No. 1 Huskers Host No. 20 Texas A&M; Iowa State

Match: #10: No. 1 Nebraska (9-0, 1-0 Big 12) vs. No. 20 Texas A&M (7-4, 0-2 Big 12)

Wed., Sept. 21 ? 7 p.m. (central) ? NU Coliseum (4,020)
Radio: Pinnacle Sports Network (B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Omaha)
Television: NET-1 (Ch. 12), NET-HD (Ch. 112 on Time Warner in Lincoln) and College Sports Television (Ch. 305 on Time Warner, Ch. 610 on DirecTV)
Live Stats: Huskers.com
Internet Audio: Huskers.com
Live Internet Video: HuskersNside (subscription required)
All-Time Series: Nebraska leads, 21-6 (NU has won the last 14 meetings)
Last Meeting: Nebraska won, 30-23, 30-22, 30-28 on Nov. 27, 2004 in College Station

Match: #11: Nebraska vs. Iowa State (7-5, 1-1 Big 12)
Sat., Sept. 24 ? 7 p.m. (central) ? NU Coliseum (4,020)
Radio: Pinnacle Sports Network (B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Omaha)
Television: None
Live Stats: Huskers.com
Live Internet Video: HuskersNside (subscription required)
Internet Audio: Huskers.com
All-Time Series: Nebraska leads, 66-0
Last Meeting: Nebraska won, 30-19, 30-16, 30-20 on Oct. 30, 2004 in Ames

No. 1 Huskers Host No. 20 Texas A&M; Iowa State
The No. 1 Nebraska volleyball team returns to the NU Coliseum for a pair of Big 12 matches this week, as the Huskers play host to No. 20 Texas A&M on Wednesday, Sept. 21, and Iowa State on Saturday, Sept. 24. Both matches are scheduled for a 7 p.m. start, and will be carried on selected Pinnacle Sports Network Stations, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln, and on Huskers.com. In addition, Wednesday’s match against Texas A&M will be carried live on Nebraska Educational Television and simulcast nationally on College Sports Television, the fourth of nine Husker matches scheduled to be televised during the 2005 campaign. Fans will also be able to view both of this week’s matches on HuskersNside, a premium subscriber site that will carry nearly the entire 2005 regular-season schedule.

The Huskers opened Big 12 play last Saturday with a 30-22, 30-20, 30-23 sweep of Colorado in Boulder, out-hitting the Buffaloes, .394-.153, as Sarah Pavan, Melissa Elmer, Christina Houghtelling and Tracy Stalls all hit above .450 in the win. The Aggies come to Lincoln with a 7-4 record and winless in conference play after dropping their first two Big 12 matches to Kansas and No. 10 Missouri. Texas A&M features one of the league’s top players in returning All-American Laura Jones, who averages a Big 12-high 5.78 kills per game.

NU-Baylor Oct. 1 Start Time Set for 7:30 p.m.
Nebraska Head Coach John Cook announced on Monday that the Huskers’ match against Baylor on Saturday, Oct. 1, will start at 7:30 p.m. The start time was pushed back following the ABC decision to televise the NU-ISU football game at 2:30 p.m. The match will be carried on NET and NET-HD and replayed on Sunday, Oct. 2 on CSTV at 2:30 p.m. (central).

Streaks to Watch
?-Nebraska has won its last 33 regular-season matches dating back to Sept. 11, 2004.
?-The Huskers have won their last 24 matches in Big 12 play, dating back to Nov. 19, 2003.
?-Nebraska owns an 18-match home winning streak dating back to Sept. 11, 2004. In that stretch, NU has dropped only one game (against Peppedine in this year’s season opener). The Huskers are also 5-0 against ranked foes during the streak.
?-The Huskers have won their last 11 matches against Texas A&M, sweeping the Aggies in both 2004 meetings. NU was the only Big 12 team to win in College Station last season.

Husker Probable Starters
MB - #8 Melissa Elmer (6-2, Sr., Fort Wayne, Ind.) - Elmer is a two-time AVCA All-American and one of the best middle blockers in the country. She leads the nation with 2.37 blocks per game and has had 10 or more blocks three times in 2005. She is sixth in the Big 12 in hitting percentage (.375), as she also averages 2.67 kills per game. Elmer is second on NU’s career block assists list (532) and with 588 career blocks, she is only four blocks away from passing Stephanie Thater (591, 1989-91) for sole possession of second on the career blocks list. Elmer has been selected as MVP in two tournaments (Sports Imports Classic and InfoUSA/Arby’s Players Challenge) and had a season-high 13 blocks against Pepperdine on Sept. 9.

MB - #11 Tracy Stalls (6-3, So., Arvada, Colo.) - Stalls has been a force since returning to the lineup on Sept. 10. She is averaging 1.71 blocks and 1.43 kills per game over NU’s last three matches. Stalls had a season-high five blocks against No. 4 Penn State on Sept. 11, and had five kills and three blocks against Colorado in NU’s last match. Stalls, who ranked 11th nationally in blocking as a freshman at 1.65 blocks per game, missed the Huskers’ first six matches because of off-season knee surgery. Before enrolling at NU, Stalls served a two-year stint in the U.S. National Developmental Program and was on the U.S. National team.

OPP - #9 Sarah Pavan (rhymes with Have-in): 6-5, Soph., Kitchener, Ontario - The AVCA National Freshman of the Year and first-team All-American in 2004, Pavan is having a stellar 2005 season, averaging 3.50 kills, 1.43 digs and 1.43 digs per game. She ranks fourth in the league in blocks, 10th in points per game (4.55) and 12th in hitting percentage (.324). Pavan has been on a tear in NU’s last three matches, hitting .491 (32k-5e-55att). She had 13 kills on .571 hitting with two blocks in a sweep of Colorado on Sept. 17. Against Pepperdine on Sept. 9, Pavan recorded her first career triple-double with 11 kills, 11 blocks and 10 digs, becoming the first Husker since 2002 (Greichaly Cepero) and first NU outside hitter since 1999 (Nancy Metcalf) to accomplish the feat. In 2004, Pavan led NU with 4.54 kills per game, becoming the first freshman to top the Huskers since 1989. She had 20 or more kills seven times, including a career-high 35 in the regional final against USC. Pavan, who carries a 4.0 GPA in biochemistry, was a member of the Canadian National Team at age 16.

OH - #3 Christina Houghtelling (HOTEL-ing), 6-2, Jr., Cambridge, Neb. - Houghtelling has emerged as one of the Big 12’s top performers early in the 2005 campaign. She tops NU with 3.60 kills per game, a total that is 12th in the league, while also ranking 10th in hitting percentage (.359). Houghtelling also averages 2.27 digs and 1.00 blocks per game. She is hitting .427 (49k-9e-89att) over her last four matches, including a career-high 17 kills in a win over Pepperdine on Sept. 9. Last Saturday, she had 12 kills and hit .500 in a sweep of Colorado. Houghtelling has earned all-tournament honors two times, including MVP honors of the AVCA/NACWAA College Volleyball Showcase, where she averaged 4.83 kills on .404 hitting, 2.33 digs and 1.67 blocks per game in sweeps of No. 4 Hawaii and No. 3 Stanford. Houghtelling, who averaged 2.90 kills and 2.34 digs per game in 2004, spent the summer in the USA Volleyball training program, competing with the A-2 National team in Switzerland.

OH - #26 Jennifer Saleaumua (Sal-ee-ah-MOO-uh); 5-11, Sr., National City, Calif. - A returning AVCA All-American and three-time all-Big 12 performer, Saleaumua’s all-around abilities key the NU attack. She is third in the Big 12 with 4.27 digs per game. She has recorded double figures in digs seven times, including a career-high 27 at Minnesota and 20 versus Pepperdine. Against Ohio State on Sept. 2, she reached the 1,000-kill mark for her career, becoming only the second player in school history to reach both 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs. Saleaumua 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 record in digs (1,260) and has 35 career double-doubles (kills-digs). Saleaumua, the Big 12 co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2004, was in the USA Volleyball Training Program.

OH - #10 Jordan Larson: 6-2, Fr., Hooper, Neb. - One of two newcomers in the Huskers’ starting lineup, Larson is one of the Big 12’s top freshman performers. She averages 3.04 kills and 2.92 digs per game, ranking among team leaders in both categories. Larson has two double-doubles, a 19-kill, 19-dig effort at No. 5 Minnesota on Sept. 5 and a 15-kill, 12-dig performance against No. 3 Stanford on Aug. 27. She also had a match-high 14 kills on .480 hitting against No. 4 Penn State on Sept. 11. The Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, Larson was a three-time Super-State selection who was rated the No. 2 player in the country by prepvolleyball.com. Larson set a Class C-1 state 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 the MVP of the 2004 NORCECA Tournament.

S - #18 Dani Busboom, 5-11, Jr., Cortland, Neb. - Busboom is in her third season as Nebraska’s starting setter and splits time with Maggie Griffin in the Huskers’ 6-2 offense. She averages 6.53 assists and 2.15 digs per game, helping the Huskers lead the league with a .311 hitting percentage. She recorded her first double-double of the year with 31 assists and 11 digs in a five-game win over No. 5 Minnesota. Busboom split time with Michelle Lynch in NU’s 6-2 offense in 2003 before taking over the full-time reigns last season. She 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 Region honors.

S - #1 Maggie Griffin, 6-0, So., St. Charles, Ill. - A transfer from Michigan State, Maggie Griffin is in her first season at Nebraska. She splits time with Dani Busboom in running NU’s 6-2 offense, averaging a team-high 7.30 assists and 1.20 digs per game. Griffin, who has helped NU lead the Big 12 in attack percentage, has a season-high 36 assists, three service aces and six digs in a win at No. 5 Minnesota on Sept. 5. 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 50 or more assists 12 times in 26 matches. Griffin was a Fab 50 selection at Rosary (Ill.) High School, ranking 12th on prepvolleyball.com’s senior aces list.

Big 12 Makes a National Statement
This week’s AVCA/CSTV poll has a Big 12 flavor to it, as six league teams have cracked the national top-25 this week. In addition to the Huskers, who have been the nation’s No. 1 team in each of the first four polls, Missouri (eighth), Kansas State (17th), Texas A&M (20th), Texas (23rd) and Kansas (24th) also found their way into this week’s poll. Missouri’s No. 8 ranking this week is the highest in program history. The Big 12 and Pac-10 lead the way with six teams ranked this week.

NCAA Regional Tickets on Sale
Tickets for the NCAA Regional this December at Qwest Center Omaha went on sale Sept. 10. All-session tickets for the regional, which will take place Dec. 9-10, are $36 (reserved) and $30 (general admission) and can be purchaed at the Qwest Center box office, by calling Ticketmaster at (402) 422-1212 or at Ticketmaster locations around the state (Baker’s, Younkers and the Nebraska Student Union in Lincoln). In addition, tickets can also be ordered at Ticketmaster.com.

Husker Offense Proving Tough to Stop
According to Head Coach John Cook, one of the benefits to the 6-2 offense was that Nebraska would become more difficult to defend, as NU had three hitters across the front row at all times. In 2005, the Huskers enter the week ranked among the national leaders in assists per game (ninth), kills per game (10th), and hitting percentage (11th), as its .313 hitting percentage is the highest by a Husker team since the 2002 campaign.

After nine matches, four different Huskers have led the team in kills (Houghtelling, Pavan. Larson, and Saleaumua) while six players have reached double figures in kills.

In Nebraska’s last two matches, the Huskers have had at least three players hit .450 with a minimum of 10 swings, equaling the entire 2004 total in one week. In last Saturday’s win at Colorado, NU had four players eclipse .450 hitting (Sarah Pavan, Christina Houghtelling, Melissa Elmer and Tracy Stalls), the first time that has happened in 62 matches, dating back to Sept. 24, 2003.

Elmer Climbs Block by Block
Two-time All-American Melissa Elmer has picked up where she left off in 2004 after leading the nation in blocking last season. In NU’s first nine matches, Elmer averaged a national-best 2.37 blocks per game, a significant jump from her 1.89 blocks per game in 2004. The senior from Ft. Wayne, Ind., has recorded seven or more blocks six times, including a season-high 13 in a win over Pepperdine on Sept. 10. Elmer was named MVP of the Sports Imports Classic at Ohio State, averaging 3.00 blocks and 2.76 kills per game in victories over OSU and Michigan. Most recently, she was selected to the Players Challenge all-tournament team, totaling 2.80 kills and 2.70 blocks per game in three matches, including a sweep of No. 4 Penn State.

Elmer, who was also selected to the AVCA/NACWAA Showcase all-tournament team, has already moved from seventh to third on NU’s career total blocks list during the first three weeks of the season. On Sept. 9, she moved past Stephanie Thater for sole possession of second place on NU’s block assist list and is quickly closing in on Thater’s No. 2 spot on NU’s career blocks list.

Block Assists
No Player, Years Total
1. Amber Holmquist, 1999-02 646
2. Melissa Elmer, 2002-present 532

Total Blocks
No Player, Years Total
1. Amber Holmquist, 1999-02 728
2. Stephanie Thater, 1989-92 591
3. Melissa Elmer, 2002-present 588

Pavan Posts Triple-Double vs. Pepperdine
All-American Sarah Pavan made Husker history in the Sept. 9 win over Pepperdine. The 6-foot-5 sophomore became the first Husker in three years to record a triple-double, finishing the match with 11 kills, 11 blocks and 10 digs. Not only was it the first by a Husker player since 2002, but it was the first by a Husker outside hitter since Nancy Metcalf (Meendering) had one in a loss to Kansas State in 1999. In that match, Metcalf had 39 kills, 12 blocks and 21 digs.

Saleaumua Reaches 1,000-1,000 Club
Senior captain Jennifer Saleaumua reached a historic mark at Ohio State on Sept. 2. The senior from National City, Calif., reached the 1,000-kill mark, becoming only the second player in school history to record both 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs.

1,000-1,000 Club
Player, Year Kills Digs
Eileen Shannon, 1989-92 1,521 1,074
Jennifer Saleaumua, 2002-05 1,052 1,260

No Libero, No Problem
While several teams in college volleyball run a 6-2 offense, Nebraska’s attack is unique because there is no libero on the court. The Huskers rely on the passing and court coverage abilities of its four outside hitters (Sarah Pavan, Jordan Larson, Jennifer Saleaumua and Christina Houghtelling). Nebraska has outdug seven of its nine opponents in 2005, while both Saleaumua and Larson rank among the league leaders in digs. The only true libero on the roster is freshman Rachel Schwartz, who is primarily used as a serving specialist.

Houghtelling Emerges on National Scene
When John Cook was asked to name his MVP following the first part of the season, he quickly responded with Christina Houghtelling, not any of the three returning All-Americans.

Houghtelling has developed into one of the main focal points of the Husker offense, averaging a team-best 3.60 kills per game and hitting .359 to rank among the conference leaders in both categories. She has also averaged 2.27 digs, 1.00 blocks and committed one service error in a team-high 177 attempts.

Houghtelling burst on the national stage in the season opening AVCA/NACWAA College Volleyball Showcase, averaging 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. For her efforts, she was named the tournament MVP, along with the AVCA and Big 12 National Player of the Week.

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.

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 comes into Wednesday’s match averaging 3.50 kills per game, including a season-high 17 in a win at No. 5 Minnesota on Sept. 5. Over NU’s last three matches, she is hitting a blistering .491 with 3.56 kills per game. Pavan has also been a force at the net, recording 12 blocks in a sweep of No. 12 Ohio State on Sept. 2 and 11 in a win over Pepperdine on Sept. 10. She is currently fourth in the Big 12 in blocking, averaging 1.43 blocks per game.

Newcomers Playing Vital Roles
Nebraska’s heralded incoming class has played a major role in the Huskers’ early season success. Jordan Larson has two double-doubles in eight matches, including a 19-kill, 19-dig effort against No. 5 Minnesota on Sept. 6. Sophomore setter Maggie Griffin has been effective in helping NU run the 6-2 offense, averaging a team-high 7.30 assists per game. In addition, Amanda Gates and Rachel Schwartz have also seen extensive action in NU’s first nine matches.

Stalls Makes Return vs. Pacific
Nebraska regained the services of middle blocker Tracy Stalls in the Huskers’ Sept. 10 victory over Pacific. The sophomore played in game one, recording four blocks and two kills in her only action after missing NU’s first six contests with off-season knee surgery. The following day, Stalls had five blocks in a sweep of No. 4 Penn State and had five kills and three blocks in the sweep of Colorado on Sept. 17. She ranked 11th nationally in blocking in 2004, averaging 1.65 blocks per game in 30 contests. A former member of the U.S. National Team, Stalls established NU freshman marks for total blocks (160) and block assists (148), while ranking eighth in the Big 12 with a .322 hitting percentage.

Rank and File
Nebraska is one of two teams to be ranked in the CSTV/AVCA Coaches poll for all 323 weeks of its existence. The Huskers have been ranked in the top 10 for 289 of the 323 weeks, which ranks second behind Stanford’s 294. NU has spent a total of 44 weeks in the top spot, and its most recent No. 1 ranking was in the Sept. 19 poll. Only UCLA (51), Hawaii (48) and Stanford (47) have spent more weeks at No. 1 than Nebraska.

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.

Nine Husker Matches to be Televised
The Nebraska Athletic Department announced that a total of nine Husker volleyball matches will be televised this season. The 2005 broadcast schedule began on Aug. 26, with the Huskers’ season opener against Hawaii. A total of seven matches will be carried live on NET-1, NET-2 and NET-HD, highlighted by tilts against Penn State (Sept. 11), Texas A&M (Sept. 21), , Texas (Oct. 15), Kansas (Oct. 26) and Missouri (Nov. 13). In addition, eight matches will be carried nationally by College Sports Television, highlighted by the AVCA/NACWAA College Volleyball Showcase in Omaha.

2005 Television Schedule

Date Opponent Time NET CSTV FSN
Aug. 26 Hawaii 8:30 p.m. -- Live --
Aug. 27 Stanford 7:30 p.m. -- Live --
Sept. 11 Penn State 3 p.m. NET-2 9/11, 5 p.m. --
Sept. 21 Texas A&M 7 p.m. Live Live --
Oct. 1 Baylor 7:30 p.m. Live 10/2, 2:30 p.m. --
Oct. 15 Texas 7 p.m. Live 10/16, 2p.m. --
Oct. 26 Kansas 7 p.m. Live 10/27, 9 p.m. --
Nov. 2 Oklahoma 7 p.m. Live 11/3, 7 p.m. --
Nov. 13 Missouri 5 p.m. Live Live --

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

NU Head Coach John Cook has put together one of the most challenging schedules in school 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 preseason 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.

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 Rachel 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 Huskers lead the Big 12 with 3.74 blocks per game.

In 2005, the Huskers currently rank second nationally in blocking, averaging 4.22 blocks per game, over 1.00 block per game more than Kansas, which is second in the Big 12 in that category.

In fact, All-American Melissa Elmer has a Big 12-high 71 blocks, topping the entire team totals of both Missouri (70.5) and Colorado (47.0 blocks).

NCAA Blocking Leaders (as of 9/11)

No. School Blocks/Gm

1 St. Mary’s (Cal.) 4.28

2 Nebraska 4.24

3 Washington St. 3.96

4 Wisconsin 3.89

5 Maryland 3.62

So Far This Season...
Nebraska has enjoyed a steller first month of the season, going 9-0 heading into Wednesday’s match with No. 20 Texas A&M. So far this season, the Huskers have...

? Earned the No. 1 ranking in the preseason poll for only the second time in school history (also 2001).

? Ended Hawaii’s 59-match regular-season winning streak with a 3-0 victory on Aug. 26.

? Swept Stanford on Aug. 27, as Nebraska posted its first ever win over a defending national champion.

? Became the first host team in 11 years to win the AVCA/NACWAA College Volleyball Showcase.

? Defeated No. 5 Minnesota on Sept. 5, to post its first road win over a top-five team since the 2001 season.

? Swept No. 4 Penn State at the NU Coliseum on Sept. 11, picking up its first regular-season home win over a top-five team in a decade.

? Recorded four wins over top-five teams, its highest total since the 2000 national title season.

 

The Nation’s Top Defense

Another reason for Nebraska’s success is its defensive effort. In 2004, the Huskers 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 entire 2004 campaign. In 2005, NU is holding opponents to .138 hitting, as only Stanford has hit over .200 against the Huskers.

2004’s Top Defenses (listed by opp. hitting pct.)

Rank Name Opponent Hitting Pct.

1. Nebraska .103

2. Florida A&M .127

3. Florida .137

2005’s Top Defenses (listed by opp. hitting pct.)

Rank Name Opponent Hitting Pct.

1 Washington .075

2 Minnesota .089

3 Wisconsin .097

4 Stanford .126

5 Louisville .131

6 Nebraska .138

Under John Cook, the Huskers have held 15 foes to negative hitting percentage, as Pacific hit -.073 against Nebraska on Sept. 10.

Cook’s Winning Ways
Nebraska Coach John Cook has been amazingly successful during his five seasons at the helm, posting a 163-11 record (.936 winning percentage). All 11 losses have come against teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament, including the eventual NCAA champion in 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 163-11 .937
2 Hawaii 165-17 .907
3 Florida 165-18 .902
4 USC 147-18 .891
5 Northern Iowa 152-30 .835

Updated Totals as of Sept. 19

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.

Cepero Nominated for NCAA 25th Anniversary Team
Former Nebraska All-American Greichaly Cepero is among the nominees for the NCAA’s 25th anniversary team. A three-time AVCA All-American, Cepero was named national player of the year in 2000, guiding the Huskers to an undefeated season and the school’s second national title. Throughout the 2005-06 year, the NCAA will be celebrating its 25th anniversary for Women’s Championship and will be selecting teams. On-line voting will continue for the next two weeks with a team announcement set for Oct. 14. To vote, go to NCAAsports.com and look for the 25th anniversary logo.

Sellout Streak Reaches 58
Nebraska will carry a streak of 58 consecutive sellouts at the NU Coliseum into Wednesday’s match with No. 20 Texas A&M. The Huskers sold out all 15 matches they played at the Coliseum last season and sold out the entire 2005 season in just nine days. 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.

Success in the Classroom
Nebraska continued to excel in the classroom in 2004, as seven Huskers were chosen for the academic All-Big 12 team. The list also included a league-high six first-team honorees. 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 21 seasons.

The Alltel Husker Volleyball Show
The Alltel Husker Volleyball show with John Cook will air throughout the state this fall. On NET-2, the show runs Monday nights at 7:30 p.m. beginning Aug. 28, while UPN Nebraska, which debuts on Sept. 1, will air the show at 10:30 p.m. on Mondays.

Up Next: Huskers Host ISU on Saturday
Nebraska wraps up its two-match homestand on Saturday, Sept. 24, as the Huskers take on Iowa State. The Cyclones, coached by former Husker great Christy Johnson, are 7-5 overall after knocking off No. 18 Texas on Saturday in Ames. First serve between the Huskers and Cyclones is set for 7 p.m. and the match will be carried on the Pinnacle Sports Network, including 107.3 FM in Lincoln.