Nebraska Outlasts Utah to Advance with Four-Game Victory

Lincoln, Neb. -- The University of Nebraska advanced to the Pacific Region semifinals with a 14-16, 15-4, 15-8, 159 win over the University of Utah in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in front of a crowd of 4,098 at the Nebraska Coliseum in Lincoln, Neb., on Saturday night.

With the win, the Huskers advance to the Pacific Regional semifinals and will play Pepperdine (19-10) on Friday, Dec. 11 at the Nebraska Coliseum in Lincoln, Neb. Three quarters of Pacific Regional field is set following Wisconsin's (29-4) sweep over San Diego tonight in Madison, Wis. The fourth team will be determined on Sunday at Cal-Santa Barbara.

The Huskers rode the left arm of sophomore Nancy Meendering to the four-game win. Meendering had a career-best 33 kills on 66 attacks. Meendering hit .485 with only one error. Her 33 kills were the most for the Huskers since Lisa Reitsma had 34 against Arkansas in the NCAA Tournament in 1996. Meendering's 66 attacks set a school record for the most by a Huskers in a four-game match breaking the record of 64 set by Billie Winsett in the 1995 NCAA Championship match against Texas.

As a team, Nebraska hit .335 as three players had double figures in kills. Meendering was joined by Megan Korver who had 15 kills and Tonia Tauke who had 11. Nebraska was tough defensively with four players with double-figure kills, led by Mandy Monson, who had a career-high 26 digs.

Utah had three players in double figures with Sara Shakula and Kalani Tonga leading the way with 14 kills each. Utah hit .185 as team and had four players with double figures in digs, led by Tonga and Graciella Torres who had 18 digs apiece.

In the fourth game, Utah took a 6-3 lead, before the Huskers made a run. Nebraska scored eight consecutive points to take an 11-3 lead. Utah closed within 13-9 before Nebraska scored the final two points of the game to win 15-9.

In the third game, Utah came out hot taking a 3-0 lead, but Nebraska scored six straight points to take a 6-3 lead on a kill by Nancy Meendering. The Utes clawed back and tied the game 6-6 on a service ace by Sara Shakula. Nebraska went on a four-point run before Utes pulled within 10-8, but Nebraska scored the final five points of the game and took a two-games-to-one advantage on Meendering's 20th kill of the match to win game three 15-8.

After a disappointing loss in game one, Nebraska stormed back to win game two 15-4. After allowing the Utes to hit .265 in the first game, the Husker defense held Utah to just a .024 hitting percentage en route to tying the match at one game apiece. Nebraska hit .333 in the second game behind a six-kill effort by Nancy Meendering.

The Huskers led 2-1, before scoring nine of the game's next 11 points to take a commanding 11-3 lead. After Utah fought off two game points behind 14-4, Megan Korver ripped a kill to win the game for Nebraska 15-4.

In the first game, both teams battled until the end with Utah winning 16-14 on a kill by Sara Shakula. In a game that featured six ties, the Huskers fought off two Ute game points before Shakula's dink shot over the Husker front row ended the game.

Utah earned its first game point following a kill by Brooke Barton, but Nancy Meendering kept Nebraska alive with a kill. On Utah's second attempt to win the game, a miscommunication between two Ute players as they watched the ball hit the floor. Nebraska tied the game again at 14 when Megan Korver and Mandy Monson blocked McKelle Stilson. But Utah came back and took a 15-14 advantage on Shakula's eighth kill of the game. Shakula's ninth kill ended the game.

In game one, Shakula led all players with nine kills and hit .471 as the Utes hit .265. The Huskers were led by Meendering's six kills and hit .317 as a team. Both teams struggled from behind the service line as Nebraska committed six errors and Utah had five miscues.

Nebraska (30-1) Match Notes:
* The last time Nebraska lost the first game at home in a match was to Texas Tech on Nov. 22, 1996.

* The last time the Huskers lost the first-game of an NCAA Tournament match at home was to Penn State on Dec, 12, 1986.

* Senior Megan Korver eclipsed the 1,000 kills mark in her Nebraska career with 15 kills tonight. For her career, she has 1,012 career kills.

* Nebraska extended its NU Coliseum home-court winning streak to 63 matches and 24 overall.

* Nancy Meendering had a career-best 33 kills and hit .485 on the night with only one hitting error in 66 attempts. The 66 attempts set a school record breaking the mark of 64 set by Billie Winsett in the 1995 NCAA Championship match against Texas. Meendering's previous career best was 30 kills against Texas A&M on Nov. 21, 1998.

* The last time the Huskers played Pepperdine was on Oct. 25, 1984 when Nebraska won in five games at Pepperdine.

* The Huskers advanced to the Sweet 16 for fifth consecutive year.

Utah (21-10) Match Notes:
* The Utes lost for the first time this season after winning a first game. Utah was 19-0 in 1998 after winning in the first game until the loss to the Huskers.

* Senior outside hitter Sara Shakula had nine kills in the first game and hit an impressive .471. In game two, Shakula was held to just one kill and hit .000.