LINCOLN - A 2015 national title rematch on the opening weekend highlights what figures to be another challenging slate for defending NCAA champion Nebraska, which unveiled its 2016 schedule Wednesday.
In search of the program's first-ever repeat championship, the Huskers will play 17 of their 29 matches against teams that reached the 2015 NCAA tournament, including 12 matches against opponents that made it to the sweet 16.
There's no easing into the schedule as NU will open the season at the VERT Challenge in Eugene, Oregon, where Nebraska will play national runner-up Texas and 2015 regional finalist Florida. The Longhorns bring back much of last year's club, including sophomore outside hitter Yaasmeen Bedart-Ghani and should add All-America opposite hitter Ebony Nwanebu, who missed all but one match in 2015 with injuries.
The Gators also return the bulk of their 2015 team that lost in five sets at Texas in the regional final, including first-team All-America middle blocker Rhamat Alhassan.
Nebraska lost to Texas in the 2015 VERT Challenge when the Longhorns hosted it last September, before Nebraska won a sweep in the national championship match in Omaha in December. Nebraska will host the VERT Challenge in 2018.
The Huskers will play in three more tournaments during the nonconference season, hosting two of them at the Devaney Center. NU will play home matches against Iowa State and Oregon State at the Nebraska Invite on Sept. 2-3 before traveling to Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Sept. 9-10 for the Lobo Classic against New Mexico and Arkansas.
NU finishes nonconference play hosting the Ameritas Players Challenge at the Devaney Center, playing Montana State at noon Sept. 16 and Creighton at 7:30 p.m. later that day. It is the first time in recent memory the Huskers will play two home matches on the same day that was not on a weekend. Last season, the Huskers played two matches on a Saturday in the Ameritas Players Challenge. Nebraska coach John Cook has said in the past he is hesitant to schedule two matches on one day because it could put Nebraska's sellout streak, which currently stands at more than 200 matches, in jeopardy.
The Big Ten schedule will be as challenging as ever in 2016. Nebraska opens with three straight road matches in conference play against Michigan, Michigan State and Illinois before the conference home opener against Ohio State, which beat Nebraska in five games in Columbus, Ohio, last season.
In all, NU will play nine matches against Big Ten opponents who reached last year's sweet 16, including a pair of matches against Penn State, Ohio State, Minnesota and Illinois. Nebraska hosts the lone meeting of the year with Wisconsin on Oct. 21 at the Devaney Center.
The Huskers also will play two matches against Purdue, Iowa, Michigan, and Indiana while facing Michigan State, Maryland, Rutgers and Northwestern once each.
Also of note, starting this season the NCAA has done away with pre-determined regional sites for the NCAA tournament. The top seed in each of four regions will have the opportunity to host regional rounds in addition to the tournament's first and second rounds being played at home sites.
The 2016 NCAA tournament will start with first and second rounds on Dec. 1 and Dec. 3. Regional play will be on Dec. 9-10, and the final four will be played in Columbus, Ohio, with semifinals on Dec. 15 and the national championship match on Dec. 17.
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