Huskers Clash with Wildcats in Top-15 Matchup

No. 15 Kansas State (21-4, 11-3 Big 12) at No. 3 Nebraska (22-1, 13-1 Big 12)
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 returns to the friendly confines of the Nebraska Coliseum on Saturday night, as the Huskers play host to No. 15 Kansas State. First serve between the Huskers and Wildcats is set for 7 p.m. and the match will be carried on the Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Twister 93.3 FM in Omaha, and on the Internet at Huskers.com. John Baylor and Lindsay Peterson will call all of Saturday’s action on the network. The contest will also be carried live statewide on NET Television (Ch. 12 and Ch. 112 in HD) with Larry Punteney and Kathi Weiskamp. Huskers.com will also carry the NET feed for free on the website.

Saturday is a key night around the Big 12, as the top four teams in the league will square off against each other. While the first-place Huskers and third-place Wildcats square off, Texas, which is second in the league race, travels to Iowa State.

The Huskers (22-1, 13-1 Big 12) were tested at Texas A&M Wednesday night before prevailing in five sets (23-25, 25-17, 25-14, 20-25, 15-13). All-American Jordan Larson had 17 kills, 18 digs and a career-high eight blocks, as the senior had six of her kills in the decisive fifth set. Tara Mueller also turned in a big night for the Huskers, finishing with career highs in both kills (19) and digs (16), while Kayla Banwarth paced the Huskers’ defensive efforts with a career-high 27 digs and added three of the Huskers’ 11 service aces.
Kansas State (21-4, 11-3 Big 12) is playing its best volleyball of the season, winning seven of its last eight matches, including a 3-1 win over Oklahoma on Wednesday night. KSU features two of the Big 12’s premier outside hitters in Rita Liliom (4.20 kills/set) and Natalya Korobkova (3.25 kills/set).

Quick Sets
?-Saturday’s match against No. 15 K-State is NU’s first against a ranked foe since a 3-1 win over Texas on Sept. 18. The Huskers are 5-0 against ranked teams this season.
?-Kayla Banwarth’s 27 digs at Texas A&M were the most by a Husker since Dani Busboom had 29 in the 2006 NCAA semifinals against UCLA.
?-Nebraska’s 11 aces against Texas A&M matched a season high, while the Huskers did not allow an ace for the fourth time this season.
?- The Huskers dropped one spot - from second to third - in the Bison/AVCA poll released Monday afternoon.
Worth Noting
?-Nebraska is 91-13 (.875) against ranked opponents under John Cook, including 17 wins over top-five teams.
?-The Huskers are a perfect 5-0 against ranked opponents in 2008, including wins over No. 2 Stanford and No. 4 Texas.
?-Saturday’s match against Kansas State will be the 116th consecutive sellout at the NU Coliseum, dating back to 2001. NU is 109-6 during the streak, including 73 consecutive wins in the Coliseum.
?-The Huskers have won their last 52 Big 12 home contests dating back to the 2003 season and are 85-2 (.977) in conference home matches under John Cook.
?-Nebraska will be gunning for its 92nd consecutive win inside the state on Saturday against Kansas State. The Huskers have not lost in the state of Nebraska since September of 2004.
?-The Huskers are 92-4 (.958) in conference action dating back to the end of the 2003 season.
?-The Huskers lead the Big 12 in three team categories, including kills (14.42/set), blocks (2.67/set) and opponent hitting percentage (.131) and also rank second in hitting percentage (.263) and assists (13.37/set).
?-Tara Mueller has recorded double-doubles in each of last three matches, and has established personal bests in digs in each contest. Mueller established career bests in both kills (19) and digs (16) in Wednesday’s win over Texas A&M and is averaging 3.38 kills and 3.08 digs per set in that stretch.
?-The Huskers have swept 15 of their 23 opponents during the 2008 season.
?-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.
??Nebraska’s senior class of Amanda Gates, Jordan Larson and Rachel Schwartz will have their 125th career match on Saturday against Kansas State. The trio has helped NU to a 118-6 record (.952 winning pct.) over the last four year. Of the previous 124 matches, NU has been ranked lower than third for only two of them.
?-NU’s nine non-conference opponents are a combined 139-62 (.692) entering this weekend’s action. Stanford and New Mexico and Tulane could all earn their 20th win of the season this weekend.
?-Nebraska has won its last nine meetings with Kansas State, including the last six contests where both teams have been ranked.
?-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 Kansas State
Under Head Coach Suzie Fritz (168-75 in 8 years), Kansas State has been annually among the Big 12’s best programs. KSU comes to Lincoln with a 21-4 record and a four-match win streak following a win over Oklahoma on Wednesday. The Wildcats are led by senior outside hitter Rita Liliom, who is second in the Big 12 in kills (4.20/set) and points (5.68/set). All-Big 12 performer Natalya Korobkova averages 3.25 kills and 0.91 blocks per set, while middle blockers Megan Farr (1.77 kills per set on .374 hitting and 1.22 blocks per set) and Kelsey Chipman (2.09 kills per set on .333 hitting) provide a solid duo on the inside.

Series History: Nebraska leads the all-time series, 77-3 dating back to 1975, and has won the last nine meetings. The Huskers are 15-2 against the Wildcats under John Cook with both losses coming in 2003.

Last Meeting: Nebraska’s seniors led the Huskers to a 3-1 win in Manhattan on Sept. 18. All-American Jordan Larson led the way, matching her career high with 21 kills on .372 hitting and 10 digs, as NU got big efforts from Larson, Amanda Gates and Rachel Schwartz. Gates tied career bests in both kills (eight) and blocks (10), while Schwartz came up with a match-high 17 digs. NU found contributions across the lineup, as Kori Cooper totaled 11 kills and added five blocks while Sydney Anderson collected her second double-double of the season with 46 assists, 10 digs and three aces. The biggest assist came from Brooke Delano, who totaled 16 digs, seven kills and four blocks in her first career start and Lindsey Licht, who notched a career-best 12 digs and added seven stuffs and six kills.

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 1.57 kills and a team-best 1.19 blocks per set, ranking fourth in the league in blocks and 10th in hitting percentage (.300). She has led NU in blocks 11 times, including an eight-block effort against Texas A&M on Oct. 22. Gates 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 2.09 kills on .395 hitting and 0.94 blocks per set, ranking second in the Big 12 and 14th nationally in hitting percentage and ninth in blocks. 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 11.59 assists, 2.00 digs, 0.60 blocks and 0.32 aces per set, ranking second in the Big 12 in assists and seventh 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 4.32 digs and 0.74 assists per set, ranking third in the Big 12 in digs. She has reached double figures in digs 20 times and in 28 of her 31 career starts after her 27-dig effort at Texas A&M on Nov. 5. Banwarth enjoyed a career night against the Aggies, setting personal bests in both digs (27) and aces (three) and chipping in four assists. Banwarth has nine matches with at least 15 digs, including 20 digs at Creighton on Oct. 4 and against USC on Aug. 31. She has topped NU in digs 18 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. 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 0.91 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 third consecutive double-digit kill effort with 12 at Texas A&M on Nov. 5. 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 1.97 digs and 0.13 service aces per set. Schwartz has put together two strong efforts, collecting 26 digs in NU’s last two matches. She had 15 digs and a service ace in the win over Texas A&M on Nov.  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, 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 3.77 kills, 3.01 digs and 0.36 service aces per game, ranking among the league leaders in aces (third), points (4.49, fourth) and kills (fifth). She has a team-high seven double-doubles, including 17 kills, 18 digs and a career-high eight blocks in the win at Texas A&M on Nov. 5. She also had a match-high 17 kills and 15 digs in a win over Iowa State on Nov. 2. Larson 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 2.43 digs per set, ranking eighth in the league in kills per set. Mueller is second on the squad with six double-doubles, including one in each of NU’s last three contests. Mueller turned in one of the best efforts of her career at Texas A&M on Nov. 5, setting bests with 19 kills and 16 digs in the five-set win. All six of Mueller’s double-doubles have been in Big 12 action, including 12 kills and 12 digs against Iowa State on Nov. 1 and 13 kills and 12 digs in the loss at Colorado on Oct. 29. She had strong effort 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 Withstand Aggies
Jordan Larson totaled six of her 17 kills in the fifth set, helping No. 3 Nebraska escape College Station with a 3-2 win on Nov. 5. Larson, who finished with 17 kills, 18 digs and a career-best eight blocks, shined in the finale as the Huskers withstood a valient effort from Texas A&M to remain in first place in the Big 12. 

Larson was one of three Huskers to finish in double figures for Nebraska, which improved to 22-1 overall and 13-1 in the Big 12. Tara Mueller put together one of the best matches of her career, establishing career highs in both kills (19) and digs (16), while Lindsey Licht came through with 12 kills and three blocks as the Huskers topped the Aggies for the 19th consecutive time dating back to 1999. 

Nebraska held Texas A&M to .168 hitting and won the match at the service line with a season-high 11 aces, compared to none for the Aggies (10-14, 5-9 Big 12). Kayla Banwarth keyed NU’s serving and defense efforts with career bests in both digs and aces with 27 digs and three, respectively.