No. 4 Huskers Travel to No. 16 Kansas State

Match: #15: No. 4 Nebraska (13-1, 7-0 Big 12) at No. 16 Kansas State (15-5, 5-2)
Manhattan, Kan. ? Wednesday, Oct. 13 ? 7 p.m.

Radio: Pinnacle Sports Network (B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Omaha) and Huskers.com
Television: Fox Sports Midwest (Tape Delay, Sun. 3 p.m.)
Live Internet Video: Live Video Streaming is on HuskersNside.com, for more info, visit Huskers.com
Live Stats: Huskers.com
Series Record: Nebraska leads, 66-3, dating back to Oct. 11, 1975
Last Meeting: Kansas State won, 3-1 (28-30, 31-29, 26-30, 25-30) in Manhattan on Nov. 15, 2003
Coach Cook vs. Kansas State: 7-3

Match: #16: No. 4 Nebraska vs. Iowa State (7-8, 1-7 Big 12)
Bob Devaney Sports Center ? Saturday, Oct. 16 ? 7 p.m.|
Tickets: General Admission Tickets are available for $6 (adults) and $4 (students and seniors 60 and over). UNL Students with ID (Free) and childen 6 and under (Free).
Radio: Pinnacle Sports Network (B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Omaha) and Huskers.com
Live Stats: Huskers.com
Live Internet Video: Live Video Streaming is on HuskersNside.com, for more info, visit Huskers.com
Series Record: Nebraska leads, 64-0, dating back to Nov. 9, 1975
Last Meeting: Nebraska won, 3-0 (30-17, 30-18, 30-28) at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Oct. 25, 2003
Coach Cook vs. Iowa State: 9-0

No. 4 Huskers Travel to No. 16 Kansas State; Host ISU at Devaney
Lincoln -- The fourth-ranked Nebraska volleyball team faces a crucial mid-season test on Wednesday, Oct. 13, as the Huskers travel to No. 16 Kansas State looking to extend their 10-match winning streak. First serve at Ahearn Fieldhouse is set for 7 p.m., and the match will be carried on the Pinnacle Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln with John Baylor calling the action. In addition, fans will high-speed Internet access can watch all of the action on HuskersNside, a subscription-based website of the NU Athletic Department, as every regular-season match will be carried on the website.

Tickets Available for NU-ISU Matchup at Devaney Center
Tickets are now on sale for Saturday’s NU-ISU contest at the Bob Devaney Sports Center, which is set for 7 p.m. The Huskers are attempting to break the single-match attendance record of 12,504 set against Colorado in 2000. The largest crowd in college volleyball this season was 8,656 fans for a match between Pepperdine and Hawaii on Sept. 25.

Tickets for Saturday’s match are $6 (adults) and $4 (students and seniors) while UNL students with a valid ID will be admitted for free. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Nebraska Ticket Office at (800) 8-Big Red or visiting Huskers.com. Fans who buy tickets can also use their stubs to see Sunday’s soccer match between Nebraska and Baylor at the Abbott Sports Complex.

Storylines
? - The Huskers will look to break a two-match losing streak to Kansas State on Wednesday, as 2003 marked the first time the Wildcats had ever swept Nebraska in a season series. The only other team to sweep NU since the Big 12 was formed was Colorado in 1997.

? - Wednesday’s matchup not only features the two teams that finished first and second in last year’s conference race, but also features the last six Big 12 title winners (NU, 1998-2002; KSU, 2003).

? - Nebraska jumped one notch to fourth in the USA Today/CSTV Coaches poll released Monday afternoon. It is Nebraska’s highest ranking since Sept. 6, when the Huskers were second nationally.

? - Nebraska’s current stretch of 10 consecutive sweeps is the longest stretch of consecutive sweeps since the 2001 season, when NU swept 12 consecutive foes from Sept. 2 to Oct. 10, 2001. Nebraska is the only team in the leauge that has not dropped a game in conference play.

? - Nebraska will look to hold its fifth opponent to negative hitting numbers in the last 11 matches, as opponents are hitting just .051 since the loss to Florida A&M on Sept. 11. In fact, only Missouri, which hit .155 in a Husker sweep on Sept. 15, has hit above .150 in that stretch.

? - One Husker tradition that has continued in 2004 has been outstanding blocking, as the Huskers have out-blocked all 14 foes this season, and the last 20 dating back to last season.

? - One of the overlooked reasons for the success of the Huskers in 2004 has been the improved play of sophomore Dani Busboom, who is second in the Big 12 averaging 13.29 assists per game. Her average is the highest by a Husker setter since three-time All-American Fiona Nepo averaged 13.79 as a senior in 1998. In fact, only four setters in NU history have averaged more than 13 assists per game.

Husker Probable Starters
L - #1 Amanda McCormick (5-8, So., Muncie, Ind.) - Sophomore co-captain returned as Nebraska’s starter at libero and leads the Big 12 with 4.82 digs per game. She has reached double-figure totals in digs in 12 of NU’s 14 matches, including 25 against No. 11 Texas A&M on Sept. 25 and 20 vs. Florida on Sept. 10. Her 25 digs against the Aggies tied Mandy Monson for the second-most ever by a Husker in a three-game match. McCormick also paces the Big 12 in digs in league matches at 5.37 per game after a 16-dig effort on Saturday.

MB - #8 Melissa Elmer (6-2, Jr., Fort Wayne, Ind.) - Returning AVCA All-American who anchors the Huskers’ blocking corps and averages 2.98 kills and a Big 12-high 1.80 blocks per game. Elmer tops Nebraska in hitting percentage (.348), a total that is 10th in the league. She had at least five blocks in the Huskers’ last eight matches, including seven blocks and eight kills on Sunday vs. Creighton. Elmer has shined in NU’s biggest matches, hitting .402 and averaging 3.18 kills and 1.71 blocks per game in NU’s five matches against ranked opponents. She earned All-Big 12 honors in 2003, leading NU with 1.59 blocks per game along with a .352 hitting percentage. Elmer, who was named the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year by the league coaches, spent the spring working with the U.S. National Training Team.

MB - #11 Tracy Stalls (6-3, Fr., Arvada, Colo.) - Stalls has started 12 of the Huskers’ 14 matches at middle blocker and is fifth in the Big 12 with 1.61 blocks per game. She has had at least five blocks in eight matches, including a season-high eight against Notre Dame (Sept. 4) and Texas Tech (Sept. 18). Stalls missed the Baylor and Oklahoma matches, but came back with two kills and three service aces in limited duty against Creighton on Sunday. She had eight-or-more kills four times, including a season-high 10 at Western Michigan on Sept. 6. Stalls served a two-year stint in the U.S. National Developmental program in Colorado Springs, Colo., after graduating from high school in 2002. She competed with the U.S. National Team in several tourneys, including the 2003 Pan American Games and the 2004 Yeltsin Cup.

S - #18 Dani Busboom (5-11, So., Cortland, Neb.) - Busboom enters the week ranked second in the Big 12 with 13.29 assists per game. She leads the team with eight double-doubles, including a 41-assist, 11-dig effort in the sweep of Oklahoma on Saturday. Busboom has had 50 or more assists three times, including a career-high 64 at Notre Dame on Sept. 4, the highest total by a Husker since 2000. She also averages 2.78 digs and 0.69 blocks per game after matching her career high with five blocks on Saturday. She guides an offense that ranked second in the Big 12 in hitting percentage (.285) and in kills per game (17.33). Busboom totaled 700 assists in 2003, which is the second most by any Husker freshman.

OPP - #9 Sarah Pavan (6-5, Fr., Kitchener, Ontario) - The Big 12 Preseason co-Freshman of the Year, Pavan leads the Huskers in kills per game (4.71) and topped the Huskers 10 times in 14 matches. She has had 10 or more kills in each match this season as she is second in the league in kills and 10th in blocks per game (1.22). She dominated in a sweep over No. 11 Texas A&M on Sept. 25, recording 23 kills on .500 hitting with four blocks and eight digs. Pavan had a match-high 11 kills on .364 hitting while setting a career high with four aces against Creighton on Sunday. In league matches, she is tied for second in the league in blocks per game (1.71) third in kills per game (4.76) and fourth in hitting percentage (.364). Pavan hit a season-best .550 (14 kills on 20 attacks) and added six blocks in a sweep of Texas Tech on Sept. 18. She recorded her first career double-double with 24 kills and 15 digs against Florida A&M on Sept. 10. Considered by many to be the nation’s top freshman, Pavan has been a member of the Canadian National Team since July of 2003 - at age 16.

OH - #26 Jennifer Saleaumua (5-11, Jr., National City, Calif.) - Two-time All-Big 12 outside hitter who is second on the team in digs (3.93) and third in kills (3.11 per game) while hitting .262. She has six double-doubles (kills and digs) this year, including two in the last three matches (vs. Baylor and Creighton), as she had 10 kills, 10 digs and matched a season-high with five blocks against Creighton. Saleaumua had a season-best 18 kills - one off a career high - at No. 25 Notre Dame on Sept. 4. She is sixth in the Big 12 in digs and is 84 digs away from becoming the seventh Husker to record 1,000 career digs. In 2003, Saleaumua led the Huskers in kills (3.27) and digs (3.90) per game, as her 441 digs were a school record, breaking the previous mark of 390 by Kate Crnich in 1996.

OH - #3 Christina Houghtelling (6-2, So., Cambridge, Neb.) - Sophomore who moved from middle blocker to outside hitter in 2004 and has started all seven of NU’s Big 12 contests. Is one of three Huskers averaging more than three kills per game, as she averages 3.23 kills, 2.58 digs and 0.35 service aces per game. Has led Nebraska in kills in two of the Huskers’ last four matches, including a career-high 15 kills on .433 hitting against Oklahoma. She recorded her first career double-double on Wednesday against Baylor with 12 kills and a career-high 13 digs. Houghtelling shined in the win at No. 24 Kansas on Sept. 29, setting then-career highs in kills (13) and hitting percentage (.500). Over her last five matches, she is averaging 3.86 kills, 3.43 digs and 0.50 service aces per game while hitting .333.

Scouting Kansas State
The Wildcats head into Wednesday’s match-up with Nebraska sporting an 11-5 record and are tied with Missouri for third place with identical 5-2 marks. Four of Kansas State’s losses are against teams ranked in the top-11 in the USA Today/CSTV Coaches poll, including non-conference losses to Florida and Minnesota. In league play, KSU is two games behind Big 12 co-leaders Texas and Nebraska. Head Coach Susie Fritz is 82-27 in four seasons at Kansas State and has guided the Wildcats to three appearances in the NCAA Tournament.

The Wildcats are led by senior Vali Hejjas, a first-team All-Big 12 selection in 2003 who tops KSU with 3.51 kills per game this fall. She is one of two all-conference selections back from a team that finished 30-5 and won the school’s first-ever Big 12 title. All-American setter Gabby Guerre is one of the league’s top players and averages 11.17 assists, 1.62 kills, 2.03 digs and 0.81 blocks per game. The Wildcats have a pair of players with Nebraska ties in senior outside hitter Michaela Franklin (Lincoln High) and junior outside hitter Katie Stanzel (Omaha Marian)

Nebraska-Kansas State Series
The Huskers are 66-3 all-time versus KSU, and 54 of those victories have been two- (11) or three-game (43) sweeps. However, over the past five seasons, Kansas State has emerged as one of Nebraska’s top rivals in the Big 12 Conference.  In 1999, the Wildcats defeated NU in five games in Lincoln, becoming the first Big Eight/Big 12 team to defeat Nebraska at the NU Coliseum during the regular season and ruining the Huskers’ 101-0 mark against league schools in Lincoln. The 2000 Nebraska team needed five games in Manhattan to become just the second squad in NU history to go undefeated during the regular season. In 2001, the Huskers eliminated Kansas State from the NCAA Tournament with a 3-1 second-round victory in Manhattan. Last season, the Wildcats won both meetings, snapping the Huskers’ 78-game Big 12 winning streak in the first meeting and winning for the first time in 30 tries in Manhattan in the second match-up. With the two wins, the Wildcats, who won the Big 12 by one match last season, became only the second Big 12 team to sweep a regular-season series with the Huskers in the Big 12 was formed in 1996.

Creighton Recap
Sarah Pavan’s 11 kills and four service aces led a balanced attack, as fifth-ranked Nebraska won its 10th straight match with a 30-22, 30-15, 30-24 victory over Creighton at a sold-out North Platte High School gymnasium.

Pavan’s 11 kills on .348 hitting paced a solid effort, as the Huskers hit .324 in the win. Jennifer Saleaumua had 10 kills, 10 digs and matched a season high with six blocks, as Nebraska out-blocked Creighton, 13-2. Melissa Elmer had seven blocks and eight kills, as eight players had at least two kills in the win. Amanda McCormick added a match-high 18 digs for Nebraska, which has won all seven meetings against Creighton by sweeps.

The Huskers’ serving also played a major role in the win, as Nebraska equaled a season-high with seven aces, including a career high by Pavan, and three by Tracy Stalls, who made a successful return to the lineup after missing the last two matches. Stalls had two kills, three aces and three digs in limited duty.

Huskers Have Foes Seeing Red
One of the reasons for Nebraska’s continued success is its play on the defensive side of the court. The Huskers are holding opponents to a league-low .088 hitting percentage and have allowed only one opponent ? Notre Dame, which hit .277 on Sept. 4 ? to hit above .200. Over the last 10 matches, the Huskers have been even tougher, holding four opponents to negative hitting totals, as opponents have combined to hit just .050 in that stretch.

At the First National Bank/Arby’s Classic, NU held Ball State (-.018) and Maryland (-.016) to negative numbers - marking the first time since November of 2002 that the Huskers held consecutive foes to below .000 hitting. Against Texas Tech on Sept. 18, the Red Raiders hit -.032, while NU held Kansas to -.046 on Sept. 29, the lowest total by a Nebraska opponent since Iowa State hit -.051 on Nov. 14, 2002.

Under John Cook, the Huskers have held 13 opponents to a negative hitting percentage, as the four opponents in 2004 equals the most under Cook, as the 2002 team also held four opponents to negative numbers.

Lowest Hitting Percentages vs. NU since 2000
Date Opponent Pct.
10/3/00 Creighton -.105
9/29/02 Creighton -.068
9/4/00 Oral Roberts -.066
11/13/02 Iowa State -.051
9/29/04 Kansas -.046

Husker Block is Best in the Land
After a one-year hiatus where the Huskers were sixth nationally in blocking, the 2004 Huskers are back on top of the NCAA rankings in blocking. Nebraska led the nation in blocking in the latest NCAA ranking (3.86 blocks per game as of Oct. 4) and comes into Wednesday’s match averaging 3.93 blocks per game. The Huskers have out-blocked their last 19 opponents dating back to last season, including two matches against Notre Dame, which led the nation in blocking during the 2003 season.

NCAA Blocking Leaders (Oct. 4)
Rank Name G BS BA Per Game
1 Nebraska 36 27 224 3.86
2 Stanford 50 71 228 3.70
3 Santa Clara 48 38 265 3.55
4 Wisconsin 43 21 256 3.47
5 Louisville 48 47 234 3.42

Its All About Balance
Nebraska offensive success in 2004 has featured a balanced attack. While Sarah Pavan is second in the Big 12 in kills at 4.71 per game - the highest total since Nancy Metcalf’s school-record 5.09 kills per game in 1999 - four Huskers average nearly three kills game. Christina Houghtelling (3.23) and Jennifer Saleaumua (3.11) both average more than three kills per game while Melissa Elmer is at 2.96 per game. In fact, the Huskers have never had four players average more than three kills per game.

Elmer Puts Up All-America Numbers
After earning second-team All-America honors in 2003, Melissa Elmer has continued to make strides this fall. The 6-foot-2 middle blocker was chosen as the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year this fall and has been an instrumental part of NU’s success this fall. She leads the Huskers in blocks (1.80/gm) and hitting percentage (.348) while ranking fourth in kills (2.96). She leads the Big 12 in blocks and was ranked fifth nationally in this week’s NCAA rankings.

Elmer has played her best matches against NU’s toughest foes, as she is hitting .402 with 3.18 kills per game in five matches against ranked opponents. Elmer comes off one of her best efforts of the year against No. 24 Kansas, when she had 11 kills and five blocks while hitting .562 in the sweep of the Jayhawks.

Elmer ranks 10th all-time with 365 block assists and moved past Carla Baker (338, 1986-89) for 10th place on NU’s all-time list against Colorado on Sept. 22. She needs two more blocks to reach 400 in her Husker career and 16 blocks to tie Baker for 10th place on NU’s total blocks list.

In her career, she is averaging 2.75 kills and 1.51 blocks per game, while her .360 career hitting percentage would rank among the top performers in NU history.

Saleaumua Digs on in Career Record
One career mark that could be in jeapordy this season is the school record for career digs. Jennifer Saleaumua comes into Wednesday’s match with 916 digs, and needs just 84 more digs to become the seventh Husker with 1,000 career digs. At her career average of 3.58 digs per game, Saleaumua could become Nebraska’s all-time leader in digs this season, passing Lindsay Wischmeier, who had 1,111 digs from 1999 to 2002.

With 793 career kills, Saleaumua could join another exclusive club this season, as only one other player in school history - Eileen Shannon who had 1,521 kills and 1,074 digs - has ever reached the 1,000 mark in both kills and digs in their career.

Husker 1,000 Dig Club
Rank Name Yrs. Total
1. Lindsay Wischmeier 1999-02 1,111
2. Angie Oxley 1997-00 1,086
3. Eileen Shannon 1989-92 1,074
4. Val Novak 1987-90 1,068
5. Billie Winsett 1992-95 1,032
6. Maria Hedbeck 1993-96 1,018
-- Jennifer Saleaumua 2002-Pres 916

Houghtelling Shines in Shift Outside
One of the pleasant surprises early in 2004 has been the play of outside hitter Christina Houghtelling, The sophomore from Cambridge, Neb., began her career at Nebraska as a middle blocker before a knee injury curtailed a promising 2003 season. This fall, she was shifted outside and has been a force for Nebraska. She has had six games of at least 10 kills, including a career-high 15 kills on Saturday vs. Oklahoma. She averages 3.23 kills and 2.58 digs per contest. One of NU’s best servers, she unveiled her jump serve for the first time against No. 11 Texas A&M on Sept. 25 and has had seven aces in NU’s last four matches.

Houghtelling in 2003 and 2004
Season K/Gm 10-kill gm SA/Gm D/gm Pts/gm
2003 1.67 0 0.38 0.72 2.49
2004 3.23 6 0.35 2.58 3.79

Busboom Gives the Huskers Assists
With the switch back to the 5-1 offense this season, Dani Busboom has taken full advantage of her expanded role at the center of Nebraska’s attack.

Busboom is second in the Big 12, averaging 13.29 assists per game. If she continues her current pace, it would be the highest average by a Husker setter since 1998 when Fiona Nepo averaged 13.79 assists per game.

Busboom, who ranked 18th nationally in assists in last week’s NCAA stats, is the only setter in the league to have 50 assists in a three-game match more than once this season, accomplishing the feat against Western Michigan (9/4) and Missouri (9/15).

She has had a trio of 50-assist contests in 2004, including a career-high 64 assists - the most by a Husker setter in the rally scoring era - in a win at No. 25 Notre Dame on Sept. 4. Busboom, who was an outside hitter until her senior season of high school, has a team-high eight double-doubles this season and tied her career high with five blocks against Creighton on Sunday.

Fabulous Freshmen
Nebraska’s top-ranked recruiting class has provided immediate dividends for the Huskers in 2004, as Sarah Pavan and Tracy Stalls have more than lived up to the lofty expectations. Pavan leads the Huskers in kills (4.71), a total that is second in the Big 12, and is eighth in the league in blocks (1.22). Pavan is the only player in the league who is in the top-10 in both kills and blocks.The 6-foot-5 opposite hitter has topped the Huskers in kills 10 times, most recently against Creighton on Oct. 10. She dominated in a three-game sweep of No. 11 Texas A&M on Sept. 22 when she drilled 23 kills on .500 hitting. Her 24 kills against Florida A&M on Sept. 10 were the third-most by a Husker in the rally scoring era and the most since U.S. Olympian Nancy Metcalf had 25 against Florida in the 2001 NCAA Regional Final.

Over the last 21 years, only one freshman - Eileen Shannon in 1989 - has led the Huskers in kills, as she holds freshman marks in both kills (479) and kills per game (4.24), totals that Pavan is on pace to obliterate this fall.

Stalls has been equally impressive in showing the all-around abilities that made her one of the nation’s top recruits. The 6-foot-3 middle hitter is fifth in the Big 12 in blocking, averaging 1.61 blocks per game to rank 13th in this week’s NCAA rankings. She is tied for the team lead with 11 service aces and is third in assists (0.44 per game). Stalls has had nine or more kills three times, including a career-high 10 kills on .643 hitting at Western Michigan on Sept. 4. She also has at least five blocks in eight matches, including eight at Texas Tech (9/18) and seven at No. 25 Colorado (9/22). Her eight blocks against the Red Raiders matched her season high set against Notre Dame on Sept. 4. On Sunday, she tied a season high with three aces against Creighton.

The third member of the Husker freshman class, middle blocker Meghan Smith, is a Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 recruit and provides depth at middle blocker behind Elmer and Stalls and has appeared in four matches.

2004 Top Recruiting Classes
No. PrepVolleyball.com Volleyball Magazine
1. Nebraska Nebraska
2. Florida Florida
3. USC USC
4. Ohio State Ohio State
5. Washington Michigan

Husker Youth Movement: Part 2
After a year where the Huskers played as many as five freshmen at the same time, Nebraska has seemingly gotten more youthful in 2004. Eight of the nine players who have started matches this year are underclassmen (two juniors, four sophomores and two freshmen), as senior Ally Rebholz made her first start of the year on Wednesday. In fact, only four of the 13 players on the 2004 are upperclassmen.

Rank and File
With the No. 4 ranking in this week’s poll, Nebraska is one of two teams to be ranked in the USA Today/CSTV Coaches poll for all 309 weeks of its existence. The Huskers have been ranked in the top 10 for 275 of the 309 weeks, which ranks second behind Stanford’s 288. NU has spent 38 weeks in the top spot, and its most recent No. 1 ranking was Sept. 24, 2001.

Cook’s Winning Ways
Nebraska Coach John Cook has been amazingly successful during his five seasons at the helm of the Husker program, posting a 137-10 record (.932 winning percentage).  All nine losses prior to this season have come against teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament, including the eventual NCAA champion in both 2001 (Stanford) and 2002 (USC). In the Big 12, Cook has enjoyed even greater success, going 82-3 in his four-plus seasons. Nebraska swept through the Big 12 in 2000, 2001 and 2002 before seeing its 77-match Big 12 winning streak (dating back to 1999) end in a loss to Kansas State on Oct. 11, 2003.

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.

Best Records in Division I Since 2000
Team Record .Pct.
Nebraska 137-10 .932
Hawaii 144-11 .929
USC 129-11 .921
Florida 141-14 .910
Northern Iowa 133-22 .858

Sellout Streak Extends to 48
Nebraska will carry a streak of 48 consecutive sellouts at the NU Coliseum into the Oct. 27 match against Colorado. The streak began with a 10-match stretch to close the 2001 season and extended through the 2002 and 2003 campaigns. The last non-sellout came on Sept. 25, 2001, against Creighton. Nebraska ranks second nationally in total attendance, averaging 4,128 fans per match this season.

Every reserve seat is sold out for the 2004 season while limited general admission seating is available for select matches by calling 800-8 BIG RED.

Huskers Play Home Away From Home
In a way to thank the fans from western Nebraska for their support over the years, Nebraska headed west, playing Creighton at North Platte High School. The match, NU’s first home match outside of Lincoln since 1992, sold out in 50 minutes, as 2,400 people came out to see a match-up between the state’s two Division I programs. The match is the best-attended neutral-site match in the NCAA this season.

Huskers Dig in Defensively
One significant improvement for Nebraska has been on the defensive end. The Huskers, who were second in the league with 16.59 digs per game, have upped that total to a league-high 18.16 digs per game in 2004.

At the halfway point of the regular season, Nebraska is on pace to shatter the school mark of 17.27 digs per game set in 1993 and rank among the top-five totals in Big 12 history. Individually, both Amanda McCormick (4.82 digs per game) and Jennifer Saleaumua (3.93) are both above the current school record of 3.90 digs per game set by Saleaumua last season.

Pavan Earns Big 12 Weekly Honor
Sarah Pavan was chosen as the Big 12 Volleyball Player of the Week (Sept. 20-26). The 6-foot-5 outside hitter from Kitchener, Ontario, led NU to sweeps over No. 25 Colorado and No. 11 Texas A&M. In the two matches, she totaled 44.5 points, recorded 39 kills (6.50/game), 10 blocks (1.69/game) and 12 digs (2.00/game), while hitting .492. Pavan totaled 16 kills on .478 hitting and added six blocks in a win at Colorado on Sept. 22, before recording 23 kills on .500 hitting against the 11th-ranked Aggies on Sept. 25.

All-America U
Melissa Elmer continued Nebraska's remarkable streak of AVCA All-Americans by earning second-team accolades in 2003. With Elmer’s selection, Nebraska has had at least one All-American every season since 1983, a total of 21 straight seasons, including 11 in Coach John Cook's four seasons at Nebraska. A total of 23 players have combined to earn 46 AVCA All-America certificates. Nebraska leads the nation in both categories.

Red, White and Blue
Nebraska continued its Olympic tradition in 2004 with Nancy (Meendering) Metcalf's selection to the U.S. Olympic team. A three-time All-American at Nebraska, Metcalf became the third Husker to make an Olympic team, joining Lori Endicott, who competed in the 1992 and 1996 Olympics, and Allison Weston, who was the captain of the U.S. Team in the 2000 Olympics. Metcalf played in all six matches in Athens, as Team USA reached the quarterfinals before losing to Brazil. Of Team USA’s four losses, three came in five sets, while also sweeping three-time gold medalist Cuba in the preliminary round.

Husker Red, White and Blue: Part 2
Junior middle blocker Melisa Elmer spent part off the off-season training with the U.S. National Training Team, which was coached by NU Coach John Cook. The team won the USA Volleyball Adult Open Championships, going a perfect 4-0 and sweeping three of its four opponents en route to the title.

McCormick, Elmer Named 2004 Captains
NU Coach John Cook announced Aug. 24 that Melissa Elmer and Amanda McCormick were named captains for the 2004 season. The preseason Big 12 Player of the Year, Elmer earned first-team All-Big 12 honors in 2003. She led the Big 12 with 1.59 blocks per game while ranking among the conference leaders with a .352 hitting percentage. The 6-foot-2 junior from Fort Wayne, Ind., was third in school history with 169 blocks, including a career-high 15 in a win at Kansas.

McCormick served as the Huskers’ libero in 2003, appearing in 22 matches. The sophomore from Muncie, Ind., set a school freshman record with 3.72 digs per game, including a career-high 31 against Missouri in 2003.

Success in the Classroom
Nebraska continued its successful legacy in the classroom in 2003, as Anna Schrad garnered second-team CoSIDA Academic All-America honors. Overall, NU has produced an NCAA-leading 17 academic All-Americans, who have earned a nation-best 26 academic All-America certificates. NU has had at least one CoSIDA Academic All-American in 17 of the last 20 seasons.

Husker Volleyball on Television
Nebraska Athletic Department announced that a total of 10 Husker volleyball matches will be televised this season. The 2004 broadcast schedule began on Sept. 15, with the Huskers’ match against Missouri and will continue with. eight other games will be carried live on NETV, highlighted by tilts against Texas A&M (Sept. 25), Colorado (Oct. 27), Kansas State (Nov. 6), Kansas (Nov. 12) and Texas (Nov. 24). In addition, five matches will be carried nationally by College Sports Television, highlighted by the Nov. 7 match against Colorado State, which will be shown live as part of the AVCA Sunday Night Spikes Package.

2004 Television Schedule
Date Opponent Time NETV CSTV
Sept. 15 Missouri 7 p.m. Live 11/17, 9 p.m.
Sept. 25 Texas A&M 7 p.m. Live Live
Oct. 6 Baylor 7 p.m. Live --
Oct. 9 Oklahoma 7 p.m. Live --
Oct. 27 Colorado 7 p.m. Live --
Nov. 3 Texas Tech 7 p.m. Live --
Nov. 6 Kansas State 6 p.m. Live --
Nov. 7 Colorado State 5 p.m. -- Live
Nov. 12 Kansas 7 p.m. Live 11/16, 6p.m.
Nov. 24 Texas 7 p.m. Live 11/25, 7 p.m

Oct. 13 Match at KSU to be Shown on Fox Sports Midwest
In addition to the 10 above matches, Nebraska’s match at Kansas State on Wednesday, Oct. 13, will be carried on Fox Sports Midwest on a tape-delay basis. The match will be aired on Sunday, Oct. 17, at 3 p.m. central.

Kruse Has Jersey Retired
One of the highlights of the Red/White Scrimmage on Aug. 28, was the retiring of Janet Kruse’s jersey during the evening’s festivities. Kruse became the fifth Husker volleyball player to earn the program's highest honor, as her No. 17 jersey was retired.  One of the most decorated student-athletes to ever play in the Husker program, the Fort Calhoun, Neb., native was the Huskers' first three-time All-American, earning first-team honors in 1989 and 1990 and second-team accolades in 1991. A two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year, Kruse was also an NCAA Top Eight Award winner and NCAA Woman of the Year Finalist. She joined Allison Weston, Lori Endicott, Cathy Noth and Karen Dahlgren in the NU Coliseum display.

Huskers Tabbed to Win Big 12 Title
The Nebraska volleyball team was picked to win the Big 12 Conference title in a vote of the league coaches released Aug. 9. Nebraska, which finished the 2003 season with a 28-5 record, received 10 of the 11 first-place votes in the conference preseason poll, as coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams. Kansas State, which won its first league title in 2003, was second with 80 points while Texas (75), Texas A&M (66) and Missouri (64) rounded out the top five in the preseason voting.

The Huskers have won six of the eight league crowns in Big 12 history, including five straight titles from 1998 to 2002, and have won 25 conference titles in the program’s 28-year history. NU finished second to the Wildcats with a 17-3 mark last season.

Up Next
Nebraska returns home this weekend, as the Huskers play host to Iowa State Saturday evening, Oct. 16, at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. First serve is set for 7 p.m. and will not be televised.