VOLLEYBALL VOCABULARY!
The following terms are commonly used volleyball terminology, a quick read through this list will help you make your way through this article with ease!
Ace – A serve that results in an immediate point because the opposing team cannot return the ball
Defensive Specialist (DS) – A player who focuses on defense, often replacing front-row players to improve passing and digging
Setter – The player who sets up the offense by delivering the second touch to a hitter for an attack
Outside Hitter – A primary attacker who plays on the left side of the court and is responsible for both attacking and passing
Opposite Hitter – An attacker who plays on the right side of the court, often blocking the opponent’s outside hitter
Kill – An attack that is not returned by the opponent and results directly in a point
Middle Hitter – A front-row player who specializes in quick attacks and blocking in the center of the net
Block – A defensive move in which players jump at the net to stop or deflect an opponent’s attack.
Side Out – When the team receiving the serve wins the rally and gets the serve back from the opposing team
Slide Attack – An offensive play in which a middle hitter approaches along the net and attacks while moving sideways
Set (Game to 25) – One segment of a volleyball match in which a team must score 25 points and win by at least two points; to win, a team must win 3 sets
Dig – A defensive play where a player prevents the ball from hitting the court after an opponent’s attack
Tonight, number one ranked seed Nebraska faced off against number three ranked seed Texas A&M. The Nebraska Cornhuskers entered today’s match with everything stacked in their favor: a tremendous season demonstrated by a remarkable 33-0 record, and home-court advantage at the Bob Devaney Center, known for its record-breaking crowds of die-hard college students eager to show some school spirit. Nebraska’s reputation is intimidating, but Texas A&M did not cower in fear. In a pre-game interview with A&M’s head coach, Jamie Morrison, he simply stated that the Aggies were “not afraid of [Nebraska].” Morrison explained to the reporters that part of the team’s identity was “making people uncomfortable,” and testing the limits of their opponents by pushing them in different ways during the match (PFSN).
The stakes were very high for both teams in this match. For the Cornhuskers, this would get them one step closer to achieving their dream of winning the National Championship, a central goal since the 2023 recruiting class joined the team. These recruits include Laney Choboy (defensive specialist), Harper Murray (Outside Hitter), Bergen Reilly (setter), and Andi Jackson (Middle Hitter). All four of these girls were within the top 13 prospects for the 2023 recruiting class, and quickly became crucial members of the Nebraska starting line-up. As for the Aggies, winning this match would mean making program history. Never before had Texas A&M Volleyball made it to the Final Four. Led by four outstanding seniors, Logan Lednicky (Opposite Hitter), Ifenna Cos-Okpalla (Middle Hitter), Maddie Waak (setter), and Emily Hellmuth (Outside Hitter), the team was hungry for the win. Waak leads the nation in assists per set with an exceptional 11.49. Her contributions to the team are undeniably great, and without her, the Aggies would likely be in a much different position.
The game began much like how all the fans expected –Nebraska came out swinging. Fierce kills and a fast-paced offense run by Bergen Reilly allowed the Huskers to jump to an early 10-3 lead over the Aggies. They were able to terminate on the first seven of eight swings, and added in a block and an ace to seal the deal. Despite Nebraska’s momentous start, A&M did not let up. They fired right back, and went on a 10-0 scoring run, pushing them to a 13-10 lead. This was all thanks to senior Cos-Okpalla, whose serve was so aggressive that the Huskers couldn’t find an answer for it. She served rockets at them, and Nebraska struggled to find holes in the Aggies defense to attempt to side-out. Additionally, Andi Jackson, a key play maker for the Huskers, was unable to find the floor with her hits, leading to head coach Dani Busboom-Kelly turning to the bench and subbing in freshman Manaia Ogbechie to hopefully turn the game around. Reilly immediately went to Ogbechie on a slide attack, which sparked a 5-1 scoring run for Nebraska, pushing them within one at 21-20. Despite their momentary comeback, the Huskers could not hold on to the lead, and the set ended with an ace by Maddie Waak from the Aggies to finish the set 25-22 Texas A&M.
Nebraska’s struggles followed them into the second set. With newfound momentum from taking set one, the Aggies came out with even more fight than the previous set. The set was back and forth during the early points of set two, but A&M quickly found their footing and pushed ahead, thanks to two more aces from Waak. The A&M block destroyed the Nebraska offense, and the hitters were clearly struggling to find a solution. Andi Jackson was subbed out again for Ogbechie when the Aggies were up 19-15, but the substitution made no difference. A&M out-everything-ed Nebraska in this second set, winning the set 25-22. They had a higher hitting percentage of .286, compared to Nebraska’s .211, and six blocks compared to Nebraska’s zero blocks.
Knowing what was at stake, Nebraska amped their game up beginning in set three. They built up a decent lead, created by strong setter-hitter connection, and a pure, undeniable drive to win. It was clear while watching the game how much the Huskers wanted this. They worked their way up to a 10-5 lead, and despite the Aggies firing back, at times even pulling within one point, Nebraska came back with an answer, never losing their lead. Nebraska dominated, winning seven of the final ten rallies to win the set 25-20 and force a fourth set.
Enter the fourth set: a lot of trading points again at the beginning, similar to set two. However, the Aggies started pulling away after Nebraska had four straight errors, establishing a lead of 11-7. Lednicky was on fire, with three kills back to back that continued to push A&M farther in the lead. Ogbechie entered the game once again for the Huskers, who were then down 18-11, and immediately got a momentum shifting block, sending Nebraska on a 8-0 run, tying the game up at 19-19. From there, the game only got more intense. Almost never seen in volleyball, the set went past the normal 25 points, and into the 30s. Both teams put everything they had on the court, and Nebraska had eight different set points, but was unable to finish the set. Finally, after sixteen more ties, and five lead changes, Virginia Adriano on the right side won the set for Nebraska with a kill, 37-35.
With both teams tied two sets a piece, the teams entered a fifth set (that only goes to 15 points) to determine the winner of the match. The two teams battled to draw through the first ten rallies. The Aggies maintained their steadiness and strength, and still, the Huskers couldn’t seem to find a rhythm to get their offense moving. A&M was relentless and gradually started to take off, building a solid 12-7 lead. Nebraska kept on fighting. They pushed, pulling within one at 13-12. Cornhusker senior Rebekah Allick contributed two kills and Junior Laney Choboy dished an ace, but this effort wasn’t enough. A&M’s star Lednicky gave the Aggies the final push with two kills to win the match for Texas A&M, at 15-13.
In the post-game press conference with Dani Busboom-Kelly, Harper Murray, and Rebekah Allick, Murray gives credit to her team saying they “showed a lot of fight, and that’s something to be proud of.” Murray was a huge play maker for the Huskers, finishing the match with 25 kills, 9 digs, 3 aces, and 2 blocks. Additionally, Rebekah Allick went down swinging with 15 kills, 4 blocks, and 4 digs. “Bekka has put her heart and soul into this program… she’s leaving behind a great legacy and has so much to be proud of,” Murray says, speaking for Allick when the emotions of Allick’s final game as a Husker were too overwhelming for her (Hurrdat Sports).
Despite the unfortunate ending for Nebraska fans, the outcome of the rest of the tournament will certainly be intriguing. Many had speculated that the championship would be Nebraska’s, so now the trophy is anyone’s for the taking! The final four matches will be on December 18, between Pittsburgh and Texas A&M, and Wisconsin and Kentucky. May the best team win!
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Works Cited
Majumder, Agnijeeta. “Not Scared of Them” – Texas A&M Coach Makes Bold Statement Ahead of Massive Regional Final Showdown Against Nebraska Volleyball. PFSN, 14 Dec. 2025, www.profootballnetwork.com/olympics/texas-am-jamie-morrison-nebraska-volleyball-regional-finals/. Accessed 15 Dec. 2025.
Padilla, Jacob. Season Ends for No. 1 Nebraska Volleyball with Five-Set Loss to No. 3 Texas A&M. Hurrdat Sports, 14 Dec. 2025, hurrdatsports.com/hailvarsity/volleyball/season-ends-for-no-1-nebraska-volleyball-with-five-set-loss-to-no-3-texas-am/?utm_source Accessed 15 Dec. 2025.
