After the Nebraska Cornhuskers fell into a 0-sets-to-2 hole against No. 7 Kentucky, NU coach Dani Busboom Kelly decided to insert Olivia Mauch as the libero to replace Laney Choboy. To make the change, it wasn't as simple as putting the player in. The head coach had to send director of operations Lindsay Peterson to the locker room to get Mauch's red jersey. Since the new libero didn't have time to head to the locker room herself, Mauch's teammates surrounded her to allow her to quickly swap tops during a break in the action.
The moment seemingly allowed the volleyball team that was on the ropes to catch its breath and rally. Then Mauch helped stabilize the defense as the Huskers rallied for a 24-26, 20-25, 25-19, 25-23, 15-8 victory against the Wildcats on Sunday afternoon. The win kept Nebraska undefeated in the early going, with three of its four wins against Top 10 opponents.
"My team huddled around me and was like, You got it," Mauch said about when she switched jerseys for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. "They're so supportive. I really couldn't do it without them all." And her team couldn't have won a big match without her.
However, she wasn't the only star of the show. Harper Murray led the squad with a career high 23 kills for a .340 attack percentage. Bergen Reilly had 46 assists while also contributing a team-high 18 digs.
The Husker defense was able to hold the Wildcat offense to a .168 attack percentage, including a stifling -0.143 attack percentage in the fifth set.
The Nebraska Cornhuskers' schedule gets lighter from here on out. They'll be back in action on Friday, against Wright State in the Ameritas Players Challenge. The match will be Nebraska's season debut in the Bob Devaney Sports Center. They'll then take on California next Sunday.