For the first time this season, the Illinois volleyball team will be facing a team for a second time. Unfortunately for the Illini (9-11, 5-5 Big Ten), they’ll be facing the No. 11 Cornhuskers (15-4, 8-2), this time in Lincoln, Neb., where wins have been scarce in Illinois history.

When these two teams first played in September, the result was ugly for the Illini. Not only did the Illini get swept, but neither their offense nor their defense played at a high level, as Illinois hit .144, its second lowest output of the season, and allowed Nebraska to hit .255.

“We didn’t execute our game plan well at all last time,” head coach Kevin Hambly said. “We played soft, we played scared and the biggest thing is we need to be tougher.”

The Illini will also be coming into the match on a seven-game losing streak against the Huskers, with Illinois’ last win coming in 1993. Despite the recent struggles, sophomore setter Alexis Viliunas said the team isn’t feeling any pressure after being swept by Nebraska earlier this season.

“We’re a whole totally different team than we were the first time we played them,” Viliunas said. “It can really go either way. We’ve grown up a lot since that match (Sept. 28), and we’ve gotten so much better. It’ll be a tough one, but it’ll be fun.”

Part of the Illini’s maturation process has been closing out games. After giving up a handful of close games, including a jarring, five-set loss to Northwestern in which Illinois took the first two sets, the team has since vowed to be less susceptible to breakdowns at the end of sets. The Illini displayed their resiliency and will to finish in their last match, when they once again took the first two sets but were able to close out the match in four against No. 16 Wisconsin.

“We didn’t necessarily know how to win certain games,” junior outside hitter Liz McMahon said. “We knew how to play well, but we didn’t really know what that extra piece was to win the game. I think we’re starting to figure that out.”

To finish their matchup with Nebraska, the Illini will have to get themselves into that position first. Something the team hasn’t been able to do all season and will need to do against Nebraska is put together an equally strong showing on both sides of the ball.

“I think it’s natural when we want to be offensive to have this attacking mentality or intensity,” McMahon said. “We need to transfer that to defense, too. … It’s hard to sustain that intensity for a whole game, but I think we just need to work on that and it’ll level out.”

The Illini will have to try and slow down Nebraska’s twin outside hitters Kadie and Amber Rolfzen to get within reach of match point. Although Amber was held to a mere .048 hitting percentage in the teams’ last meeting, she made up for it defensively by registering five blocks and seven digs. Kadie provided the offense for Nebraska, racking up 14 of the team’s 38 kills to the tune of a .242 hitting percentage.

“(Amber) completely abused my blocks, so we’re going to have a better game plan against her,” McMahon said. “I know (the duo’s) style of play now. I know their swing now, and I know how to defend them. But they’re good, they don’t play like freshmen at all.”

Blake can be reached at [email protected].