No. 8 Huskers Square off with No. 2 Texas Friday Night

No. 8 Nebraska (16-5, 9-3 Big 12) at No. 2 Texas (17-0, 12-0 Big 12) Friday, Oct. 30 ? Austin, Texas ? 6 p.m. Radio: Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and KTWI 93.3 FM in Omaha, and on Huskers.com TV: FSN  (Ch. 671 in Nebraska in DirecTV; Ch. 447 on DISH Network; Ch. 37 on Time Warner Cable; Ch. 47 on Cox Cable  in Omaha, Ch. 33 on Qwest  in Omaha) FS Coverage Areas Coverage: FSN MIDWEST - Live FSN NORTHWEST - Live FSN SPORTS OHIO - Live FSN ROCKY MOUNTAIN ? Live FSN SOUTHWEST ? Live FSN SOUTHWEST (PLUS) - Live FSN HOUSTON (Texas) ? Live FSN ARIZONA ? Saturday 4 p.m. (central) FSN WEST ? Saturday 4 p.m. (central) COMCAST CHICAGO ? Sunday Noon Live Stats: Huskers.com Video: None

The Nebraska volleyball team faces its biggest test of the season Friday night, as the eighth-ranked Huskers take on No. 2 Texas in Austin. First serve from Gregory Gymnasium is set for 6:06 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. In addition, the match will be televised throughout the country on FSN with Brent Stover and Kathi Weiskamp on the call. It is the 11th of 13 Husker regular-season matches televised in 2009.

The Huskers (16-5, 9-3 Big 12) come into Friday’s match winning seven of their last eight matches following a 3-0 sweep at Texas Tech on Wednesday night. In that match, outside hitters Hannah Werth and Tara Mueller combined for 26 kills and 22 digs, as Nebraska hit .308 on the night. It marked the fourth time in the last six matches NU has hit .300 or better. All-American setter Sydney Anderson dished out 39 assists and added 10 digs, four kills and three blocks at Texas Tech and has averaged 12.23 assists per set during that eight-match streak.

Texas (17-0, 12-0 Big 12) comes into Friday’s match following a sweep of No. 25 Texas A&M in College Station on Wednesday evening. All-American Destinee Hooker led three Longhorns in double figures with 13 kills, while Juliann Faucette and Rachael Adams added 10 kills apiece, helping the Longhorns post their eighth straight sweep in Big 12 action.

By the Numbers
10 - Digs needed by Kayla Banwarth to reach 1,000 for her career. She has played just 76 matches at Nebraska and would be the third player to reach 1,000 digs before her senior year (also Jennifer Saleaumua and Jordan Larson).

.418 - Kori Cooper’s hitting percentage over Nebraska’s last seven matches. Cooper is averaging 2.85 kills per set in that stretch.

3.97 - Kills per set by Hannah Werth over Nebraska’s last eight contests. She now leads the Huskers in kills per set (3.20) and is on pace to be the third Husker freshmen to ever average more than three kills per set.

Scouting Texas
Texas welcomes the Huskers to town, as the Longhorns are a perfect 17-0 overall and 12-0 in league play following a win at No. 25 Texas A&M on Wednesday. Under Coach Jerritt Elliott, Texas is ranked second in the AVCA Coaches poll this week and has nine wins against nationally ranked foes in 2009. UT was picked by the league coaches to win the conference title, while the Huskers were the second choice.
The Longhorns brought back six starters from last year, including three All-Americans from a team that went 29-4 and reached the NCAA semifinals for the first time since 1996. UT has one of the country’s best offensive attacks, ranking second nationally in hitting percentage (.329), while ranking fourth in blocks per set (3.00).

Senior All-American outside hitter Destinee Hooker leads the Big 12 and ranks among the NCAA leaders with 4.70 kills per set and 5.62 points pet set while ranking second with 0.39 service aces per set. Outside hitter Juliann Faucette is fifth in the conference in kills per set (3.52). Senior Ashley Engle is dangerous as both a setter (9.34 assists/set) and as an attacker, averaging over two kills per set from the setter spot, while leading the Big 12 in hitting percentage at .395. In addition, UT has two middle blockers, Jennifer Doris (1.10, seventh) and Rachel Adams (1.07, ninth) among the Big 12 leaders in blocks

Series History: Nebraska leads the all-time series, 29-15, as Texas has won the last two meetings. Nebraska is 9-9 all-time in Austin with its last win coming in 2006.

Last Matchup:  Despite 13 kills and a season-best four blocks from Tara Mueller, sixth-ranked Nebraska fell to No. 2 Texas, 25-22, 18-25, 25-17, 25-17 in front of a sellout NU Coliseum crowd of 4,166 on Sept. 26 The Huskers had more kills and digs than the Longhorns, but were done in by mistakes, committing 34 hitting errors and a costly 15 service errors against Texas. Mueller was one of three Huskers to record at least 10 kills in the loss, as Lindsey Licht totaled 12 kills, while freshman Hannah Werth added 11 kills.  Kori Cooper added a then-season-best nine kills on .318 hitting for Nebraska. The loss snapped the Huskers’ 82-match win streak in the NU Coliseum dating back to the 2004 campaign, while Texas won in Lincoln for the first time since 1988.
 
Nebraska-Texas Series
?-Nebraska and Texas have combined to win 12 of the 13 Big 12 titles since 1996. The only year neither Nebraska nor Texas won the league crown was in 2003, when Kansas State won the title.

?-The Huskers have won 16 of the last 20 meetings and 21 of 27 tilts since the Big 12 was formed in 1996.  The most memorable matchup between the two schools was a 3-1 NU win in the 1995 NCAA title match in Amherst, Mass.

?-The last eight meetings have featured both teams in the top 10, including the 2008 matchups that had both teams in the top five in both matches. Friday’s match is also the 21st time in the 45 meetings that both teams have been ranked in the top 10 at match time.

Series at a Glance
Series Record: Nebraska leads, 29-15
Last Meeting: Texas won, 3-1 (9/26/09)
Last NU Win: 9/20/08
Last NU Loss: 9/26/08
NU at home:  18-3
NU on the road:  9-9
NU at neutral sites:  2-3

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 2.27 kills and 1.20 blocks per set. She is thid in the Big 12 in blocks and eighth in hitting percentage (.330). 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 2.63 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 three of NU’s last four matches, including 13 against Iowa State (Oct. 21) and Missouri (Oct. 17). She has also topped NU in blocks seven times, 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 as a back-row specialist on the right side, averaging 0.67 kills, 1.67 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. 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 4.79 digs per set and chips in 1.17 assists per set. Banwarth has reached double figures in digs in NU’s last 27 contests dating back to last season following an 11-dig performance at Texas Tech on Oct. 28. 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 11.05 assists, 0.71 kills and 2.66 digs per set. Anderson is fourth in the league in assists and has a team-best 13 double-doubles (assists-digs), most recently a 39-assist, 10-dig effort at Texas Tech on Oct. 28. Anderson has five matches with at least 50 assists this season, including a career-high 57 assists at Missouri on Oct. 17.  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. 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 51 assists and adding 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  3.01 kills and 2.60 digs per set. She comes off her sixth double-double of the yeat at Texas Tech on Oct. 28, finishing with 11 kills on .360 hitting and 10 digs.  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. 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.

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 3.20 kills and 2.92 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 10 double doubles after her 15 kill, 12 dig effort at Texas Tech on Oct. 28. Werth had a career-high 19 kills against Oklahoma on Oct. 24, equaling the most kills by a Husker freshman in the last five seasons.  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 Sweep Tech
Hannah Werth and Tara Mueller combined for 26 kills, as eighth-ranked Nebraska posted a 3-0 victory over Texas Tech, winning by scores of 25-12, 25-20, 25-20 on Wednesday. The Huskers (16-5, 9-3 Big 12) relied on the outside attack against the Red Raiders, as Werth posted her 10th double-double of the season with a match-high 15 kills and 12 digs, while Mueller picked up her sixth double-double of the campaign with 11 kills on .360 hitting and 10 digs. Nebraska out-hit Texas Tech, .308-.093, on the night as Sydney Anderson dished out 39 assists and added four kills, three blocks and 10 digs for her 13th double-double.

Nebraska also played well defensively, out-digging Texas Tech, 55-48, as four Huskers finished in double figures in digs. The Huskers also recorded seven blocks, including a match-high five blocks from Brooke Delano

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
?-The Huskers have been ranked in the top 10 of the AVCA poll every week since the start of the 2004 season, a span of 91 weeks.
?-One of the overlooked aspects of NU in recent weeks has been improved serving. Over the last seven matches, the Huskers are averaging 1.36 aces per set after averaging just 0.95 aces per set in NU’s first 14 matches. In league action, Nebraska is now second in service aces, averaging 1.20 aces per set.
?-Kayla Banwarth has played at an All-America level in recent weeks, averaging 5.27 digs, 0.97 assists and 0.27 service aces per set over the last eight matches. Banwarth has six matches with 20 or more digs in that stretch.
?-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).
?-The Huskers are 104-8 (.928) in their last 112 conference matches dating back to the 2003 season.
?-Nebraska is 88-7 (.926) on the road in Big 12 action in 10 seasons under Coach John Cook.
?-Nebraska’s lone senior Kori Cooper has helped the Huskers to a 110-11 mark over the last four years, including three Big 12 titles, two NCAA Final Fours (2006, 2008) and a national title in 2008.
?-Gina Mancuso has also been a force at the service line in recent matches, recording eight aces and only three service errors in her last six 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.
?-The Oct. 24 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.
?-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 on Oct. 21, Cooper became the fifth Husker to lead Nebraska in kills in a match this season.
?-The Huskers picked up their 250th Big 12 victory on Oct. 17 at Missouri. Nebraska’s 252 wins since the league’s inception tops all schools, as only Texas (204) 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.
?-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.
?- 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, and are averaging nearly a kill per set more from its middle attack. 
?-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 any 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.