No. 4 Nebraska Hosts Kansas

Nebraska vs. Kansas
No. 4 Nebraska vs. Kansas • Wednesday, Sept. 22 • NU Coliseum • 7 p.m.
TV: NET (Time Warner: SD-12/HD-112  |  DirecTV: 29  |  Dish Network: 12)   |   Metro Sports in Kansas City (Time Warner: 30  |  Comcast: 258)
Radio: Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and KTWI 93.3 FM in Omaha, and on Huskers.com
Web Video: Huskers.com (Free Video)
Live Stats: Huskers.com
Nebraska at Baylor

No. 4 Nebraska at Baylor • Saturday, Sept. 25 • Ferrell Center • 7 p.m.
TV: None
Radio: Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and KTWI 93.3 FM in Omaha, and on Huskers.com
Web Video: BaylorBears.com (Subscription Required)
Live Stats: BaylorBears.com & Huskers.com

Kansas Visits No. 4 Nebraska Wednesday Night
After opening the 2010 Big 12 schedule 2-0 with wins over Iowa State and Colorado, the No. 4 Nebraska Huskers (10-1, 2-0) will play host to the Kansas Jayhawks (10-3, 1-1) on Wednesday night at the NU Coliseum at 7 p.m.

The match will be available across the state of Nebraska on NET and will also be carried in the Kansas City area on Time Warner's Metro Sports channel. Fans will also be able to view a free live stream of the match on Huskers.com

The Huskers have never lost a match to the Jayhawks, as they hold a 84-0-1 advantage over Kansas.  The lone tie in the series came in a two-set match (18-16, 7-15) on Nov. 15, 1977.

Nebraska has swept the past three meetings between the two programs, with Kansas last winning a set on Sept. 24, 2008.

Fans can listen to all of the action with John Baylor and Diane Mendenhall on the 25-station Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Twister 93.3 FM in Omaha. Fans outside the state will also be able to catch the live audio feed for free on Huskers.com.

On Time Warner Cable in Lincoln, NET can be seen on channel 12, while NET HD is channel 112. NET is channel 29 on DirecTV and channel 12 on Dish Network.

Scouting the Jayhawks

• Kansas enters Wednesday's nights match with a 10-3 overall record and a 1-1 record in the Big 12 Conference.
• The Jayhawks opened the season on a seven-match win streak before being swept at home by Middle Tennessee State.
• After opening conference play with a 1-3 loss to in-state rival Kansas State, the Jayhawks ended a seven-match losing streak to Texas A&M with a 3-2 win in Lawrence. The Aggies were fresh off a sweep of No. 8 Texas.
• With the win over Texas A&M, Head Coach Ray Bechard has now won 200 matches at Kansas. Bechard's record at Kansas is 200-177 and holds an overall career record of 916-237.
• While ranking seventh in the Big 12 in hitting percentage at .200, the Jayhawks rank third in opponent hitting as they hold the opposition to .147.
• As a team the Jayhawks rank third in the Big 12 in service aces with 1.48 per set.
• During Big 12 play, the Jayhawks rank no higher than fifth in any statistical category as a team.
• 12 of Kansas' 19 players are either freshmen or sophomores.
• Senior Karina Garlington leads the Jayhawk attack with 3.38 kills per set, which ranks eighth best in the conference. Garlington produced a Big 12 season-best 27 kills in a four-set win over Winthrop on Sept. 10.
• Freshman Kara Wehrs is one of four freshman to ranked in the top 10 on the Big 12 assists chart. Wehrs leads Kansas with 8.76 assists per set.
• Twin sisters Amy and Kara Wehrs hail from Hampshire High School in Hampshire, Ill.
• Kansas has one player from the state of Nebraska. True freshman Jessie Allen is a native of Aurora, Neb.

The Last Time Nebraska and Kansas Met (Nov. 21, 2009)

The ninth-ranked Nebraska volleyball team put together one of its best performances of 2009 in a sweep of Kansas, 3-0 (25-15, 25-12, 25-18).

Nebraska hit .433 as a team, its second-best offensive day of the season, as Kori Cooper Tara Mueller and Hannah Werth all finished in double figures. Cooper reached double figures in kills for the sixth time 2009 with a team-high 11 kills on .600 hitting and two blocks, while Werth and Mueller added 10 kills apiece as the duo combined to hit .425. Sydney Anderson dished out 44 assists and helped NU hit .370 or better in all three sets, as all five attackers finished with at least seven kills.

Scouting the Huskers

• Nebraska is 10-1 overall in 2010 and 2-0 in the Big 12 Conference entering Wednesday night's match. The Huskers are ranked No. 4 in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll for the second straight week.
• The Huskers are 9-0 this season when holding opponents below .200 hitting. Nebraska is 1-1 when opposing teams hit above .200.
• The Huskers rank in the top-five nationally in the categories, including blocks (3rd-3.05), kills (3rd-14.95) and assists (4th-13.90).
• Nebraska has totaled double-digit blocks in five of its last six matches, including a season-high 17 blocks against Illinois. The Huskers hit double-digits just once in their first five matches (11 against BYU) of 2010.
• The Huskers dropped their first home set of the season to Dayton (24-26). Since then, Nebraska has reeled over nine straight sets in three matches at the NU Coliseum.
• Among Big 12 teams this season, Nebraska is ranked first or second in seven of the eight major statistical categories.
• As a team, the Huskers are tops in the conference in opponent hitting (.138) as well as assists (13.90), kills (14.95) and blocks (3.05) per set.
• Junior middle blocker Brooke Delano leads the Big 12 in both hitting percentage (.415) and blocks per set (1.48). Nationally, Delano ranks ninth in blocks and 17th in hitting percentage.
• In Big 12 play only, Nebraska is No. 1 in the conference in assists (15.14), kills (16.29) and blocks (3.29) per set, as well as hitting percentage (.263).
• Kayla Banwarth leads the all players in Big 12 play with 5.43 digs per set.
• Under Head Coach John Cook, the Huskers improved to 286-8 when winning the first set of the match after their 3-0 win over Colorado. The last time Nebraska won the first set and then lost the match was during the 2009 NCAA Regional Final, when Texas won 3-1 after NU won set one, 25-21.
• Four Huskers have combined for eight double-doubles on the season, including three each from Hannah Werth and Tara Mueller.
• The Huskers are 176-0 under Head Coach John Cook when hitting .300 or better after they hit .362 against Colorado.
• Three Huskers average more than a block a set, including Brooke Delano (1.48), Jordan Wilberger (1.14) and Lindsey Licht (1.10).
• The Huskers return three AVCA All-Americans in 2010, including seniors Sydney Anderson and Tara Mueller, as well as junior Brooke Delano.

Sharing the Rock
As a team in 2010 the Huskers rank first in the Big 12 Conference  and third nationally with 14.95 kills per set, but Nebraska doesn't have one player on the individual top-10 list.

Six Huskers average at least two kills per set, including Lindsey Licht (2.92), Brooke Delano (2.85), Hannah Werth (2.67), Tara Mueller (2.36), Morgan Broekhuis (2.06) and Gina Mancuso (2.05).

Ace in the Hole
Sophomore Lauren Cook has produced at least one ace in Nebraska's last 10 matches. It is the longest streak by a Huskers since Jordan Larson ended the 2007 season with an ace in 12 consecutive matches. Earlier in 2007, Sarah Pavan produced at least one ace in 13 straight matches.

Dubuque Digger
Dubuque, Iowa, native Kayla Banwarth is on her way to breaking NU's career record in digs, currently held by Jennifer Saleaumu (1,567). A senior in 2010, Banwarth needs just 382 digs in 2010 to break the mark and should have no problem achieving the feat after she compiled 570 digs in 2009. Her 570 digs nearly broke Dani Busboom's 2006 single-season record of 580.

Through 11 matches in 2010, Banwarth leads NU with 207 digs. The senior libero also ranks second in the Big 12 with 5.18 digs per set.

Staring on the Right Foot
Under Head Coach John Cook the Husker are a perfect 11-0 in Big 12 Conference openers after their win over Iowa State. Nebraska also extended it Big 12 home-opening record to 11-0 with a win over Colorado.

Hot in September
Historically, the Huskers' two best months are September (284-25) and November (207-18), as they have all-time winning percentages of .919 and .920, respectively. Prior to Nebraska's three losses in September of 2009, NU hadn't lost a match in September since 2004.

With an 8-0 record during September this season, the Huskers are 107-7 under Head Coach John Cook in the month.

The Other Blackshirts
The Nebraska football team isn't the only team on campus with a dominant defense, as the Husker volleyball team held Colorado to just seven points in the second set on Saturday, Sept. 18 at the NU Coliseum. It was the least amount of points a team have scored against the Huskers since the NCAA switched to 25-point rally scoring prior to the 2008 season. Nebraska had previously held a team to nine points on two occasions, including Tulane in 2009 and Kentucky in 2010's season opener.

Dynamic Duo
Nebraska's setting pair of senior Sydney Anderson and sophomore Lauren Cook have each shined in the Huskers' 6-2 rotation, as they have assisted the Huskers in hitting .280, the second-best mark in the Big 12 this season. The two have been nearly identical with Cook holding a slight lead in assists, 245-239. As a team, Nebraska ranks fourth nationally with 13.90 assists per set.

Ready for the Challenge
With its recent win over No. 11 Iowa State, Nebraska is 4-1 against ranked teams this season, including three wins over top-15 teams. Nebraska's best win came over then-No. 3 Illinois.

The Huskers only loss came to then-No. 13 Florida at the Runza/AVCA Showcase.  Florida is currently 8-1 and is ranked No. 3 in the country.

Packing the House
The Nebraska volleyball team currently ranks second nationally in home attendance with an average of 6,056 fans per match. Through four matches, including a match at the Devaney Center, 24,224 fans have seen the Huskers play this season. Only national leader Hawaii (6,257 fans per contest) and Nebraska average more than 4,000 fans per match. Penn State ranks a distant third with 3,804 fans per match.

1. Hawaii (6,257)
2. Nebraska (6,056)
3. Penn State (3,804)
4. Florida (3,666)
5. Wisconsin (3,374)

No Place Like Home
The Huskers hold a home-court advantage at the Coliseum due to the Huskers' passionate fan base.

Nebraska currently holds a streak of 138 consecutive sellouts at the NU Coliseum, the longest sellout streak across all NCAA women's athletics. The Huskers averaged 5,197 fans per home contest last season and are averaging 4,110 fans through three matches at the Coliseum in 2010.

WERTH!
After coming off a season that saw her earn Big 12 Freshman of the Year, honorable-mention All-America and honorable-mention All-Big 12 honors, Hannah Werth has continued to put up solid numbers in 2010.

Through 11 matches, Werth has produced three double-doubles, which ties her for the team lead with fellow outside hitter Tara Mueller.

After becoming the first Husker freshman to lead the team in kills per set (3.18) since Sarah Pavan in 2004, Werth ranks third on the team this season in both kills (2.67) and digs (2.72) per set.

M-V-P
2009 All-American Brooke Delano was nearly unstoppable during the Ameritas Players Challenge, earning her the tournament's MVP honor.

Over the three matches, Delano totaled 40 kills on 68 swings to hit .529, as she averaged 3.33 kills per set. The Bellevue, Neb., native also shined defensively with 19 blocks, including three solo stuffs, to average 1.58 blocks per set.

Delano saved her best for when it mattered most, as she posted a career-best 15 kills in a five-set win over No. 3 Illinois. For the match, she hit .406 and contributed eight blocks.

Spoiler
Nebraska win over No. 3 Illinois this season marked Nebraska's first win since 2008 over a top-three team when the Huskers are ranked lower than their opponent.

The last time the Huskers beat a high-ranked team that was in the top three was on Aug. 29, 2008, when No. 7 Nebraska took down No. 2 Stanford in three sets.

Volleyball Fever
Nebraska volleyball fans once again packed into the Bob Devaney Sports Center in 2010 for the Huskers' lone appearance at the facility on Saturday, Sept. 11 against Illinois. The night's attendance of 11,892 ranked as the seventh-largest regular-season crowd in NCAA volleyball history.

All-time, the Devaney Center holds seven of the top-10 all-time attendance marks, including the top-three spots. In 2009, the Devaney Center set the NCAA record during Nebraska match against UCLA, with a crowd of 13,870.

The state of Nebraska holds every spot on the top-10 list when it comes to attendance, as the other three top-10 marks have come at the Qwest Center in Omaha.

Scared of Lincoln
When then-ranked No. 3 Illinois came into the Lincoln on Saturday, Sept. 11, it became the highest ranked non-conference team to ever make a trip to Lincoln for a match during Head Coach John Cook's tenure.

Prior to Saturday, Penn State held the distinction when it came to Lincoln ranked No. 4 in 2005 and were then swept by No. 1 Nebraska.

Under former Head Coach Terry Pettit, the No. 1 ranked Nittany Lions came to Lincoln and swept the No. 3 Huskers on Aug. 28, 1999.

Setter-U
Sydney Anderson had been the latest setter to shine in the scarlet and cream, as last season she became the eighth setter in NU history to earn multiple AVCA All-America honors.

A senior in 2010, Anderson will try to become just the third setter in school history to capture All-America three times during their career at NU. If she achieves the feat, Anderson would join Griechaly Cepero (2000-02) and Fiona Nepo (1996-98).

Getting Ready for the Big Ten
After its five-set comeback win over Illinois on Saturday, Sept. 11, the Huskers now hold a 15-5-1 all-time series lead over the Fighting Illini and have won the past four meetings dating back to 1993.

Nebraska holds a 107-25-4 record all-time against current Big Ten teams, including a winning record against all teams. The Huskers hold unbeaten records against Iowa (12-0), Northwestern (4-0) and Michigan State (8-0-2).

Broekhuis' Breakout
Morgan Broekhuis found her rhythm in Provo, Utah, at the BYU Nike Invitational, as the true freshman hit .310 or better in all three matches, including .357 against both Cal Poly and Idaho State. She also netted career bests in kills (13) and attacks (29) against BYU.

Prior to the BYU Invitational, Broekhuis' best offensive outing came against Florida at the Runza/AVCA Showcase, when she had 10 kills on 28 swings and seven errors, resulting in a .107 hitting percentage.

In-State Dominance
With a sweep of the Creighton Bluejays on Tuesday, Aug. 31, the Huskers improved to 13-0 against the state's only other Division I program and have swept the Jays four consecutive times. Over the 13 matches, the Jays have only taken one set from the Huskers, as Creighton on the first set of the 2006 meeting.