There was no change at the top of the latest AVCA Top-25 Poll. Wisconsin remains at the top despite pausing all team activities for two weeks due to COVID issues within the program. Texas is No. 2, followed by Kentucky, Nebraska is 4th and Minnesota is 5th. Other Big Ten teams ranked this week include Purdue at No. 10, Ohio State jumped eight spots to No. 11, and Penn State comes in at No. 12. The 4th ranked Huskers host undefeated 11th ranked Ohio State this Friday and Saturday at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Friday’s match begins at 6:00, while Saturday’s contest starts at 8:00.
Nebraska outside hitter Lexi Sun was named the Big Ten Player of the Week by the conference office on Monday. The senior led Nebraska to a pair of sweeps at Illinois over the weekend, averaging 5.17 kills per set while hitting .315. Sun tied her season high with 17 kills with six digs, three blocks and one ace in Friday’s win. She followed that up on Saturday with 14 kills with three digs and two blocks. This is her first career Big Ten Player of the Week award.
The Nebraska basketball teams are in Indy tomorrow for the start of the Big Ten Tournament. The men are playing at Lucas Oil Stadium, the women’s tourney is being played at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Husker men are the 14th seed and will face the 11th seed Penn State Wednesday night at approximately 7:45. The two teams split during the regular season. The winner will play Thursday evening against the 6th seed Wisconsin. The Husker women are the 8th seed and will play the 9th seed seed Minnesota Wednesday morning at 10:00. The Gophers topped the Huskers twice during the regular season. The winner will face the top seed Maryland Thursday at 10:00.
The Big Ten revealed their post season honors for women’s basketball Monday. The Huskers’ Sam Haiby earned second-team All-Big Ten honors. The junior guard led the Huskers in scoring (17.0 ppg), assists (4.5 apg) and steals (1.2 spg), and is the only player to rank among the top 12 in the conference in scoring (11th), rebounding (12th) and assists (8th). Joining Haiby on the All-Conference teams were senior post Kate Cain and sophomore forward Isabelle Bourne, who both earned an honorable-mention. Junior Bella Cravens earned NU’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
Three Big Ten teams are in the top five of the latest AP men’s basketball Top-25 Poll. Gonzaga is still No. 1, followed by Baylor, Illinois is now 3rd, Michigan dropped to No. 4, Iowa is 5th. Ohio State is 9th and Purdue is tied for 20th. Creighton dropped three spots to No. 17.
Creighton coach Greg McDermott has been reinstated for all team activities following a one-game suspension for racially insensitive comments he made to his players in late February. The decision allows McDermott to coach the Bluejays in this week’s Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Bluejays are the tourney’s No. 2 seed and will play the winner of the game between the No. 7 seed Xavier and the 10th-seed Butler, Thursday at 5:00.
The UNK softball team has seen its weekend schedule moved up due to rain and thunderstorms in the forecast. Riding a six-game winning streak, the Lopers will now begin MIAA play with a double header at Lincoln today starting at 11:00, and Central Missouri tomorrow at noon.
Boy’s Basketball State Tournament
CLASS A
– March 9 at Pinnacle Bank Arena
1:30 p.m.: No. 1 seed Millard North (24-2) vs. No. 8 Millard South (11-11)
4:00 p.m.: No. 4 Lincoln Pius X (18-3) vs. No. 5 Millard West (17-5)
6:15 p.m.: No. 2 Bellevue West (23-2) vs. No. 7 Lincoln East (10-12)
8:30 p.m.: No. 3 Omaha Creighton Prep (22-2) vs. No. 6 Papillion-La Vista South (15-9)
– Semifinals March 12:
MN-MS winner vs. LPX-MW winner, 6:15 p.m.
BW-LE winner vs. OCP-PS winner, 8:30.
– Final March 13: 7:00 p.m.
CLASS B
– March 9 at Pinnacle Bank Arena
9:00 a.m.: No. 1 seed Norris (18-2) vs. No. 8 Blair (11-11)
11:15 a.m.: No. 4 Platteview (20-4) vs. No. 5 Elkhorn (17-7)
– March 10 at Pinnacle Bank Arena
9:00 a.m.: No. 2 Omaha Skutt (18-4) vs. No. 7 Waverly (15-6)
11:15 a.m.: No. 3 Elkhorn Mount Michael (20-3) vs. Beatrice (16-6)
– Semifinals March 12:
N-B winner vs. PV-E winner, 1:30 p.m.
OS-W winner vs. EMM-B winner, 4:00.
– Final March 13: 2:00 p.m.
CLASS C-1
– March 10 at Pinnacle Bank Arena
1:30 p.m.: No. 1 seed Auburn (23-0) vs. No. 8 Pierce (21-4)
4:00 p.m.: No. 4 Omaha Concordia (21-4) vs. No. 5 Milford (26-0)
6:15 p.m.: No. 2 Kearney Catholic (23-2) vs. No. 7 Wayne (22-5)
8:30 p.m.: No. 3 Adams Central (24-2) vs. No. 6 St. Paul (23-2)
– Semifinals March 12:
A-P winner vs. OC-M winner, 9:00 a.m.
KC-W winner vs. AC-SP winner, 11:15.
– Final March 13: 10:45 a.m.
CLASS C-2
– March 10 at Lincoln Northeast
11:00 a.m.: No. 1 seed Grand Island CC (22-4) vs. No. 8 Tri County (20-5)
1:30 p.m.: No. 4 Freeman (21-4) vs. No. 5 Hartington CC (19-6)
4:00 p.m.: No. 2 Yutan (22-2) vs. No. 7 Chase County (16-8)
6:30 p.m.: No. 3 Bridgeport (24-2) vs. No. 6 BRLD (18-4)
– Semifinals March 11 at PBA:
GICC-TC winner vs. F-HCC winner, 6:15 p.m.
Y-CC winner vs. B-BRLD winner, 8:30.
– Final March 13: 8:45 p.m.
CLASS D-1
– March 10 at Lincoln Southeast
11:00 a.m.: No. 1 seed Burwell (24-0) vs. No. 8 Central Valley (17-6)
1:30 p.m.: No. 4 Howells-Dodge (18-8) vs. No. 5 Walthill (19-4)
4:00 p.m.: No. 2 Humphrey/LHF (19-5) vs. No. 7 Southern Valley (19-4)
6:30 p.m.: No. 3 North Platte St. Patrick’s (21-5) vs. No. 6 Ansley-Litchfield (20-4)
– Semifinals March 11 at PBA:
B-CV winner vs.HD-W winner, 1:30 p.m.
HLHF-SV winner vs. NPSP-AL winner, 4:00.
– Final March 13: 9:00 a.m.
CLASS D-2
– March 10 at Lincoln East
11:00 a.m.: No. 1 seed O’Neill St. Mary’s (22-2) vs. No. 8 Osceola (20-6)
1:30 p.m.: No. 4 Lincoln Parkview (25-1) vs. No. 5 Loomis (22-4)
4:00 p.m.: No. 2 Mullen (23-3) vs. No. 7 Falls City SH (17-7)
6:30 p.m.: No. 3 Humphrey SF (20-4) vs. No. 6 Wynot (19-7)
– Semifinals March 11 at PBA:
OSM-O winner vs. LP-L winner, 9:00 a.m.
M-FCSH winner vs. HSF-W winner, 11:15.
– Final March 13, 3:45 p.m.
Third-place games at Lincoln North Star:
– March 12,
D-2 at 9:00 a.m.
D-1 at 11:30 a.m.
C-2 at 2:00 p.m.
– March 13,
C-1 at 9:00 a.m.
