Nebraska Downs Texas For Ncaa Volleyball Title

Nebraska upheld its No. 1 ranking Saturday by defeating Texas 11-15, 15-2, 15-7, 16-14 to capture the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball championship Saturday.

The Cornhuskers (32-1) won their 31st straight match to become only the second team east of California to take the title. The other was Texas, which won in 1988.

The Spokane Arena will play host to the 1997 women’s championship.

The Cornhuskers, who advanced to the title round with a 3-2 semifinal victory over Michigan State, won the title in the fourth game on Allison Weston’s block.

After the teams traded victories in the first two games, Nebraska grabbed a 2-1 lead with a solid victory in the third game. Leading 9-7, the Huskers won the next six points to run out the game, as Billie Winsett had eight kills and Kate Crnich seven.

Texas (28-7) took a quick 7-2 lead in the first game on three kills apiece by Demetria Sance and Sonya Barnes. Nebraska, later down 12-5, surged to 12-11 behind eight kills by Crnich before yielding. On the final point, the Huskers’ Christy Johnson sailed a defensive kill long.

The tenacious Huskers blew things open at 11-1 in the second game by scoring nine straight points. Crnich ended with three kills in the game.