Illinois vs. Michigan games preview

Nebraska volleyball, still the second-best team in the country, will wrap up its October stretch with two Big Ten home games this weekend.

The Huskers (18-1 overall, 8-0 Big Ten) will face Illinois (13-5, 5-3) on Friday and then Michigan (15-4, 5-3) on Saturday at the Devaney Center.

Let's take a look at the stats and players to watch on both sides, as well as how to watch and listen to the two B1G matches.

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#2 NEBRASKA (18-1 overall, 8-0 Big Ten) vs. ILLINOIS (13-5, 5-3)

Time: 7:00 p.m. CT

TV channels: NONE

Commentators: Jacob Schrantz (piece by piece) and Camden Cohn (color)

Streaming: B1G+

Radio: Huskers Radio Network with John Baylor and Lauren (Cook) West will broadcast all the action on their volleyball affiliate stations

Listen online: Huskers.com (LINK)

App audio: Official Huskers app

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#2 NEBRASKA (18-1 overall, 8-0 Big Ten) vs. MICHIGAN (15-4, 5-3)

Time: 7:00 p.m. CT

TV channels: NONE

Commentators: Jacob Schrantz (piece by piece) and Camden Cohn (color)

Streaming: B1G+

Radio: Huskers Radio Network with John Baylor and Lauren (Cook) West will broadcast all the action on their volleyball affiliate stations

Listen online: Huskers.com (LINK)

App audio: Official Huskers app

NEBRASKA-ILLINOIS:

>> Nebraska has a 35-8-1 all-time record against Illinois and has won 10 straight in the series, including a 25-18, 25-22, 25-17 victory in Champaign on Oct. 3 .

>> Illinois is one of Nebraska's three double-play opponents in the Big Ten this season.

>> Nebraska coach John Cook is 12-1 all-time against Illinois coach Chris Tamas, one of his former assistants. Overall, Cook has a 26-2 record as an all-time coach compared to his former assistant coaches.

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NEBRASKA-MICHIGAN:

>> Nebraska is 23-3 against Michigan and has won 15 straight in the series. The last five games have been Husker wins.

All stats and information courtesy of Nebraska Athletics Communications

>> Nebraska has won 15 straight games since losing at SMU on Sept. 3. Twelve of the 15 wins were sweeps.

>> The Huskers rank ninth nationally and third in the Big Ten with a team batting average of .301.

>> Nebraska ranks ninth nationally in kills per set (14.28).

>> Outside hitter Harper Murray leads the Huskers with 3.32 kills per set and 18 service aces. Murray also adds 2.13 digs per set.

>> Opposite batsman Merritt Reason is averaging 3.03 kills per set for the Big Red and is hitting .243 with 1.28 digs per set and 13 aces.

>> Lindsay Krause And Taylor Country fair have had splits at NU's other outside hitter position, averaging 2.33 and 2.41 kills per set, respectively.

>> Middle blocker And I Jackson has a 2.70 kill average with a .480 hitting percentage, leading the Big Ten.

>> Middle blocker Rebecca Allick Adds 1.77 kills per set on .382 hitting with 1.29 blocks per set.

>> Setters Bergen Reilly ranks fifth nationally with an average of 11.20 assists per set and leads the Big Ten. She also adds 3.02 digs per set and has 14 aces. Reilly has 11 double-doubles and was named Big Ten Setter of the Week three times this season.

>> Three-time All-American Lexi Rodriguez leads the Huskers' back line with 3.73 digs per set and posted a season-high 22 digs last Saturday at Ohio State.

>> Illinois (13-5, 5-3 Big Ten) has won five straight games since losing to Nebraska on Oct. 3 in Champaign. The Fighting Illini swept Indiana and Maryland last weekend.

>> Raina Terry averages 4.28 kills per set.

>> Brooke Mosher ranks 13th nationally with 40 service aces.

>> Former Nebraska assistant coach Chris Tamas is in his eighth year as head coach at Illinois and has an overall record of 144-90. Tamas was an assistant at Nebraska from 2015-16 and was on the Huskers' 2015 NCAA championship team.

>> Michigan (15-4, 5-3 Big Ten) has already surpassed its win total from last season (7) and equaled its Big Ten win total (5) with 12 games remaining. The Wolverines play at Iowa on Friday night before traveling to Lincoln.

>> Allison Jacobs leads the Wolverines with 4.12 kills per set.

>> Valentina Vaulet ranks fifth nationally with 49 service aces this season.

SERVE AND PASS

>> Nebraska has allowed just 35 service aces this season, leading the nation. The next closest team is Pittsburgh at 43.

>> Nebraska's opponents have served 14 aces and committed 120 service errors in the last 12 games.

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BALANCED ATTACK

>> Nebraska has seven different players averaging between 1.77 and 3.32 kills per set.

>> Six different players have led the Huskers in kills in a game this season.

>> Reilly ranks fifth nationally averaging 11.20 assists per set.

>> Nebraska's offense has been one of the best in the country this season. The Huskers rank ninth in hitting percentage (.301) and kills per set (14.28).

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HOME SWEET HOME

>> Nebraska has won 36 straight home games since Dec. 1, 2022, which is the longest active streak in the country.

>> The Huskers' home winning streak is their longest since moving to the Devaney Center in 2013.

>> Nebraska's longest home winning streak ever was 88 games from 2004 to 2009. Since then, NU has also had a home winning streak of 38 straight games from 2009 to 2011.