No. 1 Huskers Sweep No. 7 Longhorns

Lincoln ? Behind 16 kills from AVCA National Player of the Year Sarah Pavan, top-ranked Nebraska opened Big 12 action with a 3-0 sweep over No. 7 Texas, winning 30-24, 30-17, 30-25 in front of a national television audience Wednesday evening.

Pavan hit a blistering .520 on 25 swings and keyed a Husker attack that hit .400 against the Longhorns, the second straight match that Nebraska (8-0, 1-0 Big 12) eclipsed the .400 mark as a team. It was the highest NU hit against a top-10 foe since hitting .400 against fifth-ranked Hawaii in 2001.

The senior, who also chipped in five digs and two blocks, moved in sole possession of second place on NU’s career kills list, moving past three-time All-American Lisa Reitsma. Pavan now has 1,637 career kills and is within striking distance of Allison Weston's career record.

While Pavan was the only Husker to reach double figures, Nebraska enjoyed superb offensive balance against Texas in posting its 60th consecutive home win.  All-American setter Rachel Holloway guided an attack that hit .300 in all three games and featured all six starters with at least six kills. The sophomore from Franklin, Tenn., had six kills on nine swings and added six digs in one of her best all-around performances of the year.
 
Middle blockers Tracy Stalls and Kori Cooper both enjoyed big nights, as Stalls had seven kills on .462 hitting and three blocks, while Cooper totaled nine kills on a career-high .692 hitting and three stuffs. Cooper’s hitting percentage was not only a career best, but also the highest single-match total by any Husker in 2007.

Nebraska Head Coach John Cook was pleased with the Huskers’ offense prowess, but knows there are many lessons that they can build upon, especially considering that Texas was without its complete lineup for Wednesday’s contest.

“We hit .400 against the seventh-ranked team in the country and were very balanced offensively,” Cook said. “With the exception of Christina (Houghtelling), who struggled a little bit tonight, offensively we were very good.  We still have a lot of things to work on, but I thought this was a good effort.”

In the opener, the Huskers overcame a slow start and relied on its middle blockers in recording a 30-24 win. Stalls and Cooper combined for seven kills on eight swings Both teams struggled at the onset, as the teams combined for 10 service errors in the opener and it took a while for both teams to find traction. Leading 11-9, Nebraska ran off four of the next six points to take a 15-11 advantage after a Stalls kill. Texas fought back, pulling to within 22-21, but could get no closer, as Stalls’ kill gave NU a two-point lead before she served three straight points to push the margin to 26-21.

The Huskers were near flawless offensively in game two, hitting .545 as a team and rolling to a 30-17 victory. Pavan led the Husker assault, drilling seven kills on nine swings, as Holloway dished out 14 assists and added a pair of kills. Pavan single-handed run off four straight points, delivering three kills and combing with Cooper on a block to stretch a 9-8 lead into a five-point cushion. Texas pulled to within 14-10 after a Brandy Magee kill, but the Huskers ran off six of the next eight points to push the lead to 20-12 on a Lindsey Licht kill and rolled to a 13-point win to take a 2-0 lead into the locker room.

The Huskers took control of the finale from the start, racing out to a 13-4 lead en route to a 30-25 win. Christina Houghtelling got the Huskers going early, as she delivered three kills in an early 9-3 Husker spurt. Texas, behind the play of freshman Juliann Faucette, fought back, getting to within 23-19, but kills by Larson and Houghtelling quickly pushed the margin back to six points and NU led by at least four points the rest of the match.

Faucette was the star for Texas in the losing effort, as the freshman outside hitter recorded 20 kills on .351 hitting, as the Longhorns (4-3, 0-1 Big 12) saw their four-match win streak snapped.

The Huskers hit the road for the first time Saturday night, as they travel to Texas Tech. First serve between the Huskers and Red Raiders is set for 7 p.m. and the match can be heard on B107.3 FM and on Huskers.com.