No. 1 Huskers Host No. 18 Texas in Big 12 Showdown

Match: #18:   No. 1 Nebraska (17-0, 8-0 Big 12) vs. No. 18 Texas (12-2, 7-1 Big 12)
Saturday, Oct. 15 ? 7 p.m. (central) ? NU Coliseum (sold out)
Radio:  Pinnacle Sports Network (B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Omaha)
Television: Nebraska Educational Television (Ch. 12); NET-HD (Ch. 112) and
CSTV (tape delay Sunday at 2 p.m. central)
Live Stats:  Huskers.com 
Live Internet Video: HuskersNside (subscription required)
Internet Audio:  Huskers.com
All-Time Series: Nebraska leads, 24-11 (NU has won the last 11 meetings)
Last Meeting: Nebraska won, 30-20, 30-19, 30-22 in Lincoln on Oct. 10, 2004

Match: #19:   NU at No. 20 Kansas State (14-4, 5-3 Big 12)
Wednesday, Oct. 19 ? 7 p.m. (central) ? Ahearn Fieldhouse
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, 70-3
Last Meeting: Nebraska won, 30-27, 30-24. 30-13 in Lincoln on Nov. 6, 2004

No. 1 Huskers Host No. 18 Texas in Big 12 Showdown
First place in the Big 12 is on the line Saturday night, as No. 1 Nebraska hosts No. 18 Texas at a sold-out Nebraska Coliseum. First serve is set for 7 p.m., and the match will be carried on B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Omaha and shown state-wide on Nebraska Educational Television (Ch. 112) and NET-HD. In addition, the match will also be shown a tape-delayed basis on College Sports Television (Ch. 305 in Lincoln; Ch. 610 on DirecTV).

Nebraska comes into Saturday’s match with a 17-0 record and is a perfect 8-0 in conference play after sweeping Texas Tech on Wednesday. The Huskers have enjoyed offensive balance with four players averaging over 2.90 kills per game, as NU is tied for second nationally in hitting percentage, and fourth in kills per game entering the weekend.

Texas comes to Lincoln hot on the Huskers’ heels with a 7-1 mark in league play and 12-2 overall. The Longhorns, who have won all four of their matches against ranked teams, posted their most impressive victory on Wednesday, sweeping No. 7 Missouri in Austin. A win Saturday would put the Huskers and Longhorns in a deadlock for the Big 12 lead, while a Nebraska win would give NU a two-match lead on both Texas and Missouri with one match left before the half-way point of the schedule. The Huskers also look to extend an 11-match winning streak against Texas that dates back to 1999.

Worth Noting and Streaks to Watch
*- Nebraska has won its last 11 matches against the Longhorns dating back to the 1999 season. NU has also never lost to the Longhorns at home in Big 12 play (14-2 all-time at home against UT).
*-Nebraska owns a 23-match home winning streak dating back to Sept. 11, 2004. In that stretch, NU has dropped only one game (against Pepperdine on Sept. 9). The Huskers are also 5-0 against ranked foes - all coming by sweep - during the streak.
*-The Huskers have won their last 31 matches in Big 12 play, dating back to Nov. 19, 2003.
*-Nebraska has won its last 47 matches against the four Big 12 schools from Texas (Baylor, Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech) dating back to 1999.
*-Nebraska has won its last 41 regular-season matches dating back to Sept. 11, 2004.

Did You Know?
*-Saturday’s contest features three of the Big 12’s top hitters in Melissa Elmer (441, 1st) and the Texas duo of Brandy Magee (.440, 3rd) and Leticia Armstrong (.426, 4th)
*-Nebraska ranks in the top 10 nationally in blocks (first), hitting percentage (second), kills per game (fourth) and assists per game (sixth).
*-Nebraska’s seven wins over ranked opponents leads the nation, as Nebraska (7-0), Penn State (6-2) and Washington (6-0) are the only teams with at least five wins against ranked teams.

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 2.35 blocks per game, including  10 or more blocks five times, and is tied for the Big 12 lead by hitting .441, as she averages 2.91 kills per game. Against the league, Elmer also tops all players in both categories (2.12 blocks and .473 hitting. She ranks second all-time at NU in total blocks (651), trailing only Amber Holmquist’s school mark of 728 (1999-02). The reigning Big 12 Player of the Week, Elmer is averaging 3.29 kills on .506 hitting and 2.86 blocks per game in NU’s last four matches. Elmer had 11 kills on 12 swings against Creighton before recording 10 blocks in Wednesday’s sweep of Texas Tech. At Missouri on Oct. 5, she had a season-high 17 kills on .546 hitting before totaling a Big 12 record 16 blocks at Kansas on Oct. 8. Elmer has been named MVP in two tournaments (Sports Imports Classic and InfoUSA/Arby’s Players Challenge).

MB - #11 Tracy Stalls: 6-3, So., Arvada, Colo. - Stalls has played in 10 matches, averaging 1.47 blocks and 1.23 kills per game. She enjoyed her best match of the year at Oklahoma on Sept. 28, setting season highs in both kills (eight) and blocks (eight). 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 had six kills and three blocks against No. 7 Missouri on Oct. 5. Stalls ranked 11th nationally in blocking as a freshman at 1.65 blocks per game. 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 3.60 kills, 1.61 digs and 1.42 blocks per game. She ranks fifth in the league in blocks, sixth in points per game (4.63) and 10th in hitting percentage (.345). In Big 12 matches, she is hitting .363 and averaging 3.74 kills per game, ranking among the league leaders in both categories. This week, Pavan is hitting .500 with 3.67 kills, 3.33 digs and 1.33 blocks, posting a double-double with 12 kills and 12 digs against Creighton on Tuesday. Pavan had 11 kills and nine blocks at Kansas on Oct. 8 and had a season-high 18 kills and 11 digs at Missouri on Oct. 5.  She hit .500 or better in NU’s first three Big 12 matches, capped by 13 kills on .522 hitting and seven blocks vs. Iowa State on Sept. 24. 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. 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 in  2005. She is second on the team with 3.58 kills per game, while ranking ninth in the league with a .347 hitting percentage. She has reached double figures in kills 13 times, and led NU five times. On Wednesday, she totaled 11 kills on .550 hitting against Texas Tech. She picked up her third double-double of 2005 at Kansas on Oct. 8 with 14 kills on .454 hitting and 10 digs. She starred in NU’s win at Oklahoma on Sept. 28, delivering a career-high 20 kills - including 14 in the final two games - and hitting .404 against the Sooners. 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 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 3.86 digs per game and has recorded double figures in digs 13 times, including a career-high 27 at Minnesota and 20 versus Pepperdine. She shined against No. 20 Texas A&M with 10 kills, 13 digs and seven blocks. At Ohio State on Sept. 2, Saleaumua became the second Husker to record 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs. 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 (1,352) and has 36 career double-doubles. The Big 12 co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2004, she 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 on .321 hitting and 2.77 digs per game, topping all Big 12 rookies in kills and hitting percentage. Larson has four double-doubles, including three against top-10 teams. She has led NU in kills a team-best six times a 13-kill, 14-dig, four-ace effort on Oct. 12 against Texas Tech. Larson 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. Busboom averages 6.47 assists and 1.98 digs per game, helping the Huskers rank second nationally in team hitting and sixth in assists. 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 26 assists and nine digs at No. 7 Missouri on Oct. 5. Busboom split time with Michelle Lynch in NU’s 6-2 offense in 2003 before taking over the full-time role last season. She averaged 13.10 assists per game in 2004, the highest total by a Husker 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 7.56 assists and 1.63 digs per game. Griffin, who has helped NU rank second nationally in hitting, had 36 assists, three service aces and six digs in a win at No. 5 Minnesota on Sept. 5. Griffin picked up her first double-double of the year at No. 7 Missouri on Oct. 5, setting season bests in assists (37) and digs (15). 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. Griffin was a Fab 50 selection at Rosary (Ill.) High School.

Scouting Texas
Under fifth-year coach Jerritt Elliott (93-44 in six season, Texas comes to town with a 12-2 mark and a six-match winning streak. The Longhorns are 7-1 in the league, including four straight wins over ranked opponents. Texas’ only two losses have come on the road at Notre Dame (3-2 on Sept. 3) and Iowa State (1-3 on Sept. 17). The Longhorns rank among the Big 12 leaders in nearly every offensive category, including hitting percentage (.284, third), kills per game (16.19, third), and assists (14.96, third), while holding opponents to just a .177 hitting percentage. The strength of the Texas attack is in the middle with Brandy Magee (3.55 kills/gm on .440 hitting) and Leticia Armstrong (3.31 kills/gm on .426 hitting), while Michelle Moriarty is second in the league averaging 13.49 assists per game.

Nebraska is 24-11 all-time against Texas, and the Huskers have won 11 straight matches in the series and 22 of the past 25 meetings. NU is 14-2 all-time against the Longhorns in Lincoln, as the two schools are the only Big 12 schools to win NCAA volleyball crowns. The first meeting in Austin in 2004 featured the first matchup with both teams in the top-10 since 1996. Perhaps the most memorable match in NU-UT history was when the Huskers defeated Texas, 3-1, in the 1995 NCAA championship game in Amherst, Mass., to claim their first national title.

Last Time Out: Larson Lifts NU to Sweep
Larson’s double-double led three Huskers in double figures, as the No. 1 Huskers improved to 17-0 with a 30-16, 30-18, 30-22 victory over Texas Tech in front of a sellout crowd of 4,091 at the Nebraska Coliseum Wednesday.

Larson totaled her fourth double-double of the season with a match-high 14 kills on .440 hitting, 12 digs and a career-best four aces. It marked the seventh time Larson, a 6-foot-2 freshman from Hooper, Neb., has led the Huskers in kills, as the Huskers remained unbeaten in the Big 12 at 8-0 heading into Saturday’s showdown with No. 18 Texas.

All-American Sarah Pavan and Christina Houghtelling also reached double figures in kills, totaling 13 and 11 respectively, as the Huskers out-hit Texas Tech .310-.089. Pavan hit .368 and had five blocks and eight digs, while Houghtelling hit .550 and had four blocks, including a pair of solo stuffs. All-American Melissa Elmer led NU’s efforts at the net, as she totaled 10 blocks, including six in the opening game, to reach double figures for the fifth time this year.