Huskers Face Wisconsin on Senior NightHuskers Face Wisconsin on Senior Night
Volleyball

Huskers Face Wisconsin on Senior Night

No. 4 Nebraska vs. Wisconsin • Saturday, Nov. 19 • NU Coliseum • 7 p.m.
TV: NET
Web Video: BTN.com (subscription)
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 Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday, Nov. 19 at the NU Coliseum at 7 p.m. The match will air live on NET and BTN.com.

The Huskers (22-3, 15-2) topped No. 19 Minnesota 3-1  (17-25, 25-17, 25-15, 25-16) on Wednesday night.

Wisconsin and Nebraska have met 14 times, with NU holding a 12-1-1 record over the Badgers. The last time the two teams met was on Oct. 14 when Nebraska swept Wisconsin 3-0 (25-21, 25-15, 25-21).

Fans will be able to see the match live on NET with Larry Punteney calling the action and Kathi Wieskamp adding analysis. It can also be viewed on BTN.com with a subscription.

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.

In addition, the Nebraska volleyball program will join the annual U.S. Marines Toys for Tots Drive on Saturday.

Husker fans are encouraged to bring new, unwrapped toys to the game, and cash donations for the cause will also be accepted. The Marines will be stationed near entrances throughout the NU Coliseum to accept donations that will brighten the holiday season for needy children.

Getting to Know the Badgers

Location: Madison, Wis.
Enrollment: 42,099
Nickname: Badgers
Colors: Cardinal and White
Head Coach: Pete Waite (Ball State, '81)
Record at School: 272-115 (12 years)
Overall Record: 538-217 (33 years)
Asst. Coaches: Colleen Bayer, Brian Heffernan

2010 Record: 16-15
2010 Big Ten Record: 5-15 (10th)
2010 Postseason: DNQ
2010 Final Ranking: NR
Letterwinners R/L: 10/7
Starters R/L: 5/1+1

Series Record: Nebraska leads, 12-1-1
Last Meeting: NU won, 3-0 (10/14/11)
Last NU Win: 10/14/11
Last NU Loss: 10/28/78
Longest NU Winning Streak: 12
Current NU Winning Streak: 12
Two sets: 3-1-1
Three sets: 5-0
Four sets: 2-0
Five sets: 2-0

All-Time Nebraska/Wisconsin Series (NU Leads 12-1-1)
Sept. 30, 1977, T, 9-15, 15-8
Oct. 28, 1978, L, 12-15, 7-15
Oct. 13, 1979, W, 15-8, 15-5
Oct. 13, 1979, W, 15-10, 15-13
Oct. 4, 1980, W, 15-0, 15-10
Sept. 29, 1990, W, 15-5, 13-15, 15-4, 15-8
Aug. 31, 1991, W, 15-10, 12-15, 15-8, 15-11
Dec. 13, 1991, W, 15-9, 15-10, 15-10
Sept. 9, 1995, W, 15-8, 15-6, 15-8
Sept. 20, 1987, W, 15-10, 15-9, 15-12
Dec, 12, 1998, W, 12-15, 18-16, 9-15, 15-10, 15-10
Sept. 15, 1999, W, 15-5, 15-9, 18-16
Dec. 16, 2000, W, 15-9, 9-15, 7-15, 15-2, 15-9
Oct. 14, 2011, W, 25-21, 25-15, 25-21

Scouting the Wisconsin Badgers

  • The Badgers are 15-13 on the year, heading into their match-up with the Huskers on Saturday.
  • Wisconsin went 1-1 last weekend, topping Michigan 3-1 on Friday, Nov. 11. The Badgers then lost to Michigan State 3-1 on Saturday, Nov. 12.
  • In the match against the Wolverines, the Badgers secured their first sweep of a Big Ten team this season. With Michigan's No. 24 ranking, Wisconsin has upset four ranked opponents this year, the highest mark since 2009. Three players finished the night with double-digit kills, led by freshman Ellen Chapman, with a career-high 21. Junior Alexis Mitchell had 11, while senior Janelle Gabrielsen added 10 kills.
  • Wisconsin saw three players finish with double-digit kills against Michigan State, led by Chapman and junior Bailey Reshel with 14 kills each. Freshman Courtney Thomas finished with 10 kills, 23 assists and a team-high 13 digs for the second triple-double of her career.
  • Chapman leads Wisconsin in kills on the year with a total of 263 and an average of 2.71 kills per set. Mitchell has 226 kills and 2.26 kills per set, while Thomas has notched 203 kills and 1.95 kills per set.
  • At setter, Thomas has 595 assists with an average of 5.72 per set and Gabrielsen has 589 assists and 5.66 per set.
  • Defensively, Annemarie Hickey leads the team with 480 digs on the year and an average of 4.62 digs per set. Gabrielsen has 266 digs, while Thomas has 265.
  • In the Big Ten standings, Wisconsin ranks ninth in hitting percentage (.225), eighth in assists (12.58), seventh in blocks (2.39), fourth in digs (15.39), sixth in opponent hitting percentage (.187), ninth in kills (13.47) and 10th in service aces (1.05).
  • Mitchell ranks eighth in hitting percentage (.324) in the Big Ten standings, while she is also 10th in blocks (1.02). Hickey ranks fifth in the conference in service aces (0.34) and is first in digs (4.62).

The Last Time Nebraska and Wisconsin Met (Oct. 14, 2011)

Madison Wis.- The No. 5 Nebraska volleyball team (14-1) improved to 7-0 in Big Ten play with a 3-0 (25-21, 25-15, 25-21) sweep of the Wisconsin Badgers at the UW Fieldhouse. With the win, the Huskers remained one of two unbeaten teams in conference play.

Hannah Werth led Nebraska on the night with 17 kills on 28 attacks for a .536 hitting percentage. Gina Mancuso had 13 kills and Morgan Broekhuis had eight of her own. Lauren Cook led NU with 38 assists, while also notching a team-high 11 digs. Werth also totaled 10 digs for her second double-double of the season.

Big Ten Weekly Awards

(3 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.

Player of the Week (Oct. 23)

Mancuso posted 4.1 kills, 3.3 digs and 1.0 block per set in Nebraska's wins over the Hawkeyes and Fighting Illini. She recorded her 10th double-double of the season with 15 kills and 14 digs, adding five blocks and two aces to help the Huskers take down Illinois. She also notched 14 kills, nine digs and two blocks against Iowa. Her efforts helped Nebraska earn its first win over a top-ranked opponent since 1990. The honor marked the second conference player-of-the-week award for Mancuso.

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

Scouting the Huskers

  • Nebraska is 22-3 in 2011 and enters this weekend's match ranked No. 4 in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll.
  • The Huskers are 19-1 this season when holding opponents below .200 hitting. Nebraska is 3-2 when opposing teams hit above .200.
  • Nebraska has totaled double-digit blocks in 13 matches this season, including a season-high 18 blocks against Michigan.
  • 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 Nov. 16, Nebraska ranked second in the Big Ten in hitting percentage (.266), sixth in assists (12.63), third in blocks (2.66), ninth in digs (14.83), second in opponent hitting percentage (.148), sixth in kills (13.60) and 12th in aces (0.82).
  • Gina Mancuso has 340 kills so far in 2011, averaging 3.62 per set.
  • Mancuso was named the Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday, Oct. 24 after leading the Huskers over previously top-ranked Illinois and 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 341 digs so far in her freshman campaign, averaging 3.63 per set. She currently ranks second in the all-time freshman digs record at Nebraska.
  • Lauren Cook has totaled 964 assists in 2011, averaging 11.08 per set.
  • Brigette Root made her first career start at setter against Michigan on Friday, Nov. 4. She notched the first double-double of her career with 25 assists and 11 digs.
  • As of Nov. 13, the Huskers ranked 25th nationally in blocks per set with 2.63. NU was 17th in hitting percentage at .265. Lauren Cook ranked 31st nationally in assists per set (11.05) and Hayley Thramer was 38th in blocks per set (1.23).
  • 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.
  • 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.

Year          Players

2008         Allison McNeal

2009         Gina Mancuso, Hannah Werth, Hayley Thramer, Lauren Cook

2010         Morgan Broekhuis

2011         Lara Dykstra, Taylor Simpson

Tough Tests

With the match against No. 19 Minnesota last Wednesday, Nebraska was taking on its 13th top-25 team this season.

Opponent                                 Result

at No. 15 Colorado State           L, 3-2
vs. No. 12 Iowa State                W, 3-0
vs. No. 5 Penn State                 W, 3-2
vs. No. 24 Ohio State                W, 3-1
at No. 11 Michigan                    W, 3-0
vs. No. 11 Purdue                     W, 3-1
at No. 14 Minnesota                  W, 3-2
vs. No. 1 Illinois                        W, 3-1
at No. 23 Ohio State                  W, 3-1
at No. 8 Penn State                   L, 3-1
vs. No. 23 Michigan                   W, 3-1
at No. 10 Purdue                       L, 3-0
vs. No. 19 Minnesota                 W, 3-1

Cook Reaches 500

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

First Place

With only two losses in conference play, Nebraska sits in first place in the Big Ten standings, checking in at 15-2.


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 Nov. 14, Nebraska ranks second nationally in current home win streaks with 34.

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 24 matches of her collegiate career, freshman Lara Dykstra has notched 341 digs of her own and an average of 3.63 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 notched a career-high 10 blocks against Illinois on Oct. 22. She currently ranks sixth in the Big Ten in blocks, averaging 1.20 per set.

Volleyball Blackshirts

Nebraska held Iowa to a .000 hitting percentage on Oct. 19, marking the lowest percentage for  a Nebraska opponent this season. The Huskers held Albany to a .038 hitting percentage for the match, Creighton to a .053 hitting percentage on Sept. 8, Indiana to a .022 hitting percentage on Oct. 8 and Michigan State to a .026 hitting percentage of Nov. 5.

Producing Double-Doubles

Five Huskers have combined for 39 double-doubles in 2011, with Mancuso tallying 11, Broekhuis tabbing five,  Root adding one, Werth notching eight of her own and Cook adding 14.

Gina Mancuso  |  2011 (11)  |  NU Career (11), All (11)

Opponent (Date)                       K          A          D          B
New Mexico State (Aug. 26)       16         0          14         2
Colorado State (Sept. 2)            24         3          10         1
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
Illinois (Oct. 22)                         15         0          14         5
Minnesota (Nov. 16)                  14         1          16         1

Lauren Cook |  2011 (14)  |  NU Career (33)

Opponent (Date)                       K          A          D          B
New Mexico State (Aug. 26)       1          51         10         0
New Mexico (Aug. 27)                0          40         12         1
Colorado State (Sept. 2)             2          49         12         2
Albany (Sept. 3)                        2          34         13         1
Creighton (Sept. 8)                    5          33         13         0
Penn State (Sept. 21)                1          53         17         2
Ohio State (Sept. 24)                 4          41         14         3
Purdue (Oct. 7)                          0          51         12         1
Wisconsin (Oct. 14)                   1          38         11         0
Minnesota (Oct. 15)                   2          45         19         0
Iowa (Oct. 19)                            4          32         16         0
Illinois (Oct. 22)                         0          54         13         0
Penn State (Oct. 29)                  1          32         11         0
Minnesota (Nov. 16)                  1          47         12         4

Hannah Werth |  2011 (8)  |  NU Career (30), All (30)

Opponent (Date)                       K          A          D          B
Colorado State (Sept. 2)            12         0          15         1
St. Mary's (Sept. 9)                   10         1          11         1
Wisconsin (Oct. 14)                  17         0          10         0
Minnesota (Oct. 15)                  15         2          17         6
Illinois (Oct. 22)                        14         1          17         0
Ohio State (Oct. 28)                  11         1          13         3
Michigan State (Nov. 5)             11         0          10         3
Minnesota (Nov. 16)                  14         0          17         2

Morgan Broekhuis |  2011 (5)  |  NU Career (5), All (5)

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
Illinois (Oct. 22)                        17         2          11         4
Minnesota (Nov. 16)                  14         1          16         1

Brigette Root |  2011 (1)  |  NU Career (1), All (1)

Opponent (Date)                       K          A          D          B
Michigan (Nov. 4)                      5          35         11         2

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 has notched four others this season. Her 22 kills at Michigan State on Sept. 30 marked a career high her.

Mancuso Paving Her Way

Gina Mancuso has notched 11 double-doubles so far in 2011, most recently against Minnesota on Nov. 16. She tallied 14 kills and 16 digs to lead NU against the Gophers.