The undefeated, #1 ranked Nebraska Huskers are about to hit their toughest stretch of the season, and it all kicks off Thursday night heading into Bloomington to face #15 Indiana. This ain’t some walk in the park, folks; after the Hoosiers, it’s straight back home to host #7 Wisconsin on Saturday.
Don’t Let the History Books Fool Ya: Indiana’s Different Now
Look, if you’re just glancing at the record books, you’d think this game is a guaranteed sweep. Nebraska’s straight-up dominated Indiana, holding a commanding 25-1 all-time record against them. Their *only* loss to the Hoosiers was way back in 1978, in their first-ever matchup. And since 2011, when these teams started meeting yearly, Nebraska has swept Indiana in 19 of their 24 conference games.
But pump the brakes, because this #15 Indiana squad (10-3 overall, 3-1 in Big Ten play) is showing some serious teeth this season. They just swept UCLA and Maryland, and get this: last Thursday, they took #7 Wisconsin to a grueling five-set battle. They were down 0-2, staring down a sweep, and clawed their way back to take sets three and four, pushing Wisconsin to a fifth. That’s grit, folks. They wrapped up that week with a solid 3-1 victory over Rutgers. This isn’t the Indiana that just folds; they’re coming in hot, and the Huskers better be ready for a fight. The game is set for Wilkinson Hall at 5:30 pm, and you can catch it on Big Ten Network.
Who’s Bringing the Fire for the Hoosiers?
So, who’s making this #15 Indiana team tick? Their offense runs through sophomore setter Tedora Krickovic. This phenom has nearly 1,800 career assists and is slinging about 10 assists per set. She just dropped a career-high 54 assists in that epic October 1st battle against Wisconsin.
On the hitting front, fifth-year opposite Avry Tatum, sophomore outside-hitter Jaiden Jager, and freshman outside-hitter Sara Snowbarger are leading the charge. Tatum put up 16 kills against Wisconsin and followed it with 12 against Rutgers. Jager was electric with 14 kills against Rutgers, and Snowbarger added 11 kills against Wisconsin. Keep an eye on the middle blockers too: fifth-year Kiki Granberry notched 11 kills and four blocks against Rutgers, while junior Ella Boersema slammed 8 kills and led the team with five blocks. This isn’t a one-person show; the Hoosiers have weapons…