Huskers Host No. 18 Illinois on Wednesday

The fifth-ranked Nebraska volleyball team enters the final week of the regular season with an eight-match win streak and will look to continue it against No. 18 Illinois on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The match will be televised on NET and streamed online at BTN2GO.com. John Baylor and Diane Mendenhall will have the radio call on Husker Sports Network (107.3 FM in Lincoln and 105.9 FM in Omaha). A free live audio stream and live stats are available at Huskers.com.

Nebraska (24-4, 15-3 Big Ten) is riding an eight-match win streak dating back to Oct. 30. The Huskers already have surpassed last year’s win totals (23 overall, 14 Big Ten) but are looking for more. The Huskers are in second place in the Big Ten standings, one match behind Minnesota. The Gophers can clinch at least a share of the Big Ten title with a win at home vs. Ohio State on Wednesday. Nebraska completed the road portion of its Big Ten schedule with a 9-1 record after a 3-1 win at Michigan last Saturday. It marks the best conference road record by the Huskers since joining the Big Ten and the best road record by a Big Ten team this season. The Huskers’ only road loss of the Big Ten season was in five sets at Ohio State on Oct. 3.

Illinois (19-10, 10-8 Big Ten) started Big Ten play 2-4 but is 8-4 since. The Fighting Illini most recently swept Indiana at home last Saturday. Illinois is 5-5 on the road this season and 4-4 in Big Ten road matches.

Series History: Nebraska is 20-7-1 all-time against Illinois and 8-2 in matches played in Lincoln. The Huskers posted a sweep at Illinois on Oct. 17, 25-22, 25-18, 25-19. Nebraska had 13 blocks in that match - eight by Amber Rolfzen - while Mikaela Foecke had 12 kills and five aces.

Up Next: Nebraska closes the regular season on Senior Night against Penn State at the Devaney Center on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. The match will air on BTN.

ABOUT THE HUSKERS
• Nebraska ranks first in the Big Ten in digs per set (15.68) and kills per set (14.30).
• Nebraska is hitting .270 for the season and holding opponents to .169.
• Two-time All-American Kadie Rolfzen is putting up a team-best 3.32 kills per set along with 2.73 digs per set.
• Libero Justine Wong-Orantes averages 4.52 digs per set, third-most in the Big Ten. Wong-Orantes has 4.73 digs per set in conference matches to rank first.
• Middle blocker Amber Rolfzen leads the team with 134 blocks. Her 1.52 blocks per set is first in the Big Ten and seventh nationally.
• Setter Kelly Hunter guides the Husker attack with 11.37 assists per set.
• True freshman outside hitter Mikaela Foecke averages 3.00 kills per set and has won two Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week honors.
• Outside hitter Kelsey Fien, an All-Big Ten performer in 2014, is averaging 2.59 kills per set.
• Senior middle blocker Cecilia Hall is putting up 1.66 kills per set and 1.03 blocks per set on the season.
• Sophomore Annika Albrecht is second in the Big Ten with 32 service aces. She served six aces in a three-set win over Rutgers on Oct. 30, one shy of the school record for aces in a match.

SCOUTING ILLINOIS
Illinois is led by Jocelynn Birks, who averages 3.90 kills per set. Michelle Strizak adds 3.14 kills per set. Illinois is third in the conference in opponent hitting percentage (.170) and fourth in blocks (2.76). Setter Jordyn Poulter averages 10.41 assists per set.

LAST TIME OUT
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The No. 6 Nebraska volleyball team cooled off one of the Big Ten’s hottest teams with a 3-1 (25-19, 22-25, 25-22, 25-19) win over Michigan at the Crisler Center on Saturday night. On a snowy night in Ann Arbor, the Huskers (24-4, 15-3 Big Ten) slowed down Michigan (18-11, 8-10 Big Ten), which had beaten top-15 opponents in its last two matches. The Huskers, winners of eight straight, hit .318 and are 243-0 when hitting .300 or better under John Cook. Four Huskers tallied double-digit kills, led by Kadie Rolfzen’s 17 and 11 digs. Kelsey Fien also had 17 kills, while Mikaela Foecke had 13 and hit .393. Amber Rolfzen tacked on 10 kills, six blocks and hit a career-best .769.