No. 2 Huskers Head to Baylor

No. 2 Nebraska (25-1, 17-1 Big 12)
at Baylor (14-15, 6-12 Big 12)

Wed., Nov. 21 ? Waco, Texas (Ferrell Center) ? 6:30 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: None

Live Stats: Huskers.com

The Nebraska volleyball team hits the road for the final time in the regular season on Wednesday night, as the second-ranked Huskers travel to Baylor. First serve at the Ferrell Center is set for 6:30 p.m. and fans can listen to all of the action 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, but HuskersNside is unable to carry Wednesday's feed..

The No. 2 Huskers (25-1, 17-1 Big 12) bring a six-match winning streak into Waco following a 3-0 sweep of No. 22 Oklahoma last Saturday. In that match, middle blocker Tracy Stalls powered the Huskers to their 22nd sweep of the season by pounding 11 kills on .846 hitting - the third-highest, single-match performance in school history. Stalls was one of four Huskers to finish with at least 10 kills, while Nebraska held Oklahoma to a season-low .122 hitting.  Sarah Pavan led NU with 12 kills, while Christina Houghtelling and Jordan Larson chipped in 11 kills apiece as NU hit .317 as a team.

The Huskers will be facing a much-improved Baylor (14-15, 6-12) team that has played well during the second half of the Big 12 season. The Bears have split their last 10 matches, with four of the five losses coming in five-game tilts, including losses to both nationally ranked Kansas State and Oklahoma. Baylor looks to rebound after getting swept by third-ranked Texas on Saturday, despite out-blocking UT, 12-8, and holding Texas to just .276 hitting.

With one week to go, both the Huskers and Texas are tied with 17-1 Big 12 marks while both teams are on the road Wednesday. The Longhorns travel to Iowa State before hosting No. 12 Kansas State on Saturday.

Scouting Baylor
Under Coach Jim Barnes (61-66 in five seasons at BU), the Bears host the Huskers on the Bears’ Senior Night. Baylor, which returned five starters from a year ago, typically starts a lineup dominated by freshmen and sophomores. The Bears have played better as the season has progressed, splitting their last 10 matches with four of the five setbacks going five games.

Baylor is one of the Big 12’s better defensive squads, ranking third in the Big 12 in blocks and fourth in digs. Sophomore Anna Breyfogle leads the Big 12 in blocks (1.56) and also averages 2.85 kills per game on .321 hitting. Sophomore Katie Sanders is sixth in the Big 12 in kills per game (4.28) and is second on the team in digs (3.28), while freshman libero Sarah Grace is fourth in the conference in digs per game (4.25)

Nebraska has won all 24 previous meetings with Baylor in a series that saw only one meeting prior to the start of Big 12 play.

Last Matchup vs. Baylor
Nebraska welcomed the return of sophomore Kori Cooper to the lineup with an emphatic statement, sweeping Baylor, 30-15, 30-12, 30-13 at the Nebraska Coliseum on Sept. 29.

Cooper matched her career high with 12 kills without an error on 17 swings, good for a career-high .706 hitting percentage. Cooper was one of three Huskers to record at least 10 kills against the Bears. Sarah Pavan led NU with 13 kills on .476 hitting and three aces, while Christina Houghtelling totaled 12 kills and a match-high 16 digs for her third double-double.

The Huskers hit an eye-popping .500 as a team on 94 swings with every starting attacker hitting over .450 in the process.  Rachel Holloway dished out 39 assists and added a career-high three service aces, six digs and three kills in helping NU to its best single-match hitting night since 2001.

NU Volleyball Quick Hits
?-The Huskers have held their last four opponents to a combined .122 hitting, including consecutive season lows by Texas A&M (.099) and Oklahoma (.122) last week.

?-Jordan Larson is averaging 0.75 aces per game over NU’s last four matches and now leads the Big 12 in aces per game (0.46).

?-Larson is 17 digs away from becoming the third Husker to reach both 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in a career.

?-With 1,921 kills, Sarah Pavan ranks fifth all-time among Big 12 players since the league began in 1996, trailing only Elisha Polk (2,272), Mira Topic (2,116), Laura Jones (2,064) and Kelly Johnson (1,925).

Worth Noting
?-The Big 12 and Pac-10 conferences dominate the top-10 spots in the RPI in the latest rankings released last Thursday. The two conferences have combined for seven of the top-10 spots. This is the second year the NCAA has released its RPI data during the year. The Huskers are 5-1 against the other teams in the top-10 of the RPI in 2007

?-Nebraska leads the country in both kills per game (18.07) and assists per game (16.71) while ranking third nationally in hitting percentage (.327).

?-Christina Houghtelling has reached double figures in digs in each of Nebraska’s last seven matches. She is seventh in the league in digs at 4.01 digs per game and is on pace to be the first outside hitter in school history to average more than four digs per game in a season.

?-Nebraska, Dayton and Florida are the only teams in the country with one loss heading into the final week of the season.

?-With Saturday’s win, the Huskers have won at least 25 games for the 15th consecutive year and 32 of 33 years in school history. The second-longest streak in the Big 12 with 20 wins per season is four by Texas (2004-07)

?-Nebraska is 75-4 (.949) on the road in Big 12 action in eight seasons under Coach John Cook.

?-The Huskers are 80-3 (.964) in their last 83 Big 12 Conference matches dating back to the 2003 season.

?-Nebraska has a 121-6 (.953) record since the start of the 2004 season.

?-Nebraska is 190-17 (.918) in November since 1983 and has not lost more than one match in the month since 1993. 

 ?-With her performance on Saturday against Oklahoma, senior All-American Tracy Stalls became only the second person in school history to hit .800 in multiple matches in a career. She joins fellow All-American Megan Korver, who hit .800 two times in her career with both coming within an eight-day span. Stalls is third nationally in hitting percentage (.454) and is on pace to break school and Big 12 single-season marks

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 and ranks third nationally in hitting percentage (.454), averaging 2.71 kills and 1.11 blocks per game. She collected her first career Big 12 honor on Monday, as she hit .654 and averaged 3.00 kills per game in a pair of sweeps. She has been in double figures in kills seven times this year, including 11 kills on .846 hitting against No. 22 Oklahoma on Nov. 17 and a 15-kill, nine-block performance at No. 12 Kansas State on Nov. 3. She 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 fifth in the league in hitting percentage (.360), averaging 2.40 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 came with 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 three matches ago. She totaled career highs in both digs (19) and assists (5) in her first start against Iowa State, helping the Huskers limit the Cyclones to .135 hitting. Banwarth totaled 13 digs in a sweep of No. 22 Oklahoma and 11 digs at Texas A&M. On the season, she is averaging 2.00 digs and 0.39 assists 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 ninth 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 4.95 kills, 1.93 digs and 0.45 service aces per game, ranking first in the Big 12 in kills and points per game (5.81) and second in aces (0.45).  Pavan has six double-doubles, including four in her last six matches, including 20 kills and 10 digs at Texas A&M on Nov. 14.  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 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 3.49 kills, 3.35 digs and 0.46 service aces per game, ranking first in the league in aces, ninth in points per game (4.34) and 10th in kills. Larson, who has 10 double-doubles this year, totaled 11 kills and four aces at Texas A&M on Nov. 14. She had one of her best matches of the year against Colorado on Nov. 7 with 17 kills and 17 digs while hitting .414. Larson went over the 1,000-kill plateau for her career against Missouri with a season-high 17 kills and 16 digs on Oct. 31. She 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 (4.01 dpg), while averaging 3.20 kills per game on .312 hitting. She is second on the team with nine double-doubles, as she totaled 11 kills and a match-high 16 digs against No. 22 Oklahoma on Nov. 17. 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 No. 12 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 sixth nationally in assists per game (13.81) and also averages 2.31 digs and 0.99 kills per game. Nebraska has hit .300 or better 20 times in 26 matches, including .400 or better on four occasions. Holloway enjoyed one of her best matches of the year at Iowa State on Nov. 11, dishing out 39 assists and matching her season best with seven kills on nine swings. 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 assists 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: Stalls Stomps Sooners
Tracy Stalls delivered 11 kills on just 13 swings, as No. 2 Nebraska swept No. 22 Oklahoma, 30-18, 30-25, 30-20 on Nov. 17.

Stalls, a senior middle blocker from Denver, Colo., paced the Husker attack with 11 kills on .846 hitting, the best night of her career and the third-highest hitting percentage in school history. Stalls was successful on her first seven attempts en route to reaching double figures in kills for the seventh time this season. She also chipped in three blocks, as the Huskers improved to 25-1 overall and 17-1 in the Big 12.

Sarah Pavan led four Huskers in double figures with 12 kills, while Christina Houghtelling, Jordan Larson and Stalls added 11 kills apiece, helping NU out-hit the Sooners .317 to .122. Houghtelling collected her ninth double-double of the year with a match-high 16 digs, while also adding three blocks, including a pair of solo stuffs.

Husker Watch Lists
 While Pavan set NU’s school record for most career kills and is climbing the Big 12’s all-time list, other  plateaus could fall during the closing weeks of the 2007 campaign.
 ?-Outside hitter Jordan Larson passed Cathy Noth (1,059) for 16th place on Nebraska’s all-time kills list on Saturday. Larson has now totaled 1,072 kills in her career. 

 ?-With Larson reaching the 1,000-kill mark, the focus shifts to Christina Houghtelling, who is 22 kills shy of being the 20th Husker to reach the plateau. The last time NU had two players reach the 1,000-kill mark in the same year was two years ago with Melissa Elmer and Jennifer Saleaumua.

?-With 983 career digs, Larson is on pace to join two-time All-American Jennifer Saleaumua and Eileen Shannon as the only players in school history with both 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs. Larson is making a strong bid to become the first player to reach the 1,000-1,000 plateau prior to her senior year.

?-Seniors Sarah Pavan and Tracy Stalls could finish their careers during one of the most successful eras in college volleyball history. They have been a part of a national championship team (2006), two national championship matches (2005-06) and three Big 12 titles (2004-06) entering the homestretch of the 2007 season. Here is a look at the winningest classes in school history.

 ?-Tracy Stalls is quickly climbing NU’s career blocks list. She has recorded 554 blocks and moved past Karen Dahlgren for fifth place at Texas A&M on Wednesday night. Stalls is just four block assists from moving into third place on that list as well and just four block assists from reaching 500 for her career.

 ?-Both Sarah Pavan and Jordan Larson are climbing NU’s top-10 list for aces. Pavan and Larson both moved past Annie Adamczak on the Husker career charts following Saturday’s match with Oklahoma. Larson is now in fifth place all-time with 132 while Pavan is one ace behind Larson.