Nebraska did not need Andi Jackson to beat DePaul, and that was the point. With the All-American middle blocker in street clothes after an ankle injury, Kenna Cogill made her first career start Friday and helped the Huskers sweep DePaul 25-19, 25-13, 25-15 in Chicago.
The night belonged to Cogill once the match started. She played all three sets, finished with four kills on 10 swings and matched that with a team-high seven blocks, giving Nebraska the kind of steady middle play it needed while Jackson stayed out. Busboom Kelly said she did not want to risk Jackson’s health after Wednesday’s injury against South Dakota State, and she watched Cogill step in next to Manaia Ogbechie without the lineup missing a beat.
The result was never in doubt in front of 8,786 fans at Wintrust Arena, most of them pulling for Nebraska. Busboom Kelly said the middles handled the job from the start, and Cogill said the early nerves faded quickly once she settled in. That mattered because she had redshirted as a true freshman and had appeared in only two sets before Friday, leaving Nebraska to lean on depth that had been more promise than proof until now.
Cogill said the blocking work has been the biggest change in her game since arriving in college, and it showed in the way she tracked the ball and got over the net. Ogbechie added four kills and two blocks in just two sets, and Nebraska improved to 4-0 without ever having to force Jackson back into action. For a team that can survive a night without one of its top players, that is the more useful sign than the sweep itself.
The bigger question now is not whether Nebraska can beat DePaul without Jackson. It is whether Busboom Kelly will decide Jackson is ready for Sunday night’s match against Missouri at Wrigley Field. Busboom Kelly said Jackson could be available, which leaves Nebraska with a choice it did not have to make Friday: protect the ankle again, or trust that the setback is behind her.
