No. 8 Huskers Head to Colorado This Weekend

No. 8 Nebraska (8-2, 0-0 Big 12) at Colorado (5-5, 0-1 Big 12)

Saturday, Sept. 19 ? Boulder, Colo. ? 8 p.m. Radio: Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and KTWI 93.3 FM in Omaha, and on Huskers.com TV: None Live Stats: Huskers.com Video: Free on CUBuffs.com

The Nebraska volleyball team hits the road for the second time this season, as the Huskers travel to Boulder, Colo., to take on the Colorado Buffaloes this weekend. Saturday’s first serve at the Coors Event Center is slated for 8 p.m. (central). The match will be carried on selected Husker Sports Network stations and on Huskers.com. Saturday's match will now be shown for free live on CUBuffs.com (click link for more info).

The Huskers, who are ranked eighth in this week’s AVCA Coaches Poll, opened Big 12 action with a 3-0 sweep (25-16, 25-23, 25-11) over Texas Tech on Wednesday. NU received strong performances from its youngsters, as freshmen and sophomores combined for 31 of the Huskers’ 36 kills against the Red Raiders. Hannah Werth led NU with 11 kills on .375 hitting and 10 digs, while sophomore middle blocker Brooke Delano continued her strong play with 10 kills on .474 hitting and three blocks. Nebraska relied on its bench, playing as many as four freshmen at times in the match and getting Allison McNeal, Kaitlynn James and Megan Pendergast extensive action on the court. James had two kills and a block, while Pendergast’s serving triggered a 7-0 spurt in the finale.

The Huskers will be tested on Saturday against a Colorado squad that has played just two home matches in its first 10 contests. The Buffaloes, who are guided by first-year coach Liz Kritza, are 5-5 on the year following a loss at No. 10 Iowa State on Wednesday night.

By the Numbers
2 - Number of times freshman Hannah Werth has led NU in kills this season (vs. UL-Lafayette and Texas Tech). The last time a freshman topped NU in kills multiple times in a season was Jordan Larson in 2005.
5 - Number of times Brooke Delano has hit over .400 this season. Delano is now fifth in the Big 12 in hitting percentage (.384) after hitting -.013 as a redshirt freshman in 2008.
10 - Consecutive Big 12 openers that Nebraska has won dating back to the 2000 season after sweeping Texas Tech on Wednesday night.

Scouting Colorado

Series at a Glance

Series Record: Nebraska leads, 45-7 Last Meeting: CU won, 3-1 (10/29/08) Last NU Win: (10/4/08) Last NU Loss: (10/29/08) Longest NU Winning Streak: 17 Current NU Winning Streak: 0 NU at home: 21-1 NU on the road: 20-4 NU at neutral sites: 4-2 Three sets: 35-1 Four sets: 8-2 Five sets: 2-4

Under first-year coach Liz Kritza, Colorado is 5-5 on the season heading into Saturday’s match with the Huskers.  Kritza guided Tulane to a pair of 28-winseasons in 2007 and 2008, leading the Green Wave to a Conference USA title and the second round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament. Her first Colorado squad returns just two starters from last year’s team. Sophomore Becah Fogle leads the Buffaloes with 3.68 kills per set while also ranking second on the team in digs at 2.26 digs per set. True freshman Kerra Schroeder also chips in 2.68 kills and 2.13 digs per set for the Buffaloes. Kaitlyn Burkett averages nearly a kill per set on .458 hitting while adding 1.42 digs per set from the setter spot.
Colorado has played only two home matches, sweeping Cal Poly and losing to then No. 24 San Diego. This will be the Buffaloes’ fourth match against a ranked foe this season, as they have also played Florida and Iowa State.

Series History: Nebraska leads the all-time series 45-7 and has won 20 of the last 22 meetings dating back to 1997. Nebraska had won three straight meetings before Colorado knocked off the Huskers in a four-set win on Oct. 29, 2008. John Cook is 17-3 against Colorado in his coaching career, including 16-2 at Nebraska.

Last Matchup:  For the second time in three years, second-ranked Nebraska’s quest for an unbeaten season came to an end in Boulder, Colo., as Colorado stunned the Huskers, 3-1 (25-19, 27-25, 18-25, 25-16). Emilee Sisco led Colorado with 17 kills and four blocks, as the Buffaloes (12-9, 6-6 Big 12) held the Huskers to a season-low .153 hitting and were out-blocked 14.5-8.0 on the evening. Lindsey Licht’s 14 kills and six blocks led a quartet of Huskers in double figures in kills. Tara Mueller had her fourth double-double of year with 13 kills and 12 digs, while Jordan Larson and Kori Cooper added 10 kills apiece in the setback.

Nebraska-Colorado Series Notes
?-NU won 20 consecutive sets against the Buffaloes before the streak was snapped in Boulder in November of 2004.
?-Colorado defeated Nebraska in a pair of matches in 1997, the only time the Buffaloes have swept the season series.
?-Nebraska had won 17 straight matches  before Colorado upset the Huskers during the 2006 season. It was NU’s only loss in a 33-1 season.
?-Nebraska Assistant Coach Erik Sullivan served as a coach on the Colorado staff from 2004 until 2007.

Husker Potential Starters
MB - #6 Jordan Wilberger: 6-1, So., Scottsbluff, Neb.:  Walk-on who has started NU’s last five matches, as Kori Cooper recovers from knee surgery. Wilberger is averaging 1.33 kills and 0.91 blocks per set and has paced NU in blocks three times in the last four matches. She had a match-high seven blocks in the loss to No. 8 UCLA and six blocks in the Huskers’ sweep of Virginia. Wilberger had a career night against Creighton on Sept. 1, coming up with 10 kills on .467 hitting. Wilberger came off the bench against No. 11 Minnesota on Aug. 29 to deliver six kills on .625 hitting and three blocks in her first action of the year. She started NU’s last seven matches at middle blocker in 2008 and averaged 1.12 kills on .338 hitting and 0.85 blocks per set in 2008.

- or - #15 Kori Cooper: 6-2, Sr., Amarillo, Texas - Senior co-captain who is easing her way back into the lineup following knee surgery last November. She is averaging 1.33 kills and 1.00 blocks per set in three matches, but has not played since the LSU match on Sept. 4. Cooper totaled a season-high six kills on .455 hitting and four blocks against No. 16 Michigan on Aug. 28. Cooper was named first-team All-Big 12 and honorable-mention All-American after averaging 2.09 kills  on .396 hitting and 0.88 blocks per set. She has a career .366 hitting percentage, which ranks sixth among all players with at least 500 kills. Cooper has 40 career matches where she has hit .400 or better (with a minimum of 10 swings) and hit a personal-best .396 in 2008 to rank second in the Big 12 and 10th nationally.

MB - #8 Brooke Delano: 6-2, So., Bellevue, Neb. -  Third-year sophomore who has started at middle blocker in 2009, and averages 2.38 kills and 1.21 blocks per set. She is fifth in the Big 12 in blocks and hitting percentage (.384) and has reached double figures in kills four times, including 10 kills on .474 hitting against Texas Tech on Sept. 16. Delano was one of two Huskers named to the Ameritas Players Challenge All-Tournament team, as she averaged 2.33 kills per set on .415 hitting and 1.00 block per set. She has reached double figures in kills three times, including a career-high 14 kills against Minnesota on Aug. 28. Delano averaged 2.00 kills on .424 hitting and 1.88 blocks per set in two matches at the Tiger Classic. She had nine kills on .389 hitting and a career-high nine blocks (including four solo stuffs) against LSU on Sept. 4, and followed up with seven kills on .467 hitting and six blocks in a sweep of Tulane. She earned a spot on the AVCA Showcase All-Tournament team, as she averaged 2.62 kills on .348 hitting and 0.88 blocks per set. Delano had career bests in kills (14), blocks (five) and hitting percentage (.400) in the victory over No. 11 Minnesota. Delano appeared in 13 matches in 2008,  averaging 1.00 kill, 0.67 blocks and 0.81 digs per set before undergoing season-ending surgery.

RS - #4 Lindsey Licht: 6-5, Jr., Aurora, Colo. - Licht returns for her second year on the right side and is averaging 2.08 kills and 1.16 blocks per set to rank seven in the league in blocks. She totaled nine kills and had a season-high seven blocks in the loss to No. 8 UCLA on Sept. 13. She turned in a strong effort at the Tiger Classic, averaging 2.91 kills and 1.18 blocks per set in three contests. Licht put together her best match of the year against LSU with a season-best 15 kills and six blocks, highlighted by four kills and two blocks in the fifth set. Against Tulane, she came back with 11 kills on .409 hitting and five blocks in a sweep of the Green Wave.  She started on the right side in 2008, averaging 2.56 kills and 0.90 blocks per set to rank among team leaders in both categories. She reached double figures in kills in 14 matches, including a career-best 17 kills on .500 hitting against No. 3 Texas on Sept. 20, 2008. Licht was named to the Seattle Regional All-Tournament team, averaging 2.12 kills and 1.38 blocks per set.

L - #2 Kayla Banwarth: 5-10, Jr., Dubuque, Iowa - Banwarth is in her third year as NU’s starting libero and is third in the Big 12 with 4.68 digs per set and also chips in 1.22 assists per set. Banwarth has reached double figures in digs in NU’s last 16 contests dating back to last season following a 17-dig match against Texas Tech on Sept. 16. She totaled 20 digs and a pair of service aces in NU’s four-set win over BYU and added 16 digs in NU’s loss to UCLA . Banwarth was named the Defensive MVP of the Tiger Classic, as she collected 4.82 digs per set, while limiting NU’s three opponents to a combined .054 hitting. She had 21 digs and a career-high seven assists in the victory over LSU. Banwarth had career highs in digs (32) and assists (6) in the win over No. 11 Minnesota on Aug. 29, as her 32 digs ranked third in school history. Banwarth was third in the Big 12 in digs per set (4.12) in 2008, while her 470 digs ranked third in school history.

S - #1 Sydney Anderson: 6-0, Jr., Salt Lake City, Utah - Anderson is a returning AVCA All-American who has been chosen as one of the 2009 captains. She averages 9.97 assists, 0.80 kills on .339 hitting and 2.47 digs per set. Anderson is seventh in the league in assists and has a team-best five double-doubles (assists-digs). Anderson was selected to the Ameritas Players Challenge all-tournament team, as she averaged 10.58 assists, 1.00 kills and 2.83 digs per set. Against BYU, she dished out 49 assists and added 10 digs and a career-best seven kills on .778 hitting. Anderson was selected as the Offensive MVP of the LSU Tiger Classic on Sept. 5 whe she averaged 9.90 assists, 2.40 digs and 0.50 blocks per set. She had a double-double against LSU, collecting a season-high 51 assists and matching her Husker career best with 14 digs. Anderson earned a spot on the 2009 Runza/AVCA Showcase all-tournament team with 46 assists and 11 digs in Nebraska’s win over No. 11 Minnesota. She averaged 11.60 assists, 2.05 digs and 0.29 aces per set in 2008, ranking eighth nationally in assists and among the Big 12 leaders in service aces.

OH - #19 Tara Mueller: 6-0, Jr., Scottsdale, Ariz. - Mueller is a returning All-American at outside hitter and is averaging 3.26 kills and 2.76 digs per set. She totaled 44 kills and eight aces in three matches last weekend, including 17 kills in NU’s loss to No. 8 UCLA on Sept. 13. Mueller averaged 3.62 kills and 2.88 digs per set in two wins at the Tiger Classic to earn a place on the all-tournament team. She had a season-high 22 kills and 15 digs in the win over LSU on Sept. 4 and hit .412 on 17 swings against Tulane on Sept. 5. Mueller had a match-high 17 kills and tied a career high with 16 digs in the win against No. 11 Minnesota. She averaged 3.51 kills and 2.37 digs per set in 2008, ranking sixth in the Big 12 in kills per set. She totaled eight double-doubles, setting career highs of 24 kills and 16 digs against No. 5 Washington on Dec. 13, 2008. Mueller was the Most Outstanding Player of the Seattle Regional, averaging 4.00 kills and 3.25 digs per set in wins over Washington and Michigan. Mueller has two career matches with at least 20 kills, as she also totaled 20 kills against Kansas State in 2008.

OH - #44 Hannah Werth: 6-1, Fr., Springfield, Ill. - Werth enrolled at Nebraska in January and is splitting time with Gina Mancuso at the outside hitter spot. Werth is averaging 2.77 kills and 2.77 digs per set in eight matches. In her last five contests, Werth has upped those totals to 3.04 kills and 2.91 digs per set. The freshman led NU in kills against Texas Tech, drilling 11 kills and adding 10 digs for her second straight double-double.  She recorded career highs in both kills (14) and digs (23) against No. 8 UCLA on Sept. 13. She had a then-career-high 13 kills on .455 hitting against UL-Lafayette and collected her first career double-double with 11 kills and 10 digs against LSU on Sept. 4. Werth was the MVP of the 2008 AVCA/Under Armour High School All-America match at the Qwest Center. She was a  first-team All-American by Volleyball Magazine and the AVCA after totaling 606 kills on .414 hitting, 252 assists, 220 digs and 54 aces. She finished her career with a state record 2,022 kills and was the  Gatorade Illinois High School Player of the Year in 2008.

-or- OH - #7 Gina Mancuso: 6-1, Fr., Omaha, Neb. - Mancuso is seeing time at both the outside hitter position and as a back-row specialist on the right side. She is averaging 1.43 kills and 1.68 digs per set in nine matches. Mancuso made her Husker debut on the right side against Virginia and totaled five kills and six digs against BYU on Sept. 11. She had a career-high 10 kills and added eight digs in a sweep of UL-Lafayette and collected eight kills on .312 hitting and four blocks against Tulane on Sept. 5. She made her first start against No. 11 Minnesota, totaling nine kills, 13 digs and four blocks against the Golden Gophers. Mancuso was the Gatorade and Volleyball Magazine National High School Player of the Year in 2008, totaling 721 kills on .452 hitting and 373 digs at Papillion-LaVista High School. She was a three-time all-state performer who ranks second in state history with 2,371 career kills and she also totaled 1,320 digs in high school. She led the Nebraska Juniors to the 2009 Junior Olympic 18-and-under title, earning MVP honors. Her older sister, Dani, started on NU’s 2006 NCAA title team.

Texas Tech Recap
Hannah Werth and Brooke Delano combined for 21 kills, leading No. 8 Nebraska to a 3-0 sweep (25-16, 26-23, 25-11) of Texas Tech at the NU Coliseum.  The Huskers, who improved to 8-2 and won their Big 12 opener for the 10th consecutive year, got strong efforts from Werth, a freshman who totaled a match-high 11 kills on .375 hitting and 10 digs for her second straight double-double and Delano, who finished with 10 kills on .474 hitting as NU collected its fifth sweep of the year.  Delano, who also topped NU with three blocks, has now been in double figures in kills in each of the last three matches as Nebraska bounced back from Sunday’s loss to UCLA. Nebraska held Texas Tech to .041 hitting, including -.061 in the opener and .000 in the finale.