No. 1 NU Opens Big 12 Slate at Colorado

Match: #9: No. 1 Nebraska (8-0, 0-0 Big 12) at Colorado (4-2, 0-1 Big 12)
Sat., Sept. 17 * 8 p.m. (central) * Boulder, Colo. (Coors Event Center)
Radio:  Pinnacle Sports Network (B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Omaha)
Television: None
Live Stats:  Huskers.com
Live Internet Video: HuskersNside (subscription required)
Internet Audio:  Huskers.com
All-Time Series: Nebraska leads,  39-5 (NU won 14 straight)
Last Meeting: Nebraska won, 31-29, 30-12, 30-23 in Lincoln on Oct. 27, 2004 in Lincoln

No. 1 Huskers Open Big 12 Slate at Colorado
The top-ranked Nebraska volleyball team opens Big 12 play this week, as the Huskers travel to Colorado on Saturday, Sept. 17. First serve between the Huskers and Buffaloes is set for 8 p.m. (central) and will be carried on B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Omaha and on Huskers.com. Fans will also be able to view Saturday’s match on HuskersNside, a premium subscriber site that will carry nearly all of the 2005 regular season.

While the Huskers, who begin the week with an 8-0 record, remained No. 1 in the AVCA/CSTV coaches poll for a third straight week, they will open league play in sole possession of sixth place in the league standings, as the other Big 12 teams all began conference play on Wednesday. Colorado is 4-2 on the season with their losses coming to No. 3 Stanford last weekend and at No. 18 Texas on Wednesday.

The Huskers begin defense of their Big 12 title in Boulder, after facing one of the most grueling pre-conference schedules in school history. NU faced six ranked teams, including the No. 3-6 teams in this week’s AVCA/CSTV Coaches poll, and dropped just two games against those teams. Pepperdine was the only other team to take a game from the Huskers so far this season. Last weekend, Nebraska picked up its third tournament title in as many weeks, winning the InfoUSA/Arby’s Players Challenge with victories over Pepperdine (3-1), Pacific (3-0) and No. 4 Penn State (3-0). It marked the first time in four years that Nebraska had won its own tournament, while the win over the fourth-ranked Nittany Lions marked the first time in 10 years that Nebraska defeated a top-five team at home in the regular season.

Did You Know?
*- Nebraska already owns four wins over top-five teams, its highest total since the 2000 national title season.

*- The 14 points by Penn State in Sunday’s game marked the seventh time in the rally scoring era (2001-present) that NU held a ranked opponent to 15 points or less (not counting game five). The low by a ranked NU opponent was 10 by Santa Clara in 2003.

*- Sarah Pavan’s triple-double against Pepperdine was the first by a Husker hitter since Nancy Metcalf (39k, 12b, 21d) against KSU in 1999.

*-  Melissa Elmer has 65 blocks this season, more than the entire team totals of No. 10 Missouri (60), No. 18 Texas (63) and Colorado (44), while her average per game is better than three teams in that category.

*- The Big 12 has five teams ranked in the CSTV/AVCA Top-25, including three in the top 15.

Storylines and Streaks
*-Saturday’s match will mark a homecoming for a pair of Husker players. Sophomore middle blocker Tracy Stalls hails from Arvada and attended Lakewood High School, while freshman setter Rachel Holloway is originally from Aurora, Colo., and attended Smoky Hill High School before moving to Franklin, Tenn., this spring.
Both Stalls and Holloway played club volleyball for coach Jim Miret at Front Range, as did four members of the CU roster (Lara Bossow, Kelly Masumiya, Amber Nu’u, Ashley Nu’u).

*--Nebraska has won its last 32 regular-season matches dating back to Sept. 11, 2004.
*--Nebraska has won its last 17 road matches dating back to November of 2003. In fact, NU has won 22 of its last 23 matches outside of Lincoln in that span with the only loss coming to USC in the 2004 NCAA Regional Final.
*--Nebraska has won its last 23 matches in Big 12 play, dating back to Nov. 19, 2003.
*--The Huskers have won the last 14 meetings between the two schools, including nine of the last 10 by sweep. In addition, NU is 17-2 all-time against Colorado at the Coors Event Center.

Husker Probable Starters
MB - #8 Melissa Elmer (6-2, Sr., Fort Wayne, Ind.) - A two-time AVCA All-American, Elmer is on pace to become one of the best blockers in school history. She led the nation in blocking in 2004 at 1.89 blocks/game and tops the Big 12 this season in that category at 2.46 blocks per game. Elmer, who has had 10 or more blocks three times this season, also leads all NU starters in hitting percentage (.367), ranking eighth in the latest Big 12 rankings. A fourth-year starter, she ranks second on NU’s career block assist chart (527) and third in total blocks (582). Elmer, who spent the last two summers training with the U.S. National Team Program, had a season-high 13 blocks in a win over Pepperdine on Sept. 9 and was named MVP of the InfoUSA/Arby’s Players Challenge last weekend. She was also MVP of the Sports Imports Classic at Ohio State earlier in September.

MB - #11 Tracy Stalls (6-3, So., Arvada, Colo.) - Stalls recently returned to the lineup after missing NU’s first six matches because of off-season knee surgery. She made her return during the Players Challenge and averages 2.25 blocks and 1.25 kills per game in two matches, including a season-high five blocks against No. 4 Penn State. As a freshman, Stalls started 30 matches, averaging 1.65 blocks per game, a total that was 11th nationally. She was also eighth in the Big 12 in hitting percentage (.322). Stalls served a two-year stint in the U.S. National Developmental Program after high school before enrolling at NU.

OPP - #9 Sarah Pavan (rhymes with Have-in): 6-5, Soph., Kitchener, Ontario - A returning first-team AVCA All-American and National Freshman of the Year in 2004, Pavan led NU with 4.54 kills per game, becoming the first freshman to lead the Huskers in that category since 1989. Pavan had 20 or more kills in seven matches, including a career-high 35 in the regional title match against USC. This season, Pavan, the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, is averaging 3.41 kills and 1.52 blocks per game, ranking fourth in the league. She has a match-high 15 kills on .591 hitting against Michigan on Sept. 3 and recorded a career-high 12 blocks at No. 12 Ohio State on Sept. 2. Pavan recorded her first triple-double against Pepperdine on Sept. 9 with 11 kills, 11 blocks and 10 digs, becoming the first Husker since 2002 (Greichaly Cepero) and first NU outside hitter since 1999 (Nancy Metcalf) to accomplish the feat. Against No. 4 Penn State, Pavan had 12 kills on .478 hitting, two service aces and two blocks to earn a spot on the Players Challenge all-tournament team. Pavan, who was on the Canadian National Team at age 16, spent the summer on campus, adding 20 pounds of muscle and posting a 4.00 GPA in biochemistry.

OH - #3 Christina Houghtelling (HOTEL-ing), 6-2, Jr., Cambridge, Neb. - Houghtelling is in her second year starting at outside hitter. She leads NU with 3.55 kills per game on .345 hitting, while chipping in 2.37 digs and 1.00 blocks per game.  Houghtelling has earned all-tournament honors two times, including MVP honors of the AVCA/NACWAA College Volleyball Showcase, where she averaged 4.83 kills on .404 hitting, 2.33 digs and 1.67 blocks per game in sweeps of No. 4 Hawaii and No. 3 Stanford. Houghtelling matched her career high with 17 kills against Pepperdine on Sept. 9, before posting her first double-double of the year (12 kills and a career-high 14 digs) in a sweep of No. 4 Penn State on Sept. 11. Houghtelling has reached double figures in kills six times in eight matches, hitting .625 on 16 swings in a sweep of No. 12 Ohio State on Sept. 2. Last year, she started at outside hitter, averaging 2.90 kills and 2.34 blocks per game. Houghtelling was one of three Huskers to play in the USA Volleyball program last summer, competing on the A-2 National Team.

OH - #26 Jennifer Saleaumua (Sal-ee-ah-MOO-uh); 5-11, Jr., National City, Calif. - Three-time All-Big 12 performer who is one of the nation’s top outside hitters. Saleaumua earned second-team AVCA All-America honors in 2004, ranking second on the squad in both kills (3.09) and digs (3.74). The Big 12 Co-Defensive Player-of-the-Year in 2004, she is averaging 2.59 kills and a team-best 4.48 digs per game. Saleaumua is fourth in the Big 12 in digs per game, and has reached double figures in seven of NU’s eight matches. She topped NU with nine kills on .471 hitting and added 11 digs in a sweep of Pacific on Sept. 10. Her 27-dig effort against Minnesota on Sept. 5, was the highest total in the league this season. Against Ohio State, she reached the 1,000-kill mark for her career, becoming only the second player in school history to reach both 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs. Saleaumua shined against Hawaii in the season opener, drilling 12 kills on 16 swings, while adding 14 digs in the sweep of the Rainbow Wahine. She already holds NU’s career record in digs (1,253) and has 35 career double-doubles (kills-digs). Saleaumua joined Elmer and Houghtelling in the USA Volleyball Training program over the summer.

OH - #10 Jordan Larson: 6-2, Fr., Hooper, Neb. - Larson is a true freshman who came into NU following a decorated prep career. She was a three-time Super-State selection who was rated the No. 2 player in the country by prepvolleyball.com. Larson set a Class C-1 state record with 501 kills on .490 hitting while establishing an all-class record with 179 service aces in 2004. She also spent two years on the U.S. Junior National Team and was named the MVP of the 2004 NORCECA Tournament. Larson was chosen as the Big 12’s Preseason Freshman of the Year by the league coaches. Larson has appeared in seven matches, ranking second on the team in digs (3.14) and kills (3.41) and topping NU in service aces (0.32 per game) She has two double-doubles, including a 19-kill, 19-dig effort at No. 5 Minnesota on Sept. 5. Larson had 15 kills, 12 digs and six blocks in the sweep of No. 3 Stanford on Aug. 27. She had match-high 14 kills on .480 hitting in a sweep of No. 4 Penn State on Sept. 11.

S - #18 Dani Busboom, 5-11, Jr., Cortland, Neb. - Busboom is in her third season as Nebraska’s starting setter and splits time with Maggie Griffin in the Huskers’ 6-2 offense. She averages 6.56 assists and 1.81 digs per game, while helping the Huskers hit over .400 twice this season. She recorded her first double-double of the year with 31 assists and 11 digs in a five-game win over No. 5 Minnesota. Busboom split time with Michelle Lynch in NU’s 6-2 offense in 2003 before taking over the full-time reigns last season. She averaged 13.10 assists per game in 2004, the highest total by a Husker setter in seven years, to earn honorable-mention AVCA All-Midwest Regional honors.

S - #1 Maggie Griffin, 6-0, So., St. Charles, Ill. - A transfer from Michigan State, Maggie Griffin is in her first season at Nebraska. She splits time with Dani Busboom in running NU’s 6-2 offense, averaging a team-high 7.37 assists and 1.26 digs per game. Griffin has a season-high 36 assists, three service aces and six digs in a win at No. 5 Minnesota on Sept. 5. She spent her freshman year at MSU, ranking sixth in the Big Ten with 12.98 assists per game to earn All-Freshman honors. She had eight double-doubles and 50 or more assists 12 times in 26 matches for the Spartans. Griffin was a Fab 50 selection at Rosary (Ill.) High School, ranking 12th on Prepvolleyball.com’s senior aces list.

Scouting Colorado
Colorado (4-2, 0-0 Big 12):  The Buffaloes host Nebraska on Saturday in their Big 12 home opener dropping a four-game loss to No. 18 Texas on Wednesday. Colorado is 4-1 on the season, with their only other loss coming against No. 3 Stanford on Sept. 9. CU is among the league leaders in nearly every offensive category, ranking third in assists (15.64 per game) and fourth in kills (16.64 per game) and hitting percentage (.292). The duo of Allie Griffin (5.14 kills per game) and Amber Sutherland (4.38 kills per game) rank second and fourth in the league, respectively, while CU is the only team with two players averaging better than 4.25 kills per game. The Buffaloes also have one of the best all-around setters in the Big 12 in Ashley Nu’u, who is third in the league at 14.14 assists per game.
 
Nebraska leads the all-time series, 39-5, and has won the last 14 matches in the series, dating back to 1997. A Husker win on Saturday would equal the longest NU winning streak in the series.

NCAA Regional Tickets on Sale
Tickets for the NCAA Regional this December at Qwest Center Omaha went on sale Saturday, Sept. 10. All-session Tickets for the regional, which will take place Dec. 9-10, are $36 (reserved) and $30 (general admission) and can be purchaed at the Qwest Center box office, by calling Ticketmaster at (402) 422-1212 or at Ticketmaster locations around the state (Baker’s, Younkers and the Nebraska Student Union in Lincoln). In addition, tickets can also be ordered at Ticketmaster.com.

Nebraska season ticket holders will receive an NCAA postseason ticket order sheet (which will include both opening rounds and regionals) from the NU Ticket Office this week. The Nebraska Athletic Department has already blocked off a significant number of seats for Husker volleyball season ticket holders.

Elmer Climbs Block Chart
    Two-time All-American Melissa Elmer has picked up where she left off in 2004 after leading the nation in blocking last season. In NU’s first eight matches, Elmer averaged a national-best 2.41 blocks per game, a significant jump from her 1.89 blocks per game in 2003. The senior from Ft. Wayne, Ind., has recorded seven or more blocks six times, including a season-high 13 in a win over Pepperdine on Sept. 10. Elmer was named MVP of the Sports Imports Classic at Ohio State, averaging 3.00 blocks and 2.76 kills per game in victories over OSU and Michigan. Last week, she was selected to the Players Challenge all-tournament team, totaling 2.80 kills and 2.70 blocks per game in three matches.
 Elmer, who was also selected to the AVCA/NACWAA Showcase all-tournament team, has already moved from seventh to third on NU’s career total blocks list during the first three weeks of the season. On Sept. 9, she moved past Stephanie Thater for sole possession of second place on NU’s block assist list and is quickly closing in on Thater’s No. 2 spot in NU’s career blocks list.

Block Assists
No Player, Years Total
1. Amber Holmquist, 1999-02 646
2. Melissa Elmer, 2002-present 527

Total Blocks
No Player, Years Total
1. Amber Holmquist, 1999-02 728
2. Stephanie Thater, 1989-92 591
3. Melissa Elmer, 2002-present 582

Pavan Posts Triple-Double
 All-American Sarah Pavan made Husker history in the Sept. 9 win over Pepperdine. The 6-foot-5 sophomore became the first Husker in three years to record a triple-double, finishing the match with 11 kills, 11 blocks and 10 digs. Not only was it the first by a Husker player since 2002, but it was the first by a Husker outside hitter since Nancy Metcalf (Meendering) had one in a loss to Kansas State in 1999. In that match, Metcalf had 39 kills, 12 blocks and 21 digs.

Saleaumua Reaches 1,000-1,000 Club
 Senior captain Jennifer Saleaumua reached a historic mark at Ohio State on Sept. 2. The senior from National City, Calif., reached the 1,000-kill mark, becoming only the second player in school history to record both 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs.
 
1,000-1,000 Club
Player, Year Kills Digs
Eileen Shannon, 1989-92 1,521 1,074
Jennifer Saleaumua, 2002-05 1,047 1,253

Rank and File
 Nebraska is one of two teams to be ranked in the USA Today/AVCA Coaches poll for all 322 weeks of its existence.  The Huskers have been ranked in the top 10 for 288 of the 322 weeks, which ranks second behind Stanford’s 293. NU has spent a total of 43 weeks in the top spot, and its most recent No. 1 ranking was in the Sept. 5 poll. Only UCLA (51), Hawaii (48) and Stanford (47) have spent more weeks at No. 1 than Nebraska.

Huskers Power Big 12’s Strong Start
 Behind the lead of the Huskers, the Big 12 has enjoyed a strong start to the 2005 campaign. Entering this week’s matches, the Big 12 is 69-17 overall (.802), including eight wins over ranked foes. Nebraska has five of the wins against ranked opponents, including four against top-five teams.

Houghtelling Earns Big 12 and National Honors
Christina Houghtelling earned a pair of honors on Aug. 29, as she earned Big 12 and national player-of-the-week accolades. The awards were both the first for Houghtelling, who was named MVP of the AVCA/NACWAA College Volleyball Showcase.
Houghtelling averaged 4.83 kills on .404 hitting, with 2.33 digs and 1.67 blocks per game in helping top-ranked Nebraska to sweeps of No. 4 Hawaii and No. 3 Stanford. Houghtelling paced the Huskers in kills in both matches, while also tying career highs with five blocks in both matches.
Against Hawaii, Houghtelling tallied a match-high 14 kills, a .440 hitting percentage and seven digs to help snap the Rainbow Wahine’s 59-match regular-season win streak.  The following evening, she totaled 15 kills, including nine in the first game. She helped NU knock off a defending national champion for the first time in program history, as the Huskers topped a pair of top-five foes for the first time since 2000.

The Qwest was a Success
     Nebraska volleyball’s first visit to Qwest Center OMAHA was a smashing success, as over 20,000 fans came out for the two-day event while a national television audience saw four of the top five teams in the preseason poll battle for the title. 
 *-Both night’s attendance totals (10,028 and 10,576, respectively) shattered the AVCA/NACWAA single-match (9,345 between Hawaii and USC in 2003) while the total of 20,604 easily eclipsed the tournament record  of 16,292 set in 2003.
*--The attendence totals ranked as the 26th and 11th largest crowds to see an NCAA volleyball match.
*-The AVCA/NACWAA College Volleyball Showcase drew two of the largest off-campus regular-season crowds in NCAA volleyball history.
*--Nebraska became the third school to win two event titles (also Stanford and USC) and became the first host school to win in the event’s 11-year history.

Pavan Looks to Top Frosh Campaign
 After becoming the first Husker freshman to earn first-team AVCA All-America honors, right side hitter Sarah Pavan will look to top her 2004 campaign. The Kitchener, Ontario, native ranked fourth in the Big 12 with 4.54 kills per game, including seven 20-kill performances. She enjoyed her best match of the year against USC, setting a Husker postseason record with 35 kills, the fifth-highest total in school history. Pavan, who carries a 4.0 GPA in biochemisty, added 20 pounds of muscle in the offseason. She comes into Saturday’s match averaging 3.33 kills per game, including a season-high 17 in a win at No. 5 Minnesota on Sept. 5. Pavan has also been a force at the net, recording 12 blocks in a sweep of No. 12 Ohio State on Sept. 2 and 11 in a win over Pepperdine on Sept. 10. She is currently fourth in the Big 12 in blocking, averaging 1.52 blocks per game.

Newcomers Playing Vital Roles
Nebraska’s heralded incoming class has played a major role in the Huskers’ early season success. Jordan Larson has two double-doubles in seven  matches, including a 19-kill, 19-dig effort against No. 5 Minnesota on Sept. 6. Sophomore setter Maggie Griffin has been effective in helping NU run the 6-2 offense, averaging a team-high 7.29 assists per game. In addition, Amanda Gates and Rachel Schwartz have also seen extensive action in NU’s first eight matches.

Stalls Makes Return vs. Pacific
Nebraska regained the services of middle blocker Tracy Stalls in last Saturday’s win over Pacific. The sophomore played in game one, recording four blocks and two kills in her only action after missing NU’s first six contests with off-season knee surgery. The following day, Stalls had five blocks in a sweep of No. 4 Penn State She  ranked 11th nationally in blocking in 2004, averaging 1.65 blocks per game in 30 contests. A former member of the U.S. National Team, Stalls established NU freshman marks for total blocks (160) and block assists (148), while ranking eighth in the Big 12 with a .322 hitting percentage.

Husker Captains Named
Nebraska Head Coach John Cook announced on Aug. 19, that seniors Melissa Elmer and Jennifer Saleaumua and junior Christina Houghtelling were elected captains for the 2005 season. Elmer is in her second year as team captain, while the honor was the first for both Saleaumua, a three-time All-Big 12 selection, and Houghtelling.

Nine Husker Matches to be Televised
Nebraska Athletic Department announced that a total of nine Husker volleyball matches will be televised this season. The 2005 broadcast schedule began on Aug. 26, with the Huskers’ season opener against Hawaii. A total of seven matches will be carried live on NET-1, NET-2 and NET-HD, highlighted by tilts against Penn State (Sept. 11), Texas A&M (Sept. 21), , Texas (Oct. 15), Kansas (Oct. 26) and Missouri (Nov. 13). In addition, eight matches will be carried nationally by College Sports Television, highlighted by the AVCA/NACWAA College Volleyball Showcase in Omaha.

2005 Television Schedule
Date Opponent Time NETV CSTV FSN
Aug. 26 Hawaii 8:30 p.m.  -- Live --
Aug. 27 Stanford 7:30 p.m. -- Live --
Sept. 11 Penn State 3 p.m. NET-2 9/11, 5 p.m. --
Sept. 21 Texas A&M 7 p.m. Live Live --
Oct. 1 Baylor TBA Live 10/2, 4 p.m. --
Oct. 15 Texas 7 p.m. Live 10/16, 2p.m. --
Oct. 26 Kansas 7 p.m. Live 10/27, 9 p.m. --
Nov. 2 Oklahoma 7 p.m. Live 11/3, 7 p.m. --
Nov. 13 Missouri 5 p.m. Live Live --

Huskers Picked to Win Big 12
 Defending Big 12 champion Nebraska was selected to win the 2005 volleyball title in the annual preseason polling of the league’s head coaches.  The Huskers captured all 10 of the possible first-place votes and 100 points overall, with coaches not being allowed to vote for their own teams.
 In 2004, NU finished the season with a perfect league record (20-0) for the fourth time in conference history (2000-02, ?04) and 15th overall. The Huskers have earned seven of the nine previous crowns.  
 Missouri finished second behind NU with 88 points.  Texas, Texas A&M and Kansas rounded out the top five, while Kansas State, Baylor and Colorado held the six-eight spots.  Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Iowa State were ninth, 10th, and 11th, respectively. 
 Nebraska paced the conference with three All-Big 12 selections while earning two of the three individual honors. 
 Husker sophomore Sarah Pavan headlined the preseason awards as the Player of the Year.  Last season, the Kitchener, Ontario, native became the first freshman in school history to be named an American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American.  She also received the organization’s National Freshman of the Year accolade, another first for an NU player. Pavan earned Big 12 Freshman-of-the-Year honors and was named to the all-conference first team after recording 4.54 kills per game and a .322 hitting percentage in all matches.  In  conference action, Pavan averaged 4.43 kills while maintaining a .339 hitting efficiency.  The outside hitter set Husker freshman marks for kills (481) and kills per game, while recording 20-or-more kills seven times.  Pavan posted a career-high and NU postseason record 35 kills in last year’s regional final loss to USC -- the fifth-highest single-match total in school history.
 Pavan’s teammate Jordan Larson was tabbed as the Preseason Freshman of the Year.  The 2004 Gatorade Nebraska High School Player of the Year compiled a Class C-1 state record 501 kills on a .490 hitting clip during her senior campaign at Logan View High School.  Larson, a three-time all-state first team pick, also contributed 179 aces to lead the squad to the state semifinals.  Internationally, she was a member of the U.S. Junior National Team for two years (2003-04). She led Team USA to the gold medal and claimed the Most Valuable Player and Best Receiver honors at the 2004 NORCECA Championships.
 Returning All-Americans Melissa Elmer and Jennifer Saleaumua joined Pavan on the preseason all-conference team. Elmer, a first-team All-American in 2004, led the nation in blocking (1.89 blocks per game) while averaging 2.91 kills per game. Saleaumua, a second-team AVCA All-American in 2004, returns after averaging 3.09 kills and 3.74 digs per contest. Saleaumua was the league’s co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2004, as Nebraska led the country in defense, holding opposing teams to a .103 hitting percentage.

2005 Big 12 Preseason Volleyball Poll
Rank Team (First-place Votes) Points
1. Nebraska(10) 100
2. Missouri 88
3. Texas 77
4. Texas A&M 72
5. Kansas 68
6. Kansas State 56
7. Baylor 43
8. Colorado 43
9 Oklahoma 24
10. Texas Tech 21
11. Iowa State 13

2005 Preseason All-Big 12 Team
Name, School Pos. Ht. Cl.
Desiree Guilliard-Young, Baylor MB 6-5 Jr.
Allie Griffin, Colorado RS 6-0 Sr.
Ashley Nu’u, Colorado S 5-10 Jr.
Josi Lima, Kansas MB 6-0 Sr.
Lindsey Hunter, Missouri S 5-10 Sr.
Jessica Vander Kooi, Missouri OH 6-2 Jr.
Melissa Elmer, Nebraska MB 6-2 Sr.
Sarah Pavan, Nebraska OH 6-5 So.
Jennifer Saleaumua, Nebraska OH 5-11 Sr.
Joanna Schmitt, Oklahoma OH 5-10 Jr.
Brandy Magee, Texas MB 6-2 Jr.
Michelle Moriarty, Texas S 5-10 So.
Laura Jones, Texas A&M OH 6-2 Sr.

Preseason Honors
Preseason Player of the Year: Sarah Pavan, Nebraska
Preseason Newcomer of the Year: Jennifer Todd, Texas
Preseason Freshman of the Year: Jordan Larson, Nebraska

Huskers to be Tested in 2005
 NU Head Coach John Cook has put together one of the most challenging schedules in school history in 2005:
*- Nineteen of Nebraska's matches will be against teams that qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2004, including matchups with NCAA Champion Stanford and a match at NCAA runner-up Minnesota. 
*- Nebraska will meet four of the top six teams in the AVCA preseason poll, with matches against Stanford, Hawaii, Penn State and Minnesota.
*- The Huskers will face 13 teams (a total of 19 times)  that were ranked or received votes in the preseason CSTV/AVCA Coaches poll.

Huskers Reload with Young Talent
 One year after pulling in the nation’s best recruiting class, Nebraska pulled in its second straight top-three class in the offseason. The group is led by outside hitter Jordan Larson, who was rated the No. 2 high school senior in the country by prepvolleyball.com. All four freshmen earned prep All-America honors, while Holloway (U.S. Youth National Team) and Larson (U.S. Junior National Team) both have extensive experience in the USA Volleyball program.
2005 Top Recruiting Classes
No. PrepVolleyball.com Volleyball Magazine
1. Stanford Stanford 
2. Penn State Penn State 
3. Nebraska Nebraska
4. Minnesota Georgia Tech
5. California Minnesota

Husker Block is Best in the Land
Nebraska volleyball is known nationally for its outstanding blocking, and the 2004 season was no exception. The Huskers led the nation for the fourth time in five years, averaging 4.02 blocks per game. Last season marked just the fifth time in school history that Nebraska averaged more than four blocks per game (also 1986, 1998, 2000 and 2001). The Huskers also return the nation’s top individual blocker in two-time All-American Melissa Elmer, who averaged 1.89 blocks per game in 2004. The Huskers lead the Big 12 with 3.74 blocks per game.

In 2005, the Huskers currently rank second nationally in blocking, averaging 4.24 blocks per game, over 1.00 block per game more than Kansas, which is second in the Big 12 in that category.

NCAA Blocking Leaders (as of 9/11)
No.   School Blocks/Gm
1 St. Mary’s (Cal.) 4.28
2 Nebraska 4.24
3 Washington St. 3.96
4 Wisconsin 3.89
5 Maryland 3.62

The Nation’s Top Defense
 Another reason for Nebraska’s success is its defensive effort. In 2004, the Huskers led the nation in opponent hitting percentage, holding opponents to just .103 hitting. The mark broke the school record of .106 set in 2001. In fact, only four opponents hit above .200 against the Huskers during the entire 2004 campaign. In 2005, NU is holding opponents to .132 hitting, as only Stanford has hit over .200 against the Huskers.

2004’s Top Defenses (listed by opp. hitting pct.)
Rank  Name  Opponent Hitting Pct.
1. Nebraska .103
2. Florida A&M .127
3. Florida .137

2005’s Top Defenses (listed by opp. hitting pct.)
Rank  Name  Opponent Hitting Pct.
1 Washington .032
2 Wisconsin .080
3 Minnesota .085
4 Louisville .114
5 California .116
6 Santa Clara .120
7 Missouri .126
8 Stanford .132
9 Nebraska .137
10 Tennessee .137
 
Under John Cook, the Huskers have held 15 foes to negative hitting percentage, as Pacific hit -.073 against Nebraska on Sept. 10.
 
Lowest Hitting Percentages vs. NU since 2000
Date  Opponent  Pct.
10/3/00 Creighton - .105
10/30/04 Iowa State - .089
9/10/05 Pacific -.073
9/29/02 Creighton - .068
9/4/00 Oral Roberts - .066
11/3/04 Texas Tech - .055
11/13/02 Iowa State -.051

Cook’s Winning Ways
Nebraska Coach John Cook has been amazingly successful during his five seasons at the helm, posting a 162-11 record (.936 winning percentage). All 11 losses have come against teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament, including the eventual NCAA champion in 2001 (Stanford) and 2002 (USC). 

In the Big 12, Cook has enjoyed even greater success, going 97-3 in his five seasons. Nebraska has posted four undefeated seasons in league play (2000-02, 2004) and has dropped just 33 of the 329 conference games it has played over the past five seasons, good for an .899 winning percentage. 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.

Winningest Division I Programs (2000-present)
No.  Team Record Pct. 
1. Nebraska 162-11 .936
2. Hawaii 165-15 .917
3. Florida 162-18 .900
4. USC 146-18 .890
5. Northern Iowa 150-29 .838
Updated Totals as of Sept. 12

All-America U
 Nebraska continued its string of All-America success in 2004, as Melissa Elmer, Sarah Pavan and Jennifer Saleaumua were named AVCA All-Americans. For Elmer, it was her second straight All-America certificate, as she was a second-team selection in 2003 before earning first-team honors in 2004. It was the first award for both Pavan, a first-team honoree, and Saleaumua, a second-team selection. Nebraska has had at least one All-American every season since 1983, a total of 23 straight seasons, including 14 in Coach John Cook's five seasons at Nebraska. A total of 25 players have combined to earn 49 AVCA All-America certificates. Nebraska leads the nation in both categories.

Sellout Streak Reaches 58
Nebraska will carry a streak of 58 consecutive sellouts at the NU Coliseum into next Wednesday’s match with No. 15 Texas A&M. The Huskers sold out all 15 matches they played at the Coliseum last season and sold out the entire 2005 season in just nine days. The streak began with a 10-game stretch to close the 2001 season and extended through the 2002, 2003 and 2004 campaigns. The last non-sellout came on Sept. 25, 2001, against Creighton. Nebraska ranked second nationally in total attendance in 2004, averaging 4,336 fans per match.

The Alltel Husker Volleyball Show
The Alltel Husker Volleyball show with John Cook will air throughout the state this fall. On NET-2, the show runs Monday nights at 7:30 p.m. beginning Aug. 28, while UPN Nebraska, which debuts on Sept. 1, will air the show at 10:30 p.m. on Mondays.

Red, White and Blue
 Nebraska continued its Olympic tradition in 2004 with Nancy Metcalf's (Meendering) selection to the U.S. Olympic team. Metcalf, a three-time All-American at Nebraska, 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. Current Huskers Melissa Elmer, Christina Houghtelling and Jennifer Saleaumua had an opportunity to train with the U.S. National Team program this summer, while Elmer and Houghtelling also represented Team USA at the Montreux Volley Masters in Montreux, Switzerland.

Up Next: Huskers Return Home for Texas A&M and Iowa State
 Following Saturday’s match, the Huskers are home for a pair of matches next weekend, as they take on No. 15 Texas A&M on Wednesday, Sept. 21. First serve is set for 7 p.m. and the match will be carried live on NET-1 (Ch. 12 in Lincoln), NET-HD (Ch. 112 on Time Warner Cable in Lincoln) and will be shown nationally on College Sports Television. NU continues the homestand on Saturday, Sept. 24, as Iowa State visits the NU Coliseum for a 7 p.m. start.