Huskers Look to Bounce Back vs. ISU

This Week in Husker Volleyball

Iowa State (15-8, 7-5 Big 12) at No. 2 Nebraska (20-1, 11-1 Big 12)
Saturday, Nov. 1 ? NU Coliseum ? 3 p.m.

Radio:  Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Twister 93.3 FM in Omaha, and on Huskers.com
Live Stats:   Huskers.com
TV: NET Television (Ch. 12 and Ch. 112 in HD)
Live Video:  Huskers.com (free video)

No. 2 Nebraska at Texas A&M (10-12, 5-7)
Wednesday, Nov. 5 ? College Station, Texas ? 6 p.m.

Radio:  Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Twister 93.3 FM in Omaha, and on Huskers.com
Live Stats:   Huskers.com
TV: None
Live Video: HuskersNside (subscription required)

The second-ranked Nebraska volleyball team looks to rebound from its first  loss of the season on Saturday afternoon, as they host the Iowa State Cyclones at the NU Coliseum. First serve has been moved from 7 p.m. to 3 p.m. because of the Nebraska-Oklahoma football game scheduled at 7 p.m. and the match can be heard across the state of Nebraska on selected Husker Sports Network stations, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Twister 93.3 FM in Omaha, and on Huskers.com, with John Baylor and Diane Mendenhall calling all of the action.  Saturday’s match will also be carried statewide on NET Television (Chs. 12 and 112 in HD) with Larry Punteney and Kathi Weiskamp calling all of the action. Fans can also watch the match live on Huskers.com.

The Huskers (20-1, 11-1 Big 12) suffered their first loss of the season and saw their 19-match Big 12 win streak snapped at Colorado on Wednesday night. NU had more kills than Colorado, 55-45, but hit a season-low .153 and had a season-high 14 service errors. Lindsey Licht’s 14 kills and six blocks led a quartet of Huskers in double figures. Tara Mueller (13 kills and 12 digs) and Sydney Anderson (43 assists and a 14 digs) recorded double doubles for the Big Red.

Iowa State (15-8, 7-5 Big 12) comes into Saturday’s match with some momentum, riding a three-match win streak following a 3-1 win over Baylor on Wednesday. Victoria Henson and Rachel Hockaday combined for 36 kills in the victory, putting the Cyclones in fourth place in the Big 12 race. The conference race got tighter on Wednesday, as the Huskers and second-place Texas both dropped matches, as the Longhorns fell to Oklahoma in Austin.

Quick Sets
?-Wednesday was the first time since Oct. 15, 2003 that both Nebraska and Texas lost conference matches in the same evening. It has happened only three times since the Big 12 was formed in 1996.
?-Saturday’s match features the Big 12 assist leaders in Iowa State’s Kaylee Manns (11.67 a/set) and Nebraska’s Sydney Anderson (11.65 a/set).
?-Lindsey Licht’s 14 kills at Colorado marked the first time this season that neither Jordan Larson or Tara Mueller led the Huskers in kills.
?-Wednesday’s match marked the second time in 2008 NU has been held to under .200 hitting.

Worth Noting
?-The Huskers have done a good job of bouncing back from losses under Head Coach John Cook. The Huskers are 9-1 in matches after a loss in the same season (Cook’s other six losses have come in the NCAA Tournament).
?-Saturday’s match against Iowa State will be the 115th consecutive sellout at the NU Coliseum, dating back to the 2001 season. NU is 108-6 during the home sellout streak.
?-Wednesday’s loss marked just the sixth loss in the careers of NU seniors Amanda Gates, Jordan Larson and Rachel Schwartz. The NU seniors are now 116-6 (.951) in their careers at Nebraska.
?-The Huskers have won their last 51 Big 12 home contests dating back to the 2003 season and are 84-2 (.977) in conference home matches under John Cook.
?-Nebraska will be gunning for its 91st consecutive win inside the state on Saturday against Iowa State. The Huskers have not lost in the state of Nebraska since September of 2004.
?-Iowa State Coach Christy Johnson was an assistant under NU Coach John Cook during the 1997 and 1998 seasons at Wisconsin, helping the Badgers to a 60-8 record and a Big Ten co-championship in 1997. She also was a two-time All-American as a Husker, leading Nebraska to its first NCAA title in 1995.
?-The Huskers lead the Big 12 in three of the nine team categories, including kills (14.48/set), blocks (2.66/set) and opponent hitting percentage (.127) and rank second in both hitting percentage (.269) and assists (13.33/set)
?-The Huskers are 90-4 (.957) in Big 12 action dating back to the 2003 season.
?-The Huskers have swept 15 of their 21 opponents and had swept their last eight opponents prior to Wednesday’s loss at Colorado.
?-Nebraska reached the 20-win plateau with its win at Oklahoma on Oct. 25. The Huskers have won at least 20 matches every year in program history (a total of 34 years). The second-longest active streak in the Big 12 is four by Texas.
?-The Huskers are a perfect 5-0 against ranked opponents, including wins over No. 3 Texas and No. 5 Stanford. 
?-With a .403 hitting percentage, middle blocker Kori Cooper is on pace to become only the fourth Husker player to hit .400 in a season, joining All-Americans Tracy Stalls (2006-07), Amber Holmquist (2000 and 2002) and Virginia Stahr (1988-89).
?-The Huskers were ranked second in the NCAA’s RPI rankings released on Oct. 27. NU is 4-0 against top-20 teams in the RPI, including wins over No. 1 Stanford and No. 4 Texas.

Scouting Iowa State
Former Husker great Christy Johnson has built the Cyclone program into a consistent winner in Big 12 play. Johnson, who has lifted ISU to consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, has the Cyclones at 15-8 and in fourth place in the Big 12 with a 7-5 mark. ISU has won six of its last seven matches, highlighted by a five-set win over K-State on Oct. 22

The Cyclones are led by junior setter Kaylee Manns, as the preseason All-Big 12 selection paces the Big 12 with 11.67 assists per game. Victoria Henson leads ISU with 4.11 kills per set, while Jen Malcom is third in the league with a .385 hitting percentage and averages 2.84 kills per set. Libero Ashley Mass leads the Big 12 with 5.04 digs per set.

Series History: The Huskers have dominated the all-time series, winning all 73 matches dating back to 1975. NU has lost just 13 sets all time to ISU, most recently in the first match in Ames on Sept. 27. The Huskers went 24 meetings between 1994 and 2006 without dropping a set to ISU.

Last Meeting: Behind career highs from Tara Mueller and Amanda Gates, No. 2 Nebraska survived Iowa State’s upset bid, posting a 25-21, 20-25, 27-25, 25-18 victory on Sept. 27. Mueller led the offensive attack with a match-high 16 kills and 10 digs for her second double-double of the year, while Gates led a strong effort from NU’s middle blockers, who combined for 23 kills on .432 hitting and six blocks. Gates totaled 11 kills and three blocks, while Kori Cooper recorded a season-best 12 kills on .524 hitting and three stuffs, as the Huskers held ISU to .193 hitting and out-blocked the Cyclones, 10-6.

Husker Probable Starters
MB - #17 Amanda Gates: 6-2, Sr., Columbus, Neb. - Gates is in her first year as a full-time starter for NU after being the Huskers’ top backup at both spots. She averages 1.62 kills and a team-best 1.22 blocks per set, ranking fourth in the Big 12 in blocks. She has led NU in blocks 11 times, including an eight-block effort against Texas A&M on Oct. 22. Gates had eight kills on a career-high .700 hitting and four blocks at Oklahoma on Oct. 25. She had six kills on .462 hitting and a team-high five blocks at Missouri on Oct. 12. She had 11 kills on .571 hitting at Texas Tech on Oct. 1 and totaled a personal-best 11 kills at Iowa State on Sept. 27. It is the second time she has tied or bettered her career high this season, as Gates tied career highs in both blocks (10) and kills (eight) at Kansas State on Sept. 17. She also performed well against No. 4 USC on Aug. 31, with seven kills on .357 hitting and six blocks. Last year, she averaged 1.29 kills and 0.81 blocks per set over 16 matches. Gates appeared in 23 matches as a sophomore and had a career-high 10 blocks against San Diego in her first career start. Gates will also contend for academic honors, carrying a 3.96 GPA in communication studies.

MB - #15 Kori Cooper: 6-2, Jr., Amarillo, Texas - A preseason All-Big 12 selection, Cooper is averaging 2.13 kills on .403 hitting and 0.88 blocks per set, ranking second in the Big 12 and 12th nationally in hitting percentage. Cooper has hit .500 or better seven times in 2008, including a season-best .875 against New Mexico on Sept. 13. She has reached double figures in kills three times, including 10 kills at Colorado on Oct. 29.  Cooper matched her season best with six blocks and added seven kills on .455 hitting against Creighton on Oct. 5. She had a season-best 12 kills on .524 hitting at Iowa State on Sept. 27.  Cooper dominated the inside at K-State on Sept. 17, pounding 11 kills without an error and five stuffs. She had her best weekend of the year, averaging 2.50 kills on .636 hitting and 1.50 blocks per set at the Players Challenge to earn all-tournament honors. Last year, Cooper averaged 2.31 kills and 1.01 blocks per set, ranking seventh in the Big 12 in hitting percentage (.356). Her career high for kills is 14, set against Missouri in 2007. Cooper was one of NU’s starting middle blockers as a freshman, averaging 1.67 kills and 0.95 blocks per set in 30 contests. She also carries a 3.81 GPA in speech language pathology.

S - #1 Sydney Anderson: 6-0, So., Salt Lake City, Utah - Anderson is in her first season at NU after spending  2007 with the U.S. National Team in Colorado Springs. The Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year, Anderson averages 11.65 assists, 2.10 digs, 0.59 blocks and 0.33 aces per set, ranking second in the league in asissts and fourth in service aces. She is fifth in the country in assists and has five double-doubles, including 43 assists and 14 digs at Colorado on Oct. 29. She has helped NU rank in the top-15 in kills, assists and hitting percentage, as the Huskers have hit .300 or better nine times. She totaled 40 assists, four kills and four blocks while helping NU hit .340 at Oklahoma on Oct. 25, and had 48 assists, 10 digs and five blocks at Iowa State on Sept. 27.  Anderson dished out a season-high 53 assists and added 10 digs while helping NU hit .319 in a win over No. 3 Texas on Sept. 20. Her other double-doubles came in wins over nationally ranked Kansas State and Cal Poly. Anderson was a member of the U.S. A-2 National Team at the USA Open in both 2007 and 2008. Anderson began her collegiate career at Utah, earning first-team All-Mountain West Conference honors in 2006. That year, she averaged 12.45 assists, 2.77 digs and 0.76 blocks per set en route to being named both the MWC Setter and Freshman of the Year.

L - #2 Kayla Banwarth: 5-10, So., Dubuque, Iowa - Banwarth is in her first full season as NU’s libero, averaging 4.34 digs and 0.74 assists per set, ranking third in the Big 12 in digs. She has reached double figures in digs 18 times in 20 matches and in 26 of her 29 career starts after recording 15 digs at Colorado on Oct. 29. She has eight matches with at least 15 digs, including a season-high 20 digs at Creighton on Oct. 4 and against USC on Aug. 31. Her conference best is 19 in a sweep at Missouri on Oct. 12. She has topped NU in digs 17 times and has had at least nine digs in every match this season. Banwarth earned a spot on the Runza/AVCA Showcase All-Tournament team after averaging 4.85 digs per set in wins over No. 2 Stanford and No. 4 USC. Banwarth closed the 2007 season as Nebraska’s libero and averaged 2.75 digs, 0.45 assists and 0.17 service aces per set on the year. Banwarth totaled a career-high 21 digs versus Michigan State in the NCAA Regional semifinal. She was a three-time all-state selection at Wahlert Catholic High School in Iowa and was a Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 selection.

OPP - #4 Lindsey Licht: 6-5, So., Aurora, Colo. - Licht is in her first year as a full-time starter, averaging 2.51 kills and 0.96 blocks per set this season, ranking eight in the league in blocks. She leads all Big 12 outside hitters in blocks. Licht has hit .450 or better five times, including a season-high .667 with nine kills on 12 swings at Texas Tech on Oct. 1. She had team bests in both kills (14) and blocks (six) at Colorado on Oct. 29 and had eight kills and five blocks, including three solo stuffs, at Oklahoma on Oct. 25. Licht turned in a strong effort against Colorado on Oct. 4, finishing with 11 kills on .533 hitting. She established personal bests in kills (17) and attempts (30), hitting .500 against No. 3 Texas on Sept. 20. She tied her then-career high with 10 kills and added four blocks against LSU on Sept. 12. She had 10 kills on .450 hitting against No. 2 Stanford and had a career-high eight blocks against No. 4 USC. As a freshman, Licht appeared in 13 matches, averaging 0.59 kills per set in 25 contests. Licht was a two-time Mizuno/Volleyball Magazine All-American and was a Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 selection.

-or- - DS - #5 Rachel Schwartz: 5-9, Sr., Lincoln, Neb. - Schwartz is one of NU’s primary defensive players, averaging 1.86 digs and 0.13 service aces per set. She totaled nine digs in a sweep of Baylor on Oct. 15, and nine digs in a win at Iowa State on Sept. 27. Her best performance of 2008 came at No. 18 Kansas State on Sept. 17, when she had a season-high 17 digs while handling nearly all of the Huskers’ passing duties. In 2007, Schwartz ranked 11th in the Big 12 in digs, averaging a career-high 3.66 digs and 0.16 service aces per set. She totaled double figures in digs 17 times, including a career-best 21 digs against  MU.

OH - #10  Jordan Larson: 6-2, Sr., Hooper, Neb. - A two-time All-American, Larson is one of the nation’s best outside hitters. The preseason Big 12 co-Player of the Year, Larson averages 3.77 kills, 2.93 digs and 0.35 service aces per game, ranking among the league leaders in kills (fifth), aces (third) and points (fourth). She has a team-high six double-doubles, including 12 kills and 10 digs at Oklahoma on Oct. 25. She was named Big 12 Player of the Week on Oct. 27, averaging 4.17 kills and 2.67 digs per game in sweeps of Oklahoma and Texas A&M. Larson had 13 kills on a season-best .407 hitting in a sweep of Texas A&M on Oct. 22. She totaled 16 kills on .355 hitting and seven digs against Baylor on Oct. 15. Larson totaled a team-high 17 kills on .355 hitting in NU’s sweep of Colorado on Oct. 4. She was named AVCA National Player of the Week on Sept. 22, as she averaged 5.00 kills on .319 hitting, 2.62 digs and 0.50 blocks per set in wins over Texas and K-State. Larson had a match-high 19 kills and 10 digs in the win over the Longhorns on Sept. 20. Larson carried the Huskers to a win at K-State, matching her career best with 21 kills and adding 10 digs. She was named to the all-tournament teams in each of NU’s first three events and was chosen as MVP of the Players Challenge after averaging 3.83 kills, 0.60 aces and 0.67 blocks per set. She had 11 kills and 11 digs in a win at No. 14 Cal Poly on Sept. 5, and earned AVCA Showcase All-Tournament honors after totaling 27 kills, six service aces and 19 digs in wins over No. 2 Stanford and No. 4 USC. Larson was a third-team AVCA All-American in 2007 after averaging 3.45 kills, 3.18 digs, 0.51 aces and 0.63 blocks per set. The Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2005, Larson averaged 4.13 kills and 3.50 digs per set as a sophomore and was the only player in the Big 12 to rank in the top 10 in kills and digs.

OH - #19 Tara Mueller: 6-0, So., Scottsdale, Ariz. - Mueller is in her first year starting at outside hitter and averages 3.46 kills and 2.34 digs per set, ranking seventh in the league in kills per set. She has raised her numbers in recent matches, averaging 3.68 kills and 2.82 digs per set in NU’s last nine contests. Mueller had her fourth double-double of the year at Colorado on Oct. 25 with 13 kills and 12 digs. She had one of the best efforts of her career against Texas A&M on Oct. 22, drilling 13 kills and setting career bests in hitting percentage (.478) and blocks (five). Her career high in kills in 16, which came at Iowa State on Sept. 27, when she finished with 16 kills and 10 digs. Mueller also collected double doubles against Oklahoma on Oct. 8 (13 kills and 10 digs) and No. 3 Texas (14 kills and 11 digs). Mueller was selected to the Cal Poly all-tournament team after averaging 3.67 kills, 1.67 digs and 0.78 blocks per set. Mueller opened the year with a then-career-best 15 kills in a sweep of No. 2 Stanford on Aug. 29.  As a freshman, Mueller averaged 1.27 kills and 0.95 digs per set in 13 matches. A Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 selection, Mueller was the 2005 Gatorade Player of the Year in Arizona and started for the U.S. Junior National Team in 2007.

Last Time Out: Huskers Fall at Colorado
For the second time in three years, second-ranked Nebraska’s quest for an unbeaten season came to an end in Boulder, Colo., as Colorado stunned the Huskers, 3-1 (25-19, 27-25, 18-25, 25-16) on Wednesday.

Emilee Sisco led Colorado with 17 kills and four blocks, as the Buffaloes (12-9, 6-6 Big 12) held the Huskers to a season-low .153 hitting and were out-blocked 14.5-8.0 on the evening.

Lindsey Licht’s 14 kills and six blocks led a quartet of Huskers in double figures in kills. Tara Mueller had her fourth double-double of year with 13 kills and 12 digs, while Jordan Larson and Kori Cooper added 10 kills apiece in the setback.

It was NU’s first loss to an unranked team since dropping a five-set match at Colorado in 2006. That season, NU was 23-0 before suffering its only loss en route to a 33-1 national title.

Huskers Sweep Big 12 Honors
Nebraska enjoyed a clean sweep of the Big 12’s weekly awards on Oct. 27, as Jordan Larson (Offensive), Amanda Gates (Defensive) and Sydney Anderson (Rookie) all earned recognition from the Big 12.

Larson collected her second offensive honor of the year after averaging 4.17 kills and 2.67 digs per game in a pair of sweeps. Larson had 13 kills on .407 hitting against Texas A&M on Oct. 22, before totaling 12 kills and 10 digs in a sweep at Oklahoma on Oct. 25.

Gates earned the first honor of her career after averaging 2.00 blocks and 1.83 kills on .667 hitting in two matches. She had eight blocks against Texas A&M on Oct. 22, before chipping in four more at Oklahoma, while also adding eight kills on .700 hitting.

Anderson collected her fourth weekly honor after helping NU hit .330 on the week and adding 12.33 assists, 1.17 blocks, 1.33 digs, and 0.67 kills per set. Anderson dished out 40 assists, four kills and four blocks at Oklahoma on Oct. 25.

Larson and Mueller Provide 1-2 Punch
Nebraska’s outside hitting duo of Jordan Larson and Tara Mueller has been one of the nation’s top outside hitting duos. The pair combines for 7.23 kills per set, as Nebraska and Kansas State are the only two Big 12 schools with multiple hitters in the top 10 in kills.

Either Larson or Mueller has led the Huskers in kills in 20 of 21 matches this season, as Larson has topped NU 12 times, while Mueller has enjoyed team-high honors in 10 contests. They have tied on two occasions, most recently against Texas A&M on Oct. 22. Lindsey Licht became the third Husker to lead NU in kills, as she finished with 14 at Colorado on Oct. 29

A Husker First
Nebraska’s senior class of Amanda Gates, Jordan Larson and Rachel Schwartz accomplished a first for the Husker program in 2008. They became the first Husker senior class in program history to go an entire career without losing a regular-season non-conference match.
?-NU went 34-0 in non-conference matches over the last four years. The Huskers won 16 matches against ranked teams, including eight matches against top-five teams.
?-Nebraska’s seniors are a combined 116-6 over the last four years, posting three 30-win seasons and helping the Huskers to a national title in 2006 and a runner-up finish in 2005.

Sophomores Step Up in 2008
After replacing four All-Americans, Nebraska needed its sophomore class to step to the forefront this fall. Nebraska lost over 60 percent of its kills and total points from 2007.

To replace those losses, the Huskers have relied on a quartet of sophomore starters - setter Sydney Anderson, libero Kayla Banwarth, right side hitter Linsdey Licht and outside hitter Tara Mueller - and all four have helped the Huskers to a 20-1 record.

Prior to this season, the group combined for 11 starts at Nebraska in 2007 - including 10 starts at libero by Banwarth and Mueller. The group has combined for nearly half of Nebraska’s total of kills and aces, as well as most of the Huskers’ assists and digs.

No Place Like Home
Nebraska has enjoyed an overwhelming homecourt advantage across the state. The Huskers have won their last 90 matches inside the state’s borders dating back to 2004, including matches in Lincoln (76), Omaha (13) and North Platte (1).

With the Oct. 22 win over Texas A&M, the Huskers extended their home winning streak to 81 matches - the second-longest streak in NCAA history. It is the longest home win streak since Penn State won 87 consecutive home matches between 1995 and 2000.

NU is the only program to have a pair of home win streaks of at least 60 matches, as Nebraska won 63 consecutive home matches between 1999 and 2002.

Air Jordan Climbs Husker Career Lists
Larson has continued to climb the Husker career charts this fall, jumping into the top 10 in kills and digs and solo blocks. Larson has moved from 14th to sixth  on NU’s kills list and from eighth to third on NU’s career digs chart. She trails a pair of former teammates on the school’s career dig list.  Larson also ranked eighth on NU’s career solo blocks list, joining Greichaly Cepero as the only non-middle blockers on the top-10 list.

Larson is New Queen of Aces
Jordan Larson took sole possession of one of the oldest marks in the NU record book on Sept. 27, overtaking Val Novak’s school mark for career aces. Larson now has 171 career aces, surpassing Novak’s total of 161 set between 1987 and 1990.

The record for Larson is impressive considering that she has had only 28 of the 120 matches she played in go longer than three sets.

Since Mary Buysse’s career ended in 1984, four players have held the school record for aces at one time or another. Novak held the mark for 18 years, and it may take a long time for someone to eclipse Larson, especially since several scoring changes have occurred since the start of the decade.

1,000-1,000 Club
Outside hitter Jordan Larson is part of another exclusive club in Husker volleyball, as she is one of only three players in school history with more than 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs. Larson joined All-American Jennifer Saleaumua and Eileen Shannon on the prestigious list in 2007, becoming the first Husker to reach the 1,000-1,000 plateau prior to her senior campaign.

Larson Doubles Up
Jordan Larson’s double-double against Oklahoma on Oct. 25, marked her 44th career double-double. That number tied the number of career double-doubles by a Husker in the Big 12 era (1996-present), matching the total established by Nancy Metcalf. Larson has six double-doubles this season, including five in Big 12 matches.

Anderson Sets Her Sights on Big 12
Sydney Anderson has made an immediate impact in her first season as a Husker. The Salt Lake City, Utah, native enters the weeknd ranking second in the Big 12 in assists (11.65) and fourth in service aces (0.33).

Anderson is bidding to become the first Husker to ever lead the Big 12 in assists, and has lived up to the billing as the league’s top newcomer. She has been selected as the Big 12’s Rookie of the Week four times, most recently on Oct. 26.

Anderson, who is fifth nationally in assists in this weeks’ NCAA rankings, has helped the Huskers rank in the top 10 nationally in kills and assists per set and 11th in hitting percentage despite losing a trio of All-America hitters.

She has been tabbed for all-tournament teams in all three of Nebraska’s tournaments and is second to Jordan Larson with four double-doubles, including three against ranked teams. Anderson dished out a season-best 53 assists in NU’s win over No. 3 Texas on Sept. 17, helping the Huskers hit .319 as a team.

Cooper Cleans Up in the Middle
Kori Cooper has been one of the Huskers’ most efficient hitters during her time at Nebraska. She has a career .366 hitting percentage in 81 matches and has ranked among the Big 12 hitting leaders in all three years.

Cooper has 29 career matches where she has hit .400 or better (with a minimum of 10 swings) and is hitting a personal-best .403 in 2008 to rank second in the Big 12 and 12th nationally entering Saturday’s match against Iowa State.

Cooper hit .500 with six kills on 12 swings in NU’s sweep of Oklahoma on Oct. 25 and reached double figures for the third time this year with 10 kills at Colorado on Oct. 29. Before last week, she had been on a tear, hitting .482 in a seven-match stretch from Sept. 27 until Oct. 15, highlighted by a season-best 12 kills on .524 hitting against Iowa State on Sept. 27. She put together one of the best matches of her career against No. 18 Kansas State on Sept. 17, when she totaled 11 kills on .524 hitting and five blocks.

Tara Time: Mueller Makes Strides
Outside hitter Tara Mueller has stepped into the shoes left by two-time All-American Christina Houghtelling.

After making just one start at outside hitter as a freshman, Mueller has become one of the Big 12’s top outside hitters this fall. She is seventh in the Big 12 with 3.46 kills per set, while also chipping in 2.34 digs and 0.49 blocks per set.           

Mueller improved her numbers throughout the year, and is averaging 3.68 kills and 2.82 digs per set in seven matches this month. She picked up her fourth double-double at Colorado with 13 kills and a career-best 12 digs. Mueller is third on the squad with four double-doubles, with all of them coming in Big 12 action. Mueller’s best match came against Texas A&M on Oct. 22 when she finished with 13 kills on .478 hitting, a career-high five blocks and seven digs.

Gates Gains During Big 12 Action
One of the most overlooked aspects of the Huskers’ Big 12 success has been the play of senior middle blocker Amanda Gates. The Columbus, Neb., native is averaging nearly two kills per set and among conference leaders in both blocks (1.27, second) and hitting percentage (.349, third). Gates has raised her totals significantly since the start of Big 12 action, including  a nearly .125 point jump in hitting percentage.

Gates has recorded back-to-back double figure kill totals at Iowa State and Texas Tech, setting a personal best with 11 against the Cyclones on Sept. 27. She had tied career highs with eight kills and 10 blocks at K-State on Sept. 17. She led NU with eight blocks in NU’s sweep of Texas A&M on Oct. 22 and had eight kills on a season-best .700 hitting at Oklahoma on Oct. 25.

KGB Spies on Opposing Hitters
For Kayla Grace Banwarth, shutting down the opposition has been her speciality. Since moving into the starting lineup at libero at the end of last season, the sophomore has been a force in the Husker lineup.

Banwarth has played her best volleyball over the last three weeks, averaging 5.18 digs and 0.77 assists per set in NU’s last seven contests.

In her career, Banwarth has reached double figures in 26 of her 29 career starts, including a personal best 21 digs in last year’s NCAA Regional against No. 24 Michigan State. Her season high is 20 digs in wins over both No. 4 USC (Aug. 31) and at Creighton (Oct. 5).

Banwarth is third in the Big 12 in digs with 4.34 digs per set and is bidding to be only the third Husker to ever average at least four digs per set. Banwarth’s defensive efforts have been instrumental, as Nebraska has limited 15 opponents to under .150 hitting and has allowed only one team to hit .200 this season.

Larson Captures AVCA National Honor
Jordan Larson received a national honor on Sept. 23, as she was selected as the Sports Imports/American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division I National Player of the Week. She earned the accolade after lifting NU to wins over No. 18 Kansas State and No. 3 Texas. Larson averaged 5.0 kills, 2.62 digs and 5.44 points per set, collecting a pair of double-doubles in the process. At No. 18 Kansas State, Larson matched a career high with 21 kills, while also getting 10 digs, two blocks and an ace. She followed that up with her 41st career double-double, recording a match-high 19 kills and 11 digs in the win over the Longhorns.

The honor marked the 10th time a Husker volleyball player has been chosen for the  AVCA’s weekly national honor, while Larson becomes the seventh different Husker to receive the accolade.

Up Next: Huskers Travel to Texas A&M
The Huskers head to College Station, Texas, on Wednesday, Nov. 5, to take on the Texas A&M Aggies. First serve from G. Rollie White Coliseum has been moved to 6 p.m. to accomadate the Texas A&M men’s basketball game that evening. The match will be carried on selected Husker Sports Network stations, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Twister 93.3 FM in Omaha and on Huskers.com.