Huskers Hope to Avenge 1999 Losses This Week

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Probable Starters

No.	Name	Cl.	Pos.	Ht.	kpg	pct.	dpg	bpg
1	Greichaly Cepero	So.	S	6-2	1.70	.370	1.98	1.12
2	Angie Oxley	Sr.	RS	6-0	1.94	.325	2.65	0.87
3	Amber Holmquist	So.	MB	6-4	2.98	.418	0.31	1.65
9	Laura Pilakowski	So.	OH	6-1	4.21	.381	2.35	0.81
17	Jenny Kropp	Jr.	MB	6-2	2.68	.355	1.30	1.66
25	Kim Behrends	Sr.	OH	6-0	1.94	.226	2.38	0.58

The top-ranked Nebraska volleyball team hopes to avenge two 1999 five-game losses Wednesday when it plays host to Kansas State Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the NU Coliseum, and Sunday when it travels to Austin, Texas to take on the Longhorns in a 1 p.m. match at Gregory Gymnasium.

With their 1999 win in Lincoln, the Wildcats were the first Big Eight/Big 12 school in NU history to win a regular-season conference match in the NU Coliseum, ruining the Huskers' perfect 101-0 regular season mark at home against league schools. It was also Nebraska's first loss to any school from the state of Kansas.

Nebraska's 1999 defeat at Texas was its first loss to the Longhorns since 1997.

KSU (13-4, 7-2) and Texas (5-11, 4-5) will face a much different Husker team than they saw in 1999. To compensate for the loss of two-time All-American Nancy Meendering, who opted to redshirt this season after training with the U.S. Olympic Team, Nebraska shifted from a 6-2 offense to a more traditional 5-1. And with preaseaon co-Big 12 Player of the Year Greichaly Cepero taking over the setting duties, the NU offense has become more diversified. Nebraska is hitting.348 as a team, a mark that would break the single-season school record of .331 set in 1986.

The Huskers rank first in the Big 12 and third nationally in hitting percentage, and eight Huskers are hitting .325 or better under Cepero, the only player in the league to rank among the Big 12 top 10 in hitting percentage (third, .417), set assists (ninth, 11.96) and blocks (ninth, 1.16).

As a team, the Huskers have hit .300 or higher in 14 of their first 17 matches . Nebraska has hit .433 or higher five times already this season.

Defensively, NU ranks first in the country in blocking, led by junior middle blocker Jenny Kropp, who ranks fifth nationally, and sophomore middle blocker Amber Holmquist, who ranks seventh nationally.

The Huskers, who are coming off a 3-1 win at Texas Tech, have swept 14 opponents this season and are 5-0 against ranked foes.

A Look at Kansas State (13-4. 7-2)
Last season, the Wildcats became the first Big Eight/Big 12 school in NU history to win a regular-season conference match in the NU Coliseum, ruining the Huskers' 101-0 mark at home against league schools with a 3-2 win. It was also Nebraska's first loss to any school from the state of Kansas.

Once again this year, the Wildcats are making waves under fourth-year coach Jim McLaughlin. KSU upset No. 22 Texas A&M Oct. 14, and the Wildcats are tied for second in the Big 12 standings with Missouri.

Nebraska natives have fueled KSU's success this season. Kansas State is led by Liz Wegner, a junior outside hitter from Grand Island. Wegner is averaging an unbelievable 6.61kills per game in Big 12 play.

In the Wildcats' upset of Nebraska last season, Wegner produced 21 kills and 25 digs.

Other Nebraskans on the KSU roster include senior middle blocker Kelle Branting of North Platte (3.73 kills per game), sophomore outside hitter Jenny Pollard of North Bend (3.14 kills per game), junior outside hitter Lisa Mimick of Spencer (4.31 digs per game), and junior middle blocker Jayne Christen of Tecumseh (1.63 kills per game).

A Look at Texas (5-11, 4-5)
The Huskers will battle Texas for the second time this year as the Big 12 Conference season hits its midpoint. Nebraska swept the Longhorns Sept. 13 in Lincoln, but the Huskers can anticipate a different look from Texas the second time around.

Three players who battled injuries during the first half of the season have produced impressive performances for UT recently. Freshman middle blocker Kathy Hahn, a Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 recruit who missed the year's first three matches, put down 13 kills on a .647 hitting efficiency and had five blocks in a 3-0 sweep of Oklahoma Oct. 11.

Junior outside hitter Katia Lara, a former juco All-American who was limited to back-row play only for UT's first nine matches, had eight kills (.353) and seven digs against Oklahoma.

Gipy Duarte, in the midst of her breakthrough season as a Longhorn despite missing nearly seven full matches, is averaging 4.09 kills per game, 2.82 digs per game and 1.09 blocks per game while hitting .330. Texas is 2-1 since all three have been in the lineup.

Nebraska fell to Texas in five games last year in Austin. NU owns a 14-11 series record over the Longhorns, but the Huskers are 4-6 on the road against UT.

Cepero living up to preseason hype
After being voted the preseason co-Big 12 Player of the Year before ever starting a match as Nebraska's setter, Greichaly Cepero had something to prove. And through the Huskers' first 17 matches, Cepero has lived up to the hype.

In the Oct. 16 Big 12 statistics, Cepero was the only player in the Big 12 to rank among the league's top 10 in hitting percentage (third, .417), assists (ninth, 11.96) and blocks per game (ninth, 1.16) in conference matches. Cepero, who is the only setter in the league who has earned Big 12 Volleyball Athlete-of-the-Week honors, improved her statistics in nearly every category with an impressive all-around performances last week against Baylor and Texas Tech. For the week, Cepero averaged 3.29 kills per game on .564 hitting, 11.00 assists per game, 2.57 digs per game and 1.29 blocks per game. Cepero leads the Huskers with three double-doubles and one triple-double.

Through NU's 17 matches this season, Cepero has guided the Huskers to a .348 hitting percentage, a mark that ranks first in the Big 12 and third nationally. In its nine league matches, NU has hit an even more impressive .362. Eight of the 10 Huskers who have attempted kills this season are hitting .325 or better under the direction of Cepero.

Kropp, Holmquist lead nation's top blocking team

In the NCAA statistics released Oct. 9, Nebraska ranked No. 1 in the nation in team blocking with 3.90 per game. Junior middle blocker Jenny Kropp ranked fifth nationally and sophomore middle blocker Amber Holmquist ranked seventh nationally.

Brigham Young was the only other team with two players among the country's top 20 blockers, as Nina Puikkonen ranked first (1.85 bpg), and Jackie Bundy was tied for 18th (1.45 bpg).

The Huskers also lead the Big 12 in blocking, averaging 3.84 blocks per game in league matches. Kropp ranks first in the conference (1.66 bpg), Holmquist is second (1.65 bpg), and sophomore setter Greichaly Cepero ranks seventh (1.12 bpg). Nebraska, which has led the conference in blocking three of the past four years, is out-blocking its opponents 210.5 to 63.5 this season.

Nebraska ranks third nationally in hitting percentage
The Huskers ranked third in the nation with a .350 hitting percentage in the Oct. 9 NCAA statistics. The mark includes just their first 15 matches. Nebraska currently ranks first in the Big 12 Conference, and the Huskers are on track to break the school-record single-season mark of .331 set in 1986. In its nine league matches this season, Nebraska has hit an ever more impressive .362 while holding its opponents to a .115 percentage.

As a team, the Huskers have hit .300 or higher in 14 of their first 17 matches under the direction of first-year setter Greichaly Cepero. Their most impressive statistical offensive showing came against Creighton Oct. 3 when NU posted a .567 hitting percentage, their best mark in at least seven years. Nebraska has hit .485 or higher three times and .433 or higher five times already this season. Nebraska hit .400 or higher only two times in 1999.

For the season, eight of the 10 NU players who have attempted a kill are hitting .325 or higher, and the Huskers are dominating the Big 12 statistics in conference matches only, as four players rank among the top eight in hitting percentage. Sophomore middle blocker Amber Holmquist ranks first with a .474 hitting percentage. Cepero is third (.417), junior middle blocker Jenny Kropp is fourth (.388) and sophomore outside hitter Laura Pilakowski ranks eighth (.368).

Holmquist Tops Big 12 in hitting, Tanks 14th Nationally
With impressive offensive performances in her last five matches, sophomore middle blocker Amber Holmquist rose to first in hitting percentage in conferences matches only in the Big 12 statistics released Oct. 9. She also entered the NCAA charts at 14th.

Holmquist currently owns a .418 hitting percentage for the season and is hitting .474 in Big 12 matches. If Holmquist continues at her current pace, she will end the year ranked second on all-time in hitting percentage on the NU single-season charts.

Holmquist hit .522, .667, .750, .500 and .500 in her last five matches. Overall, Holmquist has hit .500 or higher in seven of her last nine matches. Holmquist hit .750 for the second time this season Oct. 8 at Iowa State when she produced 12 kills and no errors on 16 attacks. Holmquist, ranked second in the Big 12 and sixth in the nation in blocks per game, is second on the team with 2.92 kills per game. The Houston, Texas, product has led NU in kills in five matches this season.

Pilakowski Pounding NU Opponents
After playing just nine games in 1999, sophomore outside hitter Laura Pilakowski has emerged as a go-to player for the Huskers in 2000.

Through Nebraska's first 17 matches, Pilakowski leads the Huskers with 4.21 kills per game on .381 hitting. Pilakowski's hitting numbers are up in Big 12 play, where she is averaging 4.44 kills per game. She has posted the Huskers' top four kill totals this season with 25 against Colorado State, 20 against UCLA and 18 at Texas Tech, and she has led Nebraska in kills in 10 matches. Pilakowski's heroics have not gone unnoticed by others this season. The Big 12 Conference honored the Columbus (Neb.) High graduate with its first volleyball athlete-of-the-week honor. Pilakowski was also the MVP of the US Bank Tournament and was named to the Notre Dame adidas Invitational all-tournament team.

With Pilakowski, senior Kim Behrends and freshman Anna Schrad staffing the left side, the Huskers are swinging at a .330 hitting efficiency from the position. In 1999, NU's starting outside hitter combined for a .205 hitting percentage on the season.

NU Remains No. 1 in AVCA/USA Today Coaches Poll
For the fifth straight week, Nebraska was voted No. 1 in the AVCA/USA Today Coaches Poll. The16-0 Huskers received 49 first-place votes and 1,489 total points after sweeps of Creighton and Iowa State last week.

Second-place Hawaii earned 11 first-place votes and 1,449 points. Colorado State, which fell to Nebraska 3-1, in Lincoln Sept. 2, remained third. Southern California and Pepperdine rounded out the top five.

Six of the teams on NU's 2000 schedule are ranked, including Big 12 foes Missouri (No. 24) and Texas A&M (No. 25).

The Huskers were voted the nation's No. 1 team for the first time in 2000 in the Sept. 11 poll. The poll marked the first time since 1995 that NU has held the top spot.

Nebraska joins the NU football team, which is also ranked No. 1 in the country this week. The last time both the Husker volleyball and football teams were ranked No. 1 was in 1995 when both teams won national championships.

The Huskers moved into the No. 1 ranking on the strength of their successful weekend in South Bend. NU first posted sweeps of then-No. 22 Notre Dame Sept. 8 and then-No. 16 Michigan State Sept. 9. In the adidas Invitational title match Sept. 10, Nebraska knocked off previously third-ranked UCLA, 12-15, 15-11, 13-15, 15-1, 15-10.

Nebraska has produced an overall 52-2 mark when holding the nation's top spot. The Huskers are 11-0 in 2000, and were 27-0 at No. 1 in 1995, 9-1 in 1994 and 5-1 in 1990. Nebraska's only losses while ranked No. 1 were to Pacific in 1990 and Penn State in 1994.

Behrends Heating Up in Big 12 Conference Play
In her first season as a starter, Kim Behrends has produced solid numbers, ranking fifth on the team in kills per game (1.94) and second on the team in digs per game (2.38). But it has been the during the Big 12 Conference season when the senior outside hitter has done most of her damage.

Behrends' numbers have improved in two key areas against leaggue opponents: service aces and hitting errors. The Chappell, Neb., native ranks first among Huskers and fifth in the league in Big 12 matches only with 0.38 service aces per game. Behrends has 11 service aces in her last eight matches after posting just three aces in NU's first nine matches of 2000.

Behrends has also worked to cut down on her hitting errors. In Big 12 matches, Behrends has erred 14 times, a marked improvement from her 21 errors in nonconference play. Behrends had zero errors at Kansas and against Oklahoma, and she has hit over .500 in two of her last three matches. Against Texas Tech Oct. 14, Behrends produced a career-best 17 digs.

Oxley Rock Solid on the Right Side
When two-time All-American Nancy Meendering opted to redshirt in 2000 after training with the U.S. Olympic Team during the off-season, Angie Oxley, a three-year starter on the left side, was moved to give the Huskers a steady attacker on the right side.

The move has proven successful. Oxley has provided the Huskers with solid numbers at the position, leading the team in digs with 2.65 per game. Oxley has been one of Nebraska's top servers with 17 service aces, the second-best total among all Huskers. Oxley is also tied for fifth on team with 1.94 kills per game and owns a .325 hitting percentage. In the Oct. 16 Big 12 statistics, Oxley ranked 15th in the league with a .322 hitting percentage. The Ogallala, Neb., native hit just .217 on the left side last season.

Wischmeier and McWilliams Successful in New Roles
Sophomore Lindsay Wischmeier and senior Jill McWilliams spent the 1999 season sharing the setting duties for Nebraska in the Huskers' unique 6-2 offensive scheme. The combination worked well for NU, as the Huskers captured the Big 12 championship.

But despite their success in 1999, Wischmeier and McWilliams entered the 2000 season with new roles. NU Coach John Cook decided to revert back to a 5-1 offense and use the more athletic Greichaly Cepero as the starter. In order to continue to take advantage of Wischmeier's consistent play, Cook moved her into a defensive specialist role, and the Burchard, Neb., product has flourished.

As a back-row substitute for sophomore middle blocker Amber Holmquist, Wischmeier ranks fourth on the team in digs with 1.94 per game. Wischmeier leads the team in service aces with 18. She has produced at least two service aces in a match five times this season, including a season-best three service aces at Kansas. Wischmeier ranks tenth in the Big 12 in service aces (0.33 per game).

McWilliams also plays a defensive specialist role in matches, coming in for middle blocker Jenny Kropp for two rotations in the back row. She has started two matches this season, and played the entire Iowa State match at the setter position, posting a season-best 41 assists.

Freshman Schrad Produces Best Match at Texas Tech
With the success of starting outside hitters Kim Behrends and Laura Pilakowski, NU Coach John Cook has had the luxury of slowly breaking in freshman outside hitter Anna Schrad.

However, Schrad appears to be catching on quickly. Schrad has played in 31 of 66 games this season, usually spelling Behrends in third games. In the Big 12 statistics released Oct. 16, Schrad ranked 12th with a .333 hitting efficiency. The Lincoln Pius X graduate is averaging 2.13 kills per game. Schrad has shown continuous improvement, producing her best match of the season Oct. 14 at Texas Tech. Playing in the third and fourth games only, Schrad posted a career-best 14 kills on 31 attacks. She hit .387 for the match.

One of the top volleyball players to ever come out of the state of Nebraska, Schrad joined the Huskers after a stellar prep career. She was named a three-time all-state selection and was the 1999 Gatorade Nebraska Volleyball Player of the Year. A first-team Volleyball Magazine All-American, Schrad served as the captain of the USA Junior National Team as a senior.

Husker Attendance Ranks Second Nationally
Nebraska's fans continue to fuel their team's success at the NU Coliseum. Through the first five weeks of collegiate volleyball action, the Husker crowds ranked second in average attendance with 3,505 fans per contest. Hawaii ranks first, Wisconsin ranked third, Illionis was fourth and Minnesota was fifth. Hawaii home matches have produced the nine of the top 10 crowds in the nation this season.

The 1999 season marked the best year ever for Husker attendance, as Nebraska drew 71,577 fans, breaking the 1998 record of 69,594. Nebraska drew an average of 3,767 fans per match in 1999. Nebraska has posted 10 undefeated season in the NU Coliseum, including an 18-0 mark in 1998. The Huskers own an amazing 349-24 all-time record at the Coliseum.

National Attendance Rankings Through Oct. 16, 2000

School	Avg.	Total	Matches
1. Hawaii	6,987	83,842	12
2. Nebraska	3,505	35,045	10
3. Wisconsin	2,557	23,016	9
4. Illinois State	2,305	11,526	5
5. Minnesota	2,300	22,999	10