No. 1 Huskers Take on Texas A&M on Saturday

Texas A&M (11-2, 1-2 Big 12)
at No. 1 Nebraska (9-0, 2-0 Big 12)

Sat., Sept. 22 ? NU Coliseum ? 7 p.m
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Tickets:  Sold Out (96th consecutive sellout at NU Coliseum)

Television:  NET (Ch. 12) and NET-HD (Ch. 112) with Larry Punteney and Kathi Wieskamp

Radio:  Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and KHUS 93.3 FM in Omaha, and on Huskers.com

Live Stats: Huskers.com

Live Video: Huskers.com

Following a pair of sweeps last week, the top-ranked Husker volleyball team is off until this Saturday, when it takes on Texas A&M at the Nebraska Coliseum. First serve between the Huskers (9-0, 2-0 Big 12) and Aggies (11-2, 1-2) is set for 7 p.m. and the match will be carried across the state on the Husker Sports Network. Saturday’s match will also be televised across Nebraska on NET (Ch. 12) and NET-HD (Ch. 112). The volleyball match caps a day-night doubleheader for Husker sports, as the Nebraska football team will take on Ball State at 11:30 a.m.

One of the strengths of Nebraska’s attack through the first third of the season has been the play of middle blockers Tracy Stalls and Kori Cooper, who rank among the Big 12 leaders in hitting percentage and combine to average over 5.00 kills per game. Stalls, who ranked among the national leaders last season at .400, is hitting an eye-popping .508 on the season, while Cooper is hitting .402 and averaging nearly a kill per game more than a year ago. Last week, the pair hit .583 and averaged 6.16 kills per game in sweeps of seventh-ranked Texas and Texas Tech.

Texas A&M, which snapped a two-match losing streak with a win over Texas Tech on Wednesday, went 10-0 in non-conference play and was ranked No. 25 in last week’s CSTV/AVCA poll before falling to Oklahoma and Iowa State last week. Sophomore outside hitter Sarah Ammerman leads a youthful Aggie squad, averaging a team-best 4.03 kills per game, while middle blockers Kelly Stanton (.403) and Jillian Phillips (.387) are both hitting over .385. Nebraska and Texas A&M are the only teams in the Big 12 with both middle blockers hitting over .385 entering this weekend’s matches.

NU Volleyball Quick Hits
?-Texas A&M hit .307 as a team in last year’s meeting in Lincoln,  the highest total against NU since 2004. It was one of only three time in the last 243 matches that an opponent hit over .300 against the Huskers.

?-Kori Cooper’s 11 kills at Texas Tech last Saturday marked the first time a middle blocker has had the sole team lead in kills since Melissa Elmer paced NU with 13 kills in the 2005 NCAA Semifinal against Santa Clara, a span of 44 matches.

?-Following her five blocks at Texas Tech, Tracy Stalls is seven blocks away from becoming the 11th Husker to reach 500 career blocks.

Devaney Center Match vs. Hawaii Sold Out
Nebraska’s match against No. 15 Hawaii on Oct. 21 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center is officially sold out. Approximately 13,000 tickets have been sold for the contest with the rest of the arena seats behind held for UNL students. It was mark the Huskers’ first sellout at the Devaney Center and will likely break the NCAA single-match attendance record of 13,081 set by Nebraska against Penn State on Sept. 2 at the Qwest Center in Omaha.

Huskers Remain No. 1 in CSTV/AVCA Poll
Nebraska remained in first place in the weekly CSTV/AVCA Coaches poll released Monday afternoon. The Huskers collected a total of 1,495 points and 55 of the 60 first-place votes, while second-ranked Stanford received the other five first-place votes and totaled 1,445 points. All 60 coaches who vote all had Nebraska and Stanford in their top two spots this week.

A total of three Big 12 teams were ranked this week, as seventh-ranked Texas and No. 16 Kansas State joined the Huskers in this week’s top 25. In addition, three other Big 12 squads - Oklahoma, Iowa State and Texas A&M - received votes this week.

Scouting Texas A&M
Coach Laurie Corbelli (317-136 in 15 years at Texas A&M) has the Aggies back in contention for an NCAA Tournament appearance this fall after TAMU went 12-16 and missed the NCAAs for the first time in 14 years in 2006.

Texas A&M enters the weekend with a 11-2 record after snapping a two-match losing streak with a win over Texas Tech Wednesday night. The Aggies returned four starters and rank second in the Big 12 in hitting percentage (.305) and lead the Big 12 in opponent hitting (.149) entering the weekend. TAMU is led by sophomore outside hitters Sarah Ammerman (4.03 kills and 2.46 digs/gm) and Mary Batis (3.47 kills and 3.44 digs/gm), who combine for nearly half of the Aggies’ kills. Middle blockers Kelly Stanton and Jillian Phillips combine for over five kills and two blocks per game, while both hit over .385.

Nebraska leads the series, 25-6 and has won the last 15 meetings, the longest winning streak in the series, dating back to the 1999 season. NU has won the last seven meetings all by sweeps and in 14-0 all-time in Lincoln.

Worth Noting
?-Nebraska brings a national-best 19-match win streak into Saturday’s contest. The streak began with NU’s win over the Aggies at the NU Coliseum last November.
?-The Huskers are hitting .375 as a team over its last five matches, including wins over three ranked teams in the stretch and a fourth - New Mexico State - which is now in the top 25.
?-In six career matches against Texas A&M, Sarah Pavan is averaging 6.00 kills and 1.06 blocks per game while hitting .516 in that span.
?-Nebraska is 66-2 (.971) in its last 68 Big 12 Conference matches dating back to the 2003 season.
?-The Huskers have played their last 82 matches as the nation’s top-ranked team in the AVCA poll, dating back to the end of the 2004 season, going 78-4 in that stretch. Husker juniors Amanda Gates, Jordan Larson and Rachel Schwartz have played every match in their career as the nation’s No. 1 ranked squad.
?-With the No. 1 ranking in Monday’s CSTV/AVCA poll, the Huskers have spent 76 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 36 of the last 37 polls dating back to the start of 2005.
?-Nebraska has a 105-5 (.955) record since the start of the 2004 season.
?-Nebraska will go for its 61st straight home win against Texas A&M on Saturday night. The Huskers’ current 60-match home win streak ranks fourth in NCAA history.
?-Entering this week, only seven Division I programs remain undefeated, as four teams fell by the wayside last week. Conference play is already underway in the Big 12 and SEC, while the Pac-10 and Big Ten begin league play this week. The next undefeated matchup could take place on Thursday, Sept. 29, as Stanford and USC square off for the first time this 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 leads the Big 12 in hitting percentage (.508), averaging 2.57 kills and 1.11 blocks per game in 2007. Over NU’s last five contests, Stalls is hitting at a .574 clip, averaging 2.87 kills per game. She is hitting  .536 in conference play with 17 kills on just 28 swings, highlighted by 10 kills on .600 hitting and five blocks at Texas Tech on Sept. 15 Stalls totaled seven kills on .462 hitting and three blocks in a sweep of No. 7 Texas on Sept. 12. She was named to the Ameritas Players Challenge All-Tournament team, averaging 3.00 kills per game on .654 hitting. Stalls hit over .600 in both matches, including a season-best .692 (9-0-13) against New Mexico State. She had 16 kills on .640 hitting and four blocks in a win over No. 5  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. 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 -Two-year starter who has enjoyed a breakout 2007 campaign. Cooper is sixth in the league in hitting percentage (.402), averaging 2.48 kills and 1.04 blocks per game. She is also third on the team in assists (19), eclipsing her entire 2006 total in just nine matches. Cooper leads the Big 12 in hitting percentage in league play (.625) and is second on the team with 3.33 kills per game. Cooper had 11 kills and five blocks at Texas Tech on Sept. 15 and drilled nine kills on a career-best .692 hitting with three stuffs versus No. 7 Texas on Sept. 12. Cooper has reached double figures in kills three times in 2007, including 10-kill performances against No. 5 UCLA on Aug. 25 and versus No. 3 Penn State on Sept. 2. She totaled 10 kills on .350 hitting in a sweep of Penn State and hit .625 on eight swings against No. 17 Cal Poly on Sept. 3. She sparked NU to a win over UCLA in the AVCA Showcase with 10 kills on .526 hitting and four blocks. Cooper was one of two freshmen starters in 2006, averaging 1.67 kills and 0.95 blocks per game in 30 matches. 

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 in fall camp. Schwartz is second on the team with 3.56 digs per game, establishing a career high with 17 digs against fifth-ranked UCLA on Aug. 25 and against No. 17 Cal Poly on Sept. 3. Schwartz totaled 10 digs and matched her personal best with three aces at Texas Tech on Sept. 15. Schwartz started 29 matches as NU’s defensive specialist in 2006, averaging 2.41 digs, 0.23 aces and 0.30 assists per game. She reached double figures in digs 15 times despite playing only three rotations.
-or- #19 Tara Mueller: 6-0, Fr., Scottsdale, Ariz. - Mueller made her first start at NU against New Mexico State on Sept. 8. She totaled eight digs and added three assists in her first action at the position this year. Mueller is NU’s top reserve at outside hitter and had two kills and three blocks against Creighton on Aug. 21 and a pair of kills at Texas Tech on Sept. 15. A Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 selection, Mueller was the 2005 Gatorade Player of the Year in Arizona and started this summer for the U.S. Junior National Team.

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 4.82 kills, 1.86 digs and 0.50 service aces per game. She led NU to a sweep of No. 7 Texas on Sept. 12, delivering a team-high 17 kills on .520 hitting against the Longhorns. Pavan was selected as the MVP of both the AVCA Showcase and the Holiday Inn Downtown Classic. She was the AVCA National Player of the Week on Aug. 27, totaling 39 kills on .385 hitting in a pair of wins. She was dominant in a sweep of No. 17 Cal Poly on Sept. 3, finishing with 17 kills on .485 hitting against the Mustangs.  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 National 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, who needs 134 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 history. She also 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. Pavan declined an opportunity to play with the Canadian team this summer to take an upper-level chemistry class so she can graduate in May. 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 Saturday’s match averaging 3.54 kills, 3.50 digs and 0.39 service aces per game. She earned all-tourney honors at the AVCA Showcase and the Holiday Inn Downtown Classic.  Larson owns team-best four double-doubles, all of which have come against ranked opponents. She recorded a season-high 16 kills and a match-high 14 digs against No. 11 Duke on Sept. 7. Larson had 11 kills, 15 digs and a season-high five blocks against No. 5 UCLA on Aug. 25. Last year, she averaged 4.13 kills and 3.50 digs per game and was the only player in the Big 12 to rank in the top 10 in both categories. 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 has returned to her 2005 form after missing all of last season after shoulder surgery. She leads all Big 12 outside hitters in digs and ranks eighth overall with 4.00 per game while also averaging 3.11 kills per game. Houghtelling recorded a match-high 15 digs and added six kills at Texas Tech on Sept. 15. She was the MVP of the Amertias Players Challenge, hitting .535 and averaging 4.167 kills, 3.00 digs and 0.67 blocks per game. She recorded a season-high 15 kills on .519 hitting and nine digs in the sweep of New Mexico State. Houghtelling had 12 kills and hit .379 against No. 17 Cal Poly. She had two double-doubles (vs. Penn State and UCLA), including a career-high 23 digs against the Bruins on Aug. 25. She topped NU in digs in both matches at the AVCA Showcase en route to Big 12 Defensive Player-of-the-Week honors, highlighted by a career-best 23 digs against No. 5 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. She is playing at an exceptionally high level, ranking second in the Big 12 in assists (13.32) while adding 2.75 digs and 1.04 kills per game. She guides an offense that leads the Big 12 in kills and hitting percentage, facing a schedule that has included five ranked teams. She played one of the best matches of her career vs. No. 7 Texas on Sept. 11, dishing out 39 assists as NU hit .400 as a team while also adding six kills and six digs.  She has two double-doubles on the year - a 35 assist, 12-dig outing against Creighton on Aug. 31 and  61 assist, 16-dig effort against No. 5 UCLA on Aug. 25. Holloway, who earned all-tournament honors in each of the past two weeks, comes off a solid perfomance against New Mexico State, totaling 39 assists, eight digs, six kills and four blocks. The Huskers hit a season-best .409 against the Aggies and are hitting .386 over NU’s last four matches.  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 in 2006.
 
Last Time Out: Huskers Rout Red Raiders
 While the location was different, the result was the same as the No. 1 ranked Nebraska volleyball team improved to 9-0 on the season with a 30-19, 30-15, 30-20 victory over Texas Tech on Sept. 15.  The Huskers used a strong performance from middle blockers Tracy Stalls and Kori Cooper, who combined for 21 kills on .588 hitting in propelling Nebraska to its seventh consecutive sweep. 

Cooper recorded a season-best 11 kills on .579 hitting and five blocks, marking the first time the sophomore has led the Huskers in kills. Stalls totaled 10 kills on 15 swings and matched Cooper for team-high honors with five stuffs, keying a defensive performance that held Texas Tech to .075 hitting. Behind the duo, Nebraska hit .342 as a team and matched season bests in both blocks (11) and service aces. Both Rachel Schwartz and Sarah Pavan tied career bests against the Red Raiders. 

Schwartz, who did not record an ace in NU’s first eight matches, finished with three aces and 10 digs, while Pavan matched her NU best with four aces and added eight kills and four blocks.