Newcomer Werth Shows No Signs of Shyness on Husker Volleyball Team

When Nebraska gives fans a sneak preview of its third-ranked volleyball team at the annual Red/White Scrimmage Saturday night at the NU Coliseum, don't expect Hannah Werth to be the least bit jittery.

One of four Fab 50 players on the Huskers' No. 2 Ranked National Recruiting Class, Werth has spent a semester at Nebraska and goes into the match as a rookie who's had the seasoning of spring practice sessions with her teammates . . . sort of the Cody Green of the Husker volleyball team.

She launches her Nebraska career with a certain national reputation that includes a nomination for an ESPY Award that took her to Los Angeles six weeks ago for the national telecast.

The MVP of the AVCA High School All-America Match at the Qwest Center in Omaha last December, the Springfield, Ill., native selected Nebraska over Illinois, Florida, UCLA, Stanford and Wisconsin.

Also the MVP of the 2007 AAU National Championships after leading her club team to the national title, Werth has been in plenty of high-powered competitions and shown remarkable ability to keep her focus.

Not bad for someone who openly admits she's "a big goofball."

Maybe it's all in the family, which has a rich and well-known athletic heritage. Hannah's older brother, Jayson, bats fifth for the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies. Her older sister, Hillary, is a member of the UCLA track and field team.

Her mother, Kim Schofield Werth, was a track star at the University of Florida and competed in the 1976 Olympic Trials in the long jump and 100 meters. Her father, Dennis, played four years for the New York Yankees and the Kansas City Royals. In addition, Hannah's uncle, Dick Schofield, and her grandfather, Dick "Ducky" Schofield, also played in the major leagues.

Armed with confidence and energy, Werth becomes the first Nebraska volleyball player to be featured in our new video series, Quick Hits.