Nebraska Volleyball is a name that speaks for itself. Just a few days ago, the Huskers cemented their dominance with a sweep of Indiana, securing their 40th consecutive home victory over three seasons. This remarkable streak is the longest in the country and the Huskers’ most impressive since their 88-game run from 2004 to 2009. On that Saturday, second-ranked Nebraska came alive, unleashing a potent offense paired with a suffocating defense to dominate Indiana 25-12, 25-17, 25-19 at the Devaney Sports Center. With 45 kills to Indiana’s 29, 6 blocks to 4, and 49 digs to 43, the Huskers were in full control.

But that’s not all! Before this milestone, Nebraska Volleyball had already claimed their 22nd straight win this season, toppling No. 16 Minnesota in a thrilling 25-12, 22-25, 25-22, 25-19 victory. And in the midst of it all, one Husker stood out—Bergen Reilly—a setter by trade, delivered a career-high six kills, 20 digs, and four blocks, putting on an all-around show. But it was a jaw-dropping block against Minnesota that truly stole the spotlight, leaving fans and teammates in awe. That stellar play? Well, it didn’t go unnoticed. Bergen’s sensational performance earned her yet another well-deserved honor!

On November 18, Lincoln Arneal, the Nebraska volleyball reporter for HIllustrated, shared some exciting news on X that had fans buzzing. Bergen Reilly has claimed yet another honor, earning her fourth Big Ten Setter of the Week award of the season. Arneal’s post read, “Bergen Reilly wins another Big Ten Setter of the Week Award, her fourth of the season. She averaged 10.71 assists and 3.86 digs per set in victories over No. 16 Minnesota and Indiana last week. She set a career-high 20 digs and 6 kills against the Gophers.”

Lincoln reposted Nebraska Volleyball’s post, which they captioned: “Butter Bergie. For the fourth time this season, @BergenReilly is your @B1GVolleyball SOTW!” It’s clear—Bergen’s brilliance is impossible to ignore.

After Bergen Reilly had a killer performance in Nebraska’s 3-1 win over Minnesota, dishing out 40 assists and setting career highs with 20 digs and six kills, she made history as the first Husker setter to hit at least 40 assists, 20 digs, and five kills in a match since rally scoring began in 2001. Then she followed it up with 35 assists and seven digs in a sweep of Indiana. In total, she tallied 75 assists, 27 digs, eight kills, seven blocks, and one ace for the week.

The sophomore from Sioux Falls, S.D., has now been named Big Ten Setter of the Week eight times in her career. As of Monday, she’s leading the Big Ten and sitting sixth nationally in assists per set (11.09), and she’s one of the top attacking setters out there. All this has earned her a spot as one of 14 semifinalists for the 2024 Division I Player of the Year Award. But even with all these amazing wins and shining stars, there’s still one curse that Nebraska volleyball just can’t seem to break.

The 2nd place curse continues for Nebraska volleyball

Yep, you heard that right! There’s this one thing that Nebraska Volleyball just can’t crack, no matter how many victories they rack up—and it’s that elusive AVCA top ranking! It all started last month when, for the first time this season, the rankings slipped a bit. Despite their unstoppable momentum, the Huskers found themselves holding on to the second spot, just behind Pittsburgh. But wait, the plot thickens! When the rankings rolled around again on November 4, Nebraska stood strong at second, while Pittsburgh remained comfortably at the top. Even though Nebraska grabbed 11 first-place votes—two more than in October—it wasn’t enough to claim that top spot.

And for the seventh week running, despite snagging 12 first-place votes, the Huskers are still locked out of the coveted number-one position, with Pittsburgh staying snug in the lead. The chase is on, but that elusive top spot remains just out of reach. And here they are again, Nebraska Volleyball, still holding strong at No. 2 in the AVCA rankings, trailing behind No. 1 Pittsburgh. The Huskers (26-1, 16-0 B1G) have been absolutely crushing it, breezing through their conference challenges last week. They snagged the “$5 Broken Bits of Chair Trophy“ with a four-set victory over Minnesota on Thursday, followed by a dominant sweep of unranked Indiana on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Pittsburgh (25-1, 15-1 ACC) has kept its winning streak alive, sweeping conference foes No. 22 Florida State and (RV) Miami. Nebraska kept its 12 first-place votes, matching their season-high from last week. The Huskers have only dropped five sets in Big Ten play this season, and they’ve shown serious grit, surviving a five-set thriller against No. 8 Purdue on Oct. 11. Their current 23-match win streak includes victories over ranked teams like No. 6 Wisconsin, No. 8 Purdue, No. 13 Oregon, No. 16 Minnesota, and No. 21 USC.

But that’s not all. Nebraska’s list of conquests also includes No. 3 Louisville, No. 5 Creighton, No. 7 Stanford, No. 9 Arizona State, No. 12 Kentucky, and No. 22 TCU—11 wins against ranked opponents. They’ve even taken down Washington, which earned votes in this week’s poll. Despite all these massive victories, the chase for that elusive No. 1 spot continues for the scarlet and cream.