On October 7th the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) and the University of Wisconsin-Platteville (UWP) battled it out at the Cyclone Clash in a double header at Iowa State University. UNL was able to come out on top on both matches with finals scores of 6-0 and 5-0.
This double header usually marks the first event of the year for both these squads as it provides a great opportunity to shake off the rust and allow their rookies to get experience at their first event and not worry about the outcomes. For both teams, it allows each to get games in October so they don’t have to wait until the Pioneer Classic.
Each team had a few subs and by no means at full strength. UNL had the more experienced squad with great senior leadership. UWP’s roster had less experience mainly consisting of first and second year players who are still figure things out. Even though that was the case, UWP was still able to challenge the Cornhuskers at times and make things difficult to make them work to secure points. It will be exciting to see both of these teams in action again with loaded squads and see those results.
Nebraska- For the Cornhuskers, Noah Willey led the way with some incredible catches and Alex Schmit doing the same with UWP’s team throws preventing the Pioneers from scoring a point. UNL always seemed to be positioned just right on the court to effectively catch any of Platteville’s resets. This team knows how to capitalize on your mistakes and makes very few themselves. Any time Nebraska got ball control they targeted UWP’s best players to ensure victory. They stay disciplined and consistent in their play always playing the same no matter what. This is a type of team that has the potential for a final four run at nationals if they can keep developing their rookies.
Platteville- The Pioneers saw top performances from Tomas Zander and Eli Huntley, whenever these two were in they were having success and putting the pressure on UNL. They were able to keep Platteville competitive throughout. For UWP, it was nice to see some of their younger returners come up big at times getting big time outs that they were not getting the previous season. The stand out rookie for Platteville was Bryden Hundt who was a blocking menace all over the court. UNL had a hard time getting him even at close range as he blocked it all. UWP’s main goal for this first part of the season is just keep getting their rookies more experience. They need to get them comfortable on the court and play with confidence. Platteville will also be looking to see some of their younger veterans to step up and lead by example and play at a level that they should be playing at already.