No. 1 Huskers Head to Colorado

Nebraska (13-0, 6-0 Big 12) at
Colorado (5-9, 0-6 Big 12)

Sat., Oct. 6 ? Boulder, Colo. (Coors Event Center) ? 7:30 p.m.

Television: None

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

Video: HuskersNside (subscription required)

Live Stats: Huskers.com

Top-ranked Nebraska looks to extend its win streak to 24 matches, as the Huskers venture to Boulder, Colo., this weekend to take on the Colorado Buffaloes. First serve from the Coors Event Center is set for 7:30 p.m. (Central) and fans can listen to all of the action on B107.3 FM in Lincoln and on Huskers.com. In addition, HuskersNside subscribers can watch Saturday’s match against CU.

The Huskers (13-0, 6-0 Big 12) continued to roll along, sweeping No. 17 Kansas State Wednesday night at the NU Coliseum. Sarah Pavan had 16 kills and a season-high five blocks, while Kori Cooper added 11 kills on .688 hitting and a season-best seven stuffs in helping the Huskers hit .387 against a solid Wildcat defense. The Huskers lead the country with a .350 hitting percentage and have been even better in conference play, hitting at a .379 clip through their first six league matches. A team has hit .350 or better in a season just seven times in NCAA history, a feat which has been done by only five programs (Hofstra, Penn State, St. Mary’s, Florida A&M and Long Beach State), while the conference single-season record is .331 by the Huskers back in 1986.

Colorado (5-9, 0-6 Big 12) has been snakebit in Big 12 play, dropping five of its six matches in five games, including matches against nationally ranked Kansas State and Oklahoma. In all, seven of CU’s nine losses have been five-game setbacks. The Buffaloes also have one of the most impressive non-conference wins by a Big 12 team this season, a sweep of No. 11 Cal in Boulder in September. Last season, the Huskers swept CU in Lincoln before the Buffaloes came back with a five-game win in Boulder, snapping a 17-match losing streak to the Huskers.

NU Volleyball Quick Hits
?-Nebraska’s .500 hitting percentage against Baylor was its best since hitting .523 against Kansas on Oct. 10, 2001 - the only other time NU hit .500 or better in the rally-scoring era.

?-Nebraska went through the entire month of September (nine matches) without dropping a game. It marked only the third time it has happened in school history and first since 1995.

?-The Huskers have held their last five foes to a combined .092 hitting, and now lead the Big 12 in opponent hitting (.139).

?-The Huskers have swept their last 15 straight Big 12 foes at home dating back to 2005.

?-NU is going for its 12th straight sweep on Saturday, which would be its longest streak of sweeps since 2001.

Worth Noting
?-Nebraska’s roster features three players with Colorado ties in senior Tracy Stalls (Denver), sophomore Rachel Holloway (Smoky Hill HS) and freshman Lindsey Licht (Arvada and Grandview HS). Holloway and Licht were the state players of the year in 2004 and 2005, repectively.

?-Nebraska brings a national-best 23-match win streak into Saturday’s contest at Kansas. 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.

?-Nebraska is 69-3 (.958) on the road in Big 12 action in eight seasons under Coach John Cook.

?-The Huskers are 70-2 (.972) in their last 72 Big 12 Conference matches dating back to the 2003 season.

?-The Huskers have played their last 86 matches as the nation’s top-ranked team in the AVCA poll, dating back to the end of the 2004 campaign. NU is 82-4 in that stretch.

?-With the No. 1 ranking in Monday’s CSTV/AVCA poll, the Huskers have now spent 78 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 38 of the last 39 polls dating back to the start of 2005.

?-Nebraska leads the nation in hitting percentage (.350), assists (16.77) and kills (18.08) per game. The Huskers are on pace to shatter single-season marks in all three areas and will look to become the second team in NCAA history to lead all three categories in a year.

?-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 fourth nationally with a .480 hitting percentage. All five of NU’s primary attackers average at least 2.47 kills per game.

?-Nebraska has a 109-5 (.956) record since the start of the 2004 season.

?-Nebraska has won its last 18 matches against ranked opponents over the last two years following Wednesday’s sweep of Kansas State.

?-NU will look to break its school record for most consecutive home victories next Wednesday against Iowa State. NU has won its last 63 home matches since 2004 - the third-longest streak in NCAA history.

?-Only five Division I programs (Dayton, Florida, Nebraska, Stanford and Washington) are undefeated entering this weekend’s action.

Scouting Colorado
Under Coach Pi’i Aiu (185-124 in 11 years at CU), Colorado has reached NCAA postseason action in nine of the last 10 years. The Buffaloes, who reached the second round of last season’s NCAA Tournament, were dealt a blow in the preseason after season-ending surgery to Amber Sutherland, who earned honorable-mention All-Big 12 honors last season. Colorado has given fans their money’s worth in 2007, already playing seven five-game matches in their first 14 contests, including five in six Big 12 matches. CU’s biggest win came outside of league play, as the Buffs swept No. 11 Cal in Boulder in early September.

Outside hitter Mallori Gibson leads the Buffaloes with 3.73 kills per game, while right-side hitter Alex Buth chips in 3.25 kills per game, as the duo combines for nearly half of Colorado’s kills. Freshman Schylur Edelman paces Colorado in blocks with 1.02 per game.

Nebraska leads the all-time series, 42-6 and had won 17 straight matches against CU before losing in five games in Boulder last November.

Last Matchup vs. Colorado
Despite a career night from Tracy Stalls, the No. 1 Nebraska volleyball team suffered its first loss of the season, falling in five games to Colorado in front of a Coors Event Center record crowd of 4,111.

Colorado not only snapped the Huskers’ 23-match win streak, but downed a No. 1 team for the first time in program history. CU’s win also snapped an 17-match losing streak to Nebraska that dated back to 1997.

Stalls was one of the lone bright spots for the Huskers in a losing effort, recording a career-high 16 kills while matching her personal best with 12 blocks, while hitting .357. Behind the efforts of Stalls, Nebraska dominated the overall stats, out-hitting Colorado, .229-.162, while totaling a season-high 23.5 blocks, but the Huskers were out-hit in each of the final two games, including a .308-.214 total in the finale.

Stalls was one of four Huskers to finish in double figures, as Sarah Pavan totaled 17 kills and 10 digs, while Jordan Larson and Dani Mancuso chipped in 13 and 11 kills, respectively. In all four Huskers - Stalls, Pavan, Larson and Rachel Holloway (57 assists and 13 digs) - totaled double-doubles in the loss.

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 third in the nation in hitting percentage (.480) and averages 2.47 kills and 1.08 blocks per game this season. Stalls had eight kills and a pair of blocks against K-State Wednesday night. She 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 second in the league in hitting percentage (.465), averaging 2.74 kills and 1.18 blocks per game. She has been dominant in Big 12 matches, hitting .662 on 65 swings and averaging 3.58 kills and 1.58 blocks per game. Cooper has been in double figures in each of her last three matches, including 11 kills on .688 hitting and a season-high seven blocks against No. 17 Kansas State on Oct. 3 and a career-high 12 kills on .706 hitting and four blocks against Baylor on Sept. 29. Cooper had 11 kills and five blocks at Texas Tech on Sept. 15, and drilled nine kills on a then-career-best .692 hitting with three stuffs versus No. 7 Texas on Sept. 12. 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 3.86 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 seven of the last nine matches she appeared in and had a 16-dig effort against Texas A&M on Sept. 22 and 11 digs in two games against Baylor on Sept. 29. 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 4.70 kills, 1.88 digs and 0.52 service aces per game, leading the Big 12 in aces, ranking second in points per game (5.66) and third in kills per game. Pavan totaled a match-high 16 kills on .364 hitting and five blocks in NU’s sweep of No. 17 Kansas State on Oct. 3. She led NU with 13 kills and three aces against Baylor on Sept. 29. Pavan collected her second double-double of the year against Texas A&M on Sept. 22, totaling 12 kills and 10 digs. 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 81 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 3.72 kills, 3.30 digs and 0.43 service aces per game, ranking among Big 12 leaders in both kills and aces. She has had six double-doubles on the season, including a 17-kill, 11-dig, 3-ace effort at Kansas on Sept. 26 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 3.92 per game while also averaging 3.15 kills per game. She comes of her third double-double of the season against Baylor on Sept. 29, when she had 12 kills on .526 hitting and a match-high 16 digs. 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 Ameritas 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 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 (13.45) while adding 2.53 digs and 0.98 kills per game. She guides an offense that leads the country in kills, assists and hitting percentage and that has hit .300 or better 11 times in 13 matches. Holloway had 43 assists and eight digs in a sweep of No. 17 K-State on Oct. 3. She totaled 39 assists, three aces and six digs against Baylor on Sept. 29, as Nebraska hit .500 as a team. 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 a 61-assist, 16-dig effort against No. 5 UCLA on Aug. 25. Holloway had a solid performance 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: NU Picks Up 11th Straight Sweep
Sarah Pavan’s 16 kills led three Huskers in double figures, as the top-ranked Nebraska volleyball team rolled to a 30-16, 30-16, 30-25 sweep of No. 17 Kansas State.

Pavan totaled 16 kills on .364 hitting and a season-high five blocks, as the Huskers improved to 13-0 overall and 6-0 in Big 12 action with their 11th consecutive sweep. Pavan’s 16 kills also matched her highest total in conference play.  Wednesday’s win was NU’s 63rd straight home triumph, matching the school mark originally set between 1999 and 2002.

Pavan, the reigning AVCA National Player of the Year, was one of three Huskers to eclipse season bests against K-State. Sophomore Kori Cooper continued her string of impressive efforts, as she totaled 11 kills without an error on 16 swings and paced NU with a team-high seven blocks. Cooper’s blocks were not only a season best, but the highest total by any Husker in 2007. In addition, Christina Houghtelling paced NU with a season-high three aces and paced the Huskers with 13 digs while adding seven kills in the victory.