapes. Pinto scored four more points with a takedown and the riding-time point in the final two minutes.Brandyn Van Tassell dropped the 197 bout to No. 6 Tanner Sloan in a technical fall at 4:14.In the final bout of the night, Silas Allred fell to No. 15 Luke Rasmussen due to a medical forfeit.Up next,&nbsp;the Huskers host Wyoming and Northern Iowa for a triangular on Saturday, Jan. 6. Action will be streamed on Big Ten Plus and will begin with a neutral dual between Wyoming and Northern Iowa at 12 p.m. (CT) before the Huskers wrestle the Cowboys and the Panthers after, with rolling starts.#8 Nebraska 21, #14 South Dakota State 17125: #8 Caleb Smith dec. #18 Tanner Jordan (SDSU) 6-4 (NEB 3, SDSU 0)133:&nbsp; #13 Derrick Cardinal (SDSU) dec. Kyle Burwick 6-1 (NEB 3, SDSU 3)141: #6 Brock Hardy pinned Caleb Gross (SDSU) (2:06) (NEB 9, SDSU 3)149: #1 Ridge Lovett dec. Alek Martin (SDSU) 5-1 (NEB 12, SDSU 3)157: #3 Peyton Robb dec. #16 Cael Swensen (SDSU) 6-0 (NEB 15, SDSU 3)165: #24 Antrell Taylor dec. #31 Tanner Cook (SDSU) 7-1 (NEB 18, SDSU 3)174: #4 Cade DeVos (SDSU) dec. Bubba Wilson 4-2 (NEB 18, SDSU 6)184: #4 Lenny Pinto dec. #23 Bennett Berge (SDSU) 8-2 (NEB 21, SDSU 6)197: #6 Tanner Sloan (SDSU) tech. fall Brandyn Van Tassell 17-0 (4:14) (NEB 21, SDSU 11)HWT: #15 Luke Rasmussen (SDSU) medical forfeit Silas Allred (NEB 21, SDSU 17)

Huskers Top SDSU, 21-17 

Juwan Gary and Rienk Mast combined for 32 points and 30 rebounds, as Nebraska posted an impressive 62-46 road win over Kansas State Sunday afternoon.

Gary and Mast both posted double-doubles, as Nebraska (9-2) overcame a 34-31 halftime deficit by holding the Wildcats to just 12 second-half points on 16 percent shooting.

Gary had 13 of his career-high 18 rebounds in the second half, including eight offensive caroms after halftime, as Nebraska doubled up the Wildcats, 34-17, on the glass in the second half.

Gary finished with 13 points and 18 rebounds, while Mast tallied 19 points and 12 rebounds on his way to his fourth double of the season. Brice Williams also nearly posted a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds, as the Huskers were held to 35 percent shooting, but hit 11 3-pointers in the win.

The Huskers set the tone from the start in the final 20 minutes, as Gary had six points and five rebounds – all on the offensive glass - in an 11-4 spurt that put Nebraska up 42-38 after Sam Hoiberg’s 3-pointer with 15:49 remaining.

Kansas State pulled to within 42-40 after Macaleab Rich’s basket with 14:45 left but would get no closer.

The Huskers went on a 17-1 spurt over nearly a 10-minute span behind Mast, who scored six of his 19 points in the surge that gave NU a 59-41 lead after Keisei Tominaga’s 3-pointer with 5:34 left.

Nebraska’s defense was the story, as the Huskers held KSU to 46 points on just 27 percent shooting. The Wildcats (8-3) shot just 16 percent in the second half, including 0-of-12 from 3-point range, as the Huskers snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Wildcats and earned their first win in Manhattan since 2006

Cam Carter led Kansas State with 12 points, while Tylor Perry added 11 on just 3-of-11 shooting as the Wildcats were out-rebounded 57-40.

Nebraska battled in the first half as Kansas State took a 34-31 lead into the locker room. The Huskers shot just 35.3 percent but connected on seven 3-pointers and held Kansas State to 34.3 percent shooting in the opening 20 minutes.

Nebraska relied on the hot hand of Mast, who keyed a 14-2 Husker spurt with a trio of 3-pointers, as Nebraska built an early 14-7 lead. Mast had a team-high 11 points in the first stanza.

The Wildcats clawed right back into the contest with an 8-0 run to regain the lead at 15-14 on a basket from Darrin Ames Jr., but baskets from Mast and Williams gave the Huskers an 18-15 lead with 11:28 left in the half.

Nebraska eventually led 25-22 after a Tominaga 3-pointer with 5:56 left in the half, but the Wildcats would respond with in straight points to build a 31-25 lead after a Carter 3-pointer with 3:12 remaining. A Williams 3-pointer would snap the run and NU would keep it a 3-point game at the half after Tominaga’s second 3-pointer of the half made it a 34-31 game.

The Huskers return home to begin a three-game homestand against North Dakota this Wednesday evening. Tipoff time is 6:30 p.m. and tickets are available at Huskers.com/Tickets or calling 800-8-BIGRED.

Postgame Notes*-Nebraska improved to 9-2 on the season, matching the program’s best start since 2018-19

*-Nebraska snapped a seven-game losing streak to Kansas State and picked up its first win Manhattan since Jan. 11, 2006

*-The 46 points allowed by Nebraska was the lowest in Fred Hoiberg’s five season and the Huskers’ best defensive output since holding Southwest Minnesota State to 38 points on Dec. 29, 2018. It was NU’s lowest total allowed to a Division I program since holding Southeastern Louisiana to 36 points on Nov. 11, 2018. The Wildcats entered Sunday averaging 80.9 points per game.

*-Nebraska held Kansas State to 26.7 percent shooting, including 4-of-30 from 3-point range. &nbsp;In the second half, NU held Kansas State to 4-of-25 shooting, including 0-of-12 from 3-point range, while out-rebounding the Wildcats, 34-17 in the second half&nbsp;

*-Juwan Gary posted his second double-double of the season and fifth of his career with 13 points and a career-High 18 rebounds.&nbsp;

*-Gary finished with a career-high 18 rebounds, including 11 offensive rebounds. His previous career high with 11 on three previous occasions, most recently against Kansas State last season in Kansas City.&nbsp;

*-Gary’s 11 offensive boards matches/were the most by a Husker in the Big Ten era. Tanner Borchardt had 11 at Illinois on Feb. 2, 2019. His 18 rebounds is the most by any Husker since the 2019-20 season.&nbsp;

*-Rienk Mast posted fourth double-double of the season with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Mast tied a season high with three 3-pointers.&nbsp;

*-It was the second time this season that Nebraska has multiple players record double-doubles (also Oregon State).

*-Keisei Tominaga set career highs in both assist (four) and steals (five). His five steals are the most by any Husker this season.&nbsp;

By Shamus McKnight, NU AthleticsJuwan Gary and Rienk Mast combined for 32 points and 30 rebounds, as Nebraska posted an impressive 62-46 road win over Kansas State Sunday afternoon.Gary and Mast both posted double-doubles, as Nebraska (9-2) overcame a 34-31 halftime deficit by holding the Wildcats to just 12 second-half points on 16 percent shooting.Gary had 13 of his career-high 18 rebounds in the second half, including eight offensive caroms after halftime, as Nebraska doubled up the Wildcats, 34-17, on the glass in the second half.Gary finished with 13 points and 18 rebounds, while Mast tallied 19 points and 12 rebounds on his way to his fourth double of the season. Brice Williams also nearly posted a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds, as the Huskers were held to 35 percent shooting, but hit 11 3-pointers in the win.The Huskers set the tone from the start in the final 20 minutes, as Gary had six points and five rebounds – all on the offensive glass - in an 11-4 spurt that put Nebraska up 42-38 after Sam Hoiberg’s 3-pointer with 15:49 remaining.Kansas State pulled to within 42-40 after Macaleab Rich’s basket with 14:45 left but would get no closer.The Huskers went on a 17-1 spurt over nearly a 10-minute span behind Mast, who scored six of his 19 points in the surge that gave NU a 59-41 lead after Keisei Tominaga’s 3-pointer with 5:34 left.Nebraska’s defense was the story, as the Huskers held KSU to 46 points on just 27 percent shooting. The Wildcats (8-3) shot just 16 percent in the second half, including 0-of-12 from 3-point range, as the Huskers snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Wildcats and earned their first win in Manhattan since 2006Cam Carter led Kansas State with 12 points, while Tylor Perry added 11 on just 3-of-11 shooting as the Wildcats were out-rebounded 57-40.Nebraska battled in the first half as Kansas State took a 34-31 lead into the locker room. The Huskers shot just 35.3 percent but connected on seven 3-pointers and held Kansas State to 34.3 percent shooting in the opening 20 minutes.Nebraska relied on the hot hand of Mast, who keyed a 14-2 Husker spurt with a trio of 3-pointers, as Nebraska built an early 14-7 lead. Mast had a team-high 11 points in the first stanza.The Wildcats clawed right back into the contest with an 8-0 run to regain the lead at 15-14 on a basket from Darrin Ames Jr., but baskets from Mast and Williams gave the Huskers an 18-15 lead with 11:28 left in the half.Nebraska eventually led 25-22 after a Tominaga 3-pointer with 5:56 left in the half, but the Wildcats would respond with in straight points to build a 31-25 lead after a Carter 3-pointer with 3:12 remaining. A Williams 3-pointer would snap the run and NU would keep it a 3-point game at the half after Tominaga’s second 3-pointer of the half made it a 34-31 game.The Huskers return home to begin a three-game homestand against North Dakota this Wednesday evening. Tipoff time is 6:30 p.m. and tickets are available at Huskers.com/Tickets or calling 800-8-BIGRED.Postgame Notes*-Nebraska improved to 9-2 on the season, matching the program’s best start since 2018-19*-Nebraska snapped a seven-game losing streak to Kansas State and picked up its first win Manhattan since Jan. 11, 2006*-The 46 points allowed by Nebraska was the lowest in Fred Hoiberg’s five season and the Huskers’ best defensive output since holding Southwest Minnesota State to 38 points on Dec. 29, 2018. It was NU’s lowest total allowed to a Division I program since holding Southeastern Louisiana to 36 points on Nov. 11, 2018. The Wildcats entered Sunday averaging 80.9 points per game.*-Nebraska held Kansas State to 26.7 percent shooting, including 4-of-30 from 3-point range. &nbsp;In the second half, NU held Kansas State to 4-of-25 shooting, including 0-of-12 from 3-point range, while out-rebounding the Wildcats, 34-17 in the second half&nbsp;*-Juwan Gary posted his second double-double of the season and fifth of his career with 13 points and a career-High 18 rebounds.&nbsp;*-Gary finished with a career-high 18 rebounds, including 11 offensive rebounds. His previous career high with 11 on three previous occasions, most recently against Kansas State last season in Kansas City.&nbsp;*-Gary’s 11 offensive boards matches/were the most by a Husker in the Big Ten era. Tanner Borchardt had 11 at Illinois on Feb. 2, 2019. His 18 rebounds is the most by any Husker since the 2019-20 season.&nbsp;*-Rienk Mast posted fourth double-double of the season with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Mast tied a season high with three 3-pointers.&nbsp;*-It was the second time this season that Nebraska has multiple players record double-doubles (also Oregon State).*-Keisei Tominaga set career highs in both assist (four) and steals (five). His five steals are the most by any Husker this season.&nbsp;

Huskers MBB bullies Wildcats in road win

Lincoln&nbsp;- Junior Alexis Markowski scored a game-high 21 points and joined Nebraska's 1,000-point club as the Huskers cruised to a 76-51 victory over 2023 SWAC Champion Southern on Sunday at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Graduate guard Jaz Shelley contributed 15 points, five rebounds and five assists, while freshman Logan Nissley put up 14 points, including a game-high four three-pointers, as Nebraska improved to 9-2 on the year. Markowski and Shelley each scored 11 points in the first half, while Nissley contributed eight off the bench in the first 20 minutes as Nebraska surged to a 43-17 halftime lead.&nbsp;

The Big Red knocked down 9-of-14 three-pointers in the opening half, including seven in the second quarter alone, on its way to 12 three-pointers for the game. It marked the fifth consecutive game that the Huskers had hit 10 or more threes and sixth time in 11 games this season. Southern, which slipped to 1-8 on the year, hit just 1-of-11 threes on the afternoon.

Nebraska also produced a decisive 44-26 edge on the glass, led by nine rebounds from freshman&nbsp;Natalie Potts. Graduate guard Darian White added eight points, five rebounds and five assists in a solid effort, while Callin Hake also contributed eight points, three rebounds and three assists.

The Huskers opened the game with back-to-back 6-0 runs to take an early 12-2 lead, then pushed the margin to 19-6 at the end of the first quarter. Markowski scored all 11 of her first-half points in the opening quarter, including both of Nebraska's three-pointers in the period.&nbsp;

Nissley got Nebraska got in the second quarter with a three-pointer to open the period before Shelley hit a pair of threes around a Kendall Coley three from the corner to push the Huskers to a 31-9 lead with 5:07 left in the half. Hake and Shelley then hit two more threes to extend the margin to 37-14 before Nissley got NU's only two-point field goal of the quarter. She then closed the half with NU's seventh three of the quarter to send the Big Red to halftime with a 43-17 edge.

Nebraska bolted out of the locker room on an 8-2 surge to extend the margin to 32 points at 51-19, before taking a 60-35 lead to the fourth. Markowski opened the final period with five straight points, including a reverse layup with 9:18 left to reach 1,000 career points. She was fouled and completed the three-point play to put the Huskers back up by 30 at 65-35.&nbsp;

For the game, Nebraska hit 44 percent (22-50) of its shots from the field, including 12-of-27 threes (.444), while connecting on 74.1 percent (20-27) of its free throws. The Huskers held Southern to just 33.3 percent (18-54) shooting, including 9.1 percent (1-11) from long range. The Jaguars did hit 14-of-21 (.667) free throws, and won the turnover battle 23-19.

Tionna Lidge, who scored six consecutive points in the final five minutes for Southern, led the Jaguars with 10 points. Taylor Williams and Chloe Fleming each added eight points. All-SWAC guard Genovea Johnson made her first appearance of the season for the Jaguars, adding four points, while Aniya Gourdine made her Southern debut. Gourdine was an All-AAC Freshman Team selection in 2021-22 at Temple before transferring to Southern mid-season in 2022-23. She managed five points and three rebounds.

The Huskers hit the road to take on Kansas on Wednesday, Dec. 20. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. (CT) in Lawrence, Kan. with streaming available on ESPN+ and radio coverage provided by Huskers Radio Network.

By NU AthleticsLincoln&nbsp;- Junior Alexis Markowski scored a game-high 21 points and joined Nebraska's 1,000-point club as the Huskers cruised to a 76-51 victory over 2023 SWAC Champion Southern on Sunday at Pinnacle Bank Arena.Graduate guard Jaz Shelley contributed 15 points, five rebounds and five assists, while freshman Logan Nissley put up 14 points, including a game-high four three-pointers, as Nebraska improved to 9-2 on the year. Markowski and Shelley each scored 11 points in the first half, while Nissley contributed eight off the bench in the first 20 minutes as Nebraska surged to a 43-17 halftime lead.&nbsp;The Big Red knocked down 9-of-14 three-pointers in the opening half, including seven in the second quarter alone, on its way to 12 three-pointers for the game. It marked the fifth consecutive game that the Huskers had hit 10 or more threes and sixth time in 11 games this season. Southern, which slipped to 1-8 on the year, hit just 1-of-11 threes on the afternoon.Nebraska also produced a decisive 44-26 edge on the glass, led by nine rebounds from freshman&nbsp;Natalie Potts. Graduate guard Darian White added eight points, five rebounds and five assists in a solid effort, while Callin Hake also contributed eight points, three rebounds and three assists.The Huskers opened the game with back-to-back 6-0 runs to take an early 12-2 lead, then pushed the margin to 19-6 at the end of the first quarter. Markowski scored all 11 of her first-half points in the opening quarter, including both of Nebraska's three-pointers in the period.&nbsp;Nissley got Nebraska got in the second quarter with a three-pointer to open the period before Shelley hit a pair of threes around a Kendall Coley three from the corner to push the Huskers to a 31-9 lead with 5:07 left in the half. Hake and Shelley then hit two more threes to extend the margin to 37-14 before Nissley got NU's only two-point field goal of the quarter. She then closed the half with NU's seventh three of the quarter to send the Big Red to halftime with a 43-17 edge.Nebraska bolted out of the locker room on an 8-2 surge to extend the margin to 32 points at 51-19, before taking a 60-35 lead to the fourth. Markowski opened the final period with five straight points, including a reverse layup with 9:18 left to reach 1,000 career points. She was fouled and completed the three-point play to put the Huskers back up by 30 at 65-35.&nbsp;For the game, Nebraska hit 44 percent (22-50) of its shots from the field, including 12-of-27 threes (.444), while connecting on 74.1 percent (20-27) of its free throws. The Huskers held Southern to just 33.3 percent (18-54) shooting, including 9.1 percent (1-11) from long range. The Jaguars did hit 14-of-21 (.667) free throws, and won the turnover battle 23-19.Tionna Lidge, who scored six consecutive points in the final five minutes for Southern, led the Jaguars with 10 points. Taylor Williams and Chloe Fleming each added eight points. All-SWAC guard Genovea Johnson made her first appearance of the season for the Jaguars, adding four points, while Aniya Gourdine made her Southern debut. Gourdine was an All-AAC Freshman Team selection in 2021-22 at Temple before transferring to Southern mid-season in 2022-23. She managed five points and three rebounds.The Huskers hit the road to take on Kansas on Wednesday, Dec. 20. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. (CT) in Lawrence, Kan. with streaming available on ESPN+ and radio coverage provided by Huskers Radio Network.

 Markowski joins 1,00 point club in Husker victory

Girls results for Alliance (placed 7th)

115: Jayla Grant: 4th 120: Madyson DeHart-Harris: 6th 130: Aiva Raymer:&nbsp; 3rd 135: Pearl Mayhew: CHAMP 140: Hailey Rodman 3rd 235: Surenity Lewis 3rd 235: Aubree Splattstoesser 6th

Boys'&nbsp;results Alliance (Placed 3rd)

120: Trini Trejo 5th 126: Jackson Bailey (CHAMP) 132: Ben Cassett-Reina 3rd 132: Antonio Valdovinos 6th 138: Ryan Swanson 4th 144: Brendan Watt 6th 150: Tate Thompson 2nd 175: Matt Moomey 2nd 190: Lucas Weber: 4th

Saturday, 12/16/2023Girls results for Alliance (placed 7th)115: Jayla Grant: 4th 120: Madyson DeHart-Harris: 6th 130: Aiva Raymer:&nbsp; 3rd 135: Pearl Mayhew: CHAMP 140: Hailey Rodman 3rd 235: Surenity Lewis 3rd 235: Aubree Splattstoesser 6thBoys'&nbsp;results Alliance (Placed 3rd)120: Trini Trejo 5th 126: Jackson Bailey (CHAMP) 132: Ben Cassett-Reina 3rd 132: Antonio Valdovinos 6th 138: Ryan Swanson 4th 144: Brendan Watt 6th 150: Tate Thompson 2nd 175: Matt Moomey 2nd 190: Lucas Weber: 4th

Alliance has strong outing in girls and boys wrestling at Bridgeport

TAMPA, Fla.&nbsp;- The Nebraska volleyball team's quest for a sixth national championship came up short Sunday afternoon, as strong serving powered Texas to a 3-0 sweep in the NCAA Final at Amalie Arena in Tampa.

Texas had 12 aces in the match, the most by a Husker opponent in the rally-scoring era, which dates back to 2001. Nebraska struggled to pass against the Longhorns, which resulted in the Huskers recording season lows in kills (20) and hitting percentage (.013). Texas hit .264 in the match and had a 38-20 advantage in kills.&nbsp;

The Huskers (33-2) finished as the NCAA runner-up for the sixth time in program history, while Texas (28-4) won its second straight national championship and fourth overall.

Harper Murray led the Huskers with seven kills on 23 swings. Bekka Allick added three kills on seven attempts and led Nebraska with a .286 attack percentage and four blocks. Andi Jackson added four kills and three blocks. Lexi Rodriguez and Bergen Reilly had six digs apiece, while Reilly added 17 assists.

Madisen Skinner led Texas with 16 kills on 33 swings, while Asjia O'Neal had five service aces.

Set 1:&nbsp;The Longhorns jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but an ace by Murray and kill by Batenhorst helped the Huskers climb back to tie the score at 6-6. Jackson produced a pair of kills, and a tip by Murray gave the Huskers their first lead at 10-9. Allick set Murray for another kill to make it 11-9, but Texas answered with a 3-0 run to go back up 12-11. The Longhorns separated from a 14-14 tie with a 3-0 run to take a 17-14 lead. Texas pushed the lead to four, 20-16, but Reilly placed a kill to the back corner and Texas committed an attacking error to make it 20-18. The Longhorns led 22-19 before a block by Allick and Murray. A red card was then assessed to the Texas bench to give Nebraska a free point, and Murray served an ace to tie the score at 22-22. But the Longhorns scored the final three points with a block, a kill and an ace to win 25-22.&nbsp;

Set 2:&nbsp;Nebraska went ahead 10-7 after a 6-1 run. Jackson had a kill and two blocks in that stretch to spark the Big Red. But Texas took control of the set with an 11-0 run - including four straight aces by O'Neal - to grab an 18-10 lead. The Longhorns went on to win the set, 25-14.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Set 3:&nbsp;Texas bolted to a 7-3 lead, but a kill by Jackson and a block by Jackson and Reilly cut it to 7-5. But the Longhorns increased their lead to 15-10 at the media timeout. After the break, the Longhorns pulled away with three kills and a block to make it 19-10. Texas finished out the match, 25-11.&nbsp;

By NU AthleticsTAMPA, Fla.&nbsp;- The Nebraska volleyball team's quest for a sixth national championship came up short Sunday afternoon, as strong serving powered Texas to a 3-0 sweep in the NCAA Final at Amalie Arena in Tampa.Texas had 12 aces in the match, the most by a Husker opponent in the rally-scoring era, which dates back to 2001. Nebraska struggled to pass against the Longhorns, which resulted in the Huskers recording season lows in kills (20) and hitting percentage (.013). Texas hit .264 in the match and had a 38-20 advantage in kills.&nbsp;The Huskers (33-2) finished as the NCAA runner-up for the sixth time in program history, while Texas (28-4) won its second straight national championship and fourth overall.Harper Murray led the Huskers with seven kills on 23 swings. Bekka Allick added three kills on seven attempts and led Nebraska with a .286 attack percentage and four blocks. Andi Jackson added four kills and three blocks. Lexi Rodriguez and Bergen Reilly had six digs apiece, while Reilly added 17 assists.Madisen Skinner led Texas with 16 kills on 33 swings, while Asjia O'Neal had five service aces.Set 1:&nbsp;The Longhorns jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but an ace by Murray and kill by Batenhorst helped the Huskers climb back to tie the score at 6-6. Jackson produced a pair of kills, and a tip by Murray gave the Huskers their first lead at 10-9. Allick set Murray for another kill to make it 11-9, but Texas answered with a 3-0 run to go back up 12-11. The Longhorns separated from a 14-14 tie with a 3-0 run to take a 17-14 lead. Texas pushed the lead to four, 20-16, but Reilly placed a kill to the back corner and Texas committed an attacking error to make it 20-18. The Longhorns led 22-19 before a block by Allick and Murray. A red card was then assessed to the Texas bench to give Nebraska a free point, and Murray served an ace to tie the score at 22-22. But the Longhorns scored the final three points with a block, a kill and an ace to win 25-22.&nbsp;Set 2:&nbsp;Nebraska went ahead 10-7 after a 6-1 run. Jackson had a kill and two blocks in that stretch to spark the Big Red. But Texas took control of the set with an 11-0 run - including four straight aces by O'Neal - to grab an 18-10 lead. The Longhorns went on to win the set, 25-14.&nbsp;&nbsp;Set 3:&nbsp;Texas bolted to a 7-3 lead, but a kill by Jackson and a block by Jackson and Reilly cut it to 7-5. But the Longhorns increased their lead to 15-10 at the media timeout. After the break, the Longhorns pulled away with three kills and a block to make it 19-10. Texas finished out the match, 25-11.&nbsp;Nebraska Post-Match Notes<ul>
 <li>Nebraska finished as the NCAA runner-up for the sixth time in program history. The Huskers have a 5-6 record in the national championship match.</li><li>The Huskers lost to Texas in an NCAA Final for the first time. Nebraska had won the previous two national championship matches between the programs in 1995 and 2015.</li><li>NU ended its season with a 33-2 record. The Huskers’ .943 winning percentage ranked fourth in school history and was the highest since the 2006 season.</li><li>Nebraska fell to 130-37 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. The Huskers rank second in NCAA history in postseason wins and winning percentage (.778).</li><li>John Cook fell to 89-20 in the NCAA Tournament as Nebraska’s head coach. He dropped to 97-25 in his NCAA Tournament career. Cook ranks second all-time in career NCAA Tournament victories and NCAA Tournament wins at one school.</li><li>Texas had 12 service aces in the match, the most by any Husker opponent in the rally-scoring era (since 2001) and the first time a Nebraska opponent has had more than 10 aces in the rally-scoring era.</li><li>UT had seven aces in set two, which one shy of the most aces Nebraska had allowed in an entire match.</li><li>Nebraska hit .013 in the match, the lowest mark of the season for the Huskers. The previous low was a .130 attack percentage in a win against No. 1 Wisconsin on Oct. 21.</li><li>The Huskers’ 20 kills were a season low, nine fewer than Nebraska had against Omaha in the outdoor match at Memorial Stadium on Aug. 30.</li><li>Merritt Beason finished with 455 kills this season. That total ranked ninth at Nebraska in the rally-scoring era (since 2001). Beason is just the sixth Husker to have 450 kills in a season during the rally-scoring era.</li><li>Beason finished with 455 kills, 248 digs and 106 blocks. She is just the fourth Huskers in the rally-scoring era (since 2001) to have 400 kills, 200 digs and 100 blocks in a season and the first since Kadie Rolfzen in 2015.</li><li>Andi Jackson finished with a .399 attack percentage in her freshman season. That is the highest mark by a freshman in school history, eclipsing the previous record of .388 by Karen Dahlgren in 1983.</li><li>Jackson’s .399 attack percentage is the 10th-best all-time single-season mark at Nebraska and the seventh-best during the rally-scoring era (since 2001).</li>
 </ul>

Huskers finish as NCAA runner-up after loss to Texas

🏀 Friday's Prep Basketball Scoreboard

Crawford 49, Niobrara County (Lusk), WY 47

Gordon-Rushville 64, Bennett County, SD 27

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1607523775411.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>🏀 Friday's Prep Basketball ScoreboardBOYSGarden County 53, Bayard 17Hershey 54, Kimball 46Mitchell 51, Alliance 49Morrill 61, Edgemont, SD 18Ogallala 89, Gering 80Potter-Dix 55, Banner County 46South Platte 44, Wauneta-Palisade 40GIRLSAlliance 46, Mitchell 14Arthur County 55, Minatare 8Bayard 63, Garden County 16Crawford 49, Niobrara County (Lusk), WY 47Gordon-Rushville 64, Bennett County, SD 27Hershey 58, Kimball 27Morrill 53, Edgemont, SD 37Ogallala 50, Gering 39Potter-Dix 58, Banner County 20Sidney 55, Torrington, WY 39South Platte 59, Wauneta-Palisade 54

🏀 Friday's Prep Basketball Scoreboard

🏀 Thursday's Prep Basketball Scoreboard

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1629461621684.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>🏀 Thursday's Prep Basketball ScoreboardGIRLSCaliche, CO 56, Potter-Dix 35Hay Springs 60, Creek Valley 12Mitchell 45, Hemingford 22BOYSCaliche, CO 40, Potter-Dix 35Hay Springs 76, Creek Valley 41Mitchell 53, Hemingford 31

🏀 Thursday's Prep Basketball Scoreboard

TAMPA, Fla. -&nbsp;The No. 1 Nebraska volleyball team advanced to the program's 11th NCAA Final with an impressive sweep of fellow No. 1 seed Pittsburgh in an NCAA Semifinal match Thursday night at Amalie Arena in Tampa.

The Huskers trailed for only four rallies in the entire match. Nebraska lost four of the first seven rallies then won three straight points and never trailed again in a 25-20 win in the opening set. The Huskers did not trail in either set two or three, leading by as many as six in a 25-23 set two victory and by as many as 10 in a 25-17 win in set three to close out the match.

With the win, Nebraska (33-1) advanced to Sunday's NCAA Final where the Huskers will take on either Wisconsin or Texas in the 11th NCAA Final in program history. First serve is set for 2 p.m. on Sunday, and the match will be televised on ABC.

Nebraska hit .245 against Pitt on Thursday, which entered the match with the second-best opponent hitting percentage in the country behind NU. The Huskers limited the Panthers to a .137 attack percentage, which marked Pitt's second-lowest mark of the season and lowest since its season opener against BYU.&nbsp;

The Husker block was dominant, recording 15 stuffs. Bekka Allick had 10 blocks, her second straight match with double-digit blocks. Merritt Beason added five stuffs while Ally Batenhorst and Andi Jackson each had a hand in four blocks. Lexi Rodriguez led the floor defense with a match-high 10 digs.

Harper Murray shined in her NCAA Semifinal debut as the freshman had a match-high 13 kills on 33 swings. She hit .273 and had five digs and two blocks. Allick and Jackson combined for nine kills on 16 error-free swings out of the middle, while Beason and Batenhorst had eight kills apiece.&nbsp;

National Freshman of the Year Oliva Babcock led Pitt (29-5) with 12 kills and eight blocks while fellow freshman Torrey Stafford had 10 kills.

Set 1:&nbsp;Murray had two early kills as the Huskers claimed an 11-9 lead with suffocating defense, holding Pitt to -.056 at that point. Beason had a kill and a block with Allick to make the lead three, 13-10. After Pitt got within one, Beason tipped a kill and Batenhorst and Jackson posted NU's fifth block of the set for a 15-12 lead at the media timeout. The Panthers scored the next two points to cut it to one again, but a service error followed by a Batenhorst/Jackson block put the lead back at three, 17-14. A kill by Batenhorst and a Pittsburgh hitting error made it 19-15 Huskers. Murray tallied her fourth kill, and Allick sent a Pitt attack back to the floor for a 22-17 Husker advantage. Beason terminated for a fourth time, and Pitt hit wide for set point, 24-18. Pitt fought off two set points before the Huskers' eighth block ended the set, 25-20. Nebraska held Pitt to .000 hitting in the first set.&nbsp;

Set 2:&nbsp;Allick started the set for the Big Red with a kill and a block, and Batenhorst added a kill before another block by Beason and Allick made it 4-1. Pitt answered with a 3-0 run, but Beason and Batenhorst produced back-to-back kills for a 6-4 advantage. An ace by Beason and two kills by Jackson extended the lead to 11-6, and Allick's seventh block made it 13-7. NU remained up by six, 15-9, after a Murray kill, but Pitt scored the next three to get within 15-12. Murray, Batenhorst and Reilly put down kills to keep the Huskers in front, 20-15. Batenhorst fired her sixth kill to make it 21-16, but the Panthers got two kills and a Husker hitting error to cut it to 21-19. Murray then put the Huskers on her back with three kills to take NU to set point, 24-20. The Panthers answered with two kills and a block to cut it to 24-23, but a service error ended the set in NU's favor, 25-23.&nbsp;

Set 3:&nbsp;Allick was involved in two more blocks and had a kill as well as the Huskers went up 8-6. Back-to-back kills by Batenhorst started a 5-0 Husker run that made it 15-9. Batenhorst and Jackson also had a block in that stretch, and Beason tallied a kill that forced a Pittsburgh timeout. The timeout didn't slow the Huskers, as Rodriguez came out of it with an ace. After Pittsburgh sided out, Jackson came right back with a kill and Pittsburgh was out of rotation to give the Huskers a 17-10 advantage. Pittsburgh used its final timeout, but Beason served back-to-back aces to make it 19-10 Huskers. Kills by Jackson and Murray and a block by Murray and Allick before another kill by Murray had it at 23-13 Huskers. Murray's 13th kill earned match point, and after Pitt fended off three match points, the Big Red clinched the match when the Panthers were called for being int he net on the Huskers' fourth match point.

By NU AthleticsTAMPA, Fla. -&nbsp;The No. 1 Nebraska volleyball team advanced to the program's 11th NCAA Final with an impressive sweep of fellow No. 1 seed Pittsburgh in an NCAA Semifinal match Thursday night at Amalie Arena in Tampa.The Huskers trailed for only four rallies in the entire match. Nebraska lost four of the first seven rallies then won three straight points and never trailed again in a 25-20 win in the opening set. The Huskers did not trail in either set two or three, leading by as many as six in a 25-23 set two victory and by as many as 10 in a 25-17 win in set three to close out the match.With the win, Nebraska (33-1) advanced to Sunday's NCAA Final where the Huskers will take on either Wisconsin or Texas in the 11th NCAA Final in program history. First serve is set for 2 p.m. on Sunday, and the match will be televised on ABC.Nebraska hit .245 against Pitt on Thursday, which entered the match with the second-best opponent hitting percentage in the country behind NU. The Huskers limited the Panthers to a .137 attack percentage, which marked Pitt's second-lowest mark of the season and lowest since its season opener against BYU.&nbsp;The Husker block was dominant, recording 15 stuffs. Bekka Allick had 10 blocks, her second straight match with double-digit blocks. Merritt Beason added five stuffs while Ally Batenhorst and Andi Jackson each had a hand in four blocks. Lexi Rodriguez led the floor defense with a match-high 10 digs.Harper Murray shined in her NCAA Semifinal debut as the freshman had a match-high 13 kills on 33 swings. She hit .273 and had five digs and two blocks. Allick and Jackson combined for nine kills on 16 error-free swings out of the middle, while Beason and Batenhorst had eight kills apiece.&nbsp;National Freshman of the Year Oliva Babcock led Pitt (29-5) with 12 kills and eight blocks while fellow freshman Torrey Stafford had 10 kills.Set 1:&nbsp;Murray had two early kills as the Huskers claimed an 11-9 lead with suffocating defense, holding Pitt to -.056 at that point. Beason had a kill and a block with Allick to make the lead three, 13-10. After Pitt got within one, Beason tipped a kill and Batenhorst and Jackson posted NU's fifth block of the set for a 15-12 lead at the media timeout. The Panthers scored the next two points to cut it to one again, but a service error followed by a Batenhorst/Jackson block put the lead back at three, 17-14. A kill by Batenhorst and a Pittsburgh hitting error made it 19-15 Huskers. Murray tallied her fourth kill, and Allick sent a Pitt attack back to the floor for a 22-17 Husker advantage. Beason terminated for a fourth time, and Pitt hit wide for set point, 24-18. Pitt fought off two set points before the Huskers' eighth block ended the set, 25-20. Nebraska held Pitt to .000 hitting in the first set.&nbsp;Set 2:&nbsp;Allick started the set for the Big Red with a kill and a block, and Batenhorst added a kill before another block by Beason and Allick made it 4-1. Pitt answered with a 3-0 run, but Beason and Batenhorst produced back-to-back kills for a 6-4 advantage. An ace by Beason and two kills by Jackson extended the lead to 11-6, and Allick's seventh block made it 13-7. NU remained up by six, 15-9, after a Murray kill, but Pitt scored the next three to get within 15-12. Murray, Batenhorst and Reilly put down kills to keep the Huskers in front, 20-15. Batenhorst fired her sixth kill to make it 21-16, but the Panthers got two kills and a Husker hitting error to cut it to 21-19. Murray then put the Huskers on her back with three kills to take NU to set point, 24-20. The Panthers answered with two kills and a block to cut it to 24-23, but a service error ended the set in NU's favor, 25-23.&nbsp;Set 3:&nbsp;Allick was involved in two more blocks and had a kill as well as the Huskers went up 8-6. Back-to-back kills by Batenhorst started a 5-0 Husker run that made it 15-9. Batenhorst and Jackson also had a block in that stretch, and Beason tallied a kill that forced a Pittsburgh timeout. The timeout didn't slow the Huskers, as Rodriguez came out of it with an ace. After Pittsburgh sided out, Jackson came right back with a kill and Pittsburgh was out of rotation to give the Huskers a 17-10 advantage. Pittsburgh used its final timeout, but Beason served back-to-back aces to make it 19-10 Huskers. Kills by Jackson and Murray and a block by Murray and Allick before another kill by Murray had it at 23-13 Huskers. Murray's 13th kill earned match point, and after Pitt fended off three match points, the Big Red clinched the match when the Panthers were called for being int he net on the Huskers' fourth match point.Nebraska Post-Match Notes<ul>
 <li>With the win, Nebraska advanced to an NCAA Final for the 11th time in program history and for the fifth time in the past nine seasons. NU improved to 11-6 all-time in NCAA Semifinal matches, with the 11 trips to the NCAA Final ranking second in NCAA Division I history.</li><li>The Huskers have won their last four NCAA Semifinal matchups and five of their last six.</li><li>John Cook has led Nebraska to an NCAA Final for the eighth time in his 24 seasons. Cook is the third Division I coach to take one school to eight NCAA Finals, joining Russ Rose (10 at Penn State) and Don Shaw (8 at Stanford). Overall, Cook’s eight trips to the NCAA Final are tied with Shaw for third all-time among Division I coaches.</li><li>With the win, Nebraska improved to 33-1 on the season. The 33 wins tie for the second-most victories for Nebraska during the NCAA era (1981-present), one shy of the 34 wins by the 2000 Huskers.</li><li>Nebraska improved to 130-36 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. The Huskers joined Stanford (138 wins) as the only two Division I programs with 130 NCAA Tournament wins.</li><li>NU improved to 14-0 all-time against Pittsburgh, including a 5-0 mark in the NCAA Tournament.</li><li>The Huskers moved to 11-0 all-time against ACC teams in the NCAA Tournament.</li><li>John Cook improved to 89-19 in the NCAA Tournament as Nebraska’s head coach. He moved to 97-24 in his NCAA Tournament career. Cook ranks second all-time in career NCAA Tournament victories and NCAA Tournament wins at one school.</li><li>Tonight marked John Cook’s 850th career victory (including his seven seasons at Wisconsin). Cook is just the 14th coach in NCAA Division I history to win 850 matches. He joins Florida’s Mary Wise (1,045) and Florida State’s Chris Poole (918) as the only active Division I head coach with 850 career wins.</li><li>The Huskers won the first two sets against Pittsburgh and improved to 101-1 in the NCAA Tournament when taking a 2-0 lead. Nebraska has won 100 consecutive postseason matches when winning the first two sets.</li><li>Nebraska had eight blocks in set one. That was a higher total than the Huskers had in 11 matches this season.</li><li>The Huskers recorded their 10th block on the 50th rally of the match. NU finished with 15 blocks, its fourth straight match with double-digit kills and 14th on the season.</li><li>In addition to the 15 blocks against Pitt, Nebraska had 17 blocks in its last match against Arkansas. The Huskers have recorded 15 blocks in consecutive matches for the first time since back-to-back matches against Michigan (15) and Illinois (16) in November of 2014.</li><li>Nebraska held Pittsburgh to a .137 attack percentage, which marked the Panthers' second-lowest percentage of the season and lowest since their season opener against BYU.</li><li>Bekka Allick had 10 blocks in the match, which tied the Nebraska all-time record for blocks in a three-set NCAA Tournament match. Only three times prior to tonight had a Husker had 10 stuffs in a three-set NCAA Tournament match: Melissa Elmer twice during the 2005 NCAA Tournament (Duke and Florida) and Amber Rolfzen in a 2014 first-round match against Hofstra.</li><li>Allick now has 22 blocks in her last two matches, averaging 3.1 blocks per set.</li><li>Allick and fellow middle Andi Jackson combined to hit .563 in the match with nine kills on 16 error-free swings.</li><li>Merritt Beason had four service aces in the match. The four aces were her most as a Husker and tied her career high.</li><li>Lexi Rodriguez had 14 digs in the match to increase her career total to 1,418. Rodriguez passed Kenzie Maloney (1,406) and Jordan Larson (1,410) to move into fifth place on Nebraska’s all-time digs list.</li>
 </ul>

Huskers sweep Pitt to advance to NCAA final

Story by NU Athletic Communications&nbsp;

Four Nebraska volleyball players were named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America Teams on Wednesday.&nbsp;

Merritt Beason and Lexi Rodriguez were selected to the AVCA All-America First Team. Setter Bergen Reilly was chosen to the AVCA All-America Second Team. Outside hitter Harper Murray was named to the AVCA All-America Third Team.&nbsp;

The Huskers' four All-America selections brings their nation-leading total to 103 all-time, and it's the most All-Americans Nebraska has had in a season since 2016.&nbsp;

Rodriguez is now a three-time All-American after earning first-team honors in 2021 and second-team honors in 2022. Beason, Reilly and Murray are all first timers.&nbsp;

Merritt Beason, Jr., Opposite Hitter Merritt Beason, a junior opposite hitter who transferred to NU from Florida, was named the AVCA Region Player of the Year, as well as All-Big Ten First Team and All-Region Team. Beason has stepped in as a team captain and is contributing a team-leading 3.86 kills per set this season with 2.09 digs per set and a .293 hitting percentage. 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.

Lexi Rodriguez, Jr., Libero 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. She also earned AVCA All-Region and All-Big Ten First Team honors for the third time. Rodriguez, who averages 3.62 digs and 1.26 assists per set, leads a Husker defense that ranks first nationally in opponent hitting percentage. 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.&nbsp;

Bergen Reilly, Fr., Setter 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, All-Freshman Team, and AVCA All-Region Team accolades. Reilly, just the second true freshman setter to be the starter at Nebraska under head coach John Cook, is putting up 10.64 assists and 2.70 digs per set and has 15 double-doubles this season. The Sioux Falls, S.D., native ranks 17th 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 20 nationally in hitting percentage (.279) and kills per set (14.06).

Story by NU Athletic Communications&nbsp;Four Nebraska volleyball players were named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America Teams on Wednesday.&nbsp;Merritt Beason and Lexi Rodriguez were selected to the AVCA All-America First Team. Setter Bergen Reilly was chosen to the AVCA All-America Second Team. Outside hitter Harper Murray was named to the AVCA All-America Third Team.&nbsp;The Huskers' four All-America selections brings their nation-leading total to 103 all-time, and it's the most All-Americans Nebraska has had in a season since 2016.&nbsp;Rodriguez is now a three-time All-American after earning first-team honors in 2021 and second-team honors in 2022. Beason, Reilly and Murray are all first timers.&nbsp;Merritt Beason, Jr., Opposite Hitter Merritt Beason, a junior opposite hitter who transferred to NU from Florida, was named the AVCA Region Player of the Year, as well as All-Big Ten First Team and All-Region Team. Beason has stepped in as a team captain and is contributing a team-leading 3.86 kills per set this season with 2.09 digs per set and a .293 hitting percentage. 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.Lexi Rodriguez, Jr., Libero 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. She also earned AVCA All-Region and All-Big Ten First Team honors for the third time. Rodriguez, who averages 3.62 digs and 1.26 assists per set, leads a Husker defense that ranks first nationally in opponent hitting percentage. 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.&nbsp;Bergen Reilly, Fr., Setter 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, All-Freshman Team, and AVCA All-Region Team accolades. Reilly, just the second true freshman setter to be the starter at Nebraska under head coach John Cook, is putting up 10.64 assists and 2.70 digs per set and has 15 double-doubles this season. The Sioux Falls, S.D., native ranks 17th 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 20 nationally in hitting percentage (.279) and kills per set (14.06).Harper Murray, Fr., Outside Hitter Freshman outside hitter Harper Murray was voted the AVCA Region Freshman of the Year and the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, making her the second ever Husker (Madi Kubik, 2019) to earn that distinction. Murray also earned All-Big Ten First Team and unanimous All-Freshman Team accolades. Murray ranks second on the Huskers in kills with 3.23 per set and adds 2.10 digs per set with a team-high 34 service aces. Murray was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week three times this season.

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