Nebraska Volleyball achieved a remarkable victory over Penn State in the ‘Black Out At the Bob’ match at the John Cook Arena on Friday. The Huskers won the game dominantly 3-0, with junior outside hitter Harper Murray boldly claiming it was her team’s most perfect performance of the season.
The victory marked the second instance this year that Murray’s side has swept the Nittany Lions, following their heartbreaking defeat to the latter in the NCAA semifinals last season.
What Is Murray’s Perspective Regarding Nebraska Volleyball’s Sweep Over Penn State?
Murray herself was one of the primary contributors in the Huskers’ victory on Friday, scoring 11 kills, while senior Rebekah Allick had nine. Bergen Reilly and Laney Choboy were standouts in their business as usual, finishing the game with 29 assists and 11 digs, respectively.
Statistically, too, Murray and Co. outperformed the reigning national champion in every category. Nebraska boasted a hitting percentage of .385, compared to Penn State’s .011, and the same was true for serve percentage, where Murray’s team registered .904 in comparison to the visiting team’s .829. Speaking of the victory in the press conference, Murray emphasized the need to maintain this performance in the upcoming games as well.
She said, “I feel like this game tonight was honestly probably the best we’ve played all year, like there were absolutely no cracks tonight. I feel like that just shows our potential, and that’s how we need to continue to play the next seven games. That was a great game, and we gotta keep that level of play for the next seven games.”
The Nebraska Huskers volleyball team has just one game remaining against Ohio State in the regular season. The game will take place on Saturday at the John Cook Arena, where Murray and her teammates will aim to secure a victory and finish their regular season unbeaten.
Murray Talks About Nebraska’s Consecutive Conference Championships
The Penn State game on Friday also served as a celebration for Nebraska to commemorate their 2025 Big Ten Championship title, providing a perfect stage for the team in front of their beloved fans. Following the celebrations, Murray, who has won the Conference title in each of her college years so far, shared her feelings about the achievement.
Murray lauded her team’s efforts to perform as they did, despite the coaching transition and roster adjustments. She said, “It obviously feels special. I think it’s special for Bergen, Andy, Laney, and me to share that together. Obviously our goal is always to go four for four, but I think it’s really cool and having so many changes within the process, like transfers, new coach, and everything, and the fact that we’re still able to win is impressive.”
Further in the conversation, Murray also mentioned the close bond that the Nebraska players share, noting that it has played a significant role in the team’s success despite the surrounding changes in management.