No. 1 Huskers Travel to Texas A&M on Saturday

Following a sweep of Kansas State on Wednesday, the top-ranked Nebraska volleyball team hits the road on Saturday for a key Big 12 clash at Texas A&M. First serve at G. Rolle White Coliseum is set for 6:30 p.m. and fans can listen to the match on B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Omaha and on Huskers.com. HuskersNside subscribers can also watch Saturday’s match live and for more information on HuskersNside, visit Huskers.com.

The Huskers (14-0, 6-0 Big 12) come off one of their best performances of the year against the Wildcats on Wednesday. Jordan Larson totaled a career-high 20 kills and 10 digs and was one of three Huskers to finish with double-doubles in the win. Sarah Pavan joined Larson in double figures in kills with 13 and added 10 digs, while Rachel Holloway totaled 46 assists and 11 digs, as the Huskers held KSU to a season-low .061 hitting.

No. 1 Nebraska (14-0, 6-0 Big 12)
at Texas A&M (8-6, 1-5 Big 12) Saturday, Oct. 7 ?
College Station, Texas ? 6:30 p.mRadio:  Husker Sports Network
(B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Omaha)
Live Stats:
Huskers.com
Free Audio:
Huskers.com  
Live Video Feed:  
HuskersNside (subscription required) No. 1 Nebraska at
No. 17 Missouri (12-4, 6-1 Big 12)
Wednesday, Oct. 11
Hearnes Center ? 6:30 p.m.

Radio:  Husker Sports Network
(B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Omaha)
Live Stats:
Huskers.com
Free Audio:
Huskers.com  
Live Video Feed:
None
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 A&M (8-6, 1-5 Big 12) looks to snap a two-match losing streak, as the Aggies fell in five games to Texas Tech on Wednesday evening. Christi Hahn and Kelsey Bryant had 21 kills apiece in a losing effort, as Texas Tech needed 28 kills from Philister Sang to pick up their first win in College Station in eight seasons. The Aggies have played their best against their toughest foes, defeating then-No. 22 Minnesota in four games before losing in five games at No. 17 Missouri on Sept. 16.

Saturday’s matchup will feature two of the Big 12’s top three attackers in NU middle blocker Tracy Stalls and Texas A&M middle blocker Christi Hahn. Stalls leads the Big 12 in hitting percentage at .438, while Hahn is third in the league at .406.

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.
?-Nebraska’s 72 digs against KSU matched its best three-game output in the rally scoring era. NU also had 72 against Texas A&M in 2004.
?-Rachel Schwartz is averaging 2.88 digs per game over NU’s last eight matches, including setting career bests in NU’s last four contests.
?-Jordan Larson has posted double- doubles in each of NU’s last six matches. It is the longest streak since Jennifer Saleaumua had six straight double-doubles in 2003.
?-With 5.27 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
?-Sarah Pavan has traditionally played some of her best matches against Texas A&M. The 6-foot-5 right side hitter has averaged 5.67 kills on .530 hitting and 1.83 digs per game in four career matches against the Aggies.
?-Nebraska has won 49 of its last 50 matches against Big 12 teams dating back to the 2003 season. The Huskers had won 43 straight conference matches before Texas ended that streak in the 2005 regular-season finale.
?-Since the start of the 2000 season, Nebraska is 60-2 on the road in conference play.
?-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 first appearance in the AVCA poll since 1998. Colorado is also receiving votes in this week’s poll.
?-NU has opened the season with at least 14 straight wins for the eighth time in school history. With a win on Saturday, NU could jump to sole possesion of 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 eight opponents to under .200 hitting. NU leads the Big 12 and ranks third among this week’s AVCA Top-25 teams, holding opponents to .120 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.

Scouting Texas A&M
Under Coach Laurie Corbelli (302-196 in 14 seasons at Texas A&M), the Aggies had been a perennial NCAA qualifer, making the postseason in each of the last 13 seasons. The 2006 Aggies are one of the youngest teams in the Big 12 with eight true freshmen and three sophomores on a 15-player roster. Texas A&M got off to a great start, going 7-1 with the lone loss coming to now No. 10 LSU, but is just 1-5 in conference play.

The Aggies are led by freshman Mary Batis, who ranks ninth in the Big 12 and leads all conference freshmen with 3.91 kills per game. Senior Christi Hahn is the only other Texas A&M player averaging more than three kills per game, as she averages 3.38 kills per game while hitting .406, a total that is third in the league. The Aggies have turned to its talented freshman class in recent matches, starting four freshmen against Texas Tech on Wednesday (setter Courtnee Rhodes, outside hitter Sarah Ammerman, Batis and libero Zanny Castillo).

Nebraska leads the series, 23-6 and has won the last 13 meetings, the longest winning streak in the series. NU has won the last five meetings - all by sweeps.

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.

-or- #15 Kori Cooper, 6-2, Fr., Amarillo, Texas -Cooper has split time at the middle blocker position and averages 1.58 kills on  .388 hitting and 0.63 blocks per game. Cooper comes off her best performance of the season against Kansas State on Oct. 4, setting career bests in both kills (eight) and blocks (five) against the Wildcats. She made her first career start against Texas Tech on Sept. 23, totaling five kills on 11 swings and a block. 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 U.S. Youth National Team in 2005, helping the USA to a fourth-place finish.

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 1.42 blocks per game. She leads the Big 12 and ranks seventh nationally in hitting percentage (.438) and is eighth 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 (5.27) and points per game (6.20) while hitting .313 on the year. Pavan, who ranks seventh nationally in kills per game, picked up her second double-double of the year with 13 kills and 10 digs against Kansas State on Oct. 4. She has had a trio of 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 4.36 kills and 3.69 digs per game, ranking in the top 10 in aces (0.62/gm, first), points (5.47, second), kills (fourth) and digs (ninth). Larson has a team-best 10 double-doubles, including eight in NU’s last nine contests. She comes off her best effort of the year on Wednesday, a career-high 20 kill, 10-dig performance against Kansas State, where she hit .400 against the Wildcats. 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 2.29 digs per game. She has tied or set career highs in digs seven times this season, including in each of the last four matches. Schwartz keyed NU’s strong defensive effort against Kansas State, 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 at Baylor. 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 2.62 kills, 0.67 blocks and 0.64 digs per game, primarily playing the front row. She has had at least eight kills in NU’s last six 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 13.19 assists, 2.95 digs and 1.17 kills per game, ranking third in the Big 12 and 19th nationally in assists. 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 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 is second in the Big 12 with 5.29 digs per game and has reached double figures in digs 13 times in 14 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 2,866 and is six digs away from becoming only the the second player in school history on top-10 lists in both assists and digs.

Last Time Out: No. 1 Nebraska 3, Kansas St. 0
 Jordan Larson totaled a career-high 20 kills, while Nebraska’s floor defense keyed the top-ranked Huskers to a 30-17, 30-22, 30-17 sweep of Kansas State on Oct. 4.

 Larson posted her sixth consecutive double-double with 20 kills on .400 hitting and 10 digs, as she eclipsed her previous career high of 19 kills set at Minnesota in 2005.

 While Larson placed a solid offensive attack with five players totaling at least eight kills, NU’s floor defense sparked the Huskers’ 11th sweep in 14 matches, holding KSU to season-low .061 hitting.

 NU totaled 72 digs, setting a Big 12-high for a three-game match this season and also matching its best three-match total of the rally scoring era.
 Dani Busboom led the defensive effort with 19 digs, while Larson, Sarah Pavan (13 kills and 10 digs) and Rachel Holloway (46 assists and 11 digs) all recorded double-doubles. In addition,

Rachel Schwartz matched her career high in digs for the fourth straight match with 14 digs.

 Larson was one of two Huskers to establish career bests in kills, as freshman Kori Cooper totaled eight kills and five blocks in the win.