Huskers and Longhorns Clash for Big 12 Lead

No. 3 Nebraska (25-1, 16-1 Big 12) at No. 4 Texas (21-3, 15-2 Big 12)
Wednesday, Nov. 19 ? Austin, Texas ? 8 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: ESPNU (DirecTV Ch. 614; DISH Network Ch. 148; Time Warner Cable Ch. 235; Cox Cable Ch. 220)
Live Video: None

Texas Tech (5-22, 0-16 Big 12) at Nebraska
Saturday, Nov. 22 ? NU Coliseum ? 7 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 Nebraska volleyball team heads to Austin, Texas, with a chance to earn a share of the Big 12 title Wednesday night, as the third-ranked Huskers meet the fourth-ranked Texas Longhorns. First serve from Gregory Gymnasium is slated for 8 p.m. and the match will be carried on the Husker Sports Radio Network with John Baylor and Lindsay Peterson, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Twister 93.3 FM in Omaha, and on the Internet at Huskers.com. Wednesday’s match will also be televised nationally on ESPNU with Beth Mowins and Karch Kiraly calling all of the action.

The Huskers (25-1, 16-1 Big 12) come into the final three matches of the season with an opportunity to earn their fifth straight Big 12 title and 30th conference crown in 33 seasons. With a win Wednesday, the Nebraska would capture a share of the league crown, as well as the league’s automatic bid for next month’s NCAA Tournament by virtue of their regular-season sweep of Texas. If Texas wins, the Huskers can still earn at least a share of the crown by winning its last two regular-season contests.

Nebraska put together its best offensive night of the year in sweeping Kansas Saturday night. The Huskers hit .447 as a team, while Jordan Larson’s 15 kills and 11 digs led three NU players with at least 10 kills. Nebraska, which became the first Big 12 team to sweep the Jayhawks in Lawrence, received strong efforts from middle blockers Amanda Gates and Kori Cooper, who combined for 14 kills without an error on just 19 swings.

Texas (21-3, 15-2 Big 12) comes off one of its best efforts of the season, winning a five-set thriller at No. 14 Kansas State on Saturday. The Longhorns are hitting a league-best .337 and have lost just once at home this season.

Quick Sets
?-NU’s win at Kansas was its 25th of the year, as the Huskers have won at least 25 matches for 16 straight years and 33 of 34 years in program history.
?-Nebraska is hitting .382 over its last three matches and has hit at least .350 in all three contests.
?-Nebraska held Kansas without an ace, marking the fifth time NU has done that to an opponent this season. The Huskers have not allowed an ace in their last two road matches.
?-The Huskers will be going for their fourth win against a top-five opponent this year.  NU is 6-0 against ranked foes in 2008.

Worth Noting
?-Nebraska is 83-5 (.943) on the road in Big 12 action over the nine seasons under Coach John Cook.
?-Nebraska is 92-13 (.876) versus ranked opponents under John Cook. The Huskers are 17-6 (.739) against top-five teams this decade, including an impressive 13-2 mark over the last four years.
?-Wednesday’s match between NU and Texas will be the ninth time since 1996 that both teams have been ranked in the top 10-nationally at game time. NU is 7-1 in the previous matchups.
?-A win on Wednesday at Texas will give the Huskers their 11th Big 12 title in the last 13 years and will match their high of five straight Big 12 crowns also accomplished from 1998 until 2002.
?-The Huskers lead the Big 12 in three team categories, including kills (14.70/set), assists (13.48/set) and opponent hitting percentage (.140) and also rank second in hitting percentage (.275), blocks (2.60/set) and service aces (1.33/set).
?-The Huskers have swept 18 of their 26 opponents during the 2008 season.
?-Jordan Larson collected her 49th career double-double against Kansas on Saturday. NU is now 48-1 in her career when she has a double-double.
?-The Huskers are a perfect 6-0 against ranked opponents in 2008, including wins over No. 2 Stanford and No. 4 Texas.
?-The Huskers are 95-4 (.960) in their last 99 conference matches dating back to 2003.
?-Two-time All-American Jordan Larson is on pace to become the first Husker to average more than three kills and digs per set in a career. She enters the Texas match averaging 3.56 kills and 3.16 digs per set in 126 career matches.
?-Tara Mueller has been on a tear of late, averaging 3.95 kills and 2.82 digs per set over her last six matches.
?-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 five by Texas.
??Nebraska’s senior class of Amanda Gates, Jordan Larson and Rachel Schwartz will go for their 122nd career win Wednesday at Texas. The trio has helped NU to a 121-6 record (.953 winning pct.) over the last four years. Of their 127 matches, NU has been ranked in the top three of the Bison/AVCA poll in 125 of them.
?-NU’s nine non-conference opponents are a combined 166-66 (.716) entering this week’s matches. All nine teams have winning records, while Stanford, Tulane and Oral Roberts and New Mexico have already won at least 20 matches.
?-The Huskers were ranked third in the latest NCAA’s RPI rankings released on Nov. 10. NU is 6-0 against top-20 teams in the RPI, including wins over No. 2 Stanford and No. 5 Texas.

Scouting Texas
Under Head Coach Jerritt Elliott (177-61 in eight years), the Longhorns are 21-3 and ranked fourth in the country. With a lineup featuring four returning All-Americans, the Longhorns have reached the regional final in each of the last two years. Outside hitter Destinee Hooker paces the Longhorn attack with 4.20 kills per set, while All-Americans Juliann Faucette and Ashley Engle also average nearly three kills per set.

Series History: NU is 29-13 all-time against Texas in a series that dates back to 1981. The Huskers have won 16 of the last 18 meetings and 21 of 25 tilts since the Big 12 was formed in 1996.  The most memorable matchup between the two schools was a 3-1 NU win in the 1995 NCAA title match in Amherst, Mass.

Last Meeting: Behind a career-high 17 kills from Lindsey Licht, NU toppled Texas, 3-1 on Sept. 21. Licht hit .500 on 30 swings and added three blocks in the win. Jordan Larson posted a double-double with a match-high 19 kills and 11 digs while Tara Mueller chipped in 14 kills and 11 digs. Sydney Anderson was the third Husker to record a double-double, finishing with a season-high 53 assists and 10 digs, while guiding the Huskers to a .319 hitting percentage.

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. She averages 1.65 kills and a team-best 1.16 blocks per set, ranking fourth in the league in blocks and eighth in hitting percentage (.327). Gates had eight kills on a career-best .727 hitting and a pair of blocks against Kansas on Nov. 15. She has led NU in blocks 13 times, including a career-high 10 stuffs at No. 18 Kansas State on Sept. 17. Gates had 10 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. 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 10 blocks against San Diego in her first career start in 2006. Gates is one of three Huskers named Academic All-District, 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 2.09 kills on .397 hitting and 0.88 blocks per set, ranking second in the Big 12 and 16th nationally in hitting percentage. Cooper has hit .500 or better eight times in 2008, including a season-best .875 against New Mexico on Sept. 13 and .750 with six kills at Kansas on Nov. 15. She has reached double figures in kills four times, including 10 kills and a pair of blocks in a sweep of Missouri on Nov. 12. Cooper tied her season high with six blocks and added nine kills on .467 hitting in a win over Iowa State on Nov. 1. She also had six blocks in wins over Creighton (Oct. 5) and USC (Aug. 31). Cooper’s season best in kills was 12 in a win 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. 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 11.79 assists, 2.03 digs  and 0.30 aces per set, leading the league in assists and ranking eighth in service aces. She is fourth 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 12 times. Anderson had 42 assists, nine digs and four kills, while helping the Huskers hit .447 at Kansas on Nov. 15. She had 38 assists and seven digs as NU hit .351 in a sweep of Missouri on Nov. 12. Anderson had 42 assists and two blocks in helping NU hit .352 against No. 15 K-State on Nov. 8. Anderson dished out a season-high 53 assists and added 10 digs while helping NU hit .319 versus No. 3 Texas on Sept. 20. She 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 4.31 digs and 0.78 assists per set, ranking third in the Big 12 in digs. She has reached double figures in digs in 23 matches and 31 of her 34 career starts after recording 10 digs at Kansas on Nov. 15. She has topped NU in digs 20 times and has had at least nine digs in every match this season. Banwarth enjoyed a career night at Texas A&M on Nov. 5, setting personal bests in both digs (27) and aces (three) and chipping in four assists. It is one of nine matches with at least 15 digs, including 20 digs at Creighton on Oct. 4 and against USC on Aug. 31. 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. 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 2.60 kills and 0.88 blocks per set this season. 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. Licht picked up her fifth consecutive double-digit kill effort with 10 kills and a team-high three blocks at Kansas on Nov. 15. She had 11 kills in NU’s sweep of No. 15 K-State on Nov. 8.  She turned in a strong effort in the win over Iowa State, coming up with 12 kills on .435 hitting and two blocks. 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. She established personal bests in kills (17) and attempts (30), hitting .500 against No. 3 Texas on Sept. 20. Licht 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 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 1.97 digs and 0.14 service aces per set. She has reached double figures in digs three matches this year, including a season-best 17 at No. 18 Kansas State on Sept. 17. She also had 15 digs and a service ace in the win over Texas A&M on Nov. 5 and had 11 digs off the bench in the win over Iowa State on Nov. 1. She has eight matches with at least eight digs, as she replaces the right side hitter in the back row.  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 as NU’s libero against the Wildcats. 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 Missouri.

OH - #10  Jordan Larson: 6-2, Sr., Hooper, Neb. - A two-time All-American and 2008 Big 12 Preseason co-Player of the Year, Larson averages 3.85 kills, 3.14 digs and 0.37 service aces per game, ranking among the league leaders in aces (second), points (4.54, third) and kills (fourth). She has a team-high 11 double-doubles, including six of the last seven contests. She had 15 kills and 11 digs at Kansas on Nov. 15. Larson had 16 kills, 13 digs and three service aces against Missouri on Nov. 12 and 10 kills and 14 digs in a sweep of No. 15 K-State on Nov. 8. Larson totaled 17 kills, 18 digs and a career-high eight blocks in the win at Texas A&M on Nov. 5. She was named Big 12 Player of the Week on Oct. 27, averaging 4.17 kills and 2.67 digs per set in sweeps of Oklahoma and Texas A&M. Larson had 13 kills on .407 hitting in a sweep of Texas A&M on Oct. 22. 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. 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 2006 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, Larson averaged 4.13 kills and 3.50 digs per set 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 3.60 kills and 2.43 digs per set, ranking sixth in the league in kills and points. Mueller is second on the squad with six double-doubles - all coming in conference action. She had 10 kills on .381 hitting and eight digs at Kansas on Nov. 15. Mueller established career bests in kills for the second straight match against No. 15 Kansas State on Nov. 8, finishing with 20 kills on .613 hitting. She set personal bests with 19 kills and 16 digs in the five-set win at Texas A&M on Nov. 5. She had strong effort against Texas A&M on Oct. 22, drilling 13 kills and setting career bests in both hitting percentage (.478) and blocks (five). She 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 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. 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 Erupt against KU
No. 3 Nebraska used its best offensive night of the year, sweeping Kansas, 25-21, 25-18, 25-12 Saturday night. The Huskers hit a blistering .447 as a team, hitting over the .400 mark for the first time this season in handing Kansas its first conference home sweep of the season.

Nebraska used a balanced offensive effort, putting three players in double figures in kills. Jordan Larson led the Huskers with 15 kills on a season-high .438 hitting and 11 digs for her 11th double-double of the year. Lindsey Licht and Tara Mueller added 10 kills apiece, while Licht added three stuffs. Sydney Anderson keyed the attack with 42 assists, four kills and nine digs, helping NU hit .400 or better in all three sets.  
Nebraska also got strong efforts from middle blockers Amanda Gates and Kori Cooper, who combined for 14 kills without an error on 19 swings, including eight kills on .727 hitting from Gates.

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 7.45 kills per set, as Nebraska and Kansas State are the only two Big 12 schools with multiple hitters in the top 10 in kills.

The Husker duo joins Penn State’s All-American duo of Megan Hodge and Nicole Fawcett as the only pair of hitters averaging more than 3.50 kills apiece for ranked teams.

Either Larson or Mueller has led the Huskers in kills in 25 of 26 matches this season, as Larson has topped NU 15 times, while Mueller has enjoyed team-high honors in 12 contests. They have tied on two occasions, most recently against Texas A&M on Oct. 22. Lindsey Licht is the only other Husker to lead NU in kills, as she totaled 14 at Colorado on Oct. 29.

Three Huskers Earn Academic Honors
 Three NU players were honored on Nov. 8, as Kori Cooper, Amanda Gates and Jordan Larson were chosen to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District VII team.

It is the first time that any of the three were named first-team academic all-district, and all three are eligible for CoSIDA Academic All-America honors. Nebraska is the only Division I program with three first-team all-district selections in 2008.

Cooper, a three-year starter at middle blocker, carries a 3.82 GPA in speech-language pathology. On the court, she is among the Big 12 leaders in hitting percentage and blocks and has hit better than .400 in 15 matches.

Gates earns her second academic all-district award after being a third-team choice in 2006. She tops NU in blocks at 1.16 per set, ranking fourth in the league in that category and is eighth in hitting percentage. A communication studies major with a 3.96 GPA, Gates has been named to the Big 12 Community of Champions Good Works team in both 2007 and 2008.

Larson picks up her second academic all-district award and is among the Big 12 leaders in kills, aces and points. A two-time AVCA All-American, Larson holds NU’s career record for aces (178) and is second in digs (1,307) and sixth in kills (1,472). In the classroom, A two-time academic All-Big 12 honoree, she has a 3.31 GPA in communication studies.
 
Senior Make Bid for Home Perfection
 Nebraska’s senior class of Amanda Gates, Jordan Larson and Rachel Schwartz has already forged an impressive legacy at Nebraska. The trio has helped NU win three straight Big 12 titles and reached the NCAA title match in both 2005 and 2006.
 ?-The group became the first Husker senior class in program history to go an entire career without losing a regular-season non-conference match. They went 34-0, including 16 wins over ranked teams and a perfect 8-0 versus top-five foes.
 ?-The 2008 seniors are now potentially only one win away from becoming the first-ever senior class to post an unblemished home record. NU’s final regular-season home match is against Texas Tech on Nov. 23.
 ?-Nebraska’s seniors are a combined 121-6 (.953) 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.