Huskers Hit the Road for NCAA Tournament

The Nebraska volleyball team earned its 22nd NCAA Tournament berth and will compete as the No. 9 seed overall in the 2003 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Tournament. However, the Huskers are one of two top 16 seeds that will not be playing at home during first- and second-round action this weekend. Nebraska (26-4) will travel to East Lansing, Mich., to face Valparaiso (27-7) in a first-round match Friday, Dec. 5.

Michigan State (19-11), the host school, and Dayton (25-9) will play in the other first-round match Friday. The winners of the Friday matches will play in the second round on Saturday, Dec. 6, and the winner will advance to the Lincoln, regional. Nebraska is one of four pre-determined regional sites this year, joining Florida, Hawaii and Long Beach State.

This weekend will mark just the third time that the Huskers, who have appeared in 22 of 23 NCAA Tournaments, have not hosted first- and/or second-round matches in Lincoln. The 1983 and 2001 season were the only years that NU earned an NCAA Tournament bid and was not selected to host the first and second rounds.

Nebraska has traditionally had great success in the NCAA Tournament. NU owns a 54-19 (.740) all-time NCAA Tournament record. The Huskers rank third nationally in NCAA Tournament wins and fourth in NCAA Tournament winning percentage. Nebraska 11-4 against teams in this year's tournament.

The Huskers finished the regular season ranked No. 10 in the USA Today/AVCA Coaches poll. NU ended Big 12 Conference play with a 17-3 record and was second in the league standings. NU is led by sophomore middle blocker Melissa Elmer and sophomore outside hitter Jennifer Saleaumua, who were both named first-team All-Big 12. Elmer leads the conference with 1.63 blocks per game, while Saleaumua ranks second in the league with 3.86 digs per game.

Nebraska’s NCAA Tournament Quick Hits

• Nebraska has appeared in 22 of 23 NCAA Tournaments, missing just the first one in 1981. Only UC-Santa Barbara, Pacific, Penn State and Stanford have played in every tournament.
• Nebraska owns a 54-19 (.740) all-time NCAA Tournament record. The Huskers rank third nationally in NCAA Tournament wins and in NCAA Tournament winning percentage.
• Nebraska is 16-1 all-time in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and 9-1 in the second round.
• Nebraska has advanced past the second round of the NCAA Tournament 20 times and is 23-11 all-time in NCAA regional action. The Huskers are 20-4 in regional matches in Lincoln and 3-7 in regional contests on the road.
• Nebraska went 11-4 during the regular season against 2003 NCAA Tournament teams.
• NU lists seven players on its roster with NCAA Tournament experience, but senior outside hitter Anna Schrad is the only Husker who saw action in the 2000 national championship match.
• Nebraska has advanced to the NCAA Final Four eight of the 12 times that it has played host to a regional, failing to advance in 1985, 1991,1994 and 2002.
• NU’s eight final four appearances are tied for third with Pacifc and Long Beach State in NCAA history behind Stanford (13) and UCLA (10).
• The Huskers have advanced to the NCAA Semifinals five times in the last eight years.
• The Huskers have advanced to the NCAA Championship match four of the eight times they have played at the Final Four, winning the national championship in 1995 and 2000.

For Starters ...The Latest on Nebraska’s Probable Lineup

• #7 Dani Mancuso, 6-2, Fr., OH ... After seeing limited duty in September and October, Mancuso earned a lineup spot in November and has started the last nine matches. During that time, she has averaged 1.97 kills per game while totaling 11 service aces. Mancuso is one of four freshmen on the NU roster from Nebraska.
• #26 Jennifer Saleaumua, 5-11, So., OH ... Saleaumua is widely considered NU’s top all-around player and best passer. She leads NU in kills (3.24 per game) and digs (3.86 per game), which ranks second in the Big 12. Saleaumua has recorded 398 digs in 2003, breaking the NU single-season record set by Kate Crnich in 1996 (390 digs).
• #13 Anna Schrad, 6-2, Sr., RS ... Schrad moved to the right side Nov. 1 against Oklahoma, and she has played the position in the last nine matches. Since moving to the right, Schrad is hitting .229 and averaging 1.34 blocks per game, both signficant increases over her season averages. She shares times with either redshirt freshman Kelsey Fautsch or junior Ally Rebholz in the Huskers’ 6-2 offense.
• #8 Melissa Elmer, 6-2, So., MB ... Elmer leads the Big 12 with 1.63 blocks per game and ranks second in the league with a .356 hitting percentage. She posted a career-high 15 blocks at Kansas Oct. 8, the third-highest total in school history and the most blocks by any player in the Big 12 Conference this season. Elmer is hitting .401 in nine matches in November.
• #15 Sara Westling, 6-2, Sr., MB ... Westling has started 22 of NU’s 30 matches. She has had at least four blocks 11 of the last 12 matches and ranks seventh in the Big 12 with 1.14 per game.
• #2 Michelle Lynch, 5-11, So., S; -OR- #18 Dani Busboom, 5-10, Fr., S: Lynch and Busboom share the setting duties in the Huskers’ 6-2 offense. Lynch leads the team with 44 service aces and 7.40 assists per game. Lynch leads the Big 12 in aces per game in conference matches. Busboom is second on the team with 33 service aces and 5.85 assists per game.
• #1 Amanda McCormick, 5-8, Fr., L: McCormick claimed a spot in the lineup mid-season and is averaging 3.40 digs per game, the second-highest average ever by an NU freshman. Against Missouri Oct. 15, McCormick had 31 digs -- the third-highest total in school history and the most by any player in the Big 12 this season. She finished the regular season ranked 10th in the Big 12 in digs.

Valparaiso Quickly (27-7)
Valparaiso will be making its first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament after defeating Oral Roberts in five games in the Mid-Con Conference Tournament title match Nov. 22. The Crusaders won a school-record 27 matches in 2003 en route to winning their first-ever regular-season Mid-Con championship with a 13-1 league mark.

Valparaiso is led by senior Cyndi Norman, the Mid-Con Conference Setter of the Year. Norman ranks second in school history with 4,776 career assists. Norman has engineered a balanced attack, as five Crusaders average more than 2.40 kills per game. Junior libero Sara Silcox was named the Mid-Con Libero of the Year after averaging 4.65 digs per game, which ranks 18th nationally.

• Coach Carin Avery: Avery, who is in her second season at the helm, was named the 2003 Mid-Con Coach of the Year.
• Series: Nebraska has never faced Valparaiso.
• Cook vs. Valparaiso: Cook has never faced Valparaiso.

Dayton Quickly (25-9)
Like Valparaiso, Dayton will be making its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. The Flyers secured a bid by winning their first-ever Atlantic 10 championship with a sweep of Temple. The Flyers went 12-2 in Atlantic 10 Conference play and finished second in the regular-season standings behind Temple.

Dayton is led by senior outside hitter Erin Treadway, who was the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year. Treadway, who was also named the Atlantic 10 Championship Most Valuable Player, leads the Flyers with 4.25 kills per game on a .257 hitting percentage. Freshman Faye Barhorst was named the conference rookie of the year after posting 2.48 kills per game and a team-best 1.44 blocks per game.

• Dayton Coach Tim Horsmon: Horsmon is in his first season as Dayton’s head coach after spending four seasons at Robert Morris, where he posted a 97-50 record.
• Series: Nebraska has never faced Dayton.
• Cook vs. Dayton: Cook has never faced Dayton.

Michigan State Quickly (19-11)
Host school Michigan State ended the regular season with a 3-0 loss to Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament on Nov. 29. The Spartans finished sixth in the Big Ten standings with an 11-9 conference mark. 2003 marks the Spartans’ 10th consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament, and they are one of just 13 schools in the nation to have made 10 straight appearances in the tournament.

MSU features Lincoln, Neb., native Nikki Colson. The senior setter averages 13.56 assists per game and has led the Spartans to a .263 hitting percentage this season. Junior outside hitter Kim Schram is among the conference leaders with 4.73 kills per game.

• Michigan State Coach Chuck Erbe: Michigan State is led by Coach Chuck Erbe, who is in his 11th season. Erbe has led MSU to 10 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.
• Series: Nebraska leads the all-time series, 7-0-2. NU is 1-0 against Michigan State, as the Huskers swept MSU Sept. 13 during the US Bank/Arby’s Classic in Lincon. The Huskers have recent history agianst the Spartans in the NCAA Tournament. NU defeated Michigan State in the second round of the 1997 NCAA Tournament at the NU Coliseum. In 1995, the Huskers defeated MSU in five games at Amherst, Mass., in the NCAA semifinals. NU went on to win the national title.
• Last Time: Nebraska used one of its best offensive performances of the season to sweep Michigan State Sept. 13 at the US Bank/Arby’s Classic in Lincoln. The Huskers swung for a season-best .331 hitting percentage, and four players posted at least 10 kills, including sophomore middle blocker Melissa Elmer, junior outside hitter Ally Rebholz, senior outside hitter Anna Schrad and sophomore outside hitter Jennifer Saleaumua. Husker setters Michelle Lynch and Dani Busboom recorded 27 and 20 assists, respectively. Kim Schram led the Spartans with 10 kills. Lincoln native and MSU setter Nikki Colson had 31 assists and 10 digs.
• Cook vs. Michigan State: Cook, who spent seven seasons coaching against the Big Ten while at Wisconsin, is quite familiar with the Spartans. He is 12-4 all-time vs. MSU, including a 2-0 record against the Spartans as Nebraska’s head coach.

Cook’s Winning Ways
Nebraska Coach John Cook has been amazingly successful during his four seasons at the helm, posting a 122-8 record. Cook picked up his 100th victory as Nebraska’s 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. Cook has lost just three Big 12 Conference matches, going 77-3 and winning three league titles.

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.

All About Elmer
Second-year starter Melissa Elmer earned first-team All-Big 12 honors Sunday after producing the best numbers by a middle blocker in the conference. Elmer led the Big 12 with 1.64 blocks per game and a .379 hitting percentage in conference matches. On the season, she averaged 3.05 kills per game and hit .356 on the season and swung at a .400 clip or better 10 times this season. Elmer’s numbers were even more impressive in November, when she averaged 3.28 kills per game on .401 hitting.

Elmer was named the Big 12 Player-of-the-Week Oct. 14, winning the award for her career performances against Kansas Oct. 8 and Kansas State Oct. 11. Elmer had a career-high 15 blocks at Kansas, the highest number of blocks by any player in the Big 12 Conference this season. The total ranks third all-time on the NU single-match performance charts behind former All-Americans Amber Holmquist (16, 2000) and Karen Dahlgren (18, 1984) and is also the highest by a Husker in the rally-scoring era. Elmer has 149 block assists and needs four more to break into the single-season top 10.

Against KSU, Elmer posted a career-high 19 kills, seven more than any other player involved in the match.

Saleaumua Does Everything for NU
Sophomore outside hitter Jennifer Saleaumua has put up some of the best all-around numbers in the Big 12 this season and was rewarded with a spot on the All-Big 12 first team. She leads all conference outside hitters with a .259 hitting percentage. She ranks second in the Big 12 in digs (3.86 per game) and double-doubles (16).

Saleaumua also ranked fourth on the team with 31 service aces and hit .259 on the season. Saleaumua ranks second in the Big 12 in digs per game, and she averaged 4.37 digs per game in 11 matches against ranked teams. Saleaumua has tallied 398 digs in 2003, breaking the NU single-season record of 390 set by Kate Crnich in 1996.

Offensively, Saleaumua has posted double-figure kill totals in 21 of her last 23 matches. Oct. 8 at KU, Saleaumua recorded a career-best 19 kills on a .340 hitting percentage. She leads NU with 3.24 kills per game.

Lynch Aces Opponents
Sophomore setter Michelle Lynch leads Nebraska with 44 service aces and ranks first in the Big 12 with 0.41 aces per game in conference matches. A left-handed jump server, Lynch has tallied 21 aces in November and needs just five more aces to move into the Nebraska all-time top 10, which would be a rare feat. The last player to break into NU’s career service aces chart was Kelly Aspegren in 1993. Aspegren ranks ninth all-time at NU with 51 career aces.

Super Servers
Nebraska ranks second in the league with 1.97 service aces per game (207 total) and surpassed its 2002 season total of 169 Nov. 5 at Texas A&M. NU had four service aces at Texas A&M Nov. 5 to push its 2003 total to 170. In conference matches, the Huskers led the Big 12 with 2.04 service aces per game.

Ten Huskers own a service ace, seven have at least 15, and four have at least 30 aces. Sophomore setter Michelle Lynch leads the team with 44 aces, followed by freshman setter Dani Busboom (33), sophomore middle blocker Melissa Elmer (33) and sophomore outside hitter Jennifer Saleaumua (31).

Nebraska tied the 13-year-old school record for service aces in a three-game match with 16 at Texas Sept. 20. Lynch led the effort with five aces, while Saleaumua and freshman middle blocker Christina Houghtelling each had four.

Nebraska Notables

• Freshman outside hitter Dani Mancuso moved into the Big 12 statistical rankings for the first time in her career Nov. 24. Mancuso is tied for ninth with 0.34 service aces in conference matches. She had five service aces against KU Nov. 19, which tied for the highest single-game total by a Husker this season. Mancuso also had a career-high 16 digs at Colorado,
• Sophomore middle blocker Melissa Elmer is hitting .401 in November. She hit over .420 in five of NU’s nine matches in November.
• Three Huskers have averaged more than 3.00 kills per game in NU’s last three matches (Baylor, Kansas, Colorado), including sophomore outside hitter Jennifer Saleaumua (3.73, .241 pct.), sophomore middle blocker Melissa Elmer (3.73, .438 pct.) and senior right side hitter Anna Schrad (3.27, .277).
• Schrad has also played well defensively in her last three matches, averaging a team-best 1.73 blocks per game.

Freshmen Phenoms
While making an impact on the court, Nebraska freshmen Dani Busboom and Amanda McCormick are climbing the Husker freshman charts. Busboom, a setter in NU’s 6-2 offense, has totaled 626 assists, which ranks second all-time behind Lindsay Wischmeier’s 724 in 1999.

Busboom is second on the team with 33 service aces, which ranks third all-time among NU freshmen. She needs just four more aces to break the record of 36 held by Maria Hedbeck (1993) and Kim Tonniges (1991).

McCormick, who was sidelined for much of the season with an elbow injury, moved into the starting lineup against Missouri Oct. 15. She is averaging 3.40 digs per game, the second-highest average ever by a Husker freshman and the most since Maria Hedbeck (3.45) in 1993. McCormick recorded a career-high 31 digs in her first career start against the Tigers, the third-highest total in school history and the most by a Big 12 player this season.

Youth Movement
With a lineup low on experience and depth at some positions, Nebraska’s freshmen, as well as several players who saw little time in 2002, have been asked to contribute immediately. Eight Huskers who are freshmen or first-year starters have seen significant playing time in NU’s 6-2 (two-setter) offense this year.

Freshmen Dani Busboom (setter), Christina Houghtelling (middle blocker) and Kelsey Fautsch (right side), a redshirt freshman, have played in at least 14 matches. The Huskers’ lineup has gotten even younger in November. Freshman libero Amanda McCormick has started 12 of the past 13 matches. Freshman outside hitter Dani Mancuso has also started nine straight matches.

Other first-year starters in 2003 include junior right side hitter Ally Rebholz, sophomore setter Michelle Lynch, senior libero Jenae Dowling and senior middle blocker Sara Westling, who has shared time at the second middle blocker spot with Houghtelling, who recently returned to practice after missing a month with a knee injury.

When McCormick is in the lineup and Houghtelling is healthy, NU has played at times with up to five freshmen (Fautsch, Busboom, Mancuso) on the court.

Block Party
Nebraska has led the nation in blocks per game in each of the three previous seasons, and although the Huskers’ numbers are down slightly this year, they still lead the Big 12 with 3.18 blocks per game.

Sophomore middle blocker Melissa Elmer, who ranked second in the Big 12 behind former NU All-American Amber Holmquist in blocks per game last season, leads NU and ranks first in the Big 12 and among the national leaders with 1.63 stops per game. Elmer had a career-high 16 blocks against Kansas, the most by any player in the Big 12 this season and third-highest mark in school history.

Senior middle blocker Sara Westling is seventh in the league with 1.09 blocks per game.

The Huskers had 21.5 team blocks against Colorado Nov. 26, and they totaled a season-high 22 team blocks against Kansas, which is the best mark by a Big 12 team this season. The total was the most by a Husker team in 83 matches. NU had 23 team blocks against Hawaii in the NCAA semifinals Dec. 14, 2000.

40 Consecutive Sellouts
Nebraska enter the postseason with a streak of 40 consecutive sellouts at the NU Coliseum. The Huskers sold out all 17 matches they played at the Coliseum last season (NU played one match at the 13,595-seat 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. In 2003, NU has sold out all 13 of its matches at the Coliseum. The Huskers drew 6,142 fans for their match against Iowa State Oct. 25 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

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.

The 2003 season marks the first time since 2000 that the Huskers have fielded a lineup that did not include a returning All-American. Nancy Metcalf (Meendering) earned All-America honors in 1999 but redshirted the 2000 season.