Nebraska Weekly Wrapup, 10/3/98

The University of Nebraska will look to extend its perfect 11-0 record this week with Big 12 matches against Kansas and Oklahoma.

The Huskers, ranked No. 3 in the USA Today/AVCA Coaches Poll, are off to their best start since 1994, sixth best overall. The Huskers have swept 10 of 11 opponents this fall, sporting a 33-1 game record. Two-time defending national champion Stanford is the only team to win a game from Nebraska this year.

Nebraska enters its second weekend of Big 12 play as the top-ranked blocking team in the country. NU's blocking attack is led by senior Megan Korver (Panama, Neb.). The 6-1 middle blocker leads the Huskers with 1.67 blocks per game. Junior Tonia Tauke (Council Bluffs, Iowa) and sophomore outside hitter Nancy Meendering (Hull, Iowa) have been a solid wall at the net as well, combining for 85 total blocks. As a team, NU is holding opponents to a .114 hitting percentage, including a combined .034 through the past five matches. Through 34 games, Nebraska has surrendered just 225 total points, an average of just 6.6 points per game.

While the primary focus has been on Nebraska's immovable net defense, the Husker offense has been quietly getting the job done. Nebraska's offense is moving along at a .334 clip, averaging 14.24 kills per game. Despite losing just one starter from 1997, NU's offense has taken a new look. While three-time All-American Lisa Reitsma averaged 4.75 kills in 1997 (30 percent of the Husker offense), this year's team features four players with at least 73 kills. Ten players on the squad are averaging at least one kill per game. Korver has been the key as of late, averaging 3.15 kills per game while hitting for a .459 average.

Korver, Huskers drop Iowa State

Nebraska used a perfect night from senior middle blocker Megan Korver to open its Big 12 Conference season with an easy 15-1, 15-5, 15-6 victory over Iowa State in front of a crowd of 3,404 in the Nebraska Coliseum Friday.

Korver became just the 11th player in NCAA history to hit 1.000 in a match, finishing with a school record 10 kills on 10 attacks. Three players finished with six kills apiece for Nebraska, as all 14 Huskers saw action in the win.

Nebraska held the Cyclones to just one kill and a negative .400 hitting percentage in the first game, while the Huskers answered with 12 kills of their own to coast to a 15-1 win. Korver led the way with six kills in the first frame.

Nebraska ran off four straight points to start the second game, building an 11-3 advantage. Nebraska Head Coach Terry Pettit experimented with the Husker lineup and even unveiled the Huskers' 6-2 offense that uses two setters. Senior setter Fiona Nepo had three kills in the game, while adding 10 assists.

Nebraska used a balanced attack to finish off the Cyclones in game three. Junior Tonia Tauke, senior Jaime Krondak and freshman Jenny Kropp each had four kills to pace the Husker offense. Iowa State's Virginia Hoss led the Cyclones with nine kills in the match.

Nebraska hit .438 from the floor, posting its highest hitting percentage in 39 matches. The last time the Huskers recorded a better mark was a .471 average against Miami-Ohio in the second match of the 1997 season. Nebraska, the top rated blocking team in the country, added 13 total blocks holding the Cyclones to a negative .024 average. It marked the fourth straight match that the Huskers have held their opponents under a .100 hitting average.

Nebraska sweeps Missouri

Nebraska's defense carried the Huskers to their 29th straight victory over the Tigers, 15-7, 15-3, 15-4. Nebraska posted 13 team blocks and held Missouri to .080 hitting from the floor. The NU offense didn't disappoint either, as Nebraska hit .402 in the match, marking the second time in as many nights the Huskers hit over .400.

A crowd of 3,689 witnessed the Huskers win its 27th consecutive game and eighth straight sweep as the Huskers improved to 11-0 overall and 2-0 in the Big 12.

One night after Korver's record performance, she responded with another stellar night. She finished with 11 kills on 18 attacks with one hitting error to lead Nebraska. She finished the weekend with a .714 average, recording 21 kills on 28 attacks with just one hitting error. She also added five blocks against the Tigers.

"(Megan's) just a good player," Nebraska coach Terry Pettit said. "She's played with the same setter now for three years. She is a senior and I think she is aware the end is coming. So there is probably more urgency to her play. We saw her get better at the end of last year and that has carried over to this year."

Senior Jaime Krondak and junior Tonia Tauke were both perfect from the floor. Krondak had six kills on eight attacks, while Tauke finished with seven kills on 11 attacks. Sophomore Katie Jahnke came off the bench to add another five kills for Nebraska.

Missouri coach Disa Johnson said she was disappointed with her team's performance.

"We made too many unforced errors," Johnson said. "(Nebraska) scored a lot of points on our errors where they never even contacted the ball."

Missouri finished the match with nine service errors, seven receiving errors and no service aces. Missouri fell to 8-5 overall and 0-2 in Big 12 play.