No. 1 Huskers Travel to Big Ten Country for Three Matches

Matches: #3-4:  at Sports Imports Classic
Fri.-Sat., Sept. 3-4 ? St. John Arena (13,276)

Tournament Schedule
Friday, Sept. 2  4 p.m. Michigan vs. Long Beach State
Friday, Sept. 2  6 p.m. No. 1 Nebraska vs. No. 12 Ohio State
Saturday, Sept. 3 4:30 p.m. No. 1 Nebraska vs. Michigan
Saturday, Sept. 3 6:30 p.m. Long Beach State vs. Ohio State

Match: #5:     at No. 6 Minnesota
Mon., Sept. 5 ? 1 p.m. ? Sports Pavilion (5,700)
All times listed are central; AVCA/CSTV Rankings (8/8)

Radio:  Pinnacle Sports Network (B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Omaha) and Huskers.com
Television: None
Live Stats:  Huskers.com (Mon. only)
Live Internet Video: None 
Web Audio: Huskers.com
Nebraska vs.: Ohio State (NU leads 6-3) ? Michigan (NU leads 1-0) ? Minnesota (NU leads 22-4)

No. 1 Huskers Travel to Big Ten Country for Three Matches
Fresh off a dominant performance at the AVCA/NACWAA College Volleyball Showcase last weekend, the top-ranked Nebraska volleyball team continues its grueling early-season schedule with three matches in two cities this weekend.The Huskers (2-0) begin the holiday weekend in Columbus, Ohio, where they will join Ohio State, Michigan and Long Beach State in the Sports Imports Classic. Nebraska will be in Friday’s featured match, as they take on No. 12 Ohio State (1-0) at 6 p.m. (central) at historic St. John Arena. The following aftermoon, Nebraska will take on 2004 NCAA Tournament qualifier Michigan at 4:30 p.m. After a short flight on Sunday, the Huskers will take on No. 6 Minnesota, last year’s NCAA runner-up on Monday, Sept. 5, at 1 p.m. Monday’s match will mark the Huskers’ third against a top-five opponent in the first two weeks of the season, as NU already toppled No. 3 Stanford and No. 4 Hawaii.

Storylines
?-Nebraska already has two wins over top-five opponents this season, the most since four wins over top-five foes in the Huskers’ 2000 national title run. The last time NU had back-to-back wins over top-five teams came during a four-match string to end 2000 and begin 2001 (No. 5 Arizona, No. 3 Hawaii, No. 4 Wisconsin and No. 5 Hawaii).
?-Nebraska has won its last 15 road matches dating back to November of 2003. In fact, NU has won 19 of its last 20 matches outside of Lincoln in that span with the only loss coming to USC in the 2004 NCAA Regional Final.
?-Nebraska has won nine straight matches against Big Ten teams dating back to the 1999 season, while NU Head Coach John Cook is 7-0 against teams from the Big Ten since taking over the Husker program in 2000.
?-Nebraska has won its last 26 regular-season matches dating back to Sept. 11, 2004
?-Nebraska’s AVCA/NACWAA College Volleyball Showcase title last week was the Huskers’ first in-season tournament crown since winning the Nokia Sugar Bowl Classic in 2003.
?-With the sweep of Hawaii on Aug. 26, Nebraska is 28-3 (.903) all-time in season openers, including a perfect 6-0 under John Cook. The last time the Huskers dropped a season opener came in the 1999 NACWAA Classic.
?-This weekend’s matches in Columbus will be short drives for the parents of Husker All-Americas Melissa Elmer (Fort Wayne is 136 miles from Columbus) and Sarah Pavan (Kitchener, Ontario, is 424 kilometers/264 miles from Columbus).

Husker Probable Starters
MB - #8 Melissa Elmer (6-2, Sr., Fort Wayne, Ind.) - Elmer is a two-time All-American who is bidding to become one of the best blockers in school history. She led the nation in blocking in 2004, averaging 1.89 blocks per game, while also topping NU in hitting percentage (.345).  A fourth-year starter, she ranks third on NU’s career block assist chart (480) and seventh in total blocks (534) and could threaten school marks in both categories. Elmer, who spent the last two summers training with the U.S. National Team Program, was selected to the AVCA/NACWAA All-Tournament team last weekend after averaging 3.00 kills on .469 hitting and 3.00 blocks per game.

MB - #17 Amanda Gates (6-2, Fr., Columbus, Neb.) - Gates played in both matches last weekend, as sophomore Tracy Stalls continues to recover from off-season surgery. The freshman had three kills and three blocks in NU’s sweep of Hawaii. Last year, she earned first-team Super-State honors, leading Columbus High School to a Class A runner-up finish. Gates as a Fab 50 pick in 2004, as she topped Class A in hitting percentage (.476), totaling 476 kills and 97 blocks as a senior. She also earned All-America honors at the 2005 USA Volleyball Junior National Championships.

OPP - #9 Sarah Pavan (rhymes with Have-in): 6-5, Soph., Kitchener, Ontario - Returning first-team AVCA All-American and National Freshman of the Year in 2004. Pavan led NU with 4.54 kills per game, becoming the first freshman to lead the Huskers in that category since 1989. Pavan had 20 or more kills in seven matches, including a career-high 35 in the regional title match against USC. She also averaged 1.17 blocks and 1.42 digs per game as a freshman, earning first-team All-Big 12 honors in the process. Pavan was chosen as the Big 12’s Preseason Player of the Year and averaged 3.67 kills per game in the AVCA/NACWAA Tournament. Pavan, who was on the Canadian National Team at age 16, spent the summer on campus, adding 20 pounds of muscle and posting a 4.00 GPA in biochemistry.

OH - #26 Jennifer Saleaumua (Sal-ee-ah-MOO-uh); 5-11, Jr., National City, Calif. - Three-time All-Big 12 outside hitter who is one
of the nation’s top outside hitters. Saleaumua earned second-team AVCA All-America honors in 2004, ranking second on the squad in both kills (3.09) and digs (3.74). The Big 12 Co-Defensive Player-of-the-Year in 2004, she averaged 5.17 digs per game, while adding .3.17 kills per game on .415 hitting last weekend. Saleaumua, who is four kills away from becoming the second player in school history to record 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs, shined against Hawaii in the season opener, drilling 12 kills on 16 swings, while adding 14 digs in the sweep of the Rainbow Wahine. She already holds NU’s career record in digs (1,163) and has 35 career double-doubles (kills-digs). Saleaumua  joined Elmer and Christina Houghtelling in the USA Volleyball Training program over the summer.

OH - #3 Christina Houghtelling (HOTEL-ing), 6-2, Jr., Cambridge, Neb. - Houghtelling is a versatile player who could play either outside or inside for NU. The junior shined in the AVCA/NACWAA Tournament, earning MVP honors after averaging 4.83 kills on .404 hitting, 2.33 digs and 1.67 blocks per game. Houghtelling was chosen as the AVCA/Sports Imports National Player of the Week on Aug. 28.  She matched her career high in blocks in both tournament matches and topped NU in kills in both matches. Last year, she started at outside hitter, averaging 2.90 kills and 2.34 blocks per game. Houghtelling was one of three Huskers to play in the USA Volleyball program last summer, competing on the A-2 National Team.

OH - #10 Jordan Larson: 6-2, Fr., Hooper, Neb. - Larson is a true freshman who comes into NU following a decorated prep career. She was a three-time Super-State selection who was rated the No. 2 player in the country by prepvolleyball.com. Larson set a state Class C-1 record with 501 kills on .490 hitting while establishing an all-class record with 179 service aces in 2004. She also spent two years on the U.S. Junior National Team and was named the MVP of the 2004 NORCECA Tournament. Larson was chosen as the Big 12’s Preseason Freshman of the Year by the league coaches. Larson enjoyed a strong opening weekend, averaging four kills and four digs per game. She had 15 kills, 12 digs and six blocks in the sweep of No. 3 Stanford.

S - #18 Dani Busboom, 5-11, Jr., Cortland, Neb. - Busboom is in her third season as Nebraska’s starting setter. She split time with Michelle Lynch in NU’s 6-2 offense in 2003 before taking over the full-time reigns last season. Busboom averaged 13.10 assists per game in 2004, the highest total by a Husker setter in seven years, to earn honorable-mention AVCA All-Midwest Regional honors. She helped NU rank in the top 15 nationally in both hitting percentage and kills per game. Busboom had a team-high 15 double-doubles, including 10 in Big 12 matches. Busboom had 25 assists in both matches, while adding seven digs in the two matches in NU’s 6-2 system.

S - #1 Maggie Griffin, 6-0, So., St. Charles, Ill. - A transfer from Michigan State, Maggie Griffin is in her first season at NU. She splits time with Dani Busboom in running NU’s 6-2 offense. In her first weekend, she averaged 8.00 assists per game and added five digs in sweeps of Stanford and Hawaii. She spent her freshman year at MSU, ranking sixth in the Big Ten with 12.98 assists per game to earn All-Freshman honors. She had eight double-doubles and had 50 or more assists 12 times in 26 matches for the Spartans. Griffin was a Fab 50 selection at Rosary (Ill.) High School, ranking 12th on Prepvolleyball.com’s senior aces list

Scouting this Week’s Opponents
No. 12 Ohio State (1-0, 30-4 in 2004): Under 26th-year Head Coach Jim Stone, Ohio State returns the bulk of its lineup after going 30-4 and advancing to the NCAA Regional Final in 2004. The Buckeyes, who were picked 12th in the CSTV/AVCA preseason poll, brings back four starters, including second-team All-American setter Marisa Main, who was second in the country in assists (14.68 per game) in 2004. The one big loss for OSU from 2004 is four-time All-American outside hitter Stacey Gordon, who was the AVCA Co-National Player of the Year after averaging over seven kills per game in 2004. The Buckeyes opened the 2005 season with a sweep of Toledo on Aug. 27, as middle blocker Danielle Meyer recorded a career-high 22 kills and had six blocks in a 30-22, 30-21, 30-21 sweep of the Rockets.

Nebraska leads the all-time series, 6-3, and have won six of the past seven meetings dating back to 1984. The two teams have not met since the 2000 NCAA Regional Semifinal, a 15-9, 15-6, 15-5 Nebraska win at the Coliseum.

Michigan (0-1, 30-4 in 2004):  The Wolverines come into 2005 with high hopes following a 20-13 campaign last year which included reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Michigan, which was picked seventh in the preseason Big Ten coaches poll, returns six players with starting experience. The Wolverines are led by sophomore outside hitter Katie Bruzdzinski, who average a team-high 3.09 kills per game as a freshman. Bruzdzinski, who was a teammate of Husker setter Maggie Griffin at Sports Performance, had 19 kills in Michigan’s opening-night loss at Notre Dame. UM has reached the NCAA Tournament five times in the last six seasons.

The two programs have met only once before in volleyball, a 30-20, 30-28, 30-23 Husker win at the NU Coliseum in 2002.

No. 6 Minnesota (0-0, 33-5 in 2004): After a national championship loss to Stanford, Minnesota is among the short list of national title contenders this season. Head Coach Mike Hebert has four starters returning, including first-team All-Americans Kelly Bowman and Paula Gentil, and welcome one of the top classes of newcomers in the country. Bowman averaged 2.32 kills, 3.05 digs and 6.99 assists per game in the Gophers’ 6-2 offense in 2004. Gentil, a three-time All-American, averaged 6.70 digs per game, setting an NCAA record with 924 digs a year ago. Minnesota welcomes a talented incoming class that is bolstered by transfers Sarah Florian (2.58 kpg and 2.63 dpg at USC) and Meghan Cumpston (3.31 kpg and 2.17 dpg at Arizona). Two Gophers have ties to NU, as freshman outside hitter Kyla Roehrig is from Papillion, Neb., while assistant coach Jill Pearson (McWilliams) played at NU from 1997 to 2000 and was a team captain for the Huskers’ national title team as a senior in 2000.

While the two programs are among the best in the Midwest, they have not squared off against each other since a Husker sweep in 1990, and have not played in Minneapolis since 1989. NU leads the all-time series, 22-4, and has won eight straight dating back to 1980.

Friday: Huskers Take Down Hawaii
Behind a dominant performance from Jennifer Saleaumua and Christina Houghtelling, top-ranked Nebraska opened the 2005 season with a three-game sweep of No. 4 Hawaii, 30-23, 30-26, 30-21, in front of a crowd of 10,028 at Qwest Center OMAHA.
Saleaumua recorded a double-double with 12 kills on .688 hitting and added a match-high 14 digs, as NU snapped Hawaii’s 59-match regular-season winning streak. Houghtelling topped the Huskers with 14 kills on .440 hitting while tying a career high with five blocks. All-Americans Melissa Elmer and Sarah Pavan also had 10 kills apiece, as the Huskers hit .306 and held Hawaii to .123 hitting in the victory.
The crowd was the 25th largest in NCAA volleyball history and easily topped the AVCA/NACWAA record of 9,345 fans when Hawaii hosted Southern California on Aug. 23, 2003.

Saturday: Huskers Sweep Stanford
Behind tournament MVP Christina Houghtelling, No. 1 Nebraska claimed the AVCA/NACWAA College Volleyball Showcase title by sweeping No. 3 and defending national champion Stanford 30-23, 31-29, 33-31 in front of a tournament-record crowd of 10,576 Saturday night at the Qwest Center OMAHA.  The Huskers, who improved to 2-0, claimed their second NACWAA title in front of the 11th-largest crowd in NCAA volleyball history.
Houghtelling sparked the Huskers’ title effort, as she totaled a match-high 15 kills, including nine in the first game, while adding seven digs and matching her career high with five blocks. Melissa Elmer anchored NU’s defensive efforts with 10 blocks and added eight kills to join Houghtelling on the all-tournament team. Freshman Jordan Larson also shined against the Cardinal, matching team-high honors with 15 kills while chipping in 12 digs and six blocks, as NU outhit Stanford, .306-.211.

The Qwest was a Success
     Nebraska volleyball’s first visit to Qwest Center OMAHA was a smashing success, as over 20,000 fans came out for the two-day event while a national television audience saw four of the top five teams in the preseason poll battle for the title.
 ?-Both night’s attendance totals (10,028 and 10,576, respectively) shattered the AVCA/NACWAA single-match (9,345 between Hawaii and USC in 2003) while the total of 20,604 easily eclipsed the tournament record  of 16,292 set in 2003.
  ?-The attendence totals ranked as the 26th and 11th largest crowds to see an NCAA volleyball match.
 ?-The AVCA/NACWAA College Volleyball Showcase drew two of the largest off-campus regular-season crowds in NCAA volleyball history.
 ?-Nebraska became the third school to win two event titles (also Stanford and USC) and became the first host school to win in the event’s 11-year history.

Houghtelling Earns Big 12 and National Honors
Christina Houghtelling earned a pair of honors on Aug. 29, as she earned Big 12 and national player-of-the-week accolades. The awards were both the first for Houghtelling, who was named MVP of the AVCA/NACWAA College Volleyball Showcase.
Houghtelling averaged 4.83 kills on .404 hitting, with 2.33 digs and 1.67 blocks per game in helping top-ranked Nebraska to sweeps of No. 4 Hawaii and No. 3 Stanford. Houghtelling paced the Huskers in kills in both matches, while also tying career highs with five blocks in both matches.
Against Hawaii, Houghtelling tallied a match-high 14 kills, a .440 hitting percentage and seven digs to help snap the Rainbow Wahine’s 59-match regular-season win streak.  The following evening, she totaled 15 kills, including nine in the first game. She helped NU knock off a defending national champion for the first time in program history, as the Huskers topped a pair of top-five foes for the first time since 2000.

Saleaumua Closes in on 1,000-1,000
    Senior captain Jennifer Saleaumua is on the verge of becoming only the second player in school history to reach 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs during her career. The senior from National City, Calif., enters this weekend’s matches with 996 kills and a school-record 1,163 digs. She broke the career mark of 1,111 set by Lindsay Wischmeier (1999-2000) during the NCAA Regional Final against USC.
 The only other player in school history to reach the 1,000-1,000 mark is Eileen Shannon, who had 1,521 kills and 1,074 digs from 1989 to 1992.

Elmer Climbs Block Chart
    Two-time All-American Melissa Elmer picked up where she left off in 2004 during the AVCA/NACWAA Showcase last weekend. Elmer totaled 18 blocks in wins over No. 4 Hawaii and No. 3 Stanford, including a tournament-record 10 blocks against the Cardinal to earn all-tournament team honors.
 Elmer averaged 3.00 blocks per game last weekend, well above her national-best total of 1.89 blocks per game in 2004. The Fort Wayne, Ind., product is quickly climbing the Husker block charts. She needs only four blocks this weekend to move past Tonia Tauke (1996-99) for sole possession of sixth place and is 10 away from the top five on NU’s all-time list.

Block Assists
No Player, Years Total
1. Amber Holmquist, 1999-02 646
2. Stephanie Thater, 1989-92 502
3.  Jenny Kropp, 1998-01 484
4. Melissa Elmer, 2002-present 480

Total Blocks
No Player, Years Total
1. Amber Holmquist, 1999-02 728
2. Stephanie Thater, 1989-92 591
3. Virginia Stahr, 1986-89 555
4. Karen Dahlgren, 1983-86 550
5. Jenny Kropp, 1998-01 544
6. Tonia Tauke, 1996-99 538
7. Melissa Elmer, 2002-present 535

Pavan Looks to Top Frosh Campaign
 After becoming the first Husker freshman to earn first-team AVCA All-America honors, right side hitter Sarah Pavan will look to top her 2004 campaign. The Kitchener, Ontario, native ranked fourth in the Big 12 with 4.54 kills per game, including seven 20-kill performances. She enjoyed her best match of the year against USC, setting a Husker postseason record with 35 kills, the fifth-highest total in school history. Pavan, who carries a 4.0 GPA in biochemisty, added 20 pounds of muscle in the offseason. She had 22 kills in the two victories, eclipsing the 500-kill mark in the AVCA/NACWAA championship match against Stanford.

The Kids are Alright
Nebraska’s heralded incoming class played a major role in the Huskers’ tournament title last weekend. Freshman Jordan Larson turned in her first career double-double against No. 3 Stanford with 15 kills and 12 digs, along with six blocks against the Cardinal. Sophomore transfer Maggie Griffin started against Hawaii in the season opener and averaged eight assists per game in helping NU post a pair of sweeps. Freshmen Amanda Gates and Rachel Schwartz also saw extensive court time in their first college weekend of action.

Stalls Continues to Recover from Surgery
Nebraska could be without one of its starters this weekend, as middle blocker Tracy Stalls continues to recover from off-season knee surgery. The 6-foot-3 sophomore from Arvada, Colo., ranked 11th nationally in blocking in 2004, averaging 1.65 blocks per game in 30 contests. Stalls, a former member of the U.S. National Team, established NU freshman marks for total blocks (160) and block assists (148), while ranking eighth in the Big 12 with a .322 hitting percentage. Stalls returned to practice this week, working out in drills the first three days of the week.

Husker Captains Named
Nebraska Head Coach John Cook announced on Aug. 19, that seniors Melissa Elmer and Jennifer Saleaumua and junior Christina Houghtelling were elected captains for the 2005 season. Elmer is in her second year as team captain, while the honor was the first for both Saleaumua, a three-time All-Big 12 selection, and Houghtelling.

Rank and File
 Nebraska is one of two teams to be ranked in the USA Today/AVCA Coaches poll for all 320 weeks of its existence.  The Huskers have been ranked in the top 10 for 286 of the 320 weeks, which ranks second behind Stanford’s 291. NU has spent a total of 41 weeks in the top spot, and its most recent No. 1 ranking was in the preseason poll released on Aug. 8. Only UCLA (51), Hawaii (48) and Stanford (47) have spent more weeks at No. 1 than Nebraska.

Huskers Picked to Win Big 12
 Defending Big 12 champion Nebraska was selected to win the 2005 volleyball title in the annual preseason polling of the league’s head coaches.  The Huskers captured all 10 of the possible first-place votes and 100 points overall, with coaches not being allowed to vote for their own teams.
 In 2004, NU finished the season with a perfect league record (20-0) for the fourth time in conference history (2000-02, ?04) and 15th overall. The Huskers have earned seven of the nine previous crowns.  
 Missouri finished second behind NU with 88 points.  Texas, Texas A&M and Kansas rounded out the top five, while Kansas State, Baylor and Colorado held the six-eight spots.  Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Iowa State were ninth, 10th, and 11th, respectively. 
 Nebraska paced the conference with three All-Big 12 selections while earning two of the three individual honors. 
 Husker sophomore Sarah Pavan headlined the preseason awards as the Player of the Year.  Last season, the Kitchener, Ontario, native became the first freshman in school history to be named an American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American.  She also received the organization’s National Freshman of the Year accolade, another first for an NU player. Pavan earned Big 12 Freshman-of-the-Year honors and was named to the all-conference first team after recording 4.54 kills per game and a .322 hitting percentage in all matches.  In  conference action, Pavan averaged 4.43 kills while maintaining a .339 hitting efficiency.  The outside hitter set Husker freshman marks for kills (481) and kills per game, while recording 20-or-more kills seven times.  Pavan posted a career-high and NU postseason record 35 kills in last year’s regional final loss to USC -- the fifth-highest single-match total in school history.
 Pavan’s teammate Jordan Larson was tabbed as the Preseason Freshman of the Year.  The 2004 Gatorade Nebraska High School Player of the Year compiled a Class C-1 state record 501 kills on a .490 hitting clip during her senior campaign at Logan View High School.  Larson, a three-time all-state first team pick, also contributed 179 aces to lead the squad to the state semifinals.  Internationally, she was a member of the U.S. Junior National Team for two years (2003-04). She led Team USA to the gold medal and claimed the Most Valuable Player and Best Receiver honors at the 2004 NORCECA Championships.
 Returning All-Americans Melissa Elmer and Jennifer Saleaumua joined Pavan on the preseason all-conference team. Elmer, a first-team All-American in 2004, led the nation in blocking (1.89 blocks per game) while averaging 2.91 kills per game. Saleaumua, a second-team AVCA All-American in 2004, returns after averaging 3.09 kills and 3.74 digs per contest. Saleaumua was the league’s co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2004, as Nebraska led the country in defense, holding opposing teams to a .103 hitting percentage.

2005 Big 12 Preseason Volleyball Poll
Rank Team (First-place Votes) Points
1. Nebraska(10) 100
2. Missouri 88
3. Texas 77
4. Texas A&M 72
5. Kansas 68
6. Kansas State 56
7. Baylor 43
8. Colorado 43
9 Oklahoma 24
10. Texas Tech 21
11. Iowa State 13

Huskers to be Tested in 2005
 Nebraska Head Coach John Cook has put together one of the most challenging schedules in program history in 2005:
 ? Nineteen of Nebraska's matches will be against teams that qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2004, including matchups with NCAA Champion Stanford and a match at NCAA runner-up Minnesota.
? Nebraska will meet four of the top six teams in the AVCA poll, with matches against Stanford, Hawaii, Penn State and Minnesota.
? The Huskers will face 13 teams (a total of 19 times)  that were ranked or received votes in the preseason CSTV/AVCA Coaches poll.
? Seven Big 12 teams qualified for the 2004 NCAA Tournament in 2004 - the most of any conference.

Huskers Reload with Young Talent
 One year after pulling in the nation’s best recruiting class, Nebraska pulled in its second straight top-three class in the offseason. The group is led by outside hitter Jordan Larson, who was rated the No. 2 high school senior in the country by prepvolleyball.com. All four freshmen earned prep All-America honors, while Holloway (U.S. Youth National Team) and Larson (U.S. Junior National Team) both have extensive experience in the USA Volleyball program.
2005 Top Recruiting Classes
No. PrepVolleyball.com Volleyball Magazine
1. Stanford Stanford 
2. Penn State Penn State 
3. Nebraska Nebraska
4. Minnesota Georgia Tech
5. California Minnesota

Husker Block is Best in the Land
 Nebraska volleyball is known nationally for its outstanding blocking, and the 2004 season was no exception. The Huskers led the nation for the fourth time in five years, averaging 4.02 blocks per game. Last season marked just the fifth time in school history that Nebraska averaged more than four blocks per game (also 1986, 1998, 2000 and 2001). The Huskers also return the nation’s top individual blocker in two-time All-American Melissa Elmer, who averaged 1.89 blocks per game in 2004.

The Nation’s Top Defense
 Another reason for Nebraska’s success in 2004 was its play on the defensive side of the court. NU led the nation in opponent hitting percentage, holding opponents to just .103 hitting. The mark broke the school record of .106 set in 2001. In fact, only four opponents hit above .200 against the Huskers during the 2004 campaign.
Top Defenses (listed by opponent hitting pct.)
Rank  Name  Opponent Hitting Pct.
1. Nebraska .103
2. Florida A&M .127
3. Florida .137

Cook’s Winning Ways
 Nebraska Coach John Cook has been amazingly successful during his five seasons at the helm, posting a 156-11 record (.934 winning percentage). All 11 losses 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 97-3 in his five seasons. Nebraska has posted four undefeated seasons in league play (2000-02, 2004) and has dropped just 33 of the 329 conference games it has played over the past five seasons, good for an .899 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.

Winningest Division I Programs (2000-present)
No.  Team Record Pct. 
1. Nebraska 156-11 .934
2. Hawaii 160-14 .920
3. USC 144-14 .911
4. Florida 155-17 .901
5. Northern Iowa 144-26 .847

All-America U
 Nebraska continued its string of All-America success in 2004, as Melissa Elmer, Sarah Pavan and Jennifer Saleaumua were named AVCA All-Americans. For Elmer, it was her second straight All-America certificate, as she was a second-team selection in 2003 before earning first-team honors in 2004. It was the first award for both Pavan, a first-team honoree, and Saleaumua, a second-team selection. Nebraska has had at least one All-American every season since 1983, a total of 23 straight seasons, including 14 in Coach John Cook's five seasons at Nebraska. A total of 25 players have combined to earn 49 AVCA All-America certificates. Nebraska leads the nation in both categories.

Sellout Streak Extends to 56
 Nebraska will carry a streak of 56 consecutive sellouts at the NU Coliseum into the 2005 season. The Huskers sold out all 15 matches they played at the Coliseum last season. The streak began with a 10-game stretch to close the 2001 season and extended through the 2002, 2003 and 2004 campaigns. The last non-sellout came on Sept. 25, 2001, against Creighton. Nebraska ranked second nationally in total attendance in 2004, averaging 4,336 fans per match.

Red, White and Blue
 Nebraska continued its Olympic tradition in 2004 with Nancy Metcalf's (Meendering) selection to the U.S. Olympic team. Metcalf, a three-time All-American at Nebraska, 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. Current Huskers Melissa Elmer, Christina Houghtelling and Jennifer Saleaumua had an opportunity to train with the U.S. National Team program this summer, while Elmer and Houghtelling also represented Team USA at the Montreux Volley Masters in Montreux, Switzerland.

Huskers Return to Lincoln for Three Matches
 Following this week’s road trip, the Huskers return to Lincoln for the InfoUSA/Arby’s Players Challenge, when they will take on national powers Pepperdine, Pacific and Penn State. Tickets for the Saturday, Sept. 10 contest against Pacific at the Devaney Center are on sale by calling the NU Ticket Office at (800) 8-BIGRED or on Huskers.com.