No. 1 Huskers Host Bears on Saturday

Baylor (8-7, 1-4 Big 12)
at No. 1 Nebraska (11-0, 4-0 Big 12) Sat., Sept. 29 ? NU Coliseum ? 7 p.m.Tickets:  Sold Out (97th consecutive sellout at NU Coliseum)
Television:  None  
Radio: B107.3 FM in Lincoln and on Huskers.com
Video: HuskersNside (subscription required)
Live Stats: Huskers.com

The Nebraska volleyball team closes the month on Saturday night, as it hosts the Baylor Bears. First serve between the Huskers (11-0, 4-0 Big 12) and Bears (8-7, 2-2 Big 12) is set for 7 p.m. from the NU Coliseum - the 97th consecutive volleyball sellout in the historic arena. Fans can listen to all of the action on B107.3 FM in Lincoln and on the Internet on Huskers.com. Saturday’s match will also be video-streamed on HuskersNside.

The Huskers continued their winning ways on Wednesday, sweeping Kansas on the road  to remain among a handful of undefeated Division I programs. All-American Jordan Larson led the Huskers’ efforts against the Jayhawks, totaling match-highs in kills (17), digs (11) and aces (three), while hitting .389 on 36 swings. Larson, who is 10th in the Big 12 in both kills (3.85) and digs (3.50), recorded her team-best sixth double-double on Wednesday and now has 33 during her Husker career. Larson, who is fifth in the Big 12 in service aces, recorded her first multiple ace match in a month in style, ripping off three consecutive aces at one point in game three.

Baylor comes to Lincoln looking to snap a two-match losing streak after getting swept by Texas A&M on Wednesday night in Waco. The Bears, who feature three sophomores and a freshman in their starting lineup, have played better on the road, winning six of their eight matches away from home, while winning twice in seven tries at home. The Bears feature one of the Big 12’s best middle blockers in Anna Breyfogle, who leads the Big 12 with 1.63 blocks per game, while setter Taylor Barnes leads the conference with 0.54 aces per game.

NU Volleyball Quick Hits
?-If the Huskers can sweep Baylor on Saturday, NU can close the month without dropping a game. It would be the third time NU has gone an entire September without dropping a game with the others coming in 1995 (11-0) and 1976 (7-0).
?-The Huskers have held their last three foes to a combined .091 hitting, and now lead the Big 12 in opponent hitting percentage (.146).
?-The Huskers have swept their last 13 straight Big 12 foes at home dating back to 2005.
?-Baylor was one of only four Big 12 teams to take a game from the Huskers in 2006.
?-NU is 256-22 (.921) in September since 1983 and has won its last 37 matches in the month since the 2004 season.

Scouting Baylor
Under Coach Jim Barnes (53-58 in five seasons at BU), the Bears come to town looking to snap a two-match losing streak. Baylor returned five starters from last year’s squad that went 18-15 and posted the school’s first winning record since 2001.

The Bears are one of the Big 12’s best defensive squads, leading the league in digs (17.32) and ranking second in blocks (3.12). Sophomore Middle blocker Anna Breyfogle  tops all conference players in blocks per game (1.63) and also chips in 2.85 kills on .348 hitting. Freshman Sarah Grace leads the conference in digs (4.89/gm), while sophomore setter Taylor Barnes averages a league-best 0.54 service aces per game. Barnes also averages 1.39 kills, 2.38 digs, 12.14 assists and 0.79 assists per game for the Bears. Outside hitter Katie Sanders, who tops the Bears in kills per game (4.21) and is second in digs per game (3.41).

Nebraska has won all 23 previous meetings with Baylor in a series that saw only one meeting prior to the start of Big 12 play.

Last Matchup vs. Baylor
Behind a match-high 23 kills and four aces from Sarah Pavan, No. 1 Nebraska clinched a share of the Big 12 title with a 30-17, 30-20, 30-22 sweep of Baylor at the NU Coliseum.

Pavan led the offensive barrage, hitting .528 on 36 swings and matched her career best with four service aces. Pavan also totaled eight digs and a pair of blocks in the sweep.  Behind Pavan’s offensive efficiency, the Huskers committed a season-low eight errors en route to hitting .450 in the match, including .500 in each of the first two games. The Huskers limited Baylor to just three blocks and out-dug BU, 55-40.

Rachel Holloway picked up her 10th double-double of the year with 37 assists, 10 digs and chipped in a pair of solo blocks, while piloting a Husker attack that saw three players finish in double figures in kills. Jordan Larson totaled 11 kills on .393 hitting and a career-high seven assists, while Dani Mancuso chipped in 10 kills on .381 hitting.

Worth Noting
?-Nebraska brings a national-best 21-match win streak into Saturday’s contest against Baylor. In that span, NU has dropped just six games and has been pushed to five games only once - the 2006 NCAA regional final against Minnesota.
?-The Huskers are 68-2 (.971) in their last 69 Big 12 Conference matches dating back to the 2003 season.
?-The Huskers have played their last 84 matches as the nation’s top-ranked team in the AVCA poll, dating back to the end of the 2004 campaign. NU is 80-4 in that stretch.
?-With the No. 1 ranking in Monday’s CSTV/AVCA poll, the Huskers have now spent 77 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 37 of the last 38 polls dating back to the start of 2005.
?-Nebraska lead the nation in both assists (16.81) and kills (18.03) per game, while its .337 hitting percentage is third nationally this week. All three marks are on pace to shatter NU’s single-season school records.
?-Balance has been at the heart of Nebraska’s offensive attack as four different players - Sarah Pavan, Jordan Larson, Christina Houghtelling and Kori Cooper - have led NU in kills in matches this season, while Tracy Stalls is second nationally with a .490 hitting percentage. All five of NU’s primary attackers average at least 2.48 kills per game.
?-Nebraska has a 107-5 (.955) record since the start of the 2004 season.
?-Only five Division I programs remain undefeated entering this weekend’s action after No. 4 USC lost to No. 2 Stanford Thursday night in Palo Alto. 
?-Nebraska will go for its 62nd straight home win against Baylor on Saturday night. The Huskers’ current 61-match home win streak dating back to 2004 ranks fourth in NCAA history.
?-Nebraska has won its last 37 Big 12 matches at the NU Coliseum dating back to the 2003 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 nation in hitting percentage (.490) and averages 2.35 kills and 1.15 blocks per game this season. She had six kills and matched her season high with five blocks at Kansas Wednesday night.  Stalls had eight kills, three blocks and eight digs in the Huskers’ sweep of Texas A&M on Sept. 22 and had 10 kills on .600 hitting and five stuffs vs. 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 third 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, who is probable for Saturday’s match with Baylor, 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.

-OR - #17 Amanda Gates: 6-1, Jr., Columbus, Neb. - Gates alternates with Cooper at the M2 spot in the Husker lineup. She averages 1.55 kills and 0.91 blocks per game, appearing in seven matches. Gates had her best match of the year against Texas A&M on Sept. 22, recording a career-high eight kills on .429 hitting and two blocks. She totaled three kills in as many swings against No. 17 Cal Poly on Sept. 3. Gates 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 in fall camp. Schwartz is eighth in the Big 12 with 3.73 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 has been in double figures in digs in five of the last seven matches she appeared in and had a 16-dig effort against Texas A&M on Sept. 22. Schwartz totaled 10 digs and matched her career high with three service 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.

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. She averages 4.68 kills, 1.88 digs and 0.50 service aces per game, ranking second in the Big 12 in points per game (5.56) and aces and third in kills per game. Pavan collected her second double-double of the year against Texas A&M on Sept. 22, totaling 12 kills and 10 digs in a sweep of the Aggies.  She led NU to a sweep of No. 7 Texas on Sept. 12, delivering a team-high 17 kills on .520 hitting. 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 110 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 a returning first-team AVCA All-American and one of the nation’s premier outside hitters. She enters Saturday’s match averaging 3.85 kills, 3.50 digs and 0.44 service aces per game, ranking among Big 12 leaders in all three categories. She has had six double-doubles on the season, including a 17-kill, 11-dig, 3-ace effort at Kansas on Wednesday and a 15-kill, 10-dig effort against Texas A&M on Sept. 22.  She earned all-tourney honors at the AVCA Showcase and the Holiday Inn Downtown Classic. Larson 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 seventh overall with 3.76 per game while also averaging 3.15 kills per game.  Houghtelling had 11 kills on .450 hitting and eight digs against Texas A&M on Sept. 22. She recorded a match-high 15 digs and added six kills at Texas Tech on Sept. 15. Houghtelling 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. 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 returning AVCA All-Americans in the Husker lineup and held her job despite a strong challenge from senior Maggie Griffin. She is playing at an exceptionally high level, leading the Big 12 in assists (13.41) while adding 2.56 digs and 1.00 kills per game. She guides an offense that leads the country in kills and assists per game while ranking third in hitting percentage despite facing a schedule that featured five ranked teams. Holloway 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 a 61 assist, 16-dig effort against No. 5 UCLA on Aug. 25. Holloway had a solid perfomance against New Mexico State, totaling 39 assists, eight digs, six kills and four blocks as NU hit .409 against the Aggies. Holloway was a third-team All-American in 2006, averaging 13.43 assists, 2.49 digs and 1.11 kills per game, finishing 11th nationally in assists. Holloway became only the second freshman in NCAA history to be a starting setter for a title team.

Last Time Out: Huskers Sweep Kansas
Jordan Larson’s double-double propelled top-ranked Nebraska to a 30-18, 30-24, 30-18 sweep at Kansas Wednesday evening.  Larson totaled her sixth double-double of the season with a season-high 17 kills on .389 hitting, 11 digs and a trio of aces, as the Huskers improved to 11-0 overall and 4-0 in Big 12 action.

The Huskers relied on strong efforts from their outside hitters against Kansas, as Larson and Christina Houghtelling combined for 26 kills on .389 hitting.  Houghtelling, who totaled five of her nine kills in game three, also hit .389 while adding eight digs in the win.  Sarah Pavan joined Larson in double figures in kills with 12 kills and three blocks.

Nebraska earned the win on the defensive end, out-blocking Kansas, 8-3, and holding Kansas to .073 hitting ? the lowest by a Husker opponent this season. Tracy Stalls topped the Huskers with a season-high five blocks, as she became the 11th Husker to ever reach the 500-block plateau.