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Lincoln ? Wednesday was a busy afternoon for the Nebraska volleyball program, as the Huskers hosted their annual Media Day at the NU Coliseum.
In addition to photo shoots, team pictures and interviews with a large contingent of media from across the state, Nebraska Coach John Cook and 2009 co-captains Kori Cooper and Sydney Anderson talked to the assembled media on the upcoming season.
Cook praised the athleticism of the 2009 Huskers, noting that eight members of the squad eclipsed the 2,000 point barrier in athletic testing. In all Huskers set records in four of the five categories in testing, including three by true freshman Megan Pendergast. She set program marks in the vertical jump (30.5 inches), the step approach (33.5 inches) and in the performance index with 2,989 points, shattering the previous mark held by Dani Busboom by over 350 points.
“This is the most athletic team we have had in the nine years at Nebraska,” Cook said. “The performance index scores back it up. They’ve done a great job on how hard they’ve worked this summer and that is just an unbelievable number from an athletic point of view for a coach.”
Cook also had praise for his veterans, who set the tone for the season with a great work ethic in the off season, noting the Huskers had nearly 100 percent attendance in off-season conditioning.
“We have seen how they’ve been in the gym the first two days here ? we’ve had four practices ? the energy is awesome,” Cook said. “If you get a chance to watch our practice, you will feel the energy that’s coming. This didn’t turn on when we reported on Sunday; this has been happening all spring and summer and it’s a credit to players such as Kori, Sydney, Kayla (Banwarth) and Tara (Mueller).”
The Huskers welcome back five starters from a team that went 31-3 and reached the NCAA semifinals for the third time in the last four years. Fans will have their first opportunity to see the Huskers at the Red/White Scrimmage on Saturday, Aug. 22, at 7 p.m. Tickets are on sale now online at Huskers.com and by calling 800-8-BIGRED.