No. 8 Huskers Begin Texas Road Trip at Texas Tech

No. 8 Nebraska (15-5, 8-3 Big 12) at  Texas Tech (2-17, 0-10 Big 12) Wednesday, Oct. 28 •  Lubbock, Texas • 6:30 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: HuskersNSide (provided by Texas Tech)

The Nebraska volleyball team begins its longest roadtrip of the season on Wednesday night, as the Huskers travel to Lubbock, Texas, to take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders. First serve is set for 6:30 p.m., and the match will be carried on selected Husker Sports Network stations, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Twister 93.3 FM in Omaha, and on Huskers.com with John Baylor and Lindsay Peterson on the call. The Huskers will stay in Texas following Wednesday and head to Austin for Friday’s matchup with the Longhorns.

The Huskers (15-5, 8-3 Big 12) began the second round of Big 12 action with a four-set win over an improved Oklahoma squad on Saturday. The Huskers were led by Hannah Werth’s career-high 19 kills, as three Huskers finished in double figures. Lindsey Licht tied her season high with 16 kills and added six blocks, while Kori Cooper added 12 kills on .409 hitting and tied her season best with five blocks. Sydney Anderson dished out 51 assists and added 10 digs for her team-best 12th double-double of the year, while Kayla Banwarth totaled 20 digs as NU held Oklahoma to .145 hitting.

Texas Tech (2-17, 0-10 Big 12) looks to bounce back after a 3-0 loss to No. 14 Iowa State on Saturday. Texas Tech features one of the best blockers in the Big 12 in Barbara Conceicao, who is second in the league in blocks at 1.31 per set, and Amanda Dowdy, who averages a team-best 3.23 kills and 0.79 blocks per set. Nebraska swept the Red Raiders in the first meeting on Sept. 16.

By the Numbers
21 - Digs needed by Kayla Banwarth to reach 1,000 for her career. She has played just 75 matches at Nebraska and would be the third player to reach 1,000 digs before her senior year (also Saleaumua and Larson).
.418 - Kori Cooper’s hitting percentage over Nebraska’s last six matches. Cooper is averaging 2.85 kills per set in that stretch.
4 - Tara Mueller’s career high in aces set on Saturday against Oklahoma. She is fifth in the Big 12 in aces per set (0.29) and her 21 aces this year are two shy of her entire 2008 season total of 23 (in 114 sets).

Scouting Texas Tech
The Red Raiders begin the second half of the league schedule Wednesday night as they host the Huskers. Texas Tech has struggled, going 2-17 overall and winless in 10 Big 12 matches.

The Red Raiders are coached by Trish Knight, who compiled a 676-170-3 record since beginning the Missouri State-West Plains volleyball program in 1993. Her teams made 10 consecutive appearances in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I Women’s National Volleyball Championship tournament.

Sophomore Amanda Dowdy leads Texas Tech with 3.23 kills per set and has  been relied on for most of Tech’s offense. She has taken more than twice as many swings as any other Red Raider.  She also leads Texas Tech with 0.30 aces per game to rank among the league leaders in that category and is second on the team with 1.95 digs per set.

Junior college transfer Barbara Conceicao has also been one of the impact newcomers in the league, averaging 2.07 kills and a team-high 1.31 blocks per set, as she is second in the Big 12 in blocks.

Texas Tech features a Nebraska native, as middle blocker Michelle Kuester is from Norfolk and played last season at Iowa Western Community College. Kuester is averaging 0.71 kills and 0.79 blocks to rank third on the squad in blocks.

Last Matchup: 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. NU collected its fifth sweep of the year.  Delano, who also topped NU with three blocks, posted double figures in kills in three straight matches as Nebraska bounced back from a loss to UCLA. Nebraska held Texas Tech to .041 hitting, including -.061 in the opener and .000 in the finale.

Nebraska-Texas Tech Series
•-Wednesday’s match is a homecoming for Amarillo, Texas, native Kori Cooper. In five career matches with Texas Tech, Cooper has averaged 2.07 kills per set on .455 hitting and 1.00 blocks per set.
•-Texas Tech upset the Huskers in their first meeting as Big 12 schools in 1996, but Nebraska has won the last 26 matches, including 21 by sweeps.
•-Nebraska swept six straight matches against the Red Raiders before Texas Tech won the first set in the meeting in Lubbock on Oct. 29, 2003.
•-Nebraska has 25 sweeps in the 32 meetings between the two teams, including sweeps in each of the last 11 contests.

Series at a Glance
Series Record: Nebraska leads, 31-1
Last Meeting: NU won, 3-0 (9/16/09)
Last Nebraska Win: 9/16/09
Last Nebraska Loss: 10/26/96
Longest NU Winning Streak: 26
Current NU Winning Streak: 26
NU at home: 15-0
NU on the road: 12-1
NU at neutral sites: 4-0

Husker Potential Starters
MB -  #15 Kori Cooper: 6-2, Sr., Amarillo, Texas - Senior co-captain is returning to All-America form following knee surgery last November. Cooper is averaging 2.34 kills and 0.84 blocks per set in 13 matches, ranking fifth in the Big 12 in hitting percentage (.348). She has played at a high level since returning to the lineup full time on Sept. 23, averaging 2.62 kills on .390 hitting over the last nine contests. Cooper has reached double figures in kills four times, including a career best 16 kills on .414 hitting against No. 13 Iowa State on Oct. 21. Cooper had 12 kills on .409 hitting and tied her season high with five blocks in a win over Oklahoma on Oct. 24.  She had nine kills on a season-high .471 hitting at Missouri on Oct. 17, after totaling 10 kills on .381 hitting at Baylor on Oct. 14.  She had then-season bests in kills (13) and hitting percentage (.462) at Oklahoma on Sept. 30. Cooper added nine kills on .316 hitting against No. 2 Texas on Sept. 26. Cooper was named first-team All-Big 12 and honorable-mention All-American in 2008 after averaging 2.09 kills  on .396 hitting and 0.88 blocks per set. Cooper has 45 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. - Sophomore who has started at middle blocker in 2009, and averages 2.29 kills and 1.18 blocks per set. She is fourth in the Big 12 in blocks and eighth in hitting percentage (.328). Delano reached double figures in kills eight times, including a season-best 14 kills on .414 hitting at Oklahoma on Sept. 30. Delano had 12 kills and a team-high five blocks against Iowa State on Oct. 21.  She has hit .400 or better nine times on the season, including a career-best .600 with 10 kills, five blocks and five digs against Kansas on Oct. 7. Delano chipped in 10 kills and four blocks on .470 hitting in a sweep of No. 19 Baylor on Oct. 19.  She 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 blocks per set. 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 on Aug. 29 at the Runza/AVCA Showcase. 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 last November.

RS - #4 Lindsey Licht: 6-5, Jr., Aurora, Colo. - Licht returns for her second year on the right side and is averaging 2.61 kills and 1.09 blocks per set to rank eighth in the Big 12 in blocks. Licht has been in double figures in kills nine times in 2009, including a season-high 16 kills and six blocks against Oklahoma on Oct. 24. She has been in double figures in each of NU’s last three matches, including 13 against Iowa State (Oct. 21) and Missouri (Oct. 17). She has also topped NU in blocks in seven matches, most recently with five at No. 19 Baylor along with nine kills on Oct. 14. Licht had 14 kills and three blocks in the win at Oklahoma on Sept. 30. She played well at Texas A&M on Sept. 23, recording 13 kills on .423 hitting and three blocks.  Licht had a strong performance at Colorado on Sept. 19, drilling 16 kills on a season-high .481 hitting with two blocks. Licht 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.

-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 0.68 kills, 1.68 digs and 0.21 service aces per set. Mancuso had a career-high 16 digs and a service ace against No. 13 Iowa State on Oct. 21. Against Kansas State on Oct. 10, she racked up a career best four service aces and added five digs against the Wildcats. Mancuso added two aces at No. 19 Baylor on Oct. 14.  She matched her then-season high with 13 digs at Oklahoma on Sept. 30, one of 10 matches this year with at least five digs.  She had eight digs, a pair of kills and a service ace against Colorado on Sept. 19.  She had a career-high 10 kills and added eight digs in a sweep of UL-Lafayette. She collected eight kills on .312 hitting and four blocks against Tulane on Sept. 5. She made her first start at outside hitter 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 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.

L - #2 Kayla Banwarth: 5-10, Jr., Dubuque, Iowa - Banwarth is in her third year as NU’s starting libero and is second in the Big 12 with 4.84 digs per set and chips in 1.19 assists per set. Banwarth has reached double figures in digs in NU’s last 26 contests dating back to last season following a 20-dig performance against Oklahoma on Oct. 24. She has 10 matches with at least 20 digs this year and recorded her first career double-double at Oklahoma on Sept. 30 with 26 digs and a career-best 10 assists.  She was the Big 12’s Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 19, when she averaged 6.71 digs per set in a pair of wins, collecting 23 against Missouri and 22 in a sweep at No. 19 Baylor on Oct. 14. She 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 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 10.97 assists, 0.69 kills and 2.64 digs per set. Anderson is fourth in the league in assists and has a team-best 12 double-doubles (assists-digs), most recently a 51-assist, 10-dig effort against Oklahoma on Oct. 25.  Anderson has five matches with at least 50 assists this season. She had one of her best efforts of the year at Missouri on Oct. 17, dishing out a career-high 57 assists and adding nine digs.  Anderson had 54 assists and a career-best 16 digs at Oklahoma on Sept. 30. She owns 10 matches with at least 40 assists this season, including 51 digs at LSU on Sept. 4. Anderson was selected to the Ameritas Players Challenge all-tournament team, as she averaged 10.58 assists, 1.00 kill 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, when 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  2.99 kills and 2.57 digs per set. Mueller had nine kills, 12 digs and a career-high four service aces in a win over Oklahoma on Oct. 25. She had her fifth double-double of the season with 10 kills and 11 digs at Missouri on Oct. 17.  Mueller tied for team-high honors with 10 kills on .368 hitting against Kansas State on Oct. 10, and added eight kills and five digs in a sweep at No. 19 Baylor on Oct. 14. She had just five kills, but matched her career best with 16 digs at Oklahoma on Sept. 30. Mueller had a team-high 13 kills and a season-best four blocks (including two solos) against No. 2 Texas on Sept. 26. She led NU with a match-high 21 kills and added six digs at Texas A&M on Sept. 23, her fourth career match with at least 20 kills. Mueller had 11 kills on .350 hitting and added eight digs at Colorado on Sept. 19. She totaled 44 kills and eight aces in three matches at the Ameritas Players Challenge, 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 seven 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 has earned one of the starting spots at outside hitter. She is averaging a team-high 3.12 kills and 2.87 digs per set, ranking second on the team in digs.  Werth leads all Big 12 freshmen in kills per set and is third (first among non-liberos) in digs per set. She now has nine double doubles after her 19-kill, 12-dig performance against Oklahoma on Oct. 24.  A four-time Big 12 Rookie of the Week, Werth tied her career best with 17 kills and added 15 digs at Missouri on Oct. 17. Werth had 13 kills on .389 hitting and 12 digs in a sweep  at No. 19 Baylor on Oct. 14. She was named Big 12 Rookie of the Week for a third time on Oct. 12, as she averaged 4.17 kills per set on .426 hitting. She had 10 kills on .389 hitting in a sweep of Kansas State on Oct. 10.  Werth enjoyed one of her best matches of the year, drilling 15 kills on .448 hitting to go along with nine digs against Kansas on Oct. 7. Werth had a career-high 17 kills and 10 digs at Oklahoma on Sept. 30 for her fifth double-double of the year.  She earned Big 12 Rookie honors for the second time this year, averaging  2.75 kills and 2.62 digs per set against Texas A&M and No. 2 Texas.  Werth had her fourth double-double of the season at Texas A&M with 11 kills and 12 digs. She recorded 14 kills  and a season-high 23 digs 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. 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.

Last Time Out: Huskers Top Oklahoma
Behind a career-high 19 kills from Hannah Werth, No. 5 Nebraska got back on its winning track, topping Oklahoma, 3-1 (25-22, 25-22, 22-25, 25-15) at the NU Coliseum. Werth hit .342 hitting, surpassing her previous best of 17 kills set twice this season, including the first match with Oklahoma last month. She added 12 digs for her ninth double-double of the season, as Nebraska improved to 15-5 overall and 8-3 in the Big 12. Werth’s 19 kills equaled the most by any Husker freshman since the 2004 campaign.  Werth was one of two Huskers to enjoy season bests against the Sooners, as Lindsey Licht matched her season high with 16 kills on .345 hitting and added six blocks on the night. Middle blocker Kori Cooper was the third Husker to finish in double figures, recording 12 kills on .409 hitting with five blocks, as she reached double figures in kills for the third time in the last four matches. Sydney Anderson dished out 51 assists and added 10 digs for her 12th double-double, while helping NU hit .225 against a Sooner defense that was second in the Big 12 in opponent hitting percentage at .149. Nebraska also churned out seven aces, including a career-high four from Tara Mueller and two from Kayla Banwarth.
Nebraska was solid defensively, holding the Sooners to just .145 hitting, including the last two sets under .100. Brooke Delano led NU’s defense with a match-high seven blocks, while Banwarth scooped up a match-high 20 digs.

NCAA Regional Passes Now on Sale
All-session passes for the 2009 NCAA Omaha Regional at the Qwest Center are now on sale. All-session tickets are priced from $26-$34 for the two days of action on Dec. 11-12. Tickets can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com or by phone at (800) 277-1700.
 Omaha is one of four pre-determined regional sites, joining Gainesville, Fla. (Florida), Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota), and Stanford, Calif. (Stanford).  The Omaha Regional semifinals will take place at 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 11, with the finals taking place at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 12.

Husker Quick Sets
•-One of the overlooked aspects of NU in recent weeks has been improved serving. Over the last six matches, the Huskers are averaging 1.27 aces per set after averaging just 0.95 aces per set in NU’s first 14 matches.  In league action, Nebraska ranks second in service aces, averaging 1.15 aces per set.
•-Kayla Banwarth has played at an All-America level in recent weeks, averaging 5.44 digs, 1.00 assists and 0.22 service aces per set over the last seven matches. Banwarth has six matches with 20 or more digs in that stretch, including each of the last five contests.
•-Hannah Werth’s 19 kills against Oklahoma on Oct. 24 equals the most kills by a Husker freshman in the last five seasons. The last Husker rookie to have more than 19 kills in a match was Sarah Pavan, when she had 35 against USC in the 2004 NCAA Regional final.
•-Wednesday’s loss to Iowa State was the first time the Huskers had lost to the Cyclones since the series began in 1975, and marked only the second time in 75 meetings that the match went to a decisive fifth set.
•-The Iowa States match marked the third time in the last six contests that both Brooke Delano (12) and Kori Cooper (16) reached double figures in kills.  In the last seven matches, the pair has combined for 5.22 kills per set.
•-Kori Cooper’s 16 kills against Iowa State on Oct. 21 equals the most kills by a Husker middle blocker in three seasons. The last time a Husker middle had more than 16 kills in a match was in the 2006 NCAA Semifinals, when Tracy Stalls  had a career-high 17 kills against UCLA.
•-With her 16 kills against Iowa State, Cooper became the fifth Husker to lead Nebraska in kills in a match this season.
•-Freshman Gina Mancuso’s 16 digs against Iowa State were not only a career high, but also matched the most digs her older sister Dani had in any match during her freshman year.  Gina Mancuso has also been a force at the service line in recent matches, recording seven aces and only two service errors in her last four contests.
•-The Huskers picked up their 250th Big 12 victory on Oct. 17 at Missouri. Nebraska’s 250 wins since the league’s inception tops all schools, as only Texas (203) is above 200 league wins.
•-Freshman Hannah Werth led the Huskers in kills in five straight matches from Sept. 30 to Oct. 17, averaging 4.00 kills on .309 hitting and 2.78 digs per set in that span. It was the longest stretch by a Husker freshman leading NU in kills since All-American Sarah Pavan began her career in 2004 by leading the Huskers in kills in her first six matches.
•-Four Big 12 teams are ranked in the top 25 of the NCAA initial RPI released Oct. 26. The teams include Texas (No. 1),  Iowa State (No. 10), Nebraska (No. 12) and Baylor (No. 25).
•-Nebraska’s two service errors against Kansas State on Oct. 10, matched the Huskers’ lowest total this decade. NU also had just two service errors against Texas A&M on Oct. 22, 2008.  The last time NU had fewer service errors in a match came against Baylor on Nov. 20, 1999, when the Huskers had just one service error.
•-Brooke Delano’s .600 hitting percentage against Kansas on Oct. 7, was the best by a Husker this season. The last time a Husker hit .600 or better in a match (min. 10 attacks) was Amanda Gates, when she hit .615 (8-0-13) against Michigan in the 2008 NCAA Regional Semifinals.
•-The Huskers are 103-8 (.928) in their last 111 conference matches dating back to the 2003 season.
•-Nebraska is 87-7 (.926) on the road in Big 12 action in 10 seasons under Coach John Cook. To put that in perspective, seven of the league’s 11 teams lost at least six conference road matches during the 2008 season alone.
•- Under Head Coach John Cook, the Huskers are now 15-2 in matches after a loss in the same season (Cook’s other seven losses have come in the NCAA Tournament).
•-Nebraska has already received 12 double-digit kill efforts from its middle blockers this season, including eight from Brooke Delano. Last year, NU totaled just nine double-digit kill efforts from its middles in 34 matches.
•-Tara Mueller has two 20-kill matches in 2009, equaling her entire total of 20-kill matches from last season. Mueller has also tied her career bests with 16 digs twice this season, most recently at Oklahoma on Sept. 30.
•-Hannah Werth’s 23 digs against No. 8 UCLA on Sept. 13 marked the most digs by a Husker outside hitter since Christina Houghtelling had 26 at Kansas State in 2007, and the most by a Husker freshman since 2003.
•-Brooke Delano’s four blocks at LSU on Sept. 4, were the most by a Husker since Tracy Stalls had five against Kansas State on Nov. 19, 2005. It is only the sixth time in the decade that a Husker has had as many as four solo stuffs in a match.
•-Werth became the first freshman to start a season-opening match since Jordan Larson in 2005 and just the fifth true freshman to start a season opener since the 2000 season.