Huskers Release 2009 Volleyball Schedule

Lincoln ? Nine matches against top-25 teams, including an Ameritas Players Challenge showdown with UCLA at the Devaney Center, highlight the 2009 Nebraska volleyball schedule released Wednesday.

The schedule, which includes 14 home matches, will provide numerous tests for the Huskers, as they come off a 31-3 season which included a trip to the NCAA Semifinals for the third time in four years.

“This schedule will challenge us,” Nebraska Coach John Cook said. “When you look at the non-conference matches and add that to the grind of the Big 12 schedule, it is a schedule that will help prepare us for the postseason, especially since we are replacing three seniors who were instrumental in our success.”

The Huskers will open the 2009 season in Omaha, taking on Michigan and Minnesota at the Runza/AVCA Showcase at the Qwest Center on Aug. 28-29. The four-team event also includes Kansas State and tickets for that match are available on Ticketmaster.com and at Ticketmaster outlets across the state.

“Michigan is a very experienced team coming off of a great season, while Minnesota is a team a lot of people think can contend for the Big Ten title,” Cook said “They have high expectations and a very experienced group of players. That is a great way for us to start the season.”

The Huskers will open the home portion for their schedule on Tuesday, Sept. 1, when they welcome Creighton to Lincoln in a continuation of the home-and-home series with the Bluejays.

“We had chances to move this match, but we wanted to play it in the Coliseum, and that is important for our players,” Cook said. “This has become a very good series over the years, and I know both teams will be excited to play in the Coliseum.”
The Huskers hit the road the following weekend for a tournament at LSU, where Nebraska will take on UL-Lafayette, LSU and a Tulane squad which was a national seed in the 2008 NCAA Tournament.

The highlight of the non-conference schedule comes the following weekend with the fifth-annual Amertias Players Challenge. The event will run from Thursday, Sept. 10 through Sunday, Sept. 13 with each team playing three matches. The Huskers will face Virginia, coached by former NU assistant Lee Maes, traditional power BYU and UCLA. The match between the Huskers and Bruins will be the Huskers’ annual match at the Devaney Center.

“When we set up this year’s tournament, we wanted to make it over a whole weekend and allow our fans to come to Lincoln and enjoy both volleyball and football,” Cook said. “This format allows us to play three quality matches and and have teams rested during the week. We have developed a great rivalry with UCLA over the years, and there will be a lot of interest in this match. With two young teams, playing in that setting will bring the best out of everyone and we should be able to create a great environment.”

The Huskers will begin conference play on Sept. 16, when they host Texas Tech at the NU Coliseum, and Cook believes that the Big 12 could enjoy a better year than in 2008, when the league had three teams reach the Elite Eight for the first time in league history.

“The Big 12 will be loaded this year and could be the most competitive it has been in a long time,” Cook said. “Texas and Iowa State are coming off of great finishes last year, while Texas A&M returns almost everyone and was playing its best volleyball in November. Baylor has a lot of experience returning, and Oklahoma returns most of its lineup after starting three freshmen. It really is shaping up to be a great year for the league.”

Ticket information and start times for selected matches, including the AVCA Showcase and the Players Challenge, and single-game matches will be announced at a later date.