Huskers Set for Michigan, Michigan State

No. 2 Nebraska vs. No. 23 Michigan • Friday, Nov. 4 • NU Coliseum • 7 p.m.

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

No. 2 Nebraska vs. Michigan State • Saturday, Nov. 5 • NU Coliseum • 7:30 p.m.

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. 2 Nebraska volleyball team returns home this weekend to take on the No. 23 Michigan Wolverines on Friday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. and the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday, Nov. 5 at 7:30 p.m. The Huskers' matches with both Michigan and Michigan State will be available on BTN.com (subscription). 

The Huskers (18-2, 11-1) went 1-1 over the weekend, topping No. 23 Ohio State 3-1, but falling 3-1 at No. 8 Penn State.

Michigan and Nebraska have met five times and Nebraska leads the all-time series 4-1. The last time the two programs met was on Oct. 1, 2011. The Huskers swept the Wolverines, 3-0 (25-17, 26-24, 25-16).

Michigan State and Nebraska have met 11 times, with Nebraska leading the series 9-0-2. The last time the two programs met was on Sept. 30, 2011. The Huskers beat the Spartans, 3-2 (27-25, 16-25, 21-25, 25-17, 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-Michigan All-Time Series (NU leads 4-1)

Sept. 14, 2002, W, 30-20, 30-28, 30-23

Sept. 3, 2005, W, 30-22, 30-19, 30-21

Dec. 12, 2008, W, 25-13, 25-16, 25-18

Aug. 28, 2009, L, 23-25, 21-25, 17-25

Oct. 1, 2011, W, 25-17, 26-24, 25-16

NU-Michigan State All-Time Series (NU leads 9-0-2)

Nov. 4, 1978, T, 15-13, 6-15

Oct. 20, 1979, W, 15-10, 15-8

Nov. 3, 1979, T, 3-15, 15-9

Dec. 14, 1995, W, 10-15, 15-8, 15-8, 9-15, 15-8

Sept. 6, 1996, W, 15-7, 15-11, 13-15, 11-15, 15-13

Sept. 7, 1996, W, 15-11, 15-8, 15-7

Dec. 6, 1997, W, 15-7, 15-12, 15-4

Sept. 9, 2000, W, 15-3, 15-3, 15-4

Sept. 13, 2003, W, 30-20, 30-20, 30-24

Dec. 7, 2007, W, 25-30, 28-30, 30-17, 30-28, 15-9

Sept. 30, 2011, W, 27-25, 16-25, 21-25, 25-17, 16-14

Getting to Know the Wolverines

Location: Ann Arbor, Mich.

Enrollment: 38,980

Nickname: Wolverines

Colors: Maize and Blue

Head Coach: Mark Rosen (Cal State Northridge '85)

Record at School: 239-152 (12 years)

Overall Record: 448-189 (19 years)

Associate Head Coach: Leisa Rosen

Asst Coach: Erin Virtue

2010 Record: 23-10

2010 Big Ten Record: 12-8 (T-4th)

2010 Postseason: NCAA First Round

2010 Final Ranking: NR

Letterwinners R/L: 13/2

Starters R/L: 4/2+1

Series Record: Nebraska leads, 4-1

Last Meeting: NU won, 3-0 (10/1/11)

Last NU Win: 10/1/11

Last NU Loss: 8/28/09

Longest NU Winning Streak: 4

Current NU Winning Streak: 1

Three sets: 4-1

Four sets: 0

Five sets: 0

Getting to Know the Spartans

Location: East Lansing, Mich.

Enrollment: 47,100

Nickname: Spartans

Colors: Green and White

Head Coach: Cathy George (Illinois State '85)

Record at School: 84-76 (5 years)

Overall Record: 449-300

Asst. Coaches: Russ Carney, Mike Gawlik

2010 Record: 15-16

2010 Big Ten Record: 7-13 (7th)

2010 Postseason: DNQ

2010 Final Ranking: NR

Letterwinners R/L: 9/4

Starters R/L: 5+1/1

Series Record: Nebraska leads, 9-0-2

Last Meeting: NU won, 3-2 (9/30/11)

Last NU Win: 9/30/11

Last NU Loss: None

Longest NU Winning Streak: 8

Current NU Winning Streak: 8

Two sets: 1-0-2

Three sets: 4-0

Four sets: 3-0

Five sets: 1-0

Scouting the Michigan Wolverines

• The Wolverines are 16-8 on the year, heading into their match-up with the Huskers on Friday and a match-up with the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday.
• Michigan went 1-1 last weekend, falling to Purdue 3-2 on Friday, Oct. 28. The Wolverines then swept Indiana 3-0 on Saturday, Oct. 29.
• In the match against the Hoosiers, the outside hitter tandem of sophomore Lexi Erwin and Alex Hunt each tallied nine kills, with sophomore Jennifer Cross tabbing eight. Freshman setter Lexi Dannemiller guided the U-M offense, which hit .250, with 37 assists and senior libero Sloane Donhoff led the defense with 18 digs.
• Michigan saw four players with double-figure kills in their loss to No. 11 Purdue. Erwin led all four players with 17 kills along with 13 digs. Hunt also notched a double-double with 15 kills and 11 digs, while junior Claire McElheny and Cross each had 12 kills. Dannemiller tabbed 55 assists and Donhoff anchored the defense with a match-high 18 digs.
• At setter, Dannemiller has paced the Wolverines with 1,006 assists on the season and an average of 11.56 per set.
• Erwin leads Michigan on the year with 287 kills and an average of 3.38 per set. Hunt has 266 with 3.28 per set, while McElheny is third on the team with 214 and 2.46 per set.
• Defensively, Donhoff leads the team with 380 digs and 4.37 per set. Dannemiller has 198 on the season with 2.28 per set. At the net, Cross leads the team with a 0.99 blocks-per-set average with nine solos and 76 assists.
• In the Big Ten standings, Michigan ranks seventh in hitting percentage (.242), second in assists (13.24), 11th in blocks (1.91), ninth in digs (14.38), eighth in opponent hitting percentage (.197), second in kills (14.29) and second in aces (1.59).
• Dannemiller ranks second in the Big Ten in assists (11.56), while Hunt is third in aces (0.43) and Donhoff is sixth in digs (4.37).
• In the national standings, Michigan is 29th in aces per set (1.59), 16th in assists (13.24) and 13th in kills (14.29). Hunt ranks 33rd in aces (0.43), while Dannemiller is 13th in assists (11.56) and Courtney Fletcher is 47th in hitting percentage (.353).

The Last Time Nebraska and Michigan Met (Oct. 1, 2011)

Ann Arbor, Mich. - The No. 7 Nebraska Volleyball team (11-1, 4-0) closed out its first weekend of conference play on the road with a 3-0 (25-17, 26-24, 25-16) sweep of the No. 17 Michigan Wolverines at Keen Arena.

Morgan Broekhuis led all Huskers in the match with 13 kills. Brooke Delano tallied nine kills as Gina Mancuso had seven of her own. Lauren Cook tabbed 37 assists and Lara Dykstra had 12 digs defensively for NU.

Scouting the Michigan State Spartans

• The Spartans are 17-7 on the year, heading into a weekend where they face Iowa on Friday, Nov. 4, and the Huskers on Saturday, Nov. 5.
• Michigan State enters the weekend after going 1-1 last weekend in matches against Indiana and Purdue, winning 3-1 over the Hoosiers, but losing 3-2 to the Boilermakers.
• In the loss to Purdue, senior Jenilee Rathje paced the Spartans with a team-best 17 kills. Senior Kyndra Abron had 16 kills and also led Michigan State in hitting percentage with a .393 mark. Defensively, freshman Kori Moster recorded her 18th double-digit dig mark of the season with 21. Sophomore Alexis Mathews led all individuals in blocks with six.
• Mathews and freshman Jazmine White both had career nights for Michigan State offensively against Indiana with 13 and seven kills, respectively. Rathje led the team in kills with 21. Moster led MSU in digs with 16, while Weiler had 12. White also had a career-best four service aces.
• Rathje leads Michigan State with 379 kills on the season, averaging 4.51 per set. Abron has 291 for the Spartans, with 3.42 per set.
• Defensively, Moster has 318 digs on the season and 3.79 per set. Weiler and Rathje both have 183.
• At the net, Mathews has 104 total blocks and average of 1.22 per set. Abron has notched 70 blocks, with 0.82 per set.
• In the Big Ten standings, Michigan State is first in hitting percentage (285), fourth in assists (13.12), sixth in blocks (2.60), 11th in digs (13.02), eighth in opponent hitting percentage (.193), second in kills (14.29) and 10th in aces (1.04).
• Mathews is third in the Big Ten in hitting percentage (.367), while Rathje is second in kills (4.51) and Moster comes in at 10th in digs (3.79).
• Nationally, Michigan State is 28th in assists per set (13.02), 30th in blocks per set (2.60), sixth in hitting percentage (.285) and 22nd in kills per set (14.11).
• Mathews ranks 43rd nationally in blocks per set (1.22) and 30th in hitting percentage (.367). Rathje is 14th in kills per set (4.51).

The Last Time Nebraska and Michigan State Met (Sept. 30, 2011)

East Lansing, Mich. - The No. 7 Nebraska volleyball team (10-1) outlasted the Michigan State Spartans 3-2 (27-25, 16-25, 21-25, 25-17, 16-14) in front of 2,024 fans at Jenison Fieldhouse. With the victory, the Huskers improved to 3-0 in conference play.

Morgan Broekhuis led NU on the night with a career-high 22 kills on 33 attacks for a .545 hitting percentage. Hannah Werth tabbed 13 kills on 27 attacks, while Gina Mancuso had 12 kills of her own. Mancuso tabbed the sixth double-double of her career with an additional 10 digs. The Huskers hit .279 on the match, while Michigan State hit .296. Lauren Cook notched 50 assists for Nebraska, while Lara Dykstra had 16 digs on the night.

Scouting the Huskers

• Nebraska is 18-2 in 2011 and enters this weekend's matches ranked No. 2 in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll.
• The Huskers are 16-1 this season when holding opponents below .200 hitting. Nebraska is 2-1 when opposing teams hit above .200.
• Nebraska has totaled double-digit blocks in 10 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. 30, Nebraska ranked second in the Big Ten in hitting percentage (.272), sixth in assists (12.65), fifth in blocks (2.61), eighth in digs (14.62), first in opponent hitting percentage (.139), seventh in kills (13.56) and 12th in aces (0.91). Hayley Thramer was fifth in the Big Ten in blocks (1.26), while Brooke Delano ranked seventh in hitting percentage (.337). Lauren Cook was fourth in assists (10.94) and Gina Mancuso was seventh in kills (3.62).
• Gina Mancuso has 279 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 276 digs so far in her freshman campaign, averaging 3.58 per set.
• Lauren Cook has totaled 842 assists in 2011, averaging 10.94 per set. Her efforts have guided NU to a .272 hitting percentage on the season.
• As of Oct. 30, the Huskers ranked 28th nationally in blocks per set with 2.61. NU was 11th in hitting percentage at .272. Lauren Cook ranked 36th nationally in assists per set (10.94) and Hayley Thramer was 33rd in blocks per set (1.26).
• 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. 23 Michigan on Friday night, Nebraska will take on its 11th top-25 teams this season.

Opponent                      Result

No. 15 Colorado State   L, 3-2

No. 12 Iowa State          W, 3-0

No. 5 Penn State           W, 3-2

No. 24 Ohio State          W, 3-1

No. 11 Michigan            W, 3-0

No. 11 Purdue               W, 3-1

No. 14 Minnesota          W, 3-2

No. 1 Illinois                  W, 3-1

No. 23 Ohio State          W, 3-1

No. 8 Penn State           L, 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 one loss in conference play, Nebraska sits in first place in the Big Ten standings, checking in at 11-1.

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. 31, Nebraska ranks second nationally in current home win streaks with 32.

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 20 matches of her collegiate career, freshman Lara Dykstra has totaled 276 digs and has averaged 3.58 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 a career-high 10 blocks against Illinois on Oct. 22. She currently ranks third in the Big Ten in blocks, averaging 1.31 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, Weber State to a .071 hitting percentage on Sept. 10 and Indiana to a .022 hitting percentage on Oct. 8.

Producing Double-Doubles
Four Huskers have combined for 33 double-doubles in 2011, with Mancuso tallying 10, Broekhuis tabbing four and Werth notching six of her own and Cook adding 13.

Gina Mancuso  |  2011 (10)  |  NU Career (10), All (10)

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

Lauren Cook |  2011 (13)  |  NU Career (32)

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

Hannah Werth |  2011 (6)  |  NU Career (28), All (28)

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

Morgan Broekhuis |  2011 (4)  |  NU Career (4), All (4)

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

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 three others this season. Her 22 kills at Michigan State on Sept. 30 marked a career high for Broekhuis. She has 247 kills for the Huskers in 2011.

Mancuso Paving Her Way

Gina Mancuso has notched 10 double-doubles so far in 2011, most recently against Illinois on Oct. 22. She tallied 15 kills and 14 digs to lead NU against the Fighting Illini. Mancuso leads all Nebraska hitters with 279 kills in 2011 and is a two-time Big Ten Player of the Week.