No. 1 Nebraska displayed each ability that’s made it a powerhouse program — the offense attacked each a part of the courtroom, protection by no means gave up on the ball and the followers confirmed up on the Galen Heart.
In entrance of a sellout crowd of 9,072, USC’s nine-match win streak got here to an finish with a straight-set loss to Nebraska (26-0, 16-0 Huge Ten).
“I simply felt like the sport was a bit too quick for us right now,” USC coach Brad Keller mentioned. “I believed it was sluggish for them and quick for us.”
The No. 17 Trojans by no means led and had been restricted to a 20% level scoring share all through the match. USC (20-6, 11-5) led in assaults, however its 16 errors had been pricey in the course of the 25-13, 25-16, 25-20 loss to the Cornhuskers.
USC’s Adonia Faumuina faucets the ball over the web towards Nebraska on the Galen Heart on Sunday.
(Kim Ly / USC Athletics)
“Nebraska is the true deal,” Keller mentioned. “They’re actually, actually good they usually confirmed that right now from level one to the very finish. They’re hitting .400 they usually held us all the way down to .156, that form of exhibits you a variety of the place they had been.
“Go Huge Crimson Nation deserves credit score they usually deserve the truth that they journey they usually help their staff.”
USC exterior hitters London Wijay, with 10 kills, and Adonia Faumuina, with 9 kills, saved the Trojans in as a lot as doable all through the three units. After a break, the Trojans got here out with some additional gusto to make issues a bit attention-grabbing for the Cornhuskers.
“We actually had nothing to lose,” Faumuina mentioned.
In the course of the match, Nebraska made 10 errors, with 5 unfold throughout the primary two units. The Huskers moved the ball rapidly across the courtroom and in the event that they made a mistake, the staff rapidly adjusted. Within the third set, a ball bounced within the air near the ground seats. Nebraska saved the ball and it later led to a kill by Virginia Adrian that put the Huskers three factors from closing out the sport.
Nebraska saved USC guessing, whereas exploiting the weaker USC again courtroom and capitalizing on attacking errors. All through the match, they saved hitting the ball to the again, often leading to a degree for them.
“There have been some performs they made that I haven’t seen shortly and that was regular for them,” Keller mentioned.
Because the Trojans look forward to their subsequent match towards Oregon on Wednesday, Keller doesn’t have a silver lining take-away from the loss.
“I like my staff, I don’t care what their age is,” Keller mentioned. “There must be an ordinary and we have to execute and if we don’t execute, we return to the drafting board, we work on these issues, we get higher and we execute.”
Wijay mentioned the loss uncovered how a lot tougher the Trojans should work to realize their targets.
“I don’t wish to brush off this loss,” Wijay mentioned. “I feel it’s good to make use of as gasoline for the following recreation. It was a great check to see how far we’re to get to that degree. And I really feel just like the silver lining is to ensure that we’re all gonna be within the fitness center working even tougher to ensure that we pursue the balls.”
“I feel it made me extra hungry to wish to win,” Wijay added.
