NU Storms Back From Down 17 to Knock Off Wisconsin In OT

By Jacob Bigelow

If Wisconsin had the game in the bag, somebody forgot to tell Nebraska.

The Huskers rallied from a 17-point second-half deficit on Saturday at Pinnacle Bank Arena, pushed the game into overtime and dominated from there, winning 73-63.

Perhaps the only one more perplexed than the stunned Wisconsin players was Husker coach Fred Hoiberg, who was still trying to process the improbable comeback in his post-game media conference.

Asked for his initial thoughts, Hoiberg had no words.

“I can’t,” Hoiberg said with an ear-to-ear grin. “I’m just gonna get up and leave and say it was a lot of fun.” 

Yes it was. 

  • It was NU’s largest come-from-behind win since 2013 (Iowa, 19 points).
  • It was NU’s third-largest comeback since the start of the 1996-97 season.
  • It was NU’s largest second-half comeback since at least 1997-98.

Down 35-24 at halftime, things looked bleak for the Huskers. At that point, they were 1 of 8 from 3-point range and had only one assist.

The hole only got deeper to start the second half. Wisconsin started with an 8-2 run and took its biggest lead at 43-26 with 17 minutes to play. 

Husker fans who turned the channel would be kicking themselves by Saturday evening. 

Keisei Tominga splashed back-to-back 3-pointers. Derrick Walker made a lay-up. Sam Griesel capitalized on an and-one. Blaise Keita scored his only points of the game. Tominaga again hit back-to-back 3s.

Suddenly, NU had its first lead of the game.

It was all part of a 20-2 run that stretched into overtime. The Huskers (12-14, 5-10 Big Ten) finished on a 12-0 run and outscored Wisconsin (14-10, 6-8) 12-2 in overtime.

Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said his team got what it deserved.

“I was really brutally honest with them,” he said of his locker room address. “It was Jekyll and Hyde between who we were in the first half defensively (and) who we were in the second half.”

The Badgers’ sin, he said, was allowing Tominaga, who scored 17 of his 22 points after halftime, to catch fire.

“It started with too much fouling,” Gard said. “We fouled too much in the first half. That gives the team confidence to get to the free throw line and then Tominaga – I’ll give him credit, he’s had some tough shots, but it’s not surprising because that’s how he plays.”

But it wasn’t a one-man show.

  •  Griesel stuffed the stat sheet with 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
  • Walker scored 18 points, grabbed eight rebounds and often had his way down low against Badger big men. Example: He had six of Nebraska’s 12 points in overtime.
  • Jamarques Lawrence scored 11 points, and his athleticism was a clear problem for Wisconsin guards.

Who got the gameball?

Blaise Keita.

Little used to this point – Keita had played just 22 minutes since Dec. 29 because of an ankle injury – the big-man clocked almost 23 minutes, all in the second half or overtime, pulling down a game-high 11 rebounds to go with two steals and two points.

“I’m so proud of him,” Hoiberg said. “He’s a guy that has gone through a lot this year with the injuries. He got hurt in the Queens game with a high-ankle sprain. He has really struggled with that from a timing standpoint.”

That may be about to change.

For the first time, Hoiberg played his two bigs together, sliding the 6-foot-9 Walker to the 4 spot and playing the 6-11 Keita at the 5.

“We have been working on the big-big lineup for this exact situation, when (the opponent) had two good post players. It allowed us to go one-on-one in the post.”

Wisconsin, which gets much of its work done down low, had no answer – Nebraska outrebounded the Badgers 43-37 – and Walker went to work offensively, most notably in overtime.

“We were in a close game,” Walker said. “We were in overtime and someone needed to score. … Whether it is me or somebody else I am just happy we capitalized on our moments and did what we had to do to finish the game.”

Evans Headed To San Diego

By Lincoln Arneal

After playing the past three years at the San Diego of the Big Ten, Anni Evans will spend her final two seasons of eligibility at actual San Diego. 

The 5-foot-9 setter announced on her Instagram Friday that she would join the Toreros after she earns her undergraduate degree in May. 

Gabby Blossom, who transferred from Penn State, guided the Toreros to their most successful season in program history. USD went 31-2, reaching the national semifinals before falling to eventual national champion Texas. 

San Diego returns 5-foot-6 senior Alex Hoglund and 6-foot redshirt senior Isadora Tercariol. Hoglund played in 33 matches last season, primarily as a serving specialist and only recorded 2 assists. Tercariol did not appear in a game in 2022. 

Evans played in 27 matches as a junior for Nebraska, which used a 6-2 system for most of the season. She averaged 4.37 assists per set as the Huskers’ second setter. The Waverly graduate also added 158 digs.

Her best match came in the second match of the year as she tallied 36 assists against Tulsa, running the offense solo in an NU sweep. Her next best performance came against Creighton with 25 assists. She recorded at least 20 assists in two of the three postseason matches. 

As a sophomore, Evans was used as a serving specialist appearing in 23 matches and recording 10 aces. She played 15 sets over nine matches during her freshman campaign. 

Evans earned the NCAA Elite 90 award at the 2021 Final Four as the student-athlete with the highest GPA. In addition, she was named to the Academic Big Ten list twice for indoor volleyball and was on the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team in 2021.

Playing the Portal Game

By Lincoln Arneal

It’s been less than two months since Texas defeated Louisville for the national championship in Omaha, but during that time, player movement has happened at a non-stop pace. 

Ohio State saw an exodus of talent after its season ended the same way it began – with a loss to Texas. Meanwhile, Penn State remade its team for Katie Schumacher-Cawley’s second season as head coach. The movement is not over as players will continue to find new homes during the second transfer window in May, plus a few key players are still in the portal looking for their next destination. 

A month into the spring semester, some of the dust has settled enough to take stock of the portal movement of several teams in the Big Ten and around the nation. These assessments do not consider incoming freshmen or players who have exhausted eligibility. We’ll take a more extensive review of roster changes come summer. 

BIG WINNERS 

Penn State

Gained from the portal: Mac Podraza, Gr., S, from Ohio State; Jess Mruzik, Jr., OH, from Michigan; Camryn Hannah, Jr., OH, from Clemson; Ally Van Eekeren, Gr., S, from High Point; Lina Perugini, Gr., L, from Coastal Carolina.

Lost to the portal: Katie Hurta, So., S/OPP, to Clemson; Erika Williams, So., MB/RS, undecided.

The Nittany Lions might be this year’s winner of the portal. They added Podraza, the Big Ten’s top setter from a year ago, who will upgrade the Nittany Lions’ attack. She could have an impact similar to that of former PSU player Gabby Blossom at San Diego. Van Eekeren was the Big South setter for the year, adding solid depth to the position. Mruzik is a two-time all-Big Ten performer and instantly becomes their best attacker. Camryn Hannah earned All-ACC second-team honors, and she should slide in at opposite, while Zoe Weatherington and Anjelina Starck compete for the other outside hitter spot. 

Wisconsin

Gained: Temi Thomas-Ailara, Gr., OH, from Northwestern; Carter Booth, So., MB, from Minnesota.

Lost: Jade Demps, Jr., OH, to LSU; Liz Gregorski, Jr., OH, to Kansas State; Anna MacDonald, Gr., L/DS, to Dayton.

Is it possible for a team to have too many attackers? Even after losing Demps, the Badgers still have an impressive outside hitter group. All-American Thomas-Ailara joins Sarah Franklin, who transferred from Michigan State a year ago, and Julia Orzol, both juniors. Even after losing Danielle Hart in the middle, UW will be well-stocked. Booth will battle with Caroline Crawford, Anna Smrek and Devyn Robinson for court time, with the latter two also playing opposite. Even if Wisconsin sticks with a 6-2 system, someone will be left out of the regular rotation. But it’s good to be Kelly Sheffield and deal with having too much talent. 

Oregon

Gained: Gabby Gonzales, Gr., OH, from Ohio State; Kara McGhee, Gr., MB, from Baylor; Onye Ofoegbu, Sr., MB, from UC Irvine

Lost: Kiari Robey, Jr., MB, to Florida State

The team that knocked out the Huskers has remade the middle of its lineup. After losing Robey to the portal, the Ducks added a pair of middle blockers in McGhee and Ofoeghbu, who were named all-conference in the Big 12 and Big West, respectively. Those two will compete with senior Karson Bacon for time in the middle. Oregon also found a replacement for Brooke Nuneviller in former Buckeye Gonzales. The Ducks should contend for the Pac-12 title with their other returning pieces. 

ONE-HIT WINNERS 

Nebraska 

Gained: Merritt Beason, Jr., OPP, from Florida.

Lost: Anni Evans, Gr., S, undecided

The Huskers hit the portal quickly after its starting opposite hitter Whitney Lauenstein decided to step away from the sport. They found a ready-made replacement in Beason less than a week after the season ended. She will provide plenty of firepower, passing and leadership for the Huskers on the right pin. NU also loses Anni Evans but still has two scholarship setters on the roster. Evans hasn’t yet announced her next school but has been taking visits and will join her new program after she earns her undergrad degree in May. 

Texas

Gained: Jenna Wenaas, Jr., OH, from Minnesota.

Lost: Melanie Parra, Jr., OH, to TCU; DeAndra Pierce, So., MB, to Georgia Tech.

After going all in on the portal a year ago, the Longhorns took a much more measured approach this season. Wenaas is a solid addition. No one can replicate Logan Eggleston, but she’ll form an excellent attacking duo with Madisen Skinner. With Asjia O’Neal, Bella Bergmark and Molly Phillips returning, UT will put up a strong title defense. Parra provided quality depth last year and had a crucial kill in the national championship match but totaled just 64 kills on the season. Pierce only appeared in one match during two seasons.

Louisville

Gained: Charitie Luper, Jr., OH, from UCLA.

Lost: Paige Morningstar, So., S, to Cal; Nena Mbonu, Gr., OH, to Houston; Sydni Schetnan, So., OH, to South Dakota State.

The national runners-up lost a lot of firepower from last year, but Luper will try to spark the offense next to Anna DeBeer. She averaged more than three kills per set for the Bruins last season. If Wahoo native Elle Glock can step in and run the offense, the Cardinals will fight for another ACC crown.

LOSERS 

Ohio State

Gained: None

Lost: Mac Podraza; Gabby Gonzales; Kylie Murr, Gr., L, to Minnesota; Jenaiysa Moore, Gr., OH, to Tennessee; Adria Powell, Gr., MB, to Clemson

It was a rough off-season for the Buckeyes, who said goodbye to five seniors who elected to use their bonus year of eligibility elsewhere. OSU dealt with a brutal scholarship crunch which it hopes will be offset by PrepVolleyball.com’s No. 5 recruiting class which features five Top 100 prospects. 

Minnesota

Gained: Kylle Murr

Lost: Carter Booth, Jenna Wenaas

The Gophers found their replacement for CC McGraw with Murr, the Big Ten defensive player of the year last season. However, the attack took a step back, losing Booth and Wenaas. The latter was shifted to opposite hitter with the emergence of McKenna Wucherer. The good news for new coach Keegan Cook is Taylor Landfair is back. 

Michigan

Gained: None

Lost: Mruzik, Jess Robinson, Gr., MB, to Duke; May Pertofsky, Gr., OPP, undecided

Northwestern

Gained: Julia Sangiacomo, Gr., OH, from Santa Clara.

Lost: Temi Thomas-Ailara, Hanna Lesiak, Gr., OH, to Long Beach State; Desiree Becker, Gr., MB, to UCLA; Grace Reininga, L/DS, undecided; Abryanna Cannon, Gr., OH/OPP, undecided.

It was a rough transfer season for the Wolverines and Wildcats. Michigan will get a hard reset under new coach Erin Virtue as it lost its top three attackers, who also doubled as the top blocker and second-best passer. Likewise, Northwestern will be without three of its top four attackers and best blocker. The path to the top half got a little more challenging for two teams that finished in the middle of the Big Ten pack. 

Still in the Portal

The best player left in the portal might be Texas Tech outside hitter Kenna Sauer. After earning All-Big 12 honors twice, she will look for a new home for her final year. Teams looking for help at the pins can look to outside hitter Iman Isanovic from Arizona State and USC opposite Emilia Weske, both of whom are looking for new homes.

At libero, Maryland’s Milan Gomillion and Missori’s Leandra Mangual-Duran could each boost a school’s back row. As mentioned above, Anni Evans and May Pertofsky are also looking for new homes.