No. 1 Huskers Host Kansas this Evening

No. 1 Huskers Host Kansas, Travel to Texas Tech
The No. 1 Nebraska volleyball team begins the second half of the Big 12 schedule on Wednesday, Oct. 26, when the Huskers play host to Kansas. First serve between the Huskers and Jayhawks at the NU Coliseum will begin at 7 p.m. and will be carried on selected Pinnacle Sports Network stations, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln. The match will be televised on a statewide (NET-1 and NET-HD, live) and national basis (CSTV, tape-delayed at 9 p.m. on Thursday), which is the 10th of 12 Husker regular-seaon matches televised in 2005. The match will also be shown on HuskersNside, a subscription site that carries nearly all of the Huskers’ regular-season matches.

After a weekend off, Nebraska looks to keep the momentum it had gained heading into its bye after putting together one of its best efforts of the year in a sweep at No. 23 Kansas State on Oct. 19. In that match, the Huskers hit .422, their highest percentage in Big 12 play in more than two years, while out-digging KSU, 54-35.

The Jayhawks (12-8, 4-7 Big 12) have struggled since the season-ending injury to Jana Correa earlier this month, losing their last five matches. One of those matches was to the Huskers on Oct. 8, a match where KU took a game from the Huskers - the last game Nebraska dropped heading into this week’s matches.

#1 Nebraska (19-0, 10-0 Big 12
vs. Kansas (12-6, 4-7 Big 12)

Wednesday, Oct. 26 ? 7 p.m. (central) ? NU Coliseum

Radio:  Pinnacle Sports Network (B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Omaha)
Television: Live on NET-1 (Ch. 12) and NET-HD (Ch. 112) and tape-delayed on College Sports Television (10 p.m. central on 10/26)
Live Stats:  Huskers.com 
Live Internet Video:  HuskersNside (subscription required)
Internet Audio:  Huskers.com
All-Time Series: Nebraska leads, 75-0
Last Meeting: Nebraska won, 30-16, 26-30, 30-22, 30-16 in Lawrence on Oct. 8, 2005

Worth Noting and Streaks to Watch
*-Dani Busboom is six assists away from becoming only the eighth Husker in school history to record 2,500 assists in her career.
? All-American Melissa Elmer has hit above .500 in seven of her last 10 matches, and is averaging 3.21 kills on .514 hitting in that stretch.
? After hitting .422 in last Wednesday’s road win at No. 23 Kansas State, the Huskers have hit over .400 four times this season, the highest total since accomplishing the feat six times in 2002. Last season, NU hit over .400 in two matches.
? According to Nebraska’s records, the Huskers have won all 75 meetings in the series with Kansas
? Nebraska owns a 24-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 6-0 against ranked foes - all coming by sweep - during the streak.
? Wednesday’s match will be the 65th consecutive sellout at the NU Coliseum. Nebraska is 59-5 at home during its current 64-match Coliseum sellout streak.
? The Huskers have won their last 33 matches in Big 12 play, dating back to Nov. 19, 2003.
? Nebraska has won its last 43 regular-season matches dating back to Sept. 11, 2004.
? Nebraska’s nine wins over ranked opponents leads the nation, as Nebraska (9-0), Washington (7-0) and Penn State (7-2) are the only teams with at least six 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 2.38 blocks per game, including 10 or more blocks six times, and tops the Big 12 with a .450 hitting percentage, as she averages 2.95 kills per game. She also leads the Big 12 in both categories (2.33 blocks and .484 hitting). She ranks second all-time at NU in total blocks (667), trailing only Amber Holmquist’s school mark of 728 (1999-02). Over NU’s last six matches, Elmer is averaging 3.30 kills on .513 hitting while also averaging 2.80 blocks per game. Elmer nearly recorded her third double-double of the year at Kansas State on Oct. 19 with nine kills and 10 blocks. 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 11 matches, averaging 1.42 blocks and 1.19 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). She had seven blocks against No. 20 Texas A&M on Sept. 21 and five stuffs against fourth-ranked Penn State on Sept. 11. Stalls also had six kills and three blocks against No. 7 Missouri on Oct. 5 and four kills on six swings and three blocks at No. 23 Kansas State on Oct. 19. 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 3.73 kills, 1.65 digs and 1.43 blocks per game. She ranks fourth in the league in blocks, fifth in points per game (4.74) and seventh in hitting percentage (.350), topping all outside hitters in both blocks and hitting percentage. In Big 12 matches, she is hitting .368 and averaging 3.97 kills per game, ranking third in kills per game. Pavan turned in one of her best matches of the year at Kansas State on Oct. 19 with 18 kills, six blocks and six digs against the Wildcats. She posted her second double-double of the year with 12 kills and 12 digs against Creighton on Oct. 11. 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 3.57 kills per game, while ranking eighth in the league with a .342 hitting percentage. She has reached double figures in kills 14 times, including a 14 kill effort while hitting .462 in a sweep of No. 23 Kansas State on Oct. 19. 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 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 fifth in the Big 12 with 3.94 digs per game and has recorded double figures in digs 14 times, including a career-high 27 at Minnesota on Sept. 5 and 22 at No. 23 Kansas State on Oct. 19. Saleaumua’s 22 digs against KSU equaled the highest dig total in a three-game match in the Big 12 this season. She shined against No. 20 Texas A&M on Sept. 21 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 (1,380) 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 over the summer.

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 3.38 kills on .327 hitting and 2.74 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 eight times, including a 14-kill effort on .420 hitting against No. 18 Texas on Oct. 15 and 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 6.43 assists and 2.05 digs per game, helping the Huskers rank fourth nationally in team hitting and seventh in assists. She comes off her second double-double of the year with 17 assists and 10 digs against No. 18 Texas on Oct. 15. Busboom 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. She 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 7.57 assists and 1.70 digs per game. Griffin, who has helped NU rank fourth nationally in hitting, had 36 assists, three service aces and six digs in a win at No. 5 Minnesota on Sept. 5. Griffin has two double-doubles, setting season bests in assists (37) and digs (15) in a victory at No. 7 Missouri on Oct. 5. 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 Kansas
Under Coach Ray Bechard, Kansas got off to a great start, but has been sidetracked since the season-ending injury to Jana Correa on Oct. 5. Prior to the injury, the Jayhawks were 12-3, with two of the losses coming to nationally ranked BYU and Texas. Since then, they have lost all five matches, including a four-game loss to the Huskers in Lawrence on Oct. 5

KU features one of the Big 12’s best all-around players in middle blocker Josi Lima (3.64 kills, 2.44 digs and 1.01 blocks per game, while Andi Rozum is fourth in the league with 13.15 assists per game, while also averaging 0.35 service aces per game.

There is no question that Nebraska has dominated its series with Kansas, but as for the series record, it depends who you ask. Nebraska records show the Huskers with a 75-0 all-time advantage, while Kansas records show that NU leads the series 74-1-1, as two matches are in dispute - one on Oct. 17, 1975 and one on Nov. 15, 1977. An extensive search of the Lincoln Journal and Lincoln Star archives in 2003 turned up nothing that could solve the debate. Regardless of the discrepancy, the Huskers have defeated KU in three games 45 times. Kansas has only taken the Huskers to five games one time, on Nov. 23, 1990.

Last Time Out: Huskers Sweep KSU
Behind a season-high 18 kills from All-American Sarah Pavan, No. 1 Nebraska rolled to a 30-20, 30-17, 30-18 sweep of No. 23 Kansas State in front of a season-high crowd of 3,107 at Ahearn Fieldhouse on Oct. 19.

Pavan matched her season-high with 18 kills originally set at Missouri on Oct. 5, as the Huskers hit .422, their second-best offensive night of the season and their highest hitting percentage in Big 12 play in over two years. Pavan, who hit .406 on 32 swings, also chipped in six blocks and six digs, as the Huskers posted their 33rd straight Big 12 victory.

Pavan was one of four Huskers who recorded at least eight kills in the victory. Christina Houghtelling finished with 14 kills on .462 hitting while Melissa Elmer and Jordan Larson totaled nine and eight kills, respectively. Elmer, who has reached double figures in blocks six times this year, totaled 10 stuffs, as NU enjoyed a 14-6 edge in blocks.

Jennifer Saleaumua also shined in the sweep with 22 digs, her second-highest output of the season, as NU enjoyed a 54-35 lead in digs, while holding KSU to .106 hitting. Saleaumua’s 22 digs marked the highest total in a three-game match of her career.