No. 2 Huskers Head to Texas A&M

No. 2 Nebraska (23-1, 15-1 Big 12)
at Texas A&M (18-9, 7-9 Big 12)

Wed., Nov. 14 ? College Station, Texas (G. Rollie White Coliseum) ? 5:30 p.m.

Television:  None

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

Video: HuskersNside

Live Stats: Huskers.com

The Nebraska volleyball team wraps up a two-match road swing on Wednesday night, as the Huskers travel to College Station, Texas, to take on the Texas A&M Aggies. First serve from G. Rollie White Coliseum is set for 5:30 p.m. because of the Aggies Men’s Basketball Preseason NIT contest. The match will be heard across the state on the Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln, KHUS 93.3 FM in Omaha, and on the Internet at Huskers.com. Live stats will be available with a live video feed carried on HuskersNside.

The No. 2 Huskers (23-1, 15-1 Big 12) collected their second sweep of the week by handling Iowa State in three games (30-20, 30-19, 30-16) in front of a crowd of 6,705 at Hilton Coliseum. Dubuque, Iowa, native Kayla Banwarth made quite an impression in her first start, recording a career-high 19 digs, as the Huskers held ISU to .135 hitting. Rachel Holloway paced a scorching Husker offense with 39 assists and seven kills, as Nebraska hit .388 against the Big 12’s third-best defense. Sarah Pavan slammed 16 kills on .483 hitting, while Christina Houghtelling and Jordan Larson combined for 16 kills and 23 digs.

Nebraska and Texas remain tied atop the Big 12 standings with 15-1 records, while Texas A&M (18-9, 7-9 Big 12) is in the log jam in the middle of the Big 12 pack, as three games separate fifth from eight place with two weeks left in the regular season.

Texas A&M returns home after suffering road setbacks at No. 12 Kansas State and No. 3 Texas last week. After going five games at Kansas State on Wednesday, the Aggies came back and became the first team to take a game off of Texas in 10 matches two days later. Outside hitter Sarah Ammerman totaled a match-high 23 kills and 10 digs in a losing effort to Texas.

NU Volleyball Quick Hits
?-Nebraska’s four academic all-district picks equals the highest number of selections in school history (also 2006, 2002 and 2001).
?-Kayla Banwarth’s 19 digs in her first career start at Iowa State trailed only Dani Busboom’s 20 digs vs. San Diego in a debut at libero.
?-Sarah Pavan is averaging 5.06 kills per game and hitting .383 over her last four contests.
?-Nebraska held Iowa State without an ace on Sunday, the seventh time that has accomplished the feat this season. NU has allowed a Big-12 low 0.62 aces per game this season.
?-Jordan Larson is 28 digs away from becoming the third Husker to reach both 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in a career.

Scouting Texas A&M
Coach Laurie Corbelli (324-143 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 Wednesday’s match with an 18-9 record and 7-9 mark in the Big 12 following losses at nationally ranked Kansas State and Texas last week.

The Aggies are one of the Big 12’s best offensive squads, ranking third in hitting percentage (.237) and service aces (1.31 per game) and fifth in both kills (15.76) and assists (14.41). Sophomore outside hitter Sarah Ammerman is seventh in the Big 12 in kills per game (4.24) and is fourth in service aces (0.37), while fellow sophomore Mary Batis averages 3.38 kills and 3.61 digs per game to give the Aggies two potent attackers. Middle blockers Kelly Stanton and Jillian Phillips combine for over five kills and two blocks per game, while both hit over .350.

Nebraska leads the series, 26-6 and has won the last 16 meetings, the longest winning streak in the series, dating back to the 1999 season. NU has won the last eight meetings by sweeps, including the first matchup in Lincoln in September.

Last Time vs. Texas A&M
Behind a career night from middle blocker Amanda Gates, No. 1 Nebraska continued its winning ways with a 30-14, 30-20, 30-25 sweep of Texas A&M on Sept. 22.  Gates, making her first start in over a year, totaled eight kills on .429 hitting with a pair of blocks, as the Huskers held Texas A&M to a season-low .124 hitting.  Gates, who had just five kills in NU’s first nine matches, established personal bests in both kills and attacks (13) in her first start of 2007.

Gates led a Husker attack that hit .350 as a team and received strong efforts from Jordan Larson and Christina Houghtelling. Larson totaled a match-high 15 kills and 10 digs for her team-best fifth double-double, while Houghtelling added 11 kills on .450 hitting. Sarah Pavan also chipped in a double-double with 12 kills and 10 digs.

Toys for Tots Collection Set for Saturday
The Nebraska volleyball program will participate in the annual Toys for Tots drive against Oklahoma this Saturday, Nov. 17. Fans coming to the match are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped present to donate at the doors. Members of the U.S. Marine Corps will be on hand to collect the donation or cash donations for children in the Lincoln area. Fans can also bring their donations to the men’s and women’s basketball games for that day.

Worth Noting
?-The Huskers have reached the 20-win plateau for the 33rd consecutive season. The next longest active streak of 20-win seasons by a Big 12 school is four by Texas (2004-07).
?-Sarah Pavan has played some of her best matches against Texas A&M, averaging 5.71 kills on .476 hitting along with 1.05 blocks per game in seven career matches against Texas A&M.
?-The Huskers are 78-3 (.963) in their last 81 Big 12 Conference matches dating back to the 2003 season.
?-Nebraska is 74-4 (.949) on the road in Big 12 action in eight seasons under Coach John Cook.
?-Nebraska has a 119-6 (.952) record since the start of the 2004 season.
?-Nebraska is 188-17 (.917) in November since 1983 and has not lost more than one match in the month since 1993.
?-Nebraska’s defense has been balanced in recent matches as Kayla Banwarth’s 19 digs against Iowa State marked the fourth different person who has led NU in digs over the last five matches. She joined Christina Houghtelling, Jordan Larson and Rachel Schwartz in pacing NU in digs.
?-Nebraska is 13-11 all-time when a player totals at least 30 kills, and the win at Kansas State on Nov. 3, marked the first time since 1998 when the Huskers won a match after a player totaled 30 kills. It snapped a four-match losing streak dating back to 1999.
?-Sarah Pavan’s 31-kill night at KSU was also the 25th time a player had reached 30 kills in a match, as two Huskers (Janet Kruse and Eileen Shannon) both totaled 32 kills in a win against Kentucky in 1989.
?-NU’s non-conference opponents are a combined 144-51 (.738) with six of the eight opponents in the top 25 nationally this week.
?-Rachel Holloway’s 72 assists at Kansas State on Nov. 3 were the most by a Husker player in the rally-scoring era (2001-present) and the most since Fiona Nepo had 76 against Texas A&M on Oct. 18, 1998.
?-The Huskers are ranked first in the NCAA’s most recent RPI rankings released Wednesday. This is the second year the NCAA has released its RPI data during the year.

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 Big 12 and ranks fourth nationally in hitting percentage (.440), averaging 2.69 kills and 1.10 blocks per game. She has been in double figures in kills in four of the last eight matches, including a 15-kill, nine-block performance at No. 12 Kansas State on Nov. 3. She hit .480 on 25 swings against the Wildcats in reaching double figures in kills for the sixth time this season. Stalls led the team in kills against No. 11 Hawaii with 13 kills on 23 swings and a pair of blocks on Oct. 21. She enjoyed one of her best matches at Missouri on Oct. 17, totaling 15 kills on .737 hitting and six blocks.  Stalls had 10 kills on .600 hitting and five stuffs vs. Texas Tech on Sept. 15. She 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). 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 fourth in the league in hitting percentage (.377), averaging 2.49 kills and 1.03 blocks per game. Cooper has been in double figures six times and had a career-high 14 kills on .385 hitting against Missouri on Oct. 31. She totaled 11 kills on .688 hitting and a season-high seven blocks against No. 17 Kansas State on Oct. 3. Her previous season high in kills was 12 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 .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. 

L - #2 Kayla Banwarth: 5-10, Fr., Dubuque, Iowa - Banwarth had been used as NU’s defensive specialist until moving into the starting lineup for the first time at Iowa State on Nov. 11. She totaled career highs in both digs (19) and assists (5) against the Cyclones, helping the Huskers limit ISU to .135 hitting. Banwarth has appeared in 11 matches, averaging 1.56 digs and 0.19 service aces per game. She was a three-time all-state selection at Wahlert Catholic High School in Iowa and was a Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 selection last year.

-or - #5 Rachel Schwartz: 5-9, Jr., Lincoln, Neb. - Schwartz has been the Huskers’ starting libero for 22 matches. She ranks 10th in the Big 12 with 3.90 digs per game, setting a career high with 21 digs against Missouri on Oct. 31. Prior to that, her previous high was 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 14 of her last 16 matches, including 16 digs and a pair of aces at No. 12 Kansas State on Nov. 3, and 15 digs against No. 25 Oklahoma on Oct. 13. She 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.

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 is on pace to become just the fourth player in NCAA history to be a four-time first-team All-American. This season, Pavan averages 4.92 kills, 1.91 digs and 0.44 service aces per game, ranking first in the Big 12 in kills, aces and points per game (5.78).  Pavan has five double-doubles, including three in her last four contests and had 16 kills and eight digs in a sweep of Iowa State on Nov. 11. She was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week on Nov. 5, averaging 5.30 kills on .363 hitting, 2.40 digs and 5.95 points per game in a pair of wins. Pavan had 31 kills - the most by a Husker since 2004 - and 10 digs in NU’s comeback at K-State on Nov. 3. She totaled a match-high 22 kills and 14 digs against Missouri on Oct. 31. Pavan became NU’s all-time kills leader against Kansas on Oct. 20, as she totaled 17 kills on .406 hitting against the Jayhawks. Pavan now has 1,889 career kills, eclipsing the previous mark of 1,778 by Allison Weston from 1992 to 1995.  Pavan totaled a match-high 18 kills on .516 hitting and four blocks at Missouri on Oct. 13. She totaled a match-high 16 kills on .351 hitting and two blocks against No. 25 Oklahoma on Oct. 13. Pavan led NU with 18 kills on .361 hitting and nine digs in a sweep of Iowa State on Oct. 10. She totaled a match-high 16 kills on .364 hitting and five blocks in NU’s sweep of No. 17 Kansas State on Oct. 3.  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. 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. 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 averages 3.48 kills, 3.45 digs and 0.43 service aces per game, ranking second in the league in aces, ninth in points per game (4.29) and 10th in kills. Larson, who has 10 double-doubles this year,  had one of her best matches of the year against Colorado on Nov. 7 with 17 kills and 17 digs while hitting .414. She went over the 1,000-kill plateau for her career against Missouri with a season-high 17 kills and 16 digs on Oct. 31.  Larson was named the Big 12’s Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 22, after leading NU with 18 digs against Missouri on Oct. 17 and 15 digs versus No. 11 Hawaii on Oct. 21. Larson has a team-high nine double-doubles, including 13 kills, 14 digs, five blocks and three aces at Colorado on Oct. 6. She had 17 kills, 11 digs and three aces at KU 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 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. 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.

OH - #3 Christina Houghtelling: 6-2, Sr., Cambridge, Neb. - Houghtelling has returned to her 2005 form after missing all of last season following shoulder surgery. She leads all Big 12 outside hitters in digs (3.99 dpg), while averaging 3.21 kills per game on .315 hitting. She is second on the team with eight double-doubles, as she totaled 11 kills and 16 digs against Colorado on Nov. 7. Houghtelling finished with 14 kills and 22 digs against Missouri on Oct. 17. She totaled a career-high 26 digs, four blocks and seven kills in NU’s win at Kansas State on Nov. 3. Houghtelling also had 14 kills and a match-high 19 digs at No. 25 Oklahoma on Oct. 13. She totaled a season-best 19 kills on .410 hitting and 11 digs in a sweep at Colorado on Oct. 6. Houghtelling was the MVP of the Ameritas Players Challenge, hitting .535 and averaging 4.17 kills, 3.00 digs and 0.67 blocks per game. She recorded a then-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 guides one of the most prolific offensive attacks in college volleyball, piloting an offense that leads the country in kills and assists per game and ranks third in hitting percentage. The second-team All-American in 2006 is seventh nationally in assists per game (13.88) and also averages 2.29 digs and 1.00 kills per game.  Nebraska has hit .300 or better 19 times in 24 matches, including .400 or better on four occasions. Holloway comes off one of her best matches of the year, dishing out 39 assists and matching her season best with seven kills on nine swings in a sweep of Iowa State on Nov. 11. She turned in an exceptional effort at No. 12 Kansas State on Nov. 3, totaling a career-high 72 assists, six blocks and 13 digs for her fourth double-double of the year. It came on the heels of a 64-assist, 13-dig, seven-kill performance against Missouri on Oct. 31. Holloway totaled 55 assists - the most in a three-game match by a Husker since 1998 - in guiding NU to a .458 hitting percentage at Missouri on Oct. 17. Holloway totaled 50 assists and three blocks in NU’s sweep of Colorado on Oct. 6, and had 43 assists and eight digs against 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 adding six kills and six digs.  She also had double-doubles against Creighton (35 assist and 12 digs) and No. 5 UCLA (61 assists and 16 digs). 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 Match: Huskers Storm Past Cyclones
 Kayla Banwarth enjoyed a successful homecoming, totaling a career-high 19 digs in her first career start, leading No. 2 Nebraska to a 30-20, 30-19, 30-16 victory over Iowa State on Nov. 11.

Banwarth, playing in front of nearly 40 family and friends who made the drive from Dubuque, keyed the Huskers’ defensive efforts, as Nebraska (23-1, 15-1 Big 12) held Iowa State to. 135 hitting and out dug the Cyclones, 59-45. The all-around effort silenced the Hilton Coliseum crowd of 6,705 ? the largest collegiate crowd to ever see a volleyball match in Iowa.  Banwarth also chipped in five assists and a service ace as Nebraska totaled five aces and held Iowa State (15-11, 9-7 Big 12) without an ace.

While Banwarth keyed NU’s defensive efforts, Rachel Holloway guided a potent Husker attack by totaling 39 assists and seven kills to help NU hit .388 against a team that was third in the conference in opponent hitting percentage. NU hit over .400 in each of the final two games, including .486 in the finale. Sarah Pavan paced the Huskers’ offensive efforts with a match-high 16 kills on .483 hitting and two aces, as six Huskers totaled at least seven kills in the sweep, the Huskers’ 20th in 24 matches.