Friday Morning Sports – Husker Volleyball Heartbroken in Five Sets, Loper Women Edged by Griffons, Nebraska Football Hires New Defensive Coordinator, Griner Returns to U.S., Mayfield Magic Continues, Friday Sports Preview

HUSKER VOLLEYBALL FALLS IN FIVE SETS TO DUCKS:

The No. 7 Nebraska volleyball team had its season come to an end with a five-set loss to No. 9 Oregon in an NCAA regional semifinal on Thursday at the KFC Yum! Center.

The Huskers finished the season at 26-6 and had their nation-leading streak of 10 straight NCAA regional final appearances come to an end. 

Lindsay Krause led Nebraska with 16 kills and added a career-high six blocks. Ally Batenhorst (15 kills) and Whitney Lauenstein (12) produced double-figure kills, while Batenhorst, Nicklin Hames and Anni Evans each produced double-doubles. Kaitlyn Hord led the Huskers with nine blocks and Lexi Rodriguez led NU with 18 digs.

The loss to Oregon snapped Nebraska’s 10-match winning streak in NCAA Regional Semifinals, which was the nation’s longest active streak.

With the loss, the Huskers failed to advance to an NCAA Regional Final for the first time since 2011 and for just the fourth time in 23 seasons under John Cook.

LOPER WOMEN FALL SHORT TO GRIFFONS:

The Missouri Western State Griffons used a balanced offensive attack and a zone defense to hold off No. 22/24 Nebraska Kearney, 68-65, Thursday night in St. Joseph.

MWSU improves to 7-3 (2-1) while the Lopers (9-2, 2-1) see an eight-game win streak to come an end. The Griffs ended UNK’s season this past March in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, 72-59.  

Trinity Law scored a season-high 20 thanks to 6 of 15 (4 of 10 threes) shooting.

UNK hosts MWSU on Saturday, Jan. 28. They visit Northwest Missouri this Saturday; the Bearcats were off tonight as they host Fort Hays State on Sunday afternoon due to Winter Commencement.

NEBRASKA HIRES NEW DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR FROM SYRACUSE:

Nebraska reportedly has its new defensive coordinator.

Tony White, who’s in his third season at Syracuse, is set to join Matt Rhule’s first staff at NU. 

White runs a 3-3-5 defense and has emerged as one of the top ACC coordinators. The 43-year-old White hasn’t previously coached with Rhule.

Syracuse ranked 35th nationally in scoring defense, allowing 22.7 points per game. The Orange were 29th in total defense, surrendering 338.8 yards per game. They ranked 19th against the pass and 68th against the rush.

GRINER BACK IN UNITED STATES AFTER RUSSIA SWAP:
American basketball star Brittney Griner returned to the United States early this morning after being freed in a high-profile prisoner exchange following nearly 10 months in detention in Russia.

The deal, which saw her swapped for notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout, secured the release of the most prominent American detained abroad and achieved a top goal for President Joe Biden. But the U.S. failed to win freedom for another American, Paul Whelan, who has been jailed for nearly four years.

Griner is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, Baylor University All-American and Phoenix Mercury pro basketball star. Her status as an openly gay Black woman, locked up in a country where authorities have been hostile to the LBGTQ community, injected racial, gender and social dynamics into her legal saga and brought unprecedented attention to the population of wrongful detainees.

MAYFIELD MAGIC CONTINUES IN LOS ANGELES; UPSETTING RAIDERS ON TNF:

Baker Mayfield was waived by Carolina on Monday and claimed by the Los Angeles Rams on Tuesday. After a cross-country flight, he got one short practice with his new team on Wednesday.

And on Thursday night, Mayfield led the Rams to two late fourth-quarter touchdowns and a stunning 17-16 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, capped by a 23-yard scoring pass to Van Jefferson with 10 seconds left.

Just two days after the Rams (4-9) claimed him, Mayfield went 22 of 35 for 230 yards — and eventually snapped the defending Super Bowl champions’ six-game losing streak in dramatic style.

NFL SCORES/SCHEDULES:

Thursday:

Los Angeles Rams 17-16 Las Vegas Raiders

Local Results & Schedules:

THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:

THURSDAY:

• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • Wrestling: Triangular v. GICC & North Platte St. Pats
    • POSTPONED
• UNK:
  • Women’s Basketball: @ Missouri Western, St. Joe, MO 
    • MWSU 68-65 UNK

FRIDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Wrestling: @ Council Bluffs Wrestling CLassic Tournament @ Mid-America Center
  • Wrestling: Lincoln Northeast Tournament – 2 PM
  • Girls Basketball: v. Lincoln High – 5:15 PM @ Kearney High School
    • KGFW Pregame at 5 PM
  • Boys Basketball: v. Lincoln High – 7 PM @ Kearney High School
    • KGFW Pregame after GBB contest
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • Wrestling: @ Wood River – 10 AM
  • Girls Basketball: v. Ord – 5:30 PM
  • Boys Basketball: v. Ord – 7:30 PM
• UNK:
  • M/W T&F: v. UNK Pre-Holiday Classic @ Cope Coliseum
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Kearney High Girls Basketball v. Lincoln High (5 PM – 7 PM)
  • Kearney High Boys Basketball v. Lincoln High (7 PM – 9 PM)

SATURDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Wrestling: @ Council Bluffs Wrestling CLassic Tournament @ Mid-America Center
  • Girls Basketball: @ Omaha Northwest – 1 PM
    • KGFW Pregame at 12:45 PM
  • Boys Basketball: @ Omaha Northwest – 2:45 PM
    • KGFW Pregame after GBB contest
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • N/a
• UNK:
  • Women’s Basketball: @ Northwest Missouri State @ Maryville, MO – 1:30 PM
  • Men’s Basketball: @ Northwest Missouri State @ Maryville, MO – 3:30 PM
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Kearney High Girls Basketball @ Omaha Northwest (12:45 PM – 2:45 PM)
  • Kearney High Boys Basketball @ Omaha Northwest (2:45 PM – 4:45 PM)
  • Nebraska Women’s Basketball v. Samford (5:45 PM – 9 PM)

SUNDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • N/a
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • N/a
• UNK:
  • Wrestling: @ Fort Hays State Open @ Hays, KS – 9 AM
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • N/a