No. 1 Huskers Look to Trap Bears

Match: #13: NU (12-0, 4-0 Big 12) vs. Baylor (9-6, 1-3 Big 12)
Saturday, Oct. 1 ? 7:30 p.m. (central) ? NU Coliseum
Tickets: Sold Out (61st consecutive sellout)
Radio: Pinnacle Sports Network (B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Omaha)
Television: Live on NET-1 (Ch. 12) and NET-HD (Ch. 112); Tape-Delayed on
College Sports Television (Ch. 305 in Lincoln; Ch. 610 on DirecTV)
Live Stats: Huskers.com
Live Internet Video: HuskersNside (subscription required)
Internet Audio: Huskers.com
All-Time Series: Nebraska leads,19-0

Last Meeting: Nebraska won, 30-19, 28-30, 30-18, 30-26 on Oct. 23, 2004 in Waco

Did You Know?
? Christina Houghtelling’s 20-kill effort at Oklahoma on Wednesday was the first 20-kill performance by a Husker this season
? Nebraska’s 4.29 blocks per game is the highest average since the NCAA stared charting team blocks in 1994. The previous high is 4.18 set by Nebraska in 2001
? Nebraska ranks in the top-five nationally in blocks (first), hitting percentage (third), assists per game (fourth) and kills per game (fourth).

No. 1 Huskers Look to Trap Bears\
After surviving a four-game battle with Oklahoma, No. 1 Nebraska returns to the NU Coliseum to take on upstart Baylor. The tussle between the Huskers and Bears takes place Saturday, Oct. 1, with a special 7:30 p.m. start time. The match will be carried on selected Pinnacle Sports Network stations, including B107.3FM in Lincoln, and on the Internet at Huskers.com. The match will also be televised on both a state-wide and national basis, as Nebraska Educational Television (NET-1) will show the match live across the state, while College Sports Television (CSTV) will air the match nationally on Sunday at 3 p.m. (central).

The Huskers come into the match with a 12-0 mark, including a perfect 4-0 in league play following Wednesday’s win at Oklahoma. In that match, junior Christina Houghtelling totaled a match-high 20 kills on .405 hitting and added 10 digs for her second double-double of the year.

Baylor (9-6, 1-3 Big 12) gave No. 7 Missouri all it wanted before falling in Waco on Wednesday evening. The Bears are looking for their first win over a ranked team in four matches this season. NU won both 2004 meetings to extend the all-time mark against Baylor to 19-0, but the Bears took a game from the Huskers in the second meeting in Waco.

Current Husker Streaks
?-Nebraska has won its last 36 regular-season matches dating back to Sept. 11, 2004.
?-The Huskers have won their last 27 matches in Big 12 play, dating back to Nov. 19, 2003.
?-Nebraska owns a 20-match home winning streak dating back to Sept. 11, 2004. In that stretch, NU has dropped only one game (against Pepperdine in this year’s season opener). The Huskers are also 5-0 against ranked foes during the streak.
?-Nebraska has won all 19 matches in series history, including 17 sweeps. The teams met only once prior to the start of the Big 12.

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 2.20 blocks per game and has had 10 or more blocks three times in 2005. She is fourth in the Big 12 in hitting percentage (.410), as she also averages 2.75 kills per game. Elmer holds second place on NU’s charts in block assists (548) and total blocks (605), passing Stephanie Thater (591, 1989-91) for second place on the career blocks against Texas A&M on Sept. 21. 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. Elmer hit a season-best .632 (12-0-19) with seven blocks against Iowa State on Sept. 24. Elmer is hitting a league-best .565 in Big 12 matches.

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 1.94 blocks and 1.25 kills per game over NU’s last six matches. Stalls enjoyed her best match of the year in Wednesday’s win over Oklahoma, setting season highs in both kills (eight) and blocks (four). It marked the third time that she has had at least five blocks in a match this year, as she had seven against No. 20 Texas A&M on Sept. 21 and five against fourth-ranked Penn State on Sept. 11. 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 3.55 kills, 1.33 digs and 1.48 blocks per game. She ranks fifth in the league in blocks, eighth in points per game (4.62) and 11th in hitting percentage (340). In Big 12 matches, she is hitting .429 and averaging 3.85 kills per game, ranking among the league leaders in both categories. Pavan hit .500 or better in NU’s first three Big 12 matches, capped by 13 kills on .522 hitting and seven blocks against Iowa State on Sept. 24. Pavan also had 13 kills against both Texas A&M (.550 hitting) and Colorado (.571 hitting). Against Pepperdine on Sept. 9, Pavan recorded her first career triple-double with 11 kills, 11 blocks and 10 digs, becoming the first Husker outside hitter since Nancy Metcalf in 1999 to accomplish the feat. In 2004, Pavan led NU with 4.54 kills per game, 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 leads the team with 3.62 kills per game (13th in Big 12) and ranks among the league leaders in hitting percentage (.337, ninth). Houghtelling starred in Nebraska’s win at Oklahoma on Wednesday, delivering a career-high 20 kills - including 14 in the final two games - and hitting .404 against the Sooners. She had 12 kills and hit .500 in a sweep of Colorado on Sept. 17 and had eight kills in eight swings in game three against No. 20 Texas A&M on Sept. 21. She matched her then-career best with 17 kills against Pepperdine on Sept. 9. 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 sixth in the Big 12 with 4.12 digs per game. She has recorded double figures in digs 10 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 (1,297) 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 3.37 kills and 2.77 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 6.62 assists and 1.95 digs per game, helping the Huskers rank third nationally with a .324 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 and had 29 assists and nine digs at Oklahoma on Sept. 27. 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 7.57 assists and 1.27 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 had a season-high seven digs and added 21 assists in a sweep of Iowa State on Sept. 24. Griffin 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.

VB at Husker Nation Pavilion on Saturday
The Nebraska volleyball team will be signing autographs at the Husker Nation Pavilion this Saturday prior to the NU-Iowa State football game. The team will be signing autographs and team posters from Noon to 12:30 p.m.

Last Match: No. 1 NU 3, Oklahoma 1
Christina Houghtelling finished with a career-high 20 kills, as No. 1 Nebraska overcame an opening-game loss to outlast an upset bid by Oklahoma with a 28-30, 30-25, 31-29, 30-20 victory at McCasland Fieldhouse on Wednesday night.

Houghtelling’s 20 kills topped her previous high of 17 on two other occasions, as the junior outside hitter from Cambridge, Neb., hit .405 and recorded her second double-double of the season with 10 digs. Houghtelling was one of three Huskers to finish with double-figure kill totals, as Nebraska improved to 12-0 overall and 4-0 in the Big 12 Conference with its 27th straight conference win.

Jordan Larson added 13 kills and nine digs, while Sarah Pavan chipped in 11 kills, as the Huskers hit .343 as a team, but allowed Oklahoma to hit an opponent season-high .229. Nebraska, which was out-blocked through the first three games, finally showed its blocking prowess in game four with seven blocks, including four Melissa Elmer’s five stuffs on the night. Tracy Stalls led NU with a season-high eight blocks in the victory, and Stalls also contributed a season-best eight kills on .463 hitting.

Scouting Baylor (9-6, 1-3 Big 12)
Baylor comes to town with a 9-6 record, looking to snap a three-match losing streak. The Bears, under second-year coach Jim Barnes, got off to an 8-2 start, only to lose four of its past five matches, including a three-game loss to No. 7 Missouri on Wednesday.

The Bears, who were picked seventh in the league’s preseason poll, returned all seven starters from a year ago, but have been hit by the injury bug, as middle blockers Desiree Guilliard-Young and Adeline Meira were sidelined by knee injuries. Meira, who had 11 blocks against the Huskers in Waco, will miss the entire season, while Guilliard-Young has not played since the opener, but has recently returned to practice and could play on Saturday.

Despite the injuries, Baylor has been led by outside hitter Nicole LeBlanc, who averages a team-high 3.96 kills and 3.00 digs per game, and Stella Odion, who averages 3.60 kills and 1.21 blocks per game. BU ranks among the league leaders with 2.88 blocks per game nad has two players averaging above 1.00 block per game.

Saturday’s match will mark the 20th meeting in the all-time series, as Nebraska has won all 19 previous meetings in the series.

NCAA Regional Tickets Top 8,500 Mark
Qwest Center officials have announced that over 8,500 tickets have been sold for the NCAA Regional at the Qwest Center since they went on sale on 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 purchased 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.

Nebraska drew crowds of over 10,000 during the AVCA/NACWAA College Volleyball Showcase in August, including 10,576 for the title match, the 11th largest crowd in NCAA Volleyball history.

Eight Left without a Blemish
Nebraska enters the weekend as one of eight schools without a loss this season. Other undefeated teams include No. 2 Washington, No. 6 Louisville, No. 7 Missouri, No. 20 Brigham Young, Florida Atlantic, Maryland and New Orleans.

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 the latest national rankings, the Huskers rank third in hitting percentage, fourth in assists and kills per game. NU’s .322 team hitting is its best since 2002, and ranks among the best percentages in school history.

NCAA Team Hitting Percentage Leaders (9/27)
No. Name Pct.
1. Washington .422
2. Western Kentucky .327
3. Nebraska .324

School Best Hitting Percentage (Season)
No. Hitting Percentage Year Record
1. .331 1986 29-6
2. .324 2005 11-0
3. .322 2002 31-2
4. .318 1985 28-3
    .318 1994 31-1

After 12 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 a two-match stretch earlier this month, the Huskers had at least three players hit .450 with a minimum of 10 swings, equaling the entire 2004 total in one week. Against Colorado on Sept. 21, 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.