No. 1 Huskers Host Kansas State on Wednesday

The top-ranked Nebraska volleyball team returns to the court on Wednesday evening, as the Huskers take on Kansas State in a Big 12 showdown. First serve is set for 7 p.m. at a sold-out NU Coliseum, the 82nd consecutive sellout in the historic building.

Wednesday’s match will be shown live state-wide on Nebraska Educational Television (NET-1, Ch. 12 and NET-HD, Ch. 112) and also carried live nationally on College Sports Television (Ch. 610 on DirecTV and Ch. 152 on Dish Network). The game will be carried across the state on the Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Omaha and on Huskers.com, and fans can also watch the action live for free on Huskers.com.

No. 1 Nebraska vs.
Kansas State (8-7, 0-5 Big 12) Wednesday, Oct. 4
NU Coliseum ? 7 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 Nebraska Educational Television (NET-1-Ch. 12, NET-HD, Ch. 112) and nationwide on CSTV (DirecTV, Ch. 610; Dish Network, Ch. 152) No. 1 Nebraska at
Texas A&M (8-5, 1-4 Big 12) Saturday, Oct. 7 ?
College Station, Texas ? 7 p.m

Radio:  Husker Sports Network
(B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Omaha)
Live Stats:
Huskers.com
Free Audio:
Huskers.com  
Live Video Feed:  
HuskersNside (subscription required)

Nebraska enters Wednesday’s match with a 13-0 record and a 5-0 mark in the Big 12 following a four-game win over Baylor on Saturday. In that match, the Huskers totaled a season-high 11 aces and used strong performances from Sarah Pavan (24 kills and three blocks) and Jordan Larson (17 kills and 16 digs) to knock off an upstart Bears squad. Freshman setterRachel Holloway also enjoyed a solid match, totaling 54 assists and tying or setting career highs in both kills (seven) and digs (15) en route to her fifth double-double of the year.

Kansas State comes to Lincoln looking to snap a six-match losing streak following a five-game loss to No. 8 Texas in Austin on Saturday. The Wildcats (8-7 overall and 0-5 in the Big 12) have been snakebit in recent weeks, losing four matches by a 3-2 score, including each of its last three contests.

Did You Know?
?-Nebraska is one of five remaining unbeaten teams in the country, joining Penn State (No. 2), UCLA (No. 3), USC (No. 4) and Princeton.

?-Rachel Schwartz is averaging 2.83 digs per game over NU’s last seven matches, including setting career bests in NU’s last three contests.

?-Jordan Larson has posted double doubles in each of NU’s last five matches. It is the longest streak since Jennifer Saleaumua had six straight double doubles in 2003.

?-With 5.33 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 12 of NU’s first 13 matches.

Worth Noting
?-Wednesday’s match will be the 82nd consecutive sellout at the NU Coliseum. The Huskers are 75-6 at the NU Coliseum during the current sellout streak.

?-NU has won its last 44 home matches, dating back to the 2004 season, including its last 38 at the NU Coliseum.

?-The Big 12 conference features four teams in the top-25 this week: No. 1 Nebraska, No. 11 Texas, No. 17 Missouri and No. 25 Oklahoma, which makes its firstappearance in the AVCA poll since 1998. Colorado is also receiving votes in this week’s poll.

?-Wednesday’s matchup will feature two of the top liberos in the Big 12 in Nebraska’s Dani Busboom (5.21 digs/gm) and Kansas State’s Angie Lastra (5.19 d/gm). The pair rank first and second, repectively, in digs per game. They are the only liberos in the Big 12 averaging over five dig per contest.

?-NU has opened the season with at least 13 straight wins for the eighth time in school history. With a win on Wednesday, NU could jump to sixth on that list. The following chart lists the other quick starts in school annals.

?-Nebraska has been stout on the defensive end, holding its last seven opponents to under .200 hitting. NU leads the Big 12 and ranks fourth among this week’s ranked teams, holding opponents to .124 hitting.

?-With the No. 1 ranking in Monday’s AVCA poll, the Huskers have spent 61 weeks all-time at No. 1, the most weeks at No. 1 of any Division I program. UCLA is second with 51 weeks. NU has been ranked No. 1 in 21 of the last 22 polls dating back to the start of 2005.
 
?-The crowd of 12,115 for Nebraska’s match against Creighton on Sept. 24 was the largest crowd to see a regular-season volleyball match since the 2000 season and the second-largest regular-season crowd ever for a volleyball match in NCAA  history

Scouting Kansas State
Kansas State comes to Lincoln with an 8-7 record and riding a six-match losing streak. The Wildcats, who have made 10 straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament, got off to an 8-1 start, highlighted by a win over then-No. 23 Notre Dame. Since them, KSU has been snakebit, losing four matches in five games, including each of its last three contests.

The Wildcats are led by outside hitter Sandy Warner, who leads KSU with 3.76 kills per game. Warner is the only senior on an otherwise youthful Wildcat roster. Sophomore Jenny Jantsch is second on the team with 2.86 kills per game, while pacing KSU with 27 service aces. Libero Angie Lastra is second in the Big 12 in digs (5.19/gm), while junior Stacey Spiegelberg averages 12.28 assists, 1.95 digs and 0.88 blocks per game from the setter spot.

The Huskers lead the all-time series, 70-3, including a 27-2 advantage in Lincoln. The Huskers have won the last four meetings, a 3-0 sweep in Manhattan before a 3-1 victory in Lincoln last November. In that match, five Huskers (Melissa Elmer, Maggie Griffin, Jordan Larson, Sarah Pavan and Christina Houghtelling) recorded double-doubles.

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 1.24 blocks and 1.21 kills per game, while splitting time with freshman Kori Cooper. Gates has totaled at least three blocks five 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. 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 best middle blockers, averaging 2.62 kills and 1.48 blocks per game. She leads the Big 12 in hitting percentage (.443) and is seventh in the league in blocks per game. She has hit .500 or better five times, including a season best of .727 (9-1-11) with six blocks against Texas Tech on Sept. 24.   Stalls put together a dominant performance over Creighton on Sept. 24 with 11 kills and eight blocks. 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). She has matched her career high in kills twice, including a 14-kill effort at Minnesota on Sept. 10. 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 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 (5.36) and points per game (6.25) while hitting .316 on the year. Pavan, who ranked eighth nationally in kills per game, comes off a season-high 24-kill performance on Sept. 30 at Baylor. 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. Pavan had her first double-double of the year on Sept. 10 against Minnesota, with 23 kills and 11 digs. 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 in 2005. She averages 4.19 kills and 3.71 digs per game, ranking in the top 10 in aces (0.67/gm, first), kills (seventh) and digs (ninth). Larson has a team-best nine double-doubles, including seven in NU’s last eight contests. A two-time all-tournament selection, Larson had 17 kills and 16 digs in NU’s win over Baylor on Sept. 30 - her fifth straight double-double. She had 18 kills and 13 digs in a win over Creighton on Sept. 24 and 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. 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 2.12 digs per game. She has tied or set career highs in digs six times this season, including in each of the last three matches. Schwartz comes off her best match of the year, totaling 14 digs and a career-high three aces at Baylor on Sept. 30. She had a career-high 14 digs in a win over Creighton on Sept. 24 and 12 digs against Texas Tech on Sept. 23.  Over NU’s last seven matches, she is averaging 2.83 digs per game. 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 2.62 kills, 0.71 blocks and 0.60 digs per game, primarily playing the front row. She has had at least eight kills in NU’s last five matches, tying her season high with 11 kills against Creighton on Sept. 24. 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 13.03 assists, 2.90 digs and 1.21 kills per game, ranking third in the Big 12 in assists. She has five 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 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 tops the Big 12 with 5.21 digs per game and has reached double figures in digs 12 times in 13 matches. Busboom has had 20-or-more digs in four matches, including a career-high 23  against Creighton on Sept. 24. She had at least 20 digs against No. 25 Cal Poly on Sept. 9, No. 20 San Diego on Aug. 29 and at Oklahoma on Sept. 16. Against No. 20 Louisville on Sept. 8, 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 2,864 and could become only the second player in school history on top-10 lists in both assists and digs.

Last Time Out: No. 1 Nebraska 3, Baylor 1
 Sarah Pavan matched a season-high with 24 kills, while the top-ranked Huskers posted a season-high 11 service aces to post a 3-1 victory (30-32, 30-18, 30-21, 30-24) over Baylor on Sept. 30

 Pavan posted 24 kills, two aces, six digs and three blocks, as Nebraska (13-0, 5-0 Big 12) swept the final three games after dropping the opener. The victory was the 200th at Nebraska for Head Coach John Cook.

 Jordan Larson joined Pavan in double-figures in kills with 17 kills, 16 digs and a pair of aces for her ninth double-double of the season and seventh in the last eight matches.

Larson was one of a pair of Huskers to post double-doubles as Rachel Holloway had 54 assists and a career-high 15 digs, as the Huskers held Baylor to .193 hitting.  NU, which hit .350 or better in two of the four games, won the match at the service line, as Rachel Schwartz had a career high three aces while Pavan, Larson and Busboom had two each.