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DALLAS (SMU) – The (RV) SMU volleyball team swept No. 2 Nebraska in their 2024 home opener in Moody Coliseum Tuesday night in front of a record crowd of 6,773 with sets scores of 25-23, 25-21, and 25-18. The win marks the highest ranked win for the Mustangs in program history against an opponent.

SMU hit .242 as a team against the Huskers in an all out team effort. Graduate students Naya Shime and Maya Tabron led the Mustangs with nine kills each which was tied for the match-high. Natalie Foster closely followed the duo, finishing with eight kills of her own. Jamison Wheeler also had a solid outing, ending the night with six kills and 13 digs. Shime neared a double-double adding 10 digs to her nine kills Tuesday night.

Middle blocker Nnedi Okammor was a block short of tying her career-high with nine on the night while also adding four kills. Setter Celia Cullen logged 29 assists, five digs, and two kills against the Huskers and Natalie Foster tied a career-high in aces with five in the victory. 

MATCH NOTES:

• The last time Nebraska was swept by an un-ranked opponent was back in 2014 against Michigan. 
• The last time SMU beat a ranked team was last season on this very court against #14 Baylor in five sets. 
• The Mustangs move to 2-1 on the season and 1-1 against Nebraska in the short series between the two programs.
• SMU held Nebraska to a .171 hitting percentage on the night, including a .070 clip in the final set. 
• SMU out dug the Huskers 43-36 and had 10 blocks to Nebraska's nine.
• Coach Erger's squad finished with seven aces to just one from the Huskers.
• In the Coach Erger era, the Mustangs are now 50-18 and 23-5 on their home court. 

HOW IT HAPPENED:

SET ONE | The Mustangs kept pace with the Huskers early. Graduate opposite Naya Shime led the offensive attack for SMU with three early kills. Nebraska went on a short 4-0 run to create some separation, working up to as big as a five-point lead (20-15). After timeout to regroup, the Mustangs flipped the momentum, going on a six-point run of their own. A kill from starting Libero Ellie Bolton evened the first set on an over ball that found open space behind the Huskers back line. Nebraska got a point back on a kill, but the Mustangs tallied three of the final four points capped off by a kill from Natalie Foster to earn SMU a opening set win.

SET TWO | Set two played out similarly to the beginning of set one. A four-point swing for the Mustangs stretched a one-point lead out to five, ending with a kill from Okammor on an assist from Cullen. Nebraska responded with three straight points of their own. SMU didn't panic and continued to take charge. They maintained a two-to-three-point advantage for the remainder of the set. The Mustangs then closed out the set with kills from Wheeler and Shime to go up 2-0. Shime led the way with four kills in the set, while Cullen paced the Mustangs with ten assists.

SET THREE | Nebraska came out fighting in the third set, taking an 11-8 lead with two kills and a block at the net. SMU responded like they had all night to even the score with a kill from Okammor, Shime, and Okammor teaming up for a block and then an attack error. The squads traded points until Mustangs went on their longest run of the night, scoring six straight, including two kills from Tabron, who had four kills in the final set. Mustangs never let up from there, going on another massive run of five. Natalie Foster continued to serve well in her first season on the Hilltop and certainly showed that tonight with five aces, two in the third set. Nebraska held on for two set points, but a Shime kill ended the match and secured a monumental win in Dallas.

SMU LEADERS:
SMU Kills Leader: Naya Shime/Maya Tabron (9)
SMU Assist Leader: Celia Cullen (29)
SMU Digs Leader: Jamison Wheeler (13)
SMU Blocks Leader: Nnedi Okammor (9)
SMU Ace Leader: Natalie Foster (5)

UP NEXT:    
The Mustangs will be back in action Thursday, Sept. 5 at 5 p.m against UW-Milwaukee in their first matchup of the SMU Double Tree Classic at Moody Coliseum Follow along with the SMU Volleyball on Instagram, X, Facebook.