LINCOLN, Neb. – California volleyball posted its second-consecutive loss Sunday afternoon, visiting a rowdy Bob Devaney Sports Center to finish off the Ameritas Players Challenge against No. 1 Nebraska. The Golden Bears (2-2) battled hard but were unable to take a single set against the Huskers (6-0), who utilized their dominant offense and stifling defense to clinch their fourth sweep of the year, 25-15, 25-18, 25-12.
 
Cal hit just .088 on the match to Nebraska's .419. Senior Peyton DeJardin and junior Sawyer Thomsen posted seven and six kills, respectively, while freshman Francesca Popescu led the team with nine digs. On the Huskers' side, two-time American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Harper Murray excelled on the attack, posting 14 kills on .370 hitting and collecting three aces in the first set.
 
DeJardin posted four of her kills in Set One, with two of them coming in an early four-point run after the Bears found themselves in an 0-5 hole to start the match. Nebraska broke the set open for good on a 7-0 sequence, extending its lead to 15-6 and eventually clinching the 10-point win. The home team's offense kicked into another gear in the second set, as Murray posted seven kills to help the Huskers hit .556 and hold off a late four-point Cal run that included two-straight aces from freshman Arissa Carbonara. Despite three kills from Thomsen in the third – her best offensive set of the match – the Bears were unable to come back from an early nine-point deficit, eventually falling by 13 to complete the sweep.
 
UP NEXT
The Bears return home for ESPN's Showdown at the Net against Vanderbilt (2-3) on Wednesday night, followed by a trip to San Luis Obispo for the Mustang Invitational, where they will face Cal Poly (3-3) on Friday night and San Jose State (2-3) on Saturday afternoon.
 
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