Huskers Take on Ninth Ranked Opponent of the Season in Texas A&M

Lincoln -- The No. 2 Nebraska volleyball team will play its second ranked opponent in as many weeks Sunday, Oct. 14, when it travels to No. 17 Texas A&M for a 2 p.m. match. The contest will be aired live by Fox Sports Net in the Southwest, Midwest and Rocky Mountain regions. Nebraska, which swept then-No. 25 Kansas State Oct. 1, is 7-1 against teams ranked in the AVCA/USA Today Coaches Top 25 poll this season, and NU owns a 2-1 mark against opponents ranked in the top 10.

The Huskers are 13-6 all-time against the Aggies and have won the last three contests. However, 10 of the 16 contests have gone four or more games, including four of the last six. Texas A&M was one of just nine teams to push Nebraska past three games last season.

Nebraska carries an 12-match winning streak into the weekend, winning all 36 games it has played. The Huskers swept Kansas Wednesday night while displaying their most efficient offensive performance of the season. NU pounded 52 kills and posted just six errors in 88 swings for a season-high .523 mark at the net, its best since recording a .567 hitting percentage against Creighton Oct. 3, 2000. Five Huskers hit .429 or better, led by sophomore middle blocker Sara Westlings .889 mark.

Nebraska leads the Big 12 in hitting efficiency, swinging at a .344 clip in conference matches, and Amber Holmquist, Jenny Kropp and Nancy Metcalf all rank among the league leaders individually in that category.
The Husker defense has also been the best in the league, holding opponents to a combined .061 hitting percentage, while out-blocking Big 12 teams 104.5 (4.98 per game) to 20.0 (0.95 per game). Holmquist, Kropp, Greichaly Cepero and Metcalf all ranked in the top five in blocks per game in the conference statistics released Oct. 8.

Streaking Huskers

• The Huskers have won 38 consecutive home matches, including 36 straight matches at the NU Coliseum. The streak is the second-longest in the nation. Northern Iowa ranks first with 41 straight wins, and Ball State is third with 37.4NU Head Coach John Cook is 27-0 in the Big 12 Conference.
  
• Nebraska has won 12 consecutive matches and 36 straight games.
  
• Nebraska has won 37 straight Big 12 matches.
  
• Junior defensive specialist Lindsay Wischmeier has played in a team-best 82 consecutive matches.
  
• Nebraska has out-blocked its opponent in 68 straight matches. The Huskers were last out-blocked by Texas A&M Oct. 2, 1999.

A Look at No. 17 Texas A&M (12-2 Overall, 5-1 Big 12)
Texas A&M is 12-2 overall and 5-1 in the Big 12 after winning a four-game battle in Lubbock against Texas Tech Wednesday night. The Aggies lost in four games to Stanford Sept. 5, and suffered a five-game upset loss to Colorado in College Station Oct. 7. Texas A&M is led by All-Big 12 setter Jenna Moscovic, who averages 12.90 assists per game, 2.70 digs per game and 1.98 kills per game on a .372 hitting percentage. Moscovic is one of only two players not from Nebraska to earn Big 12 Player-of-the-Week honors this season. She won the award Sept. 24 after producing a .413 hitting percentage and 11.30 assists, 1.30 blocks, 2.20 kills and 3.00 digs per game against Houston and Missouri.

Senior outside hitters Erin Lechler and Michelle Cole have also been impressive for the Aggies. Lechler leads the Aggies with 3.68 kills per game and adds 3.48 digs per game. Michelle Cole leads A&M with 4.00 digs per game and averages 3.16 kills per game.

• The Coach: The Aggies are led by Lori Corbelli, who is 301-71 in her ninth season at Texas A&M. Corbelli picked up her 300th career win and her 200th win at Texas A&M Friday, Oct. 5, when the Aggies defeated Texas in four games at College Station. Corbellis husband, John, serves as associate head coach.4The Series: Nebraska leads, 13-6.
  
• The Last Time: The Huskers defeated Texas A&M, 3-1, Nov. 8 in College Station, Texas, to claim at least a share of their fourth Big 12 title. Amber Holmquist produced a career-best 26 kills, hit .550 and recorded a match-high 11 blocks. Greichaly Cepero posted a triple-double with 71 assists, 18 digs and 11 blocks.

Hitting Deficiency
Nebraska has stifled teams with its defense this season. Opponents are hitting just .100 against Nebraska in 2001. Only one team, No. 1 Long Beach State, has hit better than .153 against Nebraska this season. The Huskers have held eight of their opponents to less than .100 at the net, including No. 5 UCLA, which hit just .091 against NU. Nebraska leads the Big 12 Conference in opponent attack percentage, holding league teams to .061.

Dont Go There
The most consistent and intimidating element of the Huskers game in recent years has been their block. Nebraska has out-blocked its opponents in an incredible 68 consecutive matches, going 65-3 during the streak. The last time NU lost a blocking battle was Oct. 2, 1999, when it fell to Texas A&M, 3-2.

In Big 12 statistics released Oct. 8, Nebraska led the league with an incredible 5.36 blocks per game. Second-place Texas owns a 3.65 blocks-per-game mark. Junior middle blocker Amber Holmquist ranks first individually (2.59 bpg), followed by Jenny Kropp (second, 1.94 bpg), Nancy Metcalf (fourth, 1.67) and Greichaly Cepero (fifth, 1.56 bpg). The Huskers have out-blocked their Big 12 opponents 96.5-19.0 (5.36-1.06 per game) in 2001. If Nebraska continues its current pace, it will capture its fifth Big 12 blocking title.

The 2000 Huskers were statistically the best blocking squad in Nebraska and Big 12 Conference history. In 2000, NU set a new school record with 4.20 blocks per game and a new Big 12 record with 4.36 blocks per game in conference matches. The Huskers won the NCAA blocking title, and Holmquist claimed the NCAA individual blocking title with 1.98 blocks per game -- which was also a school record. Holmquist, who owns single-match conference records for block assists and total blocks, shattered the Big 12 record with 2.14 blocks per game in league matches. The Big 12s top three blockers were NU players -- Holmquist, Kropp (1.73 bpg) and Cepero (1.68 bpg).

League Leaders
In the Big 12 Conference statistics released Monday, Oct. 8, Nebraska led the league in hitting percentage (.321), blocks per game (5.36) and opponent hitting percentage (.060). Junior middle blocker Amber Holmquist ranked first in hitting percentage (.500) and blocks per game (2.59) in conference matches, and junior middle blocker Jenny Kropp ranks first in blocks per game in all matches (1.86). Other Huskers who rank among the leagues leaders include Nancy Metcalf (fourth in blocks per game and kills per game, fifth in hitting percentage, 10th in service aces) and Greichaly Cepero (fifth in blocks per game, sixth in assists per game).

No. 1 No Longer
Lincoln -- Nebraska steamrolled to three easy victories during the last week of September, but their efforts werent enough to retain its No. 1 ranking in the AVCA/USA Today Coaches Poll released Monday, Oct. 1. The Huskers fell to No. 2 after an AVCA-record 17 weeks in the top spot. Long Beach State, which defeated Nebraska, 3-1, Sept. 1, leaped Nebraska for the No. 1 spot after defeating No. 4 Stanford, 3-1, and UC Riverside, 3-0.

NU, which is one of just three teams to be ranked in the AVCA poll for all 239 weeks, had held the top spot since Sept. 11, 2000.

The 49ers held just a three-point lead over NU in the Oct. 1 poll, and the Huskers received 33 first-place votes to Long Beach States 32. But the gap widened this week. Long Beach State swept No. 12 Pacific in Stockton last Thursday and now owns a 48-point lead over NU and has 55 first-place votes to Nebraskas 10.

Shes Back ...
One of the most dynamic attackers in school history, senior Nancy Metcalf (formerly Meendering) missed the 2000 national title run but has made an impressive return to the court this season. Metcalf has been the Huskers go-to player offensively, averaging 4.23 kills per game on a .355 hitting percentage. Metcalf, a two-time AVCA All-American, has also been a clutch performer defensively, averaging a team-best 3.17 digs per game, including a career-best 23 at then-No. 12 Pacific, Aug. 25. Her blocking numbers have shot up recently as well. Metcalf has averaged 2.11 blocks per game over the Huskers last three matches to increase her blocks per game numbers to 1.11.

In the Big 12 Conference individual rankings released Monday, Metcalf was fourth in the conference in blocks per game (1.67), fourth in kills per game (4.28), fifth in hitting percentage (.361) and 10th in service aces per game (0.44).

Metcalfs performances have not gone unnoticed. She earned State Farm/NACWAA MVP honors after averaging 4.71 kills per game, a .377 hitting percentage, and 4.00 digs per game against then-No. 5 Hawaii and Pacific. Metcalf has also twice been named the Big 12 Player of the Week, claiming the honor on Sept. 3 and Oct. 1.

Metcalf already owns five school records, including single-season kills per game with 5.09 in 1999. The 1999 Big 12 Player of the Year, Metcalf redshirted in 2000 after training with the U.S. National Team during the off-season.

Sure Shot
Amber Holmquist has been the Huskers most effective attacker this season. The junior middle blocker has 125 kills in 203 swings, good for a .478 hitting percentage. She has hit for a .333 percentage or better in 12 of NUs 15 matches, including five performances of .600 or better and nine of .400 or better. The 2000 AVCA Second-Team All-American tied her season-high hitting percentage Oct. 1 against Missouri, pounding 10 kills and committing just one error in 12 attempts (.750).

Holmquist leads the Big 12 Conference with a .500 hitting percentage in league matches in 2001, and she is hitting .468 against ranked teams. Holmquist is on track to shatter the Nebraska single-season record for hitting percentage of .440, set by Virginia Stahr in 1989.

Holmquist finished the 2000 season ranked fourth nationally with a .406 hitting percentage. She hit .500 or better in 14 matches last season, and she swung at a .600 or higher clip six times.

Super Setter
Nebraska junior setter Greichaly Cepero continues to baffle opponents with her all-around game. Cepero is averaging 12.85 assists per game, 2.19 digs per game, 1.17 blocks per game and 1.13 kills per game while leading NU to a .307 team hitting percentage this season.

Cepero virtually redefined the setter position as a sophomore 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.

A unique setter because of her blocking ability, Cepero was the only setter in the country to rank among the nations 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.

Cepero capped her incredible 2000 season with countless awards, including the Honda Award for volleyball, the AVCA Player of the Year, and the Big 12 Female Athlete of the Year. Cepero also 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.

Full House
Nebraska drew 8,976 fans, the largest crowd in NCAA Division I volleyball this season, for its sweep of Oklahoma Saturday, Oct. 6, at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

NU, which has broken the all-time NCAA regular-season attendance record three times at the Devaney Center, shattered the nations previous 2001 attendance mark of 7,723, which was set Sept. 2 when Hawaii hosted UCLA. The Huskers normally play in the 4,200-seat NU Coliseum.

Saturdays crowd bumped the Huskers average attendance to 4,753, which ranks second nationally. Hawaii is first with 6,580. Wisconsin, Florida and Long Beach State round out the top five.

Home Sweet Home
The Huskers have won 38 consecutive matches at home, and 36 straight matches at the NU Coliseum (NU defeated Colorado, 3-0, last season at the Bob Devaney Sports Center). Nebraskas last loss in Lincoln was a five-game defeat to Kansas State Sept. 22, 1999. The Huskers have gone undefeated at home 11 times in program history and have been perfect at home five times in the past seven years.

The Big 12s Best
Nebraska is looking to capture its fifth Big 12 Conference title in six seasons in 2001. The Huskers have won four Big 12 championships and 23 Big 12/Big Eight conference titles in the past 25 years. Nebraska owns an all-time record of 377-32-1 (.919) against Big 12 schools, and NU is 92-9 against Big 12 schools since the leagues inception in 1996. The Huskers have lost just once at the NU Coliseum in Big 12 history, a 1999 five-game defeat to Kansas State.

Last Time Out: Huskers Sweep Kansas
Lincoln, Neb. -- The No. 2 Nebraska volleyball team produced its best hitting percentage in 35 matches to defeat Kansas, 30-16, 30-16, 30-17, Wednesday night before 4,109 fans at the NU Coliseum. The Huskers pounded 52 kills and posted just six errors in 88 swings for a season-high .523 mark at the net, their best since recording a .567 hitting percentage against Creighton Oct. 3, 2000.

Five Huskers hit .429 or better, led by sophomore middle blocker Sara Westlings .889 mark. Westling posted eight kills on nine attacks. Laura Pilakowski totaled a match-high 12 kills on a .579 hitting percentage, and Jenny Kropp had 10 kills while swinging at a .714 clip. Sophomore outside hitter Anna Schrad was errorless with seven kills on 11 attacks (.636 pct.), and Nancy Metcalf recorded seven kills on a .429 hitting percentage.

Junior setter Greichaly Cepero posted 43 assists, six digs and four kills in helping the Huskers improve to 14-1 overall and 7-0 in the Big 12 Conference.

Kansas (11-6, 2-6) was led by senior setter Molly LaMere (Papillion, Neb.), who posted 27 assists and a team-best six digs.

Before the match started, Coach Cook told us that he wasnt going to be as tense on the bench. He just wanted us to go out and have fun, and I think this is the best weve played all season, Kropp said. It was so much fun. We played with more passion and with more joy than we have all year. It was the first time that we all really went out there together. We were out there for each other.

The Huskers were all smiles in game one. Nebraska slammed 18 kills on 27 attacks with no errors to hit .667 as a team in the first period. A 16-11 lead ballooned to 25-11, as Cepero reeled off nine straight points from the service line. Kropp accounted for three points during the run, tallying three of her game-high six kills.

The Huskers continued to cruise in games two and three. NU held the Jayhawks to .000 in the second game, and Westling posted all eight of her kills in the third game.

Nebraska returns to action Sunday at 2 p.m. when it faces No. 17 Texas A&M in College Station, Texas. The match will be televised live on Fox Sports Midwest and Fox Sports Southwest.

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 redshirted in 2000 after training with the U.S. National Team during the offseason. 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.

Nebraska Coach John Cook
John Cook (208-74) is in his second year 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, 44, has continued his success in 2001, as the Huskers have gone 14-1, defeating eight ranked teams. Cook has improved his Nebraska record to 48-1, and he is 27-0 in Big 12 matches.
Cook 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.

Cooks accomplishments at Wisconsin earned him praise as one of the games 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 compiled a 162-73 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 bachelors degree in history in 1979. He completed his masters 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.