Nebraska volleyball vs. Texas in NCAA championship

No. 1 Nebraska volleyball fell to Texas in three sets as the Longhorns repeated as national champions. 

Scroll down for our live updates from the national title match. Plus photos, analysis and more.

Longhorns 3-2: Madi Skinner tipped it over into the soft spot of the defense to put Texas ahead and then came back with her 12th kill off the NU block. Skinner earned her third point of the set with another slam off the hands down the left side. Harper Murray picked up her first kill then Skinner’s swing went wide.

Longhorns 7-3: Skinner found her 14th kill with a cross-court shot but got her next swing blocked by Bekka Allick and Merritt Beason. Asjia O’Neal on the slide slammed her third kill and Skinner served UT’s 11th ace of the day. Ally Batenhorst’s swing was long to extend the Texas lead.

Longhorns 9-6: Andi Jackson came in off the left side for her first kill of the set then her and Bergen Reilly blocked Jenna Wenaas. Merritt Beason’s serve went long but so did O’Neal’s. After an amazing dig and save from Lexi Rodriguez and Murray, Ella Swindle picked up a point on a soft tip down the line. 

Longhorns 12-8: Murray picked up a kill but Wenaas answered back with her eighth of the day. Skinner then won a battle at the net for her 15th kill. Bergmark used another hesitation tip over the block but Carissa Barnes serve was out. 

Longhorns 15-10: Skinner found another point with a cross-court swing from the left side but then had her next attack stuffed by Bekka Allick and Murray. Molly Phillips responded with a kill on the sharp-angle shot from the right side. Merritt Beason grabbed her third kill of the match but Ally Batenhorst’s attack was denied by O’Neal to bring up a media timeout. 

Longhorns 19-11: Swindle picked up a dunk kill from the setter spot and Beason was blocked by Wenaas and O’Neal. Swindle’s swing couldn’t be handled by Murray and O’Neal on the slide cleaned up the free ball to make it a 5-0 run and force a Nebraska timeout. Batenhorst picked up her second kill of the day from the left side.

Longhorns 25-11: Swindle on another quick hit landed in on the left side and Beason’s attempt was blocked by Wenaas to force a Nebraska timeout. Skinner picked up her 16th kill and Wenaas threw it over into the back corner to make it a 14-4 run. After a Bella Bergmark slam, O’Neal closed out the championship on the first match point with an ace. 

Huskers 3-2: Harper Murray’s first swing of the set was wide. Merritt Beason ended a long rally with a off-tempo tip from the back row. Molly Phillips then was rejected by Bekka Allick and Murray but Bergen Reilly’s serve sailed long. Allick slammed a swing in the middle. 

Tied 5-5: Ella Swindle was called for a violation but Madisen Skinner came back with her first kill off the block. Keonilei Akana served another ace and Swindle’s swing off of Batenhorst’s hands gave UT the lead back. Akana’s serve went long to end the 3-0 Texas run.

Huskers 8-7: Skinner’s swing was mishandled at the net then had her swing rejected by Merritt Beason. Asjia O’Neal got the tip on the slide to end the 3-0 NU run. Ally Batenhorst’s swing was just wide down the left line but Andi Jackson picked up her first point. 

Tied 10-10: Jackson then swatted Swindle’s dunk attempt and off a free ball, Harper Murray came flying out of the back row for a big swing to force a Texas timeout. Skinner tipped a shot into the middle of the Husker defense and Jenna Wenaas picked up her fourth kill tipping it over the block. O’Neal served an ace to tie it up. 

Longhorns 15-10: O’Neal served another ace off the hands of Murray to make it a 4-0 UT run and Nebraska called a timeout. O’Neal served her third and fourth aces in a row to extend the lead and after Murray barely dug her fifth attempt, Skinner fired through and slammed her ninth kill to make it a 7-0 run. Hayden Kubik was blocked by Swindle and Bergmark.

Longhorns 18-12: Jackson on the slide was denied by Wenaas and Bergmark to make it nine in a row for Texas to force NU to use its final timeout. Wenaas slammed another kill into the back row and after a free ball, Skinner slammed another kill from the back row. Swindle’s attack was wide then Murray’s slam couldn’t be dug out.

Longhorns 22-13: An incredible Lexi Rodriguez dig led to another Murray point as Texas couldn’t handle it off the block again. Wenaas found a point in the back corner and Murray’s swing was long. John Cook challenged the call saying there was a touch but the ruling was upheld. Swindle then served back-to-back aces to bring UT within three. 

Longhorns 25-14: Andi Jackson’s swing was wide and Wenaas’ swing was blocked but sailed out to bring UT’s first set point. Swindle’s serve was off but on set point #2, Murray’s attack was long to give Texas the 2-0 lead. 

Longhorns 4-1: Madi Skinner opened the match with a kill and after Merritt Beason’s attack was long, she attacked the Huskers again. Beason committed another attack error but Skinner’s next swing didn’t get the touch for NU’s first point. 

Longhorns 6-4: After Beason served an ace, Asjia O’Neal pounded a kill but a Keonilei Akana serve was off and Skinner’s attempt went wide. Lexi Rodriguez’s serve went into the net.

Longhorns 8-7: Ally Batenhorst found her first kill with a cross-court swing and Emma Halter was called for a violation to tie it at 6. UT took the lead back with Jenna Wenaas’s first kill after a couple NU swings were dug out. Wenaas slammed another kill from the left side. Andi Jackson responded with a hit off the block. 

Huskers 11-9: Jackson found the touch again on a big swing from the right side to tie it but Skinner found a soft spot with a tip over the net. Ella Swindle’s serve was off and Harper Murray used an off-tempo tip down the line for her first kill to give NU its first lead. She then grabbed her second with a big swing. 

Longhorns 13-12: Bella Bergmark responded with a point and Carissa Barnes served an ace to tie it at 11. Skinner’s fourth kill gave UT the lead again. Molly Phillips’ swing was called long but Texas challenged the play saying there was a touch. The call was confirmed but Reilly’s serve was just wide.

Longhorns 16-14: Bekka Allick slammed a kill from the middle. Murray’s serve was long then UT committed another service error. Swindle used a second-touch swing over the net in the middle for a kill that sent the match to a media timeout. Beason’s swing was denied by O’Neal and Wenaas.

Longhorns 19-16: Skinner served an ace to force a Nebraska timeout. Skinner’s next serve was off but she came back up the middle for another slam. Jackson’s attack was long but Beason came back with a huge swing for her first kill. 

Longhorns 21-19: Nebraska blocked back Wenaas but she came back from the left side for another kill but Reilly used a quick touch to the back corner for her first kill. After a long rally that included two huge Murray swings that were dug out, Texas was called in the net on Wenaas’ swing. Reilly was blocked at the net but Allick came back with her second kill off a Choboy dig. 

Longhorns 25-22: After a free ball, Murray was blocked by Molly Phillips and Bergmark and Nebraska used another timeout. O’Neal’s swing was rejected by Allick and Murray. The Texas coaches were shown a red card to cut the UT lead to one and Murray served an ace to tie it at 22. Texas called a timeout. After a long rally, Batenhorst was denied by Phillips and O’Neal. Skinner’s sixth kill set up UT’s first set point and Akana served an ace to give Texas set one.

Nebraska (33-1) will take on Texas (27-4) at 2 p.m. The match will be broadcast on ABC.

The Huskers are going for their sixth national title, while the Longhorns are aiming to repeat as champs.

Nebraska’s starters are: Bergen Reilly, Bekka Allick, Laney Choboy, Lexi Rodriguez, Merritt Beason, Andi Jackson and Harper Murray. 

The Texas starters are: Ella Swindle, Emma Halter, Bella Bergmark, Madisen Skinner, Asjia O’Neal, Carissa Barnes and Molly Phillips.