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No. 11 Nebraska vs. Creighton • Thursday, Sept. 8 • 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
Live Stats: Huskers.com
No. 11 Nebraska vs. Saint Mary's • Friday, Sept. 9 • 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
Web Video: HuskersNside (subscription required)
Live Stats: Huskers.com
No. 11 Nebraska vs. Weber State • Saturday, Sept. 10 • NU Coliseum • 2 p.m.
Radio: Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and KTWI 93.3 FM in Omaha, and on Huskers.com
Web Video: HuskersNside (subscription required)
Live Stats: Huskers.com
After playing its first four matches of 2011 on the road, the No. 11 Nebraska volleyball team will play its first match of the year at the Nebraska Coliseum on Thursday against Creighton.
Thursday's meeting will be the first match of the three-day Ameritas Players Challenge, which will also include Saint Mary's and Weber State.
There will be two matches on Thursday, including Weber State vs. Saint Mary's (4:30 p.m.) and Nebraska vs. Creighton (7 p.m.), with all matches taking place at the Coliseum.
Friday's action will be at the Coliseum, where Weber State will take on Creighton at 4:30 p.m., before Nebraska and Saint Mary's face-off at 7 p.m.
The weekend will conclude on Saturday at the Coliseum, where Creighton will face Saint Mary's at 11:30 a.m., and Nebraska takes on Weber State at 2 p.m.
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.
The Nebraska-Creighton match will air live on NET, while live video of Nebraska's matches with Saint Mary's and Weber State will be available through Nebraska's premium video page, HuskersNside. Live stats for all matches will be available at Huskers.com.
Getting to know the Creighton Bluejays
Colors: Blue and White
Affiliation: NCAA Division I
Conference: Missouri Valley
Head Coach: Kirsten Bernthal Booth
Alma Mater: Truman State, '97
Record at Creighton (Years): 141-101 (8)
2010 Overall Record: 21-12
2010 MVC Record: 13-5
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 11/5
Starters Returning/Lost: 4/2
Getting to know the Saint Mary's Gaels
Colors: Navy, Red and Silver
Affiliation: NCAA Division I
Conference: West Coast
Head Coach: Rob Browning
Alma Mater: BYU, '90
Record at Saint Mary's (Years): 108-50 (6)
2010 Overall Record: 20-8
2010 West Coast Conference Record: 12-2
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 7/4
Starters Returning/Lost: 3/3+1
Getting to know the Weber State Wildcats
Colors: Purple and White
Affiliation: NCAA Division I
Conference: Big Sky
Head Coach: Tom Peterson
Alma Mater: BYU, '78
Record at Saint Mary's (Years): 0-0 (1)
2010 Overall Record: 4-27
2010 West Coast Conference Record: 2-14
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 8/4
Starters Returning/Lost: 3/3+1
Noting Creighton
• Creighton enters the Ameritas Player's Challenge with a 2-5 record after falling to Northern Illinois and Marquette over the weekend.
- The Bluejays are led by senior right side/outside hitter Karisa Almgren who has 68 total kills so far in 2011, averaging 2.52 kills per set. In addition to Almgren, senior middle blocker Laurel Sanford and junior setter Megan Bober are averaging 2.00 or more kills/set.
- Creighton has held their opponents to an average .219 hitting percentage. Sanford leads the Bluejays with 27 total blocks in 2011.
Noting Saint Mary's
- Saint Mary's enters the Ameritas Player's Challenge with a 3-3 record after beating Duke (3-2) and Notre Dame (3-0) in the Stanford Invitational over the weekend.
- The Gaels upset of then-No. 18 Duke 3-2 (27-25, 18-25, 25-17, 25-27, 15-4) was the highest ranking victory for SMC since they defeated then No. 13 San Diego in 2008.
- Missy White was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Week on Monday. It was the first such honor of her career as she average 13.25 assists per set in the Stanford Invitational.
Noting the Weber State Wildcats
- Weber State finished the weekend with a 0-5 record before hosting Utah State on Tuesday night.
- Outside hitter junior Bethany Wray has led the Wildcats with 66 kills through Sept. 6. She also has 38 digs and five total blocks.
- Outside hitter sophomore Briana Wilms has 54 kills on the season. She has hit double-figures kills in three of the Wildcats four matches.
Noting the Nebraska Cornhuskers
- The Huskers open the Ameritas Player's Challenge with a 3-1 record after going 1-1 over the weekend in Fort Collins, Colo. Nebraska fell in dramatic fashion (2-3) to Colorado State on Friday, but bounced back to sweep Albany on Saturday afternoon.
- Nebraska will celebrate a streak of 150 consecutive sellouts at the NU Coliseum on Sept. 8. It is the longest sellout streak across all NCAA women's athletics. The Huskers averaged 4,632 fans per home contest last season.
- Under Head Coach John Cook, the Huskers improved to 305-9 when winning the first set of the match after their sweep of Albany on Sept. 3.
- Nebraska won its first set against Colorado State on Friday night, but ended up losing the match 2-3. The last time Nebraska had won the first set but lost the match was in 2006 against Texas.
- Nebraska enters this weekend ranked third in the Big Ten in opponent hitting percentage (.107) and third in blocks, averaging a total of 2.75 per set.
- Junior Gina Mancuso posted a career-high 24 kills against Colorado State on Sept. 2. Mancuso ranks eighth in the Big Ten Conference in kills and ninth in hitting percentage.
- Senior Brooke Delano is averaging a hitting percentage of .403, putting her at fourth in the Big Ten Conference in hitting percentage.
- Junior Lauren Cook ranks sixth in the Big Ten Conference in assists with 10.88 per set, while sophomore Morgan Broekhuis is 10th in the conference in blocks, with 1.19 per set.
- The Huskers have four players averaging 2.44 kills per set or more, including Mancuso (3.75), Broekhuis (2.88), Hannah Werth (2.69) and Delano (2.44).
- Werth has recorded four service aces so far in 2011, while junior Paige Hubl has two of her own.
- Nebraska's 63 kills against Colorado State were their most since tallying 67 against Illinois on Sept. 11, 2010.
- Head Coach John Cook returns a loaded and youthful team in 2011 that lost only two starters from 2010 and returns nine letter winners. His team finished 29-3 last season, while Cook has won over 92 percent (336-29) of his matches in 11 seasons as the Huskers' leader.
- The Huskers were picked to finish in a tie for second in the Big Ten preseason coaches' poll. The Huskers also had three players picked to the preseason All-Big Ten list. Unanimous selection senior Brooke Delano was joined by juniors Lauren Cook and Hannah Werth.
- Hannah Werth is coming off a sophomore season that saw her earn Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year AVCA All-America honors.
- Lauren Cook was named the 2010 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year after transferring from UCLA.
Mancuso's Breakout
Gina Mancuso found her rhythm in Fort Collins, Colo., as she hit .300 or better in both matches, including .400 against Albany. She netted career bests in kills (24) and attacks (41) against Colorado State.
Prior to the Colorado State match, Mancuso's best outing came against New Mexico State on Aug. 26 where she notched the first double-double of her career, totaling 16 kills and 14 digs.
She is currently ranked ninth in the Big Ten in hitting percentage (.346) and eighth in kills (60). Mancuso leads the Huskers in attacks, kills, points and receptions.
Holding Down the Middle
Returning All-American middle blocker Brooke Delano is one of Nebraska's leaders on the court, as the senior has hit .300 or better three times this season, most recently against Albany (.667).
Broekhuis Sets the Bar High
Sophomore Morgan Broekhuis posted a career-high 18 kills against New Mexico State on Aug. 26. She earned a spot on the MCM Elegante Lobo Classic All-Tournament team and was named the team's MVP. Broekhuis ranks 10th in the Big Ten Conference in blocks, and leads the Huskers in blocks with a total of 19, averaging 1.19 per set.
Relying on Werth
Junior Hannah Werth is being looked to by the Husker defense in her third year. The 2010 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, Werth was one of four sophomores nationally to be named an AVCA All-American in 2010 with her second-team selection. She notched a team-high 10 double-doubles in 2010 after totaling 13 double-doubles in 2009. In the opening weekend of 2011, Werth totaled 29 kills and notched a hitting percentage of .333 against New Mexico. She tabbed 12 kills against Albany and leads the Huskers in service aces with four so far in 2011. She recorded a double-double against Colorado State, with 12 kills and 15 digs.
Setter-U
After running a 6-2 system last season with Lauren Cook and two-time AVCA All-American Sydney Anderson, Cook pilots the Husker offense in 2011 as the team's starting setter. Named the 2010 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year after transferring from UCLA, Cook helped the Huskers hit .300 or better in 14 matches, including two matches over .400 in 2010. Cook totaled 51 assists against New Mexico State and 49 against Colorado State.
Huskers Find Even More Talent for 2011
Head Coach John Cook brings back a team in 2011 that includes five talented additions. NU welcomes in true freshmen Lara Dykstra, Cecilia Hall, Alicia Ostrander, Taylor Simpson and Shelby Winkelmann.
Staying Hot in September
Historically, the Huskers' two best months are September (288-26) and November (214-18), as they have all-time winning percentages of .917 and .922, respectively. Prior to Nebraska's three losses in September of 2009, NU hadn't lost a match in September since 2004.
After one win so far in September, the Huskers are 111-8 under Head Coach John Cook.
With August in the bag, Nebraska is now 28-7 in August since 1989 when it played its first-ever match in the month.
Broekhuis, Cook and Mancuso Earn Accolades
In addition to Broekhuis' selection to the MCM Elegante Lobo Classic All-Tournament Team, the Huskers saw juniors Gina Mancuso and Lauren Cook also receive recognition on the team. Cook leads the Huskers with 91 assists through the first weekend of competition. Mancuso has posted 27 kills so far in 2011 and boasts a hitting percentage of .344.
2011 Double-Doubles
Gina Mancuso | 2011 (1) | NU Career (1), All (1)
Opponent (Date) K A D B
New Mexico State (Aug. 26) 16 0 14 2
Hannah Werth | 2011 (1) | NU Career (23), All (23)
Opponent (Date) K A D B
Colorado State (Sept. 2) 12 0 15 1
Small Membership
Lara Dykstra became just the seventh true freshman to start a season opener during Head Coach John Cook's era at Nebraska. Sophomore Morgan Broekhuis was the last Husker to do so in 2010.
Dykstra Digging
Through the first two matches of her collegiate career, freshman Lara Dykstra has totaled 37 digs and has averaged 4.62 digs per set. Her 28 digs against New Mexico State ranked ninth in Nebraska volleyball single-match performances and were the highest total by a Husker since 2009.
Thramer Makes Impact
Sophomore Hayley Thramer made her first career start at New Mexico on Aug. 27. She tabbed eight blocks against New Mexico State and three against New Mexico, putting her in second-place for blocks in the Big Ten.
Volleyball Blackshirts
Nebraska held Colorado State to a .033 hitting percentage in set one and a .080 hitting percentage in set two against Colorado State. NU kept Albany at a .038 hitting percentage for the match, including a .075 percentage in set two and -.079 in set three. Nebraska is third in the Big Ten with a .107 opponent hitting percentage on the season.
Holding Their Own
The Huskers rank sixth in the Big Ten in hitting percentage (.271), eighth in assists (12.44), third in blocks (2.75), ninth in digs (13.19), third in opponent hitting percentage (.107), eighth in kills (13.38) and 12th in aces (0.62).
No Place Like Nebraska
Nebraska will celebrate a streak of 150 consecutive sellouts at the NU Coliseum on Sept. 8. It is the longest sellout streak across all NCAA women's athletics. The Huskers averaged 4,632 fans per home contest last season. As of Sept. 6, Nebraska ranks third in current home win streaks with 22.
Map to Success
Nebraska has nine players on its 2011 roster who were Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 selections, representing the top-50 players in that year's recruiting class. Five of the Huskers' last seven recruiting classes have ranked in the top five nationally, including the 2009 class that was ranked second by Prepvolleyball.com.
Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 Members
Year Players
2008 Allison McNeal
2009 Gina Mancuso, Hannah Werth, Hayley Thramer, Lauren Cook
2010 Morgan Broekhuis
2011 Lara Dykstra, Taylor Simpson
The Home for All-Americans
Nebraska continued its string of All-America success in 2010, as Brooke Delano, Lindsey Licht and Hannah Werth were named AVCA All-Americans. The trio upped Nebraska's NCAA-leading totals to 34 players and 70 certificates. Nebraska has had at least one All-American every season since 1983, a total of 29 straight seasons, including 35 All-America awards in Cook's 11 years at Nebraska.
AVCA All-America Certificates
No. School Awards
1. Nebraska 70
2. Stanford 65
3. Penn State 51
4. Hawaii 50
5. UCLA 41
NU Picked Big Ten Preseason Tie for Second
The Nebraska volleyball team was selected to finish in a tie for second with Illinois in its first season as a member of the Big Ten Conference by the league's coaches. Eight-time defending champion Penn State has been selected as the conference favorite for the seventh straight season, while Purdue, Minnesota and Michigan State round out the rest of the top five.
Big Ten Preseason Poll
No. School
1. Penn State
2. Illinois
Nebraska
3. Purdue
4. Minnesota
5. Michigan State
Pre-Season All-Conference Picks
The Huskers were picked to finish in a tie for second in the Big Ten preseason coaches' poll. The Huskers also had three players picked to the preseason All-Big Ten list. Unanimous selection senior Brooke Delano was joined by juniors Lauren Cook and Hannah Werth.