No. 2 Nebraska Begins Crucial Stretch with No. 15 Texas A&M

Lincoln -- The No. 2 Nebraska volleyball team will face a ranked team for the first time in almost four weeks Wednesday, Nov. 7, when it plays host to No. 15 Texas A&M in a 7 p.m. match at the NU Coliseum. The Aggies, who fell to NU, 3-1, in College Station Oct. 14, have steadily moved up the AVCA/USA Today Coaches poll all season, and A&M has now been ranked 14th or 15th for three straight weeks.

With only seven regular-season matches remaining, the Huskers have little room for error if they hope to earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and secure the homecourt advantage throughout the tournament, NU Coach John Cook said.

The NCAA Championships Cabinet is looking at ways to reduce postseason travel, due in part to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. An increased emphasis on geographic location will influence selection for first and second round and regional sites, and higher-seeded teams arent guaranteed to host.

A slip up in the final weeks of the season could cost Nebraska, Cook said. But the Huskers certainly havent prompted concerns with their dominant performances as of late. Nebraska has continued to roll through its Big 12 Conference schedule, as NU has been led by the 1-2 punch of Nancy Metcalf and Laura Pilakowski. Metcalf leads NU with 4.52 kills per game on a .349 hitting percentage, and Pilakowski is second on the team with 3.31 kills per game on a .296 hitting percentage. Junior setter Greichaly Cepero has guided NU to a .315 hitting percentage on the season, averaging 12.85 assists, 1.13 kills, 1.17 blocks and 2.28 digs per game.

Defensively, Nebraska features the best middle blocking combination in the country. Jenny Kropp and Amber Holmquist rank fourth and fifth nationally, respectively, in blocks per game in matches through Oct. 28. Kropp leads the Big 12 with a 1.85 blocks per game in 2001, and Holmquist leads the conference in league matches only with 2.05 per game.

Husker Streaks

• The Huskers have won 40 consecutive home matches, including 38 straight matches at the NU Coliseum. The streak is currently the NCAAs third-longest. Ball State is second with 41, and Northern Iowa owns the nations longest streak at 43.
• NU Head Coach John Cook is 33-0 in the Big 12 Conference. Cook is 53-1 in two seasons at Nebraska, with his only loss coming at now-No. 1 Long Beach State Sept. 1, 2001.
• Nebraska has won 18 consecutive matches and 54 of its last 56 games.
• Nebraska has won 43 straight Big 12 matches, dating back to a five-game loss at Texas on Oct. 23, 1999.
• Junior defensive specialist Lindsay Wischmeier has played in a team-best 88 consecutive matches.

Quick Sets
The latest on the Nebraska starting lineup:

• Nancy Metcalf ... has averaged 5.80 kills and 3.60 digs in her last three matches. She leads the Huskers in kills per game (4.52), digs per game (3.15), service aces per game (0.43).
• Greichaly Cepero ... has averaged 13.10 assists per game and 1.60 kills per game on a .533 hitting percentage over the Huskers last three matches.
• Anna Schrad ... ranks third on the team with 2.88 digs per game. She posted her second double-double of the season with 10 kills and 13 digs at Texas Nov. 3.
• Jenny Kropp ... is averaging a team-best 1.90 blocks per game against ranked opponents. She ranks first in the Big 12 with 1.85 blocks per game, and she was fourth nationally in that category in last weeks NCAA statistics.
• Amber Holmquist ... has hit for a .333 percentage or better in 15 of Nebraskas 21 matches, including six performances of .600 or better and 11 of .400 or better.
• Laura Pilakowski ... re-emerged offensively in October, joining Nancy Metcalf to give the Huskers a potent 1-2 offensive punch. The Columbus, Neb., native hit .230 through NUs first 10 matches, but has hit .350 in its last 11 to bring her average to .296, a 66-point improvement.
• Lindsay Wischmeier ... has played in a team-best 88 consecutive matches, and she has seen action in 294 of a possible 296 games since arriving at Nebraska.

For more detailed information on Nebraskas starting lineup, please see pages 6-8.

A Look at Texas A&M (18-3 Overall, 11-2, Big 12)
Texas A&M is 18-3 overall and 11-2 in the Big 12 after sweeping Baylor in Waco Nov. 3. The Aggies spent their third straight week at either No. 14 or No. 15 in the AVCA/USA Today Coaches Poll last week, benefiting from wins over Kansas State and at No. 24 Colorado.

Senior setter and All-America candidate Jenna Moscovic, who leads the nation with four triple-doubles, averages 13.43 assists per game and leads the Aggies with a .348 hitting percentage. Moscovic ranks third on the team with 0.77 blocks per game and third with 2.75 digs per game. Senior outside hitter Michelle Cole, who has posted double figure dig totals in 17 of 19 matches this season, produced a career-high 32 digs against Kansas State Oct. 22 and leads the Big 12 with 4.49 digs per game.

• The Coach: In her ninth season, Lori Corbelli is 207-72 at the helm of the Aggies.
• The Series: Nebraska leads the all-times series, 14-6. Since losing five-game matches to A&M Nov. 20, 1998 and Oct. 2, 1999, the Huskers have won four straight against the Aggies. Eleven of the 20 games in the series have gone more than three games, and seven of the last nine have gone at least four games.
• The Last Time: Texas A&M broke the Huskers 36-game winning streak, but Nebraska was still victorious, taking a 3-1 win in College Station Oct. 13. Laura Pilakowski tallied 16 kills and 18 digs, both season-highs.

Cepero vs. Moscovic, Round Four
Wednesdays match will feature the Big 12s two most successful all-around setters in Nebraskas Greichaly Cepero and Texas A&Ms Jenna Moscovic. Cepero, a 6-foot-2 junior, is averaging 1.13 kills, 12.85 assists, 2.28 digs and 1.19 blocks per game while leading NU to a .315 hitting percentage and first place in the Big 12 standings. Moscovic, a 5-11 senior, is averaging 2.03 kills, 13.43 assists, 2.75 digs and 0.77 blocks per game while leading A&M to a .249 hitting percentage and second place in the league standings. Moscovic leads the nation in triple-doubles with four, while Cepero is the only setter to rank among the Big 12s leaders in blocks per game (fifth, 1.37 bpg).

Selected as the 2000 Preseason Co-Big 12 Players of the Year, Cepero and Moscovic have faced each other three times as setters (Cepero played outside hitter in both 1999 matchups). Cepero had one of the best matches of her career Oct. 8, 2000, in College Station, Texas, posting seven kills, a career-best 71 assists, a career-best 18 digs and six blocks in a 3-1 Nebraska win.

To be the Best, Play the Best ...
Nebraska has played perhaps the most difficult schedule in the nation this season, already facing nine teams ranked in the AVCA/USA Today Coaches Top 25 Poll. NU has played seven matches against teams that were not ranked at the time of the match, but have been ranked at some point in the season, including Colorado, Texas, Missouri, Baylor and Kansas State. The Huskers are 8-1 against ranked teams, defeating No. 5 Hawaii, No. 12 Pacific, No. 13 UC Santa Barbara, No. 15 Pepperdine, No. 20 Notre Dame, No. 7 UCLA, No. 25 Kansas State and No. 17 Texas A&M. NUs only loss to a ranked opponent was Sept. 1 at now-No. 1 Long Beach State.

Seniors Nancy Metcalf and Jenny Kropp have led Nebraska statistically against ranked teams, as Kropp has averaged 1.90 blocks per game and Metcalf has tallied 4.53 kills per game on a .341 hitting percentage and 3.20 digs per game.

The Great Wall
The most consistent and intimidating element of the Huskers game in recent years has been their block. Nebraska had out-blocked its opponents in an incredible 71 consecutive matches, going 68-3 during the streak, before falling two blocks shy of Missouri Oct. 24.

In Big 12 statistics released Oct. 29, Nebraska led the league with 4.50 blocks per game in conference matches. Junior middle blocker Amber Holmquist ranks first individually (2.05 bpg), followed by Jenny Kropp (second, 1.77 bpg), Greichaly Cepero (sixth, 1.37) and Nancy Metcalf (seventh, 1.29). The Huskers have out-blocked their Big 12 opponents 184.5-62.0 (4.50-1.51 per game) in 2001. If Nebraska continues its current pace, it will capture its fifth Big 12 blocking title.

The 2000 Huskers were statistically the best blocking squad in Nebraska and Big 12 Conference history. In 2000, NU set a school record with 4.20 blocks per game and a Big 12 record with 4.36 blocks per game in conference matches. The Huskers won the NCAA blocking title, and Holmquist claimed the NCAA individual blocking title with 1.98 blocks per game -- which was also a school record. Holmquist, who owns single-match conference records for block assists and total blocks, shattered the Big 12 record with 2.14 blocks per game in league matches. The Big 12s top three blockers were NU players -- Holmquist, Kropp (1.73 bpg) and Cepero (1.68 bpg).

Hitting Deficiency
Nebraska has stifled teams with its defense this season. Opponents are hitting just .098 collectively against Nebraska in 2001. Only two teams, No. 1 Long Beach State and Missouri, have hit better than .153 against Nebraska this season. The Huskers have held 11 of their opponents to less than .100 at the net, including No. 5 UCLA, which hit just .091 against NU. Nebraska leads the Big 12 Conference in opponent attack percentage, holding league teams to .077.

Home Sweet Home
The Huskers have won 40 consecutive matches in Lincoln and 38 straight matches at the NU Coliseum. Nebraskas last loss in Lincoln was a five-game defeat to Kansas State Sept. 22, 1999. NUs current home-match winning streak is currently the NCAAs third-longest. Ball State is second with 41, and Northern Iowa owns the nations longest streak at 43.

Last Time Out: Huskers Sweep Texas
Greichaly Cepero produced one of her best all-around games of the season to lead Nebraska to a 30-20, 30-26, 30 -27, win over Texas Nov. 3 at Gregory Gymnasium in Austin, Texas. The junior setter tallied 42 assists, seven kills on a .636 hitting percentage, nine digs and four blocks in helping the Huskers improve to 20-1 overall and 13-0 in the Big 12 Conference.

Senior right side hitter Nancy Metcalf led the Huskers offensively, pounding 18 kills on a .368 hitting percentage while adding a match-high 16 digs. Sophomore outside hitter Anna Schrad posted her second double-double of the season with 10 kills and 13 digs.

Nebraska hit .276 on the night while holding UT to .129 at the net. NU out-blocked the Longhorns 14-9.5, led by Jenny Kropps nine stops.

Bethany Howden led Texas with 14 kills, and Mira Topic added 10.

Down 2-0, Texas matched the Huskers point for point in the early minutes of game three. Nebraska junior outside hitter Laura Pilakowski broke a 10-10 tie with a kill, and the Columbus, Neb., native then served three straight to make it 14-10. The Huskers maintained a four-point advantage until Texas scored three straight on two NU attack errors and a kill by Topic. Texas tied it at 24 when Howden blocked an attack by Amber Holmquist. Cepero answered with a kill, and Schrad delivered a service ace to give the Huskers a 26-24 advantage.

A kill by Pilakowski three rallies later forced a game-point situation for the Huskers, but Topic held them off with a kill. Nebraska took the 30-27 third-game win and the match on a kill by Metcalf on the following play.

The Big 12s Best
Nebraska is looking to capture its fifth Big 12 Conference title in six seasons in 2001. The Huskers have won four Big 12 championships and 23 Big 12/Big Eight conference titles in the past 25 years. Nebraska owns an all-time record of 387-32-1 (.924) against Big 12 schools, and NU is 92-9 against Big 12 schools since the leagues inception in 1996. The Huskers have lost just once at the NU Coliseum in Big 12 history, a 1999 five-game defeat to Kansas State.

Full House
Nebraska drew 8,976 fans, the largest crowd in NCAA Division I volleyball this season, for its sweep of Oklahoma Saturday, Oct. 6, at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

NU, which has broken the all-time NCAA regular-season attendance record three times at the Devaney Center, shattered the nations previous 2001 attendance mark of 7,723, which was set Sept. 2 when Hawaii hosted UCLA. The Huskers normally play in the 4,200-seat NU Coliseum.

Overall, Nebraska ranks second nationally in attendance with 4,572 fans per contest. Hawaii is first with 6,488. Wisconsin, Florida and Colorado State round out the top five.

All-America U
Nebraska is the only team in Division I with four All-Americans in its starting lineup. Junior setter Greichaly Cepero and junior outside hitter Laura Pilakowski earned first-team All-America honors in 2000, while junior middle blocker Amber Holmquist was recognized on the second team. Joining the three 2000 All-Americans is Nancy Metcsalf, a first-team All-America selection in 1998 and 1999. Metcalf redshirted in 2000 after training with the U.S. National Team during the offseason. The Nebraska volleyball program has now earned 38 AVCA All-America certificates, the second-highest total of any Division I institution. A total of 21 Huskers have earned All-America status, ranking Nebraska second all-time in total All-America athletes.

Nebraska Coach John Cook
John Cook (214-74) is in his second year as the Nebraska head coach after guiding the Huskers to one of the most successful seasons in NCAA history in 2000. Cook, who was named the AVCA Coach of the Year, guided the Huskers to a 34-0 record as they became just the second team in NCAA history to cap an undefeated season with a national title.

Nebraska was ranked No. 1 in the AVCA/USA Today Top 25 poll for a record 14 straight weeks and broke single-season school records for wins and winning percentage. Sophomore setter Greichaly Cepero earned AVCA National Player-of-the-Year honors. Three Huskers won AVCA All-America certificates, and five Nebraska players were named to the All-Big 12 teams. Laura Pilakowski earned Verizon/CoSIDA Academic All-America honors, and a conference-best seven Huskers earned Academic All-Big 12 recognition.

Cook, 44, has continued his success in 2001, as the Huskers have gone 20-1, defeating eight ranked teams. Cook has improved his Nebraska record to 54-1, and he is 33-0 in Big 12 matches.

Cook took over the Nebraska head coaching job after serving as associate head coach during the 1999 season. Before returning to Nebraska in 1999, he led Wisconsin to six straight postseason appearances in seven seasons as the Badgers head coach.

Cooks accomplishments at Wisconsin earned him praise as one of the games top young coaches. He built the Badger program into a top-10 program during his seven-year career in Madison, which included back-to-back trips to the NCAA regional finals in 1997 and 1998. Cook compiled a 162-73 record at the helm of the Badgers, including an 89-51 Big Ten record. He was named the Big Ten Co-Coach and AVCA District 2 Coach of the Year in 1997 after leading the Badgers to a share of the Big Ten title with a 19-1 mark and school-record 30-3 overall record. Cook coached four All-Americans, nine AVCA All-District award winners, 11 All-Big Ten honorees and two Big Ten freshmen of the year at UW. He also coached 21 academic All-Big Ten selections during his seven seasons.

A graduate of the University of San Diego, Cook earned his bachelors degree in history in 1979. He completed his masters degree in teaching and coaching effectiveness from San Diego State in 1991. Cook and his wife Wendy, a former two-time All-America setter at San Diego State, are the parents of two children, Lauren, 10, and Taylor, 7.