Huskers Open Big 12 Slate with Missouri on Wednesday

Match: #7
No. 8 Nebraska (5-1, 0-0 Big 12) vs. Missouri (4-2, 0-0 Big 12)

Nebraska Coliseum ? Wed., Sept. 15 ? 7 p.m. (central)
Tickets: Wednesday’s match is a sellout, the 45th consecutive sellout at the Nebraska Coliseum
Radio: Pinnacle Sports Network (B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Omaha) and Huskers.com with John Baylor and Diane Mendenhall

Television: Wednesday’s match will be carried in the state live at 7 p.m. (central) on Nebraska Educational Television and will be carried nationally on a tape-delayed basis on College Sports Television (DirecTV Ch. 610) at 9 p.m. (central)

Live Internet Video: HuskersNside
Live Stats: Huskers.com
Series Record: Nebraska leads the all-time series 57-3-1, dating back to Oct. 31, 1975
Last Meeting: Nebraska won, 3-0, in Columbia on Nov. 8, 2003
Cook vs. Missouri: 7-1

Huskers Open Big 12 Slate with Missouri on Wednesday
Lincoln --After an abbreviated non-conference schedule, the Nebraska volleyball team opens Big 12 play against Missouri Wednesday evening in the conference opener for both teams. The Huskers come into Wednesday’s match with a 5-1 record after going 2-1 at the First National Bank/Arby’s Classic over the weekend, while the Tigers are 4-2 on the year after a 3-1 weekend at the Tiger Invitational. Wednesday’s contest features a pair of 2003 NCAA qualifiers who were picked first (NU) and fifth (MU) by the league coaches in the Big 12 preseason poll. The Huskers dipped from second to eighth in this week’s USA Today/CSTV Coaches Poll released Monday, while the Tigers received votes in the preseason poll, but did not receive votes this week.

The matchup between the Huskers and Tigers at the NU Coliseum will be carried live on the Pinnacle Sports Network, including radio flagship B107.3 FM in Lincoln. The match will be shown live state-wide on Nebraska Educational Television and carried on a tape-delayed basis on College Sports Television (DirecTV Ch. 610). Fans outside the state of Nebraska can find out if CSTV is available in their area by logging on to www.collegesports.com/getcstv. Volleyball fans with high-speed internet access can watch live on HuskersNside.com, a subscription-based service of the NU Athletic Department. Every regular-season match - both home and away - will be video streamed live this season on the site.

MU-NU Storylines

? - Wednesday’s match between the Huskers and Tigers showcases the quality of high school volleyball in the state of Nebraska, as more than 40 percent (11 of 26) of the players are from around the state. In all, 15 Nebraska natives are on rosters throughout the Big 12.

? - The Huskers are 4-0 in Big 12 openers under Head Coach John Cook. In 2003, the Huskers were nearly upset in its league opener, rallying from a 2-1 deficit against Texas A&M for a 30-28, 26-30, 26-30, 30-26, 15-9 win over the Aggies.

? - Missouri makes its first return to the Coliseum since upsetting NU in five games in Lincoln last October. The Huskers, who saw their 44-game series winning streak snapped against MU, came back to sweep the Tigers in Columbia in November.

? - Freshman Sarah Pavan has been the Huskers’ top hitter of late, as she averaged 5.00 kills and hit .376 over four matches last week. The 6-foot-5 freshman has led Nebraska in kills in each of the first six matches and ranks second in the Big 12 with 4.81 kills per game.

? - One highlight of last year’s match against MU in Lincoln was the breakthrough performance of libero Amanda McCormick, who had a Big 12-high 31 digs in the five-set loss. McCormick, who joins Melissa Elmer as one of the Husker co-captains, is sixth in the Big 12 with 3.90 digs per game this year.

? - One Husker tradition which has carried over to 2004 has been a strong block, as the Huskers have out-blocked all six foes this season, and the last 12 matches dating back to last season. Melissa Elmer (1.67 b/g) and Tracy Stalls (1.52 b/g) rank fourth and fifth in the league in that category.

Husker Probable Starters

L - #1 Amanda McCormick (5-8, So., Muncie, Ind.) - Sophomore co-captain returned as Nebraska’s starter at libero and is sixth in the Big 12 with 3.90 digs per game in 2004. She set a school freshman mark with 3.72 digs per game - the second-highest mark in school annals in 2003.

MB - #8 Melissa Elmer (6-2, Jr., Fort Wayne, Ind.) - Returning AVCA All-American who anchors the Huskers’ potent blocking corps and averages 2.76 kills and 1.67 blocks per game. Elmer had 10-plus kills in three contests, including 13 kills on .455 hitting at Western Michigan. Elmer had nine kills and a season-high eight blocks against Maryland on Sunday. She earned All-Big 12 honors in 2003, leading NU with 1.59 blocks per game and with a .352 hitting percentage. Elmer, who was named the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year by the league coaches, spent the spring working with the U.S. National Training Team. She joins Amanda McCormick as a co-captain for the 2004 season.

MB - #11 Tracy Stalls (6-3, Fr., Arvada, Colo.) - Stalls has started all six matches at middle blocker, and is fifth in the Big 12 with 1.62 blocks per game. She has had at least five blocks five times, including a season-high eight against Notre Dame (Sept. 4). Stalls recorded 10 kills and hit .643 against Western Michigan. She served a two-year stint in the U.S. National Developmental program in Colorado Springs, Colo., after graduating from high school in 2002. She competed with the U.S. National Team in several competitions, including the 2003 Pan American Games and the 2004 Yeltsin Cup.

S - #18 Dani Busboom (5-11, So., Cortland, Neb.) - Busboom performed well in handling NU’s shift to a 5-1 offense, as she is third in the Big 12 with 13.29 assists per game. Busboom has had 50 or more assists twice, including a career-high 64 at Notre Dame on Sept. 4, the highest total by a Husker since the 2000 season. Busboom also averages nearly three digs and one block per game, and had a career-high five blocks against Maryland on Sunday. In 2003, she totaled 700 assists as a freshman, which is the second-best total by any Husker freshman.

OPP - #9 Sarah Pavan (6-5, Fr., Kitchener, Ontario) - The Big 12 Preseason co-Freshman of the Year, Pavan leads the Huskers in kills per game (4.81) and topped the Huskers in all six matches. She was named to the First National Bank/Arby’s Classic All-Tournament team, averaging 4.80 kills and 2.40 digs per game. Pavan recorded her first career double-double with 24 kills and 15 digs against Florida A&M. Considered by many to be the nation’s top freshman, Pavan has been a member of the Canadian National Team since July of 2003 - at age 16.

OH - #26 Jennifer Saleaumua (5-11, Jr., National City, Calif.) - Two-time All-Big 12 outside hitter who is second on the team in kills (3.05 per game) and leads in digs (4.10), while hitting .263. She has three double-doubles (kills and digs) and had 18 kills - one off her career high - at Notre Dame on Sept. 4. She led the Huskers in kills (3.27) and digs (3.90) per game in 2003, while her 441 digs were a school record, breaking the school mark of 390 by Kate Crnich in 1996.

OH - #3 Christina Houghtelling (6-2, So., Cambridge, Neb.) - Sophomore who moved from middle blocker to outside hitter in 2004. Houghtelling established career highs in kills (10) and digs (nine) in a win over Notre Dame (9/4) and had nine kills and three aces against Ball State on Saturday. She missed most of 2003 with a knee injury, but had eight-or-more kills four times, including nine against No. 10 Georgia Tech.

-or- #7 Dani Mancuso (6-2 So., Omaha, Neb.) - Mancuso has started four matches at outside hitter and is averaging 2.80 kills per game. She tied a career-high with 16 kills and added 11 digs in Friday’s loss to Florida A&M. Mancuso played the best match of her career at Notre Dame on Sept. 4, with 11 kills, three blocks and two aces in the final two-plus games vs. the Fighting Irish. She started NU’s final 10 contests in 2003, averaging 2.01 kills and 1.72 digs per game.

Scouting Missouri

The Tigers come to Lincoln with a 4-2 record after going 3-1 at the Tiger Invitational over the weekend. Missouri opened the season with a four-game victory over No. 23 Wisconsin before dropping matches to Purdue and Creighton. MU rebounded to win the final three games of its tournament with victories over Arkansas State (3-1), Mississippi State (3-0) and Idaho (3-1).

The Tigers return five starters from a team that went 19-11 and reached the NCAA Tournament in 2003. Junior setter Lindsay Hunter earned All-Big 12 honors in 2003 and averages a league-best 13.83 assists per game, while also adding more than a kill per game. Outside hitter Shen Danru, another first-team All-Big 12 honoree, paces MU with 4.33 kills per game.

Hunter is one of six Missouri players from Nebraska. The others are middle blockers Jenny Duitsman (Lincoln Lutheran), Nicole Wilson (Lincoln Christian) and Melissa Allbery (Gretna), defensive specialist Jilly Jaksich (Papillion-LaVista) and libero Tatum Ailes (Bellevue West).

The Tigers are led by fifth-year head coach Susan Kreklow, who owns an 43-39 record at Missouri. Krelow’s husband, Wayne, is the associate head coach.

Nebraska-Missouri Series

Nebraska owns a commanding 57-3-1 advantage over Missouri, including a 23-2 lead at home. The Tigers recorded their first win over Nebraska since 1982 with a five-game win over the Huskers at the NU Coliseum on Oct. 15, 2003 (28-30, 24-30, 30-25, 31-29, 15-9). The win snapped the Huskers’ 44-game winning streak over Missouri.

Last Meeting: Nebraska 3, Missouri 0

Middle blockers Sara Westling and Melissa Elmer combined for 11 blocks and 16 kills on a .454 hitting percentage to lead Nebraska to a 30-28, 31-29, 30-26 win over Missouri at the Hearnes Center on Nov. 8, 2003. The middle blockers weren’t the only Huskers who produced standout performances in the winning effort. Sophomore outside hitter Jennifer Saleaumua posted her team-leading 13th double-double of the season with 12 kills and 16 digs. Junior right side hitter Ally Rebholz tallied 10 kills, hit .429 and posted four blocks. Senior right side hitter Anna Schrad posted eight kills and recorded a team-high seven blocks to lead the Huskers to a 12-2 advantage over Missouri.

 

Husker Week in Review

Friday: Tereza Arellano had 16 kills, while Florida A&M capitalized on Nebraska miscues to pull off a stunning 30-25, 16-30, 30-28, 30-28 upset over the second-ranked Huskers in front of a sellout crowd of 4,151 at the NU Coliseum. The Huskers out-hit the Lady Rattlers, .210-.168, but committed 15 service errors, compared to only eight for the visitors. NU out-blocked FAMU, 11-2, including six by freshman Tracy Stalls and five by Melissa Elmer, as the Huskers were held to under .200 hitting in three of the four games. NU received career nights from freshman Sarah Pavan, who totaled her first career double-double with a match-high 24 kills on .354 hitting and 15 digs, and sophomore Dani Mancuso, who matched her career best with a 16 kills and added 11 digs. The loss was the first to an unranked conference opponent since 1996 and the first setback to an unranked conference opponent since 1986, a year the Huskers rebounded to reach the NCAA Finals.

Saturday: Sarah Pavan’s match-high 13 kills led a balanced attack, as second-ranked Nebraska rebounded from Friday’s upset to Florida A&M with a 30-19, 30-21, 30-20 win over Ball State in front of a sellout crowd of 4,142 at the NU Coliseum. The Huskers (4-1) had four players total at least nine kills in the sweep of the Cardinal. In addition to Pavan, who hit .370 on 27 swings, Jennifer Saleaumua had 12 kills and added 13 digs, while sophomore Christina Houghtelling made the most of her second start of the year with a nine-kill effort. Freshman middle blocker Tracy Stalls rounded out the quartet with nine kills on .571 hitting and a match-high five blocks, as Nebraska out-hit the Cardinal, .303- (-.018), behind a 39-assist effort from Dani Busboom.

Sunday: No. 2 Nebraska equaled a season-high with 15 blocks en route to a 30-19, 30-17, 30-23 sweep of Maryland in front of a sellout crowd of 4,701 Sunday afternoon. The 15 blocks matched a season-high set at Notre Dame on Sept. 4, as the Huskers (5-1) held the Terrapins to (-.016) hitting, the second straight match that Nebraska has held an opponent in negative numbers. All-American Melissa Elmer accounted for eight of the blocks and addedg nine kills in the win, while Tracy Stalls and Dani Busboom added seven and five blocks, respectively, for Nebraska. The Huskers used a balanced effort, as freshman Sarah Pavan paced NU with 11 kills while four other players had at least six kills in the win. Sophomore Kelsey Fautsch came off the bench to deliver a season-high six kills while hitting .463, as all 13 players on the Husker roster saw action.

Huskers Post Double Negative

Nebraska showed outstanding blocking and defense in the final two games of the First National Bank/Arby’s Classic, holding Ball State (-.018) and Maryland (-.016) to negative numbers. It marked the first time since November of 2002 that the Huskers held consecutive opponents to below .000 hitting, and the first time since Dec. 6, 2002, that NU held any opponent to negative hitting numbers. Under John Cook, the Huskers have held 10 opponents to a negative hitting percentage. The following is a list of NU opponents held below .000 hitting since 2000.

Year No. (Opponent)

2000 3 (Oral Roberts, Oklahoma, Creighton)

2001 1 (Iowa State)

2002 4 (Creighton, Iowa St., Oklahoma, UT-Martin)

2003 0

2004 2 (Ball State, Maryland)

Total 10

Saleaumua Shows All-Around Excellence

One of the strengths of Nebraska’s attack is the all-around game of outside hitter Jennifer Saleaumua. The Husker coaching staff believes the 5-11 junior from National City, Calif., is one of the best outside hitters in the nation because she does so many thing well.

She leads the Huskers in digs (4.10 per game) and is second in kills (3.05) while hitting .263. Saleaumua enjoyed one of her finest performances in NU’s comeback against Notre Dame on Sept. 4, recording 18 kills on 36 attacks while leading NU with 16 digs in the five-game win. In 2004, she has already recorded three double-doubles in kills and digs, upping her career total to 27, including a team-high 17 in 2003.

A two-time All-Big 12 honoree, Saleaumua has the potential to be Nebraska’s first four-time all-conference honoree at outside hitter.

Elmer Climbs Block by Block

Junior All-American Melissa Elmer has an opportunity to break into Nebraska’s top-10 block assist chart with a strong effort against Missouri Wednesday evening. The middle blocker from Fort Wayne, Ind., has 323 career block assists and needs 15 to tie Carla Baker (1986-89) for 10th place on NU’s all-time list.

The Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, Elmer ranked sixth nationally in blocks last season (1.59), and has upped her total to 1.67 blocks per game through NU’s first six matches. She is averaging 2.76 kills and hitting .325, a total that is second among the Husker starters. She totaled double figures in kills in NU’s first three matches, highlighted by a .562 performance on 11 kills against Notre Dame.

In her career, she is averaging 2.73 kills and 1.47 blocks per game, while her .359 career hitting percentage would rank among the top performers in NU history.

Setting Up

With the switch back to the 5-1 offense this season, sophomore Dani Busboom has taken full advantage of her expanded role. She is third in the Big 12 with 12.29 assists per game, and had a career-high 64 assists in the five-game thriller over Notre Dame on Sept. 4. Her total against the Irish was the third-highest total in the league this season and the most since Greichaly Cepero had 71 against Texas A&M in the 2000 season. In fact, her 64 assists were one off Nebraska’s all-time top-20 list. Busboom, who was an outside hitter in high school until her senior season, also averages nearly one block per game, including a career-high five blocks vs. Maryland last Sunday.

Fablous Freshmen

Nebraska’s top-ranked recruiting class has provided immediate dividends for the Huskers in 2004, as Sarah Pavan and Tracy Stalls have more than lived up to the lofty expectations.

Pavan leads the Huskers in kills (4.81), a total that is second in the Big 12, and is third on the team in blocks (0.86). The 6-foot-5 opposite hitter has topped the Huskers in kills in all six matches, including a 24-kill effort against Florida A&M. Pavan’s 24 kills were the third-most by a Husker in the rally scoring era (2001-present) and the most since 2004 U.S. Olympian Nancy Metcalf had 25 against Florida in the 2001 NCAA Regional Final. Over the last 21 years, only one freshman - Eileen Shannon - has led the Huskers in kills, as she holds freshmen marks in total kills (479) and kills per game (4.24).

Stalls has been equally impressive in showing the all-around abilities that made her one of the nation’s top recruits. The 6-foot-3 middle hitter is second on the squad in blocks (1.62), a total that is fifth in the Big 12. She also is tied for the team high in service aces (five) and is third in assists (0.52 per game). Stalls has had nine or more kills in three of the Huskers’ last four matches, including a career-high 10 kills on .643 hitting at Western Michigan on Sept. 4. She also has at least five blocks in five matches, including eight in a win over Notre Dame on Sept. 4.

The third member of the Husker freshman class, middle blocker Meghan Smith, is a Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 recruit and provides depth at middle blocker behind Elmer and Stalls. Smith made her first collegiate appearance against Ball State and also saw action in Sunday’s win over Maryland.

Husker Youth Movement: Part 2

After a year where the Huskers played as many as five freshmen at the same time, Nebraska has seemingly gotten more youthful in 2004. All eight of the players who have started matches this year are underclassmen (two juniors, four sophomores and two freshmen). Ally Rebholz is the only senior on the 2004 roster, while only four of the 13 players are upperclassman.

Rank and File

With the No. 8 ranking in this week’s poll, Nebraska is one of two teams to be ranked in the USA Today/CSTV Coaches poll for all 306 weeks of its existence. The Huskers have been ranked in the top 10 for 272 of the 306 weeks, which ranks second behind Stanford’s 287. NU has spent 38 weeks in the top spot, and its most recent No. 1 ranking was Sept. 24, 2001.

McCormick, Elmer Named 2004 Captains

NU Volleyball Coach John Cook announced Aug. 24 that junior Melissa Elmer and sophomore Amanda McCormick have been named captains for the 2004 season. The pair are returning starters from a team that went 28-5 and reached the NCAA Regional semifinals in 2003.

The preseason Big 12 Player of the Year, Elmer is a two-year starter at middle blocker and earned first-team All-Big 12 honors in 2003. She led the Big 12 with 1.59 blocks per game while ranking among the conference leaders with a .352 hitting percentage. The 6-foot-2 junior from Fort Wayne, Ind., was third in school history with 169 blocks, including a career-high 15 in a win over Kansas last season.

McCormick served as the Huskers’ libero in 2003, appearing in 22 matches as a true freshman. The 5-foot-6 sophomore from Muncie, Ind., set a school freshman record with 3.72 digs per game ? the second-highest total in school history. She had a career-high 31 digs ? the highest total in the Big 12 in 2003 ? against Missouri last season.

Cook’s Winning Ways

Nebraska Coach John Cook has been amazingly successful during his five seasons at the helm, posting a 129-10 record (.928 winning percentage). All nine losses prior to this season have come against teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament, including the eventual NCAA champion in both 2001 (Stanford) and 2002 (USC). In the Big 12, Cook has enjoyed even greater success, going 77-3 in his four seasons. Nebraska swept through the Big 12 in 2000, 2001 and 2002 before seeing its 77-match Big 12 winning streak (dating back to 1999) end in a loss to Kansas State on Oct. 11, 2003.

Cook was the AVCA Coach of the Year in 2000 after leading Nebraska to a 34-0 season and a national title. He was also named the 2001 Big 12 Coach of the Year.

Sellout Streak Extends to 44

Nebraska will carry a streak of 44 consecutive sellouts at the NU Coliseum into Wednesday’s Big 12 opener against Missouri. The streak began with a 10-game stretch to close the 2001 season and extended through the 2002 and 2003 campaigns. The last non-sellout came on Sept. 25, 2001, against Creighton. Nebraska ranked third nationally in total attendance, averaging 4,239 fans per match. In 2004, every reserve seat is sold out for the season while limited general admission seating is available for select games by calling 800-8 BIG RED.

All-America U

Melissa Elmer continued Nebraska's remarkable streak of AVCA All-Americans by earning second-team accolades in 2003. With Elmer’s selection, Nebraska has had at least one All-American every season since 1983, a total of 21 straight seasons, including 11 in Coach John Cook's four seasons at Nebraska. A total of 23 players have combined to earn 46 AVCA All-America certificates. Nebraska leads the nation in both categories.

Red, White and Blue

Nebraska continued its Olympic tradition in 2004 with Nancy (Meendering) Metcalf's selection to the U.S. Olympic team. A three-time All-American at Nebraska, Metcalf became the third Husker to make an Olympic team, joining Lori Endicott, who competed in the 1992 and 1996 Olympics, and Allison Weston, who was the captain of the U.S. Team in the 2000 Olympics. Metcalf played in all six matches in Athens, as Team USA reached the quarterfinals before losing to Brazil. Of Team USA’s four losses, three came in five sets, while also sweeping three-time gold medalist Cuba in the preliminary round.

Success in the Classroom

Nebraska continued its successful legacy in the classroom in 2003, as Anna Schrad garnered second-team CoSIDA Academic All-America honors. Overall, NU has produced an NCAA-leading 17 academic All-Americans, who have earned a nation-best 26 academic All-America certificates. NU has had at least one CoSIDA Academic All-American in 17 of the last 20 seasons.

Kruse Becomes Fifth Husker to have Jersey Retired

One of the many highlights of the Red/White Scrimmage on Aug. 28, was the retiring of Janet Kruse’s jersey during the evening’s festivities.

Kruse became the fifth Husker volleyball player to earn the program's highest honor, as her No. 17 jersey was retired. One of the most decorated student-athletes to ever play in the Husker program, the Fort Calhoun, Neb., native was the Huskers' first three-time All-American, earning first-team honors in 1989 and 1990 and second-team accolades in 1991.

A two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year, Kruse was also an NCAA Top Eight Award winner and NCAA Woman of the Year Finalist. She joined Allison Weston, Lori Endicott, Cathy Noth and Karen Dahlgren in the NU Coliseum display. Kruse’s jersey was the first one retired by the Husker program since 1997.

Pavan Joins Exclusive Husker List

While Nebraska has traditionally excelled in recruiting the Midwest, freshman outside hitter Sarah Pavan joins an exclusive club among Husker volleyball players. The Kitchener, Ontario, product is only the fourth player from outside the United States in the program's 30-year history, joining Greichaly Cepero (Dorado, Puerto Rico; 1999-2002), Maria Hedbeck (Sollentuna, Sweden; 1993-96) and Debbie Brand (Adelaide, Australia; 1989-92).

HuskersNside to Carry Every Match in ?04

Volleyball fans who don’t have season tickets for the NU Coliseum can now watch every Husker match in 2004, as HuskersNside has announced plans to carry all 28 regular-season games live on the Internet. Husker fans with high-speed Internet access can watch every serve, block and spike all season. This marks the third season that Nebraska has carried volleyball matches live on HuskersNside, but the first time that Nebraska has video-streamed an entire regular-season schedule for any sport. For non-televised matches, fans will hear the radio feed with play-by-play announcer John Baylor.

To sign up for HuskerNside, go to Huskers.com and click on "subscribe" on the right-hand portion of the front page. The cost for the service is regularly $9.95 per month or $99.95 for a complete year, but fans who sign up prior to the Big 12 opener can receive a subscription for a special rate of $79.95

Up Next: Huskers Travel to Texas Tech

Following Wednesday’s match against Missouri, the Huskers hit the road for two matches. The road trip begins Saturday evening when the Huskers travel to Texas Tech before NU travels to Colorado the following Wednesday. Nebraska’s next home match is Saturday, Sept. 25, when No. 12 Texas A&M pays a visit to the NU Coliseum.