Huskers Take on Iowa at NU Coliseum

No. 4 Nebraska vs. Iowa • Wednesday, Oct. 19 • NU Coliseum • 7 p.m.
No. 4 Nebraska vs. Iowa Web Video: BTN.com (premium)
TV: NET
Radio: Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and KTWI 93.3 FM in Omaha, and on Huskers.com
Live Stats: huskers.com

The No. 4 Nebraska volleyball team will host the Iowa Hawkeyes on Wednesday, Oct. 19 at the NU Coliseum at 7 p.m. The match will air live on NET and BTN.com.

The Huskers (15-1, 8-0) went 2-0 over the weekend at Wisconsin and No. 14 Minnesota. Nebraska swept the Badgers and pulled out a thrilling 3-2 win over the Gophers on Saturday night. Iowa (11-10, 1-7) comes to the NU Coliseum after going 0-2 last weekend at Minnesota and Wisconsin. The Hawkeyes were swept by both the Gophers and Badgers.

Iowa and Nebraska have met 12 times, with NU holding a 12-0 record over the Hawkeyes. The last time the two teams met was at the SunTrust Invitational in Gainesville, Fla., on Sept. 4, 1999, when Nebraska won 3-0 (15-10, 15-3, 15-3).

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.

Getting to Know the Iowa Hawkeyes

Location: Iowa City, Iowa

Enrollment: 30,328

Nickname: Hawkeyes

Colors: Black and Gold

Head Coach: Sharon Dingman (Northern Michigan, '84)

Record at School: 34-59 (3 Years)

Overall Record: 370-271 (20 Years)

Asst. Coaches: Jason Allen, Ben Boldt

2010 Record: 7-22

2010 Big Ten Record: 2-18

2010 Postseason: Did not qualify

2010 Final Ranking: NR

Letterwinners R/L: 10/1

Starters R/L: 6+1/1

Series Record: Nebraska leads, 12-0

Last Meeting: NU won, 3-0 (9/4/99)

Last NU Win: 9/4/99

Last NU Loss: None

Longest NU Winning Streak: 12

Current NU Winning Streak: 12

Two sets: 3-0

Three sets: 8-0

Four sets: 1-0

All-Time Nebraska/Iowa Series (NU Leads 12-0)

Oct. 9, 1976: W, 15-2, 15-3

Nov. 12, 1977: W, 15-5, 15-6

Nov. 17, 1977: W, 15-6, 15-8

Nov. 16, 1978: W, 15-6, 10-15, 15-6

Nov. 20, 1980: W, 15-5, 15-6, 15-6

Sept. 3, 1983: W, 15-6, 15-9, 15-7

Sept. 8, 1984: W, 15-9, 15-4, 15-6

Sept. 8, 1985: W, 15-8, 15-1, 15-4

Sept. 5, 1987: W, 15-6, 15-5, 15-17, 15-8

Sept. 2, 1989: W, 15-11, 15-12, 15-6

Sept. 1, 1993: W, 15-5, 15-5, 15-8

Sept. 4, 1999: W, 15-10, 15-3, 15-3

Scouting the Iowa Hawkeyes

• The Hawkeyes are 11-10 on the year, heading into their match-up with the Huskers.
• Iowa went 0-2 last weekend in matches at Minnesota and Minnesota. The Hawkeyes were swept by both the Gophers and Badgers.
• In the match against the Gophers, sophomore outside hitter Rachael Bedell came off the bench to record a team-high six kills. Sophomore defensive specialist Bethany Yeager and sophomore setter Nikki Dailey led Iowa with 11 digs and 18 assists, respectively.
• The Hawkeyes fell to Wisconsin on Sunday, where senior outside hitter Tiffany Nilges led Iowa with 14 digs and a match-high 11 kills for her third double-double of the season. Dailey had a match-high 27 assists for Iowa. The Hawkeyes also got five kills each from Bedell and senior outside hitter Megan Eskew in the opening frame.
• Freshman outside hitter Alex Lovell leads Iowa with 196 kills on the season and an average of 2.76 kills per set. Eskew has a total of 189 kills this season, with an average of 2.45 kills per set.
• Defensively, Yeager has 328 digs for Iowa with 4.26 digs per set. Eskew has a total of 228 digs so far in 2011.
• At the net, senior middle blocker Mallory Husz is averaging over one block a set with 1.05. She has 64 total blocks this season, with Dailey totaling 34 total blocks.
• Iowa ranks 12th in hitting percentage (.175) in the Big Ten, 12th in assists (10.92), 12th in blocks (1.87), seventh in digs (14.86), 10th in opponent hitting percentage (.220), 12th in kills (11.82) and fifth in service aces (1.23).
• Head coach Sharon Dingman is in her fourth season at the helm of the Hawkeyes. Under her guidance, the Hawkeyes used a nationally recognized recruiting class in 2010 to begin building a program that will climb the Big Ten Standings. Iowa's four freshmen combined for 67 starts in 2010 and the Hawkeyes started their freshman quartet four times, more than any other Big Ten school.
• The Hawkeye coaching staff hosts some familiar names as Iowa assistant coach Ben Boldt was a staff assistant for five seasons at Nebraska while pursuing his degree. Director of Volleyball Operations Angie Boldt worked as a student worker for volleyball operations at Nebraska from 2003-06.

Big Ten Weekly Awards
(2 honors by 2 players) 

Gina Mancuso

Co-Player of the Week (Sept. 26)

Mancuso averaged 3.7 kills per set with a .319 hitting percentage, along with 1.6 digs and 0.4 blocks per set in the Huskers' back-to-back wins over Penn State and Ohio State. She recorded a double-double against Penn State with 22 kills and 10 digs, marking the fifth double-double of her career. She also tied her career-high mark for attacks against Penn State.

The honor marked the first conference player-of-the-week award for Mancuso and made her the first Nebraska volleyball player to earn a Big Ten weekly award.

Hannah Werth

Player of the Week (Oct. 17)

Werth averaged 4.0 kills and 2.9 digs per set and recorded a .385 hitting percentage in back-to-back wins at Wisconsin and Minnesota. She posted 17 kills on .536 hitting and added 10 digs against the Badgers. Werth recorded her second double-double of the weekend against the Gophers, tallying 15 kills and 17 digs while adding six blocks.

The honor marks the first conference player-of-the-week award for Werth this season and makes her the second Nebraska volleyball player to earn a Big Ten weekly award.

Scouting the Huskers

• Nebraska is 15-1 in 2011 and enters Friday night's match ranked No. 4 in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll.
• The Huskers are 14-0 this season when holding opponents below .200 hitting. Nebraska is 1-1 when opposing teams hit above .200.
• Nebraska has totaled double-digit blocks in nine matches this season, including a season-high 17 blocks at Minnesota.
• The Huskers tallied a season-low six errors against Albany on Sept. 3. The last time NU had six errors or less in a match was against Sacred Heart on Dec. 2, 2010.
• As of Oct. 16, Nebraska ranks second in the Big Ten in hitting percentage at .275. The Huskers are eighth in assists (12.56), second in blocks (2.69), ninth in digs (14.34), first in opponent hitting percentage (.131), eighth in kills (13.45) and 12th in service aces (0.87).
• As of Oct. 16, Hayley Thramer is sixth in the Big Ten in blocks (1.21), while Brooke Delano ranks eighth in hitting percentage (.347). Lauren Cook is sixth in assists (10.92), Gina Mancuso is ninth in points (4.10) and eighth in kills (3.58) and Lara Dykstra is 10th in digs (3.69).
• Gina Mancuso has 222 kills so far in 2011, averaging 3.58 per set.
• Mancuso was named the Co-Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday, Sept. 26, after her stellar weekend against Penn State and Ohio State.
• Werth was named the Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday, Oct. 17, after solid outings at Wisconsin and Minnesota.
• Lara Dykstra has 229 digs so far in her freshman campaign, averaging 3.69 per set.
• Lauren Cook has totaled 677 assists in 2011, averaging 10.92 per set. Her efforts have led NU to a .275 hitting percentage on the season.
• Three Huskers have combined for 13 double-doubles in 2011, with Mancuso tallying seven, Broekhuis tabbing three and Werth notching one of her own.

Gina Mancuso  |  2011 (8)  |  NU Career (8), All (8)

Opponent (Date)                       K          A          D          B

New Mexico State (Aug. 26)       16         0          14         2

Creighton (Sept. 8)                    12         0          10         1

Saint Mary's (Sept. 9)                15         1          11         3

Iowa State (Sept. 17)                 14         0          11         1

Penn State (Sept. 21)                22         0          10         2

Michigan State (Sept. 30)           12         1          10         3

Purdue (Oct. 7)                          16         0          19         0

Minnesota (Oct. 15)                   18         0          15         5

Hannah Werth |  2011 (2)  |  NU Career (24), All (24)

Opponent (Date)                       K          A          D          B

Colorado State (Sept. 2)            12         0          15         1

Minnesota (Oct. 15)                   15         2          17         6

Morgan Broekhuis |  2011 (3)  |  NU Career (3), All (3)

Opponent (Date)                       K          A          D          B

Iowa State (Sept. 17)                 11         2          10         4

Penn State (Sept. 21)                12         4          11         4

Purdue (Oct. 7)                          13         2          10         2

Tough Tests

With the match against No. 14 Minnesota last Saturday, Nebraska took on its seventh top-25 team this season.

The Huskers hold a 6-1 record against top-25 teams, losing to then-No. 15 Colorado State on Sept. 2 in five sets in Fort Collins, Colo., but notching a 3-2 victory over then-No. 5 Penn State on Sept. 21, a 3-1 victory over then-No. 24 Ohio State on Sept. 24, a sweep over then-No. 11 Michigan on Oct. 1, a 3-1 win over No. 11 Purdue on Oct. 7 and a 3-2 victory over No. 14 Minnesota.

Cook Reaches 500

With the Huskers' win over Albany on Sept. 3, Head Coach John Cook tallied his 500th win as a head coach. This weekend's match with Wisconsin marks the return for Cook to Madison as he was the Badgers head coach from 1992-98.

Few Unbeaten

Illinois and Nebraska share first place in the Big Ten standings through two weeks of conference play, with both teams checking in at 8-0.

No Place Like Nebraska

Nebraska celebrated a streak of 150 consecutive sellouts at the NU Coliseum on Sept. 8. It is the longest continuing sellout streak across all NCAA women's athletics. The Huskers averaged 4,632 fans per home contest last season. As of Oct. 17, Nebraska ranks second nationally in current home win streaks with 30.

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 14 matches of her collegiate career, freshman Lara Dykstra has totaled 229 digs and has averaged 3.69 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. She notched another eight blocks against Penn State on Sept. 21. She currently ranks sixth in the Big Ten in blocks, averaging 1.21 per set.

Volleyball Blackshirts

Nebraska kept Albany at a .038 hitting percentage for the match. The Huskers held Creighton to a .053 hitting percentage on Sept. 8,Weber State to a .071 hitting percentage on Sept. 10 and Iowa State to a .087 hitting percentage on Sept. 17. NU held Indiana to a .022 hitting percentage on Oct. 8.

Holding Their Own

As of Oct. 17, the Huskers rank 16th nationally in blocks per set with 2.69. NU is 10th in hitting percentage at .275 and is fifth in match win-loss percentage.

Broekhuis Breakout

Morgan Broekhuis recorded the first double-double of her career against Iowa State on Sept. 17, with 11 kills and 10 digs. She notched another double-double against Penn State with 12 kills and 11 digs and again against Purdue with 13 kills and 10 digs. Her 22 kills at Michigan State on Sept. 30 marked a career high for Broekhuis. She has 195 kills for the Huskers in 2011.

Mancuso Paving Her Way

Gina Mancuso has notched eight double-doubles so far in 2011, most recently at Minnesota on Oct. 15. She tallied 18 kills and 15 digs to lead NU against the Gophers. Mancuso leads all Nebraska hitters with 222 kills in 2011 and was named the Co-Big Ten Player of the Week on Sept. 26.

Map to Success

Nebraska has eight 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

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.