2014 SEASON RECAP
The Huskers defeated Utah, 3-2, in an NCAA Tournament second-round match to advance to the Sweet 16 for the 20th time in 21 years.
Huskers Reach Third Straight NCAA Regional Final
The Nebraska volleyball team finished 23-10 overall and 14-6 in the Big Ten, good for a fourth-place
finish. The Huskers reached their third straight NCAA Regional Final, joining Penn State, Stanford and
Texas as the only schools to reach the final eight in the past three years. The Huskers also accomplished
their nation-leading 20th trip to the Sweet 16 in the last 21 years. The Huskers opened their 33rd straight
NCAA Tournament with wins over Hofstra and Utah in Lincoln. NU went on to upset No. 3 Washington on
its home court in the Sweet 16, 3-1. The Huskers’ season came to an end in Seattle against No. 12 BYU, 3-0.
BYU went on to reach the National Championship match. Nebraska improved to 93-30 all-time in the NCAA
Tournament and 68-8 in home matches, including a 10-2 record at the Devaney Center.
Young Huskers Make Big Gains
Nebraska went into the 2014 season with its youngest team in school history with just one senior and 11
total underclassmen. No team ranked in the preseason AVCA Top 25 had fewer seniors than the Huskers.
Combined with the second-toughest schedule in the nation according to NCAA.com, the Huskers faced
adversity, which started when they dropped their first two matches to No. 13 Florida State and No. 3
Stanford at home. NU appeared to turn a corner with a 3-1 win against eventual national champion Penn
State on Oct. 3 at the Devaney Center, but the ups and downs continued as the Huskers went 3-4 over their
next seven matches. It was a pattern of strong play followed by a letdown. The win against Penn State was
followed by a 3-2 home loss to unranked Ohio State. The Huskers went on the road and won in a difficult
environment, 3-1 at Michigan State, but then tripped up by getting swept at Michigan. A 3-0 rebound win
against Northwestern was followed by a 3-1 home loss to Illinois. Finally, the Huskers produced an epic
five-set comeback win at No. 25 Minnesota, rallying from two sets down and a 13-16 hole in the third set
to win the match. But Wisconsin then swept the Huskers in Madison four days later. Things turned around
on Halloween. A 3-0 sweep at Rutgers sparked an eight-match win streak, only two of which required four
sets. The Huskers’ strong November continued even in a 3-2 loss at No. 11 Illinois. Despite drawing a 28-5
Hofstra squad and one of the hottest teams in the nation - Utah - in the NCAA Tournament first and second
rounds, the young Huskers were up to the challenge. Nebraska moved on to the Seattle Regional to play
No. 3 Washington, a match most pundits gave the Big Red little chance to win. But the Huskers’ schedule
had prepared them for the task at hand, and Pollmiller’s 52 assists, 12 digs and nine kills keyed a total team
effort. Four Huskers had at least 12 kills, led by Cecilia Hall’s 14 kills and postseason school-record .824
hitting percentage. Although the Huskers fell one win shy of the NCAA semifinals, the foundation was laid
for the Huskers to build on in 2015 with six starters slated to return.
Rolfzen Named AVCA Third-Team All-American
Kadie Rolfzen was named a third-team All-American for the second straight season. She earned the
Huskers’ nation-leading 77th AVCA All-America certificate and became the 27th Husker to earn multiple
honors in her career. Rolfzen led the Huskers in kills with 3.55 per set. Kelsey Fien and Mary Pollmiller were
each AVCA All-America honorable-mention selections. Rolfzen and Fien were also members of the All-Big
Ten Team.
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2015 NEBRASKA VOLLEYBALL
2014 Team Achievements
» Third Straight NCAA Regional Final
» 33rd Straight NCAA Tournament Appearance
» 20th Sweet 16 Appearance in Last 21 Years
» Ameritas Players Challenge Champions/Flyer-Raider Invite Champions
» Led Nation in Attendance for Second Consecutive Season (8,083)
» New Bob Devaney Sports Center Attendance Record
Under Current Configuration (8,585 vs. Penn State)
» Extended NCAA Record of 478 Consecutive Weeks in the AVCA Top 25 Poll
» Nation-leading 77 AVCA All-Americans
» .840 All-Time Winning Percentage (1,213-227-12)
2014 Leaders
Kills Per Set: Kadie Rolfzen (3.55)
Attack Percentage: Melanie Keil (.331)
Assists Per Set: Mary Pollmiller (10.26)
Blocks Per Set: Cecilia Hall (1.29)
Service Aces Per Set: Annika Albrecht (0.31)
Digs Per Set: Justine Wong-Orantes (3.85)
All-Tournament Teams
NCAA Tournament Seattle Regional
Mary Pollmiller
Kadie Rolfzen
Ameritas Players Challenge
Kelsey Fien
Mary Pollmiller
Amber Rolfzen
Kadie Rolfzen (MVP)
Justine Wong-Orantes
Flyer-Raider Invitational
Mary Pollmiller (MVP)
Kadie Rolfzen