No. 8 Huskers Travel to Texas Tech

Match: #8: No. 8 Nebraska (6-1, 1-0 Big 12) at Texas Tech (5-2, 1-0 Big 12)
United Spirit Arena ? Sat., Sept. 18 ? 7 p.m.
Radio: Pinnacle Sports Network (B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Omaha) and Huskers.com with John Baylor and Tina Westerhold
Television: None
Live Internet Video: Fans can watch Saturday’s match on HuskersNside. For more information visit Huskers.com
Live Stats: N/A
Series Record: Nebraska leads the all-time series 20-1, dating back to Sept. 15, 1979
Last Meeting: Nebraska won, 3-1 (24-30, 30-25, 30-25, 30-27) in Lubbock on Oct. 29, 2003
Coach Cook vs. Texas Tech: 8-0

No. 8 Huskers Travel to Texas Tech
Lincoln -- Nebraska looks to improve to 2-0 in Big 12 play, as the Huskers travel to Texas Tech for a conference matchup this Saturday, Sept. 18, beginning at 7 p.m. at the United Spirit Arena. The Huskers, ranked eighth in this week’s USA Today/CSTV poll, come into the weekend with a 6-1 mark after sweeping Missouri on Wednesday, while the Red Raiders are 5-2 after knocking off previously undefeated Oklahoma in four games Wednesday evening in thier conference opener.

The matchup between the Huskers and Red Raiders will be carried live on the Pinnacle Sports Network, including radio flagship B107.3 FM in Lincoln. Volleyball fans with high-speed internet access can watch the match 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 this season on the site.

Saturday’s match with Texas Tech begins a two-game road trip for Nebraska, as the Huskers will face off with Colorado, which swept defending Big 12 champion Kansas State, in Boulder on Wednesday, Sept. 22

Storylines
? - Nebraska will be seeking its 16th straight win over Texas Tech, dating back to the 1996 season. The Red Raiders won the first Big 12 matchup between the two schools before NU’s current winning streak against Texas Tech.

? - The Huskers have won 36 straight matches against the league’s Texas schools (Baylor, Texas, Texas Tech and Texas A&M) since a five-game loss to Texas in Austin on Oct. 24, 1999.

? - One Husker tradition which has carried over to 2004 has been a strong block, as the Huskers have out-blocked all seven foes this season, and the last 13 dating back to last season. Tracy Stalls (1.67 b/g) and Melissa Elmer (1.58 b/g) and rank fourth and fifth, respectively, 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 fourth in the Big 12 with 4.21 digs per game in 2004. She has had at least 15 digs in each of Nebraska’s last four matches, including 19 in Wednesday’s win at Missouri. 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 2.96 kills and 1.58 blocks per game. Elmer matched a season-high with 13 kills on .455 hitting against Missouri on Wednesday - her first 10+ kill effort since Sept. 6. She ranks fifth in the league in blocks and leads the Husker starters in hitting percentage (.345). Elmer averaged 3.29 kills on .455 hitting (23-3-44) in two matches vs. Texas Tech last season. 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 seven matches at middle blocker, and is fourth in the Big 12 with 1.67 blocks per game. She has had at least five blocks six times in seven matches, 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 has performed well in handling NU’s shift back to a 5-1 offense, as she is second in the Big 12 with 13.71 assists per game. Busboom has had 50 or more assists three times, 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 per game. On Wednesday, she posted her fourth double-double of the year with 50 assists and 13 digs, while adding four kills in the win over Missouri. 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 (4.71) and topped the Huskers six times in seven 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 (3.21 per game) and digs (3.92), while hitting .285. She has three double-doubles (kills and digs) and had 18 kills - one off her career high - at Notre Dame on Sept. 4. Saleaumua tied for team-high honors with 13 kill on .423 hitting against Missouri on Wednesday. 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 and has made three starts. 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. Houghtelling had one of her best performances of the year against Missouri, matching her career high with 10 kills and hitting .346 in the sweep of the Tigers. 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 Texas Tech
The Red Raiders host Nebraska riding a four-match winning streak after downing previously unbeaten Oklahoma in four games Wednesday night in Lubbock. Texas Tech went 1-2 during its opening weekend in San Diego, including a loss to No. 18 UC Santa Barbara, but have bounced back with four straight wins - all in Lubbock.

Second-year coach Nancy Todd (16-20) returns three starters from a squad that finished 11-18 and tied for 10th in the Big 12 with an 3-17 conference mark. Senior outside hitter Kelly Johnson is the Red Raiders’ top returnee, as she led the conference in kills each of the past two seasons. In 2003, she averaged 5.18 kills per game, a total which was 21st nationally. In 2004, she paces Texas Tech with 3.56 kills per game. Desiree Batista is the only Texas Tech player among the league leaders, as she is fourth in the league with 0.56 service aces per game.

Nebraska-Texas Tech Series
Nebraska has dominated the all-time series with Texas Tech, winning 20 of the 21 matches in the series, which dates back to 1979. The two teams met five times as non-conference foes before the Big 12 was formed in 1996. The Red Raiders won the first match between the schools in league play, taking a 15-7, 9-15, 15-10, 13-15, 12-15 win in 1996, but the Huskers have won the last 15 meetings. Nebraska had swept the Red Raiders six straight times before Texas Tech won the first game in Lubbock in the last meeting.

Last Meeting: Nebraska 3, Texas Tech 1
Middle blockers Sara Westling and Melissa Elmer combined for 33 kills and 12 blocks to lead No. 11 Nebraska to a 24-30, 30-25, 30-25, 30-27 win at Texas Tech on Oct. 29, 2003.

Westling’s eight blocks and 15 kills were both career highs, and she swung at a .464 clip. Westling’s previous career high was eight kills against Kansas on Oct. 10, 2001. Elmer led Nebraska with 18 kills on a .486 hitting percentage to go along with four blocks.

Outside hitter Jennifer Saleaumua produced her team-leading 10th double-double of the season with 11 kills and 17 digs. Outside hitter Dani Mancuso played most of games three and four on the left side and gave the Huskers a huge lift off the bench, recording three service aces and six kills. Libero Amanda McCormick tallied a match-high 19 digs.

Kelly Johnson produced 20 kills for Texas Tech in a losing effort.

Missouri Recap
Wednesday: Jennifer Saleaumua and Melissa Elmer had 13 kills apiece, as the eighth-ranked Nebraska volleyball team opened Big 12 play with a 30-27, 30-24, 31-29 win over Missouri in front of a sellout crowd of 4,127 at the NU Coliseum Wednesday evening.

The veterans of the Huskers lineup, Saleaumua and Elmer combined to hit .438 on 48 swings, as the Huskers hit .331 as a team ? its second-highest total of the year - en route to winning its fifth straight Big 12 opener.

Saleaumua had 13 kills and hit .463 while adding eight digs, while Elmer hit .455 on 22 swings as Nebraska improved to 6-1 on the season. In all, four Huskers had at least 10 kills, including sophomore Christina Houghtelling, who matched a career high with 10 kills and hit .346. Sarah Pavan rounded out the Husker quartet with 12 kills and a season-high seven blocks. Dani Busboom added her fourth double-double of the year with 50 assists and 13 digs, while adding four key kills in the win.

Jessica Vander Kooi led Missouri (4-3, 0-1 Big 12) with 14 kills, while Shen Danru and Lisa Boyd added 11 each in the loss.

Missouri Quick Sets
? - With the win, the Huskers have won all five Big 12 openers under Head Coach John Cook.
? - Nebraska has now swept Missouri 47 times in the 62 all-time meetings between the schools.
? - NU’s .331 hitting was its second-highest output of the year, trailing only the .433 hitting against Western Michigan on Sept. 6.
? - Nebraska held a 10-9 advantage on blocks over the Tigers, as the Huskers have out-blocked opponents in all seven matches.
? - Melissa Elmer and Jen Saleaumua tied for team-high honors with 13 kills, marking the first time that Sarah Pavan did not pace the Huskers in kills.

Huskers Post Double Negative
Nebraska showed outstanding blocking and defense in the final two games of the First National Bank/Arby’s Classic last weekend, 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 things well.

She ranks second on the squad in both digs (3.92 per game) and kills (3.21) while hitting .285. Saleaumua sparked the Huskers to a win over Missouri Wednesday with 13 kills, eight digs and two blocks while hitting .423. She 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 Texas Tech on Saturday. The middle blocker from Fort Wayne, Ind., has 326 career block assists and needs 12 to tie Carla Baker (338, 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 is averging 1.58 blocks per game through NU’s first seven matches. Elmer, who tied a season high with 13 kills on .455 hitting against Missouri, averages 2.96 kills per game and leads the Husker starters in hitting percentage (.345). She totaled double figures in kills four times, highlighted by a .562 performance on 11 kills against Notre Dame.

In her career, she is averaging 2.75 kills and 1.47 blocks per game, while her .361 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 second in the Big 12 with 13.71 assists per game after her 50-assist performance against Missouri on Wednesday. She had a career-high 64 assists in the five-game thriller over Notre Dame on Sept. 4 - the third-highest total in the league this season and the most by a Husker 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, delivered two of her career-high four kills in Wednesday’s second game after setting a career-high with five blocks vs. Maryland last Sunday. Busboom has a team-high four double-doubles this season, including a 50-assist, 13-dig performance against Missouri Wednesday night.

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 (4.71), a total that is second in the Big 12, and is third on the team in blocks (1.04). The 6-foot-5 opposite hitter has topped the Huskers in kills six times, 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 fourth in the Big 12 in blocking, as she averages a team-best 1.67 blocks per game. She also leads NU in service aces (six) and is third in assists (0.46 per game). Stalls has had nine or more kills in three of the Huskers’ last five 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. She had seven kills and six blocks in Wednesday’s sweep of Missouri.

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 130-10 record (.929 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 78-3 in his four-plus 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 45
Nebraska will carry a streak of 45 consecutive sellouts at the NU Coliseum into next Saturday’s match against No. 12 Texas A&M. 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.

Husker Red, White and Blue: Part 2
Junior middle blocker Melisa Elmer spent part off the off-season training with the U.S. National Training Team, which was coached by NU Coach John Cook. The team won the USA Volleyball Adult Open Championships, going a perfect 4-0 and sweeping three of its four opponents en route to the title.

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).

Up Next: Huskers Head to CU on Tuesday
The Huskers conclude their two-game road trip on Wednesday, Sept. 22, when the Huskers head to Boulder to take on Colorado in the first matchup of the year between the Huskers and Buffaloes. Nebraska’s next home match is Saturday, Sept. 25, when No. 12 Texas A&M pays a visit to the NU Coliseum.