Huskers Return Home to Host No. 16 Missouri

The top-ranked Nebraska volleyball team returns to action on Wednesday evening, as the Huskers play host to the No. 16 Missouri Tigers. The match from a sold-out Nebraska Coliseum, has a special 7:30 p.m. start time and will be carried on the Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Omaha, and Huskers.com.  The match will also be shown to a significant portion of the country, as it will be shown live on FSN Midwest, FSN Southwest and FSN Rocky Mountain among other FSN affiliates.

Audio: Head Coach John Cook talks about Wednesday's match with Missouri 

No. 1 Nebraska (18-0, 10-0 Big 12)
vs. No. 16 Missouri (14-6, 8-3 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)

No. 1 Nebraska vs.
at Kansas State (9-12, 1-10 Big 12)

Saturday, Oct. 28
Ahearn Fieldhouse ? 7 p.m.

Radio:  Husker Sports Network
(B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Omaha)
Live Stats:
Huskers.com
Free Audio: Huskers.com  
Television: None
Video: HuskersNside

The Huskers begin the second half of Big 12 play with an 18-0 record following a 3-2 victory over No. 9 Texas in Austin on Oct. 18. In that match, Sarah Pavan had a team-high 22 kills, as the Huskers relied on a balanced attack in overcoming a 2-1 deficit. Pavan was one of three Huskers in double figures, while all six attackers had at least seven kills, as NU became the first Big 12 team to win in Austin since the Huskers accomplished the feat in 2004.

Entering this week’s action, Nebraska is 10-0 in the Big 12 and has a two-match lead on Oklahoma, which saw its eight-match win streak snapped at Texas on Saturday, and a three-match lead on Texas and Missouri.

Wednesday’s opponent will have a familiar look, as Nebraska took on Missouri on Columbia just two weeks earlier, posting a 3-0 victory on Oct. 11. In fact, the Tigers have played just two matches since the teams’ first encounter, falling to No. 23 Oklahoma last Wednesday before rebounding to down Kansas State in five games last Saturday in Columbia. In that match, middle blocker Nicole Wilson totaled a career-high 23 kills, while Jessica Vander Kooi had 19 kills and seven blocks, helping the Tigers snap a two-match losing streak.\

Did You Know?
?-Texas became the first team to out-hit NU in 2006 and only the third team since the start of 2004 to accomplish the feat. In fact, NU had lost its last five matches when it was out-hit, dating back to 2003.

?-Wednesday’s match between NU and Missouri takes place just two weeks following NU’s win in Columbia. In fact, it is only the second time in NU’s Big 12 history where the Huskers played the same opponent twice in a two-week span (Iowa State, 2004).

?-Jordan Larson has posted double- doubles in each of NU’s last 10 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 5.15 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.

Worth Noting
?-Nebraska is 31-3 (.912) against ranked opponents since the start of the 2004 season and 68-11 (.859) since John Cook took over the Husker program in 2000.
?-Nebraska has won 53 of its last 54 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.
?-Wednesday’s match against Missouri will be the 84th consecutive sellout at the NU Coliseum. The Huskers are 77-6 at the NU Coliseum during the current sellout streak which dates back to 2001.
?-NU has won its last 47 home matches, dating back to the 2004 season, including its last 41 at the NU Coliseum. The current home streak is nation’s longest active streak and two wins away from cracking the NCAA’s top-10 list. NU has also won its last 30 Big 12 home matches dating back to 2003.
?-NU has opened the season with at least 18 straight wins for the sixth time in school history. The following chart lists the other quick starts in school annals.
?-With the No. 1 ranking in Monday’s AVCA poll, the Huskers have spent 64 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 24 of the last 25 polls dating back to the start of 2005.
?-The Big 12 Conference features four teams in the top-25 this week: No. 1 Nebraska, No. 8 Texas, No. 16 Missouri and No. 20 Oklahoma.
?-NU has been stout on the defensive end, holding 10 of its last 12 opponents to under .200 hitting and leading the Big 12 in opponent hitting percentage at .136.

Chart Watching
?-Libero Dani Busboom needs only one more dig to become the eighth Husker to reach 1,000 digs. Busboom, who was NU’s setter for three seasons, leads the Big 12 with 5.05 digs per game and is 20 digs shy of moving past Maria Hedbeck for seventh place on NU’s career digs list.
?-Sarah Pavan enters Wednesday’s match needing 20 kills to pass Jennifer Saleaumua for ninth place on NU’s career kills list and 24 kills from passing Cris Hall for eighth place.
?-Senior outside hitter Dani Mancuso needs four kills to reach 500 for her career. If she does it on Wednesday, it will be the second straight match that a Husker has reached 500 kills, joining Tracy Stalls, who reached that plateau in last Wednesday’s win at Texas.

Scouting Missouri
Under second-year Coach Wayne Kreklow, the No. 16 Tigers are 14-6 on the season and 8-3 in the Big 12 heading into Wednesday’s match with the Huskers.

MU, which advanced to the regional final before losing to Tennessee a year ago, had won seven straight matches before losing to the Huskers in Columbia. Since then, the Tigers were swept at No. 23 Oklahoma and rebounded for a five-game win over Kansas State last Saturday.

The Tigers feature one of the Big 12’s top outside hitters in senior Jessica Vander Kooi. She averages a team-best 4.24 kills per game to rank sixth in the Big 12 in that category and is second on the squad in both digs (3.15) and blocks (1.02). She is one of three returning All-Big 12 performers, joining libero Tatum Ailes (4.29 digs per game) and middle blocker Nicole Wilson (3.51 k/gm and 1.22 b/gm).

The Tigers have a distinctive Nebraska look, as four players, Ailes, Nicole Wilson, Megan Wilson and Amanda Hnatouli, all hail from Nebraska. In fact, the 10-player roster features as many players from China  as from Missouri.

The Huskers lead the all-time series, 62-3-1, in a series that dates back to Oct. 31, 1975. The Huskers have won the last six matches in the series. In last season’s match in Lincoln, NU fell behind 2-0 at home, only to win the last three games. Sarah Pavan had a season-high 22 kills, as NU rallied from a 2-0 home deficit for only the second time in school history.

Husker Probable Starters
MB - #15 Kori Cooper: 6-2, Fr., Amarillo, Texas - Cooper splits time with Amanda Gates at middle blocker, averaging 1.65 kills and 0.83 blocks per game, while hitting .417, a total that is second in the Big 12. Cooper has started the last five matches, averaging 1.93 kills and 1.27 blocks per game in the stretch. She comes off one of her best matches of the year at Texas on Oct. 18, totaling seven kills while adding a career-high eight blocks against the Longhorns. Against Kansas State on Oct. 4, she set then-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.

MB - #11 Tracy Stalls: 6-3, Jr., Denver, Colo. - Stalls has been one of the Big 12’s top middle blockers, averaging 2.69 kills and 1.36 blocks per game. She leads the Big 12 and ranks sixth nationally in hitting percentage (.441) and is fourth 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. Stalls has recorded double figures in kills six times, including each of NU’s last two matches. At No. 9 Texas, Stalls had 13 kills on .417 hitting, while posting 12 kills and hitting .571 against Colorado on Oct. 14. She keyed NU’s win over No. 15 Missouri on Oct. 11 with nine kills and matched her season high with eight blocks. 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 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 (5.15) and points per game (6.14) while ranking eighth in service aces (0.34/gm). Pavan, who ranks 10th nationally in kills per game, has four 20-kill performances this season, including a 22-kill effort at No. 9 Texas on Oct. 18.  She led NU in kills at No. 15 Missouri on Oct. 11 with 16 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 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 4.25 kills and 3.68 digs per game, ranking in the top 10 in aces (0.54/gm, third), points (5.28, third), kills (fourth) and digs (eighth). She has a team-high 14 double-doubles, including a current streak of 10 in a row - the longest streak by a Husker in the Big 12 era. 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 2.41 digs per game. She has tied or set career highs in digs eight times this season, and has been in double figures in digs in seven of the last eight matches. Schwartz came up with a career-high 15 digs in NU’s win at No. 9 Texas on Oct. 18. She enjoyed her best match of the year at Baylor on Sept. 30, totaling a then-career high14 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 2.44 kills, 0.69 blocks and 0.69 digs per game, primarily playing the front row. She has notched at least eight kills in eight of NU’s last 10 matches and had her best effort of the year, hitting .400 with nine kills against No. 15 Missouri on Oct. 11. Mancuso had nine kills and matched her career best with six blocks in NU’s win over No. 9 Texas on Oct. 18. 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). She averages 13.27 assists, 2.80 digs and 1.23 kills per game, ranking third in the Big 12 and sixth nationally in assists in last week’s rankings. Holloway, who had 55 assists and eight kills in NU’s win at No. 9 Texas,  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 5.05 digs per game and has reached double figures in digs 17 times in 18 matches. Busboom, who is in eighth place on NU’s career charts, needs one dig 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 2,879 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, No. 9 Texas 2
Sarah Pavan totaled a team-high 22 kills, including six in the decisive fifth game, as No. 1 Nebraska overcame a 2-1 deficit to top No. 9 Texas, 27-30, 30-22, 22-30, 30-22, 15-13 at Gregory Gymnasium on Oct. 18. Pavan struggled offensively through the first four games, but was clutch in the finale, totaling six kills on 10 swings, as the Huskers became the first Big 12 team to win in Gregory Gym since 2004.

While Pavan carried the Husker offense in game five, it was the rest of the squad that keyed the Huskers’ comeback performance. All six of NU’s attackers had at least seven kills in the win, including three players in double figures. Tracy Stalls and Jordan Larson had 13 kills apiece, as Larson totaled her 10th straight double-double, while Stalls hit .417 and added three blocks. Dani Mancuso also came up big with nine kills and matched her career high with six blocks, while freshman Kori Cooper had seven kills and a career-best eight blocks. Rachel Holloway nearly posted a triple-double with 55 assists, a career-high eight kills on .462 hitting and seven digs. 

The Huskers, who were out-hit for the first time all year and for only the second time in the last 53 matches, out-blocked Texas, 15.5-9, while limiting Texas to just two service aces.