Huskers Return to Calif. to Take On Two More Ranked Opponents

Lincoln -- The top-ranked Nebraska volleyball team returns to California to face two opponents ranked in the AVCA/USA Today Coaches Top 25 poll for the second straight week. The Huskers will face No. 8 Long Beach State Friday, Sept. 1, at 9 p.m. before taking on No. 13 UC Santa Barbara Sunday, Sept. 2 at 5 p.m.

Both Long Beach State Invitational matches will be broadcast live by John Baylor on 107.3 FM and the Nebraska Volleyball Network.

Nebraska has not had a tremendous amount of success against either team in past years. NU is 3-3 all-time against Long Beach State and lost to the Gauchos in the 1998 NCAA Pacific Region Final, the last time the two squads played at The Pyramid. The 1998 LBS team went on to became the first squad in NCAA Division I volleyball history to finish a season undefeated with a national title. Nebraska became the seond last year.
The Huskers are 2-4-1 all-time against USCB. Currently riding a 36-match winning streak, the Huskers' last loss to Dec. 9, 1999, to UC Santa Barbara in the NCAA Regionals.

Nebraska is 2-0 after winning its first-ever State Farm/NACWAA Volleyball Classic title last weekend. NU swept fifth-ranked Hawaii, then defeated No. 12 Pacific, 3-1, in the championship match.

Senior right side hitter Nancy Metcalf was named the tournament's MVP, and junior middle blocker Amber Holmquist and junior setter Greichaly Cepero were named to the all-tournament team. Metcalf, competing for the first time since 1999 after redshirting the 2000 season, averaged 4.71 kills per game on a .377 hitting percentage while adding 4.29 digs per game for the weekend. She also posted a career-high 23 digs against Pacific. Holmquist posted 2.86 kills per game on a .455 hitting percentage, and Cepero averaged 13.57 assists per game while guiding the Huskers to a .400 hitting percentage against Hawaii and a .315 mark against UOP.

With the two wins, Nebraska extended its NCAA-leading consecutive wins streak to 36. The mark is tied for fifth all-time in NCAA history.

A Look at No. 8 Long Beach State
Nebraska will open the tournament Friday night at 9:30 against Long Beach State. The 49ers, who advanced to their 12th NCAA Regional in 2000 and finished with a 28-4 record, will be led by senior middle blocker Cheryl Weaver and senior outside hitter/middle blocker Tayyiba Haneef. Weaver, a two-time AVCA All-American and the 2000 Big West Player of the Year, averaged 4.63 kills per game and 1.62 blocks per game as a junior. Haneef, listed at 6-foot-7, was a first-team All-Big West Conference selection last season after posting 4.27 kills per game with a .357 hitting percentage.

The Gauchos recently returned from a preseason trip to Europe, where they went 7-1 with wins against the Austrian National Team and the Czech Junior National Team.

• The Coach: The 49ers are led by Brian Gimmillaro, who is entering is 17th year at Long Beach State. Gimmillaro owns a 449-104 (.802) record at LBS and has guided the 49ers to three national titles. The 1998 Long Beach State squad became the first team in NCAA history to finish a season undefeated with a national championship. Nebraska became the second in 2000.
• The Series: Nebraska is 3-3 all-time against Long Beach State, but has not faced the 49ers since 1997.
• The Last Time: The Huskers lost in three to Long Beach State Dec. 13, 1997 in the NCAA Pacific Region Finals at the Pyramid in Long Beach, Calif.

A Look at No. 13 UC Santa Barbara
UC Santa Barbara was the last team to defeat Nebraska, as the Huskers have not lost a match since dropping a 3-1 decision to the Gauchos in the 1999 NCAA Pacific Regional Semifinals. UCSB returns five starters from the 2000 squad that finished 26-8 and reached the NCAA West Regional Final. The Gauchos will be led by Brook Rundle, a three-time first-team All-Big West selection and a 2000 AVCA Second-Team All-American. The 5-foot-6 Rundle averaged 13.16 assists in 2000. First-team All-Big West selections Danielle Bauer (4.43 kpg) and Simone Kuhn (3.55 kpg) also return.

4The Coach: Kathy Gregory is in her 27th year at UC Santa Barbara. She has guided the Gauchos to a 654-277 (.702) mark. USCB has reached the NCAA Tournament 20 times under Gregory, which is tied for first in NCAA history.

4The Series: UCSB leads the series, 4-2-1. NU Coach John Cook is 1-0 all-time against the Gauchos.

4The Last Time: The Huskers lost to UCSB, 3-1, Dec. 9, 1999 in the NCAA Pacific Regional Semifinals in Palo Alto, Calif. Nancy Metcalf (formerly Meendering) posted a match-high 22 kills, 17 digs and seven blocks, but NU hit just .147 in the loss.

History in the Making?
Nebraska enters the 2001 season on a 36-match winning streak, which is tied for fifth in NCAA Division I volleyball history. The Huskers need eight wins to tie and nine wins to break the 11-year-old NCAA record streak of 44 consecutive matches won, which was set by Penn State from Aug. 31, 1990 to Dec. 7, 1990. It won't be an easy task. Nebraska's next six opponents are ranked in the AVCA/USA Today Coaches top 20. But if NU's winning streak continues, the Huskers would tie the NCAA record Sept. 19 at Colorado and break the mark Sept. 25 at home against Creighton.

She's Baaaack ...
One of the most dynamic attackers in school history, senior Nancy Metcalf (formerly Meendering) missed the 2000 national title run but made an impressive return to the court Aug. 24-25 at the State Farm/NACWAA Classic. Metcalf led the Huskers to their first-ever State Farm/NACWAA title with wins over No. 5 Hawaii and No. 12 Pacific en route to claiming tournament MVP honors. She averaged 4.71 kills per game on a .377 hitting percentage.

"Nancy has just gone to another level," NU Coach John Cook said. "Every time she takes a swing, she can kill it. It doesn't matter where the ball is. Her arm swing has gotten faster, and she sees the block so well. She makes it look easy, and it's just impressive to watch."

Metcalf also set a new career-best with 23 digs against Pacific and averaged 4.29 for the weekend, which was a good sign for the Huskers. Cook said the NU coaching staff will ask Metcalf to be a primary passer for the first time in her career this season. A Nebraska player has never averaged more than 4.00 digs in a single season.

Metcalf already owns five school records, including single-season kills per game with 5.09 in 1999. A two-time AVCA All-American, Metcalf redshirted in 2000 after training with the U.S. National Team during the offseason.

Share and Share Alike
Nebraska kept No. 5 Hawaii and No. 12 Pacific off-balance Aug. 24-25 at the State Farm/NACWAA Classic with a balanced offensive attack. All-American setter Greichaly Cepero distributed the ball consistently in both matches and led Nebraska to a .334 hitting percentage for the weekend as all five of NU's starting attackers emerged as offensive threats. Nancy Metcalf, Anna Schrad, Amber Holmquist, Laura Pilakowski and Jenny Kropp all had at least 30 total attacks for the weekend. The five hitters made the most of their attempts, as each posted at least 17 kills, led by Metcalf's 33. Four of the five swung for a .354 hitting percentage or better, led by Holmquist's .455 mark.

Cepero posted 13.57 assists per game for the weekend, 1.67 more than her 2000 average.

Top Dog
The Huskers were voted No. 1 in the AVCA/USA Today Coaches Top 25 preseason poll released Aug. 13. The vote marked the first time in school history that Nebraska has held the top spot in the preseason poll, and extended the Huskers' streak of consecutive weeks ranked No. 1 to 15. NU is one of just three teams to be ranked in the AVCA poll for all 235 weeks, 207 of which have been in the top 10.

Secret Weapon
With four All-Americans and a first-team all-Big 12 selection filling five of the six spots in the NU starting lineup, NU Coach John Cook predicted that opponents might overlook Anna Schrad when preparing to face the Huskers. Schrad, a sophomore outside hitter and the Huskers' newest starter, surprised both No. 5 Hawaii and No. 12 Pacific Aug. 24-25 at the State Farm/NACWAA Classic. The Lincoln Northeast graduate ranked second on the team with 3.43 kills per game while hitting .354 for the weekend. Schrad also added 2.86 digs per game, which was third on the team.

Schrad's most impressive outing was against the Tigers in the NACWAA championship game, as she posted the third double-double of her career with 15 kills and 17 digs.
A two-year starter on the U.S. Junior National Team, Schrad played in 32 of NU's 34 matches last season, averaging 1.91 kills per game.

NACWAA Champs
Nebraska swept fifth-ranked Hawaii Friday, Aug.24, 30-17, 30-27, 30-24, then defeated No. 12 Pacific, 30-21, 32- 20, 27-30, 30-24, Saturday, Aug. 25, to win its first-ever State Farm/NACWAA Volleyball Classic title. Senior right side hitter Nancy Metcalf was named the tournament's MVP, and junior middle blocker Amber Holmquist and junior setter Greichaly Cepero were named to the all-tournament team. Metcalf, competing for the first time since 1999 after redshirting the 2000 season, averaged 4.71 kills per game on a .377 hitting percentage while adding 4.29 digs per game for the weekend. She also posted a career-high 23 digs against Pacific.

Holmquist, who swung for a .600 hitting percentage against Hawaii, posted 2.86 kills per game on a .455 hitting percentage for the weekend. Cepero averaged 13.57 assists per game while guiding the Huskers to a .400 hitting percentage against Hawaii and a .315 mark against UOP.

Five Huskers averaged at least 2.43 kills per game for the weekend in the Huskers' balanced offensive attack, including Metcalf, Holmquist, sophomore outside hitter Anna Schrad (3.43 kpg), senior middle blocker Jenny Kropp (2.43 kpg) and junior outside hitter Laura Pilakowski (2.43 kpg).

From NACWAA Champion to ...
Ironically, the NACWAA Champion has not been a good indicator of the NCAA national champion. In fact, just one NACWAA Champion has gone on to win the national title in the same year -- Long Beach State in 1998. However, in the seven-year history of the tournament, a team from the field has gone on to win the national championship.

Super Setter
Greichaly Cepero virtually redefined the setter position as a sophmore last year and had one of the most successful seasons by a setter in school history, guiding the Huskers to a No. 1 ranking, a 34-0 record and a .312 hitting percentage (second in the nation) in her first season at the position.

Cepero was the only setter ranked in the top 10 of three different Big 12 categories during the regular season. She was 10th in hitting percentage, ninth in assists per game and third in blocks per game. A unique setter because of her blocking ability, Cepero was the only setter in the country to rank among the nation's top 20 in blocking (18th, 1.48 per game). Cepero led Nebraska in solo blocks with 28 and was responsible for 34 percent of the Huskers' total blocks (161 of 477.5). For the season, the Dorado, Puerto Rico, native, averaged 11.90 assists, 2.14 digs, 1.48 blocks and 1.83 kills per game. In conference matches, Cepero tallied 1.68 blocks per game and 2.03 kills per game.

Cepero led NU with 12 double-doubles, three of which were triple-doubles. She fell one dig or one kill short of a triple-double four times. Cepero was just one kill short of the school's first quadruple-double when she produced nine kills, 46 assists, 10 digs and 11 blocks at Texas Oct. 22.

Cepero capped her incredible 2000 season with countless awards. She was named the Honda Award winner for volleyball, the AVCA Player of the Year, a first-team AVCA All-American, the Big 12 Female Athlete of the Year, the Big 12 Player of the Year, the NCAA Tournament Central Regional MVP, a Second-Team Academic All-District VII selection and a First-Team Academic All-Big 12 selection.

Cepero became the seventh NU setter to earn All-America honors and the first to be named player of the year. Husker setters have combined to win 13 All-America awards.

Despite her all-around numbers and 2000 accolades, NU Coach John Cook emphasized that Cepero hadn't reached her potential as a setter. The 2000 AVCA Player of the Year spent much of the spring working on the placement and conistency of her sets, the results were aparent in NU's 2001 opening weekend. Cepero combined to average 13.57 assists against No. 5 Hawaii and No. 12 Pacific at the State Farm/NACWAA Classic, 1.67 higher than her 2000 average of 11.90 assists per game.

Block Party
NU Coach John Cook has said that in 2001, Nebraska could become one of the best blocking teams in NCAA history. The Huskers got started on the right track at the Aug. 24-25 State Farm/NACWAA Classic, combining to outblock No. 5 Hawaii and No. 12 Pacific 22.0-11.0.

Nebraska returns its top three blockers from a team that dominated opponents at the net in 2000 with a nation-leading 4.15 blocks per game. NU was the only team in the nation to have three players ranked in the NCAA top 20 in blocks per game, including Amber Holmquist (first, 1.98), Jenny Kropp (sixth, 1.63) and Greichaly Cepero (18th, 1.48). The Huskers broke Big 12 Conference single-season records for blocks per game, block assists and total blocks in 2000, and Nebraska broke single-season school records for blocks per game (4.23) and block assists (741).

The Huskers add Nancy Metcalf, who redshirted the 2000 season, into the mix. Metcalf posted 139 blocks assists in 1999, which ranks eighth on the NU single-season charts.

All-America U
Nebraska is the only team in Division I with four All-Americans in its starting lineup. Junior setter Greichaly Cepero and junior outside hitter Laura Pilakowski earned first-team All-America honors in 2000, while junior middle blocker Amber Holmquist was recognized on the second team. Joining the three 2000 All-Americans is Nancy Metcalf, a first-team All-America selection in 1998 and 1999. Metcalf, the 1999 Big 12 Player of the Year, redshirted 2000 after training with the U.S. National Team during the offeason.

The Nebraska volleyball program has now earned 38 AVCA All-America certificates, the second-highest total of any Division I institution. A total of 21 Huskers have earned All-America status, ranking Nebraska second all-time in total All-America athletes.

Everyone's Favorite
Nebraska was the unanimous pick to win the 2001 Big 12 title, and four Huskers were selected as preseason honorees in a vote by the league's head coaches released by the conference office Aug. 7.The defending national champion Huskers, who have won four of a possible five Big 12 championships since the conference's inception, received 10 of 11 first-place votes in the preseason poll. Texas A&M was picked to finish second, followed by Colorado. Kansas State and Missouri tied for fourth in the balloting. The voting was based on a point system, with 10 points awarded to the first-place team and one to the last-place team. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team or players.

Three of the seven players on the preseason All-Big 12 squad were Huskers. NU junior setter Greichaly Cepero received the nod for conference preseason player of the year for the second straight season after leading Nebraska to a 34-0 record and the nation's second-best hitting percentage (.312) in 2000. Joining Cepero were Laura Pilakowski, an AVCA first-team All-American outside hitter, and Nancy Metcalf, a two-time AVCA first-team All-American on the right side. Nebraska outside hitter Allyne Rebholz was voted the Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year. Rebholz, a 6-foot-1 outside hitter, was twice named the Indiana Metro Player of the Year and was a two-time member of the U.S. Junior National Team.

Rocky Road
Nebraska plays an extremely competitive schedule in 2001, and the first three weeks are especially tough. NU's first eight opponents are ranked in the top 20 of the AVCA/USA Today Coaches poll, including four who are ranked in the top 10.

The Huskers got off to a good start at the prestigious State Farm/NACWAA Classic Aug. 24-25 against No. 5 Hawaii in a rematch of the teams' 2000 national semifinals match, then moved on to No. 12 Pacific, the event's host. NU emerged victorious in both matches. This weekend, the Huskers return to California to face two more 2000 NCAA Tournament teams, No. 8 Long Beach State and No. 13 UC Santa Barbara.

Nebraska opens its home slate Sept. 7-9 with the US Bank/Arby's Classic and will No. 7 UCLA, No. 17 Pepperdine and No. 20 Notre Dame. Overall, the Huskers are scheduled to play 11 matches against ranked opponents, and six matches against teams that received votes in the preseason poll.

Nebraska Coach John Cook
John Cook (197-73) enters his second season as the Nebraska head coach after guiding the Huskers to one of the most successful seasons in NCAA history in 2000. Cook, who was named the AVCA Coach of the Year, guided the Huskers to a 34-0 record as they became just the second team in NCAA history to cap an undefeated season with a national title.

Nebraska was ranked No. 1 in the AVCA/USA Today Top 25 poll for a record 14 straight weeks and broke single-season school records for wins and winning percentage. Sophomore setter Greichaly Cepero earned AVCA National Player-of-the-Year honors. Three Huskers won AVCA All-America certificates, and five Nebraska players were named to the All-Big 12 teams. Laura Pilakowski earned Verizon/CoSIDA Academic All-America honors, and a conference-best seven Huskers earned Academic All-Big 12 recognition.

Cook, who is three wins away from his 200th victory, took over the Nebraska head coaching job after serving as associate head coach during the 1999 season. Before returning to Nebraska in 1999, he led Wisconsin to six straight postseason appearances in seven seasons as the Badgers' head coach.

Cook's accomplishments at Wisconsin earned him praise as one of the game's top young coaches. He built the Badger program into a top-10 program during his seven-year career in Madison, which included back-to-back trips to the NCAA regional finals in 1997 and 1998.

Cook, 44, is 197-73 all-time and compiled a 161-73 record at the helm of the Badgers, including an 89-51 Big Ten record. He was named the Big Ten Co-Coach and AVCA District 2 Coach of the Year in 1997 after leading the Badgers to a share of the Big Ten title with a 19-1 mark and school-record 30-3 overall record.

Cook coached four All-Americans, nine AVCA All-District award winners, 11 All-Big Ten honorees and two Big Ten freshmen of the year at UW. He also coached 21 academic All-Big Ten selections during his seven seasons.

A graduate of the University of San Diego, Cook earned his bachelor's degree in history in 1979. He completed his master's degree in teaching and coaching effectiveness from San Diego State in 1991.
Cook and his wife Wendy, a former two-time All-America setter at San Diego State, are the parents of two children, Lauren, 10, and Taylor, 7.

Performance Testing
Junior outside hitter Laura Pilakowski broke the all-time, all-sport female record with 702 vertical jump points and also set an NU volleyball record with a 28-inch vertical jump during preseason performance testing Aug. 10.

Pilakowski's school-record 702 vertical jump points total was 104 points higher than any other Husker. The Columbus, Neb., native also led the team in the 40-yard dash (5.40 seconds), 40-yard dash points (557), the pro agility run (4.56 seconds), pro-agility run points (474) and the vertical jump (28 inches). Senior All-American Nancy Metcalf posted team-best marks for the 10-yard dash (1.79 seconds) and 10-yard dash points (484).

Overall, the Huskers improved their performance index scores by an average of 80 points, and they improved their team vertical jump average by over an inch.

Rally Scoring
Colorado Springs, Colo. -- The National Association for Girls and Women in Sports, the official rule-making body for women's collegiate volleyball, has released its "2001-2002 NAGWS Official Rules, Interpretations & Officiating Rulebook."
The most noticeable difference this season will be the move from sideout volleyball to a rally scoring format where each play will result in a point. The first four games will be scored to 30 points, with the winner holding a two-point lead. The fifth and deciding game will be played to 15 with the winner leading by two points.
Further, the collegiate game will mimic the international game with the let serve. A served ball will remain in play if it hits the net and continues its path to the opposition's court.
The international pursuit, an experimental rule for 2001-2002, can be implemented in a match by agreement of both coaches. The rule allows for a player to retrieve a ball (on second contact) that has crossed the plane of the net to the opponent's free space, provided that player does not touch the opponent's court and sends the ball back to their court, over or outside the antennas, for an opportunity for the third contact.

2000 in Review
Nebraska produced one of the most successful seasons in NCAA history in 2000, posting a 34-0 record and winning the national title in a year full of highlights. In 2000, Nebraska:

• Joined the 1998 Long Beach State team as just the second squad in NCAA history to finish the season with an undefeated record and a national championship.
• Became the only team east of California to win two national championships. Texas and Penn State have each won one. Stanford has won four, and UCLA, Hawaii, Long Beach State and Pacific have won three.
• Broke the school record for consecutive victories in the modern-day era of five-game matches with its win against Hawaii. NU produced 36 straight wins in 1976, when all contests were played as two-out-of-three matches.
• Claimed both AVCA Division I major national honors, with NU Coach John Cook winning the AVCA Coach-of-the-Year award, and sophomore setter Greichaly Cepero claiming AVCA Player-of-the-Year honors. Amber Holmquist earned second-team All-America honors, while Laura Pilakowski earned first-team All-America honors and second-team Academic All-America honors.
• Led the nation in blocking (4.15 per game) and ranked second nationally in hitting percentage (.312).
• Held the No. 1 ranking in the AVCA/USA Today Coaches poll for 14 straight weeks.
• Swept 26 of its 34 opponents. Only three teams, then-No. 3 UCLA, No. 17 Kansas State, South Carolina and Wisconsin took NU to five games.
• Posted a 13-0 against ranked foes.
• Won its 23rd Big Eight/Big 12 championships in 25 seasons. Nebraska has won four of the five Big 12 championships - all but the 1997 title.

This Week in Nebraska Volleyball
Long Beach State Invitational, @ The Pyramid, Long Beach, Calif.
Sept. 1: No. 1 Nebraska (2-0) vs. No. 8 Long Beach State (0-0), 9:30 p.m.
Sept. 2: No. 1 Nebraska (2-0) vs. No. 13 UC Santa Barbara (0-0), 5 p.m.