LINCOLN, Neb. – The top-seeded Nebraska volleyball team kept its hopes of a repeat national title alive on Friday, rallying from a two-set deficit for a thrilling 3-2 win over 16th-seeded Penn State in front of 8,240 fans inside the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

The Huskers, who never trailed by more than two at any point in the match, saw Penn State erase late leads in winning both the first and second sets by identical 25-23 margins. Nebraska’s dreams of a second straight national championship were nearly derailed in the third set, as the Nittany Lions used another late rally to earn two match points at 24-22. But the Huskers won the final four points of the third set and then won the fourth set, 25-19 before dominating the fifth set, 15-6.

With the win, the Huskers advanced to Saturday’s NCAA Regional Final, the 26th regional final appearance in school history. Nebraska (30-2) will take on Washington at 3 p.m. on ESPNU.

In only her third NCAA Tournament match as a Husker, junior middle blocker Briana Holman paced four Huskers in double-figure kills with 17 kills, the highest total of her Nebraska career, while adding seven blocks. Senior twin sisters Amber and Kadie Rolfzen combined for 29 kills, with Amber pounding 15 kills and Kadie adding 14. Senior Andy Malloy finished with 13 kills for the Big Red. Kadie Rolfzen produced a double-double and tied senior libero Justine Wong-Orantes with 18 digs to lead Nebraska. Junior setter Kelly Hunter dished out a match-high 50 assists while adding 10 digs for her 10th double-double of the season.

Nebraska produced seven more kills than Penn State, while the Nittany Lions out-blocked the Huskers, 17-14.5. NU was bolstered by a season-high nine aces. Nebraska hit .256 in the match, while Penn State attacked at a .234 clip, becoming only the third opponent this season to hit above .225 against Nebraska. Outside hitters Ali Frantti and Simone Lee combined for 43 kills. Lee led the way with a match-high 22 kills, while Frantti totaled a season-high 21 kills, including 16 in the first two sets to help Penn State to the 2-0 lead.

Penn State ended its season with a 24-10 record. The thrilling win was Nebraska’s fifth straight victory over Penn State, and the Huskers third win over the Nittany Lions this season.

Set 1: Nebraska rallied from a 3-1 deficit to a 5-3 lead with big swings from Kadie Rolfzen and Malloy, as well as a Wong-Orantes ace. The Nittany Lions came right back to go ahead 6-5, keyed by three blocks early in the set. Nebraska went ahead 14-11 with a 4-0 run, which again came on the serve of Wong-Orantes. Amber Rolfzen set Kadie Rolfzen for a kill to make it 12-11, and a block by Amber Rolfzen and Malloy gave the Huskers the 14-11 lead. Penn State strung together a 3-0 run after the media timeout to even the set at 15-15 and force a Husker timeout. Malloy terminated the next rally, and an outstanding individual effort by Holman to get a ball over the net led to a two-point Husker lead at 18-16. With the set tied 19-19, the Nittany Lions served long and Holman posted her third kill for a 21-19 lead, and Penn State took a timeout. Simone Lee got a kill for Penn State on the next rally, but Kadie Rolfzen answered with a shot down the line. Three straight kills by Ali Frantti put Penn State ahead 23-22, and after Malloy tied the set, Frantti struck again for her ninth kill on 12 swings, giving PSU set point at 24-23. A solo block by Frantti ended the set in favor of Penn State, 25-23. Penn State’s .389 to .263 hitting advantage and 6-1 blocks advantage proved to be enough to give the Huskers their first set loss of the tournament.

Set 2: The Huskers came out of the gate to a 5-1 lead with kills from four different players. The lead increased to 7-2 after two attacking errors by Penn State, but the Nittany Lions won the next four rallies after a timeout to cut it to 7-6. A block by Haleigh Washington -Penn State’s ninth of the match – tied the set 8-8. Amber Rolfzen restored the Husker lead with a kill. Holman tacked on another one for an 11-9 lead. Penn State continued to bring the set level, but NU continued to answer as a kill by Malloy made it 14-13. Penn State committed a net violation to make it 15-13 Huskers, and an ace serve by Albrecht gave NU a 17-14 lead. After Penn State pulled within 17-16, Amber Rolfzen hammered an overpass. Holman and Kadie Rolfzen struck for kills, and then Holman blasted back another overdig for a 21-18 lead. A block by Kadie Rolfzen and Holman made it 22-19, but Frantti added two more kills to get Penn State back within one at 22-21. A solo block by Frantti tied the set at 22-22 and an ace by Kendall White gave Penn State its first lead of the set at 23-22. Another Frantti kill gave Penn State set point at 24-22, capping a 5-0 run. An Amber Rolfzen kill cut it to 24-23, but Frantti ended the second set at 25-23 with her 16th kill. Frantti accounted for five of Penn State’s last six points after accounting for its final five points in set one.

Set 3: The Huskers again started strong, taking a 10-3 lead after a 5-0 run. Malloy had a solo block and a kill, as did Holman, while Foecke served an ace during the run. A pair of Amber Rolfzen kills sandwiched around one by Malloy made it 14-6 Huskers. A slew of great defensive plays led to another Amber Rolfzen kill for a 15-8 lead. Frantti again willed the Nittany Lions back into the set with a pair of solo blocks, and a Husker hitting error had the Nittany Lions back within striking distance at 16-14. Holman and Foecke combined for a block to get NU out of the rotation, and Kadie Rolfzen followed with a kill for an 18-14 lead. The Nittany Lions fought back once again, pulling within 18-17 on a Bryanna Weiskircher ace. Each time Penn State cut it to one, the Huskers answered, including a Malloy kill that made it 21-19. Kadie Rolfzen served an ace for a 22-19 lead, but Lee followed with a kill and a pair of Penn State blocks had the set level at 22-22, the first tie score since 0-0. Lee continued the run after a timeout with a pair of kills for match point at 24-22. But the Huskers weren’t done. Amber Rolfzen began the comeback with a kill, and she combined with Hunter for a block to tie the set at 24-24. Foecke finished the set on a 4-0 Husker run with a pair of kills, as the Huskers won 26-24.

Set 4: Back-to-back kills by Holman and one by Kadie Rolfzen had the Huskers on top 5-3 early once again. A solo block by Malloy and a dump by Hunter helped NU to a 9-5 lead. The lead became six at 13-7 after a Kadie Rolfzen kill, and Holman smashed her 14th before a Foecke ace made it 17-9. Malloy tacked on a kill and then combined with the Rolfzen twins for a rare triple block and a 19-10 Husker lead. Lainy Pierce came in for the Nittany Lions and served a 5-0 run as they pulled within 19-15. Kadie Rolfzen ended the run with a kill, and Hunter won a battle at the net for a 21-15 lead. Malloy’s 12th kill and an ace by Albrecht made it 23-16 Huskers. Kadie Rolfzen killed out of the back row for set point at 24-17, and Nebraska forced a fifth set when Holman put down her 15th kill for a 25-19 win.

Set 5: Albrecht served her third ace to begin the set and Amber Rolfzen added a kill for a 2-0 start. Penn State came back to tie the set 3-3, but a solo block by Hunter and PSU hitting error made it 5-3 Big Red. Kadie Rolfzen and Holman added a block, and the Huskers led 6-3 as Penn State took a timeout. Holman continued to dominate the set with another kill and a solo block for an 8-4 lead. After the teams switched sides, Foecke served an ace to make it 9-4. Holman’s 17th kill gave the Huskers sideout, and a great dig by Kenzie Maloney led to an Amber Rolfzen kill, as the Huskers went up 11-6. Malloy followed with her 13th kill, and Wong-Orantes served an ace for match point at 14-6. The Huskers ended the match on a 6-0 run to win 15-6 after an Amber Rolfzen kill.

Next Up: Nebraska will face Washington in Saturday’s NCAA Regional Final. First serve for Saturday’s match is 3 p.m. and the match will be televised on ESPNU.

— NU Athletics —

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Creighton’s 90-points-a-game offense didn’t show up until late against Nebraska.

No problem. The 10th-ranked Bluejays were still more than good enough to beat in-state rival Nebraska again.

Maurice Watson Jr. scored a season-high 25 points, Cole Huff added 13 and Creighton dominated the second half in a 77-62 victory Wednesday night.

“We had to win kind of an ugly game, and they were trying to make us play that way,” Bluejays coach Greg McDermott said. “That’s probably the fewest fast-break points we’ve had all season. I like to think our pace wears you out over time, and we had a hard time with it.”

The Bluejays (9-0) have won 15 of 18 meetings with the Cornhuskers (5-4), including the last six by double digits.

Tai Webster had 16 points and Ed Morrow had 13 rebounds for the Huskers, who trailed 31-30 at halftime but went scoreless for 6 1/2 minutes in the second half. Creighton bolted to a 51-37 lead, and in the last 3 minutes it was a 21-point game.

“It makes me disappointed and sick to my stomach we couldn’t foster a better fight,” Huskers coach Tim Miles said. “I thought we were in good shape until Tai picked up his fourth foul, and then we went on a long, long drought.”

Watson carried the scoring load in the Bluejays’ first true road game as Nebraska clamped down on Marcus Foster and Justin Patton. Foster had seven points and Patton had nine, both season lows.

The Cornhuskers’ defense left driving lanes open for Watson, and the senior point guard took advantage. He made 10 of 20 shots. He’s never taken more than 21 shots in his career.

“My teammates kept saying for me to go, go go, and I kind of got comfortable,” Watson said.

The Huskers shot 32.4 percent overall and were just 3 of 22 on 3-point attempts.

“We took too many of them,” Webster said. “Like Coach Miles says: `Love the 2, like the 3.’ That’s when we’re at our best.”

Creighton’s Toby Hegner dunked with 3 1/2 minutes left, prompting the small contingent of Bluejays fans to chant “C-U, C-U” as the Nebraska faithful began heading to the exits. Big Red fans who remained booed Davion Mintz’s fast-break dunk in the final seconds.

The victory allowed Creighton to tie the all-time series 25-25.

THE BIG PICTURE

Creighton: The Bluejays’ first road trip was a bumpy ride. The flow was choppy, and they couldn’t get moving at the speed they like until after the game was decided.

Nebraska: The Huskers are not a good offensive team to begin with, and they were worse than that against the Bluejays. “You can’t be that inept on offense and expect to win,” Miles said.

PATTON KEPT IN CHECK

Patton, the Bluejays’ 7-foot redshirt freshman, was held under 10 points for the first time in nine games. He did have eight rebounds, three blocked shots and a steal.

“It’s his first time playing in front of a crowd totally against us, and he’ll learn from it,” McDermott said.

HE SAID IT

“If this doesn’t hurt you, nothing does. If you’re (home) tonight in another 20 minutes and playing video games until 1 a.m., you don’t really care. You’ve got to hate losing. We’ve got teach them how to win, too.” — Miles.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Creighton is No. 10 for the second straight week and is in no danger of dropping in the Top 25 after a convincing win over Nebraska and a near gimme at home on Friday against Longwood.

UP NEXT

Creighton hosts Longwood on Friday.

Nebraska visits No. 3 Kansas on Saturday.

— Associated Press —

The University of Nebraska has been selected to participate in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tenn.  The Huskers will take on the Tennessee Volunteers of the Southeastern Conference on Friday, Dec. 30 with kickoff at 2:30 p.m. CT.

The Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl will be televised nationally on ESPN and is played at Nissan Stadium, the home of the Tennessee Titans.

Head Coach Mike Riley is guiding his 10th team to a bowl game, including two at Nebraska and eight at Oregon State. Riley owns a 7-2 record in bowl games and his 78 percent winning percentage ranks fifth in NCAA history among coaches who have appeared in at least eight bowl games.

“We are excited about the invitation to complete the 2016 season in the Music City Bowl,” Riley said. “This is a great opportunity to finish our year in an outstanding bowl game and compete for a 10th win against an excellent Tennessee team. As a staff, we are looking forward to spending the additional practice time with this team and preparing for a strong performance.

“I know our players, coaches and fans will enjoy the trip to Nashville, and we anticipate a great week of activities and an excellent football game.”

The appearance in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl will be the first-ever for the Huskers, and Nebraska’s second bowl game in the state of Tennessee, adding to an appearance in the 1977 Liberty Bowl. The Music City Bowl is Nebraska’s 53rd all-time bowl appearance, tying for the second-most bowl appearances of any school in the country. Nebraska has appeared in a bowl game in 46 of the past 48 seasons, and the Music City Bowl will mark the 16th bowl in which Nebraska has participated.

“The University of Nebraska is extremely honored to accept an invitation to the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl,” University of Nebraska Director of Athletics Shawn Eichorst said. “The Music City Bowl is an exceptional Big Ten bowl partner, Nashville is a world-class city and this will be a great destination for our student-athletes, staff and the best fans in college football.”

Nebraska enters the game with a 9-3 record, including a 6-3 mark in Big Ten Conference play. The Huskers’ four-game improvement during the regular season marked the Huskers biggest increase in regular-season victories since 1962.

Tickets for the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl go on sale to the public at Huskers.com beginning at 7 p.m. on Sunday evening. Nebraska will receive an allotment of 8,000 tickets to the game. Tickets are $85 each, with club seating available for $120 per ticket. Beginning Monday morning, tickets can also be purchased by calling the Nebraska Athletics Development and Ticketing at 1-800-8-BIG RED or in person at the ticket office in the Stadium Drive Parking Garage. Fans can purchase tickets by using VISA, MasterCard or Discover.

The meeting with Tennessee will mark the third-ever matchup between the Huskers and Vols, all in bowl games. Nebraska defeated Tennessee in the Orange Bowl following the 1997 season, to clinch a national championship. Two seasons later, Nebraska defeated Tennessee in the Fiesta Bowl to close a 12-1 season.

Tennessee will come into the game with an 8-4 record and is making its 52nd all-time bowl appearance which is tied for fourth in the nation. Tennessee spent much of the first half of the season in the top 10 in the national rankings. The Vols feature a high-powered offensive attack, averaging 36.2 points and 437.2 yards per game.

Coach Butch Jones is completing his fourth season at Tennessee and his 10th season overall as a college head coach. He has taken eight of his 10 teams to bowl games, and previously served as the head coach at Central Michigan (2007-09) and Cincinnati (2010-12).

— NU Athletics —

LINCOLN, Neb. – The No. 1 seed Nebraska volleyball team never trailed in a 3-0 sweep of TCU on Saturday night in a second-round NCAA Tournament match in front of 8,204 fans inside the Bob Devaney Sports Center. With the win, Nebraska advanced to face 16th-seeded Penn State next Friday in an NCAA Regional Semifinal at the Devaney Center.

The win was the Huskers’ eighth straight postseason victory and marked the 100th NCAA Tournament win in program history. Nebraska became just the second program in NCAA history to reach the 100-win milestone, while the Huskers advanced to an NCAA Regional for the 32nd time, the most in NCAA history. Nebraska improved to 29-2 on the season, and the Huskers’ quest for back-to-back national championships will continue on Friday when the Huskers face Penn State for the third time this season. Game times for Friday’s regional semifinals at the Devaney Center have not yet been announced.

Senior Kadie Rolfzen paced the Huskers in the sweep of the Horned Frogs with an all-around effort befitting of her status as a three-time All-American. Rolfzen finished with a match-high 14 kills on only 30 swings while hitting .400. She also added seven blocks, four digs and two assists. Sophomore Mikaela Foecke added 10 kills on 28 swings, while senior libero Justine Wong-Orantes broke one Nebraska postseason record and tied another. Wong-Orantes totaled 24 digs in the match, tying the Husker record for most digs in a three-set NCAA Tournament match. The 24 digs also allowed Wong-Orantes to pass Kayla Banwarth as the Huskers’ all-time digs leader in NCAA Tournament matches. Juniors Kelly Hunter and Annika Albrecht added 10 digs apiece, and Nebraska blocked TCU 10 times while holding the Horned Frogs to an .056 attack percentage that tied their lowest mark of the season.

Although TCU saw its season come to an end with a 15-13 record, the Horned Frogs matched the best finish in school history by advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Ashley Smith narrowly missed a double-double in her final match, pacing TCU with nine kills while adding 10 digs. Natalie Gower added seven blocks for the Horned Frogs, while Jillian Bergeson tallied a TCU postseason-record 21 digs.

Set 1: Hunter served Nebraska to a 3-0 lead with an ace. After TCU cut it to 3-2, the Huskers put together a 5-0 run to go up 8-2, which included a pair of kills by Kadie Rolfzen. The spurt became 9-1 after the Huskers made it 12-3 with another kill by Kadie Rolfzen and one from Malloy. The Horned Frogs strung together some successful attacks to get within 15-9, but the Huskers scored seven of the next 11 points, as kills by Foecke and Amber Rolfzen put NU up 22-13. However, TCU closed the gap to 23-20 with a 7-1 run, three of which came via blocks. After Foecke earned set point for the Huskers with a kill, Sarita Mikals got a kill for TCU and the Huskers committed another error to let TCU within two at 24-22. The Huskers won 25-22 after a TCU block on Kadie Rolfzen’s swing ricocheted off her face and over the net for a kill. The teams combined for 17 attacking errors in the set, with the Huskers holding a narrow .082 to .064 hitting advantage. Wong-Orantes had 14 digs alone in set one.

Set 2: A long rally that ended with a Malloy kill, followed by a TCU error put the Huskers up 5-1. Holman and Kadie Rolfzen combined for a block, and Rolfzen followed with her seventh kill for an 11-6 lead. With a 12-8 lead, Nebraska completely took over the set behind the serve of Wong-Orantes. The Huskers went on an 11-0 run to grab a 23-8 lead. A Briana Holman kill, followed by a block by the Rolfzen twins started the run. Wong-Orantes served an ace to make it 17-8, and the Huskers tallied blocks on three consecutive rallies to go up 21-8, two of which came from Amber Rolfzen and two from Kadie Rolfzen. Kills by Kadie Rolfzen and Amber Rolfzen gave Nebraska set point at 24-9, and the Huskers eventually won 25-12 on a TCU service error. The Huskers hit .233 and were even better defensively in set two with five blocks to hold TCU to -.027 hitting.

Set 3: Nebraska asserted itself early once again, jumping out to a 4-0 lead with a block and two kills by Kadie Rolfzen and an ace by Hunter. The Horned Frogs rallied to tie the set at 5-5, then waged a sideout battle with the Huskers. A kill by Hunter put the Huskers in front 10-9, and Foecke blasted a pair of kills before a block by Hunter and Holman made it 13-9 Huskers. With Sydney Townsend still serving the run, Hunter and Foecke found the floor once again, followed by Holman after an outstanding defensive effort by the Huskers, and they led 16-9 after the 7-0 run. A block by Malloy and Amber Rolfzen gave NU match point at 24-15, and the Huskers clinched a berth in the regional at 25-16 on a Malloy kill.

Up Next: Nebraska will host a regional in Lincoln next Friday and Saturday for the first time since 2013. The Huskers will face 16th-seeded Penn State on Friday. A start time and broadcast information will be announced on Sunday. The other teams in the regional will be the winner Arizona and the winner of Washington-Kentucky.

— NU Athletics —

LINCOLN, Neb. – The No. 1 seed Nebraska volleyball team began its quest for back-to-back national championships with a first-round sweep of New Hampshire in front of 8,014 fans inside the Bob Devaney Sports Center Friday night. The Huskers dominated the opening set winning 25-9, then rallied for a 25-23 victory in set two before closing out the match with a 25-18 win in the third set.

With the win, Nebraska advanced to play TCU on Saturday at 7 p.m. in the second round of the 2016 NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament. The Huskers, who won their seventh straight postseason match, improved to 28-2 on the season. Nebraska hit .352 in the match behind 13 kills from sophomore Mikaela Foecke and 12 from senior Kadie Rolfzen. The duo combined for half of Nebraska’s 50 kills, while senior Andie Malloy added nine kills and junior Briana Holman chipped in seven kills in her Nebraska NCAA Tournament debut. Junior setter Kelly Hunter finished with 40 assists while adding eight digs and three kills. Defensively, senior Amber Rolfzen had four blocks, while senior libero Justine Wong-Orantes posted a match-high 14 digs.

New Hampshire, which was making its fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, saw its season end with a 21-11 record. The Wildcats hit .175 in the match, highlighted by a .333 mark in the second set. Gabri Olhava paced the Wildcats with 11 kills on 25 swings, while Demi Muses narrowly missed a double-double with eight kills and 10 digs.

On Saturday, Nebraska will look to become just the second team in NCAA history to record 100 victories in the NCAA Tournament.

Set 1: Nebraska got off to a hot start, bolting to a 10-2. The Huskers continued to blast kills and reeled off an 8-0 run to go up 19-4. After New Hampshire scored three straight points, the Huskers came back with kills by Amber Rolfzen, Kadie Rolfzen and Hunter, as well as a Kadie Rolfzen ace, to go ahead 23-7. Nebraska had 12 kills on its first 16 swings (.750) and finished the set with a .485 hitting percentage. The Huskers’ 25-9 win marked only the fourth time in the rally scoring era that the Huskers have held an NCAA Tournament foe to single digits.

Set 2: New Hampshire gained some momentum early in the set and took a 6-4 lead. The Huskers went on a 3-0 run with kills by Foecke, Holman and Kadie Rolfzen, but the Wildcats put up a much tougher fight this time around, engaging in a sideout affair for nine straight rallies that saw the set tied 15-15. After the Huskers hit wide twice, New Hampshire had a 17-15 lead. Kills by Kadie Rolfzen and Malloy brought the Huskers back level, but the Wildcats remained ahead 19-18 after a kill by Hannah Petke. Kadie Rolfzen and Malloy produced kills for the Huskers to give them a 20-19 lead, but Muses answered to knot the score at 20-20. Nebraska appeared to finally take control when a UNH service error and kill by Foecke gave the Big Red a 22-20 cushion. But the Wildcats, who’ve made four straight NCAA Tournaments, showed their experience in fighting back to a 22-22 tie on a kill by Muses. After a timeout, a dump by Hunter made it 23-22, and Foecke put down the final point for a 25-23 win. Nebraska was strong offensively again, hitting .342. But the Wildcats hit .333 with 13 kills and just two errors after hitting .062 in set one.

Set 3: Back-to-back kills by Foecke, followed by a stuff block by Hunter and Amber Rolfzen put the Huskers ahead 8-5 after a 4-0 run. Nebraska had two blocks through the first two sets, but posted four early in the third set on its way to a 13-9 lead. The Huskers flexed their muscles with a 4-0 run off of three kills and a Kadie Rolfzen ace to go up 18-12. Foecke and Holman tacked on kills for a 22-17 lead, and Kadie Rolfzen hammered match point to the floor at 24-18. A UNH hitting error finished off the match in the Huskers’ favor, 25-18.

Up Next: Nebraska advances to face TCU in the second round on Saturday at 7 p.m. The Horned Frogs topped Wichita State, 3-0.

— NU Athletics —

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Clemson coach Brad Brownell was pleased his team finally did well in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. He was also happy to beef up the Tigers early season resume for when decisions are made in March.

Jaron Blossomgame scored 15 points, Donte Grantham had a tiebreaking free throw and the Tigers held on despite a wild final stretch for a 60-58 win over Nebraska on Wednesday night.

The Tigers (4-2) won a challenge game for the first time defeating Iowa in 2011, a season after they made their last appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

“It’s good. It builds momentum. It helps in terms RPI against a team that’s going to have a good RPI in their league,” Brownell said. “It gets you going in a good direction. That’s important for us right now.”

It looked for a while that Clemson would succumb to Nebraska’s deliberate pace designed to make the Tigers work extremely hard on defense and wear down at the end. Instead, Clemson dug in as it overcame a nine-point deficit and led 58-54 on Grantham’s 3-pointer with 3:16 to go.

But the Cornhuskers (4-3) tied it up at 58-all on Glynn Watson Jr.’s 3 two minutes later. Grantham followed by making the front end of a one-and-one that put the Tigers up for good. Nebraska, though, had several chances to pull this one out.

Watson missed two jumpers and Anton Gill missed an open shot before turning the ball over. After Avry Holmes hit a foul shot for the final margin with 5 seconds left, Tai Webster failed on a runner in the lane that hit the rim and bounced away.

“Tai got in there on a little bit of an awkward, tough two,” Nebraska coach Tim Miles said. “He sat it on the rim, it just didn’t go in.”

Grantham finished with nine points and five rebounds for Clemson.

Watson had a game-high 20 points and Webster scored 12. Ed Morrow had 10 points and 12 rebounds for Nebraska.

THE BIG PICTURE

Nebraska: The Cornhuskers showed speed, quick hands and a solid shooting touch in building a nine-point lead in the first half. What Nebraska did not display was a strong front-court game and it cost them in the second half. Its tallest players in 6-foot-11 Jordy Tshimanga and 6-8 Jack McVeigh had little impact early on with two shots combined. They ended 1 of 3 from the field for three points.

Clemson: The Tigers pledged a stronger early season performance to help build an NCAA resume. So far, it hasn’t worked out that way. Clemson lost to Xavier and Oklahoma in an Orlando, Florida, tournament. The Tigers also went back to their shooting struggles, going 8 of 25 from the field in the first 20 minutes and making just two of their nine 3-pointers. Things picked up after halftime, as they hit 5-of-6 shots from behind the arc to hold off Nebraska.

GETTING DEFENSIVE
Clemson guard Avry Holmes said the Tigers struggled to make shots and turned to their defense to pull the game out. It worked as Clemson held Nebraska to just five baskets in their last 24 attempts. “We tried to win defensively and stopped worrying about our offense,” he said. “It was good to see.”

IT’S DABO

Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney was in the crowd watching the late-night showcase. He played a time-out game where he was challenged to make a face like the toothy emoji on the big screen scoreboard. When his first-half TV interview was wrapping up, Clemson hit a 3-pointer and Swinney said, “I need to stay here. We just hit a three.”

The football Tigers head to Orlando, Florida this week to play Virginia Tech in the ACC championship game on Saturday night.

UP NEXT

Nebraska starts a two-game homestand on Saturday against South Dakota.

Clemson continues its run of five in a row at home against Coppin State on Sunday.

— Associated Press —

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska volleyball team was selected as the No. 1 overall seed for the NCAA Tournament on Sunday night and will have an opportunity to play four matches at the Bob Devaney Sports Center to try and advance to this year’s final four in Columbus, Ohio.

The defending national champion Huskers, making their 35th straight NCAA Tournament appearance, will open the tournament on Friday, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. against the New Hampshire Wildcats (21-10), champions of the America East Conference. The 4:30 p.m. match will feature the Wichita State Shockers (24-7) of the Missouri Valley Conference and the TCU Horned Frogs (14-12) of the Big 12 Conference. Friday’s winners will meet on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 7 p.m.

Nebraska is the No. 1 overall seed for the first time since 2006. As one of the top four national seeds, the Huskers are in line to host a regional semifinal and final the following weekend should they advance. This year, regional hosts will be the top seed remaining in each section of the bracket. The other national seeds in the Huskers’ section of the bracket are No. 8 Washington, No. 9 Michigan State and No. 16 Penn State. The other top four national seeds are No. 2 Minnesota, No. 3 Wisconsin and No. 4 Texas.

Standing-room only tickets to the first and second rounds are for sale online at Huskers.com. If tickets are still available Monday morning, they can be purchased through the Nebraska Athletics Ticket Office at 800-8-BIGRED. All-session standing-room only tickets are $20. Should the Huskers advance to a regional for the 22nd time in 23 years, tickets would go on sale to the general public on Sunday, Dec. 5 at 10 a.m.

The Huskers finished the regular season 27-2 overall and 18-2 in the Big Ten Conference to earn their second ever Big Ten championship. Nebraska is 98-30 (.766) in 34 previous NCAA Tournament appearances, ranking second among NCAA schools in wins and winning percentage.

The 2016 season marks the 32nd time that Lincoln has hosted NCAA first and second round competition. The 2016 Husker squad is looking to become the first Nebraska volleyball team to repeat as national champions, as the three previous NCAA title teams (1995, 2000, 2006) came up short of a repeat. This year’s NCAA Championship is set for December 15-17 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

Eight Big Teams were selected to the 2016 field. Joining the Huskers are No. 2 Minnesota, No. 3 Wisconsin, No. 9 Michigan State, No. 12 Michigan, No. 16 Penn State, Ohio State and Purdue.

NCAA First and Second Round Schedule
First Round – Friday, Dec. 2
4:30 p.m. – TCU vs. Wichita State
7 p.m.* – New Hampshire vs. Nebraska
*or 30 minutes following the conclusion of the 4:30 p.m. match, but no sooner than 7 p.m.

Second Round – Saturday, Dec. 3
7 p.m. – First Round Winners

— NU Athletics —

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Virginia Tech’s Zach LeDay started the second half with a thunderous one-handed dunk punctuated by a high-stepping celebration against Nebraska.

His teammates fed off that dunk and several other LeDay slams as he scored 19 points and added nine rebounds to lead Virginia Tech to a 66-53 victory over Nebraska in the third-place game of the Wooden Legacy on Sunday.

Virginia Tech (5-1) wowed offensively in the second half and made its final six free throws over the last 55 seconds to secure the win after trailing by eight points in the first half. The second half was all Hokies.

“Coach told us we were playing really good defense and that shots were going to fall,” LeDay said. “We couldn’t be offensive sensitive. We’re not built to be offensive sensitive. We’re built for games like that. It’s a fistfight. You’ve got to get rebounds and get in there. … We wanted to come out in the second half and punch them in the mouth and in the second half make all the little plays.”

Nebraska (4-2) didn’t have an answer for the Hokies inside. Guard Tai Webster led Nebraska with 23 points and added eight rebounds, but the rest of his teammates had 30 points combined.

LeDay, a senior forward, came off the bench and had his way inside. He was the focal point of the offense.

“I think it’s fun to watch. I think he plays with an edge,” Virginia Tech coach Buzz Williams said of LeDay. “One thing I would say that’s hard to quantify is that I think those guys care about one another. You can see as we were struggling in the first half that they were looking to throw the ball to Zach. That didn’t discontinue in the second half when we began to make more shots.”

Virginia Tech shot just 29.6 percent from the field in the first half but found its shooting rhythm in the second half, making 56.5 percent (13 of 23) of its shots.

BIG PICTURE

Virginia Tech lost its first game of the season to Texas A&M in the semifinals of the tournament but responded by beating the Cornhuskers and playing well with lead down the stretch.

Nebraska played well in the Wooden Legacy, even in an 82-71 loss to UCLA in the semifinals — its first loss of the season. The Cornhuskers return home having been battle tested against two solid teams and can learn much from film of those games.

QUOTE OF THE GAME

Most of the Nebraska players went to Disneyland on Saturday, which was an off day for the tournament. Coach Tim Miles was not among those at the happiest place on earth.

“I was mad about losing to UCLA, so I didn’t go,” Miles said. “My son came (back) and told me he went on a lot of attractions. I said I only went on two, my bed and the toilet.”

QUOTE OF THE GAME PART TWO

Virginia Tech had a difficult time in the offensive zone as it plodded along and missed 19 of 27 shots.

“Zach knows what it is because we’re from the same place. It’s like a tractor pull,” Williams said. “None of it’s fun. It’s just a bunch of country people on a Saturday night and that’s their entertainment. That’s what it looked like. We shot (29.6) percent. They shot (38.5) percent. That’s not fun as a fan. It’s not fun for anybody, I wouldn’t think.”

UP NEXT

Virginia Tech returns home for a brief stay, then is off to play at No. 25 Michigan on Wednesday. Home cooking is up after that, as the Hokies play six consecutive games at Cassell Coliseum and don’t play on the road again until 2017.

Nebraska travels to Clemson on Wednesday, followed by home games against South Dakota and a stiff test against No. 12 Creighton.

— Associated Press —

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — With a possible trip to the Big Ten championship game at stake, Nebraska fell flat.

C.J. Beathard threw three touchdown passes and the Hawkeyes pummeled No. 16 Nebraska 40-10 on Friday, knocking the Cornhuskers out of Big Ten title contention and sending Wisconsin to the championship game.

Tommy Armstrong started for Nebraska (9-3, 6-3 Big Ten) despite a balky hamstring and was just 13 of 35 passing for 125 yards. Backup Ryker Fyfe, who broke his non-throwing wrist last week, didn’t take a snap until the game had long been decided.

“Tommy wasn’t 100 percent,” Huskers coach Mike Riley said. “I don’t know if he was the healthiest…I don’t know how much it would have made a difference (to play Fyfe).”

Nebraska’s defense was just as bad as its offense.

LeShun Daniels Jr. ran for 158 yards and two scores and George Kittle caught two TD passes for the Hawkeyes (8-4, 6-3). They closed the regular season with three straight wins — two of them over ranked opponents — and scored their most points since a win over Purdue on Oct. 15.

Iowa broke open what was expected to be a tight game with a 75-yard TD run by Akrum Wadley and a 77-yard touchdown throw from Beathard to Riley McCarron in the first quarter.

“We played as good as we’ve played all year,” Beathard said. “It just shows the fight and the resilience of this team.”

The Badgers are big favorites to beat Minnesota on Saturday anyway. But the Cornhuskers, who entered November as a legitimate playoff contender, hardly looked like one after being outscored 102-13 in their last two road games.

“We gave up big plays. I think we were horrible on third down,” Riley said. “I’m really disappointed all the way around in all of us.”

THE TAKEAWAY

Nebraska: With so much to play for, it’s hard to believe that the Cornhuskers played so, so poorly. Nebraska gave up three plays of over 50 yards, and Armstrong was all over the place. The Huskers have lost three of their last four to Iowa, a fate sealed when they ran into Iowa kicker Keith Duncan on a field goal try in the fourth quarter — allowing the Hawkeyes to go up 23 a few plays later.

Iowa: The Hawkeyes didn’t make it to the Big Ten title game either. But they did go 6-3 in the league, an impressive feat for a team that lost to North Dakota State of the FCS in its final nonconference game. Iowa also made its case for a high-profile bowl, which looked iffy to say the least after losing by 27 points at Penn State to start this month. “You learn a lot about yourself in November,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said.

B1G TITLE GAME UPDATE

Wisconsin gets the West’s spot in Indianapolis next week because it beat Nebraska 23-17 (OT) in late October. In the East, Penn State might have the easiest path. The favored Nittany Lions need to beat Michigan State at home and hope favored Ohio State beats Michigan on Saturday. Ohio State needs a win and a Penn State loss — and even if the Nittany Lions take the East the Buckeyes should be in good shape for the playoff at 11-1. Michigan needs to upset the hated Buckeyes.

EXTRA POINTS

Daniels became the first Iowa rusher with over 1,000 yards since 2011. …Armstrong’s 13-yard TD pass to Stanley Morgan snapped a streak of over 136 minutes without allowing a touchdown for Iowa. The Hawkeyes shut out Illinois 28-0 last week. … Wadley had 105 yards rushing on just 11 carries. … Armstrong made his 44th career start, setting a team record for a quarterback. Taylor Martinez, his predecessor, made 43 career starts.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Nebraska likely stays in the Top 25. But the Huskers could find themselves drop a few spots after their second straight poor showing on the road. Iowa, which reached as high as 13th earlier this year, could sneak back after beating the Huskers and Michigan in November.

UP NEXT

Nebraska will head to a decent bowl game just a year after sneaking into a bid with just five wins.

Iowa will find out which bowl game it will play in next Sunday.

— Associated Press —