Huskers Look to Stay on Top of Big 12 Race

Match: #15:   NU (14-0, 6-0 Big 12) at Kansas (9-3, 4-2 Big 12)
Saturday, Oct. 8 * 7 p.m. (central) * Horejsi Family Athletics Center
Radio:  Pinnacle Sports Network (B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Omaha)
Television: None
Live Stats:  KUathletics 
Live Internet Video: HuskersNside (subscription required)
Internet Audio:  Huskers.com
All-Time Series: Nebraska leads, 74-0
Last Meeting: Nebraska won, 30-27, 30-26, 30-19 in Lincoln on Nov. 12, 2004

Huskers Look to Stay on Top of Big 12 Race
The Huskers conclude the second half of a difficult Big 12 roadswing on Saturday, Oct. 8, as the Huskers travel to a sold out Horejsi Family Activities Center to take on the Kansas Jayhawks. First serve is set for 7 p.m. amd the match will be carried on B107.3 FM in Lincoln. In addition, the match will also be video-streamed for HuskersNside subscribers.

The Huskers will look to avoid a letdown after Wednesday’s dramatic win over No. 7 Missouri. Nebraska (14-0, 6-0 Big 12) knocked off the Tigers in four games in front of a crowd of over 7,300 in Columbia. In that match All-American Sarah Pavan’s 18 kills led four Huskers in double figures, while fellow All-American Melissa Elmer had 17 kills and hit .546 in the win.

Kansas looks to bounce back after a difficult loss to No. 20 Kansas State Wednesday evening. The Jayhawks were nationally ranked earlier in the season, but have dropped three of their last four matches, including a five-game tilt against No. 19 Texas. KU is an impressive 9-1 at home, dropping only Wednesday’s match to KSU.  Following Satuday’s match, the Huskers return home for a trio of matches, including contests against Creighton, Texas Tech and the nationally ranked Longhorns.

Worth Noting and Streaks to Watch
*-Nebraska has won its last 38 regular-season matches dating back to Sept. 11, 2004.
*-The Huskers have won their last 29 matches in Big 12 play, dating back to Nov. 19, 2003.
*-According to Nebraska’s record, the Huskers have won all 74 meetings in the series with Kansas
*-Nebraska has won its last 20 road matches dating back to November of 2003. In fact, NU has won 25 of its last 26 matches outside of Lincoln in that span with the only loss coming to USC in the 2004 NCAA Regional Final.

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 2.13 blocks per game and has had 10 or more blocks three times in 2005. She is fourth the Big 12 in hitting percentage (.434) as she also averages 2.91 kills per game. Elmer holds second place on NU’s charts in block assists (559) and total blocks (617), passing Stephanie Thater (591, 1989-91) for second place on the career blocks list 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 ISU on Sept. 24. Against No. 7 Missouri, she had a season-high 17 kills on .546 hitting, as she became only the second player in school history to total 17 or more kills without a hittnig error. Elmer is hitting a league-best .518 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 1.57 blocks and 1.17 kills per game this season. Stalls enjoyed her best match of the year at Oklahoma on Sept. 28, 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. On Wednesday, Stalls had six kills and three blocks against No. 7 Missouri. Stalls, who ranked 11th nationally in blocking as a freshman at 1.65 blocks per game, missed the Huskers’ first six matches after 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 3.64 kills, 1.47 digs and 1.36 blocks per game. She ranks fifth in the league in blocks, seventh in points per game (4.62) and ninth in hitting percentage (.339). In Big 12 matches, she is hitting .395 and averaging 3.95 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). She recorded her second double-double of the year on Wednesday at MU with a season-high 18 kills and 11 digs. 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 in  2005. She is second on the team with 3.60 kills per game (12th in Big 12) and is also 12th with a .331 hitting percentage. Houghtelling starred in Nebraska’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. 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 vs. 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 4.02 digs per game. She has recorded double figures in digs 11 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 Husker 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 (1,321) 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 3.50 kills on .321 hitting and 2.74 digs per game, topping all Big 12 rookies in kills and hitting percentage. Larson has three double-doubles, a 19-kill, 19-dig effort at No. 5 Minnesota on Sept. 5, a 15-kill, 12-dig performance against No. 3 Stanford on Aug. 27 and a 15-kill, 11-dig effort at No. 7 Missouri on Wednesday. Larson has led NU in kills six times, including 14 kills on .667 hitting against Baylor on Oct. 1. 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. Busboom averages 6.53 assists and 2.00 digs per game, helping the Huskers rank second nationally in team 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 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 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 7.70 assists and 1.51 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 Wednesday, 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 in 26 matches. Griffin was a Fab 50 selection at Rosary (Ill.) High School.

Last Match: No. 1 NU 3, No. 7 Missouri 1
Melissa Elmer had 17 kills on .548 hitting, as No. 1 Nebraska took sole possession of first place in the Big 12 with a 30-26, 22-30, 30-23, 30-27 victory over No. 7 Missouri in front of a record crowd of 7,298 at the Hearnes Center Wednesday evening.
Elmer was one of four Huskers to record double figure kills, as Nebraska (14-0, 5-0 Big 12) handed the Tigers (12-1, 5-1 Big 12) their first loss of the season. Elmer’s 17 kills without an error marked only the second time in school history that a player had at least 17 kills and no hitting errors, matching the feat accomplished by Christina Houghtelling at Missouri last season. Elmer’s 17 kills was her highest total since an 18-kill effort at Oklahoma last November.
Sarah Pavan had a match-high and season-high 18 kills and 11 digs. Freshman Jordan Larson added her third double-double of the year with 14 kills and 11 digs, as the huskers hit .266 and held Missouri to a season-low .230.

Scouting Kansas (12-4, 4-3 Big 12)
Under Coach Ray Bechard, Kansas has been in and out of the national rankings during the first half of the season. The Jayhawks, who returned five starters from a team that went 19-12 and took NCAA semifinalist Washington to five games on its home court, won 10 of its first 11 matches, including a sweep of No. 15 Texas A&M. Since then, KU has gone 2-3, including a five-game loss at No. 19 Texas in Austin. The Jayhawks may be without one of their best players, as outside hitter Jana Correa suffered a knee injury in Wednesday’s loss to Kansas State. KU features one of the Big 12’s best all-around players in middle blocker Josi Lima (3.75 kills, 2.46 digs and 1.00 blocks per game, while Andi Rozum is second in the league with 13.67 assists 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 74-0 all-time advantage, while Kansas records show that NU leads the series 73-1-1, 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.