Huskers Host Holiday Inn Downtown Classic

Holiday Inn Downtown Classic

Friday, Aug. 31: 
No. 18 Cal Poly (2-1) vs. No. 3 Penn State (2-0) ? NU Coliseum ? 4:30 p.m.

Creighton (3-1) at No. 1 Nebraska (2-0) ? NU Coliseum ? 7 p.m.

Sunday, Sept 2:
No. 18 Cal Poly vs. Creighton ? Qwest Center Omaha ? 12:30 p.m.

No. 3 Penn State vs. No. 1 Nebraska ? Qwest Center Omaha ? 3 p.m.

Monday, Sept 3: 
No. 18 Cal Poly at  No. 1 Nebraska ? NU Coliseum ? 5 p.m.

Tickets:  Friday and Monday’s matches at the NU Coliseum are sold out.

For Sunday’s match, tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster outlets across the state, at Ticketmaster.com or at the Qwest Center Omaha box office. Prices are $20 (lower) and $15 (upper).

Television:  None

Radio:  Nebraska matches will be carried on selected Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and KHUS 93.3 FM in Omaha and on the Internet at Huskers.com

Live Stats: Huskers.com

Internet Video: All three of Nebraska’s matches will be carried live on HuskersNside

The top-ranked Nebraska volleyball team begins the home portion of its 2007 schedule this week, as it plays host to the Holiday Inn Downtown Classic. The four-team tournament is spread out over four days in two cities and features three of the nation’s top-25 teams in the Huskers, No. 3 Penn State and No. 18 Cal Poly along with Creighton.

Tournament action gets underway in Lincoln on Friday with a doubleheader featuring Penn State and Cal Poly at 4:30 p.m., before the Huskers take to the NU Coliseum court for the first time this season for a 7 p.m. match with Creighton. The contest between the Huskers and Bluejays will be the 91st consecutive sellout at the NU Coliseum.

Following an off day, the scene shifts to the Qwest Center in Omaha on Sunday, as Creighton and Cal Poly will begin the day at 12:30 p.m., before the Huskers and Nittany Lions take the court at 3 p.m. One of the largest crowds in college volleyball is expected on Sunday, as over 11,000 tickets have been sold. The tournament wraps up Monday afternoon in Lincoln, as the Huskers square off with Cal Poly at 5 p.m. in a holiday matinee.

Fans can listen to all three matches across the state on the Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and KHUS 93.3 FM in Omaha, as well as on the Internet at Huskers.com. HuskersNside subscribers can also watch all three Husker matches live this weekend.

NU Volleyball Quick Hits
?-Sarah Pavan was named the AVCA Player of the Week for the second time in her career on Monday. She is only the third Husker to be a two-time AVCA Player of the Week, joining Amber Holmquist and Allison Weston.

?-Penn State (.323) and Nebraska (.296) ranked first and second, respectively, in hitting percentage in 2006.

?-Nebraska will be looking for its 10th win in as many matches at the Qwest Center on Sunday. NU is also 6-0 against top-10 teams in the building following Saturday’s win over UCLA.

Worth Noting
?-Sunday’s contest between the Huskers and Penn State is one of the most anticipated matchups in college volleyball this season.  The two teams have combined to win the last two AVCA Player-of-the-Year and last three AVCA Freshman-of-the-Year awards. In all, eight All-Americans should be on the court on Sunday.

?-The Huskers have played their last 75 matches as the nation’s top-ranked team in the AVCA poll, dating back to the end of 2004 season. In that span, NU has a record of 71-4. In fact, Husker juniors Amanda Gates, Jordan Larson and Rachel Schwartz have been a part of the nation’s No. 1 team in every match during their collegiate careers.

?-With the No. 1 ranking in Monday’s CSTV/AVCA poll, the Huskers have spent 73 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 33 of the last 34 polls dating back to the start of 2005.

?-NU is 39-3 (.929) against ranked opponents since the start of the 2004 season and 75-11 (.874) in eight-plus seasons under John Cook.

?-Over 11,000 all-session tickets have already been sold for Sunday’s doubleheader at Qwest Center Omaha. Of the nine previous matches at the Qwest Center, all have enjoyed crowds in excess of 10,000, including last week’s AVCA Showcase.

?-With last Friday’s victory over Tennessee at the AVCA Showcase, Nebraska became just the third program in NCAA Division I history to reach the 1,000-win plateau, joining UCLA (1,038) and Missouri State (1,007). The Huskers’ win over UCLA in the championship match of the AVCA Showcase marked the first-ever meeting between programs with 1,000 wins.

Most Wins by NCAA Division I Programs
No. School Wins
1. UCLA 1,038
2. Missouri State 1,007
3. Nebraska 1,001
4. Brigham Young 995
5. Long Beach State 974
Courtesy: Northern Iowa and BYU SID Offices

?-Sarah Pavan’s selection as AVCA Player of the Week on Monday marked just the third time a Husker volleyball player has garnered the AVCA’s weekly honor.  She joins Amber Holmquist and Allison Weston as Nebraska’s other two-time recipients.

?-Sarah Pavan’s 25 kills vs. UCLA on Aug. 25, marked the third-highest total by a Husker in John Cook’s eight seasons at Nebraska. Here is a look at the top-five kills total since the start of the 2000 campaign.

?-Nebraska’s middle blocking duo of Tracy Stalls and Kori Cooper enjoyed a strong performance against  UCLA, combining for 26 kills without an error on 44 swings. The last time Nebraska’s two middle blockers did not commit a hitting error was on Oct. 7, 2006, at Texas A&M when Stalls and Pavan combined for 15 kills on 25 swings.  Stalls’ 16-kill effort was the second-higest total of her career, while Cooper reached double figures for the second time as a Husker with 10 kills. The duo only reached double figures in kills one time during the 2006 season - at Iowa State - and it has only happened three times in the Huskers’ last 77 matches dating back to the 2004 season.

Husker Probable Starters
MB - #11 Tracy Stalls: 6-4, Sr., Denver, Colo. - Two-year captain who earned second-team AVCA All-America honors in 2006. Stalls is second in the Big 12 with a .594 hitting percentage, averaging 2.86 kills and 1.00 blocks per game in 2007. She had 16 kills on .640 hitting and four blocks in a win over fifth-ranked UCLA to earn a spot on the AVCA Showcase All-Tournament Team.  Stalls averaged 2.67 kills and 1.41 blocks per game in 2006, leading the Big 12 in hitting percentage (.400) and ranking 11th nationally. She totaled a career-high 17 kills in the 2006 NCAA semifinals against UCLA, one of 13 matches with at least 10 kills in 2006. Stalls spent part of the summer with the USA National Team, playing in the Pan America Cup and averaging 2.25 kills per game while hitting .615.

MB - #15 Kori Cooper: 6-2, So., Amarillo, Texas - Second-year starter who shares the position with junior Amanda Gates. Cooper averages 2.33 kills and 1.17 blocks per game in 2007, ranking fourth in the Big 12 in hitting percentage (.500). Cooper comes off one of the best performances of her career, totaling 10 kills on .526 hitting and four blocks in a win over UCLA on Aug. 25. She was one of two freshmen starters in 2006, averaging 1.67 kills and 0.95 blocks per game in 30 matches. She finished fourth in the Big 12 in hitting percentage (.344) - topping all conference newcomers in that category - and was second in hitting percentage in league matches (.354).

-OR - #17 Amanda Gates: 6-1, Jr., Columbus, Neb. - Gates alternates with Cooper at the M2 spot in the Husker lineup. Gates recorded one kill and two blocks in one game against Tennessee at the AVCA Showcase on Aug. 24. She started 11 matches in 2006, averaging 1.27 kills and 1.18 blocks per game. Gates, who has a 4.00 GPA in communication studies, totaled a career-high 10 blocks in the 2006 opener against San Diego. She made a major contribution in the NCAA title match, coming off the bench for three key blocks to spark NU’s comeback from a 27-25 deficit in game three.

L - #5 Rachel Schwartz: 5-9, Jr., Lincoln, Neb. - Schwartz, who was NU’s defensive and serving specialist in 2006, won the starting libero job over freshman Kayla Banwarth in fall camp. Schwartz is third on the team with 3.29 digs per game, highlighted by a career-high 17 digs against UCLA on Aug. 25.  She started 29 matches in 2006, averaging 2.41 digs, 0.23 aces and 0.30 assists per game. She totaled double figures in digs a total of 15 times despite playing only three rotations.

OPP - #9 Sarah Pavan: 6-5, Sr., Kitchener, Ontario - Pavan is a three-time first-team AVCA All-American and reigning Honda-Broderick Cup winner. Pavan averages a Big 12-best 5.57 kills, 2.00 digs and 1.00 blocks per game. She was the AVCA National Player of the Week and AVCA Showcase MVP, totaling 39 kills on .385 hitting in a pair of wins. Pavan tallied a match-high 25 kills, 12 digs and three blocks in a win over No. 5 UCLA on Aug. 25.  She was the AVCA player of the Year in 2006, leading the Big 12 in kills (5.10) and points per game (5.98), while hitting .313 on the season. Pavan reached double figures in kills in 33 of 34 matches as a junior, including 10 matches with at least 20 kills. Pavan, who needs 239 kills to break Allison Weston’s school record of 1,778, is on pace to become just the fourth four-time, first-team All-American in NCAA volleyball history. She carries a 4.0 GPA in biochemistry and was recognized as the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American of the Year for all sports at the Division I level for the 2006-07 year. She declined an opportunity to play with the Canadian team this summer to take an upper-level chemistry class so she can graduate this season. She made her Canadian National Team debut at age 16.

OH - #10 Jordan Larson: 6-2, Jr., Hooper, Neb. - Larson is one of the country’s top all-around performers, earning first-team AVCA All-America honors in 2006. She enters this weekend’s tournament averaging 3.43 kills and 3.43 digs per game after garnering AVCA Showcase All-Tournament team laurels. Larson collected her first double-double of the year with 11 kills, 15 digs and five blocks in a win over No. 5 UCLA on Aug. 25.  She averaged 4.13 kills and 3.50 digs per game as a sophomore and was the only player in the Big 12 to rank in the top 10 in both categories. Larson was among conference leaders in service aces (0.46, third), points per game (5.07, third), kills (fifth) and digs (10th). She was the Big 12’s Co-Defensive Player of the Year and totaled a team-high 22 double-doubles in 2006. Larson had 19 kills on .378 hitting and 15 digs in the win over No. 2 Stanford in the NCAA title match. She was also the Most Outstanding Player at the NCAA Gainesville Regional with 3.62 kills, 3.25 digs and 0.50 aces per game, highlighted by a career-high 21 kills and 17 digs in the regional final against No. 9 Minnesota.

OH - #3 Christina Houghtelling: 6-2, Sr., Cambridge, Neb. - Houghtelling made a successful return to the court last weekend after missing all of the 2006 season. She is second in the Big 12 with 5.00 digs per game and also adds 2.57 kills per game. She topped NU in digs in both matches at the AVCA Showcase en route to Big 12 Defensive Player-of-the-Week honors. Houghtelling totaled a career-high 23 digs in a four-game win over fifth-ranked UCLA on Aug. 25. She was the 2005 AVCA Player of the Year, averaging 3.69 kills, 2.49 digs and 1.03 blocks per game in helping the Huskers to 33 wins and an NCAA finals appearance. Houghtelling was among the Big 12 leaders in both kills (10th) and hitting percentage (.375, fifth) in 2005. She tied for the team-lead with six double-doubles, including a 19-kill, 20-dig performance against Kansas State. She also was a first-team Academic All-American who carries a 3.90 GPA entering her final college semester.

S - #12 Rachel Holloway: 5-10, So., Franklin, Tenn. - Holloway is one of five AVCA All-Americans in the Husker lineup and held her job despite a strong challenge from senior Maggie Griffin in fall camp. Holloway is second in the Big 12 with 13.57 assists per game, while also tying for third on the squad with 3.29 digs per game. She picked up her first double-double of 2007 versus No. 5 UCLA with 61 assists and a career-high 16 digs while helping NU hit .314 as a team against the Bruins. Holloway was a third-team All-American in 2006, piloting an offense that led the nation in assists (16.20/gm) and kills (17.40/gm) and ranked second in hitting percentage (.295). She averaged 13.43 assists, 2.49 digs and 1.11 kills per game, finishing 11th nationally in assists. Holloway, who was only the second freshman in NCAA history to be a starting setter for a title team, totaled 13 double-doubles and totaled 50-or-more assists in 11 matches in 2006. She tallied a career-high 65 assists in the NCAA Regional title win over Minnesota.

Scouting The Holiday Inn Downtown Classic
Creighton (3-1) comes into this weekend’s tournament riding a three-match win streak, including a four-game win at Iowa State Tuesday night. The Bluejays, who returned six starters from a team that went 21-10 last season. Setter Korie Lebeda guides a balanced attack that features three players averaging at least 3.00 kills per game. Lebeda averages 12.85 assists, 2.62 digs and 1.08 blocks per game. Middle blocker Kelly Goc leads the Bluejays in both kills per game (3.78) and hitting percentage (.508) despite suffering an ankle injury at ISU.
Series History: Nebraska leads the series, 9-0, dropping one game in the first nine meetings. The Huskers won last season’s matchup at the Qwest Center in four games. In that match, Jordan Larson totaled a match-high 18 kills and 12 digs to lead four Huskers with at least 10 kills.

Under long-time head coach Russ Rose, Penn State is 2-0 on the season and ranked third in this week’s CSTV/AVCA Coaches poll. The Nittany Lions turned in an impressive weekend, topping fourth-ranked Texas twice in four games to open the season. PSU features two of the nation’s premier players in first-team All-American outside hitters Nicole Fawcett (5.00 kills/gm, 1.88 digs/gm) and Megan Hodge (5.25 kills/gm, 1.25 blocks/gm, 2.62 digs/gm). Hodge was the Big Ten’s Player of the Year as a freshman in 2006 - the first time that has occurred in league history. Middle blockers Christa Harmotto averages 3.50 kill and 1.25 blocks per game, hitting .535 in last week’s matches.
Series History: Nebraska leads the all-time series, 10-5, with six of the previous meetings coming in NCAA Tournament action. The teams have not met since a Husker sweep at the NU Coliseum on Sept. 11, 2005. In that match, Sarah Pavan, Jordan Larson and Christina Houghtelling all finished with at least 10 kills, as NU hit .367 as a team.

 Cal Poly comes to Lincoln with a 2-1 record after its first weekend of action. The Mustangs, who reached the second round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament, are ranked 18th in this week’s CSTV/AVCA poll and were picked to win the Big West title. Last season, Cal Poly went 23-6 and won its first conference title in 22 years. Cal Poly returns nearly its entire starting lineup, highlighted by Big West Player of the Year Kylie Atherstone, who is averaging 2.91 kills and 3.45 digs per game. Outside hitter Ali Waller leads Cal Poly with 4.09 kills per game while chipping in 1.45 blocks and 2.00 digs per game. Series History: Nebraska and Cal Poly have split their two previous meetings. Cal Poly won the first meeting in 1984 before the series was resumed with a Husker win last fall. In that match, Sarah Pavan and 18 kills on .351 hitting, while Jordan Larson had 16 kills and 13 digs.

AVCA Showcase Rewind
The Huskers became just the second host school to  win the AVCA Showcase in the event’s 13-year history, defeating Tennessee and UCLA. Nebraska became the first program to win three AVCA Showcase crowns, taking home titles in both 2001 and 2005.

Saturday (Nebraska 3, UCLA 1): Behind dominating performances from its middle blockers, the Huskers claimed the AVCA Showcase title with a 30-23, 22-30, 30-18, 30-21 victory over fifth-ranked UCLA in front of an event record-crowd of 11,076 at Qwest Center Omaha.
 Tracy Stalls and Kori Cooper combined for 26 kills on only 44 swings. Stalls hit a blistering .640, putting down 16 kills without an error in 25 attacks. Cooper was also error-free, totaling 10 kills in 19 attacks for a .526 percentage. The strong performances lifted the Huskers to a .314 team hitting percentage, including a .450 mark in a decisive game three.

Sarah Pavan, the reigning AVCA National Player of the Year, recorded a match-high 25 kills to lead five Huskers in double-figures in kills and earn MVP honors. Outside hitters Jordan Larson (11 kills and 15 digs) and Christina Houghtelling (10 kills and 23 digs) both finished with double-doubles, while Rachel Holloway totaled 61 assists and a career-high 16 digs.

Friday (Nebraska 3, Tennessee 1): The Huskers opened defense of their title in grand fashion, rolling to a 30-15, 30-19, 30-18 sweep of Tennessee in the opening round of the AVCA Showcase. 

The Huskers, who never trailed in the first two games, were dominant on both ends of the court. NU hit .361 as a team while holding Tennessee to .088 hitting. Sarah Pavan paced the Huskers with 14 kills on .417 hitting and four blocks, while Jordan Larson chipped in 13 kills on .522 hitting and nine digs.The season opener also saw the return of Christina Houghtelling, who totaled eight kills and a team-high 12 digs in her first action since the 2005 season.

The win was Nebraska’s 1,000th all-time victory, as the Huskers became only the third program to reach that milestone.

Huskers Sweep Big 12 Honors
It was a clean sweep for the Nebraska volleyball team in the Big 12’s weekly honors on Aug. 27, as Sarah Pavan and Christina Houghtelling received the league’s Offensive and Defensive Players-of-the-Week awards, respectively.

For Pavan, the Offensive Player of the Week was her sixth Big 12 weekly honor, while Houghtelling picked up her second conference certificate and became the first player to receive the league’s Defensive Player of the Week, as the award was instituted this fall.

Pavan was selected as the AVCA College Volleyball Showcase MVP after averaging 5.57 kills on .382 hitting, 2.00 digs, 1.00 blocks and 0.43 service aces per game. Against fifth-ranked UCLA on Aug. 25, she totaled a match-high 25 kills on .362 hitting, 12 digs and three blocks to lead Nebraska to its second AVCA Showcase crown in three years. Her 25 kills were the second-highest total of her career and the most by a Husker since 2004. Against Tennessee, she chipped in a match-high 14 kills on .417 hitting, four blocks and three aces.

Houghtelling was the defensive star in NU’s 2-0 weekend, averaging 5.00 digs and 0.86 blocks per game to the Husker effort in her first action since the 2005 season.  She compiled a career-high 23 digs and two blocks in NU’s victory over fifth-ranked UCLA in the AVCA.  Houghtelling surpassed her previous high of 20 (Oklahoma, 2005) to earn the 11th double-double of her career as she also recorded 10 kills against the Bruins. She played a major role in NU’s sweep of Tennessee on Friday, collecting a team-high 12 digs and adding four blocks, as NU held the Lady Vols to just .088 hitting.

What to Watch For this Weekend
 Several Husker players are within milestones entering this weekend’s Holiday Inn Downtown Classic. 
 ?-The Huskers have won their last 48 matches at the Nebraska Coliseum, dating back to the 2004 season.
 ?-Sophomore setter Rachel Holloway needs two assists to reach 1,600 for her career.
 ?-Jordan Larson is three service aces from reaching 100 for her career. She is also 14 aces from tying Nikki Stricker (1990-93) and Kathi DeBoer (1984-87) for ninth place on NU’s all-time list.
 ?-Christina Houghtelling is four blocks away from reaching 200 for her career.  
 ?-With 1,549 kills, Sarah Pavan has already moved into fourth on Nebraska’s all-time kills chart. She is now just 55 kills away from passing U.S. National Team member Nancy Metcalf for third place.

Two AVCA Players of the Year in the Same Lineup...Never Happened Before 2007
With Sarah Pavan winning the AVCA National Player-of-the-Year Award in 2006, Nebraska has now had four AVCA National Players of the Year, including three this decade. With the return of 2005 AVCA National Player of the Year Christina Houghtelling to the lineup this year, the Huskers will become the first team in NCAA volleyball history to field two former AVCA National Players of the Year on the court at one time.

Pavan and Houghtelling look to become only the fifth player in college volleyball history to win the AVCA honor more than once, joining Logan Tom (Stanford, 2001-02); Misty May (Long Beach State, 1997-98); Tara Cross (Long Beach State, 1988-89) and Teee Williams (Hawaii, 1987-89).

Nebraska Looks to Join Elite Club
This fall, the Huskers will look to join an elite list, as only five programs have repeated as national champions. The most recent was USC, which took home back-to-back titles in both 2002 and 2003.

Nebraska and No. 1 Rankings 
Nebraska has now spent 73 weeks all-time at No. 1 in the AVCA poll, the most weeks at No. 1 of any Division I program. In all, 54 of the 73 weeks at No. 1 have come under Coach John Cook. Nebraska is one of two teams to be ranked in the AVCA Coaches poll for all 353 weeks of its existence. The Huskers have been ranked in the top 10 for 319 weeks, which trails only Stanford’s 323 weeks in the top 10. Dating back to the end of the 2004 season, Nebraska has played its last 75 matches as the nation’s No. 1 team, going an impressive 71-4 in that stretch.

The Streak is 60 in the State
 From Lincoln to Omaha to North Platte, Nebraska has enjoyed overwhelming support across the state. The Huskers open the home portion of their schedule on Friday night against Creighton, looking to extend its 54-match home court win streak.  While that streak is among the longest in NCAA history, the Huskers have strung together another impressive streak, winning its last 60 matches inside state borders. The streak includes the 54 home matches, five non-home matches at the Qwest Center as well as a match in North Platte in 2004.

Huskers Continue Big 12 Dominance 
Nebraska’s Big 12 title in 2006 continues one of the most successful runs in NCAA history. The Huskers have won nine Big 12 titles in the last 11 years and 28 Big Eight/Big 12 crowns in 31 years. Over the last decade, Nebraska is 206-14 in Big 12 matches, including 135-5 under Head Coach John Cook.

Nebraska: All-American U 
Nebraska continued its string of All-America success in 2006 with four Huskers earning AVCA All-America accolades.  Rachel Holloway, Jordan Larson, Sarah Pavan and Tracy Stalls were all selected, increasing Nebraska’s NCAA-leading totals to 29 players and 57 certificates, respectively. Nebraska has had at least one All-American every season since 1983, a total of 25 straight seasons, including 22 in Cook’s seven seasons.

Cook’s Winning Ways 
Nebraska Coach John Cook has been amazingly successful during his tenure, posting a 222-14 record (.940 winning percentage). All 14 losses have come against teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament, including the eventual NCAA champion in 2001 (Stanford), 2002 (USC) and 2005 (Washington).

A two-time AVCA National Coach of the Year, Cook has enjoyed greater success in the Big 12, going 135-5 in conference play in his seven years at Nebraska. The Huskers have won six Big 12 titles over the last seven seasons (2000-02, 2004-06) and have dropped just 49 of the 463 conference games they have played over the past six years, good for an .894 winning percentage.

NCAA’s Top Records Since 2000
No.  Team Record Pct.
1. Nebraska 222-14 .941
2. Florida 221-23 .906
3. Hawaii 217-27 .889
4. USC 190-30 .863
5. Penn State 200-35 .851
Updated as of Aug. 28th

Nebraska Coliseum: Sold Out for 2007
Coming off a national title, it was no coincidence that interest in Nebraska volleyball is at an all-time high. When single-match tickets at the NU Coliseum went on sale on Aug. 1, they were scooped up in 45 minutes, insuring that Nebraska’s NCAA record streak of Coliseum sellouts would reach triple figures by the end of the year. Fans began camping out in front of the ticket office 16 hours before tickets went on sale. Prior to this season, the quickest NU had ever sold out its Coliseum matches was nine days.

The Huskers will carry a streak of 90 consecutive sellouts at the NU Coliseum into Friday’s home opener against Creighton. The streak began with a 10-game stretch to close the 2001 campaign, and has carried over through the last five seasons. The last non-sellout came on Sept. 25, 2001, against Creighton.

Success in the Classroom
Nebraska continued to excel in the classroom in 2006, as Sarah Pavan was named the CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year, not only in volleyball, but in all sports in the University division. She became the second Husker student-athlete to ever receive this distinction and the first since former Husker Rob Zatechka in 1994.

The Huskers have had 29 academic All-Americans in volleyball, including at least one in 19 of the past 23 seasons. In July, Nebraska was also awarded the AVCA GamePlan Academic Team award for the 12th time, the most of any Division I program.

Pavan may meet her toughest test to repeat as Academic All-American of the Year from her own team NU’s starting lineup includes three senior All-Americans with GPAs of 3.90 or better in Sarah Pavan (4.00 in biochemistry), Tracy Stalls (3.946 in an individualized program of studies) and Christina Houghtelling (3.90 in elementary education).

Husker Recruiting Class Among Nations’ Best
Nebraska’s incoming class of freshmen is very well thought of around the country, as the class was ranked fifth nationally by both Volleyball Magazine and Prepvolleyball.com.  The group includes four Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 selections in Kayla Banwarth, Brooke Delano, Lindsey Licht, Tara Mueller along with walk-on Jordan Willberger. Licht enrolled in January and went through spring drills with the team. Licht and Banwarth made their Husker debuts during the AVCA Showcase last weekend, while Mueller and Delano could see time in this weekend’s tournament.

Huskers Tabbed by Big 12 Coaches
Defending national champion Nebraska has been selected as the preseason favorite to win the Big 12 volleyball title for the 11th consecutive season in a vote of the league’s head coaches

The Huskers received 10 of the possible 11 first-place votes while tallying 100 points overall.  Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams.  Last season, NU earned its third NCAA title after going 33-1 overall and 19-1 against the league for its third straight Big 12 crown and ninth title in 11 years of Big 12 action.

Right-side hitter Sarah Pavan, the 2006 AVCA Player of the Year, headlines a deep and talented Husker roster.  Four additional All-Americans will also be featured among the returning starters -- setter Rachel Holloway, outside hitters Christina Houghtelling and Jordan Larson and middle blocker Tracy Stalls.  

In addition to those five All-Americans, the Huskers also feature three other players with starting experience from a year ago, including middle blockers Kori Cooper and Amanda Gates and defensive specialist Rachel Schwartz, who will move to libero this fall.

Texas was second behind NU with 91 points, including one first-place vote.  The Longhorns were followed by Missouri, Texas A&M and Colorado filling the top five spots.  Iowa State was sixth with Kansas State, Baylor, Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Tech rounding out the poll. 
 Nebraska also paced the conference with a Big 12 record five preseason All-Big 12 selections, including Holloway, Houghtelling, Larson, Pavan and Stalls.

Husker Volleyball and Team USA
Members of the Nebraska volleyball program had a busy summer representing USA Volleyball in competitions all over the world. 

 ?-Senior middle blocker Tracy Stalls returned to the U.S. National team for the first time since 2004 and helped Team USA to a fourth-place finish at the Pan American Cup in Colima, Mexico. Stalls started the first three matches before suffering a slight knee injury that knocked her out of competition. In her three matches, she averaged 2.25 kills per game on .615 hitting, highlighted by 13 kills on 18 swings against Argentina and eight kills on 10 swings in a five-game match over the Dominican Republic.

 ?-Freshman outside hitter Tara Mueller started for the U.S. Junior National Team in July at the Under-20 World Championships in Thailand, helping Team USA to a fourth-place finish. Mueller started all seven matches at libero, ranked third among all tournament players in digs with 36 and eighth in serve reception percentage. 

 ?-Assistant Coach Lee Maes served as the Head Coach of the USA Junior National A2 Team, leading them to a perfect 5-0 record and a gold medal at the 2007 European Global Challenge in Pula, Croatia.

Next Week
The Huskers will host the Ameritas Players Challenge on Sept. 7-8 with Duke, New Mexico State and Louisville visting the NU Coliseum. NU opens tournament play against No. 14 Duke on Friday, Sept. 7, at 7 p.m.