Huskers Host NCAA First and Second Rounds

NCAA First and Second Rounds

NCAA First Round:
UAB (26-7) vs. Missouri State (23-12)
Friday, Dec. 5 ? NU Coliseum ? 4:30 p.m.
Live Stats: Huskers.com and NCAASports.com

NCAA First Round:
Liberty (25-8) at No. 4 Nebraska (27-2)
Friday, Dec. 5 ? 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 and NCAASports.com
TV: NET Television (NET-1, Ch. 12 and NET-HD, Ch. 112) 
Live Video: Huskers.com and NCAAsports.com

NCAA Second Round:
Friday’s Winners
Saturday, Dec. 6 ? 5 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 and NCAASports.com
TV: NET Television (NET-1, Ch. 12 and NET-HD, Ch. 112) 
Live Video: Huskers.com and NCAAsports.com

The Nebraska volleyball team begins its postseason run in familiar surroundings this weekend, as the Huskers will host NCAA First and Second Round matches at the NU Coliseum. Action begins Friday, Dec. 5, when UAB (26-7) takes on Missouri State (23-12) at 4:30 p.m. Nebraska (27-2) will play in the evening’s second match and will take on Big South champion Liberty (25-8) at 7 p.m. or 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first match. The second round will take place on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 5 p.m., as Friday’s winners will square off for a right to compete in the Seattle Regional next weekend. All of Nebraska’s matches this weekend will be carried on the IMG Husker Sports Network with John Baylor and Lindsay Peterson and on NET Television.

This weekend marks the 27th consecutive year that NU has reached the NCAA Tournament, a total which ranks third among all schools, and the 24th time that Lincoln has hosted first- and second-round matches. Nebraska is 73-23 (.760) in 26 previous NCAA Tournament appearances, ranking second among NCAA schools in wins and winning percentage. Only Stanford and Penn State, with 28 appearances each, have qualified for more NCAA Tournaments than Nebraska.  The Huskers will be backed by a sellout crowd at the NU Coliseum, as both days were sold out Monday morning. NU, which has won its last 85 home matches dating back to 2004, has been dominant at home in the postseason, going 45-3 at the NU Coliseum.

The Huskers join fellow Big 12 co-champion Texas as a top-four seed, as the Big 12 was the only league to have two No. 1 regional seeds. In all, four Big 12 teams will compete in the postseason, including Kansas State and Iowa State.

Quick Sets
?-Nebraska is 45-3 all-time in the NCAA Tournament at the NU Coliseum.
?-Nebraska’s senior class of Amanda Gates, Jordan Larson and Rachel Schwartz are 70-0 at home in their careers.
?-Jordan Larson is the 14th different Husker to be named a conference player of the year at Nebraska.
?-With two wins this weekend, NU can tie the NCAA record for most consecutive home wins, which is 87 by Penn State between 1995 and 2000.

Worth Noting
?-Nebraska is 9-1 against the NCAA Tournament field this season, trailing only Penn State in winning percentage among teams with more than eight matches against NCAA Tournament qualifiers
?-The Huskers lead the Big 12 in three team categories, including kills (14.66/set), assists (13.47/set) and opponent hitting percentage (.144) and also rank second in hitting percentage (.271), blocking (2.59/set) and service aces (1.31/set).
?-Nebraska will be gunning for its 94th consecutive win inside the state on Friday against Liberty. The Huskers have not lost in the state of Nebraska since September of 2004.
?-Friday’s match against Liberty will be the 119th consecutive sellout at the NU Coliseum, dating back to 2001. NU is 112-6 during the streak, including 76 consecutive wins in the Coliseum.
?-The Huskers are now 6-1 against ranked opponents this season, including wins against national seeds Stanford, Texas and Tulane.
?-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 NCAA Tournament averaging 3.58 kills and 3.17 digs per set in 128 career matches.
?-The Huskers have swept 19 of their 29 opponents during the 2008 season.
?-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 has reached the NCAA Tournament in each of the last 27 years. Missouri owned the second-longest active streak with eight, but did not qualify in 2008.
??Nebraska’s senior class of Amanda Gates, Jordan Larson and Rachel Schwartz will go for their 124th career win Friday against Liberty. The trio has helped NU to a 123-7 record (.946 winning pct.) over the last four years. Of their 130 matches, NU has been ranked in the top three of the Bison/AVCA poll in 126 of them.
?-NU’s nine non-conference opponents are a combined 183-77 (.704) this year with four teams (Stanford, USC, Tulane and LSU) reaching the NCAA Tournament.  Stanford (No. 2) and Tulane (No. 16) were both national seeds.

Scouting This Weekend’s Teams
Liberty Flames: Under fifth-year coach Shane Pinder, Liberty makes its second straight NCAA appearance and fifth in school history against the Huskers on Friday night. The Flames are 25-8 on the year and won the Big South Tournament title with a 3-1 victory over Coastal Carolina. Last year, the Flames fell to national semifinalist Cal, 3-1, in the opening round. The Flames are led by Big South Conference Player of the Year Kallie Corbin. She averages 9.34 assists, 0.38 service aces and 1.30 kills per game and was the only Liberty player selected to the first team. Middle blocker Chelaine McCarty (2.65 k/set and outside hitter Nicki Scripko (3.45 k/set and 2.60 d/set) were both second-team all-conference. Liberty is 0-1 against the Big 12, taking K-State to four sets in September in Manhattan. Series History: NU has never faced Liberty in volleyball.

UAB Blazers: Third-year coach Kerry Messersmith leads UAB to its second NCAA tournament appearance in school history. The Blazers, who lost the title match in the Conference USA Tournament to Tulane, come to Lincoln with a 26-7 record. UAB’s first NCAA appearance was a loss to a UCLA team which reached the national semifinals that year. Setter Nevena Stefanov was named the Conference USA Setter of the year, as she averages 11.13 assists and 2.10 digs per set, while helping UAB hit .253 as a team. She was one of three Blazers named first-team C-USA, joining Ivana Bozic (3.31 k/set and 3.43 d/set) and Casey Dent (2.66 k/set and 0.63 b/set). Middle blocker Lilly Domingos was a second-team all-league pick averaging 2.18 kills and a team-high 1.01 blocks per set. UAB has two common opponents with NU, splitting a pair of matches with  No. 16 national seed Tulane and sweeping Kansas. Series History: NU has never faced UAB in volleyball.

Missouri State Bears: The Bears make their fourth consecutive NCAA appearance and eighth in school history when they travel to Lincoln. With a 23-12 record, Missouri State won three matches in three days to win the MVC title, sweeping Northern Iowa to earn the automatic bid. The Bears stunned previously undefeated Wichita State in the semifinals on WSU’s home court. Under coach Melissa Stokes, MSU is a balanced team with four players averging at least 2.24 kills per set. Outside hitter Sara Staubach leads the Bears in kills at 2.87 per set and was joined by middle blocker Calli Norman (2.24 k/set and 0.89 b/set) as first-team All-MVC selections. The only commom opponent between the two teams is Creighton, who the Bears lost twice to during the regular season. Series History: The Bears and Huskers have squared off 30 times, with both teams winning 15 matches. The Huskers have faced Missouri State only once since 1986, a 3-0 NU sweep in 1993. MSU won the first nine meetings between the teams, while NU has won the last nine matchups.

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. The honorable-mention All-Big 12 pick averages 1.73 kills and a team-best 1.11 blocks per set, ranking fifth in the league in blocks and sixth in hitting percentage (.338). She had 10 kills on .694 hitting and four blocks against Texas Tech on Nov. 22, one of four matches in double figures in 2008. Gates matched her career high in kills for the second time at No. 4 Texas, coming up with 11 kills on .450 hitting. She had eight kills on a career-best .727 hitting and two blocks at Kansas on Nov. 15. Gates has led NU in blocks 14 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. Earlier in the year, 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 a first-team Academic All-Americans, carrying a 3.96 GPA in communication studies.

MB - #6 Jordan Wilberger: 6-1, R-Fr., Scottsbluff, Neb. - Wilberger has started at middle blocker in recent weeks, averaging 0.92 kills on .360 hitting and 0.92 blocks per set in seven matches. She turned in a solid effort at Baylor with a career-high eight blocks to lead NU in stuffs. Wilberger made her first start against Texas Tech on Nov. 22, contributing three kills and three blocks against the Red Raiders. Wilberger played the majority of the final set at No. 4 Texas, coming up with a pair of kills and a block. She also had two kills in limited duty against Oklahoma on Oct. 8. She redshirted in 2007 after earning second-team all-state honors as a senior, delivering 311 kills and 158 blocks to help Scottsbluff to a 25-9 record and state tournament appearance in 2006.

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. A first-team All-Big 12 selection and the league’s Newcomer of the Year, Anderson averages 11.72 assists, 2.02 digs and 0.30 aces per set, leading the league in assists and ranking seventh in service aces. She is fourth in the country in assists and has five double-doubles on the year. She has helped NU rank in the top 16 in kills, assists and hitting percentage, as the Huskers have hit .300 or better 13 times. She had 45 assists and four blocks in NU’s Big 12 clinching win at Baylor on Nov. 29. 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 4.19 digs and 0.84 assists per set, ranking third in the Big 12 in digs. She has reached double figures in digs in 24 matches and 32 of her 37 career starts and has topped NU in digs 22 times 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 10 matches with at least 15 digs, including 22 digs at Baylor on Nov. 29. She also had 20-dig efforts 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 2.58 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, and has reached double figures in kills in 11 matches. Licht had 12 kills and six blocks in the regular-season finale at Baylor on Nov. 29. Licht saw a stretch of five straight matches in double figures end at Texas on Nov. 18. She had 10 kills and a team-high three blocks at Kansas on Nov. 15 and 11 kills in NU’s sweep of No. 15 K-State on Nov. 8. Licht 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 2.02 digs and 0.12 service aces per set. She has reached double figures in digs five times this year, including a season-best 17 at No. 18 Kansas State on Sept. 17. Schwartz had 11 digs at Baylor on Nov. 29 and 11 digs and three assists at No. 4 Texas on Nov. 19. 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 nine 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, Larson averages 3.93 kills, 3.20 digs and 0.36 service aces per game, ranking among the league leaders in aces (second), points (4.61, second), kills (fourth) and digs (10th). Larson was chosen as the Big 12’s Player of the Year, as well as the Defensive Player of the Year, marking the first time that any player has earned both honors in one year. She has a team-high 13 double-doubles, including seven of NU’s last eight contests. Larson posted her most recent double double at Baylor on Nov. 29, collecting 20 kills and 18 digs in a Big 12-clinching win. She led NU in both kills (15) and digs (16) at Texas on Nov. 19. 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. - A first-team All-Big 12 pick, Mueller is in her first year starting at outside hitter and averages 3.53 kills and 2.33 digs per set. She ranks sixth in the league in kills and points. Mueller is second on the squad with six double-doubles - all coming in conference action. Mueller had 12 kills, eight digs and four blocks at Baylor on Nov. 29. 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 Clinch Big 12 Title
Jordan Larson’s match-high 20 kills and 18 digs led No. 4 Nebraska to its fifth consecutive Big 12 title, as the Huskers gutted out a 25-22, 26-28, 25-10, 25-20 win over Baylor Saturday night.  Larson’s 13th double-double of the year led an inspired effort from the Huskers (27-2, 18-2 Big 12), as Nebraska won the Big 12 title for the fifth consecutive year and the 11th time in the Big 12’s 13 years of existence. Texas shared the title with the Huskers with an 18-2 mark.

Sophomores Tara Mueller and Lindsey Licht totaled 12 kills apiece for the Huskers, as Licht added six of the Huskers’ season-best 16 blocks on Saturday. Redshirt freshman Jordan Wilberger added a career-high eight stuffs, as Nebraska held the Bears to .116 hitting to improve to 27-0 all-time against Baylor.

The Huskers showed resiliency all night, overcoming a six-point deficit in the first set and trailing 19-14  in the fourth set before closing the match with a 11-1 run. Trailing 20-19, Nebraska ran off the match’s final six points, as Sydney Anderson ran off the final five points at the service line. Licht capped the Huskers’ eighth championship in nine years with an overpass on the final point, giving Nebraska the Big 12’s automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.

Larson Leads Big 12 Honors
Two-time All-American Jordan Larson leads five Nebraska volleyball players that earned Big 12 honors from the league’s coaches on Monday. Larson became the first player in Big 12 history to win two league awards in one year, as she was chosen as both the Big 12 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.

Larson paces a Huskers’ contingent that also included the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year in sophomore setter Sydney Anderson and the Big 12 Coach of the Year in John Cook. The Huskers placed a league-high five members on the All-Big 12 teams, including first-team selections Larson, Anderson, Kori Cooper and Tara Mueller. Senior Amanda Gates rounded out NU’s honorees, as she was named honorable-mention by the league’s coaches.

It is the fourth All-Big 12 award for Larson and the first for Anderson, Cooper, Mueller and Gates. The All-Big 12 awards are selected by the league’s head coaches, who are not allowed to vote for their own players.

Cook was chosen as the league’s top coach for the third time in his nine years at Nebraska (also 2001 and 2005) after guiding the Huskers to an 18-2 league mark and a share of the Big 12 title. The Huskers have won or shared the last five Big 12 titles and have captured eight league crowns in Cook’s nine years at Nebraska.

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 7.46 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 28 of 29 matches this season, as Larson has topped NU 18 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 Named Academic All-American
Three Nebraska players were honored on Nov. 24, as Kori Cooper, Amanda Gates and Jordan Larson were chosen to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American team. Amanda Gates and Kori Cooper were both chosen as first-team selections, while outside hitter Jordan Larson was a second-team selection. NU was the only school with two first-team selections and three Academic All-Americans in 2008. The two first-team selections marked the third time in the last four years that Nebraska has placed multiple members on the six-member first team.

Gates earns the first honor of her career as she carries a 3.96 GPA in communication studies. A two-time academic All-Big 12 pick, Gates has been active in NU’s community outreach efforts and was selected to the Big 12 Good Works Team the past two years. On the court, Gates is averaging 1.73 kills and 1.11 blocks per set, ranking among league leaders in blocks (fifth) and hitting percentage (.338, sixth).

Cooper joined Gates on the six-member first-team after putting together a solid year. A speech-language pathology major with a 3.82 GPA, Cooper is a two-time academic All-Big 12 pick, Cooper averaged 2.09 kills and 0.88 blocks per set, while ranking second in the Big 12 with a .396 hitting percentage before suffering a season-ending injury on Nov. 19.

Larson earned the first academic All-America honor of her career, as she was chosen to the second team. A three-time academic All-Big 12 pick, she carries a 3.31 GPA in communication studies and will graduate in December. The two-time All-American ranks among the conference leaders in kills, service aces, digs and points.   

The 2008 Senior Class
 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 four 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.
 ?-They wrapped up the home portion of the regular season with a 70-0 home mark and could be the first group of Husker seniors to never lose a home match. The Huskers have a chance to extend the streak to 72 with two wins this weekend.
 ?-Nebraska’s seniors are a combined 123-7 (.946) 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 offset 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 27-2 record and a Big 12 title.  Prior to this season, the group combined for 11 starts at Nebraska - 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 home court advantage across the state. The Huskers have won their last 93 matches inside the state’s borders dating back to 2004, including matches in Lincoln (79), Omaha (13) and North Platte (1).  With the Nov. 22 win over Texas Tech, the Huskers extended their home winning streak to 85 matches - the second-longest streak in NCAA history and the longest since Penn State won 87 consecutive home matches between 1995 and 2000. NU could tie the NCAA record with a pair of wins this weekend at home.  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 fifth on NU’s kills list, passing Eileen Shannon with her 20 kills in the regular-season finale on Nov. 29.  In digs, Larson moved from eighth to second this year, passing former teammate Dani Busboom against K-State on Nov. 8. Larson now only trails another former teammate, as Jennifer Saleaumua holds the school mark with 1,568. 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 earlier this season, as she overtook Val Novak’s school mark for career aces. Larson now has 182 career aces, surpassing Novak’s total of 161 set between 1987 and 1990.  The record for Larson is impressive considering that only 32 of the 129 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 Jennifer Saleaumua and Eileen Shannon on the prestigious list in 2007, as Larson became the first Husker to reach the 1,000-1,000 plateau prior to her senior campaign. Larson is now poised to become the first player at Nebraska to ever average more than 3.00 kills and 3.00 digs in an entire career. Larson is currently at 3.58 kills and 3.17 digs per set entering Friday’s NCAA Tournament opener

Larson Doubles Up
With double-doubles in seven of her her last eight matches, two-time All-American Jordan Larson raised her career total to 51. That is the most by a Husker in the Big 12 era, breaking the previous high of 44 established by three-time All-American Nancy Metcalf from 1997 to 2001. Larson has a team-best 13 double-doubles this season, including 12 in league play.  The Huskers are 12-1 in 2008 and have won 49 of 51 matches when Larson records a double-double in her career.

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 postseason leading the Big 12 in assists (11.72) and ranking eighth in aces (0.30). She has helped the Huskers hit .300 or better 13 times, including .350 or better in four of the last six contests.

A first-team All-Big 12 selection, Anderson is 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 Big 12 Conference history (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 five times in 2008 and being named Big 12 Newcomer of the Year. She is fourth in the country in assists and has helped NU rank in the top 10 nationally in kills and assists per set and 15th in hitting percentage despite losing a trio of All-America hitters from 2007.

She was tabbed for all-tournament teams in all three of Nebraska’s tournaments and has five double-doubles, including three versus ranked foes. 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.

Tara’s Just Getting Better
Outside hitter Tara Mueller has performed admirably replacing two-time All-American and former AVCA National Player of the Year Christina Houghtelling. Mueller is one of the league’s top outside hitters, ranking sixth in the league with 3.53 kills per set, while also chipping in 2.33 digs and 0.49 blocks per set.

Mueller, who has steadily increased her numbers each month, opened last month with two straight double-doubles before going off for a career-best 20 kills on .613 hitting against No. 15 Kansas State on Nov. 8. She had career bests in both kills (19) and digs (16) at Texas A&M on Nov. 5, collecting her third straight double-double in the process. Mueller now has six double doubles - all coming in Big 12 action - and has reached double figures in kills in 17 of NU’s last 19 matches.

Gates Gains During Big 12 Action
One of the most overlooked aspects of the Huskers’ Big 12 success has been the play of middle blocker Amanda Gates. The Columbus, Neb., native is averaging nearly two kills per set and finished among the conference leaders in both blocks (1.10, fourth) and hitting percentage (.376, second) in league play. Gates has raised her totals significantly in conference play, including an amazing 151 point jump in hitting percentage. Her efforts helped her earn honorable-mention All-Big 12 honors this fall.

Gates has put together a string of strong efforts in recent weeks. She had 10 kills on .692 hitting and four blocks against Texas Tech on Nov. 22. At Texas on Nov. 19, she matched her career high with  11 kills on .450 hitting. Gates hit a career-best .727 with eight kills at Kansas on Nov. 15. She has reached double figures in kills four times this season, 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.

Super Duper Cooper is Efficient
Kori Cooper has been one of the Huskers’ most efficient hitters during her Husker career. She has a career .366 itting percentage in 86 matches and has ranked among the Big 12 hitting leaders in all three years before suffering a season-ending injury on Nov. 19.

With her 500th career kill on Nov. 1 against Iowa State, Cooper now is among the most efficient hitters in school history. Her .366 hitting percentage is tied for 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 .396 in 2008 to rank second in the Big 12 and 13th nationally.

A first-team All-Big 12 pick, Cooper reached double figures for the fourth time this year against Missouri on Nov. 12, drilling 10 kills on .363 hitting and had six kills on eight swings. All four double-figure efforts have come in conference play. She enjoyed one of her best matches against Iowa State on Nov. 1, chipping in nine kills on .467 hitting and equaling her season best with six blocks against the Cyclones. Her season best is 12 kills on .524 hitting against Iowa State on Sept. 27.

KGB Spies on Opposing Hitters
For Kayla Grace Banwarth, shutting down the opposition has been her speciality. Banwarth enters the NCAA Tournament ranked third in the Big 12 in digs with 4.19 digs per set and is bidding to be only the third Husker to ever average at least four digs per set. Her defensive efforts have been instrumental, as Nebraska has limited 17 opponents to under .150 hitting and has allowed only four teams to hit .200 this season. She is also second among liberos in assists (0.84/set) and is a primary reason NU has allowed a Big 12-best 0.71 service aces per set. 

Banwarth has reached double figures in digs in 32 of her 37 career starts, including a career-best 27 digs in the win at Texas A&M on Nov. 5. It is the fourth time Banwarth has collected at least 20 digs in a match, with the others coming against No. 4 USC (Aug. 31), at Creighton (Oct. 5) and in the regular-season finale at Baylor (Nov. 29)

Huskers Continue Big 12 Dominance 
Nebraska’s Big 12 title in 2008 continues one of the most successful runs in NCAA history. The Huskers have won or shared 11 Big 12 titles in the last 13 years and own 30 Big Eight/Big 12 crowns in 33 years of conference action. The five straight Big 12 titles ties the longest streak in Big 12 history, as NU also won five straight crowns between 1998 and 2002.

Nation’s Best Since 2000
John Cook has been amazingly successful during his Husker tenure, posting a 277-17 record (.942 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 172-8 in conference matches over the past nine seasons. NU has won eight Big 12 titles, including each of the past five years.

Huskers Rank Second All-Time in Wins
The Nebraska volleyball team is one of only six programs to reach the 1,000-win plateau and rank second in NCAA history with 1,056 wins. Nebraska is 1-0 against schools who have reached the 1,000-win mark, defeating UCLA last year in the first-ever matchup of 1,000 win teams.

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.  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.

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 seven largest crowds of 2008. The Huskers are second nationally in average attendance (4,863) and that total does not include the Runza/AVCA Showcase matches in Omaha, which both drew crowds in excess of 7,000. Nebraska has now broken the NCAA regular-season single match attendance mark three times over the last two years and has been involved in the eight largest regular-season crowds in NCAA history.

Four Huskers Named Academic All-Big 12
Four Husker volleyball players were among the 48 student-athletes named to the Academic All-Big 12 Team Nov. 18. All four Huskers were chosen to the first team, which consists of players with a 3.20 or better GPA. Jordan Larson and Rachel Schwartz are three-time selections, while Amanda Gates and Kori Cooper were honored for the second time. Gates, Larson and Cooper also became Academic All-Americans on Nov. 24.

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 Huskers will carry a streak of 118 consecutive sellouts into Friday’s NCAA Tournament opener against Liberty. The Huskers are 112-6 at home during the sellout streak and 493,553 fans have been to the Coliseum since the sellout streak began in 2001.  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.

Huskers in the Polls
The Nebraska program is a fixture in the Bison/AVCA Coaches poll. The Huskers are ranked third in this week’s poll and have been ranked in all 382 polls since its inception in 1982.  NU is one of only two schools to hold that distinction, joining Stanford. In addition, the Huskers have been ranked in the top 10 for 349 weeks, which trails only Stanford’s 353 weeks in the top 10.  Nebraska has been ranked in the top 10 for the last 79 polls, dating back to the start of the 2004 season.

The Huskers head all programs at the top of the all-time polls, spending 81 weeks all-time at No. 1, including an incredible 26-poll stretch over the 2006 and 2007 seasons. The 81 weeks at No. 1 is 30 more than runner-up UCLA in that category.  NU has spent 62 weeks at No. 1 since the start of the 2000 season. That total is more than any other program has spent in the top spot since the AVCA Poll began in 1982.

Huskers Continue Academic Success in ?08
The Nebraska volleyball team placed three members on the 2008 ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American of the Year on Nov. 24. The group included first-team selections Amanda Gates and Kori Cooper and second-team honoree Jordan Larson. It is the first Academic All-America award for all three players, while Nebraska was the only school in the nation with three selections or two first-team honorees. Nebraska volleyball has had 16 Academic All-Americans under Head Coach John Cook, including seven players who have combined for 10 first-team certificates. In all, Nebraska has now had 35 academic All-Americans in volleyball, a total that leads the nation by a large margin.

All-Time CoSIDA Volleyball Academic All-Americans
No. School Academic All-Americans
1. Nebraska 35
2. M.I.T. 13
3. Penn State 10
Includes 2008 selections

Nebraska: All-America U 
NU continued its string of All-America success in 2007 with a school-record five Huskers earning AVCA All-America accolades. Rachel Holloway, Christina Houghtelling, Jordan Larson, Sarah Pavan and Tracy Stalls were all selected, increasing Nebraska’s NCAA-leading totals to 29 players and 62 certificates, respectively. Nebraska has had at least one All-American every season since 1983, a total of 26 straight seasons, including 27 in Cook’s eight seasons.

Huskers on Television
The Huskers received plenty of television exposure during the 2008 season, as 15 regular-season matches were televised this season. NU has enjoyed the bright lights of TV, going 40-3 in televised matches since the start of the 2006 season, including 14-1 this season.

Huskers Announce Recruiting Class
 Nebraska volleyball coach John Cook announced on Nov. 14 that four high school seniors have decided to join Husker volleyball program. The recruiting class features outside hitters Gina Mancuso and Hannah Werth, libero Megan Pendergast and middle blocker Hayley Thramer. All four players are rated among the top-70 players by recruiting services.

Thater Honored with Retired Jersey
Former Husker great Stephanie Thater became the most recent NU player to have her jersey retired, receiving the honor at the Red/White Scrimmage on Aug. 23.  Thater was the sixth Husker to be recognized on the Huskers’ Wall of Honor since the wall was initially unveiled in 2003. A three-time All-American, Thater led her team to the NCAA National Semifinals as a sophomore and compiled an 81-14 record during her three years as a starter. She was a two-time Big Eight Player of the Year and was selected to the Nebraska Volleyball 25th anniversary team in 1999.

Gates Named to Good Works Team
Amanda Gates was honored on Oct. 21, as she was selected as one of 12 student-athletes chosen for the 2008 Fall Chick-fil-A Community of Champions. A senior from Columbus, Neb., Gates was selected for the team based on her combination of academic success, community service and leadership/sportsmanship.

Off the court, Gates has been a member of the Student-Athlete Committee (SAAC) for the past four years and is currently the secretary for the organization. She has been involved in numerous community outreach efforts, including serving as a volunteer speaker for “School is Cool” week and speaking to elementary schools.