No. 1 Huskers Face Busy Weekend

No. 1 Nebraska (10-0, 2-0 Big 12) vs. Texas Tech (7-5, 0-3) Saturday, Sept. 23
NU Coliseum ? 2 p.m.Radio: Husker Sports Network
(B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Omaha)
Live Stats:
Huskers.com
Free Audio:
Huskers.com  
Live Video Feed:  
Huskers.com (free video)
Television:  Live on NET (Ch. 12) and NET-HD (Ch. 112); Tape Delayed on CSTV (9/24, 7 p.m.) No. 1 Nebraska (10-0, 3-0 Big 12)
at Creighton (10-2) Sunday, Sept. 24
Qwest Center Omaha ? 2 p.m.Radio:  Husker Sports Network
(B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Omaha)
Live Stats:
Huskers.com
Free Audio:
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Live Video Feed:  
HuskersNside (subscription required)

The Nebraska volleyball team looks to remain unbeaten, as the Huskers play a pair of matches this weekend. The Huskers, who are 10-0 on the season, play host to Texas Tech on Satuday, Sept. 23, at 2 p.m. before traveling to Omaha to take on Creighton at Qwest Center Omaha Sunday at 2 p.m.

Saturday’s match against the Red Raiders, which was moved to 2 p.m. for the Husker football game at 6 p.m., will be shown live statewide on Nebraska Educational Television (NET-1, Ch. 12; NET-HD, Ch. 112) and shown nationally on CSTV on Sunday at 7 p.m.  It will also be carried on B107.3 FM in Lincoln and on Huskers.com.

On Sunday, the stage switches to Omaha, as the Huskers and Creighton will square off in the Ameritas Challenge. A crowd of over 10,000 is expected to see a matchup of the state’s two Division I programs. At 10-2, the Bluejays are off to their best start in school history heading into Friday’s matchup with Drake. Sunday’s match will be carried across the state on the Husker Sports Network and on Huskers.com.

The Huskers come into the weekend with a 10-0 mark following Wednesday’s sweep against Iowa State. In that match, Sarah Pavan totaled 15 kills and five blocks, while Jordan Larson totaled 11 kills and 11 digs for her sixth double-double, including four in the last five matches. NU out-blocked ISU, which entered the match ranked fourth nationally in that category, 13-5, including a season-high eight stuffs by Tracy Stalls.

Did You Know?
?-Nebraska has held five of its 10 opponents to under .100 hitting.
?-Sunday’s match between NU and Creighton showcases the talent in the state of Nebraska, as the teams combine for 15 players on the roster (7 for NU; 8 for Creighton).
?-Nebraska has dropped just one game in its first 10 matches, the first time that has happened since 1998 and the fourth time in school history (also 1994 and 1976)
?-With 5.26 kills per game, Sarah Pavan is on pace to break the school record for most kills per game, currently held by U.S. Olympian Nancy Metcalf (Meendering) in 1999. Pavan has reached double figures in kills in nine of NU’s first 10 matches.

Worth Noting
?-Nebraska has opened the season with a 10-0 record for the 11th time in school history, including the third time in the last seven seasons. The Huskers also opened 10-0 in 1976, 1979, 1984, 1987, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1998, 2000 and 2005.
?-Saturday’s matchup features the Big 12’s top two hitters in Nebrska’s Sarah Pavan (5.26 kills per game, 1st) and Texas Tech’s Philister Sang (4.62 kills per game, 2nd).
?-Nebraska has won 19 straight matches against Texas Tech dating back to the 1996 season.
?-Saturday’s match will be the 81st consecutive sellout at the NU Coliseum. The Huskers are 74-6 at the NU Coliseum during the current sellout streak.
?-Nebraska has won its last 43 home matches, dating back to the 2004 season, including its last 37 at the NU Coliseum.
?-Nebraska has four players leading the Big 12 in offensive categories: Sarah Pavan (kills per game and points per game), Rachel Holloway (assists per game), Jordan Larson (service aces per game) and Dani Busboom (digs per game).
?-With a win on Sunday, the Huskers can complete an undefeated non-conference slate for a second straight year and third time in the last seven seasons.
?-Sunday’s match against Creighton marks the first athletic event at Qwest Center Omaha since the arena’s expansion project was completed earlier this month. Nearly 1,700 additional seats were added in the upper deck on the north side, raising capacity to 16,151.
?-The Nebraska-Creighton match will also be the only match at the Qwest Center until this December’s NCAA Championships. One of the requirements in hosting the NCAA Volleyball Championship is that at least one match needs to played at the arena site the year of the championship. While NU is holding this December’s championship, Creighton is the home team in Sunday’s match.
?-The 2006 season has seen a changing of the guard at the setter position. In fact, five of the league’s 11 schools start rookies at the position, including NU’s Rachel Holloway. The Franklin, Tenn., native leads the Big 12 with 13.87 assists per game - the highest total by a Husker since All-American Christy Johnson in 1995.
?-The Huskers are 8-0 all-time against Creighton, including 6-0 since the Bluejays reinstated volleyball in 1994. NU has played Creighton in Omaha one other time, a 15-4, 15-0 victory on Oct. 7, 1980.
?-While 10 teams began the week undefeated, the list has taken a dramatic hit, as only six teams (Nebraska, Penn State, UCLA, USC, Michigan and New Mexico State) enter the weekend with unblemished records. Four teams (Ohio State, Delaware, Oregon and California) all suffered their first loss on Wednesday or Thursday.
?-With the No. 1 ranking in Monday’s AVCA poll, the Huskers have spent 59 weeks all-time at No. 1, the most weeks at No. 1 of any Division I program. UCLA is second with 51 weeks. In fact, NU has been ranked No. 1 in 19 of the last 20 polls dating back to the start of the 2005 season.
?-With Nebraska (1st) and Texas (5th) in the top five of Monday’s AVCA poll, the Big 12 has two teams in the top five nationally for the first time since the 1996 season.
?-Rachel Holloway not only became the fifth freshman to start her collegiate debut at NU, but was the first Husker freshman to start at setter in a 5-1 offense in the NCAA era (1983-present). NU had two other freshmen split time in the 6-2 offense (Lindsay Wischmeier-1999; Dani Busboom-2003), but neither started their first match at NU.

Husker Probable Starters
MB - #17 Amanda Gates: 6-2, So., Columbus, Neb. - Gates is in her first season as one of Nebraska’s starting middle blockers and averages 1.40 blocks and 1.20 kills per game. She is ninth in the Big 12 in blocks and has totaled at least three blocks five times, while splitting time with Kori Cooper. Gates had a career-high 10 blocks in NU’s opener against No. 20 San Diego on Aug. 29 and put together one of her best matches of the season against Kansas on Sept. 13 with seven blocks and six kills. A Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 pick, Gates appeared in nine matches as a freshman, averaging 0.94 kills and 0.81 blocks per game.

MB - #11 Tracy Stalls: 6-3, Jr., Denver, Colo. - One of three captains, Stalls has been dominant in the middle for NU, averaging 2.74 kills and 1.45 blocks per game. She is third in the Big 12 and 12th nationally in hitting percentage (.434) and has hit .500 or better five times. Stalls had one of her best matches of the year against Iowa State, totaling eight kills and season highs in both blocks (eight) and digs (seven). She has matched her career high in kills twice, including against Minnesota on Sept. 10, where she totaled 14 kills. Stalls also had 14 kills on .600 hitting against Long Beach State on Sept. 3. Last season, Stalls ranked third in the Big 12 with 1.59 blocks per game and led NU in blocks nine times, including a career high with 12 blocks versus Kansas State. 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: 6-5, Jr., Kitchener, Ontario - A two-time first-team AVCA All-American, Pavan is on pace for one of the most distinguished careers in NU history. Pavan leads the Big 12 in both kills (5.26) and points per game (6.18), while ranking 10th in hitting percentage (.334). Pavan, who ranks fourth nationally in kills per game, is a two-time tournament MVP in 2006 and was chosen as the Big 12 Player of the Week on Sept. 11, averaging 6.70 points, 5.90 kills (.409 hitting percentage) and 2.30 digs in three matches. Pavan had her first double-double of the year on Sept. 10 against Minnesota, where she had 23 kills and 11 digs against the Gophers.  She had one of the best matches of her career against Long Beach State on Sept. 9, totaling 24 kills on .400 hitting against the 49ers, including eight kills on eight swings in the opener.  Pavan was the MVP of the Nebraska Invitational, hitting .457 and averaging 5.67 kills and 1.56 blocks per game. Pavan was the 2005 Big 12 Player of the Year, averaging 3.82 kills, 1.66 digs and 1.25 blocks per game. She established her career high in kills as a freshman with 35 in the NCAA Regional against USC. She recorded a triple-double vs. Pepperdine in 2005 (11 kills, 11 blocks and 10 digs) becoming the first NU outside hitter to accomplish the feat since 1999. Pavan, who carries a 4.0 GPA in biochemistry, was a member of the Canadian National Team at age 16.

OH - #10 Jordan Larson: 6-2, So., Hooper, Neb. - Larson is a returning starter at outside hitter who was the Big 12 Freshman of the Year and AVCA Central Region Freshman of the Year in 2005. She averages 4.23 kills and 3.71 digs per game, ranking sixth in the Big 12 in kills and ninth in digs while leading the conference with 0.77 service aces per game. Larson, who has been selected to the all-tournament team in both of NU’s tournaments this season, has a team-best six double-doubles, including 11 kills and 11 digs against Iowa State on Wednesday. She totaled identical 17-kill, 11-dig efforts at Oklahoma on Sept. 16 and against Minnesota on Sept. 10. Against No. 20 Louisville, she set a career high with five aces while adding 14 kills on .440 hitting against the Cardinals. Last season, she averaged 2.82 kills, 2.79 digs and 0.38 service aces per game, topping all conference freshmen in kills, digs, hitting percentage and service aces. 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, while establishing an all-class record with 179 service aces in 2004. Larson also spent two years on the U.S. Junior National Team.

DS - #5 Rachel Schwartz: 5-9, So., Lincoln, Neb. - Schwartz is a former walk-on who is used as a defensive specialist in the NU lineup and averages 1.68 digs per game. She has tied or set career highs in digs three times this season, including 11 digs against Minnesota on Sept. 10. Schwartz appeared in 30 matches as a freshman as NU’s defensive specialist, finishing with 18 digs and five aces. She was a first-team all-state selection at outside hitter at Lincoln East High School in 2004.

-or- OH - #7 Dani Mancuso: 6-2, Jr., Omaha, Neb. - Mancuso moved into the outside hitter position vacated after Christina Houghtelling’s season-ending injury. She averages 2.65 kills, 0.74 blocks and 0.55 digs per game, primarily playing the front row. Mancuso has reached double figures in kills twice, including 11 in a sweep of Saint Mary’s on Sept. 1. She totaled nine kills in NU’s win at Oklahoma on Sept. 16 and had eight kills in Wednesday’s win over Iowa State. In 2005, Mancuso was NU’s backup at all three outside hitter spots, averaging 1.38 kills, 1.15 digs and 0.68 blocks per game. She shared the outside hitter spot with Houghtelling in 2004, averaging 2.77 kills and 0.29 service aces per game, including a career-high 22 kills in a four-game victory at Kansas State.

S - #12 Rachel Holloway: 5-10, R-Fr., Franklin, Tenn. - Holloway is the first Husker freshman to start in a 5-1 system in the NCAA era (1983-present) after earning the starting nod over Maggie Griffin in fall camp. She enters Saturday’s match averaging 13.87 assists, 2.97 digs and 1.20 kills per game, leading the Big 12 in assists and ranking third nationally. She has four double-doubles, including a 44-assist, 11-dig effort versus Cal Poly on Sept. 9, and set a career high with 14 digs against KU on Sept. 13.  Holloway played one of her best matches of the year against Minnesota on Sept. 10, with a career-high 57 assists, eight digs and seven kills, while helping NU hit .337 against the Golden Gophers. Over the summer, Holloway captained the U.S. Youth National Team to a gold medal at the NORCECA Junior Championships in Mexico. Holloway, who graduated high school a year early, was the Gatorade High School player of the Year in Colorado in her final season at Smoky Hill High School.

L -  #18 Dani Busboom: 5-11, Sr., Cortland, Neb.  - Busboom makes the shift to libero after sharing time at setter in each of her first three years at Nebraska. She leads the Big 12 with 5.35 digs per game and has totaled at least 14 digs in nine of 10 contests. She has had 20-or-more digs in three matches, including a career-high 21 at Oklahoma on Sept. 16. Busboom averaged 5.20 digs and 0.60 services aces per game in the Ameritas Players Challenge, matching her then-career high with 20 digs against No. 25 Cal Poly on Sept. 9. Against No. 20 Louisville, Busboom had 14 digs and three aces while helping to hold Louisville to .044 hitting. Busboom enjoyed a strong debut at libero, totaling a match-high 20 digs against No. 20 San Diego on Aug. 29, while helping to hold the Toreros to .016 hitting. Last season, she averaged 6.45 assists and 1.82 digs in NU’s 6-2 offense, helping NU hit .322 as a team. She is seventh on NU’s career assists list with 2,858 and could become only the second player in school history on top-10 lists in both assists and digs. Busboom was selected as a tri-captain by her teammates and is one of seven Nebraska natives on the 2006 roster.

Last Time Out: No. 1 Nebraska 3, Iowa State 0
All-American Sarah Pavan had a match-high 15 kills and five blocks, as top-ranked Nebraska swept Iowa State, 31-29, 30-20, 30-17, on Wednesday. The Huskers (10-0, 3-0 Big 12) relied on a balanced offense with four players totaling at least eight kills. Sophomore Jordan Larson turned in her sixth double-double of the season with 11 kills and 11 digs, while Tracy Stalls and Dani Mancuso also chipped eight kills apiece in the victory. Stalls totaled six of her seven kills in the finale, and set season bests with eight blocks and seven digs.

 The Huskers, who improved to 69-0 all-time against ISU, wore down the Cyclones, who entered Wednesday’s match leading the Big 12 in blocks and opponent hitting percentage. NU out-hit ISU, .250-.083, while totaling 13 blocks, compared to only five for the visitors. It marked the fifth time in 10 matches this season that the Huskers have held an opponent to under .100 hitting.

Scouting Texas Tech
Head Coach Nancy Todd (39-59 in four seasons) brings Texas Tech into town looking to snap a three-match losing streak. The Red Raiders got off to a 7-2 start in non-conference play before going winless in ther first three Big 12 matches. Tech came close to pulling out a road win on Wednesday, taking Baylor to five games before losing. In that match Philister Sang totaled a match-high 28 kills, 11 digs and six blocks.

Sang, who represented Kenya in the 2004 Olympics, averages a team-best 4.62 kills per game to rank second in the Big 12 in that category, while also averaging 2.85 digs per game. Middle blocker Amy Charlebois (2.59 kills and 1.43 blocks per game) is the only other Red Raider averaging more than two kills per game in Tech’s 6-2 offense.

The Huskers lead the all-time series, 24-1 and have won the last 19 meetings dating back to 1996. NU has swept 10 of the last 11 meetings dating back to the 2000 season.

Scouting Creighton
The Bluejays enter the weekend with a 10-2 record after dropping a four-game match at South Dakota State on Tuesday evening. Creighton, which is off to its best start in program history, won 10 of its first 11 matches - dropping only a five-set contest aganist Iowa on Sept. 2.  Former Lincoln East product Kirsten Bernthal Booth is in her fourth year at the helm of the  Creighton program and has compiled a 56-45 record.Former Husker captain Angie Oxley Behrens also serves on the CU staff.

The Bluejays feature balanced offense with four players averaging at least four kills per game. Sophomore Korie Lebeda leads the MVC in assists (12.76 a/gm) with outside hitters Amanda Cvejdlik (3.89 k/gm) and Abby Baumann (3.42 k/gm) and 3.36 d/gm) combining for over seven kills per game. In the middle, Kelly Goc (3.92 k/gm) and Jessica Houts (3.09 k/gm and 1.40 b/gm) give the Bluejays one of the best middle blocker duos in the MVC.

Nebraska leads the series 8-0, including six wins since Creighton reinstated volleyball in 1994. This will be the fourth different location for the series in the last five seasons.