Huskers Take on Washington for National Title

NCAA Championship Match
Thursday and Saturday, Dec. 15-17 ? The Alamodome ? San Antonio, Texas

National Final No. 1 Nebraska (33-1) vs. No. 3 Washington (31-1)
Saturday, Dec. 17 * Alamodome *  5 p.m. (ESPN2 Live)

NCAA Championship Information
Tickets Single-Match Tickets ($23); Available at Door
Radio:  Pinnacle Sports Network (B107.3 FM in Lincoln, 1110 AM in Omaha and 17 other stations across Nebraska)
Live Stats/Audio:  Huskers.com/NCAAsports.com  
Television:  Live nationanally on ESPN2 (Ch. 35 in Lincoln)
Series Records: vs. Washington (NU leads 1-0)

Huskers Take on Washington for National Title
The No. 1 Nebraska volleyball team looks to conclude its season-long quest for a national title on Saturday, as the top-ranked Huskers take on the No. 3 Washington Huskies in the national championship match. First serve is set for 5 p.m. at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

Saturday’s match will also be carried across the state on the Pinnacle Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and KFAB 1110 AM in Omaha, and on the Internet at Huskers.com. It will also be shown live nationally on ESPN2 (Ch. 35 in Lincoln), the 18th television appearance for the Huskers in 2005.

Saturday’s match will be Nebraska’s fifth match in school history that the Huskers will vie for a national title (also 1986, 1989, 1995 and 2000). NU is 1-0 in title matches under John Cook, defeating Wisconsin in five games to win the 2000 national title. The Huskers have won their last two national title matches (1995 and 2000) heading into Saturday’s battle with the Huskies.

Throughout the 2005 season, Nebraska and Washington have been on a collision course for the national title. Nebraska has been ranked No. 1 from the start of the season, while Washington has been ranked second or third throughout the year in the AVCA poll. The two teams combine for a 64-2 record and have both swept their way to the NCAA finals. With a sweep by either team, they would join the 1988 Texas team in becoming only the second team in NCAA history to sweep through the entire NCAA Tournament.

The Huskers (33-1) earned their way to Saturday’s national final with a 3-0 sweep of Santa Clara on Thursday. In that match, Nebraska hit .449, their highest postseason total since 1998, as Melissa Elmer totaled a match-high 13 kills and seven blocks in the victory. Washington makes its first national championship match appearance after sweeping Tennessee, 3-0, in Thursday’s first semifinal. Christal Morrison had a team-high 18 kills to lead three Huskies in double figures, as Washington hit .338 in posting thier 27th sweep of the year.

Did You Know?
? John Cook is 2-0 against Jim McLaughlin during his Nebraska career, as the two squared off twice in 2000 when McLaughlin was at Kansas State.

?The two national finalists combine to have eight players who earned AVCA All-America honors in 2005, including five first-team selections.

?Nebraska seniors Melissa Elmer and Jennifer Saleaumua are a combined 122-10 (.924) during their Husker careers.

? Since 1986, every four-year senior class except one (1994) has been to at least one national semifinal during their career.

? Nebraska is hitting .356 as a team during the NCAA Tournament.

Worth Noting
?-Nebraska looks to become the third team in NCAA history to lead the AVCA poll the entire season, as only UCLA (1992) and USC (2003) have accomplished the feat.
?-Saturday’s matchup features the last two AVCA National coaches of the year in John Cook and Washington’s Jim McLaughlin.
?-With a win against Washington, Nebraska can finish the season with a national-best 34 wins. The Huskers are tied with Florida and Ohio University with 33 wins apiece. Of those 33 wins, 13 have been against ranked teams.

2005 Team Leaders in Wins
Nebraska 33
Ohio 33
Florida 33

?-Nebraska has out-hit all 34 opponents this season, as only one team, USC in the 2004 regional final, has out-hit NU over the last 66 matches dating back to the start of the 2004 season.
?-Nebraska has held 28 of its 34 opponents to under .200 hitting, including 11 opponents under .100 hitting.
?-Nebraska is 26-2 against ranked opponents over the last two seasons.
?-Nebraska has stepped up its production offensively and at the service line during the NCAA Tournament. NU is hitting .356 in its five postseason matches and has been above .300 in all five matches during the postseason.

Comparing Nebraska
Season Hitting Pct. K/gm SA/gm B/gm 
Regular Season .322 17.15 1.23 4.12 
Postseason .356 16.93 2.47 3.97

?-AVCA National Player of the Year Christina Houghtelling is hitting .495 and averaging 4.00 kills per game during the NCAA Tournament.
?-In addition to the over 4,000 fans in San Antonio, 2,500 fans watched Thursday’s national semifinal on television at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln.
?-Fans in the state of Nebraska set NCAA postseason records for Division I (15,119 vs. Florida in the regional final) and in Division II (5,025 by Nebraska-Kearney against Grand Valley State in the national final on Dec. 3). While Nebraska ranked second nationally in attendance at 4,323 fans per home match, the average jumps to 5,969 if you include the four neutral site matches NU hosted in Omaha.
 ?-According to research compiled by Rich Kern, Nebraska’s 17-1 record against NCAA qualifiers during the regular season was the best of any school in the NCAA Tournament. The Huskers’ 18 matches against NCAA qualifiers was also the most of any school.
?-NU has now spent 55 weeks all-time at No. 1 in the AVCA poll, the most weeks at No. 1 of any Division I program. UCLA held the previous record with 51 weeks.
?-Nebraska is making its 24th NCAA tournament appearance, a total that ranks fourth among NCAA programs. NU ranks second all-time in tournament winning percentage (.753 and wins (63) and third in national semifinal appearances (nine).
?-Nebraska has won its last 31 home matches, including all 16 in 2005.
?-Melissa Elmer is the first player in Big 12 history to record 200 or more blocks in consecutive seasons.
?-Nebraska’s three AVCA first-team All-Americans marks the first time since 1995 that the Huskers have had three first-team selections.

Husker Probable Starters
MB - #8 Melissa Elmer: 6-2, Sr., Fort Wayne, Ind. - Elmer is a three-time All-American and arguably the country’s top middle blocker. She leads the nation in blocks (2.19/gm) and is second in the Big 12 and 15th nationally with a .395 hitting percentage, as she averages 2.69 kills per game. A three-time All-Big 12 pick, she has totaled 10 or more blocks 10 times, including a school and Big 12 record-tying 16 blocks against Kansas on Oct. 8. Elmer led NU with 13 kills on .647 hitting and seven blocks against Santa Clara. Elmer holds NU’s single-season (245) and career (762) blocking records, breaking three-time All-American Amber Holmquist’s record in both categories (220, 728). Elmer is averaging 2.43 blocks per game in NU’s five NCAA matches this season. She has four double-doubles (kills and blocks) this season, including a 12-kill, 11-block effort against Elite Eight qualifier Missouri on Nov. 13. She recorded a season-best 17 kills on .546 hitting at No. 7 Missouri on Oct. 5. She has been named MVP of the Sports Imports Classic and InfoUSA/Arby’s Players Challenge.
MB - #11 Tracy Stalls: 6-3, So., Arvada, Colo. - Stalls averages 1.45 kills and 1.54 blocks per game, ranking fourth in the Big 12 and 20th nationally in blocks. She has been a more consistent offensive force in recent weeks, hitting .375 or better in four of NU’s last seven matches. Stalls had her highest output against No. 11 Texas on Nov. 26, totaling a season-high 11 kills on .400 hitting.  Stalls has had at least five blocks 11 times, including three matches of at least eight blocks. She enjoyed best blocking effort of the season against Kansas State on Nov. 19, recording a career-high 12 stuffs. 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.

OH - #3 Christina Houghtelling: 6-2, Jr., Cambridge, Neb. - The 2005 AVCA National Player of the Year and first-team All-American, Houghtelling comes into Saturday’s match averaging 3.70 kills, 2.46 digs and 1.00 blocks per game, ranking among the Big 12 leaders in hitting percentage (.375, fourth) and kills (3.70, ninth). She has led Nebraska in kills 13 times and has hit over .400 in 19 of NU’s 34 matches, including 10 of the last 13. Houghtelling has been dominant in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 4.10 kills on .495 hitting and 0.53 service aces per game. She was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Omaha Regional, including an 18-kill effort on .615 hitting in the regional title match. Houghtelling had 10 kills and nine digs against Santa Clara on Thursday.  She has five double-doubles in 2005, including a 14-kill, 13-dig effort at No. 11 Texas on Nov. 26. She had a double-double with 19 kills and set career highs with 20 digs and six blocks against Kansas State on Nov. 19. A first-team Academic All-American, Houghtelling has earned all-tournament honors three 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.

OPP - #9 Sarah Pavan: 6-5, So., Kitchener, Ontario - The reigning Big 12 Player of the Year, Pavan averages 3.78 kills, 1.65 digs, 1.25 blocks and 0.30 aces per game. A first-team All-American in 2004, she ranks among the league leaders in hitting percentage (.355, eighth), kills (seventh), blocks (seventh), aces (12th) and points per game (fifth, 4.76). A two-time first-team Academic All-American, Pavan has led NU in kills 12 times, including a season-high 22 kills, six blocks and two aces against No. 12 Missouri on Nov. 13. She had 12 kills and hit .409  against UCLA and had 13 kills and six blocks against No. 4 Florida in the regional final. She had 11 kills and hit .500 on Thursday against Santa Clara. Pavan has four double-doubles, including 14 kills, 10 digs and five blocks against Kansas State on Nov. 19 and 18 kills and 11 digs at No. 8 Missouri on Oct. 8. 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 - #26 Jennifer Saleaumua: 5-11, Sr., National City, Calif. - A four-time All-Big 12 selection, Saleaumua’s all-around abilities key the Husker attack. A two-time All-American, she is a two-time Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, topping all league hitters in averaging 3.78 digs per game. Saleaumua also averages 2.28 kills on .297 hitting, her best percentage of her career. She is sixth in the Big 12 in digs, totaling 20 or more four times including a career-high 27 at Minnesota on Sept. 5. Saleaumua, who is ninth in school history in kills with 1,228, had a match-high 13 kills on .571 hitting and 12 digs in the regional semifinal against UCLA and 11 digs and six kills vs. No. 4 Florida. Saleaumua, who was selected to the Omaha Regional All-Tournament team, is hitting .410 in the NCAA Tournament and averaging 2.60 kills per game. She is only the second player to record 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in a career and holds the school record in digs with 1,559. Saleaumua shined against No. 20 Texas A&M on Sept. 21 with 10 kills, 13 digs and seven blocks. She totaled 12 kills on 16 swings, while adding 14 digs vs. No. 4 Hawaii on Aug. 26. In all, she has six double-doubles this season and 40 in her career. Last summer, she trained with the USA Volleyball A-2 team.
OH - #10 Jordan Larson: 6-2, Fr., Hooper, Neb. - The Big 12 and Central Region Freshman of the Year, Larson earned honorable-mention All-Big 12 honors in 2005. She topped all Big 12 rookies in kills (2.89), hitting percentage (.291), digs (2.75) and service aces (0.38). Larson has five double-doubles, including three against top-10 teams, and had 12 kills and 14 digs against Kansas State on Nov. 19. Larson nearly posted a double-double against No. 14 UCLA with 11 digs and nine kills on .438 hitting and added a match-high 15 digs in the regional final.  She has led NU in kills eight times, including a 14-kill effort on .420 hitting against No. 18 Texas on Oct. 15. Larson also had a match-high 14 kills on .480 hitting against No. 4 Penn State on Sept. 11. She 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 in 2004 while establishing an all-class record with 179 service aces. She also spent two years on the U.S. Junior National Team.

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 6.48 assists and 1.81 digs per game, helping the Huskers rank fourth nationally in team hitting and kills per game. Busboom is seventh on NU’s career assist list with 2,821 following a 16-assist, five dig effort against Santa Clara, as NU hit .449 as a team. She had a season-high three aces against UCLA in the regional semifinal, as NU hit .349 against the Bruins. Busboom has three double-doubles in 2005, including a 30-assist, 13-dig effort against No. 10 Missouri on Nov. 10. She also has double-doubles against No. 15 Texas (31 asst./11 digs) and at No. 5 Minnesota (31 asst./11 digs). She split time with Michelle Lynch in NU’s 6-2 offense in 2003 before taking over the full-time role last season. Busboom 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. - Maggie Griffin is in her first season at Nebraska after transferring from Michigan State. She splits time with Dani Busboom in running NU’s 6-2 offense, averaging a team-high 7.47 assists and 1.63 digs per game. Griffin, who has helped NU rank fourth nationally in hitting, has four double-doubles in 2005. She nearly recorded her fifth double-double of the season against No. 4 Florida with 26 assists and nine digs. Griffin also had 23 assists and two aces against Duke on Dec. 3. Griffin has posted two double-doubles against Sweet 16 participant Missouri, including the first meeting when she established season highs 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.

No. 1 NU 3, No. 11 Stanta Clara 0
All-American Melissa Elmer led three players in double-figure kills by pounding a match-high 13 kills on .647 hitting ? tying for the fourth-best postseason mark in NU history ? as the No. 1 Nebraska volleyball team advanced to the fifth championship match in program history with a 3-0 sweep of Santa Clara (30-24, 30-19, 30-21) in front of 7,931 fans at the Alamodome Thursday evening.

The Huskers will look for their third national title and first since 2000 on Saturday at 5 p.m. in a match televised live on ESPN2. The Huskers ? backed by over 4,000 fans who made the trip and another 2,500 at the Devaney Center in Lincoln, will look to become only the third team in NCAA history to be ranked No. 1 from wire to wire.

NU hit a blistering .449 on the evening Santa Clara (27-5) and dominated the net, winning the blocking battle 12.5 to 2. The .449 attacking percentage was Nebraska’s best in a postseason match since 1998 and just off the school postseason mark of .486 against Morgan State that season. The Huskers also out-dug the Broncos, 36-34, and held Santa Clara to .145 hitting.

Elmer’s 13 kills marked the first time that the first-team All-American had led the Huskers in kills, while Sarah Pavan and Christina Houghtelling had 11 and 10 kills, respectively, as both hit over .400 in the sweep, NU’s 26th sweep of the year.