LINCOLN, Neb. – Senior opposite Morgan Boukather had a career day as the third-ranked Stanford women’s volleyball team swept No. 7 Nebraska, 25-17, 25-17, 25-19, Sunday, at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln, Neb.
Boukather, a human biology major from Newport Beach, Calif., tied her career high with 13 kills on a .417 hitting percentage, while racking up a career-best 18 digs. Junior outside hitter Jordan Burgess led all players with 14 kills and 12 digs, while junior middle blocker Inky Ajanaku added 10 kills on a .500 hitting percentage.
Junior setter Madi Bugg registered 46 assists to go with four kills and eight digs as she controlled the offense. Senior libero Kyle Gilbert finished with 13 digs and three assists. Redshirt freshman Merete Lutz out of Houston, Texas made her collegiate debut, entering the match in the first set.
Stanford rolled to a 2-0 lead over Nebraska heading into intermission. However, the Huskers came out fighting in the third, forcing the Cardinal to come-from-behind to capture the win. It marked the first time the Cardinal and Huskers had played since 2008, and it was the first Stanford win since 2001.
Stanford hit .365 as a team, while holding Nebraska to a .131 clip. The Huskers were led offensively by junior outside hitter Kelsey Fien, who tallied nine kills. Defensively, sophomore Amber Rolfzen totaled 10 digs.
Stanford returns home next week to play host to top-ranked and defending national champion Penn State on Friday, Sept. 5. The match will be televised live on the Pac-12 Networks at 6 p.m. PT. The Cardinal will also face No. 11 Illinois on The Farm on Sunday, Sept. 7 at 11 a.m. PT.