CNT Sports // Football & Volleyball // NRG CN
NEBRASKA VOLLEYBALL SWEEPS PITT; CHAMPIONSHIP TILT SUNDAY WITH TEXAS:
The No. 1 Nebraska volleyball team advanced to the program’s 11th NCAA Final with an impressive sweep of fellow No. 1 seed Pittsburgh in an NCAA Semifinal match Thursday night at Amalie Arena in Tampa.
The Huskers trailed for only four rallies in the entire match. Nebraska lost four of the first six rallies then won three straight points and never trailed again in a 25-20 win in the opening set. The Huskers did not trail in either set two or three, leading by as many as six in a 25-23 set two victory and by as many as 10 in a 25-17 win in set three to close out the match.
With the win, Nebraska (33-1) advanced to Sunday’s NCAA Final where the Huskers will battle Texas in the 11th NCAA Final in program history. First serve is set for 2 p.m. on Sunday, and the match will be televised on ABC.
KGFW and HITS 106-KQKY will provide radio coverage on Sunday, with pregame beginning at 1 PM.
Texas won over Wisconsin in four sets Thursday night.
COOK EARNS THIRD COACH OF THE YEAR HONOR:
Nebraska head coach John Cook was announced as the 2023 AVCA Division I Women’s Coach of the Year on Thursday. Cook has been selected as the national coach of the year for the third time in his career, as he also took home the honor in 2000 and 2005.
Cook has led Nebraska to a 32-1 record this season heading into an NCAA Semifinal matchup with Pittsburgh. The Huskers lead the nation in wins and winning percentage, and Nebraska won an outright Big Ten Conference title and was selected as the No. 1 overall seed for the NCAA Tournament.
Cook, who was also the AVCA North Region and Big Ten Coach of the Year, led Nebraska to a 28-1 record in the regular season, the program’s best regular-season record since 2005. The Huskers won their first 27 matches of the season and held the No. 1 ranking from Oct. 23 through the end of the regular season.
STORM ANNOUNCE SIGNING OF ILYA MOROZOV:
The Tri-City Storm has announced the signing of forward Ilya Morozov to a tender agreement for the 2024-2025 season. Morozov is currently skating for the Windy City Storm AAA organization at the Orbit Ice Arena in Palatine, Illinois. The signing will replace Tri-City’s draft selection in the 1st Round of the 2024 USHL Phase I Draft.
Ilya Morozov, 15, Forward, of Moskva, Russia, has skated in twenty-four games this season with the Windy City Storm. He has netted seventeen goals and notched twenty-six assists for forty-three total points. Morozov is currently second on the team in goals, assists, and points.
BULLOCK ANNOUNCES RETURN FOR BIG RED:
Another veteran starter on Nebraska’s much-improved defense announced his return for next season on Thursday night.
Inside linebacker John Bullock posted on social media that he was coming back for a sixth season. The Omaha native walked on Senior Day but had the option of an additional COVID season.
Bullock is coming off a breakout 2023 campaign where he surged to the top of the ILB rotation. He started 10 of 12 games and ranked fourth on the team with a career-high 50 tackles.
The former Creighton Prep standout also posted 2.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two pass breakups, and a forced fumble.
WAYNE STATE’S KNEIFL NAMED DIVISION II COACH OF THE YEAR:
The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) announced that Wayne State College head volleyball coach Scott Kneifl was named the Division II National Coach of the Year.
He was officially presented with his National Coach of the Year Award in person on Thursday at the AVCA Awards Banquet in Tampa, Florida at the NCAA Division I Final Four.
This season, Kneifl has coached the Wildcats to a 31-2 record entering today’s NCAA Division II Elite Eight in Moon Township, Pa. Wayne State captured a second straight Northern Sun Conference regular season title going a perfect 18-0 in NSIC play.
The Wildcats had a 21-game win streak this season – the second-longest in school history – and was ranked #1 in the AVCA/TARAFLEX Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll for a school record nine straight weeks.
RAIDERS BLAST CHARGERS ON THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:
Four days was all the Las Vegas Raiders had to recover from their worst performance of the season. They made the most of their time.
The Raiders turned in their best performance of the season Thursday night, responding to Sunday’s 3-0 loss to Minnesota by scoring 42 points by halftime, not letting the Los Angeles Chargers cross midfield until the third quarter and rolling to a record-setting 63-21 victory.
The Raiders set a franchise scoring record, topping the team’s 59-14 victory at Denver on Oct. 24, 2010. It was the most points allowed by the Chargers, who gave up 57 to the St. Louis Rams on Oct. 1, 2000.
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE SCORES/SCHEDULES:
THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:
Las Vegas Raiders 63-21 Los Angeles Chargers
Buffalo County Results & Schedules:
THURSDAY:
High School Sports:
- PLEASANTON:.
- Girls Basketball: v. Overton – Overton 46-36 Pleasanton
- Boys Basketball: v. Overton – No score reported
- ELM CREEK:
- Wrestling: v. Elm Creek Triangular (v. Ravenna):
- DUAL 1: Ravenna 76-3 Elm Creek
- DUAL 2: Ravenna 60-23 Ord
- DUAL 3: Ord 36-30 Elm Creek
- Wrestling: v. Elm Creek Triangular (v. Ravenna):
- RAVENNA:
- Wrestling: @ Elm Creek Triangular –
- Girls Basketball: @ Southern Valley – Southern Valley 49-25 Ravenna
- Boys Basketball: @ Southern Valley – Southern Valley 65-56 Ravenna
College Athletics:
- NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS:
- Volleyball: NCAA Semifinals v. #4 Pittsburgh @ Tampa, FL – Nebraska 3-0 Pittsburgh
FRIDAY:
High School Sports:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Girls Wrestling: @ Flatwater Fracas @ Heartland Events Center
- Boys Wrestling: @ Flatwater Fracas @ Heartland Events Center
- Bowling: @ Grand Island Dual @ Westside Lanes – 1 PM
- Swimming & Diving: @ Lincoln Southeast Invite – 1 PM
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- Swimming & Diving: @ Lincoln Southeast Invite – 1 PM
- Girls Basketball: v. McCook – 5:30 PM
- Boys Basketball: v. McCook – 7:30 PM
- AMHERST:
- Girls Wrestling: @ Valentine – 1 PM
- Boys Wrestling: @ Valentine – 1 PM
- Girls Basketball: @ Axtell- 6 PM
- Boys Basketball: @ Axtell – 7:45 PM
- PLEASANTON:.
- Girls Basketball: @ Wilcox-Hildreth – 3:30 PM
- Boys Basketball: @ Wilcox-Hildreth – 5 PM
- GIBBON:
- N/a
- SHELTON:
- ELM CREEK:
- Girls Basketball: @ Bertrand – 6 PM
- Boys Basketball: @ Bertrand – 7:45 PM
- RAVENNA:
College Athletics:
- UNK LOPERS:
- Wrestling: @ Augustana @ Sioux Falls, SD – 3 PM
- Women’s Basketball: @ Newman @ Wichita, KS – 5:30 PM
- Men’s Basketball: @ Newman @ Wichita, KS – 7:30 PM
- HASTINGS COLLEGE BRONCOS:
- Men’s Wrestling: @ Benedictine Duals @ Atchison, KS – 5 PM
- NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS:
- N/a
KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)