No. 2 Huskers Begin Title Run at Home

First Round: No. 2 Nebraska (27-1) vs. South Dakota State  (25-10)

Friday, Nov. 30 ? NU Coliseum ? 7 p.m.

Television:  Nebraska Educational Television (Ch. 12 and Ch. 112 in HD)

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

Live Stats: NCAASports.com

Second Round: Friday’s Winners

Saturday, Dec. 1 ? NU Coliseum ? 5 p.m.

Television:  Nebraska Educational Television (Ch. 12 and Ch. 112 in HD) - If Nebraska advances

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

Live Stats: NCAASports.com

The Nebraska volleyball team begins the postseason at home, as the second-ranked Huskers will play host to the first and second rounds at the NU Coliseum this weekend. Action begins Friday, Nov. 30, when the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (27-8) of the Sun Belt Conference take on the Wichita State Shockers of the Missouri Valley Conference (26-5) at 4:30 p.m. Nebraska (27-1), which earned its bid by sharing the Big 12 title with Texas, will play in the evening’s second match and will take on the South Dakota State Jackrabbits (25-10) of the Summit League beginning at 7 p.m. or 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first match. The second round will take place on Saturday, Dec. 1, at 5 p.m., as Friday’s winners will square off for a right to compete in the Madison (Wis.) Regional.

Tickets for the first and second rounds in Lincoln are already sold out, but additional tickets may become available later in the week, as the other participating teams determine their ticket allotment. Fans can listen to all of the Huskers’ postseason 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.

The 2007 season marks the 23rd time that Lincoln has played host to first- and second-round competition. Last year, Nebraska hosted the first and second rounds at the NU Coliseum before winning the Gainesville Regional en route to its third national title. Nebraska is 70-22 (.761) in 25 previous NCAA Tournament appearances, ranking second among NCAA schools in wins and winning percentage.

NU Volleyball Quick Hits
?-Nebraska is 43-3 all-time at the NU Coliseum during the NCAA Tournament.
?-Nebraska and South Dakota State have not met since a 2-1 Husker win in 1975 - NU’s first varsity season.
?-Nebraska’s 26 NCAA Tournament appearances ties for third all-time, trailing only Stanford and Penn State with 27 apiece.
?-The Huskers have held their last five opponents to a combined .105 hitting, including three of the last four foes to under .100 hitting.
?-Nebraska’s seniors are 70-1 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.

Worth Noting
?-Nebraska is making its 26th NCAA Tournament appearance in 2007, a total which ties for third among all Division I programs. Only Penn State and Stanford have longer streaks, as those two schools have qualified for all 27 NCAA Championships. NU’s streak is easily the longest among Big 12 teams.
?-The 2007 season marks the 23rd time that Nebraska has hosted either a first- or second-round NCAA contest and sixth time in eight years under Coach John Cook. NU is 33-2 all-time in the first and second rounds of the NCAAs.
?-The Big 12 Conference placed six teams in the 2007 NCAA Tournament field (Nebraska, Texas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Iowa State and Missouri), which equaled the most by any conference. The Big 12 had it of the top four seeds in Nebraska and Texas, while NU had was one of only two leagues to have three top-16 seeds in the field of 64.
?-According to research by Rich Kern, Nebraska’s 15-1 record against the other NCAA Tournament qualifiers is the best of any team in the NCAA Tournament field. Nebraska’s 16 matches against NCAA Tournament teams trailed only Stanford, which played 17 contests against NCAA qualifiers.
?-The Huskers have won their last 70 home matches dating back to the 2004 campaign. The win streak is a school and Big 12 record and ranks third on the all-time NCAA list.
?-Seniors Sarah Pavan, Christina Houghtelling and Tracy Stalls became second group of seniors to win four straight Big 12 titles, joining the 2002 senior class of Greichaly Cepero, Amber Holmquist, Laura Pilakowski and Lindsay Wischmeier.
?-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 four Big 12 titles (2004-06). Here is a look at the winningest classes in school history during the NCAA era.
?-Nebraska (27-1) and Dayton (32-1) are the only two programs with one loss heading into the NCAA Tournament. The Huskers could match up with the Flyers in the regional semifinals in Madison.
?-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 in eight seasons under John Cook.
?-Nebraska has been serving tough in the last two weeks of the season, averaging 2.58 aces per game over the last four matches. NU has tied its season high with nine matches in three of the last four contests.
?-NU has won at least 25 games for the 15th consecutive year and 32 of 33 years in school history.
?-Christina Houghtelling is four kills away from becoming the 20th Husker to reach 1,000 kills.
?-Jordan Larson needs two digs to become the third Husker in school history to collect 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs and the first to accomplish the feat before her senior year.

Scouting the First and Second Rounds
South Dakota State (25-10): The Jackrabbits will make the school’s first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in any sport when they take the court Friday night in Lincoln. The Jackrabbits are one of six first-time tournament qualifiers in the field of 64 and punched their ticket after downing IPFW in five games in the Summit League championship on Nov. 17. SDSU is 1-2 against NCAA Tournament teams in the field, posting a win over Long Island University. Head Coach Andrew Palileo (154-85 in seven seasons at SDSU) was named Summit League Coach of the Year, as South Dakota State went 13-3 en route to winning the regular-season league title. The Jackrabbits are led by outside hitter Kristina Martin, who earned first-team All-Summit League honors by averaging 4.19 kills and 3.13 digs per game. Senior middle blocker Amy Anderson also garned first-team all-conference accolades after averaging 3.57 kills on a team-best .361 hitting and 1.42 blocks per game.
Series History: Nebraska won the only match between the two teams, 15-4, 8-15, 15-11, at the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) regional tournament in Columbia, Mo., on Nov. 21, 1975.

Western Kentucky (27-8): The Lady Toppers became the first-ever team from the Sun Belt Conference to earn an at-large NCAA bid. Under the direction of coach Travis Hudson (298-143 in 14 seasons), WKU makes its third NCAA appearance in school history (also 2002 and 2005) after losing the championship match of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament to Middle Tennessee State. Western Kentucky went 3-4 against the NCAA Tournament field, including wins over Middle Tennessee State, American and Tennessee State.  Middle hitter Megan Argabright paces a Lady Topper attack that finished second in the Sun Belt Conference with a .280 team hitting percentage. A first-team all-conference pick  and two-time AVCA All-American, Argabright ranks  third in the league in kills with 4.25 kills per game and hit .377 to rank fourth in the conference. Setter Julia Noe also earned first-team all-conference honors after averaging 12.80 assists per game to rank second in the league.
Series History: A potential meeting between Nebraska and Western Kentucky would be the first time the schools have met on the volleyball court.

Wichita State (25-6): Wichita State makes it second-ever NCAA appearance this weekend, as the Shockers head to Lincoln. WSU also traveled to Lincoln for its first postseason appearance in 2004, where it defeated Nevada before losing to the Huskers. Coach Chris Lamb (161-83 in eight seasons) earned Missouri Valley Coach-of-the-Year honors after leading WSU to a 26-5 record and the MVC regular-season title. The Shockers were one of four Missouri Valley Conference teams to earn NCAA Tournament bids this season. The Shockers went 6-5 against NCAA Tournament teams, including losses to national seeds Kansas State (3-1), Cal Poly (0-3) and Hawaii (3-2). Sara Lungren, a senior outside hitter, was named MVC Player of the Year and averages 3.17 kills and 2.79 digs per game. Although the Huskers and Shockers have not played this season, they did play a spring match in North Platte in April, a 3-0 Husker win.
Series History: Nebraska has won all 10 prior meetings with the Shockers, including a 30-22, 30-20, 30-21 victory in the second round of the 2004 NCAA Tournament at the NU Coliseum. Prior to the most recent matchup, the teams had not played since the 1987 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. A first-team All-Big 12 selection, Stalls leads the Big 12 and ranks third nationally in hitting percentage (.473), averaging 2.79 kills and 1.09 blocks per game. She has been the Big 12’s Offensive Player of the Week in each of the last two weeks, hitting .724 and averaging 3.83 kills per game in sweeps over Baylor and Texas Tech. She tied an NCAA record with 13 kills on as amany swings in a sweep over Texas Tech on Nov. 24. Stalls has been in double figures in kills nine 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. Stalls enjoyed one of her best matches at Missouri on Oct. 17, totaling 15 kills on .737 hitting and six blocks. 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 .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 (.357), averaging 2.36 kills and 1.05 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 a team-high 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 No. 3 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 five 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 .106 hitting percentage since moving into the lineup. On the season, she is averaging 2.26 digs and 0.41 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.

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.  Pavan was selected as the Big 12’s Player of the Year on Nov. 26 and averages 4.93 kills, 1.90 digs and 0.53 service aces per game, ranking first in the Big 12 in kills, points per game (5.87) and aces per game.  A four-year All-Big 12 selection, Pavan has six double-doubles, including 20 kills and 10 digs at Texas A&M on Nov. 14. She turned in one of best performances of the year in the regular-season finale on Nov. 27, drilling 18 kills on 25 swings and adding five aces in a sweep of Texas Tech. 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. She totaled a match-high 16 kills on .351 hitting and two blocks against No. 25 Oklahoma on Oct. 13.  Pavan 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). 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.

OH - #10 Jordan Larson: 6-2, Jr., Hooper, Neb. - Larson  is a two-time All-Big 12 selection and a returning first-team AVCA All-American. She averages 3.46 kills, 3.28 digs and 0.46 service aces per game, ranking second in the league in aces and ninth in points per game (4.33). 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.  She earned all-tourney honors at the AVCA Showcase and the Holiday Inn Downtown Classic. Larson recorded 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. 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 is a former AVCA National Player of the Year and two-time All-Big 12 selection. She enters the NCAA Tournament averaging 3.18 kills, 4.05 digs and .31 service aces per game. The Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, she leads all conference hitters in digs per game and is seventh in the Big 12 in that category. Houghtelling is tied for the team lead with 10 double-doubles, most recently collecting 10 kills and 10 digs against Texas Tech on Nov. 24. She totaled 11 kills and a match-high 16 digs against No. 22 Oklahoma on Nov. 17. Houghtelling collected a career-high 26 digs, four blocks and seven kills in NU’s win at No. 12 Kansas State on Nov. 3. She 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 15 kills on .519 hitting and nine digs in the sweep of New Mexico State.  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 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. - A two-time All-Big 12 setter, Holloway guides one of the most prolific offensive attacks in college volleyball, as NU ranks first nationally in assists and kills per game while hitting .330 on the year. The All-American is ninth 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 22 times in 28 matches, including .400 or better on five 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. 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. 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.  Holloway was a third-team AVCA All-American in 2006, averaging 13.43 assists, 2.49 digs and 1.11 kills per game, becoming only the second freshman in NCAA history to be a starting setter for a title team.

Last Match: Seniors Shine in Big 12 Win
 Tracy Stalls tied an NCAA record by putting down 13 kills on 13 swings for a perfect 1.000 attack percentage, as the Husker volleyball team sent Stalls and NU’s three other seniors out in style with a 30-18, 30-10, 30-11 sweep of Texas Tech. 

 Stalls’ perfect evening marked the second time in school history that a Husker had enjoyed a perfect attack percentage, as Megan Korver was a perfect 10-for-10 against Iowa State on Sept. 25, 1998. Only two players in NCAA history ? Katie Silliman of Arkansas State (10/11/98) and Angie Jeffries of UMKC (10/8/99) ? had more kills while hitting 1.000 in a match. 

 The Huskers’ senior class of Stalls, Maggie Griffin, Christina Houghtelling and Sarah Pavan all starred as Nebraska clinched a share of the Big 12 title and the automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. 

 With Griffin earning the starting nod for the first time this season, the Huskers were precise, hitting .472 on the match. Griffin totaled season highs in assists (40) and digs (nine) while recording her first three blocks and first kill of the year. 

 Besides Stalls’ record-breaking performance, Pavan had a match-high 18 kills on only 25 swings, while tying a career high with five aces. Houghtelling collected her 10th double-double of the year with 10 kills on 20 swings and 10 digs while also matching her season high with three aces.

Husker Watch Lists
?-Senior Sarah Pavan is 51 kills away from becoming just the fourth player in the Big 12 era (1996-present) to reach 2,000 career kills. With 1,949 kills, Pavan is fourth on the Big 12’s all-time kills chart. 

?-With 998 career digs, Jordan 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 and the first to reach that milestone before her senior campaign.

?-Christina Houghtelling will look to become the second Husker to reach 1,000 career kills this season. The senior outside hitter is four kills shy from becoming the 20th Husker to reach that 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.

?-Tracy Stalls is steadily climbing NU’s career blocks list. She has recorded 559 blocks and moved past Virginia Stahr for fifth place on NU’s career list at Baylor on Nov. 21. Stalls is also three block assists from passing Stephanie Thater for third place on NU’s career block assist list.

?-Both Sarah Pavan and Jordan Larson are climbing NU’s top-10 list for aces. With 10 aces in her last two matches, Pavan is now eight aces shy of former U.S. National Team setter Lori Endicott for third place on NU’s all-time list. Larson moved past Mary Buysse (134, 1981-84) for sole possesion of four place with her ace against Texas Tech in the regular-season finale.

Pavan, Houghtelling Lead Big 12 Honors
Sarah Pavan and Christina Houghtelling head up a list of five Huskers who earned first-team All-Big 12 honors, as the league unveiled its all-conference team Monday afternoon.

The 12-member first-team was dominated by players from Big 12 co-champions Nebraska and Texas. The two schools combined for 10 of the 12 spots with both schools claiming five spots apiece. Nebraska’s five first-team picks matched a school record originally set in 2001.

The awards were headed by Pavan, who was chosen as the Big 12 Player of the Year for the third consecutive season, and Houghtelling, who was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. Rachel Holloway, Jordan Larson and Tracy Stalls joined Pavan and Houghtelling as first-team selections.

Pavan becomes the first player in school history to become a three-time conference player of the year. On the season, the 6-foot-5 senior paced the Big 12 with 4.93 kills per game, while topping all league players in service aces (0.53) and points per game (5.87). She ended the regular season ranked ninth in hitting percentage (.348) while recording four matches with at least 20 kills, highlighted by a 31-kill performance at Kansas State on Nov. 3. Pavan is just the second player in school history to be a four-time first-team all-conference pick, joining Greichaly Cepero, who accomplished the feat from 1999 to 2002.

Houghtelling becomes the third straight Husker to win or share the league’s top defensive honor while earning first-team All-Big 12 laurels for the second time in her career. On the year, she averaged 3.18 kills on .316 hitting and a team-high 4.05 digs per game. She ranks seventh in the league in digs and paces all non-liberos in that category.  Houghtelling is tied for the team-lead with 10 double-doubles. She turned in one of her best defensive performances of the year at Kansas State, recording a career-high 26 digs and four blocks as NU fought back from a 0-2 deficit.

Holloway was chosen for the All-Big 12 team for the second straight campaign after guiding the Huskers to one of their most prolific offensive seasons in school history. NU enters the NCAA Tournament leading the country in both kills (18.00) and assists (16.63) per game and ranked third in hitting percentage (.330). On the year, she is averaging 13.73 assists, 2.28 digs and 0.98 kills per game to rank second in the Big 12 and eighth nationally in assists per game. She has helped NU hit .300 or better in 22 matches, including a season-best .500 in a sweep of Baylor on Sept. 29.

Larson collects her second first-team all-conference award as she enters the NCAA Tournament averaging 3.46 kills, 3.28 digs and 0.48 service aces per game. She finished the regular season ranked second in aces (0.46) and ninth in points per game (4.33). Larson, who is two digs away from becoming just the third Husker to reach 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs, also has 10 double-doubles on the year. Her best performance of the year came in win over Missouri on Oct. 31, when she had 17 kills and 16 digs.

Stalls is honored for the second straight year, as the senior middle blocker anchors NU’s attack. She leads the Big 12 and ranks third nationally in hitting percentage (.472), averaging 2.79 kills and a team-high 1.09 blocks per game. She is on pace to become only the second Husker to ever hit .400 or better in consecutive seasons. Stalls, who has reached double figures in kills nine times, has hit .800 or better twice this season, including an NCAA record-tying 1.000 hitting percentage on 13 swings against Texas Tech on Nov. 24.

Huskers Have Been Dominant in 2007
The Oct. 24 loss at fifth-ranked Texas shows how difficult it is to go undefeated in college volleyball. The Huskers’ loss not only snapped NU’s 29-match win streak, but also guaranteed that no Division I team would complete the 2007 season unscathed.

In fact, only three teams (USC, 2003; Nebraska, 2000; and Long Beach State, 1998) have ever completed a season unblemished. Nebraska was the last unbeaten team in each of the past two seasons. Despite the loss at Texas, the Huskers have been dominant throughout most of 2007.

?-NU has lost only eight games all season and went 17 matches without dropping a game from Aug. 25 to Oct. 24 - its longest stretch of sweeps since 1995.
?-Nebraska has swept 24 of its 28 opponents this year, including eight ranked teams.
?-Nebraska has held its opponent to 20 points or less in 48 of 89 games (54 percent), including six matches where the opponent did not exceed 20 points in any game.
?-Of the 89 games the Huskers have played, Nebraska has surrendered 25 points only 22 times.

Nebraska Looks to Join Repeat Club
This postseason, the Huskers will look to join an elite list, as only five programs have repeated as national champions. The most recent was USC, which took home back-to-back titles in both 2002 and 2003.

Two AVCA Players of the Year in the Same Lineup...Never Happened Before 2007
With Sarah Pavan winning the AVCA National Player-of-the-Year Award in 2006, Nebraska has had four AVCA National Players of the Year, including three this decade.  With the return of 2005 AVCA National Player of the Year Christina Houghtelling to the lineup this year, the Huskers are the first team in NCAA volleyball history to field two former AVCA National Players of the Year on the court at one time.

Pavan and Houghtelling look to become only the fifth player in college volleyball history to win the AVCA honor more than once, joining Logan Tom (Stanford, 2001-02); Misty May (Long Beach State, 1997-98); Tara Cross (Long Beach State, 1988-89) and Teee Williams (Hawaii, 1987-89).

Pavan Becomes Huskers’ Queen of Kills
Right side hitter Sarah Pavan found her way into Nebraska’s career record books against Kansas on Oct. 20, as she broke Allison Weston’s career record for kills. Pavan, who owns 1,949 kills at NU,  has averaged a school-best 4.58 kills per game over her four-year career and is one of only four Huskers to ever average 4.00 kills per game for an entire career.

Huskers Enjoy Offensive Firepower
With five returning All-Americans and four other players with starting experience, the Huskers have enjoyed ample firepower throughout 2007. The Huskers   enter the NCAA Tournament leading the country in kills and assists per game, while ranking third in hitting percentage in the latest NCAA statistics.

The Huskers have enjoyed balance, as all five primary attackers (Kori Cooper, Tracy Stalls, Sarah Pavan, Jordan Larson and Christina Houghtelling) have led the team in kills at least once this season while all average at least 2.30 kills per game.  NU is on pace to threaten school bests in hitting percentage, kills and assists per game.

Pavan Picks Up Third Big 12 Award
Sarah Pavan became the first Husker in school history and the first volleyball player in conference history (Big Eight and Big 12) to be a three-time conference player of the year when she received the Big 12’s top honor on Nov. 25. NU has had six players who were selected conference player of the year more than once, but Pavan became the first Husker to win the award on three occasions. 
Nebraska has had the conference player of the year in 18 different seasons, including 2002 when seniors Greichaly Cepero, Amber Holmquist and Laura Pilakowski shared the award. It is the ninth time in 12 years of Big 12 action that a Husker has been named Big 12 Player of the Year.

Pavan Leads Powerful Husker Attack
Nebraska returns one of college volleyball’s most prolific players in right-side hitter Sarah Pavan. A three-time All-American, Pavan will look to become only the fourth player in NCAA history - and the first Husker - to become a four-time, first-team All-American. In 2007, Pavan has continued her dominant play, as she was selected as the Big 12 Player of the Year.

?-Leads the Big 12 in kills (4.93),  points (5.88) and aces (0.45) per game, while hitting .348 on the season.
?-Has six double-doubles (kills/assists) on the season and is on pace to better career highs in both digs and service aces.
?-Recorded four 20-kill matches in 2007, upping her career total to 22.
?-Garnered AVCA National Player-of-the-Week honors for the second time in her career after averaging 5.57 kills per game on .382 hitting, 2.00 digs, 1.00 blocks and 0.43 service aces per game at the AVCA Showcase.
?-Totaled 25 kills and 12 digs in NU’s victory over No. 5 UCLA in the AVCA Showcase title match.
?-Collected MVP honors at the Holiday Inn Players Challenge, averaging 5.33 kills and 2.11 digs per game in three wins, including sweeps over No. 3 Penn State and No. 17 Cal Poly. 
?-Shined in NU’s sweep of No. 7 Texas, totaling a team-best 16 kills while hitting a season-high .520 against the Longhorns.
?-Canned Missouri for 18 kills on .516 hitting and four blocks against the Tigers.
?-Picked up her third double-double of the year against Missouri on Oct. 31 with 22 kills and 14 digs, as her digs were one off her career high.
?-Recorded a season-high 31 kills on .375 hitting and 10 digs at No. 12 Kansas State, earning Big 12 Weekly honors for the second time in 2007.
?-Totaled 20 kills, 10 digs and two aces at Texas A&M on Nov. 14.
 ?-Totaled 18 kills on a season-high .640 hitting and five aces in a sweep of Texas Tech on Nov. 24.

In addition to her volleyball accomplishments, Pavan maintains a perfect 4.0 GPA in biochemisty and was the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American of the Year in Division I in 2006-07. She is on pace to graduate in May of 2008.

Pavan Meets the Challenge
Throughout her career, All-American Sarah Pavan has saved her best performances for NU’s toughest tests. In 52 career matches against ranked foes, Pavan is averaging 4.74 kills per game, well above her career average of 4.58 kills per game for all matches, to help the Huskers post a 48-4 record versus ranked foes.

This season, she is averaging 5.14 kills per game in 11 matches against ranked opponents. She collected her two highest kill totals of the year against ranked opponents, including a season-high 31 kills at No. 12 Kansas State.