Huskers Picked First in Big 12 Preseason Poll

<?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>IRVING, Texas ? 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 conference office announced Tuesday afternoon.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

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.

 

Nebraska begins two-a-day practices Wednesday morning while the team’s media day is set for Friday, Aug. 10, at 1:30 p.m. at the NU Coliseum.

 

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.  IowaState was sixth with KansasState, 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.

 

Pavan was named Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year for the third consecutive season.  In 2006, the two-time Big 12 Player of the Year led the conference in kills (5.10 - school record) and points (5.99) per game while hitting .313 on the season.   Pavan ranked 10th nationally in kills per game and reached double figures in kills in 33 of 34 matches, including 10 with at least 20 kills.  She was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Championship after posting 5.50 kills and 2.88 digs per game in victories over No. 4 UCLA and No. 2 Stanford.  Pavan was awarded numerous awards for her performance in 2006, including the Honda-Broderick Cup, Big 12 Female Athlete of the Year and ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American of the Year.      

 

Nataly Korobkova (KansasState) was tabbed the Preseason Newcomer of the Year.  The 6-3 outside hitter joined the Wildcats at the beginning of the second semester in 2007 and participated in spring workouts and matches.  Juliann Faucette (Texas) was selected as the Preseason Freshman of the Year. Faucette was a four-year starter for WestviewHigh School in San Diego, while being tabbed as the nation’s No. 2 recruit by Prep Volleyball. 

  

Big 12 Conference teams open the season the weekend of Aug. 24, while conference action is slated to begin on Sept. 12.