Huskers Travel to No. 24 Illinois

The top-ranked Nebraska volleyball team takes its 27-match win streak to Illinois for a 7:30 p.m. match on Wednesday at Huff Hall in Champaign. The match will be televised on BTN and streamed online at BTN2GO.com. Husker Sports Network will carry all the action on HSN affiliates, including 107.3 FM in Lincoln and 105.9 FM in Omaha.

Nebraska will be playing the 1,500th match in program history on Wednesday. With an all-time record of 1,256-231-12, the Huskers rank first in NCAA Division I in all-time victories and third in all-time win percentage (.842).

Wednesday’s match marks the third straight Big Ten road match to begin the season. The Huskers swept No. 22 Michigan and fought back from a 2-0 deficit to beat now-No. 18 Michigan State, 3-2, in East Lansing.

Series History
• Nebraska is 21-7-1 all-time against Illinois. The Huskers swept the Fighting Illini twice last season. In the match in Champaign on Oct. 17, the Huskers prevailed 25-22, 25-18, 25-19 with Mikaela Foecke leading the way with 12 kills and five aces. Illinois last beat the Huskers on Nov. 26, 2014, 3-2 in Champaign. NU is 6-2 against Illinois since joining the Big Ten and is 3-1 in matches played in Champaign.

Coaches
• Nebraska head coach John Cook is in his 17th season at Nebraska and 24th overall season as a head coach. Cook is 479-62 at NU and 640-135 overall.
• Kevin Hambly is in his eighth season as head coach at Illinois. He is 170-76 entering Wednesday’s match.

About the Huskers
• The Huskers are 11-0 on the season and have been the unanimous No. 1 team in the AVCA Coaches Poll for the last five weeks.
• Nebraska has won 27 straight matches, its longest win streak since the end of 2006 and beginning of 2007 (29). Since John Cook took over in 2000, the Huskers have won at least 20 straight matches nine times. The longest win streak in Nebraska history is 36, spanning 2000 (Cook’s unbeaten national title team) and beginning of 2001. The Huskers also had a 36-match win streak to begin the 1976 season.
• The Huskers have picked up where they left off in 2015, outhitting their opponents .333 to .139 this season. Serving, passing and defense triggered the Huskers’ run to the national title last season, and NU has excelled in those areas so far in 2016. The Huskers average 1.46 aces per set to just 0.59 for their opponents. NU averages 2.80 blocks set, while opponents are averaging 1.49 against the Huskers.
• The Huskers’ .333 hitting percentage leads the Big Ten and ranks second in the nation, and their 14.70 kills per set are fifth nationally and first in the Big Ten.
• Nebraska’s opponent hitting percentage (.139) ranks third in the Big Ten and 11th nationally.
• The Huskers have won 11 straight matches against ranked opponents and 10 straight road matches, equaling the longest road winning streak since winning 11 straight from 2007 to 2008. The Huskers won 26 straight road matches from 2003 to 2005.
• Nebraska’s .885 win percentage under head coach John Cook is the best by any program since Cook took over in the 2000 season.

Last Time Out
• Nebraska put in a dominating defensive effort in a 25-22, 25-20, 25-18 sweep of No. 22 Michigan to open Big Ten play last Friday at Cliff Keen Arena. The Huskers tallied 13 blocks, including seven alone in set two, and stifled the Wolverines - the nation’s sixth-best hitting team entering the match at .301 - to a season-low .118 attack percentage.
• The Huskers displayed their championship character by coming back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat No. 20 Michigan State, 3-2 (22-25, 23-25, 25-20, 25-14, 16-14) at Jenison Field House in front of 4,175 fans last Saturday night. The Huskers had their backs against the wall with Michigan State already up 2-0 in the match and leading 13-8 in the third set. But Nebraska found a way to turn the match around, even fighting off a match point in set five, to escape with its 27th win in a row and 11th straight win against a ranked opponent.

Huskers Top AVCA Coaches Poll
• The Huskers remained at the top of the AVCA Coaches Poll that came out on Monday, for the fifth straight week as a unanimous No. 1. The Huskers collected all 64 first-place votes and have been at the top of the poll since winning the national title in 2015, seven straight polls dating back to last season.
• The Huskers began the year at No. 1 in the preseason poll for the fifth time in school history (2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2015). The 2006 squad went wire-to-wire to win the national title. This year’s Husker team is aiming to become the first in program history to repeat as champions.
• NU’s No. 1 ranking marks the 92nd poll all-time in which they’ve earned the top spot, the most in NCAA history.
• The Huskers have been ranked in the top 10 a total of 447 times, which is the most in NCAA history.
• Nebraska has appeared in all 500 AVCA Coaches Polls since it was established in 1982. Nebraska and Stanford are the only two programs to be ranked in every poll all-time.

Scouting Illinois
• The Fighting Illini returned five starters from last year’s Sweet 16 team, and they have won seven straight matches after a 2-4 start to the season. Illinois lost four straight matches to Missouri State, Stanford, Colorado and Oregon, but has since strung together six sweeps and an impressive 3-2 win at No. 10 Purdue to begin Big Ten play last week. Illinois is third in the Big Ten in blocks (3.00 per set). Nebraska faced the top serving team in the Big Ten last week (Michigan State, 2.13 aces per set) but now will face the team with the fewest aces per set in the conference (1.10 per set). Freshman Jacqueline Quade leads the team with 3.10 kills per set. Michelle Strizak averages 2.59 kills per set and 1.75 digs per set. Ali Bastianelli leads the Big Ten in blocks with 1.83 per set. Sophomore setter Jordyn Poulter, a preseason All-Big Ten selection, averages 10.25 assists per set. Brandi Donnelly puts up 4.15 digs per set.

Up Next
• Nebraska will host No. 19 Ohio State in its Big Ten home opener on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Fans are reminded that the start time was pushed back 30 minutes to 7:30 p.m. to accommodate fans coming to the match from the 2:30 p.m. football game.

Three-Time All-American Kadie Rolfzen Leads the Attack
• Senior outside hitter Kadie Rolfzen was named a first-team AVCA All-American in 2015, her third career All-America honor but first selection to the first team. Rolfzen was also a unanimous All-Big Ten selection, her third straight season on the team.
• Rolfzen leads the Huskers with 3.22 kills per set and adds 2.59 digs per set. Her double-double (17 kills, 13 digs) against Creighton was the 43rd of her career. She also has a team-high 13 aces this season.
• Rolfzen ranks ninth in school history with 1,313 career kills. Against New Mexico on Sept. 10, she became the fifth Husker all-time to reach 1,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs.
• Rolfzen was named the most valuable player at the Nebraska Invite, Lobo Classic and Ameritas Players Challenge this season.
• Rolfzen was not only productive on the court in 2015, she excelled off of it. The graphic design major posted a perfect 4.0 GPA in 2015-16 to earn Big Ten Distinguished Scholar honors.

Amber Rolfzen Set to Build On Second-Team All-America Honors
• Senior Amber Rolfzen made a position switch from outside hitter to middle blocker before the 2015 season, and the switch resulted in second-team AVCA All-America honors and the Big Ten blocks title for the Papillion, Neb., native.
• Rolfzen is averaging 1.78 kills per set and a team-high 1.27 blocks per set and is hitting .355.
• Rolfzen was named to the All-America second team and the All-Big Ten Team after posting 1.58 blocks per set in 2015, which led the Big Ten and ranked fourth nationally. Her block average was the best by a Husker since Melissa Elmer’s school-record 2.17 in 2005.
• Rolfzen was named to the NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team after 10 kills and four blocks with a .625 hitting percentage in the championship win over Texas.
• Rolfzen accumulated three Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors in 2015.

Wong-Orantes Back For More After Breakout Season
• Senior libero Justine Wong-Orantes burst onto the national scene in 2015 with third-team AVCA All-America honors and the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year award.
• Wong-Orantes is averaging 3.81 digs per set this season and was named the best libero at the Nebraska Invite and Ameritas Players Challenge.
• Wong-Orantes ranks third in school history with 1,549 career digs and with 20 more will pass Jennifer Saleaumua for second all-time. Wong-Orantes is chasing Kayla Banwarth’s career record of 1,706. Banwarth is the starting libero for the U.S. Women’s National Team, and Wong-Orantes is trending on that path. Wong-Orantes played with the U.S. Women’s National Team at the Pan American Cup over the summer, averaging 4.8 digs per set while helping the Americans to the bronze medal.
• The Cypress, Calif., native averaged 4.55 digs per set with a total of 555 digs in 2015, the third most by a Husker in school history.

Experienced Hunter Leads Huskers as Captain Again
• Despite being in her first season as the Huskers’ starting setter last year, Kelly Hunter was picked as one of the team captains. Now a junior, Hunter is the Huskers’ lone captain as selected by head coach John Cook.
• Hunter is averaging 11.19 assists, 2.14 digs, 1.14 kills and 0.86 blocks per set. She has served a team-high 13 aces.
• Hunter was named the Big Ten Setter of the Week for the third time in her career after 12.43 assists per set on opening weekend, as well as 1.43 kills per set and 2.00 digs per set. She was named to both the Nebraska Invite and Lobo Classic All-Tournament Teams.
• She earned her fourth Big Ten Setter of the Week honor on Sept. 26 after a season-high 53 assists with 10 digs and six blocks in a 3-2 comeback win at Michigan State.
• The Papillion, Neb., native guided the Huskers to the national title in 2015 and received AVCA All-America honorable mention. She was named to the NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team after posting 42 assists, four digs and three blocks in the championship match.
• Hunter averaged 11.64 assists per set last season and totaled 1,501, the third most in the nation. She had 10 double-doubles and was the Big Ten Setter of the Week twice.

Foecke In Rare Company
• Mikaela Foecke was the NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player last season, becoming just the third freshman to earn the honor, after 19 kills on .385 hitting in the championship win against Texas.
• This season, Foecke is averaging 2.84 kills per set and hitting .317.
• Foecke received AVCA All-America honorable mention and was a unanimous selection to the All-Big Ten Freshman team in 2015.
• Following her freshman season, Foecke was a finalist for the AAU Sullivan Award, presented annually to the top amateur athlete in the United States.

Holman Makes Long-Awaited Return
• Junior middle blocker Briana Holman made her first official appearance in a collegiate match since December 2014 when she took the court with the Huskers at the season-opening VERT Challenge. Holman transferred from LSU to Nebraska but did not receive her scholarship release, so she was forced to sit out the 2015 season.
• On opening weekend, Holman had an immediate impact. She was named the espnW National Player of the Week after averaging 2.57 kills and 1.43 blocks per set while hitting .571 in the wins over Florida and Texas. Holman had 10 kills and seven blocks against the Gators, and eight kills and three blocks against Texas with a .727 hitting percentage.
• Holman is averaging 2.30 kills and 1.22 blocks per set to lead the team in that category. She is hitting .384. Holman was named to the Ameritas Players Challenge All-Tournament Team.
• Holman was a first-team AVCA All-American at LSU in 2014 with 3.94 kills and 1.47 blocks per set. She was a two-time All-SEC performer for the Tigers and represented the U.S. Collegiate National Team at the World University Games in South Korea in July 2015.

Malloy Brings More Experience to Husker Roster
• Senior transfer Andie Malloy gives the Huskers more depth and experience at outside hitter. A two-time All-Big 12 performer at Baylor, Malloy earned her degree in 2015 and had one season of eligibility remaining.
• Malloy is averaging 2.81 kills per set for the Big Red. She had a season-best 14 kills at New Mexico and was on the Lobo Classic All-Tournament Team.
• Malloy came to Nebraska after ranking second in the Big 12 in kills per set (3.89) and double-doubles (17) in 2015.

Huskers On Television
• The Nebraska volleyball team is set to receive extensive television coverage in 2016. The Huskers will make at least 16 regular-season TV appearances, including an ESPN2 showdown with Purdue on Sunday, Oct. 9 at the Devaney Center.
• The Huskers will have eight broadcasts on Big Ten Network and seven more on NET. All 10 of the Huskers’ Big Ten home matches will be televised.
• Any match on BTN or NET will also be streamed online at BTN2GO.com. For non-televised Big Ten matches, an online stream is available for purchase through BTN Plus at BTN2GO.com.

Huskers Tabbed Big Ten Favorites
• The 14 Big Ten head coaches selected Nebraska as the unanimous favorite in the Big Ten Conference Preseason Poll. The Huskers finished second in the Big Ten in 2015 with a 17-3 record and are trying to win the conference crown for the first time since 2011. That will be no easy feat, however, as nine Big Ten teams are ranked in the AVCA Coaches Poll. Nebraska has 13 matches scheduled against preseason top-25 teams.
• Seniors Amber Rolfzen, Kadie Rolfzen and Justine Wong-Orantes were picked to the All-Big Ten Preseason Team. The Rolfzen twins were All-Big Ten selections last year, while Wong-Orantes earned honorable mention but was selected as the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Kadie Rolfzen was one of four unanimous selections to the preseason team.

Cook Adds to Legacy
• Nebraska head coach John Cook is in his 17th season as the Nebraska volleyball head coach in 2016. He has led the Huskers to three national championships, six final fours, 10 conference championships and 14 top-10 final rankings since 2000. Cook has 638 career wins and is the sixth-winningest coach in NCAA history.
• Since taking over the program in 2000, Cook has led the Huskers to a nation-leading .885 win percentage in that time (479-62).
• Under Cook, the Huskers have achieved 45 All-Americans and 18 Academic All-Americans, both among the best in the nation. He is a two-time AVCA National Coach of the Year, earning the prestigious honor in 2000 and 2005, and a four-time Big 12 Coach of the Year.
• Cook is one of only four active coaches - and one of six all-time - to be a two-time AVCA National Coach of the Year and was honored in 2008 by USA Volleyball, receiving its All-Time Great Coach Award.

Busboom Kelly Celebrates Second National Title - One as Coach, One as Player
• Regarded as one of the best recruiters in the nation, assistant coach Dani Busboom Kelly has helped Nebraska’s resurgence to the forefront of college volleyball over the last four seasons, as the Huskers captured the 2015 NCAA National Championship at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, the same place Busboom Kelly won the national title as a player for the Huskers in 2006.
• Busboom Kelly coached two AVCA All-Americans and two honorable-mention selections in 2015. Kadie Rolfzen was a first-team AVCA All-American, while Justine Wong-Orantes was a third-team selection for the first time, as well as the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year after a sparkling season at libero. Setter Kelly Hunter and outside hitter Mikaela Foecke earned All-American honorable mention, and Foecke was the NCAA National Championship most outstanding player, just the third freshman in NCAA Division I Volleyball history to earn the honor.
• In her four seasons at Nebraska, Busboom Kelly has helped the Huskers to four NCAA regional final appearances. In 2015, Nebraska setter Kelly Hunter was third in the nation in assists (1,501), while Justine Wong-Orantes was second in the Big Ten in digs per set (4.57) and moved to No. 4 in school history in career digs.

Tamas’ Bring Instant Impact
• Chris Tamas is in his second season as a Husker assistant coach, while his wife, Jennifer (Joines) Tamas, is a volunteer assistant. The two came to NU in May from Cal Poly, where they spent two seasons in the same roles. Both Chris and Jen are former U.S. National Team captains. Chris was a first-team AVCA All-American in 2003 at Pacific, while Jen was the Big West Conference Player of the Year in 2003 at Pacific.
• Chris Tamas’ impact on the program was felt immediately, as the Huskers won the 2015 NCAA Championship in his first season on the bench. With Tamas guiding the Huskers’ block and defense, Amber Rolfzen was an AVCA second-team All-American and an All-Big Ten middle blocker. The Huskers posted the top opponent hitting percentage in the Big Ten (.167) and were second in blocks per set (2.94). Rolfzen’s 1.58 blocks per set ranked fourth in the nation and was the highest block total by a Husker since 2005.

Husker Fans Set Attendance Standard Once Again
• For the third straight season, the Huskers led the nation in attendance in 2015, this time with a new NCAA attendance record of 8,206. NU’s average was 1,301 more than runner-up Hawaii.
• In 2013, the Huskers led the nation in attendance (8,175) for the first time since 1992, ending Hawaii’s 21-year reign as the national leader.
• The Huskers repeated as attendance champions in 2014 with 8,083 fans per match, which included a school-record 8,585 fans at the Oct. 3 win against Penn State.
• Nebraska has ranked in the top three nationally in attendance every season since 1990 (26 straight seasons).
• The Huskers have sold out every regular-season match since 2001, a streak of 209 consecutive matches, the longest sellout streak in the history of NCAA women’s athletics.
• The Devaney Center has hosted the three largest regular-season crowds in NCAA history and seven of the 10 largest.

Former Huskers Shine at Olympics
• The U.S. Women’s Volleyball team had a distinct “Nebraska” feel at the Olympics this summer. Libero Kayla Banwarth and outside hitters Jordan Larson and Kelsey Robinson all started or played big minutes for Team USA, as they earned the bronze medal. The Huskers’ three representatives on the Olympic team were more than any other school. Additionally, former Husker National Player of the Year Sarah Pavan earned a fifth-place finish in beach volleyball for Canada.