No. 1 Huskers Host InfoUSA/Arby?s Players Challenge

Matches: #6-8:  InfoUSA/Arby’s Players Challenge
Fri.-Sat., Sept. 9-11 ? NU Coliseum (4,030) and Bob Devaney Sports Center (13,595)
Radio:  Pinnacle Sports Network (B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Omaha) and Huskers.com
Television: Both of Sunday’s matches will be carried in Nebraska on NET-2 and NET-HD; CSTV-Tape Delay
Live Stats:  Huskers.com
Live Internet Video: HuskersNside (all weekend)
Web Audio: Huskers.com
Nebraska vs.: Pepperdine (NU leads 4-3) ? Pacific (Pacific leads 9-6-1) ? Penn State (NU leads 9-5)

No. 1 Huskers Open Home Slate with InfoUSA/Arby’s Players Challenge
Nebraska wraps up its non-conference portion of its 2005 schedule this week, as the Huskers return home to host the InfoUSA/Arby’s Players Challenge. The three-day, four-team tournament features No. 4 Penn State and longtime West Coast powers Pepperdine and Pacific. This weekend will serve as the Huskers’ home opener, as NU has opened the season with five matches on the road or at neutral sites, including four matches against teams ranked in the top 12 in the national polls.

Tournament Schedule

Friday, Sept. 9  
4 p.m. - Penn State vs. Pacific
6 p.m. -- NU vs. Pepperdine

Saturday, Sept. 10
(at the Devaney Center) 
2 p.m. Nebraska vs. Pacific
4 p.m. Penn St. vs. Pepperdine

Sunday, Sept. 11 
1 p.m. Pacific vs. Pepperdine
3 p.m. - Penn State vs. NU
All times listed are central

The tournament will take place at both the NU Coliseum (Friday and Sunday) and at the Bob Devaney Sports Center (Saturday). While the Coliseum matches are sold out, tickets are available for Saturday’s 2 p.m. match against Pacific at the Devaney Center, as the match was moved to the afternoon to accomodate the Husker football against Wake Forest. Tickets for Saturday’s match are $12 (reserved), $6 (adult GA) and $4 (youth and seniors GA) while UNL students are free with a valid ID. As of Tuesday morning, nearly 6,000 tickets have been presold.

Sunday’s matches from the NU Coliseum will be brought to a national audience, as both matches will be carried live in the state on NET-2 (Ch. 17 in Lincoln and Ch. 16 on Cox Cable in Omaha) and NET-HD (Ch. 112 on Time Warner Cable) and will be carried on a tape-delayed basis on College Sports Television (Ch. 305 in Lincoln on Time Warner, Ch. 610 on DirecTV) beginning at 3 p.m. The match against the Nittany Lions will be the first of seven televised matches on NET this season.

Friday’s Matches Moved Up to 4 & 6 p.m.
Friday’s matches at the InfoUSA/Arby’s Players Challenge have been moved up to 4 p.m. (Penn State/Pacific) and 6 p.m. (Nebraska/Pepperdine), with at least a half hour between matches. This time is different from the times listed on the 2005 season tickets that was published before the original time change.

Storylines
?-The NU Coliseum will enjoy its 57th and 58th consecutive sellouts this weekend, as the entire regular-season schedule at the Coliseum was sold out before the start of the season.

?-Nebraska has a 15-match home winning streak dating back to Sept. 11, 2004. In fact, the Huskers have not dropped a game at home in nearly a year.

?-Nebraska will look to claim its own tournament title for the first time in three years, as Georgia Tech (2003) and Florida A&M (2004) claimed the tournament crowns in the past two seasons.

?-No. 4 Penn State is the highest ranked opponent to play a regular-season match at the Coliseum since top-ranked Nittany Lions took on the Huskers in the 1999 NACWAA Classic.

? Nebraska will be looking for its fourth win over a top-five opponent, as NU has already toppled No. 3 Stanford, No. 4 Hawaii and No. 5 Minnesota - all away from the NU Coliseum. Monday’s win at Minnesota was NU’s highest road win (not including neutral site matches) since a victory at No. 4 Pacific on Sept. 2, 1995. The last time NU defeated four top-five teams in one season was in 2000.

?-Nebraska has won 12 straight matches against Big Ten teams dating back to the 1999 season, while NU Head Coach John Cook is 10-0 against teams from the Big Ten since taking over the Husker program in 2000.

?-Nebraska has won its last 29 regular-season matches dating back to Sept. 11, 2004.

Husker Probable Starters
MB - #8 Melissa Elmer (6-2, Sr., Fort Wayne, Ind.) - A two-time AVCA All-American, Elmer is on pace to become one of the best blockers in school history. She led the nation in blocking in 2004 at 1.89 blocks/game and tops the Big 12 this season in that category at 2.24 blocks per game. Elmer, who has had 10 or more blocks twice this season, also leads all NU starters in hitting percentage (.349), ranking 10th in the latest Big 12 rankings. A fourth-year starter, she ranks third on NU’s career block assist (500) and total blocks (555) charts and could threaten school marks in both categories. Elmer, who spent the last two summers training with the U.S. National Team Program, had a season-high 11 blocks in a win at No. 12 Ohio State on Sept. 3. Elmer was named MVP of the Sports Imports Classic, averaging 3.00 blocks and 2.67 kills per game in wins over No. 12 Ohio State and Michigan.

MB - #6 Meghan Smith (6-1, So., Sidney, Neb.) - Sophomore who has emerged as a force early in 2005. Smith, who is averaging 1.83 blocks and 1.67 kills per game, saw her most extensive action at Minnesota on Sept. 5, setting career highs in both kills (eight) and blocks (seven). Smith, who appeared in eight matches as a freshman, made her 2005 debut in game three against Michigan, recording two kills and four blocks in game three alone. She was a Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 pick and earned Super-State honors in high school, as she led Class B in kills (6.15 per game), blocks (2.54 per game) and aces (0.80 aces per game).

- or - #17 Amanda Gates (6-2, Fr., Columbus, Neb.) - Gates has been one of several newcomers playing a prominant role for the nation’s No. 1 ranked club. She appeared in four matches, averaging 0.91 kills and 0.82 blocks per game. Gates matched her career highs of three kills and three blocks at No. 12 Ohio State on Sept. 2 before recording three kills on four swings the following day against Michigan. Last year, she earned first-team Super-State honors, leading Columbus High School to a Class A runner-up finish. Gates was 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. This season, Pavan, the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, is averaging a team-high 3.65 kills and 1.24 blocks per game. She has a match-high 15 kills on .591 hitting against Michigan on Sept. 3 and recorded a career-high 12 blocks - the highest total by a Huskers in two years - at No. 12 Ohio State on Sept. 2. 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 - #3 Christina Houghtelling (HOTEL-ing), 6-2, Jr., Cambridge, Neb. - Houghtelling is in her second year starting at outside hitter. She is third on the team with 3.59 kills per game on .313 hitting, while chipping in 2.18 digs and 1.06 blocks per game. She was named AVCA/Sports Imports National Player of the Week on Aug. 29, averaging 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 has reached double figures in kills four times in five matches, hitting .625 on 16 swings in a sweep of No. 12 Ohio State. 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 - #26 Jennifer Saleaumua (Sal-ee-ah-MOO-uh); 5-11, Jr., National City, Calif. - Three-time All-Big 12 performer 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 is currently averaging 2.65 kills and a team-best 4.59 digs per game. Saleaumua is fourth in the Big 12 in digs per game, and has reached double figures in four of NU’s five matches. Her 27-dig effort against Minnesota on Sept. 5, was the highest total in the league this season. Against Ohio State, 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 career record in digs (1,210) and has 35 career double-doubles (kills-digs). Saleaumua joined Elmer and Houghtelling in the USA Volleyball Training program over the summer.

OH - #10 Jordan Larson: 6-2, Fr., Hooper, Neb. - Larson is a true freshman who came 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 has appeared in four matches, ranking second on the team in both kills (3.64 per game) and digs (3.21 per game). She has two double-doubles, including a 19-kill, 19-dig effort at No. 5 Minnesota on Sept. 5. Larson had 15 kills, 12 digs and six blocks in the sweep of No. 3 Stanford on Aug. 27

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 6.71 assists and 1.88 digs per game, while helping the Huskers hit over .400 twice in NU’s first five matches. 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 Regional 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 7.29 assists and 1.18 digs per game. She has totaled 20 or more assists in all five of the Huskers’ matches. Griffin 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 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.

NCAA Regional Tickets Go on Sale This Weekend
Tickets for the NCAA Regional this December at Qwest Center Omaha will go on sale this Saturday, 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. Nebraska season ticket holders will receive an NCAA postseason ticket order sheet (which will include both opening rounds and regionals) from the NU Ticket Office this week. The Nebraska Athletic Department has already blocked off a signicant number of seats for Husker volleyball season ticket holders.

Elmer Climbs Block Chart
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 five matches, Elmer averaged a Big 12-best 2.24 blocks per game, a significant jump from her 1.89 blocks per game in 2003. The senior from Ft. Wayne, Ind., has recorded seven or more blocks four times, including a season-high 11 in the sweep of No. 12 Ohio State. 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.

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 two weeks of the season. With three block assists this weekend, she will move into sole possession of second place on NU’s all-time block assists list.

Block Assists

No Player, Years Total
1. Amber Holmquist, 1999-02 646
2. Stephanie Thater, 1989-92 502
3. Melissa Elmer, 2002-present 500

Total Blocks
No Player, Years Total
1. Amber Holmquist, 1999-02 728
2. Stephanie Thater, 1989-92 591
3. Melissa Elmer, 2002-present 555
Virginia Stahr, 1986-89 555

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. Saleaumua, who already holds NU’s career record with 1,210 digs, joined Eileen Shannon (1,521 kills and 1,074 digs).

1,000-1,000 Club
Player, Year Kills Digs
Eileen Shannon, 1989-92 1,521 1,074
Jennifer Saleaumua, 2002-05 1,022 1,210

Rank and File
Nebraska is one of two teams to be ranked in the USA Today/AVCA Coaches poll for all 321 weeks of its existence. The Huskers have been ranked in the top 10 for 287 of the 321 weeks, which ranks second behind Stanford’s 292. NU has spent a total of 42 weeks in the top spot, and its most recent No. 1 ranking was in the Sept. 5 poll. Only UCLA (51), Hawaii (48) and Stanford (47) have spent more weeks at No. 1 than Nebraska.

Huskers Power Big 12’s Strong Start
Behind the lead of the Huskers, the Big 12 has enjoyed a strong start to the 2005 campaign. Entering this week’s matches, the Big 12 is 39-6 overall, including a perfect 6-0 against ranked opponents. Nebraska has four of the wins against ranked opponents, including three against top-five teams.

Two Setters Are Better Than One
Nebraska’s switch to a 6-2 offense has provided the Huskers with more firepower this season. Against a schedule that has included four teams ranked in the top-12 nationally, the Huskers’ offensive numbers are up significantly over the 2004 campaign. NU has three players - Sarah Pavan, Christina Houghtelling and Jordan Larson - averaging more than 3.50 kills per game. The combination of Maggie Griffin and Dani Busboom has helped the Huskers enjoy a quick start out of the gates.

Offensive Comparisons - 2005 vs. 2004

Category 2005 2004 Record
Kills/Game 17.5 17.2 17.2 (2004)
Hitting Percentage .304 .281 .331 (1986)
Assists/Game 16.1 15.6 15.8 (1998)

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.

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 the weekend averaging 3.56 kills per game, including a season-high 17 in a win at No. 5 Minnesota on Sept. 5. Pavan has also been a force at the net, recording 11 blocks in a sweep of No. 12 Ohio State on Sept. 2.

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 four 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 7.29 assists per game. In addition, Amanda Gates and Rachel Schwartz have also seen extensive action in NU’s first five matches.

Stalls Continues to Recover from Surgery
Nebraska could regain the services of one of its top performers with the return of middle blocker Tracy Stalls. The sophomore underwent off-season knee surgery and returned to practice last week. Stalls 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.

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
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 NETV 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 TBA Live 10/2, 4 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
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 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.

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

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. In 2005, NU is holding opponents to .161 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

Cook’s Winning Ways
Nebraska Coach John Cook has been amazingly successful during his five seasons at the helm, posting a 159-11 record (.935 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 159-11 0.935
2 Hawaii 162-15 0.915
3 USC 145-16 0.901
4 Florida 159-17 0.903
5 Northern Iowa 148-27 0.846

Updated Totals as of Sept. 5

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 Continues
Nebraska will carry a streak of 56 consecutive sellouts at the NU Coliseum into this weekend’s home opener. The Huskers sold out all 15 matches they played at the Coliseum last season and sold out the entire 2005 season at the NU Coliseum 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 (Michelle Lynch, Kelsey Fautsch, Dani Busboom, Christina Houghtelling, Dani Mancuso and Amanda McCormick). 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.

Up Next: Huskers Begin Big 12 Play
Following this weekend’s tournament, the Huskers will begin conference play on Saturday, Sept. 17, as the Huskers travel to Colorado to take on the Buffaloes. First serve is set for 8 p.m. (central).