No. 1 Huskers Clash with 'Horns

One of the most anticipated matchups of the college volleyball season takes place this Wednesday, as the No. 1 ranked Nebraska volleyball team travels to Austin, Texas, for a matchup with No. 9 Texas. First serve from Gregory Gymnasium is set for 6:30 p.m. and the game can be heard on the Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Omaha, and on Huskers.com. Wednesday’s match will also be shown to a national audience, as the match will be carried live nationally on ESPNU (Ch. 609 on DirecTV; Ch. 148 on DISH).

The Huskers come to Austin with a perfect 17-0 record following a sweep of Colorado on Saturday afternoon. In that match, Jordan Larson totaled 17 kills and 10 digs to lead three Huskers with at least 10 kills. Sarah Pavan and Tracy Stalls also added 12 kills, while the Huskers recorded 12 blocks and held Colorado to .129 hitting. NU, which features four freshmen or sophomores in the starting lineup, leads the nation in both kills per game (17.76) and assists per game (16.74) while leading the Big 12 with a .301 hitting percentage. Freshman setter Rachel Holloway was named Big 12 Player of the Week on Monday, averaging 16.00 assists in wins over No. 15 Missouri and Colorado last week.

No. 1 Nebraska (17-0, 9-0 Big 12)
at No. 9 Texas (12-4, 7-2)

Wednesday, Oct. 18 ?
Gregory Gymnasium ? 6:30 p.m.

Radio:  Husker Sports Network
(B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Omaha)
Live Stats: Huskers.com
Free Audio: Huskers.com  
Television: ESPNU - (Ch. 609 on DirecTV; Ch. 148 on DISH Network)

No. 1 Nebraska vs.
No. 12 Missouri (13-5, 7-2 Big 12)

 Wednesday, Oct. 25 ?
NU Coliseum ? 7:30 p.m.

Radio:  Husker Sports Network
(B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Omaha)
Live Stats:
Huskers.com
Free Audio: Huskers.com  
Television: Fox Sports Midwest
(Ch. 37 on Time Warner Cable in Lincoln; Ch. 47 on Cox Cable in Omaha; Ch. 647 on DirecTV; Ch. 418 on DISH Network)

Texas, which was ranked as high as fifth nationally earlier this season, brings a four-match win streak into Wednesday following a 3-1 victory at Texas A&M. The Longhorns are 12-4 on the year, including wins over nationally ranked Washington, Wisconsin, Santa Clara and Pepperdine. In the Big 12, UT is tied for third with Missouri, one match behind Oklahoma and two behind the Huskers, who are looking to go 10-0 at the halfway point in the conference schedule.

Did You Know?
?-Nebraska and No. 2 Penn State are the only remaining unbeatens in college volleyball, as UCLA and USC both suffered losses last week.

?-Wednesday’s match will be the only the fourth time in Big 12 history that both teams are ranked in the top-10 at game time. NU won all three of the previous meetings, including the most recent matchup on Oct. 20, 2004 in Austin. 

?-Jordan Larson has posted double- doubles in each of NU’s last nine matches. It is the longest streak by a Husker in the Big 12 era, as the previous high was seven by Jennifer Saleaumua in 2003. 

?-With 5.22 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 needs four kills to move into 10th place on NU’s career list.

Worth Noting
?-Nebraska has won 52 of its last 53 Big 12 matches since 2003. The Huskers had won 43 straight conference matches before Texas ended that streak in the 2005 regular-season finale in Austin. That match also snapped NU’s 12-match win streak against the Longhorns
?-Wednesday’s match between NU and Texas will be the fourth time since the Big 12’s inception that both have been ranked in the top-10 nationally.
?-Nebraska is 30-3 (.909) against ranked opponents since the start of the 2004 season and 67-11 (.859) since John Cook took over the Husker program in 2000.
?-Nebraska is 62-2 (.969) on the road in conference play since the start of 2000.
?-Texas’ win over Nebraska in Austin was its first in the series since 1999 and the first win by any of the four Big 12 Texas schools (Baylor, Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech).
?-Wednesday’s contest will feature the Big 12’s top-two offensive teams, as NU and Texas rank first and second in kills, assists and hitting percentage.
?-Redshirt freshman Rachel Holloway brings a different perspective on the NU-UT rivalry. Her older sister played at Texas in 2004, while her older brother (Tillman) and late grandfather (Bud McFadin) were both All-American football players at Texas.
?-October has been Jordan Larson’s month, as the sophomore All-America candidate is averaging 5.17 kills on .343 hitting and 4.08 digs per game in that stretch.
?-NU has opened the season with at least 17 straight wins for the sixth time in school history. The following chart lists the other quick starts in school annals.
?-The Big 12 Conference features four teams in the top-25 this week: No. 1 Nebraska, No. 9 Texas, No. 12 Missouri and No. 23 Oklahoma.
?-Nebraska has been stout on the defensive end, holding 10 of its last 11 opponents to under .200 hitting. NU leads the Big 12 and ranks fourth among this week’s AVCA Top-25 teams, holding opponents to .128 hitting.
?-With the No. 1 ranking in Monday’s AVCA poll, the Huskers have spent 63 weeks all-time at No. 1, the most of any Division I program. UCLA is second with 51 weeks. NU has been ranked No. 1 in 23 of the last 24 polls dating back to the start of 2005.

Scouting Texas
Coach Jerritt Elliott (117-51 in six seasons at UT) has Texas ranked in the top-10 for most of the 2006 season. The Longhorns enter Wednesday’s match with a 12-4 record, including four wins over nationally ranked squads, and in third place in the Big 12 with a 7-2 mark. The Longhorns feature a blend of talented veterans and one of the country’s best freshman classes. Senior Dariam Acevedo leads Texas with 4.13 kills per game and is one of four Longhorn attackers averaging more than 2.50 kills per game. All-Big 12 setter Michelle Moriarty leads the Big 12 in assists at 13.73 per game and also averages 2.81 digs per game. Freshman Ashley  Engle is second on the team in kills (3.69/gm) and is second in digs (2.90/gm). In all, UT has five players averaging more than 2.00 digs per game.

Nebraska is 25-12 all-time against Texas, and had won 12 straight meetings before the Longhorns knocked off NU in Austin last November. In that contest, NU
jumped out to a 2-0 lead before UT pulled out the win. The tables were reversed during the 2004 season, as NU fell behind 2-0, only to win in five games. 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.

Husker Probable Starters
MB - #15 Kori Cooper: 6-2, Fr., Amarillo, Texas - Cooper splits time with Amanda Gates at middle blocker, averaging 1.69 kills and 0.68 blocks per game, while hitting .432. Cooper has started the last four matches, averaging 2.20 kills and 1.10 blocks per game in the stretch. Against Kansas State on Oct. 4, she set career bests in both kills (eight) and blocks (five). At Texas A&M on Oct. 7, she also totaled eight kills and three blocks while hitting .615. A Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 pick, Cooper enrolled at NU in January after graduating from Amarillo High School a semester early. Cooper was a co-captain of the 2005 U.S. Youth National Team, helping Team USA to a fourth-place finish.

-or- #17 Amanda Gates: 6-2, So., Columbus, Neb. -  Gates is in her first season as one of Nebraska’s starting middle blockers and averages 1.32 blocks and 1.23 kills per game, while splitting time with freshman Kori Cooper. Gates has totaled at least three blocks six times, including a career-high 10 blocks in NU’s opener against No. 20 San Diego on Aug. 29. She put together one of her best matches of the season against Kansas on Sept. 13, with seven blocks and six kills and came off the bench against Colorado to record three kills and five blocks. 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. - Stalls has been one of the Big 12’s top middle blockers, averaging 2.70 kills and 1.45 blocks per game. She leads the Big 12 and ranks sixth nationally in hitting percentage (.444) and is fifth in the league in blocks. Stalls has had eight matches where she has hit at least .500, including a season-best of .727 (9-1-11) with six blocks against Texas Tech on Sept. 24. She had 12 kills on .571 hitting against Colorado on Oct. 14 and totaled nine kills and eight blocks at No. 15 Missouri on Oct. 11.  Stalls had one of her best matches of the year against Iowa State on Sept. 20, totaling eight kills and season highs in both blocks (eight) and digs (seven). Stalls has matched her career high in kills twice, including a 14-kill effort at Minnesota on Sept. 10 and 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 12 blocks vs. Kansas State. Stalls ranked 11th nationally in blocking as a freshman at 1.65 blocks per game. Before enrolling at NU, Stalls was a two-year member of the U.S. National Developmental Program and a member of Team USA.

OPP - #9 Sarah Pavan: 6-5, Jr., Kitchener, Ontario - A two-time first-team AVCA All-American, Pavan leads the Big 12 in both kills (5.22) and points per game (6.29) while hitting .316 on the year. Pavan, who ranks eighth nationally in kills per game, also is sixth in the Big 12 in service aces (0.37/gm). She led NU in kills at No. 15 Missouri on Oct. 11 with 16 kills on .467 hitting, while also delivering 17 kills on .394 hitting at Texas A&M on Oct. 7. Pavan has two double-doubles on the year, with her most recent coming with 13 kills and 10 digs against Kansas State on Oct. 4. She has four 20-kill matches this season, including a 24-kill effort at Baylor on Sept. 30.  She earned tournament MVP honors in both of NU’s early-season tournaments and was the Big 12 Player of the Week on Sept. 11, averaging 6.70 points and 5.90 kills (.409 hitting percentage) in three matches. 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 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. 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 in 2005. She averages 4.41 kills and 3.80 digs per game, ranking in the top 10 in aces (0.57/gm, first), points (5.44, second), kills (third) and digs (eighth). Named the Big 12 Player of the Week on Oct. 10, Larson has a team-best 13 double-doubles, including one in each of the last nine matches. Larson had 17 kills and 10 digs against Colorado on Oct. 15 and had 14 kills and 14 digs in NU’s win at No. 15 Missouri on Oct. 11.  She earned the Big 12 honor after averaging 5.17 kills and 4.17 digs in two matches, including a career-high 20 kills against Kansas State on Oct. 4.  Against No. 20 Louisville, she set a career high with five aces while adding 14 kills on .440 hitting. As a freshman, Larson 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 and 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 and averages 2.35 digs per game. She has tied or set career highs in digs seven times this season, and has been in double figures in digs in six of the last seven matches. Schwartz, who had 10 digs in both matches last week, keyed NU’s strong defensive effort against Kansas State on Oct. 4, matching her career best with 14 digs.  Schwartz had her best match of the year at Baylor on Sept. 30, totaling 14 digs and a career-high three aces. She also had 14 digs in a win over Creighton on Sept. 24 and 12 digs against Texas Tech on Sept. 23.  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, Sr., Omaha, Neb. - Mancuso moved into the outside hitter position vacated after Christina Houghtelling’s season-ending injury. Mancuso averages 2.50 kills, 0.65 blocks and 0.70 digs per game, primarily playing the front row. She has notched at least eight kills in seven of NU’s last nine matches and had her best effort of the year, hitting .400 with nine kills against No. 15 Missouri on Oct. 11. She had 11 kills in wins over Creighton and Saint Mary’s. 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 win 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 (1981-present) after earning the starting nod in fall camp. She averages 13.49 assists, 2.80 digs and 1.20 kills per game, ranking second in the Big 12 and 13th nationally in assists. Holloway was selected as the Big 12’s Player of the Week on Oct. 16, after averaging 16.00 assists per game in sweeps of Colorado and Missouri. She has six double-doubles, including a 54-assist, 15-dig, seven-kill effort at Baylor on Sept. 30, matching career highs in both digs and kills. Holloway, who leads all freshmen nationally in assists, 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 Colorado Gatorade High School Player of the Year in 2004.

L -  #18 Dani Busboom: 5-11, Sr., Cortland, Neb.  - Busboom makes the shift to libero after sharing time at setter in her first three years at NU. She leads the Big 12 with 5.17 digs per game and has reached double figures in digs 16 times in 17 matches. Busboom, who is in eighth place on NU’s career charts, needs 20 digs to become the eighth Husker to reach 1,000 career digs.  She has totaled 20-or-more digs in four matches, including a career-high 23 against Creighton on Sept. 24. She also turned in 20+ dig efforts against No. 25 Cal Poly on Sept. 3, No. 20 San Diego on Aug. 29 and at Oklahoma on Sept. 15.  Against No. 20 Louisville on Sept. 8, Busboom had 14 digs and three aces while helping to hold Louisville to .044 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 2,874 and is the second player in school history on top-10 lists in both assists and digs, joining former NU All-American Val Novak.

Last Time Out: No. 1 Nebraska 3, Colorado 0
 Jordan Larson’s 17 kills led three Huskers in double figures in kills, as No. 1 Nebraska remained unbeaten with a 30-27, 30-18, 30-21 victory over Colorado on Oct. 14.

Larson totaled 17 kills and 10 digs, as the Huskers improved to 17-0 overall and 9-0 in the Big 12. Larson now has 13 double-doubles on the season, including each of her last nine contests.

Sarah Pavan and Tracy Stalls joined Larson in double figures in the victory, totaling 12 kills apiece against the Buffaloes (9-7, 5-4 Big 12). Pavan totaled a team-high six blocks and had two aces, while Stalls enjoyed one of her most efficient matches of the year, hitting .571 in reaching double figures in kills for the fifth time. It was also the eighth time this season that Stalls, who hails from Denver, has hit .500 or better in a match.