No. 8 Huskers Open Big 12 Schedule against Texas Tech

This Week in Nebraska Volleyball

No. 8 Nebraska (7-2, 0-0 Big 12) vs. Texas Tech (2-7, 0-0 Big 12) Wednesday, Sept. 16 * NU Coliseum * 7 p.m. Radio: Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and KTWI 93.3 FM in Omaha, and on Huskers.com TV: NET (Ch. 12.1 and Ch. 112 in HD) Live Stats: Huskers.com Video: Huskers.com (free video) No. 8 Nebraska at Colorado (5-4, 0-0 Big 12) Saturday, Sept. 19 * Boulder, Colo. * 8:00 p.m. Radio: Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and KTWI 93.3 FM in Omaha, and on Huskers.com TV: None Live Stats: Huskers.com Video: HuskersNside (subscription required)

No. 8 Huskers Open Big 12 Schedule against Texas Tech Following a five-set loss to then-No. 8 UCLA on Sunday, the Nebraska volleyball team turns its attention to conference action, as the Huskers begin their quest for a sixth consecutive Big 12 title. The Huskers (7-2, 0-0 Big 12) begin league play on Wednesday, Sept. 16, as Texas Tech visits the NU Coliseum. Nebraska has won or shared the last five Big 12 titles dating back to 2004, and has won 11 titles since the league was formed in 1996.

First serve betweem the Huskers and Red Raiders is slated for 7 p.m. and the match will be carried across the state on the 25-station Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Twister 93.3 FM in Omaha, and on the Internet at Huskers.com. In addition, Wednesday's match will be carried across the state on NET (Ch. 12.1 in Lincoln and Ch. 112 in HD).

The Huskers dipped from fifth to eighth in the AVCA Coaches poll released Monday, while UCLA and Michigan both moved past the Huskers in the weekly chart following Nebraska's 2-1 week. Sunday's loss to UCLA snapped Nebraska's seven-match win streak, as well as the Huskers' 90-match home win streak dating back to 2004.

One positive for the Huskers was the performance of freshman Hannah Werth, who totaled career highs in both kill (14) and digs (23) against the Bruins. Her total was the best by a freshman since Amanda McCormick had 26 digs against UCLA in the 2003 NCAA Tournament.

By the Numbers
0 - Nebraska's current home win streak following Sunday's loss to UCLA, snapping the Huskers' NCAA-best 90 match home streak.
4 - Number of times Brooke Delano has hit over .400 this season. Delano is now fifth in the Big 12 in hitting percentage (.372) after hitting
-.013 as a redshirt freshman in 2008.
7 - Number of service aces Tara Mueller had in three matches last weekend. She had at least two in all three contests, marking the first time in her career (54 matches) she had multiple aces in more than two straight matches.
9 - Consecutive Big 12 openers that Nebraska has won dating back to the 2000 season.

Scouting Texas Tech
The Red Raiders begin Big 12 Conference action Wednesday, as they take on the Huskers at the NU Coliseum. Texas Tech enters the match with a 2-7 record after going 1-2 at Tulsa's tournament last weekend. The Red Raiders, who are playing their first 10 matches on the road, opened the season in the state of Nebraska, as they played in Creighton's season-opening tournament. Wednesday's match will be Tech's second against a ranked foe this year, as the Red Raiders were swept by Illinois on Aug. 29 in Omaha.

Sophomore Amanda Dowdy leads Texas Tech with 3.40 kills per set and has been relied on for most of Tech's offense. She has taken more than twice as many swings as any other Red Raider. Junior college transfer Barbara Conceicao has also been one of the impact newcomers in the league, averaging 2.47 kills and a team-high 1.57 blocks per set, as she leads the conference in blocking entering Big 12 play. The Red Raiders are third in the league in blocks as a team, as sophomore Karlyn Meyers also averages more than a block per set from the setter position.

Quick Hits on the Red Raiders
*-The Red Raiders are coached by Trish Knight, who compiled a 676-170-3 record since beginning the Missouri State-West Plains volleyball program in 1993. Her teams made 10 consecutive appearances in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I Women's National Volleyball Championship tournament.
*-Sophomore Amanda Dowdy represented the United States on the Women's Junior National Team over the summer. Dowdy was on the Big 12's all-freshman team in 2008, as she averaged 2.74 kills and 0.60 blocks per set.
*-Texas Tech features a Nebraska native as middle blocker Michelle Kuester is from Norfolk and played last season at Iowa Western Community College. Kuester is averaging 0.68 kills and 0.91 blocks to rank third on the squad in blocks.
*-The Red Raiders will look to snap a 39-match Big 12 losing streak that dates back to a five-set win over Colorado on Sept. 12, 2007.
Nebraska-Texas Tech Series
*-Texas Tech upset the Huskers in their first meeting as Big 12 schools in 1996, but Nebraska has won the last 25 matchups, including 20 by sweeps.
*-Nebraska swept six straight matches against the Red Raiders before Texas Tech won the first set in the meeting in Lubbock on Oct. 29, 2003.
*-Nebraska has 24 sweeps in the 31 matchups between the two teams, including sweeps in each of the last 10 matchups.

Series at a Glance
Series Record: Nebraska leads, 30-1
Last Meeting: NU won, 3-0 (11/22/08)
Last Nebraska Win: 11/22/08
Last Nebraska Loss: 10/26/96
Longest NU Winning Streak: 25
Current NU Winning Streak: 25
NU at home: 14-0
NU on the road: 12-1
NU at neutral sites: 4-0

Husker Potential Starters
MB - #6 Jordan Wilberger: 6-1, So., Scottsbluff, Neb.:  Walk-on who has started NU's last four matches, as Kori Cooper recovers from knee surgery. Wilberger is averaging 1.33 kills and 0.90 blocks per set. She had a match-high seven blocks in the loss to No. 8 UCLA and six blocks in the Huskers' sweep of Virginia. Wilberger had a career night against Creighton on Sept. 1, coming up with 10 kills on .467 hitting. Wilberger came off the bench against No. 11 Minnesota on Aug. 29 to deliver six kills on .625 hitting and three blocks in her first action of the year. She started NU's last seven matches at middle blocker in 2008 and averaged 1.12 kills on .338 hitting and 0.85 blocks per set in 2008.

- or - #15 Kori Cooper: 6-2, Sr., Amarillo, Texas - Senior co-captain who is easing her way back into the lineup following knee surgery last November. She is averaging 1.33 kills and 1.00 blocks per set in three matches, but did not play in the Players Challenge over the weekend.
Cooper totaled a season-high six kills on .455 hitting and four blocks against No. 16 Michigan on Aug. 28. Cooper was named first-team All-Big 12 and honorable-mention All-American after averaging 2.09 kills on .396 hitting and 0.88 blocks per set. She has a career .366 hitting percentage, which ranks sixth among all players with at least 500 kills. Cooper has 40 career matches where she has hit .400 or better (with a minimum of 10 swings) and hit a personal-best .396 in 2008 to rank second in the Big 12 and 10th nationally.

MB - #8 Brooke Delano: 6-2, So., Bellevue, Neb. -  Third-year sophomore who has started at middle blocker in 2009, and averages 2.29 kills and 1.23 blocks per set. She is fifth in the Big 12 in blocks and ninth in hitting percentage (.372). Delano was one of two Huskers named to the Ameritas Players Challenge All-Tournament team, as she averaged 2.33 kills per set on .415 hitting and 1.00 block per set. She has reached double figures in kills three times, including a career-high 14 kills against Minnesota on Aug. 28. Delano averaged 2.00 kills on .424 hitting and 1.88 blocks per set in two matches at the Tiger Classic. She had nine kills on .389 hitting and a career-high nine blocks (including four solo stuffs) against LSU on Sept. 4, and followed up with seven kills on .467 hitting and six blocks in a sweep of Tulane. She earned a spot on the AVCA Showcase All-Tournament team, as she averaged 2.62 kills on .348 hitting and 0.88 blocks per set. Delano had career bests in kills (14), blocks (five) and hitting percentage (.400) in the victory over No. 11 Minnesota. Delano appeared in 13 matches in 2008,  averaging 1.00 kill, 0.67 blocks and 0.81 digs per set before undergoing season-ending surgery.

RS - #4 Lindsey Licht: 6-5, Jr., Aurora, Colo. - Licht returns for her second year on the right side and is averaging 2.24 kills and 1.18 blocks per set to rank eighth in the league in blocks. She totaled nine kills and had a season-high seven blocks in the loss to No. 8 UCLA on Sept. 13. She turned in a strong effort at the Tiger Classic, averaging 2.91 kills and 1.18 blocks per set in three contests. Licht put together her best match of the year against LSU with a season-best 15 kills and six blocks, highlighted by four kills and two blocks in the fifth set. Against Tulane, she came back with 11 kills on .409 hitting and five blocks in a sweep of the Green Wave.  She started on the right side in 2008, averaging 2.56 kills and 0.90 blocks per set to rank among team leaders in both categories. She reached double figures in kills in 14 matches, including a career-best 17 kills on .500 hitting against No. 3 Texas on Sept. 20, 2008. Licht was named to the Seattle Regional All-Tournament team, averaging 2.12 kills and 1.38 blocks per set.

L - #2 Kayla Banwarth: 5-10, Jr., Dubuque, Iowa - Banwarth is in her third year as NU's starting libero and is second in the Big 12 with 4.59 digs per set and also chips in 1.24 assists per set. Banwarth has reached double figures in digs in NU's last 15 contests dating back to last season. She totaled 20 digs and a pair of service aces in NU's four-set win over BYU and added 16 digs in NU's loss to UCLA . Banwarth was named the Defensive MVP of the Tiger Classic, as she collected 4.82 digs per set, while limiting NU's three opponents to a combined .054 hitting. She had 21 digs and a career-high seven assists in the victory over LSU. Banwarth had career highs in digs (32) and assists (6) in the win over No. 11 Minnesota on Aug. 29, as her 32 digs ranked third in school history. Banwarth was third in the Big 12 in digs per set (4.12) in 2008, while her 470 digs ranked third in school history.

S - #1 Sydney Anderson: 6-0, Jr., Salt Lake City, Utah - Anderson is a returning AVCA All-American who has been chosen as one of the 2009 captains. She averages 10.06 assists, 0.82 kills on .339 hitting and 2.48 digs per set. Anderson is sixth in the league in assists and has a team-best five double-doubles (assists-digs). Anderson was selected to the Ameritas Players Challenge all-tournament team, as she averaged
10.58 assists, 1.00 kills and 2.83 digs per set. Against BYU, she dished out 49 assists and added 10 digs and a career-best seven kills on .778 hitting. Anderson was selected as the Offensive MVP of the LSU Tiger Classic on Sept. 5 whe she averaged 9.90 assists, 2.40 digs and 0.50 blocks per set. She had a double-double against LSU, collecting a season-high 51 assists and matching her Husker career best with 14 digs.
Anderson earned a spot on the 2009 Runza/AVCA Showcase all-tournament team with 46 assists and 11 digs in Nebraska's win over No. 11 Minnesota. She averaged 11.60 assists, 2.05 digs and 0.29 aces per set in 2008, ranking eighth nationally in assists and among the Big 12 leaders in service aces.

OH - #19 Tara Mueller: 6-0, Jr., Scottsdale, Ariz. - Mueller is a returning All-American at outside hitter and is averaging 3.48 kills and
2.77 digs per set. She totaled 44 kills and eight aces in three matches last weekend, including 17 kills in NU's loss to No. 8 UCLA on Sept. 13.
Mueller averaged 3.62 kills and 2.88 digs per set in two wins at the Tiger Classic to earn a place on the all-tournament team. She had a season-high 22 kills and 15 digs in the win over LSU on Sept. 4 and hit .412 on 17 swings against Tulane on Sept. 5. Mueller had a match-high 17 kills and tied a career high with 16 digs in the win against No. 11 Minnesota. She averaged 3.51 kills and 2.37 digs per set in 2008, ranking sixth in the Big 12 in kills per set. She totaled eight double-doubles, setting career highs of 24 kills and 16 digs against No. 5 Washington on Dec. 13, 2008. Mueller was the Most Outstanding Player of the Seattle Regional, averaging 4.00 kills and 3.25 digs per set in wins over Washington and Michigan. Mueller has two career matches with at least 20 kills, as she also totaled 20 kills against Kansas State in 2008.

OH - #44 Hannah Werth: 6-1, Fr., Springfield, Ill. - Werth enrolled at Nebraska in January and is splitting time with Gina Mancuso at the outside hitter spot. Werth is averaging 2.67 kills and 2.70 digs per set in eight matches. In her last five contests, Werth has upped those totals to 2.95 kills and 2.85 digs per set. She recorded her second career double-double with career highs in both kills (14) and digs (23) against No. 8 UCLA on Sept. 13. She had a then-career-high 13 kills on .455 hitting against UL-Lafayette and collected her first career double-double with 11 kills and 10 digs against LSU on Sept. 4. Werth was the MVP of the 2008 AVCA/Under Armour High School All-America match at the Qwest Center. She was a  first-team All-American by Volleyball Magazine and the AVCA after totaling 606 kills on .414 hitting, 252 assists, 220 digs and 54 aces. She finished her career with a state record 2,022 kills and was the  Gatorade Illinois High School Player of the Year in 2008.

-or- OH - #7 Gina Mancuso: 6-1, Fr., Omaha, Neb. - Mancuso is seeing time at both the outside hitter position and as a back-row specialist on the right side. She is averaging 1.48 kills and 1.78 digs per set in eight matches. Mancuso made her Husker debut on the right side against Virginia and totaled five kills and six digs against BYU on Sept. 11. She had a career-high 10 kills and added eight digs in a sweep of UL-Lafayette and collected eight kills on .312 hitting and four blocks against Tulane on Sept. 5. She made her first start against No. 11 Minnesota, totaling nine kills, 13 digs and four blocks against the Golden Gophers. Mancuso was the Gatorade and Volleyball Magazine National High School Player of the Year in 2008, totaling 721 kills on .452 hitting and 373 digs at Papillion-LaVista High School. She was a three-time all-state performer who ranks second in state history with 2,371 career kills and she also totaled 1,320 digs in high school. She led the Nebraska Juniors to the 2009 Junior Olympic 18-and-under title, earning MVP honors. Her older sister, Dani, started on NU's 2006 NCAA title team.