Rising Illinois set to challenge Big Ten leaders Nebraska

No team in the Big Ten women’s volleyball conference has been able to stop Nebraska yet this season and the next ones to give it a try will be Illinois, who face the Cornhuskers on the road on Friday, at 19:00 local time (00:00 GMT, Saturday).

This will be one of three Big Ten matches streamed live for VBTV subscribers around the world this week, alongside the duels between Washington and Maryland, on Saturday, at 19:00 local time (2:00 GMT, Sunday), and Oregon and Rutgers, on Sunday, at 13:00 local time (20:00 GMT).

• Watch the Big Ten Conference matches live and on demand on VBTV

Five-time NCAA champions Nebraska have been one of the teams to beat in the American collegiate league this system, registering 18 wins and just one loss so far in the season. They are undefeated in their last 15 encounters, including their first eight Big Ten conference matches.

The team has been counting on strong play from sophomore setter Bergen Reilly, fifth in assists (309) and second in assists per set (11.44), sophomore outside hitter Harper Murray, 19^th in kills (93), and senior libero Lexi Rodriguez, ninth in digs (108), to dominate their conference opponents.

Nebraska and Illinois already met once this season, on October 3, and the Cornhuskers had no trouble completing their sweep, but the Fighting Illini have made great strides in the last three weeks.

When the teams first met, Illinois were yet to win a set in Big Ten play. After that encounter however, they seem to have found their form, winning five straight matches and dropping just three sets to move up to eighth place in the conference standings, with five wins and three losses.

Graduate student outside hitter Raina Terry, seventh in kills (118), redshirt junior setter Brooke Mosher, third in aces (19) and 12^th in assists (235), and redshirt sophomore middle blocker Cari Bohm, 12^th in blocks (34), have been playing big roles in the team’s good form.

After playing Nebraska, Illinois will head to Iowa City to face Iowa on Sunday, at 14:00 local time (19:00 GMT), while the Cornhuskers stay home to host Michigan on Saturday, at 19:00 local time (0:00 GMT, Sunday).

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