Huskers Open 2013 Season on the Road

Louisiana-Monroe vs. Nebraska
Date: Aug. 30
Time: 4:30 p.m.
Location: St. Louis, Mo.
Arena: Chaifetz Arena
Live Video: SLUBillikens.com (subscription required)
Live Stats: SLUBillikens.com
Live Radio: Husker Sports Network, Huskers.com

Nebraska vs. Auburn
Date: Aug. 31
Time: 10 a.m.
Location: St. Louis, Mo.
Arena: Chaifetz Arena
Live Video: SLUBillikens.com (subscription required)
Live Stats: SLUBillikens.com
Live Radio: Husker Sports Network, Huskers.com

Nebraska at Saint Louis
Date: Aug. 31
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: St. Louis, Mo.
Arena: Chaifetz Arena
Live Video: SLUBillikens.com (subscription required)
Live Stats: SLUBillikens.com
Live Radio: Huskers.com

The No. 10 Nebraska volleyball team begins the 2013 season this weekend at the Marcia E. Hamilton Classic hosted by Saint Louis University. The Huskers will open the weekend with a match against Louisiana-Monroe on Friday, Aug. 30 at 4:30 p.m., at Chaifetz (SHAY-fetz) Arena. Nebraska will then take on Auburn on Saturday, Aug. 31 at 10 a.m., before facing Saint Louis at 7 p.m.

Friday’s meeting will be the first between the Huskers and Louisiana-Monroe.

The Huskers hold a 2-0 record over Saint Louis, last meeting in 2012. The last time the Huskers faced the Billikens, Nebraska won in three sets (25-13, 25-17, 25-18).

Nebraska and Auburn have met just once, with the Huskers leading the all-time series at 1-0. The Huskers faced the Tigers in the second round of the 2011 NCAA Tournament, winning in three sets (25-10, 25-17, 25-15).

Fans can listen to all of the action with John Baylor and Lindsay Peterson on the 25-station Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and The Wolf 93.3 FM in Omaha. Fans outside the state will also be able to catch the live audio feed for free on Huskers.com. Saturday’s match will only be available on Huskers.com.

Live video for all matches will be available via an online stream at SLUBillikens.com. The cost for the live video is $9.99. Fans can use their HuskersNSide subscription to view the matches for free. Live stats for all matches will be available on SLUBillikens.com. Live stats for all matches will be available on SLUBillikens.com.

Scouting the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks

• Louisiana-Monroe is coming off a 5-18 season in 2012, where they finished 1-13 in the Sun Belt Conference.
• The Warhawks return six letter winners from a year ago, included four starters.\
• LMU finished sixth in the west division of the Sun Belt Conference in 2012.
• Returning for LMU in 2013 is senior Blanca Ocana. She tallied 171 total kills as a junior, with an average of 2.09 kills per set.
• Marcela Araya also returns for the Warhawks at libero. She posted a total of 361 digs in 2012, with an average of 4.46 digs per set.
• Patrick Hiltz is in his first season at the helm of the Warhawks. He was previously the head coach at Nicholls State for one season.

Scouting the Auburn Tigers
• Auburn is coming off a 17-13 record and an 8-12 finish in the SEC Conference in 2012.
• The Tigers return senior Camila Jersonsky at middle blocker, leading the way for the Tigers up front. She was a second-team All-SEC pick as a junior and was also named to the Preseason All-SEC team this season. Jersonsky is Auburn’s all-time leader in career hitting percentage (.356) and had 118 blocks (1.09/set) in 2012.
• At outside hitter, Auburn returns Katherine Culwell, a fifth-year senior who ranks seventh among active SEC players in career kills (680) and was the team’s second-leading attacker last season with 330 kills (3.03/set).
• The Tigers will run a 6-2 offense in 2013, using the same duo of Chelsea Wintzinger and Ciara Richards as was used in 2012. Wintzinger averaged 6.24 assists per set last season and a total of 680 on the year. Richards recorded 541 assists (4.96/set) and also led the team with 26 aces as a freshman.
• Auburn returns one of the SEC’s most experienced liberos in senior Sarah Wroblicky. She recorded a team-high 431 digs (3.99/set), the third-most single-season digs in program history in 2012.
• Rick Nold is in this third season as head coach at Auburn, he has a 28-32 record at the helm of the Tigers.

Scouting the Saint Louis Billikens
• Saint Louis is coming off a 10-20 season in 2012, where the Billikens went 4-10 in the Atlantic 10 Conference and finished 10th overall.
• The Billikens return three starters and seven letterwinners from the 2012 squad.
• Sophomore Megan Gilbert returns for SLU after earning Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team honors in 2012. She was second on the team in kills as a freshman with 245 and a hitting clip of .221. She also notched 63 total blocks.
• The Billikens also return defensive specialist Anna Church. She led the team with 24 aces in 2012. She also tallied 262 digs and 143 kills as a freshman.
• Kent Miller returns for his third season in 2013. He has a 25-33 record in three years with the Billikens.

Noting the Nebraska Cornhuskers
The information below provides a quick glimpse of a few statistics and brief notes heading into this weekend.

•The Huskers return AVCA Honorable-Mention All-Americans Morgan Broekhuis and Meghan Haggerty in 2013. They also welcomed 2011 AVCA Second-Team All-American Kelsey Robinson and 2011 AVCA Honorable-Mention All-American Mary Pollmiller to the 2013 roster after both transferred from Tennessee.
• Nebraska begins the 2013 season as the second-winningest program in Division I history with 1,166 wins and trails only UCLA (1,181) on the all-time list.
• NU was ranked No. 10 in the AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll, receiving 962 points
• The Huskers finished tied for second in the Big Ten in 2012. They were picked to finish fourth in the league in the Big Ten Coaches’ preseason poll.
• Nebraska carries a streak of 181 consecutive sellouts into the 2013 season, the longest sellout streak across all NCAA women’s athletics. The Huskers averaged 4,287 fans per home contest last season at the NU Coliseum.
• Nebraska has seven players on its 2013 roster who were Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 selections, representing the top-50 players in that year’s recruiting class. Six of the Huskers’ last nine recruiting classes have ranked in the top five nationally, including the 2009 class that was ranked second and the 2013 class that was ranked first by Prepvlleyball.com
• Nebraska continued its string of All-America success in 2012, as Lauren Cook was named an AVCA All-American. Cook upped Nebraska’s NCAA-leading totals to 36 players and 74 certificates. Nebraska has had at least one All-American every season since 1983, a total of 31 straight seasons, including 39 All-America awards in Cook’s 13 years at Nebraska. 

AVCA All-America Certificates

No.         School                   Awards
1.            Nebraska             74
2.            Stanford              66
3.            Penn State          58
4.            Hawaii                   53
5.            UCLA                     45

• Head Coach John Cook welcomes a young team, including 10 newcomers, to the 2013 squad. The 2012 team finished 26-7 last season, while Cook has won over 90 percent (387-91) of his matches in 13 years as the Huskers’ leader.

The Last Time Nebraska...

•             Won a match 3-0: vs. Washington, Dec. 7, 2012
•             Won a match 3-1: vs. Northwestern, Nov. 24, 2012
•             Won a match 3-2: vs. Purdue, Nov. 10, 2012
•             Lost a match 0-3: at Purdue, Nov. 12, 2011
•             Lost a match 1-3: vs. Oregon, Dec. 8, 2012
•             Lost a match 2-3: at Minnesota, Nov. 16, 2012
•             Had 100 kills in a match: vs. Texas Tech, Oct. 26, 1996
•             Had 200 attacks in a match: vs. Iowa State (200), Oct. 21, 2009
•             Had .500-or-more hitting pct.: vs. Kansas (.523), Oct. 10, 2001
•             Had 10-or-more service aces: at Texas A&M (11), Nov. 5, 2008
•             Had 40-or-more total blocks: vs. UCLA (41), Sept. 14, 1991
•             Had 100-or-more digs: vs. USC (109), Dec. 11, 2004

The Last Time a Husker...

•             Had 30-or-more kills: Sarah Pavan (31) at Kansas State, Nov. 3, 2007
•             Had 10-or-more blocks: Brooke Delano (10) at Oklahoma, Sept. 29, 2010
•             Had 25-or-more digs: Lara Dykstra (28) vs. New Mexico State, Aug. 26, 2011
•             Had two players with 20-or-more kills: Tara Mueller (24) and Jordan Larson (21) at Washington, Dec. 13, 2008
•             Had a triple-double: Greichaly Cepero (10 kills, 38 assists, 12 digs) vs. Texas Tech, Sept. 25, 2002

Nebraska...

•             Is 357-71 (.834) when winning a first set under John Cook and 45-29 (.608) when it loses the opening set
•             Has spent 409 weeks in the top 10 and were ranked in the top 10 for 115 consecutive weeks (2004-Sept. 5, 2011)
•             Nebraska has currently been ranked in the top 10 for 26 consecutive weeks (Sept. 12, 2011-present)
•             Is 214-0 under John Cook when hitting .300 or better

Huskers Call the Devaney Center Home

The Nebraska volleyball program opened a new era in its storied tradition by moving into a new permanent home court for the first time in almost 40 years. When Nebraska played its preseason Red-White Match on Saturday, Aug. 24, 2013, the Bob Devaney Sports Center became the official home of Husker volleyball. The Devaney Center, which received $20 million in renovations designed to create the nation’s premier home court advantage for volleyball, will allow nearly 4,000 more Nebraska fans per game to watch their beloved Huskers.

Nebraska volleyball, which carried the nation’s longest home sellout streak in the history of any NCAA women’s sport with 181 consecutive sellouts (2001-12) at the historic NU Coliseum, has guaranteed another season of sellouts in its first year at the Devaney Center. Not only did the Huskers quickly sell out the new 7,907-seat capacity at the Devaney Center long before the season began, they also have room for nearly 400 standing-room seats at each game and a season-ticket waiting list of well over 1,000.

During the last two decades, Nebraska has ranked among the nation’s top three volleyball programs in average home attendance every season. In 2012, the Huskers finished second nationally by averaging 4,287 fans per match. Hawaii, the NCAA’s annual attendance leader for many years, drew 6,675 per home match in 2012. As the Huskers’ new home in 2013, the Devaney Center will put Nebraska in position to lead the nation in volleyball attendance on an annual basis.

The renovations to the Devaney Center have done much more than change the capacity. Massive red ceiling trusses helped create a similar environment in the arena to the Huskers’ former home in the Coliseum. A great wall, which replicates the old Coliseum entry, adds to an atmosphere steeped in tradition. While the new Devaney Center pays homage to the history of the Coliseum, which served as the home to Husker NCAA Championship teams in 1995, 2000 and 2006, the innovative design and technological advances inside also symbolize the visionary contributions of AVCA All-Time Great Coaches Terry Pettit and John Cook.

Huskers Find Even More Talent for 2013

Head Coach John Cook’s 2013 Huskers include 10 talented additions. NU welcomed true freshmen Alexa Ethridge, Kelly Hunter, Melanie Keil, Kira Larson, Brenna Lyles, Amber Rolfzen, Kadie Rolfzen and Justine Wong-Orantes and transfers Mary Pollmiller and Kelsey Robinson.

The 2013 recruiting class was regarded as one of the best in the nation, with four players ranked as the top-25 prospects in the nation. Kadie Rolfzen came in at No. 5, while Amber Rolfzen was ranked eighth, Kelly Hunter was ranked 13th and Kira Larson was ranked 23rd.

Broekhuis Looks to Excel in Final Season

Nebraska senior Morgan Broekhuis embarks on her final season with the Huskers in 2013. She has produced a solid Husker career, including being named a 2011 AVCA Honorable-Mention All-American and Honorable-Mention All-Big Ten honoree. She closed out the 2012 season by earning NCAA Omaha Regional All-Tournament Team honors. She helped the Huskers to a second-place finish in the Big Ten in 2012 and was named to the CoSIDA Academic Second-Team District Seven squad. Broekhuis averaged 2.73 kills, 0.19 aces, 1.34 digs and 0.64 blocks per set on the season, posted 75 total assists in 2012 and notched at least five assists on five occasions. She was key for the Huskers in their win over defending NCAA Champion UCLA, notching 15 kills against the Bruins and the final two kills of the fifth set to seal the victory. She closed the season with 16 kills and six digs in a four-set loss to Oregon in the NCAA Regional Final.

Haggerty to Follow Up Successful Freshman Campaign

Meghan Haggerty became just the eighth true freshman to start a season opener during Coach John Cook’s career at Nebraska in 2012. She was named an AVCA Honorable-Mention All-American and All-Mideast selection and also earned Big Ten All-Freshman honors. Haggerty was honored with Big Ten Freshman of the Week accolades four times in 2012. She led the Huskers in hitting efficiency (.333) as a freshman and recorded a hitting percentage of .300 or better 18 times in 2012. Haggerty averaged 1.98 kills and 0.97 blocks per set and finished eighth in the conference in hitting percentage with an average of .333. She posted a team-high 17 kills against UCLA, notching a .600 hitting percentage (17-2-25).Her 17 kills were the most by a Nebraska middle blocker since Tracy Stalls tallied 17 (17-2-26) against UCLA during the 2006 National Semifinal match.

Thramer to Lead the Huskers in 2013

Senior Hayley Thramer suffered a knee injury in the spring of 2013 that will sideline her from competing during her senior season. She will fill the role as student coach and will help lead the Huskers in 2013. Thramer averaged 1.64 kills and 1.17 blocks as a junior, she totaled at least five blocks 16 times in 2012 and notched a career-high 10 blocks against Purdue in 2012.

Huskers Battle in Red/White Scrimmage

The 10th-ranked Nebraska volleyball team held its annual Red/White Match on Saturday, Aug. 24 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in front of a sellout crowd of 8,243 fans. The Nebraska alumni team, led by Olympians Jordan Larson and Nancy Metcalf, took the match 2-1 (25-19, 17-25, 25-22) on the historic night at the Devaney.

Kelsey Fien and Morgan Broekhuis led the Huskers on the night with 12 kills each. Broekhuis tallied a .357 hitting percentage, while Fien notched a clip of .280. Husker setters Kelly Hunter and Mary Pollmiller both saw playing time during the match, with Pollmiller notching 24 assists and Hunter with seven assists. Justine Wong-Orantes had 12 digs.

Cook Selects Team Captains

Coach Cook selected team captains for the 2013 season prior to the Red/White Match. He selected Morgan Broekhuis, Kelsey Robinson and Hayley Thramer.