Huskers Return Home to Face Kansas State

Lincoln -- The No. 2 Nebraska volleyball team will look to keep its 16-match winning streak alive Saturday, Oct. 27, when it plays host to Kansas State at the NU Coliseum. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.

The Huskers (18-1 overall and 11-0 in the Big 12) are 62-1 all-time against KSU, but the Wildcats' only win was a memorable one. Kansas State defeated Nebraska, 3-2, Sept. 22, 1999, at the NU Coliseum. KSU became the first conference school ever to defeat the Huskers at home in a regular-season match. In 2000, the Wildcats were the only conference team to take Nebraska to five games before falling, 3-2.

Nebraska has already swept Kansas State once this season, and the Huskers have been the most dominant team in the Big 12 through the first half of the league schedule. NU has swept nine of 11 Big 12 opponents, winning 32 of 34 games. The Huskers, who have won 40 straight Big 12 matches, lead the league with a .333 hitting percentage, and they have held Big 12 teams to a meager .077 mark at the net.

Offensively, the Huskers have been led by the 1-2 punch of Nancy Metcalf and Laura Pilakowski. Metcalf leads NU with 4.39 kills per game on a .340 hitting percentage, and Pilakowski is second on the team with 3.34 kills per game on a .302 hitting percentage.

Defensively, Nebraska features the best middle blocking combination in the country. Jenny Kropp and Amber Holmquist rank third and fourth, respectively, in the NCAA in blocks per game. Kropp leads the Big 12 with a 1.83 blocks per game 2001, and Holmquist leads the conference in league matches only with 2.06 per game.

Husker Streaks

• The Huskers have won 39 consecutive home matches, including 37 straight matches at the NU Coliseum. The streak is the longest in the NCAA. Ball State is second with 38.
  
• NU Head Coach John Cook is 31-0 in the Big 12 Conference. Cook is 52-1 in two seasons at Nebraska, with his only loss coming at now-No. 1 Long Beach State Sept. 1, 2001.
  
• Nebraska has won 16 consecutive matches and 48 of its last 50 games.
  
• Nebraska has won 41 straight Big 12 matches, dating back to a five-game loss at Texas on Oct. 23, 1999.
  
• Junior defensive specialist Lindsay Wischmeier has played in a team-best 86 consecutive matches.

Quick Sets
The latest on the Nebraska starting lineup:

• Amber Holmquist broke out of a hitting slump at Missouri. Holmquist swung at a .487 clip through NU's first 14 matches, then hit .250, .214, .000 and .375 in the next four before pounding a season-best 16 kills on 25 attacks for a .600 mark against the Tigers. The 6-foot-4 middle blocker leads the Big 12 with a .437 hitting percentage on the season.
  
• Nancy Metcalf leads NU with nine double-doubles. She also leads the Huskers in kills per game (4.39), digs per game (3.08) and service aces per game (0.44).
  
• Laura Pilakowski has re-emerged offensively in recent weeks, joining Nancy Metcalf to give the Huskers a potent 1-2 offensive punch. The Columbus, Neb., native hit .230 through NU's first 10 matches, but has hit .385 in its last nine to bring her average to .302, a 72-point improvement. Pilakowski has also averaged 3.66 kills per game in NU's last nine matches as compared to 3.06 kills per game her first 10 matches.
  
• Jenny Kropp is averaging a team-best 1.90 blocks per game against ranked opponents. The senior middle blocker ranks first in the Big 12 with 1.83 blocks per game, and she was third nationally in that category in last week's NCAA statistics.
  
• Greichaly Cepero is the only setter who ranks among the Big 12 leaders in blocks per game. Her 2001 average of 1.20 blocks per game is seventh in the league.
  
• Anna Schrad has hit .450 or better in three of her last six matches. The sophomore outside hitter ranks third on the team with 2.75 digs per game.
  
• Lindsay Wischmeier has played in a team-best 86 consecutive matches, and she has seen action in 288 of a possible 290 games since arriving at Nebraska. The junior defensive specialist is fourth on the team with 2.61 digs per game.

For more detailed information on Nebraska's starting lineup, please see pages 6-8.

A Look at Kansas State (12-6 Overall, 8-4, Big 12)
Kansas State was 12-6 overall and 8-4 in the Big 12 after defeating Texas Tech, 3-1, Monday night. Nebraska owns a 62-1 all-time record against KSU, but the rivalry between the two teams has heated up in recent years, as two of the last four matches have gone five games.

The previously-ranked Wildcats, the only conference team to push Nebraska to five games last season, list five players who hail from Nebraska on their roster. In fact, Kansas State's top three attackers are from Nebraska, including Grand Island native Liz Wegner (first, 4.70 kills per game), North Bend native Jenny Pollard (third, 2.78 kpg), and Spencer native Lisa Mimick (second, 2.80 kpg). Other Nebraskans on the KSU roster include Jayne Christen (Tecumseh) and Katie Stanzel (Omaha).

• The Coach: The Wildcats are led by first-year coach Susie Fritz, who took over the reigns Aug. 1 after four-year coach Jim McLaughlin accepted the head coaching position at Washington. Fritz spent four years as an assistant at KSU before taking the head job.
  
• The Series: Nebraska is 62-1 all-time against KSU, but the Wildcats' only win was a memorable one. Kansas State defeated Nebraska, 3-2, Sept. 22, 1999 at the NU Coliseum. KSU became the first conference school ever to defeat the Huskers at home in a regular-season match.
  
• The Last Time: The Huskers defeated Kansas State, 30-28, 30-27, 30-20, Oct. 1 in Manhattan. Nancy Metcalf recorded 15 kills and 13 digs, while Jenny Kropp tallied 10 kills and eight blocks.