Freshman outside hitter Shen Danru posted 12 kills for Missouri, which fell to 14-3 and 4-2. The Tigers hit just .103 against Nebraska and played without starters Lisa Morris, Christi Meyers and Mary Lauren Smith, who were sidelined with injuries. Lincoln native Jenny Duitsman recorded seven kills while swinging at a .583 clip.

“Our team was ready for a great match tonight,” NU Coach John Cook said. “We were looking forward to playing the second-place team in the Big 12, so (the injuries) caused our excitement to go down a bit. We were ready for a fight, so I think we lost something mentally going into the match.”

The Huskers’ early dominance gave Cook the opportunity to use his bench. Junior middle blocker Sara Westling played in all three games and spelled Amber Holmquist in the third game, posting four kills on a .429 hitting percentage. Westling also recorded four blocks, including two key stops in game three.

“Amber has been sick, so we wanted to try and get Sara in,” Cook said. “Sara’s been practicing very well, and she did a nice job tonight. Sara is very good because she’s an intelligent player with a high volleyball I.Q. She knows where to put her hands on the block.”

Other Nebraska players with notable performances included freshman middle blocker Melissa Elmer (nine kills, .571 hitting percentage) and junior outside hitter Anna Schrad (10 kills, .389 hitting percentage, 10 digs).

The Huskers return to action Saturday when they travel to Ames, Iowa, to face Iowa State at 1 p.m.

Source: University of Nebraska Athletic Dept.