No. 7 Huskers Host No. 11 Texas A&M in Big 12 Battle

Match: #10
No. 7 Nebraska (8-1, 3-0 Big 12) vs. No. 11 Texas A&M (6-3, 2-1 Big 12)
Nebraska Coliseum ? Sat., Sept. 25 ? 7 p.m.

Radio: Pinnacle Sports Network (B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Omaha) and Huskers.com
Television: Saturday’s match will be shown live state-wide on Nebraska Educational Television and also simulcast live nationally on College Sports Television (Ch. 610 on DirecTV)
Tickets: Sold Out (46th consecutive sellout)
Live Internet Video: HuskersNside. For more information visit Huskers.com
Live Stats: Huskers.com
Series Record: Nebraska leads the all-time series 19-6, dating back to Oct. 2, 1987
Last Meeting: Nebraska won, 3-0 (30-22, 30-24, 30-19) in College Station on Nov. 5, 2003
Coach Cook vs. Texas A&M: 10-0

Seventh-Ranked Huskers Host No. 11 Texas A&M in Key Big 12 Matchup
Nebraska looks to remain on top of the Big 12 race this Saturday, as the seventh-ranked Huskers play host to No. 11 Texas A&M this Saturday, Sept. 25, at the Nebraska Coliseum. The contest is officially sold out, marking the 46th consecutive sellout at the NU Coliseum, dating back to the 2001 season.

The matchup between the Huskers and Aggies 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 live 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.

Nebraska comes into the match riding a five-game winning streak after sweeping No. 25 Colorado (30-25, 30-25, 30-23) in Boulder on Wednesday. The Huskers have not dropped a game since being upset by Florida A&M on Sept. 10 and have held opponents to .042 hitting. After Wednesday’s win, the Huskers are a perfect 3-0 against ranked opponents, including sweeps over Notre Dame (Sept. 3) and Colorado.

Texas A&M (6-3, 2-1 Big 12) comes to Lincoln looking to rebound from a 3-0 setback to No. 19 Kansas State (22-30, 22-30, 20-30) in Manhattan on Wednesday. The Aggies have faced five ranked opponents in their first nine matches, including wins over then No. 8 California (3-0) and No. 24 Kansas (3-1).

Storylines
? - The match between the Huskers and Aggies highlights two of the nation’s best blocking units. Nebraska leads the nation in the latest NCAA rankings and averages 3.90 blocks per game, while the Aggies rank third nationally in blocking and are averaging 3.38 blocks per game. NU has out-blocked all nine opponents this fall, while the Aggies had only been out-blocked once all season - Wednesday against Kansas State.

? - Saturday’s contest also highlights a pair of All-Big 12 middle blockers in Texas A&M’s Melissa Munsch and Nebraska’s Melissa Elmer. Munsch leads the Aggies in kills (3.76), blocks (1.93) and digs (2.97) hitting .366. Elmer leads the Huskers in hitting (.337) while ranking second in blocks (1.77) and third in kills (2.83) and comes off an eight-kill, eight-block effort in the sweep over Colorado.

? - The Huskers are looking for their 10th straight win over the Aggies, dating back to the 1999 season, which would equal the longest winning streak by Nebraska over Texas A&M, as the Huskers won 10 straight matches between 1982 and 1998. Nebraska is 11-0 all-time against Texas A&M in Lincoln, but A&M took the Huskers to five games at the Coliseum - the first time that has occured in the series since 1982 - last September in the teams’ Big 12 opener.

? - The Huskers have won 37 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 that has continued in 2004 has been outstanding blocking, as the Huskers have out-blocked all nine foes this season, and the last 15 dating back to last season. Tracy Stalls (1.83 b/g) and Melissa Elmer (1.77 b/g) rank third and fourth, respectively, in the league in that category.

Scouting Texas A&M
The No. 11 Aggies come to Lincoln looking to bounce back after being swept by No. 19 Kansas State in Manhattan Wednesday night. In that match, the Aggies (6-3, 2-1 Big 12) were held to .147 hitting while Kansas State hit .387 - the highest by an Aggie opponent all year.

Saturday’s match concludes a stretch for Texas A&M where it has faced five ranked opponents in their last six contests. The Aggies own wins over then-No. 8 California (3-0) and No. 24 Kansas (3-1), but were swept in matches against No. 3 UCLA, No. 13 UC Santa Barbara along with Wednesday’s loss at Kansas State.

Despite the loss, the Aggies, under the direction of Coach Laurie Corbelli (265-98 in 12 seasons at Texas A&M) bring a formidable team to Lincoln. Texas A&M is led by junior middle blocker Melissa Munsch, who tops the Aggies in digs (2.97) and blocks (1.93) while hitting a team-high .393 and averaging 3.76 kills per game. Outside hitter Laura Jones also provides firepower with 4.28 kills per game, while middle blocker Kendra Felder also averages 2.81 kills per game.

Nebraska-Texas A&M Series
Nebraska leads the all-time series against the Aggies, 19-6, and the Huskers have won nine straight dating back to the 1999 season. The Aggies have enjoyed as much success against the Huskers as anyone in the league, winning twice in five-game matches since the conference’s inception in 1996 ? once in 1998 and once in 1999. Texas A&M has pushed Nebraska past three games 13 times in 25 matches, including last season in Lincoln.

Last Meeting: Nebraska 3, Texas A&M 0
Jennifer Saleaumua produced her 12th double-double of the season to lead the No. 10 Nebraska volleyball team to a 30-22, 30-24, 30-19 win over No. 21 Texas A&M before 2,766 fans at G. Rollie White Coliseum. Saleaumua totaled 13 kills on a .344 hitting percentage to go along with 12 digs and two blocks.

Saleaumua was one of six Huskers who had at least two blocks. Melissa Elmer led an impressive all-around blocking effort with 10 stops, including two solo blocks, and she also had nine kills. Nebraska had 14.5 blocks overall and held Texas A&M to a .102 hitting percentage. The Huskers hit .315, the second straight game in which they hit at least .300. Amanda McCormick tallied a match-high 14 digs.

Laura Jones led Texas A&M with 13 kills, but hit just .200, as Nebraska recorded its first sweep in College Station since 1996.

Husker Probable Starters
L - #1 Amanda McCormick (5-8, So., Muncie, Ind.) - Sophomore co-captain returned as Nebraska’s starter at libero and is tied for second in the Big 12 with 4.47 digs per game. She has had at least 14 digs in each of Nebraska’s last six matches, including 19 against Missouri and Texas Tech. She leads the Big 12 in digs in league matches at 5.78 per game.

MB - #8 Melissa Elmer (6-2, Jr., Fort Wayne, Ind.) - Returning AVCA All-American who anchors the Huskers’ potent blocking corps and averages 2.83 kills and 1.77 blocks per game. She leads the Huskers in hitting and ranks fourth in the Big 12 and 17th nationally in blocking. She matched a season-high with eight blocks, while hitting .412 with eight kills at Colorado Wednesday evening. Elmer matched a season high with 13 kills on .455 hitting against Missouri on Sept. 15. She earned All-Big 12 honors in 2003, leading NU with 1.59 blocks per game along 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 nine matches at middle blocker, and is third in the Big 12 with 1.83 blocks per game. She has had at least five blocks in eight of NU’s nine matches, including a season-high eight against Notre Dame (Sept. 4) and Texas Tech (Sept. 18). Stalls leads the Big 12 in blocking in league matches, averaging 2.33 blocks per game. 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 13.33 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. She guides an offense that is hitting .310 in league play and averaging a Big 12-best 17.56 per contest in the league. Against Missouri on Sept. 15, she posted her team-best fifth 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 (4.77) and topped the Huskers eight times in nine matches. Pavan is hitting .512 and averaging 5.00 kills per game in her last two matches, as she posted 16 kills on 23 swings at Colorado. She also made strides in blocking, averaging 2.00 blocks per game in league play, compared to 0.86 blocks in NU’s first six contests. At Texas Tech last Saturday, Pavan hit a season-best .550 (14 kills on 20 attacks) and added six blocks. She recorded her first career double-double with 24 kills and 15 digs against Florida A&M on Sept. 10. 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 (3.23 per game) and digs (3.83), while hitting .287. She has three double-doubles (kills and digs) and had 18 kills - one off her career high - at Notre Dame on Sept. 4. Saleaumua hit .360 with 12 kills and eight digs in Wednesday’s win at No. 25 Colorado and had eight kills, 13 digs and six blocks in Saturday’s win over Texas Tech. Saleaumua led the Huskers in kills (3.27) and digs (3.90) per game in 2003, as her 441 digs were a school record, breaking the previous 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 started both of NU’s Big 12 matches. She comes off a career-best 11-kill effort in Saturday’s win at Texas Tech, eclipsing her previous high of 10 set twice this season. Houghtelling had one of her best performances of the year against Missouri on Sept. 15, matching her then-career high with 10 kills and hitting .346 in the sweep of the Tigers. She also had 10 kills and a career-high nine digs in a win over Notre Dame (9/4). 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 2.61 kills per game. She came off the bench for three kills and a block in game three at No. 25 Colorado on Wednesday. Mancuso tied a career-high with 16 kills and added 11 digs for her first career double-double vs. Florida A&M on Sept. 10. 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.

Colorado Recap
Sarah Pavan and Jennifer Saleaumua combined for 28 kills on .417 hitting, as seventh-ranked Nebraska posted its fifth straight sweep with a 30-25, 30-25, 30-23 victory over No. 25 Colorado at the Coors Event Center Wednesday evening.

Pavan led the Huskers with a match-high 16 kills and hit .478 while adding six blocks, while Saleaumua joined the freshman in double figures with 12 kills, eight digs and a .360 hitting percentage. The Huskers out hit Colorado, .323-.092, in recording their 13th straight win over the Buffaloes.

In addition to the strong performance from outside attackers, Melissa Elmer also shined for NU. She finished with eight kills and matched a season high with eight blocks. Elmer and Tracy Stalls, who had seven blocks and four kills, helped the Huskers control the net by a 16-8 margin.

Allie Griffin led CU (6-4, 1-2 Big 12) with 13 kills, but the Buffaloes were held to under .100 hitting in two of the three games.

NU-CU Quick Sets

• Nebraska has now won its last 13 matches against Colorado dating back to the 1998 season. NU also improved to 17-2 all-time in Boulder.
• Nebraska’s 16 blocks equalled a season-high for a match. The Huskers also had 16 blocks against Maryland (Sept. 12), Texas Tech (Sept. 18) and Notre Dame (Sept. 4 in a five-game match).
• Melissa Elmer had eight block assists against Colorado, passing Carla Baker, who had 338 block assists from 1986 to 1989, for 10th place on Nebraska’s career chart. Elmer now has 341 career block assists.
• Sophomore Amanda McCormick led NU with 14 digs against Colorado and now has had at least 10 digs in each of Nebraska’s last six matches.
• Sarah Pavan led Nebraska in kills for the eighth time in nine matches with 16 kills in 23 swings. The freshman’s .478 hitting was her second-highest effort of the year.

When Negative is a Positive for the Big Red
One of the reasons for Nebraska’s continued success it its play on the defensive side of the court. The Huskers are holding opponents to a league-low .102 hitting percentage and have allowed only one opponent ? Notre Dame, which hit .277 in NU’s five-game win on Sept. 4 ? to hit above .200.

Over the last five matches, the Huskers have been even tougher, holding three opponents to negative hitting totals, as opponents have combined to hit just .040 in that stretch. Two weeks ago at the First National Bank/Arby’s Classic, NU held Ball State (-.018) and Maryland (-.016) to negative numbers - marking the first time since November of 2002 that the Huskers held consecutive foes to below .000 hitting. Against Texas Tech on Saturday, the Red Raiders hit -.032, the lowest by a Nebraska opponent since Iowa State hit -.051 on Nov. 14, 2003

Under John Cook, the Huskers have now held 12 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 1 (New Orleans)
2004 3 (Ball State, Maryland, Texas Tech)
Total 12

Husker Block is Best in the Land
After a one-year hiatus where the Huskers were sixth nationally in blocking, the 2004 Huskers are back on top of the NCAA rankings in blocking. Nebraska led the nation in blocking entering the week (3.74 blocks per game) before raising their total with a 16-block performance on Wednesday at Colorado. Nebraska enters Saturday’s match averaging 3.90 blocks per game and has out-blocked its last 15 opponents dating back to last season. Included in that stretch were two matches against Notre Dame, which led the nation in blocking during the 2003 season. Middle blockers Tracy Stalls and Melissa Elmer both rank among the top 20 in blocks, ranking eighth and 17th respectively.

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 (3.83 per game) and kills (3.23) while hitting .285, as her numbers are strikingly similar to last season, when she earned first-team All-Big 12 honors. She ranks sixth in the Big 12 in digs and is hitting an impressive .342 in Big 12 matches.

Saleaumua starred in Nebraska’s win at Colorado on Wednesday, delivering 12 kills on .360 hitting while adding eight digs in the sweep of the Buffaloes. Against Missouri on Sept. 15, she sparked the Husker win with a match-high 13 kills, eight digs and two blocks while hitting .423. On Saturday at Texas Tech, she continued to show her all-around fine play with eight kills, 13 digs and a season-high six blocks. 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.

Comparing Saleaumua (2003 and 2004 Totals)
Year KPG Pct. DPG BPG
2003 3.27 .254 3.90 0.63
2004 3.23 .287 3.83 0.77

Elmer Climbs Block by Block
All-American Melissa Elmer has been a force for the Husker program over the last two-plus seasons and is beginning to climb Nebraska’s career list. The middle blocker from Fort Wayne, Ind., ranks 10th all-time with 341 block assists, moving past 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 1.77 blocks per game through NU’s first eight matches to rank 17th nationally in the latest NCAA rankings. Elmer, who tied a season high with 13 kills on .455 hitting against Missouri, averages 2.83 kills per game and leads the Husker starters in hitting percentage (.337).

She totaled double figures in kills four times this fall, highlighted by a .562 performance on 11 kills against Notre Dame. She matched a season high with eight blocks while adding eight kills in Wednesday’s win at Colorado.

In her career, she is averaging 2.73 kills and 1.49 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, Dani Busboom has taken full advantage of her expanded role at the center of Nebraska’s attack.

The 5-11 sophomore is second in the Big 12, averaging 13.33 assists per game. She has had a trio of 50-assist contests in 2004, including a career-high 64 assists in the five-game thriller over Notre Dame on Sept. 4. Busboom, who ranked 13th nationally in last week’s NCAA stats, is the only setter in the league to have 50 assists in a three-game match this season and has done it twice (vs. Western Michigan, 9/4; vs. Missouri, 9/15). Her 64 assists in the win at Notre Dame ties for the third-highest total in the league this season and was 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, has a team-high five double-doubles this season, including a 50-assist, 13-dig performance against Missouri last Wednesday.

Fabulous 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 (4.77), a total that is second in the Big 12, and is third on the team in blo cks (1.23). The 6-foot-5 opposite hitter has topped the Huskers in kills eight times, most recently a 16-kill effort at Colorado on Wednesday, when she hit .478 and added six blocks. Pavan hit a season-high .550 (14-3-20) at Texas Tech on Saturday while adding six blocks. Her 24 kills against Florida A&M on Sept. 10 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 in 1989 - has led the Huskers in kills, as she holds freshman marks in 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 third in the Big 12 and eighth nationally in blocking, as she averages a team-best 1.87 blocks per game. She also leads NU in service aces (eight) and is third in assists (0.50 per game). Stalls has had nine or more kills in three of the Huskers’ last seven matches, including a career-high 10 kills on .643 hitting at Western Michigan on Sept. 4. She also has at least five blocks on eight occasions, including eight blocks in Saturday’s win over Texas Tech and seven blocks in her return to Colorado on Wednesday. Her eight blocks against the Red Raiders matched her season high set against 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 has made three appearances including last Saturday’s win against Texas Tech.

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 upperclassmen.

Rank and File
With the No. 7 ranking in this week’s poll, Nebraska is one of two teams to be ranked in the USA Today/CSTV Coaches poll for all 307 weeks of its existence. The Huskers have been ranked in the top 10 for 273 of the 307 weeks, which ranks second behind Stanford’s 288. NU has spent 38 weeks in the top spot, and its most recent No. 1 ranking was Sept. 24, 2001.

Big 12 Well Represented in Weekly Poll
The Big 12’s early season success is evident in looking at the USA Today/CSTV Coaches poll released Monday afternoon. In addition to Nebraska, which is ranked seventh this week, five other conference teams are in the national rankings, including Texas A&M (11), Kansas State (19), Kansas (21), Texas (22) and Colorado (25). The six Big 12 teams matches the Pacific-10, which also has six teams in this week’s poll. The two leagues comprise nearly half of this week’s top-25.

No. Conference Ranked Schools
1 Big 12 Six
Pacific-10 Six
3. Big Ten Four
4. SEC/Mountain West/Big West Two

Cook’s Winning Ways
Nebraska Coach John Cook has been amazingly successful during his five seasons at the helm, posting a 132-10 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 80-3 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 Saturday’s match against No. 11 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 selected matches by calling 800-8 BIG RED.

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 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, including a career-high 31 against Missouri in 2003.

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 Has Jersey Retired
One of the 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.

Husker Volleyball on Television
Nebraska Athletic Department announced that a total of 10 Husker volleyball matches will be televised this season. The 2004 broadcast schedule began on Sept. 15, with the Huskers’ match against Missouri and will continue with Saturday’s match against No. 11 Texas A&M. Seven other games will be carried live on NETV, highlighted by tilts against Colorado (Oct. 27), Kansas State (Nov. 6), Kansas (Nov. 12) and Texas (Nov. 24). In addition, five matches will be carried nationally by College Sports Television, highlighted by the Nov. 7 match against Colorado State, which will be shown live as part of the AVCA Sunday Night Spikes Package.

Upcoming Television Schedule

Date

Opponent

Time

NETV

CSTV

Sept. 15

Missouri

7 p.m.

Live

11/17, 9 p.m.

Sept. 25

Texas A&M

7 p.m.

Live

Live

Oct. 6

Baylor

7 p.m.

Live

--

Oct. 9

Oklahoma

7 p.m.

Live

--

Oct. 27

Colorado

7 p.m.

Live

--

Nov. 3

Texas Tech

7 p.m.

Live

--

Nov. 6

Kansas State

6 p.m.

Live

--

Nov. 7

Colorado State

5 p.m.

--

Live

Nov. 12

Kansas

7 p.m.

Live

11/16, 6p.m.

Nov. 24

Texas

7 p.m.

Live

11/25, 7 p.m.

*- All Times listed Are Central

Pavan Joins Exclusive List
While Nebraska has traditionally excelled in recruiting the Midwest, 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.

Huskers Tabbed to Win Big 12 Title
The Nebraska volleyball team was picked to win the Big 12 Conference title in a vote of the league coaches released Aug. 9. Nebraska, which finished the 2003 season with a 28-5 record, received 10 of the 11 first-place votes in the conference preseason poll, as coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams. Kansas State, which won its first league title in 2003, was second with 80 points while Texas (75), Texas A&M (66) and Missouri (64) rounded out the top five in the preseason voting. The Huskers have won six of the eight league crowns in Big 12 history, including five straight titles from 1998 to 2002, and have won 25 conference titles in the program’s 28-year history. NU finished second to the Wildcats with a 17-3 mark last season.

Up Next: Huskers Travel to No. 21 Kansas
The Huskers will take on their third ranked team in as many matches next Wednesday, when Nebraska travels to Kansas to take on the No. 21 Jayhawks. First serve is set for 7 p.m. and will be carried on the Pinnacle Sports Network and streamed on the Internet at HuskersNside.com.