No. 1 Huskers Take on Iowa State

Match: #11: Nebraska (10-0, 3-0 Big 12) vs. Iowa State (8-5, 2-1 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

Match: #12: Nebraska at Oklahoma (5-6, 0-3 Big 12)
Wednesday, Sept. 28 ? 7 p.m. (central) ? McCasland Field House
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, 62-6
Last Meeting: Nebraska won, 30-27, 33-35, 30-13, 30-19 on Nov. 20, 2004 in Norman

No. 1 Huskers Take on Iowa State
The No. 1 Nebraska volleyball team finishes a two-match homestand on Saturday, Sept. 21, as upstart Iowa State comes to the Nebraska Coliseum. First serve between the Huskers and Cyclones is set for 7 p.m. and the match will be carried on selected Pinnacle Sports Network Stations, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln, and on Huskers.com. Fans will also be able to view Saturday’s match on HuskersNside, a premium subscriber site that will carry nearly the entire 2005 regular-season schedule. The match is sold out, marking the 60th consecutive sellout at the NU Coliseum.

The Cyclones, under the direction for first-year head coach Christy Johnson, have been one of the biggest suprises in the Big 12 this season. Iowa State is 8-5 on the season and is 2-1 in the Big 12. Johnson was a two-time AVCA All-American at Nebraska during her playing days, leading the Huskers to the 1995 NCAA title. The two Big 12 wins already top ISU’s conference win total in seven of its nine previous seasons in the Big 12. The Cyclones are one of only six Big 12 teams with wins over a ranked opponent this season (also NU, Missouri, Texas A&M, Texas and Kansas) after stunning No. 18 Texas, 3-1, on Sept. 21.

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).

Current Husker Streaks
?-Nebraska has won its last 34 regular-season matches dating back to Sept. 11, 2004.
?-The Huskers have won their last 25 matches in Big 12 play, dating back to Nov. 19, 2003.
?-Nebraska owns an 19-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 all 66 meetings with Iowa State in series history that dates back to 1975. In fact, Iowa State has won only 12 games in the entire series.

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 2.30 blocks per game and has had 10 or more blocks three times in 2005. She is sixth in the Big 12 in hitting percentage (.392), as she also averages 2.70 kills per game. Elmer holds second place on NU’s charts in block assists (537) and total blocks (593), passing Stephanie Thater (591, 1989-91) for second place on the career blocks against Texas A&M on Wednesday. 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 1.90 blocks and 1.10 kills per game over NU’s last four matches. Stalls had a season-high seven blocks against No. 20 Texas A&M on Sept. 21. She also had five blocks against No. 4 Penn State on Sept. 11, and had five kills and three blocks against Colorado on Sept. 17. 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 3.58 kills, 1.45 digs and 1.39 blocks per game. She ranks fifth in the league in blocks, sixth in points per game (4.58) and 10th in hitting percentage (.343). Pavan has been on a tear in NU’s last four matches, hitting .507 (45k-7e-75att), including 13 kills on .550 hitting against No. 20 Texas A&M on Sept. 21. 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 3.61 kills per game, a total that is 14th in the league, while also ranking eighth in hitting percentage (.351) and 14th in blocks (1.06 per game). She is hitting .396 (58k-14e-111att) over her last five matches, including a career-high 17 kills in a win over Pepperdine on Sept. 9. Houghtelling had 12 kills and hit .500 in a sweep of Colorado on Sept. 17. 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 wins over 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 eight times, including a career-high 27 at Minnesota and 20 versus Pepperdine. Saleaumua shined against No. 20 Texas A&M on Sept. 21 with 10 kills, 13 digs and a career-high seven blocks. Against Ohio State on Sept. 2, Saleaumua became the second player in school history to record 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in a career. She totaled 12 kills on 16 swings, while adding 14 digs in the sweep of No. 4 Hawaii on Aug. 26. Saleaumua 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 3.21 kills and 2.89 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 and 14 kills against No. 20 Texas A&M on Sept. 21. The Big 12 Preseason 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 6.58 assists and 2.91 digs per game, helping the Huskers lead the league with a .319 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 7.55 assists and 1.24 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.

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.

Last Match: No. 1 NU 3, No. 20 TAMU 0
Jennifer Saleaumua recorded her third double-double of the season, as No. 1 Nebraska posted a 30-24, 30-21, 30-19 victory over No. 20 Texas A&M Wednesday night.

Saleaumua totaled 10 kills and a match-high 13 digs, while equaling her career high with seven blocks, as the Huskers posted their seventh win over a ranked opponent and won their 25th straight Big 12 match dating back to 2003.

The senior from National City, Calif., was one of four Huskers to record double-figure kills . Freshman Jordan Larson finished with a team-high 14 kills, while Sarah Pavan (13) and Christina Houghtelling (10) each had strong nights. Nebraska hit .384 as a team, the Huskers’ third straight match above .350.

Saleaumua tied middle blocker Tracy Stalls for match-high honors with seven blocks, as NU dominated the net, outblocking Texas A&M 16-5. Nebraska had four players finish with at least five blocks, including All-American Melissa Elmer, who had five blocks and moved past Stephanie Thater for second place on NU’s all-time blocking chart. A two-time All-American, Elmer also had nine kills and hit a match-high .571 on 14 swings.

Scouting Iowa State (8-5, 2-1 Big 12)
First-year head coach Christy Johnson has already made great strides in the ISU program since taking the reigns last December. A former two-time All-American at NU, Johnson served as assistant coach at Wisconsin for eight seasons, working with current Husker coach John Cook in 1997 and 1998.

The Cyclones come to Lincoln with an 8-5 record and are in a three-way tie for fourth in the Big 12. The Cyclones, who have already swept in-state rival Northern Iowa, stunned No. 18 Texas, 3-1 earlier this month, before downing Baylor in Waco on Wednesday. The two straight Big 12 wins mark their longest conference winning streak since 1995.

ISU is led by sophomore Erin Boeve, who is second in the Big 12 with 1.76 blocks per game while also averaging 2.89 kills per game. The Cyclones are third in the Big 12 in blocking, averaging 3.07 blocks per game. Outside hitter Katie Jessen tops ISU with 3.66 kills per game, a total that is 11th in the league.

Nebraska has owned the all-time series with the Cyclones, winning all 66 matches in series history. The Huskers have not dropped a game to ISU since 1994, when current ISU head coach Christy Johnson was NU’s starting setter.