Huskers Return Home to Face Kansas

No. 10 Nebraska (10-4, 3-2 Big 12) vs. Kansas (9-5, 2-3 Big 12)

Wednesday, Oct. 7 ?  NU Coliseum ? 7 p.m. Radio: Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and KTWI 93.3 FM in Omaha, and on Huskers.com TV: NET-1 (Ch. 12) and NET-HD (Ch. 112) Live Stats: Huskers.com Video: Huskers.com (free video)

Following an off weekend, the ninth-ranked Nebraska volleyball team returns to the NU Coliseum Wednesday night, as the Huskers take on the Kansas Jayhawks. First serve for the 126th consecutive sellout is slated for 7 p.m. and the match will be carried on selected Husker Sports Network stations and on Huskers.com with John Baylor and Lindsay Peterson calling all of the action. Wednesday’s match will also be televised statewide on NET-1 and NET-HD with Larry Punteney and Kathi Weiskamp on the call. It is the sixth of 10 matches shown on NET during the 2009 regular season.

The Huskers (10-4, 3-2 Big 12) used a balanced effort to stymie Oklahoma in five sets in Nebraska’s last match on Sept. 30. Sydney Anderson dished out a season-high 54 assists and added a career-best 16 digs, while four Huskers totaled double figures in kills, led by freshman Hannah Werth’s 17. Nebraska also received strong efforts from middle blockers Kori Cooper and Brooke Delano, as both players tied or set season bests, while combining for 27 kills. Lindsey Licht added 14 kills for the Big Red and has now been in double figures in each of the Huskers’ last four contests.

Kansas has gotten off to a solid start in 2009, as the Jayhawks are 9-5 overall and 2-3 in the Big 12 following a loss to Texas A&M on Saturday. KU features a talented outside hitting duo of Karina Garlington (3.82 kills/set) and Allison Mayfield (3.24 kills/set), as the pair combines for over half of the Jayhawks’ kills this season.

By the Numbers
1 - Number of double-doubles by Big 12 liberos, as Kayla Banwarth’s 26 dig, 10 assist effort is believed to be the first ever by Big 12 libero since the position was created earlier this decade.
9 - Number of double-doubles by Husker All-American setter Sydney Anderson in 2009, including ones in each of the Huskers’ last four matches. Anderson is averaging 10.86 assists in Big 12 action, up from her 10.06 assists prior to conference play.
13 -Season high kills from Kori Cooper against Oklahoma on Sept. 30. It marked the third straight match she has established a season best in that category.

Scouting Kansas
Kansas heads to Lincoln with a 9-5 record, including a 2-3 Big 12 mark, following a loss at Texas A&M on Saturday. Under 12th-year Coach Ray Bechard (183-165 at KU), the Jayhawks have one of the most experienced teams in the Big 12, welcoming back six starters from a squad that went 13-17 a year ago.  Kansas has struggled away from home, winning just once in four matches, including none in conference action. KU has dropped matches to Missouri, Baylor and Texas A&M away from Lawrence, while going 2-0 in the league at home.

The Jayhawks have ample firepower, as outside hitters Karina Garlington and Allison Mayfield both average better than three kills per set. The duo is one of three pairs of outside hitters in the league to be ranked in the top-10 in kills per set. Garlington is fourth in the Big 12 with 3.82 kills per set, while Mayfield is ninth and averages 3.24 kills per set. Freshman Taylor Tolefee has stepped into the middle blocker spot and averages a team-high 1.17 blocks per set along with 1.44 kills per set, while Paige Mazour, who is from Franklin, Neb., is hitting a team-best .362 and averaging 2.45 kills per set for the Jayhawks.

Series History: The Huskers have dominated the all-time series, going 82-0-1 all-time against Kansas since 1975. One of the Huskers’ oldest rivalries in volleyball, Nebraska has won the last 82 matches in the series. The Huskers are a perfect 26-0 against the Jayhawks since the Big 12 began in 1996.

Last Matchup:  No. 3 Nebraska used its best offensive night of the year, sweeping Kansas, 25-21, 25-18, 25-12 on Nov. 15, 2008. The Huskers hit a blistering .447 as a team, hitting over the .400 mark for the first time this season in handing Kansas its first conference home sweep of the season.  Nebraska used a balanced offensive effort, putting three players in double figures in kills. Jordan Larson led the Huskers with 15 kills on a season-high .438 hitting and 11 digs for her 11th double-double of the year. Lindsey Licht and Tara Mueller added 10 kills apiece, while Licht added three stuffs. Sydney Anderson keyed the attack with 42 assists, four kills and nine digs, helping NU hit .400 or better in all three sets.  

Nebraska also got strong efforts from middle blockers Amanda Gates and Kori Cooper, who combined for 14 kills without an error on 19 swings, including eight kills on .727 hitting from Gates.

Nebraska-Kansas Series Tidbits
?-Husker junior Lindsey Licht teamed with KU’s Karina Garlington to win a pair of state titles at Grandview High School in Colorado during the 2004 and 2005 campaigns. 
?-Nebraska has never lost to Kansas, and the Huskers’ 82 wins against the Jayhawks are the most versus any opponent in school history.
?-The Huskers have swept the Jayhawks 68 times, including 54 three-set sweeps.
?-Kansas has won just 16 sets in the all-time series, taking the Huskers to five sets one time on Nov. 23, 1990.

Husker Potential Starters
MB -  #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. Cooper is averaging 1.81 kills and 0.83 blocks per set in seven matches and has started NU’s last four contests. In her last three matches, Cooper is averaging 2.15 kills per set and hitting .358 in that stretch. She had season season bests in kills (13) and hitting percentage (.462) against Oklahoma on Sept. 30, marking the third straight match she has enjoyed season bests in kills. Cooper added nine kills on .316 hitting against No. 2 Texas on Sept. 26. 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 in 2008 after averaging 2.09 kills  on .396 hitting and 0.88 blocks per set. 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 2.30 kills and 1.12 blocks per set. She is fifth in the Big 12 in blocks and seventh in hitting percentage (.340). She reached double figures in kills five times, including 14 kills on .414 hitting at Oklahoma on Sept. 30. Delano has hit .400 or better six times on the season, including .500 on two occasions. She had seven kills and five blocks against No. 2 Texas on Sept. 26 and totaled 10 kills on .474 hitting in NU’s Big 12 opener 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 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 kills, 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 2.49 kills and 1.04 blocks per set to rank eighth in the league in blocks. Licht has been in double figures in kills in each of the last four matches, averaging 3.44 kills per set in that stretch. 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 and adding 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. Licht was named to the Seattle Regional All-Tournament team, averaging 2.12 kills and 1.38 blocks per set.

-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 1.02 kills and 1.80 digs per set in 12 matches. Mancuso matched her career high with 13 digs at Oklahoma on Sept. 30. She had eight digs, a pair of kills and a service ace against Colorado on Sept. 19. Mancuso made her Husker debut in this role 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 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 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.

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 4.57 digs per set and also chips in 1.36 assists per set. Banwarth has reached double figures in digs in NU’s last 20 contests dating back to last season following a 26-dig effort at Oklahoma on Sept. 30. She has five matches with at least 20 digs this year and recorded her first career double-double at OU with 26 digs and a career-best 10 assists.  Banwarth had 20 digs and a then-career-best eight assists at Texas A&M on Sept. 20 and totaled 20 digs and a pair of service aces in NU’s four-set win over BYU on Sept. 11. 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 10.35 assists, 0.73 kills and 2.71 digs per set. Anderson is sixth in the league in assists and has a team-best nine double-doubles (assists-digs), most recently a 54-assist, 16-dig effort at Oklahoma on Sept. 30.  Anderson has seven matches with at least 40 assists, including a then-season-best 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 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, 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 3.22 kills and 2.64 digs per set to rank 10th in the Big 12 in kills and seventh in points (3.78) per set. 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 is splitting time with Gina Mancuso at the outside hitter spot. Werth is averaging 2.72 kills and 2.74 digs per set, ranking second on the team in both kills and digs per set.  Werth leads all Big 12 freshmen in kills per set and is third (first among non-liberos) in digs per set. Werth comes off a career-high 17-kill, 10-dig effort 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. 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.

Oklahoma Recap
On an emotional night, the No. 10 Nebraska volleyball team found a way to win, snapping a two-match losing streak with a 3-2 win (17-25, 26-24, 25-15, 25-27, 15-10) over Oklahoma at the McCasland  Fieldhouse on Sept. 30.

The Huskers (10-4, 3-2 Big 12) received career nights all around, led by freshman Hannah Werth’s career-best 17 kills to lead four  Nebraska players in double figures. Brooke Delano and Lindsey Licht had 14 kills apiece, while Kori Cooper added a season-high 13 kills for the Big Red. Sydney Anderson dished out a season-high 54 assists and added a career-high 16 digs, as NU outhit Oklahoma, .227-.172. Kayla Banwarth also made a major contribution, as she totaled a match-high 26 digs and added a career-best 10 assists for her first career double-double.

OU, which was honoring the memory of Javi Restrepo ? the son of Oklahoma’s head coach Santiago Restrepo - gave the Huskers all they wanted before falling short in the fifth set.  Werth came up big in the finale, drilling home five kills in the set, while Cooper came back with three kills, including one on match point, as the Huskers collected their 24th consecutive win over Oklahoma.