LAS VEGAS — The Nebraska volleyball team opened its 2026 season in style, sweeping UNLV 25-18, 25-15, 25-16 on Saturday evening at T-Mobile Arena as part of the Players Era Showcase.
Harper Murray led the Huskers with 11 kills while hitting .364, while Teraya Sigler and Andi Jackson each added eight kills. Sigler terminated at a .467 clip to go with an ace and four blocks, and Jackson posted a .600 hitting percentage with two aces and five blocks. Senior setter Bergen Reilly was everywhere, dishing 32 assists to go with five kills on six swings, 10 digs, three blocks and an ace.
The Huskers jumped out to an 8-2 lead in the first set thanks to a six-point run that featured two blocks from Sigler and Jackson. UNLV fought back to within 18-16, but Nebraska answered with another 6-0 burst, capped by a Sigler ace. She tallied five kills in the set on nine errorless swings.
Set two started quickly for Nebraska again, aided by five straight Rebel errors and two blocks from Jackson and Murray. Sophomore Keri Leimbach made her official debut after redshirting last season, recording a dig and an assist on a Bergen Reilly kill in her first rally. Jackson fueled a 4-0 run with two kills, then later added an ace as the Huskers held UNLV to just seven kills in the set.
After a 5-1 start in the third set, Nebraska extended its lead to 15-5 on a 6-0 run with Jackson serving. Coach Dani Busboom Kelly emptied the bench, giving playing time to Ryan Hunter, Skyler Pierce, Kenna Cogill and Keoni Williams.
The win sets up a marquee Sunday matchup: No. 1 Nebraska against No. 2 Texas at 2:30 p.m. CT on FOX. It will be the first meeting between the rivals since the 2023 national championship, when the Longhorns swept the Big Red in Tampa. Nebraska holds a 33-25 all-time edge in the series.
Sunday is believed to be the 43rd time No. 1 has played No. 2 overall and the 34th in the regular season. The Huskers are 3-3 all-time in 1 vs. 2 matchups, and current Big Ten teams have been involved in 34 of the 43 such matches.
Nebraska comes into the weekend as the AVCA preseason No. 1, receiving 57 first-place votes. The Huskers also captured the inaugural Spikes Under the Lights title on Thursday, sweeping No. 17 Florida and No. 11 SMU at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. That exhibition event paid out $350,000 to the winner.
Saturday’s opener marked the first all-time meeting between Nebraska and UNLV. The Huskers have now won seven consecutive season openers since a four-set loss to Florida in 2018.
