The Huskers (29-1) will face Arizona State Saturday at 7 p.m., with the winner moving on to next week’s regional-semifinal round. The Sun Devils (15-11) advanced Friday with a five-game win over Cincinnati in the early first-round match.

Nebraska improved to 52-18 in NCAA-Tournament play, including 33-1 at the Coliseum. Friday’s match was the first postseason appearance ever for Tennessee-Martin, which finishes the season 24-6 after earning the only tournament bid from the Ohio Valley Conference.

Freshman middle blocker Melissa Elmer led Nebraska Friday with 11 kills and a .688 hitting percentage. Senior outside hitter Laura Pilakowski added 10 kills, and senior middle blocker Amber Holmquist had eight. Nebraska hit .367 as a team and forced the Skyhawks into a minus-.029 percentage.

It marked the fourth time this season Nebraska has held an opponent to a negative hitting percentage and the eighth consecutive match in which the Huskers hit better than .300. Nebraska has now won 27 straight matches.

Five Huskers swung at better than a .400 clip, including senior setter Greichaly Cepero, who registered 37 set assists and four blocks to go with seven kills on .462 hitting. Anna Schrad hit .556 on just nine swings, and the junior outside hitter had 10 digs, second only to the 13 from senior libero Lindsay Wischmeier.

Nebraska had 14 total blocks to the Skyhawks’ two, and the Huskers served five aces while holding Tennessee-Martin without an ace for the match. Sophomore outside hitter Leigh Reiniche led the Skyhawks with five kills, and senior setter Lindsey Vicknair hit .250 as the only Tennessee-Martin player to record a positive percentage.

Nebraska raced to an 8-1 lead in game one, as freshman outside hitter Jennifer Saleaumua reeled off seven straight points behind the service line. The Huskers maintained at least an eight-point advantage the rest of the way. Michelle Lynch served the final point three points, and Cepero and Elmer combined to block Lindsey Stock for the first-game win. NU hit .414 in game one while holding Tennessee-Martin to minus -.071 at the net.

The Huskers carried their momentum into game two, as Pilakowski turned things up a notch offensively. The Columbus, Neb., native pounded four kills on five attempts for a .800 hitting percentage in the second game. NU ended game two with a seven-point run that included three block by Saleaumua and two kills from junior middle blocker Sara Westling.

Coach John Cook substituted liberally in third game after Nebraska raced to a 10-0 lead with junior middle blocker Sara Westling serving. The Huskers increased their edge to 16-2 on a kill by Schrad, and Pilakowski ended the match with a kill.

Source: University of Nebraska Athletic Dept.