%20--%3e%3csvg%20version='1.1'%20id='Nebraska_N'%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns:xlink='http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20x='0px'%20y='0px'%20viewBox='0%200%20163%20152'%20style='enable-background:new%200%200%20163%20152;'%20xml:space='preserve'%3e%3cstyle%20type='text/css'%3e%20.st0{fill:%23FFFFFF;}%20%3c/style%3e%3cg%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M159.1,144c-2.3,0-4.1,1.8-4.1,4s1.8,4,4,4s4-1.8,4-4S161.2,144,159.1,144z%20M159,151.2c-1.8,0-3.2-1.4-3.2-3.2%20s1.4-3.2,3.2-3.2c1.7,0,3.2,1.5,3.2,3.2C162.2,149.8,160.8,151.2,159,151.2z'/%3e%3cg%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M157.4,145.6h1.4c0.6,0,0.8,0,1.1,0.2c0.4,0.2,0.6,0.6,0.6,1.1c0,0.4-0.1,0.7-0.3,1c-0.1,0.2-0.3,0.2-0.6,0.4%20h-0.1l1.1,2.1h-0.8l-1-2h-0.6v2h-0.8L157.4,145.6L157.4,145.6z%20M158.6,147.7c0,0,0.3,0,0.4,0c0.4-0.1,0.6-0.3,0.6-0.8%20c0-0.3-0.1-0.5-0.4-0.6c-0.1,0-0.1,0-0.6,0h-0.4v1.4L158.6,147.7L158.6,147.7z'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3cg%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M147,0H93h-5v5v35v5h5h5v24.8L55.2,2.3L53.7,0H51H5H0v5v35v5h5h5v62H5H0v5v35v5h5h54h5v-5v-35v-5h-5h-5V82.2%20l42.8,67.5l1.5,2.3h2.7h46h5v-5v-35v-5h-5h-5V45h5h5v-5V5V0H147z%20M150,5v35v3h-3h-7v66h7h3v3v35v3h-3h-46h-1.6l-0.9-1.4L52,75.3%20V109h7h3v3v35v3h-3H5H2v-3v-35v-3h3h7V43H5H2v-3V5V2h3h46h1.7l0.9,1.4L100,76.7V43h-7h-3v-3V5V2h3h54h3V5z'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3cpath%20class='st0'%20d='M103,87L103,87L51,5H5v35c0,0,7.8,0,10,0c0,3.3,0,68.7,0,72l0,0c-2.2,0-10,0-10,0v35h54v-35c0,0-7.8,0-10,0l0,0%20c0-2.6,0-47,0-47l52,82h46v-35c0,0-7.8,0-10,0l0,0c0-3.3,0-68.7,0-72c2.2,0,10,0,10,0V5H93v35c0,0,7.8,0,10,0%20C103,42.6,103,87,103,87z'/%3e%3c/svg%3e)
Lincoln ? For the fourth time in his career, University of Nebraska Head Coach John Cook was awarded the AVCA Central Region Coach of the Year on Wednesday by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA).
Cook took a squad that lost four AVCA All-Americans, including a pair of former national players of the year, and guided the Huskers to their 15th consecutive appearance in an NCAA Regional. Nebraska enters this weekend with a 29-2 mark and is ranked fourth in the country.
The Huskers, who were picked seventh in the preseason poll, opened the year with wins over top-five team Stanford and USC to jump to as high as second in the Bison/AVCA Coaches Poll. NU went 6-1 against ranked foes during the season and claimed a share of the Big 12 title with an 18-2 record. Nebraska ranks in the top 15 nationally in kills and assists per set and hitting percentage with a lineup that featured as many as five first-year starters at Nebraska.
Nebraska is 279-18 in nine seasons at Nebraska and has won two national titles (2000 and 2006) and eight Big 12 crowns in that span. Cook was also honored as the regional coach of the year in 1997, 2000 and 2005, and was the AVCA National Coach of the Year in 2000 and 2005.
Each of the honorees will represent their region on the 2008 AVCA National Coach of the Year ballot. The awards will be officially presented at the 2008 Jostens Coaches Honors Luncheon in Omaha, Neb., on Thursday, Dec. 18, at the 2008 AVCA Convention.
AVCA Regional Coaches of the Year
AVCA Division I Central Region Coach of the Year John Cook, University of Nebraska
AVCA Division I East Region Coach of the Year Nicole Lantagne Welch, University of Miami (Fl.)
AVCA Division I Mideast Region Coach of the Year Russ Rose, Penn State University
AVCA Division I Midwest Region Coach of the Year Liz Kritza, Tulane University
AVCA Division I Northeast Region Coach of the Year Anne Kordes, Saint Louis University
AVCA Division I Pacific Region Coach of the Year John Dunning, Stanford University
AVCA Division I South Region Coach of the Year Rob Patrick, University of Tennessee
AVCA Division I West Region Coach of the Year Beth Launiere, University of Utah