“Rebekah Allick’s attitude has rubbed off on me”- Manaia Ogbechie reflects on lessons from senior after Nebraska volleyball sweeps Wright State

Nebraska volleyball player Manaia Ogbechie has credited senior middle blocker Rebekah Allick for her guidance, sharing that Allick’s approach to blocking, "almost like attacking,” has been instrumental in developing her own skills.

Nebraska Volleyball made its John Cook arena debut on Friday night against Wright State in the Ameritas Players Challenge, sweeping the Raiders 25-16, 25-16, 25-20, and securing its first win in its home opener.

Freshmen Manaia Ogbechie and Virginia Adriano combined for 15 kills and nine blocks, both achieving season highs in their collegiate starts. Ogbechie recorded eight kills and five blocks, hitting .583, while Adriano added seven kills and four blocks.

During the post-match press conference, Ogbechie reflected on what she learned from Nebraska volleyball's senior middle blocker Allick:

“From Rebecca, I've learned pretty much every skill. She's just amazing at everything. But I feel like her attitude in the game has really rubbed off on me, and the way she approaches blocking almost like attacking has been very helpful in developing my blocking as well,” Ogbechie said.

Ogbechie added that Allick’s blocking not only scored points but also influenced the opponents’ play, intimidating them and acting “almost like another attacker”:

“She scores a lot of points blocking. The way she goes about the game almost influences the other side and how they play. The way that she blocks and even scares the attackers hitting around her contributes so much on its own. It’s almost like another attacker.”

Allick herself has had a strong start to the season, earning honors including MVP of the match against Stanford, AVCA All-First Serve Team, and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week.

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All about Nebraska Volleyball’s five undefeated matches to start 2025 season

2024 Division I Women's Volleyball Semifinals - Source: Getty

Nebraska Volleyball has now won five consecutive matches to start the 2025 season, including three victories over top-10 teams. The Huskers opened with a 3-1 win over #3 Pittsburgh on August 22, followed by a 3-0 sweep of #6 Stanford on August 24 (25-13, 25-19, 25-14).

The team then traveled to Nashville, defeating Lipscomb and #7 Kentucky. In a thrilling match against the Wildcats, Nebraska came back from a 0-2 set deficit to win 3-2. Nebraska volleyball returned home on Friday for its home opener at John Cook Arena at Bob Devaney Centre, sweeping Wright State 3-0.

Up next, Nebraska will face the California Golden Bears tomorrow at Bob Devaney Sports Center.