No. 9 Huskers Take on Kansas Saturday Afternoon

No. 9 Nebraska (20-6, 13-4 Big 12) at Kansas (15-12, 7-10 Big 12)

Saturday, Nov. 21 ? Lawrence, Kan ? 3 p.m. Radio: Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and KTWI 93.3 FM in Omaha, and on Huskers.com ? joined in progress on selected HSN stations TV: None Live Stats: Huskers.com Video:  HuskersNside (subscription required)

The Nebraska volleyball team hits the road on Saturday, as the ninth-ranked Huskers travel to Lawrence, Kan., to take on the Kansas Jayhawks. First serve for the match at the Horejsi Family Athletics Center is slated for 3 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 match time was moved from 6:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. earlier this week, as the KU football team takes on Texas Saturday night on ABC. Saturday’s match is also slated to be on HuskersNside. The match will be joined in progress on some HSN stations following the Nebraska men’s basketball game against TCU at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

The Huskers (20-6, 13-4 Big 12) come off one of their best defensive efforts of the season in sweeping No. 24 Baylor Wednesday night. Nebraska held BU to a season-low .089 hitting percentage and received a record-breaking night from libero Kayla Banwarth. She not only tied her career high with 32 digs, breaking NU’s three-set mark, but also helped the Huskers hold Baylor without a service ace. Nebraska has now held seven opponents under .100 this season and ranks third in the Big 12 in opponent hitting percentage (.157).

Kansas (15-12, 7-10 Big 12) looks to bounce back following a sweep at the hands of No. 8 Iowa State Wednesday night. The Jayhawks, who are looking to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005, have already knocked off one ranked team, defeating then No. 21 Baylor last Saturday. KU relies on outside hitters Allison Mayfield and Karina Garlington, who combine for over seven kills per set. The duo has also taken more than half of the Jayhawks 3,362 swings this season.

By the Numbers
1 - Kayla Banwarth is the only Husker to ever collect two 30-dig matches in the same season. She is also one of only  two Huskers to ever have multiple 30-dig matches. 
456 - Number of digs for Kayla Banwarth this season, a total which is fourth on NU’s single-season list. She is 24 digs away from second on NU’s single-season chart and is one of only two Huskers with multiple 400-dig seasons (Jennifer Saleaumua).
 1,072 - Banwarth’s career digs, a total which is seventh all-time at Nebraska. She is 14 digs away from cracking the top five on NU’s career list, as she is closing in on Eileen Shannon (1,074) and Angie Oxley (1,086).

Scouting Kansas
Kansas heads to Saturday’s match with a 15-12 record following a three-set loss at No. 8 Iowa State Wednesday night. Under 12th-year Coach Ray Bechard (189-172 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 is 3-4 in the league in the second half of the season, including a four-set win over then No. 21 Baylor in their last home match.

The Jayhawks have ample firepower, as outside hitters Karina Garlington and Allison Mayfield both average better than 3.3 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. Mayfield leads Kansas and ranks fifth in the Big 12 with 3.66 kills per set, while Garlington is sixth and averages 3.39 kills per set. Paige Mazour, who is from Franklin, Neb., is the third Jayhawk averaging over two kills per set, as she is hitting a team-high .388 and averaging 2.08 kills per set. Setter Nicole Tate is fourth in the Big 12, averaging 11.03 assists, 2.58 digs and nearly one kill a set for the Jayhawks.

Series History: The Huskers have dominated the all-time series, going 83-0-1 all-time against Kansas since 1975. One of the Huskers’ oldest rivalries in volleyball, Nebraska has won the last 83 matches in the series. The Huskers are a perfect 27-0 against the Jayhawks since the Big 12 began in 1996.

Last Matchup:  Hannah Werth and Brooke Delano combined for 25 kills, leading the ninth-ranked Nebraska volleyball team to a 3-0 win (25-20, 25-20, 25-21) over Kansas on Oct. 7.

Werth powered a match-high 15 kills on .448 hitting ? her best performance in Big 12 action at the time ? and nine digs, while Delano came up with one of her best matches of the season. The sophomore totaled 10 kills on a then-career-best .600 hitting and added five blocks and five digs.

Nebraska enjoyed a well-rounded attack, as All-American Sydney Anderson dished out 36 assists, while helping five Huskers finish with at least six kills in NU’s first sweep since Sept. 19. Nebraska hit .275 and out-blocked Kansas, 8-2, on the evening. Delano, Lindsey Licht and Kori Cooper had at least three blocks apiece.

Nebraska-Kansas Series
?-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’ 83 wins against the Jayhawks are the most versus any opponent in school history.
?-The Huskers have swept the Jayhawks 69 times, including 55 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 is returning to All-America form following knee surgery last November. Cooper is averaging 2.37 kills and 0.88 blocks per set and leads the Big 12 in hitting percentage overall (.358) and in conference action (.381). She has played at a high level since returning to the lineup full time on Sept. 23, averaging 2.57 kills on .390 hitting over the last 13 matches. Cooper has reached double figures in kills four times in 2009, including a career-best 16 kills on .414 hitting against No. 14 Iowa State on Oct. 21. Cooper comes off a five-block effort, including three solo blocks, against No. 24 Baylor on Nov. 18. She had a career night against Texas A&M on Nov. 13, delivering 13 kills on a career-best .765 hitting. Cooper had 12 kills on .409 hitting and tied her season high with five blocks against Oklahoma on Oct. 24.  Cooper was named first-team All-Big 12 and honorable-mention All-America in 2008 after averaging 2.09 kills  on .396 hitting and 0.88 blocks per set. Cooper has 47 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, and averages 2.32 kills and 1.18 blocks per set. She is third in the Big 12 in both blocks and hitting percentage (.351). Delano reached double figures in kills 10 times, including a season-best 14 kills on .414 hitting at Oklahoma on Sept. 30. She has been on a tear as of late, hitting .517 and averaging 3.00 kills per set over her last four matches. She had 12 kills on .556 hitting and five blocks in a sweep of Texas A&M on Nov. 13. She totaled 10 kills on a career-best .833 hitting - the sixth best hitting percentage in school history - against Missouri on Nov. 4. It was one of 12 matches where Delano has hit .400 or better. She hit .571 with eight kills and added two blocks at No. 8 Iowa State on Nov. 7.  Delano had 12 kills and a team-high five blocks against No. 14 Iowa State on Oct. 21.  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 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.  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. 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 2.76 kills and 1.01 blocks per set. Licht has been outstanding during the second half of the league schedule, averaing 3.50 kills per set on .393 hitting since Oct. 24. Licht has been in double figures in kills 12 times in 2009, including a season-high 16 kills and six blocks against Oklahoma on Oct. 24. Licht has shared team-high honors in four of the last five matches, including 13 kills on a season-best .619 hitting against Texas A&M on Nov. 11 and 13 kills on .522 hitting in a sweep of No. 24 Baylor on Nov. 18.  She had a team-high nine kills at No. 8 Iowa State on Nov. 7, and topped NU with 10 kills at No. 2 Texas on Oct. 30.  She has also topped NU in blocks eight times, most recently with four blocks against Missouri on Nov. 4. Licht had a strong performance at Colorado on Sept. 19, drilling 16 kills on a season-high .481 hitting. 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 a strong match at LSU with 15 kills and six blocks, highlighted by four kills and two blocks in the fifth set.  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 14 times, 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 0.56 kills, 1.66 digs and 0.28 service aces per set, ranking fourth in the Big 12 in service aces per set. She now has 13 matches this season with at least five digs and seven matches with at least two service aces. Mancuso totaled three aces and seven digs in a sweep of Missouri on Nov. 4. She played well at No. 2 Texas on Oct. 30, recording seven digs and adding a pair of service aces.  Mancuso had a career-high 16 digs and a service ace against No. 14 Iowa State on Oct. 21. Against Kansas State on Oct. 10, she racked up a career best four service aces. Mancuso’s career high in kills is 10 set against UL-Lafayette on Sept. 4. She collected eight kills on .312 hitting and four blocks against Tulane on Sept. 5. Mancuso made her first career start against No. 11 Minnesota, totaling nine kills, 13 digs and four blocks. 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 ranks second in state high school history with 2,371 career kills, and also totaled 1,320 digs. 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 4.90 digs per set and chips in 1.14 assists per set. She has 11 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 turned in the best effort of her career against No. 24 Baylor with a 32 digs, setting a three-set school mark and the most by any player in the NU Coliseum since 1987, helping Baylor hit a season-low .089 against the Huskers.  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 a career highs 32 digs against 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 11.27 assists, 0.75 kills and 2.47 digs per set. Anderson is second in the league in assists and has a team-best 13 double-doubles (assists-digs). 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 was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week and AVCA National Player of the Week on Nov. 9 after averaging 13.67 assists per set and helping NU hit .384 in two matches. Anderson had 39 assists and a season-high three aces at No. 8 Iowa State on Nov. 7.  She has helped NU hit over .300 on nine occasions, including a season-high .451 against Missouri on Nov. 4, as she totaled 43 assists and two aces. 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. Last season, she averaged 11.60 assists, 2.05 digs and 0.29 aces per set in 2008, ranking eighth nationally in assists.

OH - #19 Tara Mueller: 6-0, Jr., Scottsdale, Ariz. - Mueller is a returning All-American at outside hitter and is averaging  2.97 kills, 2.52 digs and 0.28 service aces per set. Mueller is fifth in the Big 12 in service aces and has seven matches with at least two aces. She picked up her seventh double-double against No. 24 Baylor on Nov. 18, recording 12 kills and 10 digs along with three blocks. Mueller had a solid effort at No. 8 Iowa State on Nov. 8, recording eight kills on .300 hitting and six digs.  She had 10 kills on .400 hitting and an ace in a sweep of Missouri on Nov. 4. Mueller had a double-double 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.  Mueller tied for team-high honors with 10 kills on .368 hitting against Kansas State on Oct. 10.  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 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. 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.

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 3.16 kills per set and adds 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) among freshmen in digs per set.  She is second to Sydney Anderson with 10 double-doubles and has been a five-time Big 12 Rookie of the Week. The freshman nearly picked up her 11th double-double against No. 24 Baylor on Nov. 18 with nine kills and 10 digs.Werth earned her latest honor on Nov. 9, when she recorded 3.50 kills per set on .312 hitting and 3.67 digs per set in wins over Missouri and No. 8 Iowa State. She topped NU in both kills (nine) and digs (15) in a sweep against ISU on Nov. 7, and totaled a team-high 12 kills on .429 hitting and seven digs against Missouri on Nov. 4. Werth established a career high with 19 kills against Oklahoma on Oct. 24, equaling the most kills by a Husker freshman in the last five seasons.  Werth had 13 kills on .389 hitting and 12 digs in a sweep  at No. 19 Baylor on Oct. 14.  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.  She recorded 14 kills  and a season-high 23 digs against No. 8 UCLA on Sept. 13. 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 Aggies
Behind a record night from Kayla Banwarth, No. 9 Nebraska collected its 20th win of the season, sweeping No. 24 Baylor, 3-0 (25-16, 25-21, 25-20) Wednesday night. Banwarth keyed a stifling defensive effort by collecting 32 digs, establishing school and building records for a three-set match. The performance not only tied her career best, set earlier this season in a five-set win over Minnesota, but was the most by any player in the NU Coliseum since 1987. Banwarth’s effort highlight one of the best defensive efforts of the year, as Nebraska held Baylor to a season-low .089 team hitting percentage. The Huskers had at least 10 digs, as outside hitters Tara Mueller and Hannah Werth added 10 apiece for NU, while Kori Cooper totaled a season-high five blocks, including three solos, as NU totaled nine blocks on the night.  The Huskers received another strong performance from Lindsey Licht, who totaled a match-high 13 kills on .522 hitting. It was the second straight match Licht hit over .500 and the fourth time in the last five matches the junior right side attacker led the Huskers in kills. Mueller joined Licht in double figures with 12 kills in picking up her seventh double-double of the season.

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 now been ranked in the top 10 of the AVCA poll every week since the start of the 2004 season, a span of 94 weeks.
?-Nebraska held Baylor to a season-low .089 hitting percentage on Wednesday, marking the seventh time this season the Huskers have held a foe to under .100 hitting. NU is 7-0 in those matches and 120-0 under John Cook when an opponent hits under .100.
?-John Cook collected his 300th win at Nebraska against Texas A&M on Nov. 11. Cook is now 301-25 (.923) in 10 seasons at NU. It is the first time Nebraska has won 300 matches in a decade.
?-Nebraska has put together its best offensive stretch of the season, hitting .329 over the last four matches. The run includes a season-high .451 against Missouri on Nov. 4 and becoming the first team to hit .300 against Iowa State when NU hit .327 against the Cyclones on Nov. 7. That snapped ISU’s 33-match streak of holding opponents under .300.
Overall, the Huskers are hitting .285 during the second half of the conference season after hitting .235 during the first round of Big 12 action. Nebraska is now second in league action in hitting percentage (.254) and first in both kills (14.90) and assists (14.03) against the Big 12.
?-Brooke Delano has been on a tear lately, hitting .517 in her last four matches. Delano was the first Husker to hit .550 in three consecutive matches since Kori Cooper accomplished the feat in 2007.
?-One of the overlooked aspects of NU in recent weeks has been improved serving. Over the last 12 matches, the Huskers are averaging 1.45 aces per set after averaging just 0.95 aces per set in NU’s first 14 matches. In league action, Nebraska leads the Big 12, averaging 1.21 aces per set.
?-Nebraska had eight aces and two errors against Missouri on Nov. 4, matching its season best in both areas. It marks the 10th time in John Cook’s 10 years that Nebraska had at least a +6 on service aces to service errors. Nebraska’s two errors also tied the lowest amount of service errors in a match under Cook, set two other times (vs. KSU, 10/10/09; vs. Texas A&M, 10/22/08).
?-Brooke Delano put together the best offensive night of her career against Missouri on Nov. 4 with 10 kills on .833 hitting. It is one of 10 times Delano has been in double figures in kills - most by a Husker middle blocker since Tracy Stalls accomplished the feat 12 times in 2007 - while her hitting percentage ties for sixth all-time at Nebraska.
?-Freshman Gina Mancuso has also been a force at the service line in recent weeks, recording 17 aces (0.46 aces/set) and only eight service errors in her last 11 contests. Mancuso leads all Big 12 freshmen, averaging 0.28 aces per set.
?-The Huskers are 108-9 (.922) in their last 117 conference matches dating back to the 2003 season.
?-Nebraska is 90-8 (.918) on the road in Big 12 action in 10 seasons under Coach John Cook.
?-Three Big 12 teams are ranked in the top 15 of the NCAA RPI released Nov. 16. The teams include Texas (No. 1),  Iowa State (No. 10) and Nebraska (No. 12). In addition, four of NU’s non-conference opponents (UCLA, LSU, Minnesota and Michigan) are also ranked in the top 15 of the RPI.
?-Nebraska’s lone senior, Kori Cooper has helped the Huskers to a 114-12 mark over the last four years, including three Big 12 titles, two NCAA Final Fours (2006, 2008) and a national title in 2006.
?-With her 13 kills against Baylor, Lindsey Licht has led NU in kills in four of the last five matches and seven times this season.  Prior to 2009, she had led NU in kills once.
?-Nebraska has already received 15 double-digit kill efforts from its middle blockers this season, including 10 from Brooke Delano, and is averaging nearly a kill per set more from its middle attack compared to 2008.
?-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.
?-Kori Cooper’s 16 kills against Iowa State on Oct. 21 equaled 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.
?-Freshman Hannah Werth led the Huskers in kills in five straight matches from Sept. 30 to Oct. 17. 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.
?-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 solo 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.