NU Opens Big 12 Season With Texas A&M

Matches 10-11
#8 Nebraska (8-1) vs. Texas A&M (7-2)
When: Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2003, 7 p.m. Where: NU Coliseum.
Series: Nebraska leads, 17-6. Last Meeting: Nebraska won, 3-0, 10/16/02. Cook vs. Texas A&M: 8-0 (6-0 at Nebraska).

#8 Nebraska (8-1) at #Texas (4-4)
When: Saturday, Sept. 20, 2003, 7 p.m. Where: Gregory Gymnasium
Series: Nebraska leads, 20-11. Last Meeting: Nebraska won, 3-1, 11/9/02. Cook vs. Texas: 7-0 (6-0 at Nebraska).

Media Information
Television: The Nebraska-Texas A&M match will be televised statewide live on NETV.
Radio: Both matches can be heard live on B107.3 FM in Lincoln and selected Pinnacle Sports Network affiliates. John Baylor will call the action, while NU volleyball Director of Operations Diane Mendenhall will provide color analysis.
Live Stats: Huskers.com and
http://www.texassports.com/live/vb/xlive.htm
Live Audio: Huskers.com will have live audio for both matches.
Live Video: A live video stream of the NU-A&M match will be available by subscribing to HuskersNside. Click on Huskers.com for more information.

Eighth-ranked Nebraska opens its Big 12 slate with tough back-to-back matches this week. After taking on Texas A&M Wednesday, NU will travel to Austin, Texas, for a Sept. 20 date with the Longhorns.

The Huskers look to get back on track against the Aggies after going 2-1 in the US Bank/Arby's Classic Sept. 12-14 at the NU Coliseum. NU defeated No. 13 Santa Barbara and No. 17 Michigan, but fell to 10th-ranked Georgia Tech, 2-3. The loss to the Yellowjackets was Nebraska's first regular-season defeat at home since Kansas State upset the Huskers Sept. 22, 1999. It was also Coach John Cook's first regular-season home loss in his four years at Nebraska.

However, NU had several bright spots against Tech. Senior outside hitter Anna Schrad and sophomore middle blocker Melissa Elmer were both named to the all-tournament team. Schrad had 20 kills in the championship match, and Elmer averaged 3.17 kills per game for the weekend. Freshman middle blocker Christina Houghtelling posted nine kills against Georgia Tech, while senior libero Jenae Dowling averaged 4.17 digs for the weekend.

Texas A&M (7-2) is also coming off a 2-1 weekend at home. The Aggies defeated Southwest Missouri State and Centenary but lost to top-ranked USC in three games. A&M is 1-1 against ranked teams this season, having defeated then-No. 16 Louisville in four games Sept. 5.

Nebraska will have history on its side tonight against the Aggies. NU has not lost a Big 12 match since 1999, and the Huskers have won five straight Big 12 titles. Nebraska has won 25 Big Eight/Big 12 championships in the past 27 seasons and is 313-15 in Big Eight/Big 12 play.

The Lineup: The Latest on Nebraska's Probable Starters

Outside Hitter

• #16 Anna Schrad (6-2, Sr., Lincoln, Neb.): After playing a supportive role the past two seasons, Schrad has become NU's go-to player. She leads NU with 3.71 kills per game, including a career-best 22 kills against Illinois State Aug. 30. Her 296 attempts are nearly 100 more than any other Husker. Schrad averaged 2.65 kills per game last year.
• #26 Jennifer Saleaumua (5-11, So., National City, Calif.): Saleaumua is widely considered NU's top all-around player and best passer. Saleaumua is playing on the left side after starting 32 games on the right in 2002, and the move has allowed her to have even more of an impact defensively. Saleaumua is second on the team with 3.56 digs per game and she had a team-high 19 digs against Georgia Tech Sept. 14.
• #13 Ally Rebholz (6-1, Jr., Indianapolis, Ind.): NU's starter on the right side, Rebholz has emerged as one of the team's best blockers. She leads the team with seven solo blocks and ranks among the Big 12 leaders with 1.35 stops per game. Rebholz has also begun to come alive offensively. She had a career-high 11 kills against Georgia Tech.

Middle Blocker

• #8 Melissa Elmer (6-2, So., Fort Wayne, Ind.): Often the Huskers' fifth option on offense last season, Elmer is flourishing as a go-to player in 2003. She was named the Barker GMC Classic MVP Aug. 30 after averaging 3.00 kills per game (.323 hitting percentage) and an impressive 2.40 blocks per game at the tournament, and she was also named MVP of the Nokia Sugar Bowl Classic Sept. 5-6. Elmer leads the Big 12 with 1.71 blocks per game.
• #15 Sara Westling (6-2, Sr., Lincoln, Neb.): Westling has started eight of NU's nine matches and is averaging 1.58 kills per game.
• #3 Christina Houghtelling (6-2, Fr., Cambridge, Neb.): Houghtelling could get her second start of the season against Texas A&M after her performance against Georgia Tech Sunday. Houghtelling played the last four games of the match and posted nine kills and seven digs.

Setter

• #2 Michelle Lynch (5-11, Sr., Jacksonville, Ill.): In her first season as a starter, Lynch leads NU with 7.65 assists per game. Lynch has started every match but shares setting duties with freshman Dani Busboom in Nebraska's 6-2 (two-setter) offense.

Libero

• #6 Jenae Dowling (5-6, Sr., Fort Wayne, Ind.): Dowling leads the Huskers with 3.79 digs per game in her first season as a starter. She recorded a career-high 21 digs against Santa Clara Sept. 12.

Huskers in Big 12 Openers
Nebraska is 5-1 in Big 12 openers. The Huskers' only defeat in a Big 12 opener was a five-game loss to Kansas State in Lincoln in 1999. The win is the Wildcats' only victory against NU in 67 meetings.

Big 12 Streaks to Watch
The Huskers carry several streaks into the 2003 season, including:

• NU head coach John Cook is 60-0 in the Big 12 Conference with three league championships.
• Nebraska has won five straight Big 12 titles and six of a possible seven. NU has won the Big 12 every year since the conference's inception except 1997.
• 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 that year, then won 10 in each of the next three seasons.

30 Consecutive Sellouts
Nebraska carries a streak of 30 consecutive sellouts at the NU Coliseum into its match with Texas A&M. 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.

Texas A&M Quickly (7-2, 0-0)
The Huskers open Big 12 play Wednesday against Texas A&M. Initially ranked in the AVCA poll, the Aggies received the most votes of any team not ranked in this week's poll. The Aggies have had more success against the Huskers than any league team other than Texas. Texas A&M has defeated NU twice in five-game matches since the conference's inception in 1996 ? once in 1998 and once in 1999. However, Nebraska has never lost to A&M in 10 meetings at the NU Coliseum.

The Aggies return five starters from their 2002 team that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, including 2002 Big 12 Freshman of the Year Laura Jones. The sophomore outside hitter is averaging 4.84 kills per game on a .301 hitting percentage. Junior outside hitter/middle blocker Melissa Munsch is putting up big numbers, as she is averaging 3.63 blocks per game and ranks among the league leaders with 1.57 blocks per game.

Texas A&M is coached by Laurie Corbelli, who owns a 243-87 record in her 11th season. Corbelli's husband, John Corbelli, serves as the associate head coach. John Corbelli was an assistant coach at Nebraska in 1981.

Series Notes: Texas A&M has pushed Nebraska past three games 12 times in 23 matches ... Nebraska lost the first four matches in the history of the series, but reeled off 10 straight wins from 1982 to 1998, before a five-game loss in 1998 and another five-game loss in 1999. The Huskers have since notched seven straight wins against A&M.

Texas Quickly (4-4, 0-0)
The Longhorns were picked by the league's coaches to finish third in the conference race this season. However, Texas has gotten off to a rocky start while playing a tough schedule. UT (4-4) has not defeated a ranked team and has lost to St. Mary's, Long Beach State, Notre Dame and UCLA.

Texas features one of the conference's top offensive weapons in Mira Topic. The junior outside hitter ranks among the conference leaders with 4.86 kills per game, and she is hitting .270 on the season. Freshman middle blocker Brandy Magee leads Texas with 1.18 blocks per game.

The Longhorns are coached by Jerritt Elliott, who owns a 66-35 record in his fourth season at Texas.

Series Notes: Nebraska defeated Texas, 3-1, in the 1995 NCAA championship game to claim its first national title ... Nebraska is 11-2 at home and 6-6 on the road against Texas. The Huskers have won seven straight matches in the series with UT ... The Huskers had won 12 consecutive games against the Longhorns before dropping the first game at UT in 2002.

Youth Movement
With a lineup low on experience and depth at some positions, Nebraska's freshmen have been asked to play 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.) have all contributed significantly in the first three weeks of the season.

Busboom has played more than any other freshman in the Huskers' 6-2 offense, sharing the setting duties with sophomore Michelle Lynch. Busboom is averaging 5.58 assists per game and has made an impression at the service line with nine aces, which ranks second on the team.

Mancuso earned her first career start Sept. 5 against New Orleans, replacing the injured Jennifer Saleaumua. The Omaha Gross graduate made the most of her opportunity by pounding a match-high 16 kills while swinging at a .429 clip. She also started against Georgia Tech and produced five kills.

McCormick played in NU's first six games before suffering an elbow injury. She served as the Huskers' libero in the last three games against Illinois State Aug. 31. McCormick averaged 2.17 kills per game and posted a team-best 13 digs against the Redbirds.

Houghtelling has played in 14 games and was in the starting lineup against Tulane Sept. 6. She owns a 1.93 kills-per-game average.

Redshirt freshman Kelsey Fautsch (Chisago Lakes, Minn.) has also played an important role this season as one of the two right-side hitters in NU's 6-2 offense. Fautsch averages 2.27 kills per game and is swinging at a .310 clip.

Even some of the upperclassmen who are are in the starting lineup are experiencing their first significant playing time. Junior outside hitter Ally Rebholz saw limited action as NU's third outside hitter in 2002 and 2001. Lynch is setting for the first time after playing the role of serving specialist last year, and senior libero Jenae Dowling has seen a huge increase in playing time after playing sparingly as a defensive specialist during the past three seasons.

Super Servers
Through nine matches, Nebraska has compiled 56 service aces to its opponents' 25. NU's 2003 average of 1.81 service aces per game ranks second in the Big 12. Nine different Huskers already have a service ace, and four have at least eight. Sophomore middle blocker Melissa Elmer leads NU with 16 aces through, followed by freshman setter Dani Busboom (9) and senior outside hitter Anna Schrad (8) and sophomore outside hitter Jennifer Saleaumua (8). If Elmer continues at her current pace and NU plays 103 games (its 2002 total), she would finish with around 54 service aces ? the most by a Husker since 1989.

Cook's Winning Ways
Nebraska Coach John Cook has been amazingly successful during his four seasons at the helm, posting a 104-5 record. Cook picked up his 100th victory as Nebraska head coach Sept. 5 when NU defeated New Orleans, 3-0.

Cook's only losses in his first 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. In 2001, NU posted a 31-2 mark and advanced to the NCAA semifinals. Last season, Nebraska also finished with a 31-2 record and advanced to the NCAA regional finals. The Huskers have won three Big 12 titles under Cook.

Block Party
During Coach John Cook's three seasons at NU, the Huskers have built a reputation with their solid blocking and defense, leading the nation in blocks per game each of the past three seasons. Despite losing three-time AVCA All-American Amber Holmquist, who is statistically the best middle blocker in school history, all indications point to NU continuing its blocking tradition.

Nebraska leads the Big 12 in 2003 with 3.19 blocks per game. Against Illinois Aug. 30, the Huskers produced 20 team blocks, a mark they reached just once last season. Opponents are hitting just .105 against the Husker block.

Sophomore middle blocker Melissa Elmer, who ranked second in the Big 12 behind Holmquist in blocks per game last season, leads NU and ranks first in the Big 12 with 1.71 stops per game. Junior right side hitter Ally Rebholz may be emerging as a top blocking threat, as she ranks second in the Big 12 with 1.35 blocks per game.

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.

Rank and File
Nebraska is one of two teams that have been ranked in the USA Today/AVCA Coaches poll for all 288 weeks of its existence. The Huskers have been ranked in the top 10 for 257 of the 288 weeks, which ranks second behind Stanford's 269. Nebraska has spent 38 weeks in the top spot, and its most recent No. 1 ranking was Sept. 24, 2001.

This week, NU fell three spots from No. 5 to No. 8 after falling in five games to Georgia Tech, who is now ranked fifth.

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 went 2-1 against three ranked teams in the US Bank/Arby's Classic, defeating No. 13 UC Santa Barbara and No. 15 Michigan State but falling to No. 5 Georgia Tech.

The Huskers still have one more non-conference challenge against No. 6 Northern Iowa at the NU Coliseum Nov. 2. 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.

All-America U
In 2002, at least three Nebraska players earned All-America status for the third straight season. Seniors Greichaly Cepero and Amber Holmquist were named to the first team, and senior Laura Pilakowski was recognized on the second team. In program history, 22 NU players have earned 45 AVCA All-America certificates, which ranks first nationally.

2003 will mark the first time since 2000 that the Huskers will not field a lineup that includes a returning All-American. Nancy Metcalf (Meendering) earned All-America honors in 1999 but redshirted the 2000 season.