No. 1 Huskers Face Resurgent Cyclones

No. 1 Nebraska (22-0, 14-0) at
Iowa State (17-7, 9-5 Big 12)

Wednesday, Nov. 8 ?
Ames, Iowa ? 6:30 p.m.

Radio:  Husker Sports Network
(B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Omaha)
Live Stats: Huskers.com
Free Audio: Huskers.com  
Television: None
Free Video: Huskers.com

No. 1 Nebraska at
Colorado (13-9, 9-6 Big 12)

Saturday, Nov. 11 ?
Boulder, Colo. ? 8 p.m.

Radio:  Husker Sports Network
(B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Omaha)
Live Stats: Huskers.com
Free Audio: Huskers.com  
Television: None
Video: HuskersNside (subscription required)

The No. 1 Nebraska volleyball team begins the homestretch of the 2006 campaign on Wednesday night, as the Huskers travel to Ames, Iowa, to take on Iowa State. First serve between the Huskers and Cyclones is set for 6:30 p.m. and the match will be carried across the state on the Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Omaha, and on Huskers.com. The match will also be shown live for HuskersNside subscribers. For more information on HuskersNside, visit Huskers.com.

The Huskers (22-0, 14-0 Big 12) come off a solid performance on Saturday, sweeping No. 17 Oklahoma to take a three-game lead in the Big 12 race.  Against the Sooners, Jordan Larson had 16 kills to pace three Huskers in double figures. All-American Sarah Pavan had 13 kills and a match-high six blocks, while Tracy Stalls chipped in 10 kills on .444 hitting, as the Huskers out-hit OU, .288-.178, and out-blocked the Sooners, 12-8.

Larson, who has led NU in kills eight times this season, has raised her level of play during the second half of the Big 12 schedule, averaging 4.83 kills per game over NU's last four matches.

Nebraska will be tested against an Iowa State (17-7, 9-5 Big 12) team that is poised to make its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1995. The Cyclones, coached by former Husker All-American setter Christy Johnson, have won their last five matches, including a four-game win over No. 21 Missouri in Columbia last Wednesday and a sweep of Kansas on Saturday. The Cyclones, who have already equaled their school mark for Big 12 wins, have relied on one of the league's best defensive units. Iowa State leads the Big 12 in blocks, is second in opponent hitting percentage and third in digs.

Did You Know?
?-Former Husker All-American Nancy Metcalf helped Team USA to a 4-1 record and a berth in the second round of the FIVB World Championships in Japan. The United States will open second-round play on Wednesday against China.
?-With 365 digs this season, Dani Busboom is already eighth on NU's single-season digs list. With 35 more digs, she would become only the third Husker to reach 400 digs in a year, joining Jennifer Saleaumua (twice) and Amanda McCormick.
?-NU has improved its blocking over the last month, averaging 3.47 blocks per game over the last six matches and now ranks second in the Big 12 with 3.21 blocks per game.
?-Nebraska is 49-2 (.961) in November under John Cook since the 2000 season, In fact, NU is 180-16 (.918) in November since 1983.

Worth Noting
?-Iowa State Coach Christy Johnson was an assistant under NU Coach John Cook during the 1997 and 1998 seasons at Wisconsin, helping the Badgers to a 60-8 record and a Big Ten co-championship in 1997.
?-Johnson was a two-time All-American setter at Nebraska and holds the top-two single-season assist averages in school history. In fact, NU freshman Rachel Holloway is on track to become only the fourth Husker to ever average 13.50 assists per game, joining Johnson and fellow All-Americans Fiona Nepo and Val Novak.
?-Nebraska is 65-2 (.970) on the road in Big 12 play since the start of 2000 season, losing at Kansas State in 2003 and at Texas in 2005.
?-Nebraska has won 57 of its last 58 Big 12 matches since its 2003 loss at Kansas State. The Huskers had won 43 straight conference matches before Texas ended that streak in the 2005 regular-season finale in Austin.
?-Wednesday's matchup between the Cyclones and Huskers features the Big 12's top blocking teams. ISU leads the Big 12 with 3.40 blocks per game, while NU is second at 3.21 blocks per game. NU has led the Big 12 in blocks in each of the past six seasons.
?-One Husker who has emerged in the last three weeks is outside hitter Dani Mancuso. After hitting .182 in NU's first 15 matches, the Omaha native is hitting .297 over Nebraska's last seven contests.
?-Dani Busboom has reached double figures in digs in each of the Huskers' last 19 contests, matching Amanda McCormick's school-record streak by a libero.
?-While Nebraska has already reached the 20-win plateau for the 32nd straight year, it marks only the sixth time in school history that the Huskers have opened the year with 20 straight wins.
?-After Saturday's win over Oklahoma, Nebraska is now 33-3 (.917) against ranked opponents since the start of the 2004 season and 70-11 (.864) under John Cook.
?-The Huskers are 7-0 against ranked opponents this season, with six of the wins coming in sweeps.
?-With the No. 1 ranking in Monday's AVCA poll, the Huskers have spent 66 weeks all-time at No. 1, the most of any Division I program. UCLA is second with 51 weeks. NU has been ranked No. 1 in 26 of the last 27 polls dating back to the start of 2005.
?-NU has held opponents to a Big 12-low .133 hitting percentage, as only four teams have hit over .200 against the Husker defense.  NU ranks fourth among this week's CSTV/AVCA Top 25 in opponent hitting percentage.

Scouting Iowa State
 Under former Husker All-American Christy Johnson, Iowa State comes into Wednesday's match with a 17-7 record and a 9-5 mark in Big 12 play. The Cyclones, who are fourth in the league standings, have already matched their best-ever Big 12 win total, while their 17 wins are the most in a decade.  Johnson, NU's starting setter on the 1995 NCAA title team, is in her second season at the helm of the ISU program after serving as an assistant at Wisconsin since 1997. The Cyclones enter Wednesday with a five-match win streak, highlighted by a four-game win over No. 21 Missouri in Columbia on Nov. 1.

 Iowa State features one of the Big 12's top middle blockers in junior Erin Boeve, who averages 3.32 kills and a league-best 1.67 blocks per game. Boeve is one of three Cyclones averaging 3.00 kills per game, joining Katie Jessen (3.92 k/gm) and Lauren Cummings (3.03 k/gm). ISU's forte has been its defense, where Boeve and Jessica Klein (1.34/gm) both rank in the top-10 in blocks, while five Cyclones have at least 200 digs on the season. Katie Churm averages a team-best 4.01 digs per game. 

The Huskers have owned the all-time series with the Cyclones, winning all 69 matches dating back to 1975. NU has won the last 24 meetings dating back to 1994. The only time the teams have gone five games came during the 1989 season.

Husker Probable Starters
MB - #15 Kori Cooper: 6-2, Fr., Amarillo, Texas - Cooper splits time with Amanda Gates at middle blocker, averaging 1.60 kills and 0.98 blocks per game, while ranking second in the Big 12 with a .383 hitting percentage. Cooper had five blocks and four kills in Saturday's win over No. 17 Oklahoma, and is averaging a team-high 1.44 blocks over NU's last five matches. She had one of her best matches of the year at No. 9 Texas on Oct. 18, totaling seven kills while adding a career-high eight blocks against the Longhorns. Against Kansas State on Oct. 4, she set then-career bests in both kills (eight) and blocks (five). A Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 pick, Cooper enrolled at NU in January after graduating from Amarillo High School a semester early. Cooper was a co-captain of the 2005 U.S. Youth National Team, helping Team USA to a fourth-place finish.

MB - #11 Tracy Stalls: 6-3, Jr., Denver, Colo. - Stalls has been one of the Big 12's top middle blockers, averaging 2.70 kills and 1.38 blocks per game. She is fourth nationally in hitting percentage at .443 and is sixth in the Big 12 in blocks. Stalls comes off a strong match against No. 17 Oklahoma on Saturday, totaling 10 kills on .444 hitting and three blocks. It marked the seventh time Stalls has had at least 10 kills in a match this season, including a season-high 14 kills against Minnesota on Sept. 10 and against Long Beach State on Sept. 3. She has also had nine matches where she has hit .500 or better, including a season best .727 vs. Texas Tech on Sept. 23. At No. 9 Texas on Oct. 18, Stalls had 13 kills on .417 hitting, while posting 12 kills and hitting .571 against Colorado on Oct. 14. She keyed NU's win over No. 15 Missouri on Oct. 11 with nine kills and matched her season high with eight blocks. Last season, Stalls ranked third in the Big 12 with 1.59 blocks per game and ranked 11th nationally in blocking as a freshman at 1.65 blocks per game. Before enrolling at NU, Stalls was a two-year member of the U.S. National Developmental Program and a member of Team USA.

OPP - #9 Sarah Pavan: 6-5, Jr., Kitchener, Ontario - A two-time, first-team AVCA All-American, Pavan leads the Big 12 in both kills (5.11) and points per game (6.06), ranking 12th nationally in kills. She has four 20-kill performances this season, including a 22-kill effort at No. 9 Texas on Oct. 18. She has reached double figures in kills in NU's last 19 matches and 21 of 22 times in 2006.  Pavan had 13 kills and six blocks in Saturday's win over No. 17 Oklahoma. She posted a strong effort against No. 16 Missouri on Oct. 25 with 18 kills on .424 hitting, six digs and three blocks. Pavan has two double-doubles on the year, with her most recent coming with 13 kills and 10 digs against Kansas State on Oct. 4. She earned MVP honors in both of NU's early-season tournaments and was the Big 12 Player of the Week on Sept. 11, averaging 6.70 points and 5.90 kills (.409 hitting percentage) in three matches. She had one of the best matches of her career against Long Beach State on Sept. 9, totaling 24 kills on .400 hitting against the 49ers, including eight kills on eight swings in the opener. Pavan was the 2005 Big 12 Player of the Year, averaging 3.82 kills, 1.66 digs and 1.25 blocks per game. She established her career high in kills as a freshman with 35 in the NCAA Regional against USC. Pavan, who carries a 4.0 GPA in biochemistry, was a member of the Canadian National Team at age 16.

OH - #10 Jordan Larson: 6-2, So., Hooper, Neb. - Larson has become one of the Big 12's top all-around performers in 2006 after earning Big 12 Freshman-of-the-Year accolades in 2005. She averages 4.35 kills and 3.59 digs per game, ranking in the Big 12's top 10 in aces (0.46/gm, third), points (5.29, third), kills (fourth) and digs (ninth). She has a team-high 16 double-doubles, including a stretch of 10 in a row earlier this season. Larson had a match-high 16 kills and nine digs in a sweep of No. 17 Oklahoma on Saturday, the eighth time she has led NU in kills this season. She earned the Big 12 weekly honor after averaging 5.17 kills and 4.17 digs in two matches, including a career-high 20 kills against Kansas State on Oct. 4.  Against No. 20 Louisville, she set a career high with five aces while adding 14 kills on .440 hitting. As a freshman, Larson averaged 2.82 kills, 2.79 digs and 0.38 service aces per game, topping all conference freshmen in kills, digs, hitting percentage and service aces. She was rated the No. 2 player in the country by Prepvolleyball.com and spent two years on the U.S. Junior National Team.

DS - #5 Rachel Schwartz: 5-9, So., Lincoln, Neb. - Schwartz is a former walk-on who is used as a defensive specialist and averages 2.46 digs and 0.18 aces per game. She has tied or set career highs in digs seven times this season, and has been in double figures in digs eight times in the last 12 contests. Schwartz came up with a career-high 15 digs in NU's win at No. 9 Texas on Oct. 18 and had 13 digs at Kansas State on Oct. 28. She enjoyed her best match of the year at Baylor on Sept. 30, totaling a then-career high 14 digs and a career-high three aces. She also had 14 digs in a win over Creighton on Sept. 24 and 12 digs against Texas Tech on Sept. 23. Schwartz appeared in 30 matches as a freshman as NU's defensive specialist, finishing with 18 digs and five aces. She was a first-team all-state selection at outside hitter at Lincoln East High School in 2004.

-or- OH - #7 Dani Mancuso: 6-2, Sr., Omaha, Neb. - Mancuso moved into the outside hitter position vacated after Christina Houghtelling's season-ending injury. Mancuso averages 2.46 kills, 0.66 blocks and 0.69 digs per game, primarily playing the front row. She has notched at least eight kills in 11 of NU's last 15 matches and has hit .297 over NU's last seven contests. Mancuso had eight kills on .333 hitting and four blocks at Texas Tech on Nov. 1 She enjoyed her best week of the season two weeks ago, hitting .444 in wins over No. 16 Missouri and Kansas State, including seven kills on .455 hitting at KSU on Oct. 28. Mancuso had nine kills and matched her career best with six blocks in NU's win over No. 9 Texas on Oct. 18 and nine kills on .400 hitting against Missouri on Oct. 11. She had 11 kills in wins over Creighton and Saint Mary's. In 2005, Mancuso was NU's backup at all three outside hitter spots, averaging 1.38 kills, 1.15 digs and 0.68 blocks per game. She shared the outside hitter spot with Houghtelling in 2004, averaging 2.77 kills and 0.29 service aces per game, including a career-high 22 kills in a win at Kansas State.

S - #12 Rachel Holloway: 5-10, R-Fr., Franklin, Tenn. - Holloway is the first Husker freshman to start in a 5-1 system in the NCAA era (1981-present). She averages 13.51 assists, 2.63 digs and 1.22 kills per game, ranking third in the Big 12 and 12th nationally in assists. Holloway had seven double-doubles, including 48 assists and 12 digs against No. 16 Missouri on Oct. 25, a match NU hit .425 as a team.  Holloway, who had 55 assists and eight kills in NU's win at No. 9 Texas,  was selected as the Big 12's Player of the Week on Oct. 16, after averaging 16.00 assists per game in sweeps of Colorado and Missouri. Holloway, who leads all freshmen nationally in assists, totaled a career-high 57 assists, eight digs and seven kills against Minnesota,  helping NU hit .337. Last summer, Holloway captained the U.S. Youth National Team to a gold medal at the NORCECA Junior Championships in Mexico. Holloway, who graduated high school a year early, was the Colorado Gatorade High School Player of the Year in 2004.

L -  #18 Dani Busboom: 5-11, Sr., Cortland, Neb.  - Busboom makes the shift to libero after sharing time at setter in her first three years at NU. She leads the Big 12 with 5.14 digs per game and has reached double figures in digs 21 times in 22 matches, including each of NU's last 19 matches. Busboom, who is in sixth place on NU's career charts with 1,066, reached the 1,000-dig plateau against Missouri on Oct. 25, and is only 21 digs away from jumping into third place. She has totaled at least 20 digs in five matches, including a career-high 23 digs at Kansas State on Oct. 28 and at Creighton on Sept.. 24, Against No. 20 Louisville on Sept. 8, Busboom had 14 digs and three aces while helping to hold Louisville to .044 hitting. Last season, she averaged 6.45 assists and 1.82 digs in NU's 6-2 offense, helping NU hit .322 as a team. She is seventh on NU's career assists list with 2,889 and is the second player in school history on top-10 lists in both assists and digs, joining former NU All-American Val Novak.

Last Time Out: No. 1 Nebraska 3, No. 17 OU 0
Jordan Larson had a match-high 16 kills, leading No. 1 Nebraska past No. 17 Oklahoma, 30-19, 30-26, 30-27 in front of a season-high crowd of 4,294 at the NU Coliseum and a national television audience. ?

Larson narrowly missed her 17th double-double of the season, totaling 16 kills on .324 hitting, nine digs and two blocks, as the Huskers improved to 22-0 on the season and 14-0 in the Big 12. The win gave the Huskers a three-match lead over both Oklahoma and Texas in the Big 12 standings and extended the Huskers' home win streak to 49 matches. 

Larson was one of three Huskers to reach double figures in kills, as Sarah Pavan had 13 kills and a team-high six blocks, while Tracy Stalls had 10 kills on .444 hitting and three blocks. It was the seventh time that Stalls has finished with at least 10 kills in a match this season.  

The Huskers out-hit Oklahoma, .288-.178 and totaled 12 blocks in handing the Sooners (20-5, 11-3) only their second loss in the last 12 matches. Dani Busboom recorded a match-high 15 digs, the 19th straight match that she has been in double figures.

Last Time vs. Iowa State
All-American Sarah Pavan had a match-high 15 kills and five blocks, as top-ranked Nebraska swept Iowa State, 31-29, 30-20, 30-17, on Sept. 24.

The Huskers relied on a balanced offense with four players totaling at least eight kills. Sophomore Jordan Larson turned in her sixth double-double of the season with 11 kills and 11 digs, while Tracy Stalls and Dani Mancuso also chipped in eight kills apiece. Stalls totaled six of her seven kills in the finale, and set season bests with eight blocks and seven digs.

The Huskers, who improved to 69-0 all-time against ISU, wore down the Cyclones, who entered the match leading the Big 12 in blocks and opponent hitting percentage. NU out-hit ISU, .250-.083, while totaling 13 blocks, compared to only five for the visitors.

What to Watch For
 ? - Right side hitter Sarah Pavan is 13 kills away from reaching the 1,300 mark in her career, becoming only the seventh Husker to reach that total.
 ? - Tracy Stalls is two blocks away from reaching 400 blocks for her career.
 ?-Rachel Holloway is 81 assists from reaching 1,000 assists on the season. Her 13.51 assists per game is the best by a Husker since Fiona Nepo in 1988 (13.79/gm).
 ?-Dani Busboom has 365 digs on the season and is   already in eighth place on NU's single-season list. She needs 25 digs to climb all the way to fourth and 35 to become the third Husker to record 300 digs in a year.
 The only other Huskers to reach that plateau were Jennifer Saleaumua (2003, 2005) and Amanda McCormick (2004).