No. 2 Huskers Look for Big 12 Title

No. 2 Nebraska (26-1, 17-1 Big 12) vs. Texas Tech (7-21, 1-18 Big 12) - Senior Night

Sat., Nov. 24 ? NU Coliseum ? 7 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

NCAA Selection Show
Sunday., Nov. 25 ?  7 p.m. ? ESPNU

Lincoln --

The Nebraska volleyball team looks to claim a share of the Big 12 title Saturday night, as the Huskers play host to Texas Tech. First serve for the 104th consecutive sellout at the Nebraska Coliseum is set for 7 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 with a live video feed carried on HuskersNside.

The No. 2 Huskers (26-1, 18-1 Big 12) extended their win streak to seven matches following a 30-11, 30-18, 30-26 sweep of Baylor Wednesday evening in Waco. Nebraska totaled nine service aces, including a career-high five from All-American Sarah Pavan, and used a balanced attack against the Bears. Jordan Larson led NU with 12 kills, while Pavan and Tracy Stalls added 10 apiece, as the Huskers out-hit the Bears, .319-.086. Nebraska’s defense continued to shine, as the Huskers held their second opponent under .100 hitting in the last three contests.

For the Huskers, Saturday’s match has both conference and postseason implications. Nebraska and Texas are tied for the Big 12 lead with 18-1 records, as the Longhorns are in action on Saturday against No. 12 Kansas State. A Husker win on Saturday clinches NU’s 10th Big 12 title in 12 years and the 29th conference crown in 32 years of conference competition. It also gives NU the Big 12’s automatic bid into next week’s NCAA Tournament. A win would also complete a perfect 16-0 mark at home this season.

Texas Tech (7-21, 1-18 Big 12) has struggled throughout Big 12 play, as the Red Raiders have dropped its last 18 matches since a loss to the Huskers on Sept. 15. While the Red Raiders have struggled in the Big 12, they also have played well at times, defeating Arizona State as well as a UNLV team that finished second in the Mountain West Conference and was ranked in last week’s CSTV/AVCA poll.

NU Volleyball Quick Hits
?-The Huskers have held their last five opponents to a combined .121 hitting, including two of the last three foes to under .100 hitting.
?-Nebraska leads the nation in both kills per game (18.05) and assists per game (16.72) and ranks third in hitting percentage (.326).
?-Christina Houghtelling is 14 kills away from becoming the 14th Husker to reach 1,000 kills.
?-Larson is eight digs away from becoming the third Husker to reach both 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in a career.
?-Nebraska’s seniors are 69-1 at home over the last four years and have dropped just eight games at home since losing to Florida A&M in the 2004 home opener.

Scouting Texas Tech
Coach Nancy Todd (51-92 in five years) have struggled in Big 12 play after winning six of nine non-conference tilts. The Red Raiders posted early wins over Arizona State, UNLV and Ivy League champion Princeton, but could not sustain the momentum in conference play especially after losing setter Emily Ziegler to injury.

Outside hitter Michelle Flores leads Texas Tech with 2.90 kills per game, as seven players average more than a kill per game. Amy Grandy adds 2.71 kills per game, while middle blockers Alicia Ostmeyer and Brandi Hood combine for 4.46 kills and 1.78 blocks per game.

The Huskers lead the all-time series, 26-1 and have won the last 22 meetings dating back to 1996. NU has swept 13 of the last 14 meetings dating back to the 2000 season.

Last Matchup vs. Texas Tech
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 and service aces. Both Rachel Schwartz and Sarah Pavan tied career bests against the Red Raiders.

Husker Seniors Honored Saturday
Nebraska will honor its senior class of Maggie Griffin, Christina Houghtelling, Sarah Pavan and Tracy Stalls following Saturday’s match. The group has led Nebraska to a national title in 2006, two NCAA finals appearances and three Big 12 titles. If the Huskers win on Saturday, this group will join the 1999 class of Greichaly Cepero, Amber Holmquist, Laura Pilakowski and Lindsay Wischmeier as the only classes to win four straight Big 12 titles. The Huskers are a national-best 122-6 (.953) over the last four years, which is the highest winning perentage by any group of Huskers in the NCAA era.

Worth Noting
?-The Big 12 and Pac-10 conferences dominate the top-10 spots in the RPI in the latest rankings released on Nov. 12. 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

?-Christina Houghtelling has reached double figures in digs in each of Nebraska’s last eight matches. She is sixth in the league in digs at 4.07 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 weekend.

?-With last 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 Huskers have won their last 69 home matches dating back to the 2004 campaign. The win streak is the third longest in NCAA history.

?-Nebraska has won its last 45 Big 12 matches at the NU Coliseum dating back to the 2003 season.

?-Nebraska has won 22 of its last 23 matches against ranked foes going back to the start of the 2006 season. The Huskers are 85-12 (.876) against ranked teams under John Cook.

?-The Huskers are 81-3 (.965) in their last 84 Big 12 Conference matches dating back to the 2003 season.

?-Nebraska has a 122-6 (.953) record since the start of the 2004 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 and ranks third nationally in hitting percentage (.455), averaging 2.73 kills and 1.09 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 eight 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 sixth in the league in hitting percentage (.359), averaging 2.39 kills and 1.04 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 four 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 14 digs in a sweep at Baylor and has helped limit opponents to a .111 hitting percentage since moving into the lineup. On the season, she is averaging 2.22 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 3.84 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 4.90 kills, 1.91 digs and 0.49 service aces per game, ranking first in the Big 12 in kills, points per game (5.80) and aces per game.  Pavan has six double-doubles, 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 3.51 kills, 3.33 digs and 0.47 service aces per game, ranking second in the league in aces, ninth in points per game (4.40) and 10th in kills. Larson, who has 10 double-doubles this year, led NU at Baylor with 12 kills and added nine digs, four blocks and a pair of aces. 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 (4.07 dpg), while averaging 3.18 kills per game on .314 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 (13.73) and also averages 2.28 digs and 0.98 kills per game. Nebraska has hit .300 or better 21 times in 27 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: Huskers Ace Bears, 3-0
Behind a career-high five service aces from Sarah Pavan, second-ranked Nebraska picked up its 23rd sweep of the year with a 30-11, 30-18, 30-26 victory over Baylor Wednesday night at the Ferrell Center.

Pavan led a potent serving attack for the Big Red, as the Huskers (26-1, 18-1 Big 12) carved up Baylor with nine aces to match NU’s season high in that category. Pavan, whose previous career high was four, matched that total in game one alone, while Rachel Holloway’s ace on match point provided the exclamation point for Nebraska.

While the Husker servers feasted on the Bears, Nebraska turned in a solid effort on both ends of the court, hitting .319 as a team and placing three players in double figures in kills. Jordan Larson paced a balanced attack with 12 kills, nine digs, four blocks and two aces, while Pavan and Tracy Stalls chipped in 10 kills apiece. Stalls hit .500 on 16 swings and chipped in a pair of blocks.

Christina Houghtelling nearly enjoyed a double-double of her own with eight kills on .412 hitting and a match-high 17 digs, while freshman Kayla Banwarth added 14 more, as Nebraska totaled 50 digs and held Baylor to .086 hitting.