Huskers Welcome Purdue, Indiana to NU Coliseum

No. 6 Nebraska vs. No. 11 Purdue • Friday, Oct. 7 • 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: BTN.com
Live Stats: huskers.com

No. 6 Nebraska vs. Indiana • Saturday, Oct. 8 • NU Coliseum • 3 p.m.
TV:  ESPN3.com (Live), ESPN2 (Tape Delay on Oct. 9 at noon)
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. 6 Nebraska volleyball team returns home this weekend to welcome Purdue and Indiana to the NU Coliseum. The Huskers will take on No. 11 Purdue on Friday, Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. and Indiana on Saturday, Oct. 8 at 3 p.m. NU's match with Purdue will air via Student U on BTN.com, while  Nebraska's match against the Hoosiers will air live on ESPN3.com and via tape delay on ESPN2 on Sunday, Oct. 9 at noon.

Nebraska (11-1) enters this weekend undefeated in conference play after going 2-0 on the road last weekend. The Huskers pulled out a gutsy 3-2 win over Michigan State on Friday, Sept. 30 in East Lansing, Mich., and went on to sweep No. 18 Michigan on Saturday, Oct. 1 in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Purdue and Nebraska have met 13 times, with NU holding a 9-4 record over the Boilermakers. The last time the two teams met was on Sept. 8, 1995 when Nebraska won 3-0 (15-2, 15-2, 15-3).

Indiana and Nebraska have met twice, with the all-time series tied at 1-1. The last time the two teams met was on Sept. 24, 1988, with the Huskers winning 3-1 (16-14, 15-0, 13-15, 16-14).

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.

NU-Purdue All-Time Series

Sept. 17, 1980, L, 5-15, 14-16
Nov. 6, 1982, L, 6-15, 5-15, 12-15
Nov. 10, 1981, L, 15-12, 15-12, 4-15, 12-15, 5-15
Oct. 3, 1983, L, 8-15, 15-10, 12-15, 15-8, 12-15
Oct. 14, 1984, W, 15-7, 15-11, 13-15, 11-15, 15-11
Dec. 13, 1985, W, 15-1, 16-14, 12-15, 15-11
Sept. 20, 1986, W, 15-4, 15-6, 15-4
Sept. 18, 1987, W, 15-8, 15-11, 15-11
Dec. 10, 1987, W, 15-8, 15-12, 15-3
Sept. 2, 1988, W, 15-12, 15-4, 15-8
Sept. 15, 1990, W, 16-14, 16-14, 15-3
Sept. 3, 1994, W, 15-11, 15-5, 15-4
Sept. 8, 1995, W, 15-2, 15-2, 15-3

NU-Indiana All-Time Series

Oct. 14, 1978, L, 12-15, 10-15
Sept. 24, 1988, W, 16-14, 15-0, 13-15, 16-14

Getting to Know the Boilermakers

Location: West Lafayette, Ind.
Enrollment: 39,276
Nickname: Boilermakers
Colors: Old Gold and Black
Head Coach: Dave Shondell (Ball State, '81)
Record at School: 162-103 (8 years)
Overall Record: same
Asst. Coaches: Kathy Jewell, John Shondell
2010 Record: 24-11
2010 Big Ten Record: 12-8 (T-4th)
2010 Postseason: NCAA Regional Finalist
2010 Final Ranking: 11th
Letterwinners R/L: 11/3
Starters R/L: 5/2
Series Record: Nebraska leads, 9-4
Last Meeting: NU won, 3-0 (9/8/95)
Last NU Win: 9/8/95
Last NU Loss: 10/3/83
Longest NU Winning Streak: 9
Current NU Winning Streak: 9
Two sets: 0-1
Three sets: 8-1
Four sets: 1-0
Five sets: 0-2 

Getting to Know the Hoosiers

Location: Bloomington, Ind.
Enrollment: 40,354
Nickname: Hoosiers
Colors: Cream and Crimson
Head Coach: Sherry Dunbar (Ball State, '92)
Record at School: 72-61 (3 years)
Overall Record: 185-83 (7 years)
Asst. Coaches: Nancy Mueller, Paul Koncir
2010 Record: 23-13
2010 Big Ten Record: 9-11
2010 Postseason: NCAA Regional Semifinalist
2010 Final Ranking: 23rd
Letterwinners R/L: 10/3
Starters R/L: 3+1/3
Series Record: Series tied, 1-1
Last Meeting: NU won, 3-1 (9/24/88)
Last NU Win: 9/24/88
Last NU Loss: 10/14/78
Longest NU Winning Streak: 1
Current NU Winning Streak: 1
Two sets: 0-1
Four sets: 1-0

Scouting the No. 11 Purdue Boilermakers

• The Boilermakers are 14-1 on the year, heading into a weekend where they face the Huskers on Friday, Oct. 7, and Iowa on Saturday, Oct. 8.
• Purdue went 1-1 last weekend in matches at Northwestern and Illinois. The Boilermakers won 3-1 at Northwestern, but lost 3-1 at Illinois.
• Senior middle blocker Tiffany Fisher leads the Boilermakers in kills with 179 on the season, averaging 4.07 per set.
• At the net, junior middle blocker Anna Drewry leads Purdue in blocks with 1.25; she has three solo blocks on the season and 17 block assists.
• Junior outside hitter Ariel Turner was named the Big Ten Player of the Week for her efforts against Northwestern and No. 1 Illinois last week. She led the Boilermakers with a pair of double-doubles against the Wildcats and Fighting Illini, racking up 5.00 kills and 3.25 digs per set. She has posted double-digit kills in 13 matches this season and is just 17 kills shy of the 1,000 kill milestone.
• Turner leads the Big Ten in overall points per set (5.30) and ranks third in kills per set (4.54). In Purdue's four conference matches, she has racked up a league-leading 4.79 kills per set, while putting up a 5.43 points per set.
• Freshman middle blocker Kierra Jones garnered Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors on Aug. 29.
• Purdue leads the Big Ten in blocks (2.79) and opponent hitting percentage (.113). The Boilermakers also rank third in the Big Ten in hitting percentage (.270), fifth in assists (12.98), seventh in digs (14.90), fifth in kills (14.00) and fourth in service aces (1.41).
• Purdue ranks 14th in blocks per set nationally, 17th in hitting percentage, 28th in kills per set and are tied for sixth in win-loss percentage.
• Purdue battled with No. 1 Illinois on Saturday as the final two unbeaten teams in the country. The Fighting Illini outlasted Purdue, winning the match 3-1 (26-24, 25-20, 23-25, 25-23). Turner led all hitters with 20 kills, while also adding 12 digs and an ace. Fisher followed with 16 kills, while hitting at a .583 clip and putting up a team-leading five blocks.
• Head coach Dave Shondell is in his ninth season at the helm of the Boilermakers. He has led the team to six NCAA Tournament berths in the last seven years, including Sweet 16 appearances in 2005, 2006 and 2008, and an Elite Eight appearance in 2010.
• Before the Boilermakers' loss to Illinois, Purdue was off to its best start since the 1985 season and were 9-0 for the third time in the Shondell era.
• Purdue put up 19.0 blocks as a team against Ball State on Sept. 10, setting a new rally scoring record for a four-game match.

Scouting the Indiana Hoosiers

• The Hoosiers are 8-8 on the year, heading into a weekend where they face Iowa on Friday, Oct. 7, and the Huskers on Saturday, Oct. 8.
• Indiana enters the weekend after going 0-2 last weekend in matches at Illinois and Northwestern. The Hoosiers lost 3-1 at Illinois and were swept at Northwestern.
• Junior right-side hitter Kelci Marschall led IU with 12 kills against the Fighting Illini, while senior right-side hitter Kristen Seaton had eight of her own. Senior setter Mary Chaudoin tabbed 30 assists for the Hoosiers, while freshman middle blocker Morgan Leach hit .235 on the night with six kills.
• Marschall led the Hoosiers again against Northwestern with seven kills while junior middle blocker Samantha Thrower had six. Senior outside hitter Lindsay Enterline hit .667 for the match with four kills as Chaudoin and junior setter Whitney Granado had 11 assists each for IU. Senior libero Caitlin Cox had a team-high 12 digs.
• At the net, Leach leads Indiana in blocks with 1.05 per set. She has three solo blocks and 59 block assists on the year.
• Marschall leads IU with 179 kills on the season, averaging 3.03 per set. Junior outside hitter Ivie Obeime has 127 kills in 2011, with 2.15 per set.
• Defensively, Cox has 260 digs and is IU's all-time digs leader.
• In the Big Ten standings, Indiana ranks 11th in hitting percentage (.191), 11th in assists (11.25), 10th in blocks (2.09), 10th in digs (13.14), 11th in opponent hitting percentage (.201), 11th in kills (12.14) and fifth in service aces (1.34).
• Head coach Sherry Dunbar has entered her fifth season at the helm of the Hoosier volleyball team with a career winning percentage of .690. The Hoosiers have won at least one non-conference tournament in each of Dunbar's four seasons and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in the 2010 NCAA Tournament for the best finish in school history.
• Cox was named to the all-tournament team at the Hokie Classic and earned MVP honors at the Hoosier Classic. She also earned Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors.
• Indiana's setters are climbing the career record books for assists, and by the end of the season, should have stamped their place in IU history. Chaudoin ranks seventh in all-time IU assists records with 2,708 career assists, while Granado ranks 10th with 1,320 career assists.

Scouting the Huskers

• Nebraska is 11-1 in 2011 and enters Friday night's match ranked No. 6 in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll.
• The Huskers are 10-0 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 eight matches this season, including a season-high 16.5 blocks against New Mexico State.
• 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. 2, Nebraska ranks second in the Big Ten in hitting percentage at .274. The Huskers are eighth in assists (12.45), fourth in blocks (2.72), ninth in digs (13.45), third in opponent hitting percentage (.135), ninth in kills (13.28) and 11th in service aces (0.85).
• As of Oct. 2, Hayley Thramer is first in the Big Ten in blocks (1.47), while Brooke Delano ranks ninth in hitting percentage (.348). Lauren Cook is seventh in assists (10.85) and Gina Mancuso is ninth in points (4.07). Mancuso also ranks eighth in kills (3.57).
• Gina Mancuso has 168 kills so far in 2011, averaging 3.57 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.
• Lara Dykstra has 160 digs so far in her freshman campaign, averaging 3.40 per set.
• Lauren Cook has totaled 510 assists in 2011, averaging 10.85 per set. Her efforts have led NU to a .274 hitting percentage on the season.
• Under Head Coach John Cook, the Huskers improved to 313-9 when winning the first set of the match after their win over Michigan on Oct. 1.
• Three Huskers have combined for eight double-doubles in 2011, with Mancuso tallying six, Broekhuis tabbing two and Werth notching one of her own.
• Two Huskers average more than a block a set, including Broekhuis (1.11) and Thramer (1.47).

Gina Mancuso  |  2011 (6)  |  NU Career (6), All (6)

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

Hannah Werth |  2011 (1)  |  NU Career (23), All (23)

Opponent (Date)                       K          A          D          B

Colorado State (Sept. 2)            12         0          15         1

Morgan Broekhuis |  2011 (2)  |  NU Career (2), All (2)

Opponent (Date)           K          A          D          B

Iowa State (Sept. 17)     11         2          10         4

Penn State (Sept. 21)    12         4          11         4

Tough Tests

With the match against No. 11 Purdue on Friday, Nebraska will be taking on its sixth top-25 team this season.

The Huskers hold a 4-1 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 and a sweep over then-No. 11 Michigan on Oct. 1.

Cook Reaches 500

With the Huskers' win over Albany on Sept. 3, Head Coach John Cook tallied his 500th win as a head coach.

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 4-0.

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. 3, Nebraska ranks third in current home win streaks with 28.

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 12 matches of her collegiate career, freshman Lara Dykstra has totaled 160 digs and has averaged 3.40 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 first in the Big Ten in blocks, averaging 1.47 per set.

Volleyball Blackshirts

Nebraska kept Albany at a .038 hitting percentage for the match, including a .075 percentage in set two and -.079 in set three. 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. The Huskers held Ohio State to a .134 hitting percentage on Sept. 24 and Michigan to a .157 hitting percentage on Oct. 1.

Holding Their Own

As of Sept. 25, the Huskers rank 18th nationally in blocks per set with 2.72. NU is 12th in hitting percentage at .274 and is 11th 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. Her 22 kills at Michigan State on Sept. 30 marked a career-high for Broekhuis. Broekhuis has 151 kills for the Huskers in 2011, with a hitting percentage of .283.

Mancuso Paving Her Way

Gina Mancuso has notched six double-doubles so far in 2011, most recently against Michigan State on Sept. 30. She tallied 12 kills and 10 digs to lead NU against the Spartans. Mancuso leads all Nebraska hitters with 168 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.