Huskers Set for Sand Volleyball Trip to Hawaii, Arizona

• The Nebraska sand volleyball team is set to begin the 2015 season this week as it travels to Hawaii and Arizona for a string of matches from March 19-28.

• The 19th-ranked Huskers begin the trip in Honolulu, Hawaii with the Queen of the Beach Challenge on Thursday, March 19 - Saturday, March 21. In addition to the tournament play, the Huskers will play three dual matches in Hawaii. NU will face No. 3 USC on Thursday at 3 p.m. (CT). The Huskers will then play a Sunday doubleheader at the Ching Complex on Hawaii’s campus against No. 1 Hawaii and California at 7 p.m. (CT) and 9 p.m. (CT), respectively.

• Nebraska’s projected lineup for the weekend is as follows: 1) Alicia Ostrander/Justine Wong-Orantes; 2) Alexa Ethridge/Kira Larson; 3) Amber Rolfzen/Melanie Keil; 4) Kelly Hunter/Kadie Rolfzen; 5) Cecilia Hall/Annika Albrecht.

• Melanie Keil and Justine Wong-Orantes led the Huskers with a 7-6 record as a pair last season. Of the five projected Husker lineups for the weekend, none played together as a pair last season.

• The Huskers went 3-2 in dual matches last spring in just their second season as a program. NU went 0-2 on its Hawaii trip, falling in sweeps to both No. 2 USC and No. 3 Hawaii. But the Huskers rebounded in Arizona with a 3-0 record with wins over Arizona State, No. 18 Grand Canyon and No. 14 Arizona.

UP NEXT
• After concluding play in Hawaii on Sunday, the Huskers will travel back to the mainland for five dual matches in Arizona. NU will take on Arizona State, Grand Canyon, Cal State Northridge, Boise State and Arizona in a four-day span in Arizona, beginning Wednesday, March 25.