Huskers Kick off Spring Season with Texas A&M, USPV

Lincoln -- The Nebraska volleyball team will open its 2001 spring exhibition season Saturday when it plays host to the Nebraska Spring Tournament at the NU Coliseum. The defending national champion Huskers will face Texas A&M at 11 a.m. before meeting up with United States Professional Volleyball at 6 p.m. The Aggies and USPV will square off at 3 p.m.

DATE	DAY	EVENT	SITE	TIME
April 7	Sat.	HUSKERS vs. Texas A&M	Lincoln, NE	11 a.m.
		USPV vs. Texas A&M		3 p.m.
		HUSKERS vs. USPV		6 p.m.
		United States Professional Volleyball

Nebraskas spring roster features nine players from the 2000 squad that became just the second team in NCAA history to finish the season undefeated and win the national championship, including 2000 AVCA National Player of the Year Greichaly Cepero and All-Americans Laura Pilakowski and Amber Holmquist. Noticeably absent will be 1999 Big 12 Player of the Year Nancy Meendering and sophomore Sara Westling. Both are practicing with the team but are not allowed to complete until the fall after redshirting in 2000.

Texas A&M returns four starters from last years team that went 20-9 overall and was No. 23 in the final national rankings after advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament. The Aggies defeated Texas and Southwest Texas State April 1 in spring exhibition matches in College Station, Texas.

USPV features several former college standouts, including former Penn State setter Bonnie Bremner, a four-time AVCA All-American.

Spring Matches to be Played Under Proposed Format
Nebraskas spring matches will be played under the rally-scoring format that will be recommended by the NCAA Division I Womens Volleyball Committee to the NCAA Championships Cabinet at its summer meeting.

The proposed scoring format recommendation will utilize a best three-out-of-five rally scoring to 30 points. Currently, all levels of womens collegiate volleyball use the traditional side-out scoring format to 15 points with rally scoring in the tie-breaking fifth game. The recommendation, if approved by the NCAA Championships Cabinet, would go in effect for the 2001 championship season.

Nebraska 2001 Schedule Released
Nebraska will once again pay one of the most competitive schedules in the nation in 2001. The Huskers will play 12 games against 10 teams that finished the 2000 season ranked in the USA Today/AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25, including five teams that ended the season ranked in the top 10. Nebraskas first seven matches in 2001 will be against top 25 teams.

NUs regular season schedule includes 12 home matches and 13 matches on the road. Nebraska will play host to the US Bank/Arbys Classic Sept. 7-9 after traveling to two prestigous tournaments, the Sept. 1-2 Long Beach Invitational and the State Farm/NACWAA Classic at Pepperdine Aug. 24-25.