NU Opens 2003 Season at Illinois State

Nebraska (0-0) vs. Clemson (0-0)
When: Friday, Aug. 29, 2003, 5 p.m. Where: Illinois State Redbird Arena. Series: First meeting. Cook vs. Clemson: 0-0

Nebraska (0-0) vs. Illinois (0-0)
When: Saturday, Aug. 30, 2003, 10 a.m. Where: Illinois State Redbird Arena. Series: Nebraska leads, 13-5-1. Last Meeting: Nebraska won, 3-0, 10/25/94. Cook vs. Illinois: 10-4

Nebraska (0-0) vs. Illinois State (0-0)
When: Saturday, Aug. 30, 2003, 7 p.m. Where: Illinois State Redbird Arena. Series: Illinois State leads, 5-4. Last Meeting: Nebraska won, 3-1, 8/23/96. Cook vs. Illinois State: 0-0

Media Information
Radio: All three matches can be heard live on B107.3 FM in Lincoln and selected Pinnacle Sports Network affiliates. Veteran volleyball announcer John Baylor will call the action, while NU volleyball Director of Operations Diane Mendenhall will provide color analysis.
Live Audio: Huskers.com

This Week in Nebraska Volleyball
Seventh-ranked Nebraska opens the 2003 season this weekend when it travels to Normal, Ill., for the Illinois State Barker GMC Classic at Redbird Arena. NU will face Clemson Aug. 29 at 5 p.m. before taking on Illinois at 10 a.m. and Illinois State at 7 p.m. Aug. 30.

The Huskers, who are 25-3 all-time in season openers, concluded fall camp with their annual Red/White Scrimmage Saturday night at the NU Coliseum. The scrimmage provided fans with a first look at a much different team than NU has fielded during the past three seasons. For the first time in three years, Nebraska was without its nucleus of All-Americans Greichaly Cepero, Amber Holmquist and Laura Pilakowski. The Huskers also experimented with a two-setter offense, which it has not run since the 1999 season.

The scrimmage featured the talents of the freshmen and players like Ally Rebholz, Sara Westling, and Michelle Lynch, who will move from reserve roles to the starting lineup in 2003. However, it was clear that NU's three returning starters will help with the transition. The nucleus includes senior outside hitter and preseason Big 12 Co-Player-of-the-Year Anna Schrad, sophomore middle blocker Melissa Elmer and sophomore outside hitter Jennifer Saleaumua, who joined Schrad on the preseason All-Big 12 team. Schrad posted 16 kills and 18 digs in the scrimmage, and Elmer had 10 kills and five blocks. Saleaumua played two games for the red team and three for the white, and her team won four of the five games in the scrimmage. She finished the night with a match-high 25 digs and 15 kills.

In 2003, NU head coach John Cook will begin his fourth season at the helm. During his three seasons as the Husker head coach, Cook has guided Nebraska to a 96-4 overall record, a 60-0 Big 12 mark, two NCAA semifinal apppearances and the 2000 national championship.

The Lineup
The Latest on Nebraska's Probable Starters

Outside Hitter
#16 Anna Schrad (6-2, Sr., Lincoln, Neb.): A two-year starter, Schrad is the Huskers' most experienced returning player. Schrad's 2002 average of 2.65 kills per game should go up. She will be NU's primary outside hitter, and her total attempts will increase dramatically.

4#26 Jennifer Saleaumua (5-11, So., National City, Calif.): Saleaumua is widely considered NU's top all-around player and best passer. She led NU in service aces last year and was second on the team in digs per game. Saleaumua is moving to the left side after starting 32 games on the right in 2002.

4#13 Ally Rebholz (6-1, Jr., Indianapolis): Rebholz has played a reserve role for the past two seasons, and Coach John Cook has said the Huskers need her to have a breakout year in 2003. Rebholz showed signs Aug. 23 in the Red/White Scrimmage, tallying 12 kills and seven blocks. She will start on the right.

Middle Blocker
#8 Melissa Elmer (6-2, Sr., Fort Wayne, Ind.): Often overshadowed in 2002 by NU's All-Americans, Elmer quietly ranked second in the Big 12 in hitting percentage (.381) and blocks per game (1.30). Elmer has one of the strongest arms on the team and will be one of the top offensive threats.

#15 Sara Westling (6-2, Sr., Lincoln, Neb.): Westling finally has a spot in the starting lineup after playing a reserve role for the past two seasons. Cook said Westling makes adjustments and hits angles because of her great court vision. She had a match-best 19 kills in the Red/White Scrimmage.

Setter
#2 Michelle Lynch (5-11, Sr., Jacksonville, Ill.): Lynch will quarterback NU's offense for the first time after backing up Greichaly Cepero in 2002, although the left-handed Lynch found her way onto the court with an impressive jump serve last season. She will share setting duties with freshman Dani Busboom if NU runs a 6-2 offense.

Libero
#6 Jenae Dowling (5-6, Sr., Fort Wayne, Ind.): Dowling played in 32 matches last year as a serving specialist, averaging 1.01 digs per game. She is a 2003 co-captain, along with Schrad.

Big Shoes to Fill
NU faces the tall task of replacing All-Americans Greichaly Cepero, Amber Holmquist, Laura Pilakowski and Lindsay Wischmeier in 2003. Just how valuable were the departed players to Nebraska? Holmquist left as the all-time total blocks and block assists leader. Wischmeier left as the all-time digs leader. Cepero ranks third on the NU career setting charts, and Pilakowski is among the top 10 in kills and hitting percentage.

In 2002, the foursome combined for 51 percent of the Huskers' kills, 90 percent of their assists, 55 percent of their digs, 46 percent of their block assists and 67 percent of their solo blocks.

Season-Opening Stats
In 28 years of program history, Nebraska is 25-3 in season-opening matches. NU is 18-3 in openers at home and 7-0 on the road or at neutral sites. The Huskers' only losses were in 1986 to Nebraska-Omaha, 1992 to New Mexico and 1999 to third-ranked Pacific in the State Farm/NACWAA Classic.

Last season, NU defeated Pittsburgh, 3-0, at the 2002 Ball State Nike Classic. Playing in her first collegiate match, Jennifer Saleaumua pounded 11 kills on a .550 hitting percentage with 11 digs.

Huskers vs. the Field
Nebraska is 17-10-1 all-time against the Barker GMC Classic field. The Huskers have never faced Clemson, are 13-5-1 against Illinois State and own a 4-5 mark against Illinois.

Clemson Quickly
Nebraska opens the season with its first-ever meeting against Clemson. The Tigers finished 2002 with a 17-15 record and placed fifth in the ACC with an 8-8 mark.

Clemson will field an experienced team in 2003, as it lists 12 returning letterwinners and five returning starters on its roster. Junior middle blocker Lori Ashton highlights the list, as she led the Tigers in kills (3.88 per game) and hitting percentage (.383) in 2002. Junior outside hitter Leslie Finn, who averaged 3.34 kills per game, also returns.

Clemson is led by Coach Jolene Jordan Hoover, who is 215-113 in 10 years with the Tigers.

llinois Quickly
Like Clemson, Illinois also boasts an experienced lineup. The lllini will list nine returning letterwinners and four returning starters on their 2003 roster. Illinois should also benefit from a training trip to Brazil in June. The NCAA allows such trips once every four years.

Senior middle blockers Lisa Argabright and Shelly O'Bryan are the Illini's top returning players. The 6-foot-5 Argabright averaged 1.15 blocks per game and 3.13 kills per game while swinging at a .324 clip. O'Bryan posted 1.83 kills per game in 2002.

Illinois is led by Coach Don Hardin, who is 116-93 in seven seasons at the helm.

Ilinois State Quickly
Tournament host Illinois State finished the 2002 season with a 14-15 record and an 11-7 mark in the Missouri Valley Conference, which was good for fourth place. The Redbirds return eight letterwinners and five starters from that squad, including Staci Boyce. The senior outside hitter averaged 3.26 kills and 1.78 digs per game last season. Junior setter Kelly Rikli, who tallied 12.04 assists per game in 2002, also returns.

The Redbirds are led by Coach Sharon Dingman, who owns a 50-38 record in three seasons at Illinois State.

Nebraska tops Big 12 Again
In a preseason vote by the Big 12 Conference coaches, Nebraska was picked as the early favorite to win its sixth straight league title, and senior outside hitter Anna Schrad and Kansas State senior middle blocker Lauren Goehring were voted the preseason co-players of the year.

The defending Big 12 Champion Huskers were given six of the 11 first-place votes in the conference preseason poll. Texas and Kansas State had two first place votes. The polling was based on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 system with a first-place vote receiving 10 points and a 10th-place vote receiving one. Nebraska, which finished 2002 with a 31-2 record and a No. 5 ranking in the USA Today/AVCA Coaches poll, enters the 2003 season looking for its seventh conference championship after taking six of the seven titles since the conference's inception in 1996. Texas took the top honors in 1997.

Texas was picked second in the poll. The Longhorns finished with a record of 23-9 overall and 13-7 in the conference, while advancing to the NCAA Tournament losing to Arizona in the first round. Following the Longhorns in the preseason poll was third-place Kansas State, while Texas A&M and Missouri, tied for fourth. Kansas, Colorado, Baylor, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Iowa State rounded out the top 10.

Other preseason award winners were Colorado's Ashley Nu'u, who was picked as the Freshman of the Year, and Texas' Darium Acevedo, who was selected as Newcomer of the Year.

New Kids on the Block
With a lineup low on experience and depth at some positions, Nebraska's freshmen will be asked to contribute immediately. Setter Dani Busboom (Cortland, Neb.), middle blocker Christina Houghtelling (Cambridge, Neb.), libero Amanda McCormick (Fort Wayne, Ind.) and outside hitter Dani Mancuso (Omaha, Neb.) will all see the court this weekend. Busboom, a hitter for most of her prep career, will share the setting duties with sophomore Michelle Lynch if NU runs a 6-2 offense. Busboom has an impressive jump serve and holds the Nebraska state prep record with 388 career service aces.

Houghtelling and McCormick are battling to join Busboom in the starting lineup. Houghtelling was impressive in the Red/White Scrimmage Aug. 23, tallying 11 kills. McCormick, the first-ever libero on scholarship at Nebraska, tied for the match-high with 25 digs.

Mancuso is the Huskers' third option at outside hitter, which is NU's deepest position with senior Anna Schrad and sophomore Jennifer Saleaumua entrenched in the starting lineup. However, Cook said Mancuso, a Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 recruit, has been the most consistent freshman in practice and will see playing time.

Freshman outside hitter Emily Schroeder (Belden, Neb.) will likely redshirt.

Cook's Winning Ways
Nebraska Coach John Cook has been amazingly successful during his three seasons at the helm, posting a 96-4 record. Cook's only losses in three seasons were to 2001 NCAA champion Stanford, 2001 NCAA runner-up Long Beach State, 2002 NCAA champion USC and 2002 NCAA semifinal participant Hawaii. The Huskers have played 326 games during Cook's tenure, winning 290 and losing just 36 (.890).

Cook has never lost a Big 12 Conference match, going 60-0 and winning three league titles. NU has dropped just 11 of the 191 conference games they have played over the past three seasons, good for a .942 winning percentage.

Cook was the AVCA Coach of the Year in 2000 after leading Nebraska to a 34-0 season and a national title. He was also named the 2001 Big 12 Coach of the Year.

Rank and File
Nebraska is one of two teams that have been ranked in the USA Today/AVCA Coaches poll for all 286 weeks of its existence. The Huskers have been ranked in the top 10 for 255 of the 286 weeks, which ranks second behind Stanford's 267. Nebraska has spent 38 weeks in the top spot, and its most recent No. 1 ranking was Sept. 24, 2001.

Nebraska was ranked seventh in the Aug. 11 USA Today/AVCA Coaches preseason poll. The preseason ranking was the Huskers' lowest since 1993, when they also received a No. 7 preseason ranking. In the past 11 years, NU has been ranked lower than No. 5 three times. The other instance was in 2000, when the Huskers were listed sixth in the AVCA preseason poll and went on to win the national championship.

Rocky Road
As usual, Nebraska will play an extremely competitive schedule in 2003. After beginning the season with two tournaments on the road, NU opens its home slate with the US Bank/Arby's Classic. The tournament includes matches against No. 14 Santa Clara Sept. 12, followed by No. 25 Michigan State Sept. 13, and No. 12 Georgia Tech Sept. 14. However, the Huskers' toughest non-conference challenge may be a Nov. 2 date against Northern Iowa at the NU Coliseum. The Panthers went 34-3 a year ago and captured their fifth straight MVC title under coach Bobbi Petersen, who was named the 2002 AVCA National Coach of the Year. UNI was ranked ninth nationally in the final AVCA Top 25.

Other 2002 NCAA Tournament teams on the Huskers' 2003 schedule include Big 12 Conference opponents Texas A&M, Texas, Kansas State and Missouri. NU kicks off its league schedule, which includes home and away matches with each of the 10 other schools that sponsor volleyball, Sept. 17 against Texas A&M in Lincoln.

Overall, Nebraska's schedule includes eight matches against teams that ended the 2002 regular season ranked in the USA Today/AVCA Coaches Top 25 poll.

Streaks to Watch
NU will carry several streaks into the 2003 season, including:

• The Huskers have won 70 consecutive regular-season Big 12 matches and 71 straight matches against Big 12 teams. NU's last regular-season loss to a Big 12 opponent was at Texas on Oct. 24, 1999. Nebraska won 10 straight conference matches to close the 1999 season, and went 20-0 in 2000, 2001, and 2002. Nebraska's 70-match league winning streak ranks third in NCAA history.
• NU has won 39 straight Big 12 matches at home, dating back to a five-game loss to Kansas State Sept. 22, 1999. After the KSU loss, Nebraska won its last nine Big 12 home matches, then won 10 in each of the next three seasons.
• NU has won 26 straight regular-season matches and 52 straight regular-season matches at home.
• Nebraska secured its third consecutive 30-win season with a 3-0 victory over Arizona State Dec. 7, 2002, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. NU has posted 15 30-win seasons.
• NU Head Coach John Cook is 60-0 in the Big 12 Conference with three league championships.

27 Consecutive Sellouts
Nebraska will carry a streak of 27 consecutive sellouts at the NU Coliseum into the 2003 season. The Huskers sold out all 17 matches they played at the Coliseum last season (NU played one match at the 13,500 Bob Devaney Sports Center). NU ended the 2001 season with 10 straight sellout crowds at the Coliseum. The Huskers sold out every match at the Coliseum in 2001 except a Tuesday, Sept. 25 match against Creighton.