■Uflfatl
Clockwise from top left
TONIA TAUKE embraces Nikki Henk
Saturday after the Huskers survived
a five-game battle against No. 7
Pacific, winning the fifth game 17
15. Phete by Matt Miller/DN
USA REITSMA hammers an attack
against Arkansas Friday night,
ilolhwa was named, to the all-tour
nmnaut foam along wRh teammate
Fiona Nope. Phete by Matt
Miller/DN
DENISE KOZIOL digs the ball In the <
game against Pacific Saturday
night. This weekend marked
KadePs first-ever matches at the NO
Coliseum, Phete by Matt Miller/DN
NANCY MEENDERIND (left) Jokes
with fellow freshman AnglnjDxley on
the Bench Friday
*«*»«*•
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IMIH ■■ lilM *
mmis. nroiony mau miiiOT/ftiii
THE NEBRASKA PET BAND swings
into motion Satnrday night as NU
faces Pacific. Photo by Ryan
Soderlin/DN
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By Andrew Strnad
Staff Reporter
While most fans will remember
the First Bank Invitational for
Nebraska’s five-game thriller over
Pacific on Saturday night, none of
theTIusker players will forget
Friday night’s exciting five-game
win over Arkansas.
The 25th-Tanked Razorbacks
pushed the Huskers to the edge,
but couldn’t push them over as NU
won 15-5,12-15,15,11,16-14,1.5
13.
“Both teams, I don’t think,
could have played harder.”
Nebraska coach Terry Pettit said.
The 2 Vi-hour match climaxed
in the fifth game with the Huskers
trailing 10-9 in rally scoring.
Nebraska faced *he prospect of
going down 11-9 with the ball
falling to the ground* but Husker
setter Fiona Nepo dove to the
ground and hit the ball into the net.
Middle blocker Tonia Tauke then
played Nepo’s ball off the net and
fisted it over. Outside hitter Lisa
Reitsma then blocked an Arkansas
attack, giving the Huskers the
point and tying the game at 10.
“I didn’t think I was going to be
able to get up.” Nepo said. “I was
like ‘Oh, there’s the ball,’ and I got
the ball up and just hoped that
Tonia could get it over.”
Tauke said she knew Nepo
would get to the ball.
“I was just sitting their watch
ing (Nepo) hit the ball into the net
,and I knew I was going to get to it.
But if it wasn’t for Reitsma's
Mock, we wouldn’t have gotten the
point.” Tauke Mid.
That point was clearly the turn*
ing point in the match as the
Hiiskers woke up a stunned
Coliseum crowd of4,066.
Alter that point the Huskers
never trailed. Sophomore Nikki
Henk served three consecutive
points to give the Huskers a 13-10
lead.
: Then on the Huskers third
match point, outside hitter Mandy
Monson put away the Razorbacks
with a kill to give the Huskers the
15-13 victory.
The five-game match was the
Huskers’ second in a row, the first
time that has happened since the
end of thel988 season. Nebraska
played Florida in the finals of the
Suntrust Invitational on Aug. 31,
but lost in die fifth game.
On Saturday, NU won another
five-game match over Pacific, and
improved its five-game match
record to 18-7 this decade.
Despite the Huskers’ stellar
record in five-game matches,
Pettit would liked to have seen a
shorter match.
“(Fivje-game matches) teach
you some things.” Pettit said.
“Man, I Could go for a good three
game match.”