Huskers Host NCAA First/Second Rounds

NCAA First/Second Round Schedule
NCAA First Round - Northern Iowa (30-2) vs. Washington State (18-12)
Friday, Dec. 4 ? NU Coliseum ? 4:30 p.m.

NCAA First Round - Coastal Carolina (20-13) at No. 10 Seed Nebraska (23-6)
Friday, Dec. 4 ? 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 and NET-HD
Video: Huskers.com & NCAA.com
Live Stats:      NCAASports.com

NCAA Second Round - Friday’s Winners
Saturday, Dec. 5 ? NU Coliseum ? 5 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 and NET-HD 
Video: Huskers.com & NCAA.com
Live Stats:     NCAASports.com

Huskers Host NCAA First/Second Rounds This Weekend
The Nebraska volleyball team will begin the NCAA Tournament at home, as the Nebraska Coliseum will host NCAA First and Second Round matches this weekend.

It is the sixth consecutive year and 25th time overall that the NU Coliseum has played host to NCAA Tournament matches.  Action begins Friday, Dec. 4, at the NU Coliseum when Washington State (18-12) takes on Northern Iowa (30-2) at 4:30 p.m. Nebraska (23-6) will play in the evening’s second match and will take on Coastal Carolina (20-13) at 7 p.m. or 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first match. Fans can listen to Nebraska’s matches 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. The second round will take place on Saturday, Dec. 5, at 5 p.m., as Friday’s winners will square off for a right to compete in the Omaha Regional the following weekend.

The Huskers enter the NCAA Tournament with a 23-6 record, including a 16-4 Big 12 mark. Nebraska has won its last seven matches ? all by sweep ? and will be making its 28th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. It is the first time in program history that Nebraska has not dropped a set in November.  Nebraska is 77-24 (.762) in 27 previous NCAA Tournament appearances, ranking second among NCAA schools in wins and winning percentage.

The Huskers were one of six Big 12 schools to qualify for the tournament. In addition to the Huskers, Texas (No. 2) and Iowa State (No. 7) were national seeds, while Baylor, Oklahoma and Texas A&M all advanced to the NCAAs.

By the Numbers
.378 - Kori Cooper’s Big 12 leading hitting percentage entering the NCAA Tournament. Cooper has been even better in the NU Coliseum, hitting .437 in nine matches and averaging 2.68 kills per set.

.940 - Nebraska’s winning percentage in NCAA Tournament play at the Nebraska Coliseum. NU is 47-3 all-time in the NU Coliseum.

.956 - Nebraska’s winning percentage in first-round NCAA Tournament matches. The Huskers are 22-1 all-time in the first round.

492 - Kayla Banwarth’s digs this season, a total which is second on NU’s single-season lists.

Scouting the 1st/2nd Round Teams
Coastal Carolina
Coastal Carolina comes to Lincoln with a 20-13 record after winning the Big South Tournament two weeks ago. The Chanticleers, who finished fourth in the regular-season standings, defeated High Point, regular-season champion UNC Asheville and Liberty to punch their third-ever NCAA Tournament ticket and first since 1998. Kristen Bauer is in her 11th season at CC and has a 206-157 record. The Chanticleers are led by outside hitter Chelsy Kimes, who earned first-team All-Big South honors after averaging a team-high 3.74 kills and 2.72 digs per set. Sierra Livesay was the league’s Freshman of the Year and averages 2.52 kills and 2.23 digs per set. Coastal Carolina is the third Big South Champion to play in the first round in Lincoln in four years, joining Winthrop (2006) and Liberty (2008).  Nebraska and Coastal Carolina have no common opponents during the season and CCU lost its only other match this year against an NCAA qualifier, a 3-1 loss to Dayton.

Series History: Friday’s match will be the first between between the two programs.

Northern Iowa
Under Coach Bobbi Patersen, Northern Iowa has become an NCAA Tournament regular, as the program makes its 15th NCAA appearance. UNI comes to town with a 30-2 mark and a No. 20 ranking in this week’s AVCA poll. This is the fourth straight year that UNI has reached the postseason, while Patersen is 258-72 in 10 seasons at UNI, a winning percentage which is ninth among active Division I  coaches.  The Panthers enter the tournament on a roll, winning 28 straight matches dating back to early September and claiming the Missouri Valley Tournament title with a four-set win over Wichita State on Saturday. UNI is led by MVC Player of the Year Bre Payton, who averages 10.54 assists, 2.76 digs, 0.52 blocks and 2.16 kills per set on .318 hitting. She was one of four Panthers named first-team All-MVC, joining outside hitter Shannon Aschoff (3.10 kills and 0.59 blocks per set), libero Ellie Blankenship (5.87 digs and 0.33 service aces per set) and middle blocker Michelle Burow (2.96 kills and 0.88 blocks per set). The teams have several common opponents, including Texas A&M, Iowa State, Virginia and Creighton. Both of UNI’s losses came against Big 12 squads. UNI went  5-2 against NCAA Tournament qualifiers.

Series History: Nebraska leads the all-time series 4-0-1, but the teams have played only twice since 1988. The last matchup came in the second round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament, when Nebraska swept the Panthers (30-16, 30-16, 30-14).

Washington State
One of the rising programs in the Pacific-10 Conference, Washington State makes its 10th NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2002 with its trip to Lincoln this weekend. Under second-year head coach Andrew Palileo, WSU is 18-12 on the year and is one of eight Pac-10 programs to reach the NCAAs this season. Prior to taking the reigns at WSU, Palileo coached at South Dakota State, helping his Jackrabbits make the NCAA Tournament in 2007, when they played Nebraska. Washington State’s last NCAA win came against Northern Iowa, Friday’s first-round opponent, in the 2002 NCAA East Region Semifinals. The Cougars are a balanced attack with five players averaging over two kills per set. Sophomore outside hitter Meagan Ganzer leads WSU with 3.27 kills per set, while fellow outside attacker Jackie Albright chips in 2.79 kills and 3.04 digs per set. Libero Oceana Bush leads WSU’s defense attack with 4.81 digs per set. NU and WSU have two common opponents, as the Cougars swept Missouri and lost twice to UCLA. Washington State played 14 of its 30 matches against NCAA Tournament teams, going 3-11 in those matches. Its best win was a 3-1 victory over No. 6 national seed Washington State on Oct. 23.

Series History: Nebraska and Washington State have met one time, a 3-0 Husker sweep on Sept. 9, 1988, at the Titan Invitational in Fullerton, Calif.

Husker Probable Starters
MB -  #15 Kori Cooper: 6-2, Sr., Amarillo, Texas - Senior co-captain is returning to All-America form following knee surgery last November. A two-time first-team All-Big 12 selection, Cooper is averaging 2.46 kills and 0.85 blocks per set and leads the Big 12 in hitting percentage overall (.378). Cooper also led the Big 12 with a .400 hitting percentage during league play. Cooper has reached double figures in kills six times in 2009, including a career-best 16 kills on .414 hitting against No. 14 Iowa State on Oct. 21. Cooper had an 11-kill effort on .600 hitting against Kansas on Nov. 21. 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. She is also a two-time first-team Academic All-American with a 3.81 GPA in speech language pathology.

MB - #8 Brooke Delano: 6-2, So., Bellevue, Neb. - First-year starter at middle blocker who averages 2.32 kills and 1.18 blocks per set to garner first-team All-Big 12 honors. She is fourth in the Big 12 in hitting percentage (.340) and third in blocks and is the only freshman or sophomore in the top 10 in both categories. Delano reached double figures in kills 10 times, including a season-best 14 kills on .414 hitting at Oklahoma on Sept. 30 and 14 kills on .400 hitting against No. 11 Minnesota on Aug. 29.  Delano hit .400 or better in 13 matches, highlighted by a career best .833 with 10 kills against Missouri on Nov. 4. 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.  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 is in her second year as a starter on the right side and is averaging 2.83 kills and 0.96 blocks per set. Licht has been outstanding down the stretch, averaging 3.52 kills per set on .365 hitting in her last 10 contests. She has been in double figures in kills 14 times, including a season-high 16 kills against Oklahoma (Oct. 24) and Colorado (Sept. 19). Licht has shared team-high honors in kills during six of the Huskers’ last eight contests. She led NU with 15 kills at Kansas State on Nov. 25 and 10 kills on a season-best .625 hitting in the regular-season finale against Colorado on Nov. 28. She has also topped NU in blocks nine times, most recently against Colorado on Nov. 28. 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 with 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 0.53 kills, 1.63 digs and 0.28 service aces per set. She is fifth in the Big 12 in aces per set and has eight matches with at least two aces, including seven in league action. She has recorded five or more digs 14 times, including three matches in double figures.  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 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 - A three-year starter at libero, Banwarth is second in the Big 12 with 4.82 digs per set, while also leading all conference liberos with 1.16 assists per set.  An honorable-mention All-Big 12 pick, 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 was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week for the second time on Nov. 23, as she averaged 7.17 digs in sweeps over No. 24 Baylor and Kansas.  Banwarth turned in the best effort of her career against No. 24 Baylor on Nov. 18 with 32 digs, setting a three-set school mark and the most by any player in the NU Coliseum since 1987, as Baylor hit a season-low .089.  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 (LSU, Tulane, UL-Lafayette) 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.

S - #1 Sydney Anderson: 6-0, Jr., Salt Lake City, Utah - A returning All-American and team co-captain, Anderson averages 11.47 assists, 0.77 kills and 2.49 digs per set. Anderson, a first-team All-Big 12 performer, is second in the league in assists and has a team-best 14 double-doubles (assists-digs). She has helped NU hit .300 or better in 11 matches, including a season-high .451 against Missouri on Nov. 5. Anderson has totaled 50 or more assists five times, including a career-high 57 assists in a three-set sweep at Missouri on Oct. 17.  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, as Nebraska was the only team to hit .300 or better on the Cyclones during the regular season. She was selected to the all-tournament team in all three of NU’s non-conference weekends and was 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. 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. - A returning All-American on the left side, Mueller averages 3.01 kills, 2.58 digs and 0.29 service aces per set. She is fourth in the Big 12 in aces and is second on the squad in kills. She has eight double-doubles on the year and two matches with at least 20 kills, including a season-best 22 kills and 15 digs at LSU on Sept. 4. She picked up her most recent double-double with 12 kills and 11 digs at Kansas State on Nov. 25. Mueller has hit .400 or better four times, including a season-high .583 with 14 kills and no errors agianst Virginia. She has topped NU in kills in nine matches, including 21 at Texas A&M on Sept. 23 and 17 against No. 11 Minnesota on Aug. 29.  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 3.18 kills per set and adds 3.00 digs per set and leads all Big 12 freshmen in kills per set.  She is second to Sydney Anderson with 11 double-doubles and has been a five-time Big 12 Rookie of the Week. Werth totaled a season-high 19 kills and added 12 digs in a win over Oklahoma on Oct. 24. She picked up her 11th double-double of the year at Kansas State on Nov. 25 with team bests in both kills (13) and digs (13).  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.  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 Match: Huskers Win 7th Straight
Lindsey Licht totaled a match-high 10 kills, while Kori Cooper celebrated senior night in style, as No. 8 Nebraska closed out the regular season with a 3-0 sweep (25-16, 25-11, 25-11) of Colorado on Nov. 28.  Licht paced a balanced attack with 10 kills on a season-best .625 hitting, as the Huskers finished the regular-season on a seven-match win streak. Cooper turned in another strong effort, totaling nine kills on .600 hitting. It was the third time this season Cooper hit .500 or better in a match. In all, Nebraska’s middle blocking trio of Cooper, Jordan Wilberger and Allison McNeal combined for 19 kills on .633 hitting, as Wilberger totaled seven kills and tied her career best with a .700 hitting percentage.

Sydney Anderson helped NU hit .300 or better for the fifth time in seven matches, dishing out 36 assists and added nine digs and five kills, as all six starters finished with at least five kills. Nebraska also had five aces and just one service error, the Huskers’ lowest error total in a decade. While NU’s attack turned in a solid night, the Husker defense held Colorado to .104 hitting and out-dug the Buffaloes, 53-31. Hannah Werth totaled a match-high 16 digs, while Kayla Banwarth added 13 and helped the Huskers hold their fifth consecutive opponent without an ace.

 NCAA Regional Passes Now on Sale
All-session passes for the 2009 NCAA Omaha Regional at the Qwest Center next weekend 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. 

The winners of the following first- and second-round sites will compete in Omaha next weekend: Lincoln, Ames, Austin, and Baton Rouge. In all four Big 12 teams are potential regional qualifiers, including Texas, Iowa State, Nebraska and Texas A&M.

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. The finals will be televised nationally on ESPNU.

Five Huskers Earn Big 12 Honors
Five Huskers were honored Monday afternoon, as the 2009 All-Big 12 team was announced. Nebraska and Iowa State had a league-best five honorees apiece, as Kori Cooper, Brooke Delano and Sydney Anderson claimed first-team selections, while Kayla Banwarth and Hannah Werth received honorable-mention accolades.

It was Cooper and Anderson’s second straight All-Big 12 honor, while the other three Huskers were recognized for the first time in their careers.  Werth was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year, the first Husker honored since Jordan Larson in 2005. Werth is the fifth Husker freshman to receive the Big 12’s top rookie honor.

Cooper received her second straight All-Big 12 award by averaging 2.46 kills and 0.85 blocks per set, while leading the Big 12 with a .378 hitting percentage. In league action, Cooper hit a conference-best .400 and had six league matches with at league 10 kills, including a career-high 16 kills against Iowa State. 

Delano put together a strong season in her first full year as a starter. She averaged 2.32 kills and 1.18 blocks per set and ranked among Big 12 leaders in both hitting percentage (.340, fourth) and blocks (1.18, third). Delano reached double figures in kills in seven Big 12 matches, highlighted by a career-high 14 kills at Oklahoma.

Anderson averaged 11.47 assists, 0.77 kills and 2.49 digs per set. She ranked second in the league in assists while notching a team-best 14 double-doubles (assists-digs). Anderson helped NU hit .300 or better in 11 matches, including a season-high .451 against Missouri on Nov. 5.

Werth was the only freshman on either of the two teams, as she averaged a team-high 3.18 kills and 3.00 digs per set to earn honorable-mention accolades. She owns 11 double-doubles on the year and led all Big 12 freshmen in points (3.77) and kills (3.38) in league play.

Banwarth is one of two liberos to receive all-conference recognition, as she earned honorable-mention accolades. She ranks second in the Big 12 with 4.82 digs per set and leads all conference liberos with 1.16 assists per set. Banwarth ranks second on NU’s single-season digs list with 492, including 11 matches with at least 20 digs.

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 96 weeks.

?-The Big 12’s six NCAA Tournament qualifiers tied for second with the Big Ten among among all leagues. The Big 12 also had three national seeds (No. 2 Texas, No. 7 Iowa State and No. 10 Nebraska) after placing two teams in the NCAA Semifinals in 2008.

?-The one service error Nebraska had against Colorado (on the first serve of the night) in the regular-season finale was the Huskers’ lowest total in a match under John Cook. The last time NU had one service error was against Baylor on Nov. 20, 1999.

?-Nebraska’s defense has been improving in recent matches. The Huskers have held their last four opponents to a combined .103 hitting percentage. This season, NU has held eight opponents under .100 hitting. NU is 8-0 in those matches and 121-0 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 304-25 (.924) in 10 seasons at NU. It is the first time Nebraska has won 300 matches in a decade, and Nebraska’s .924 winning percentage this decade is the best of any program nationally.

?-Nebraska has put together its best offensive stretch of the season, hitting at a .325 clip over the last seven matches. The run includes a season-high .451 against Missouri on Nov. 4, .433 at Kansas on Nov. 21 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 .294 during the second half of the conference season after hitting .235 during the first round of Big 12 action. Nebraska finished conference play second in league action in hitting percentage (.262) and first in both kills (15.15) and assists (14.32) against the Big 12.

?-One of the overlooked aspects of NU in recent weeks has been improved serving. Over the last 15 matches, the Huskers are averaging 1.39 aces per set after averaging just 0.95 aces per set in NU’s first 14 matches. In league action, Nebraska led the Big 12, averaging 1.28 aces per set.

?-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.

?-Gina Mancuso has also been a force at the service line in recent weeks, recording 19 aces (0.41 aces/set) and only 12 service errors in her last 13 contests. Mancuso leads all Big 12 freshmen, averaging 0.28 aces per set.

?-Nebraska’s lone senior, Kori Cooper has helped the Huskers to a 118-12 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 10 kills against Kansas State, Lindsey Licht has led NU in kills in six of the last eight matches and nine times this season.  Prior to 2009, she had led NU in kills once.

?-Nebraska has already received 17 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 last season. Brooke Delano and Kori Cooper were both first-team All-Big 12 picks, marking the first time since 2001 that both of NU’s middle blockers were first-team All-Big 12 picks.

?-Hannah Werth’s 19 kills against Oklahoma on Oct. 24 equaled 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.

?-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.