Elmer, Mancuso Star in Sweep of OU

Lincoln -- Sophomore middle blocker Melissa Elmer drilled 11 kills on a .421 hitting percentage Saturday night to lead No. 11 Nebraska to a 30-17, 30-18, 30-19 win over Oklahoma before 4,070 fans at the NU Coliseum. Elmer also tallied a match-high seven blocks and added two service aces.

Freshman outside hitter Dani Mancuso nearly matched Elmer in kills, as she pounded 10 in her fourth start of the season. After starting on the right side in the past two matches, Mancuso switched positions with senior outside hitter Anna Schrad and started on the left side. Schrad posted six blocks on the right.

Junior right side hitter Ally Rebholz posted eight kills and had two blocks, while sophomore outside hitter Jennifer Saleaumua tallied six kills, hit .429 and recorded a match-high 17 digs.

With the win, the Huskers improved to 19-3 overall and 11-2 in the Big 12, while Oklahoma fell to 10-14 on the season and 2-10 in the league. NU takes on No. 12 Northern Iowa Sunday at 5 p.m. The match will be televised nationally by CSTV (DirecTV 610).

"We just feel like we need to get Dani on the court," NU Coach John Cook said. "We didn’t play that well at Texas Tech (Wednesday), and we felt like the lineup needed to be tweaked.

"I was encouraged by this tonight. Dani has been playing very well in practice. She brings a lot of energy and has a great arm swing. She acts like she belongs out there."

Nebraska dominated in every statistical category in the 90-minute victory. The Huskers hit .261 to Oklahoma’s .024, and NU out-blocked the Sooners, 14-2.

In game one, Oklahoma closed Nebraska’s lead to 13-11 with a kill by Joanna Schmitt. But Saleaumua answered with a kill that sparked a 6-0 NU run with Michelle Lynch at the serving line. Saleaumua produced back-to-back aces moments later to increase the Huskers’ advantage to 21-13. Nebraska eventually won game one, 30-17, when Sara Westling and Schrad blocked Schmitt.

The Huskers breezed to a 30-17 win in game two. OU pulled within six after Lynch was called for a back row attack. But Saleaumua pounded a kill on the next play, and the Huskers scored 12 of the game’s last 15 points. Mancuso had two key kills during the stretch, and Schrad accounted for the winning point with a kill.

Game three went just as smoothly, and NU led, 18-7, after a kill and a block by Elmer. The Huskers took their largest lead of the match at 20-8 after Elmer and Mancuso combined for a block. It was 22-8 after an ace serve by Schrad, and Nebraska won the game and the match on a kill by right side hitter Kelsey Fautsch.

Nebraska held a special ceremony between games two and three to unveil a new display on the south wall of the Coliseum. Four murals depict the four Huskers whose jerseys have been retired ? Cathy Noth (1981-84), Karen Dahlgren (1985-86), Lori Endicott (1985-86) and Allison Weston (1992-95). Noth and Dahlgren, as well as Weston’s parents, were in attendance.