Huskers Take on Texas A&M Wednesday

This Week in Husker VolleyballNo. 3 Nebraska (21-1, 12-1 Big 12) at Texas A&M (10-13, 5-8)
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)

No. 15 Kansas State (20-4, 10-3 Big 12) at Nebraska
Saturday, Nov. 8 ? 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: NET Television (Ch. 12 and Ch. 112 in HD)
Live Video: Huskers.com (free video)

The Nebraska volleyball team wraps up a stretch of three of four road matches on Wednesday, as the Huskers travel to College Station, Texas, to take on Texas A&M. First serve between the Huskers and Aggies at G. Rollie White Coliseum has been moved from 6:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. to accommodate the Texas A&M men’s basketball exhibition game at 7:30 p.m.

Fans can listen to Wednesday’s match on selected Husker Sports Network stations, including flagship stations B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Twister 93.3 FM in Omaha, and on Huskers.com, with John Baylor and Lindsay Peterson calling all of the action. Fans can also watch Wednesday’s match on HuskersNside, as nearly every regular-season home and away match in 2008 will be video streamed.

The Huskers (21-1, 12-1 Big 12) rebounded from their first loss of the season to top Iowa State in four sets on Saturday. Jordan Larson’s match-high 17 kills and 15 digs led three Huskers in double figures in kills. Lindsey Licht and Tara Mueller added 12 kills apiece, while Sydney Anderson dished out 51 assists to help NU out-hit the Cyclones, .259-.156. NU, which out-blocked the Cyclones, 12-8, cooled off an ISU squad which had won five of its last six contests before Saturday.

Texas A&M (10-13, 5-8) wraps up a grueling three-match stretch against the league’s three ranked teams when they host the Huskers on Wednesday. Texas A&M lost a five-set match at No. 16 Kansas State on Wednesday before falling at No. 3 Texas on Saturday. In the loss to the Longhorns, the Aggies were led by outside hitter Jennifer Banse, who had 10 kills and a pair of blocks. Wednesday’s match will by the Aggies’ fifth against a ranked foe in the last seven contests.

Quick Sets
?-Saturday’s win over Iowa State was the 1,050th win in school history. NU is second among all NCAA programs in wins and is one of six programs to win over 1,000 matches.
?-Kayla Banwarth has recorded double figures in digs in her last eight matches, her longest streak since moving into the starting lineup late last year.
?-Nebraska has three of the top-11 blockers in the Big 12 in Amanda Gates (1.22, t-2nd), Lindsey Licht (0.93, 9th) and Kori Cooper (0.92, t-10th).
?- The Huskers dropped one spot - from second to third - in the Bison/AVCA poll released Monday afternoon.

Worth Noting
?-Following Saturday’s win over Iowa State, the Huskers are now 10-1 in regular-season matches following a loss (Cook’s other six losses have come in the NCAA Tournament).
?-Nebraska is 81-5 (.942) on the road in Big 12 action over the nine seasons under Coach John Cook.
?-The Huskers lead the Big 12 in three of the nine team categories, including kills (14.55/set), assists (13.37/set) blocks (2.68/set) and opponent hitting percentage (.129) and rank second in hitting percentage (.269).
?-The Huskers are 91-4 (.958) in conference action dating back to the end of the 2003 season.
?-The Huskers have swept 15 of their 22 opponents during the 2008 season and have not played a five-set match in 2008.
?-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. 
?-Lindsey Licht reached double figures in consecutive matches last week, marking the first time she has done that in her Husker career. Licht averaged 3.25 kills and 1.00 blocks in NU’s two matches last week.
??Nebraska’s senior class of Amanda Gates, Jordan Larson and Rachel Schwartz have led the Huskers to a 117-6 record (.951 winning pct.)  over the last four years. Wednesday’s match will mark only the third match they have played at NU not ranked first or second.
?-With a .407 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). Cooper reached 500 career kills on Saturday against Iowa State and now has 503 career kills at Nebraska.
?-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 Texas A&M
Head Coach Laurie Corbelli (337-157 in 16 years at Texas A&M) has the Aggies at 10-13 overall and 5-8 heading into Wednesday’s matchup. It is the second time in the last 15 days the teams have met, as NU scored a 3-0 sweep in Lincoln on Oct. 22.  Wednesday’s match will be A&M’s 10th against a ranked opponent this year, including five of the last seven contests. Texas A&M is one of only three Big 12 teams to have a win over a ranked non-conference foe, downing then-No. 16 BYU, 3-1 in September.  Texas A&M relies on outside hitters Mary Batis (3.40 k/set) and Sarah Ammerman (2.99 k/set) for offensive firepower, as the pair accounts for nearly half of the Aggies’ total kills. Batis also leads Texas A&M with 2.71 digs per set.

Series History: Nebraska leads the series, 27-6 and has won the last 18 meetings, the longest winning streak in the series, dating back to the 1999 season. NU has won the last 10 meetings all by sweeps and has won eight straight in College Station.
Last Meeting:  Tara Mueller and Jordan Larson combined for 26 kills, leading second-ranked Nebraska to a 3-0 sweep of Texas A&M. The Huskers overcame a slow start and gained momentum throughout the match, out-hitting the Aggies, .319-.106, and enjoying an 11.5-3 advantage in blocks.

Mueller put together one of the best matches of her career, recording 13 kills on a career-best .478 hitting, while also adding a personal best five blocks, while Larson continued her stellar all-around play with 13 kills on a season-best .407 hitting, two solo blocks and six digs. Sydney Anderson dished out 34 assists and added three blocks, as the Huskers hit over .300 for the eighth time this season. Amanda Gates led a strong defensive effort with eight blocks, her second-best total of the year.

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 1.60 kills and a team-best 1.22 blocks per set, tying for second in the Big 12 in blocks and ranking eighth in hitting percentage (.308). She has led NU in blocks 11 times, including an eight-block effort against Texas A&M on Oct. 22. She turned in a solid effort against Iowa State on Nov. 1 with eight kills and five blocks. Gates had eight kills on a career-high .700 hitting and four blocks at Oklahoma on Oct. 25. 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. 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 in 2006. 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 2.14 kills on .407 hitting and 0.92 blocks per set, ranking second in the Big 12 and 14th 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 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 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 11.71 assists, 2.04 digs, 0.62 blocks and 0.32 aces per set, leading the Big 12 in assists and ranking eighth 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 20 in kills, assists and hitting percentage, as the Huskers have hit .300 or better nine times. Anderson dished out 51 assists and had four blocks and four kills against Iowa State on Nov. 1. 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 4.25 digs and 0.74 assists per set, ranking third in the Big 12 in digs. She has reached double figures in digs 19 times in 21 matches and in 27 of her 30 career starts after recording 11 digs in the win against Iowa State on Nov. 1. Banwarth 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 high 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 2.53 kills and 0.93 blocks per set this season, ranking ninth 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 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. 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 1.90 digs and 0.12 service aces per set. She comes off one of her best efforts of the year, recording 11 digs off the bench in the win over Iowa State on Nov. 1. She has seven matches with at least eight digs, including nine digs against Baylor (Oct. 15) and at Iowa State (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 and 2008 Big 12 Preseason co-Player of the Year, Larson averages 3.79 kills, 2.97 digs and 0.35 service aces per game, ranking among the league leaders in aces (third), points (4.47, fourth) and kills (fourth). She has a team-high six double-doubles, including 17 kills and 15 digs in a win over Iowa State on Nov. 2. 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 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. 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 eighth in the league in kills per set. Mueller is tied for second on the squad with five double-doubles, including 12 kills and 12 digs against Iowa State on Nov. 1. All five of her double-doubles have come in conference action, including 13 kills and 12 digs in the loss at Colorado on Aug. 5. 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 of 16 kills came at Iowa State on Sept. 27, when she also added 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). 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 Top Cyclones
Jordan Larson totaled 17 kills to lead three Huskers in double figures, leading No. 2 Nebraska to a 3-1 win over Iowa State. Larson collected her 45th career double-double, finishing with 17 kills, 15 digs and two aces. Lindsey Licht and Tara Mueller joined Larson in double figures for the Huskers, who improved to 21-1 overall and 12-1 in the Big 12. Licht drilled 12 kills on .435 hitting and added a pair of blocks, while Mueller collected her fifth double-double with 12 kills, 12 digs and three blocks, as the Huskers extended their home win streak to 82 matches.

Sydney Anderson guided a balanced Husker offense, as all five primary hitters totaled at least eight kills, to help NU out-hit the Cyclones, .259-.156. Anderson finished with 51 assists, four blocks and four kills. Middle blockers Kori Cooper and Amanda Gates also shined in the win, combining for 17 kills on .433 hitting and 11 blocks.

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 7.22 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 21 of 22 matches this season, as Larson has topped NU 13 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.

Doubling Up
When you look across the conference leaders, NU has multiple players in nearly every category. The Huskers have two players among the Big 12 leaders in five of the seven categories. In addition, Kayla Banwarth is second among Big 12 liberos - and third among non-setters in assists (0.74/set)

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 117-6 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 21-1 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.

On the Block
One area where Nebraska have gotten stronger is at the net. The Huskers have reached double figures in blocks in four of the last five matches after accomplishing the feat five times in their first 17 contests. NU has averaged 3.21 blocks per set in that time and now lead the Big 12 with 2.68 blocks per set.

No Place Like Home
Nebraska has enjoyed an overwhelming homecourt advantage across the state. The Huskers have won their last 91 matches inside the state’s borders dating back to 2004, including matches in Lincoln (77), Omaha (13) and North Platte (1).

With the Nov. 1 win over Iowa State, the Huskers extended their home winning streak to 82 matches - the second-longest streak in NCAA history and the longest 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
Jordan Larson has continued to climb the Husker career charts, jumping into the top 10 in kills, digs and solo blocks during the 2008 campaign. Larson has moved from 14th to sixth on NU’s kills list and from eighth to third on NU’s career digs chart, trailing only a pair of former teammates on the school’s career dig list.

Larson is also seventh 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 173 career aces, surpassing Novak’s total of 161 set between 1987 and 1990.

The record for Larson is impressive considering that only 30 of the 122 matches she played has gone 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 is now bidding to become the first player at Nebraska to ever average more than 3.00 kills and 3.00 digs in an entire career.

Larson Doubles Up
Jordan Larson’s double-double against Iowa State on Nov. 1 marked her 45th career double-double. That number broke the record number of career double-doubles by a Husker in the Big 12 era (1996-present). She bested the mark of 44 held by three-time All-American Nancy Metcalf between 1997 and 2001. Larson has a team-best seven double-doubles this season, including six 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 week leading the Big 12 in assists  (11.71) and eighth in service aces (0.33).

Anderson is bidding to become the first Husker to ever lead the Big 12 in assists, an impressive fact considering that NU has had three multiple All-American setters in the last decade (Fiona Nepo, Greichaly Cepero and Rachel Holloway). In fact, the last Husker to lead a conference in assists is current Iowa State head coach Christy Johnson in 1995.

Anderson has lived up to her billing as the league’s top newcomer, earning the weekly honor four times in 2008, most recently on Oct. 26. She is fifth in the country in assists and has helped NU rank in the top 10 nationally in kills and assists per set and 17th 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 tied for second with five 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. Anderson reached the 50-assist plateau for the second time against Iowa State on Nov. 1.

Anderson has also been effective on the offensive end, averaging nearly a kill per set and hitting .393

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

With her 500th career kill on Saturday against Iowa State, Cooper now is among the most efficient hitters in school history. Her .367 hitting percentage is sixth among all Huskers with at least 500 career kills.

Cooper has 40 career matches where she has hit .400 or better (with a minimum of 10 swings) and is hitting a personal-best .407 in 2008 to rank second in the Big 12 and 14th nationally entering Wednesday’s match at Texas A&M.  

Cooper is hitting .424 in her last 11 matches, including four matches where she hit at least .500. The only time Cooper was held under .300 in that stretch was the first matchup with Texas A&M, when she had a season-low three kills.

Cooper comes off one of her best matches of the year against Iowa State, chipping in nine kills on .467 hitting and equaling her season best with six blocks against the Cyclones. She has reached double figures in kills three times in Big 12 play, including 10 kills at Colorado on Oct. 28. Her season best is 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 performed admirably replacing two-time All-American and former AVCA National Player of the Year Christina Houghtelling in the Husker lineup.

Mueller has become one of the league’s top performers, ranking eighth in the league with 3.43 kills per set, while also chipping in 2.38 digs and 0.49 blocks per set. Mueller has steadily climbed during the year,  averaging 3.68 kills and 2.82 digs per set in October.

Mueller opened November in fine fashion, collecting 12 kills and matching her career best with 12 digs for her fifth double-double of the year. Mueller is second on the team in double-doubles and had reached double figures in kills in 11 of NU’s last 14 matches. Her 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 (.354, third). Gates has raised her totals significantly since the start of Big 12 action, including  more than a 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. Gates helped NU rebound against Iowa State on Nov. 1 with eight kills and five blocks.

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 the 2007, the sophomore has been a force in the Husker lineup.

In her career, Banwarth has reached double figures in 27 of her 30 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). In fact, she has recorded at least nine digs in all 30 career starts and the only three matches she didn’t reach double figures were Husker sweeps.

Banwarth is third in the Big 12 in digs with 4.25 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. She is also second among liberos in assists (0.73/set) and has played a major role in helping NU limit opponents to a Big 12-best 0.77 service aces per set.

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.

Nation’s Best Since 2000
 John Cook has been amazingly successful during his Husker tenure, posting a 271-17 record (.941 winning pct.) to lead all programs this decade.   A two-time AVCA National Coach of the Year, Cook has enjoyed greater success in the Big 12, going 166-6 in conference matches over the past nine seasons. NU has won seven Big 12 titles in that stretch, including each of the past four years.

Huskers Rank Second All-Time in Wins
The Nebraska volleyball team is one of only five programs to reach the 1,000-win plateau and rank second in NCAA history with 1,050 wins. the Huskers are one of just five NCAA programs to reach the 1,000-win plateau.

Crowd Pleasers
 Nebraska has traditionally shown the ability to draw big crowds, and 2008 has been no different. Not only did the Huskers break the NCAA regular-season single-match record for attendance against LSU on Sept. 12, but they have been involved in four of the five largest crowds of 2008.  NU is second nationally in average attendance (5,061) and that total does not include the Runza/AVCA Showcase matches in Omaha, which both drew crowds in excess of 7,000. The LSU match marked the third time in the last two seasons that NU has broken the NCAA regular-season attendance record. In fact, the eight largest regular-season crowds in NCAA history have involved Nebraska.

Nebraska Coliseum: Sold Out for 2008
One school record has already been established this fall, as it took just 10 minutes to sell out the entire 2008 ticket allotment at the 4,030-seat NU Coliseum. It was the quickest that the single-match Coliseum allotment had ever sold out. In 2007, it took 45 minutes to sell out the entire allotment. The announcement guarantees that Nebraska’s NU Coliseum streak will continue this fall, hitting 118 matches in 2008.

The Huskers will carry a streak of 115 consecutive sellouts at the NU Coliseum into Saturday’s match with Iowa State. The Huskers are 109-6 at home during the sellout streak. A total of 480,947 fans have been to the Coliseum since the sellout streak began Nebraska’s streak marks only the second time in NCAA history that a women’s sport has enjoyed a sellout streak of at least 100 matches. The only other one was UConn women’s basketball, which had a streak of 113 straight regular-season sellouts between 1999 and 2005.