No. 9 Huskers Return Home to Face Texas A&M

No. 9 Nebraska (18-6, 11-4 Big 12) vs. Texas A&M (14-9, 7-8 Big 12) Friday, Nov. 13 ? 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: None Live Stats: Huskers.com Video: HuskersNside (subscription required)

Following a sweep of eighth-ranked Iowa State, the Nebraska volleyball team hosts Texas A&M Friday night at the NU Coliseum. First serve is slated for 7 p.m. and the match will be carried on selected Husker Sports Network stations, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Twister 93.3 FM in Omaha, and on Huskers.com with John Baylor and Diane Mendenhall on the call. The match will also available on HuskersNside. The Nebraska-Texas A&M match is on Friday because of the state high school volleyball championships at the NU Coliseum on Saturday.

The Huskers (18-6, 11-4 Big 12) jumped from 10th to ninth in Monday’s poll and are coming off their best performance of the season, a three-set sweep at Iowa State on Saturday. The Huskers quelled the Cyclones and their record crowd of 10,203 with a solid all-around effort, hitting .327 against the league’s top defense. NU became the first team in 34 matches to hit over .300 against the Cyclones, as five attackers recorded at least eight kills. Middle blockers Brooke Delano and Kori Cooper combined for 17 kills and five blocks, as Delano hit .571 with eight kills.  NU is now a game out of second place in the league race.

Texas A&M (14-9, 7-8 Big 12) looks to snap a three-match losing streak, as it lost to Iowa State on Wednesday. The Aggies dropped a pair of five-set heartbreakers last week, including a home setback to No. 20 Baylor when they lost 18-16 in the fifth. The Aggies rely on their trio of outside hitters, including Sarah Ammerman (4.30 kills per set) and Jennifer Banse (3.26 kps), who rank second and ninth, respectively, in the Big 12 in kills per set.

By the Numbers

• .692 - Brooke Delano’s hitting percentage over NU’s last two matches. Delano is averaging three kills per set in that span.
• 12.12.08 - The last time Nebraska did not have a player with at least 10 kills in a win before Saturday’s win over Iowa State. It came in the 2008 NCAA Regional semifinals against Michigan. 
• 10.16.06 - The last time a Husker setter was conference player of the week before Sydney Anderson earned the honor on Monday. She dished out 13.67 assists per set to help NU hit .384 in a pair of sweeps and added five services aces in two matches.

Scouting Texas A&M
One of the most experienced teams in the Big 12, Texas A&M got off to a fast start and is making a bid to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005.  The Aggies, who are coached by longtime mentor Laurie Corbelli (357-167 in 17 years at Texas A&M heading into Wednesday’s match) are 14-9 on the season and 7-8 in the league after being swept by Iowa State on Wednesday night. The Aggies have lost five of their last six, including a pair of five-game setbacks.

Texas A&M, which returned five starters this season, has one of the most prolific attacks in the Big 12, ranking third in hitting percentage (.250) and leading the Big 12 in both kills (14.81/set) and assists (14.05/set). Senior Sarah Ammerman leads the Aggies and ranks second in the Big 12 in kills at 4.30 per set, while Jennifer Banse is ninth in the league with 3.26 kills per set. Mary Batis nearly gives Texas A&M a third player at 3.00 kills per set, as she averages  2.95 kills per set. Senior Kristen Schevikhoven is fourth in the Big 12, averaging 10.96 assists per set.

Series History: Nebraska leads the series, 29-7, and saw their 19-match win streak in the series snapped in the first matchup back in September. NU had not lost in College Station since 1999, the only Big 12 team to accomplish the feat. NU has won all 16 matchups in Lincoln in series history.  NU Coach John Cook is 20-1 all-time against the Aggies, including an 18-1 mark as Nebraska’s coach.

Last Matchup: Despite a match-high 21 kills from All-American Tara Mueller, the Huskers dropped a 3-1 decision to Texas A&M (28-26, 17-25, 25-19, 25-19) in College Station on Sept. 23. Mueller led three Huskers in double figures in kills, as the Aggies picked up their first win over Nebraska in the last 20 matches in the series since 1999. Lindsey Licht had 13 kills on .423 hitting, while Hannah Werth added 11 kills and 12 digs.

Nebraska out-hit the Aggies, .253-.236, but the Huskers were hurt by 11 service errors and six Aggie aces, compared to only two for the Huskers. Sarah Ammerman led the Aggies with a team-high 18 kills, while Mary Batis chipped in 14, as Texas A&M hit .333 in the final two sets after the teams split the first two sets.

Nebraska-Texas A&M Series Notes

• Texas A&M won the first four meetings in the series, but is just 3-29 against the Huskers since 1982.
• Texas A&M Associate Head Coach John Corbelli served on the Nebraska staff in 1981.
• Texas A&M posted consecutive wins over Nebraska spanning the 1998 and 1999 seasons, but the Huskers have won 19 of the last 20 matches in the series.
• Nebraska had won its last 79 matches when having a higher hitting percentage than its opponents before losing at Texas A&M in September.

Husker Potential Starters
MB -  #15 Kori Cooper: 6-2, Sr., Amarillo, Texas - Senior co-captain is returning to All-America form following knee surgery last November. Cooper is averaging 2.34 kills and 0.85 blocks per set, ranking sixth in the Big 12 in hitting percentage (.338). She has played at a high level since returning to the lineup full time on Sept. 23, averaging 2.54 kills on .371 hitting over the last 12 contests. Cooper has reached double figures in kills four times in 2009, including a career best 16 kills on .414 hitting against No. 14 Iowa State on Oct. 21. In her last match, she tied for team-high honors with nine kills and three blocks at No. 8 Iowa State on Nov. 7. Cooper had 12 kills on .409 hitting and tied her season high with five blocks in a win over Oklahoma on Oct. 24.  She had nine kills on a season-high .471 hitting at Missouri on Oct. 17. Cooper turned in then-season bests in kills (13) and hitting percentage (.462) at Oklahoma on Sept. 30. Cooper was named first-team All-Big 12 and honorable-mention All-America in 2008 after averaging 2.09 kills  on .396 hitting and 0.88 blocks per set. Cooper has 46 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. - Sophomore who has started at middle blocker, and averages 2.27 kills and 1.17 blocks per set. She is third in the Big 12 in both blocks and hitting percentage (.348). Delano reached double figures in kills nine times, including a season-best 14 kills on .414 hitting at Oklahoma on Sept. 30. She totaled 10 kills on a career-best .833 hitting - the sixth best hitting percentage in school history - against Missouri on Nov. 4. It was one of 11 matches where Delano has hit .400 or better. She hit .571 with eight kills and added two blocks at No. 8 Iowa State on Nov. 7.   Delano had 12 kills and a team-high five blocks against No. 14 Iowa State on Oct. 21.  Delano chipped in 10 kills and four blocks on .470 hitting in a sweep of No. 19 Baylor on Oct. 19.  She 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 blocks per set. 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.  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 on Aug. 29. 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 last November.

RS - #4 Lindsey Licht: 6-5, Jr., Aurora, Colo. - Licht returns for her second year on the right side and is averaging 2.66 kills and 1.05 blocks per set to rank ninth in the Big 12 in blocks. Licht has been in double figures in kills 10 times in 2009, including a season-high 16 kills and six blocks against Oklahoma on Oct. 24. She had a team-high nine kills at No. 8 Iowa State on Nov. 7, and topped NU with 10 kills at No. 2 Texas on Oct. 30.  She has also topped NU in blocks eight times, most recently with four blocks against Missouri on Nov. 4. Licht had 14 kills and three blocks in the win at Oklahoma on Sept. 30. She played well at Texas A&M on Sept. 23, recording 13 kills on .423 hitting and three blocks.  Licht had a strong performance at Colorado on Sept. 19, drilling 16 kills on a season-high .481 hitting. Licht 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 a strong match at LSU with 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.

-or- OH - #7 Gina Mancuso: 6-1, Fr., Omaha, Neb. - Mancuso is seeing time as a back-row specialist on the right side, averaging 0.60 kills, 1.72 digs and 0.26 service aces per set, ranking seventh in the Big 12 in service aces per set. She now has 12 matches this season with at least five digs and five matches with at least two service aces. Mancuso totaled three aces and seven digs in a sweep of Missouri on Nov. 4. She played well at No. 2 Texas on Oct. 30, recording seven digs and adding a pair of service aces.  Mancuso had a career-high 16 digs and a service ace against No. 14 Iowa State on Oct. 21. Against Kansas State on Oct. 10, she racked up a career best four service aces and added five digs.  Mancuso had a career-high 10 kills and added eight digs in a sweep of UL-Lafayette. She collected eight kills on .312 hitting and four blocks against Tulane on Sept. 5. She made her first career start against No. 11 Minnesota, totaling nine kills, 13 digs and four blocks. 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 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.

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 4.69 digs per set and chips in 1.16 assists per set. Banwarth saw her streak of 28 straight matches  in double figures end in the win at No. 8 Iowa State on Nov. 7. She has 10 matches with at least 20 digs this year and recorded her first career double-double at Oklahoma on Sept. 30 with 26 digs and a career-best 10 assists. She was the Big 12’s Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 19, when she averaged 6.71 digs per set in a pair of wins, collecting 23 against Missouri and 22 in a sweep at No. 19 Baylor on Oct. 14. She 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 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 11.10 assists, 0.75 kills and 2.55 digs per set. Anderson is second in the league in assists and has a team-best 13 double-doubles (assists-digs), most recently a 39-assist, 10-dig effort at Texas Tech on Oct. 28. Anderson has five matches with at least 50 assists this season, including a career-high 57 assists at Missouri on Oct. 17.  Anderson had 54 assists and a career-best 16 digs at Oklahoma on Sept. 30. She was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week on Nov. 9 after averaging 13.67 assists per set and helping NU hit .384 in two matches. Anderson had 39 assists and a season-high three aces at No. 8 Iowa State on Nov. 7.  She has helped NU hit over .300 on eight occasions, including a season-high .451 against Missouri on Nov. 4, as she totaled 43 assists and two aces. Anderson was selected to the Ameritas Players Challenge all-tournament team, as she averaged 10.58 assists, 1.00 kill 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, when she averaged 9.90 assists, 2.40 digs and 0.50 blocks per set. She had a double-double against LSU, collecting 51 assists and adding 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. Last season, she averaged 11.60 assists, 2.05 digs and 0.29 aces per set in 2008, ranking eighth nationally in assists.

OH - #19 Tara Mueller: 6-0, Jr., Scottsdale, Ariz. - Mueller is a returning All-American at outside hitter and is averaging  3.00 kills, 2.54 digs and 0.30 service aces per set. Mueller is fourth in the Big 12 in service aces and has seven matches with at least two aces. She comes off a solid effort at No. 8 Iowa State on Nov. 8, recording eight kills on .300 hitting and six digs against the Cyclones.  She had 10 kills on .400 hitting and an ace in a sweep of Missouri on Nov. 4. Mueller collected her sixth double-double of the year at Texas Tech on Oct. 28, finishing with 11 kills on .360 hitting and 10 digs.  Mueller had nine kills, 12 digs and a career-high four service aces in a win over Oklahoma on Oct. 25. She had her fifth double-double of the season with 10 kills and 11 digs at Missouri on Oct. 17.  Mueller tied for team-high honors with 10 kills on .368 hitting against Kansas State on Oct. 10.  Mueller had a team-high 13 kills and a season-best four blocks (including two solos) against No. 2 Texas on Sept. 26. She led NU with a match-high 21 kills and added six digs at Texas A&M on Sept. 23, her fourth career match with at least 20 kills. 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. 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 seven 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.

OH - #44 Hannah Werth: 6-1, Fr., Springfield, Ill. - Werth enrolled at Nebraska in January and has earned one of the starting spots at outside hitter. She is averaging a team-high 3.19 kills and 2.92 digs per set, ranking second on the team in digs.  Werth leads all Big 12 freshmen in kills per set and is third (first among non-liberos) among freshmen in digs per set.  She is second to Sydney Anderson with 10 double-doubles and has been a five-time Big 12 Rookie of the Week. Werth earned her latest honor on Nov. 9, when she recorded 3.50 kills per set on .312 hitting and 3.67 digs per set in wins over Missouri and No. 8 Iowa State. She topped NU in both kills (nine) and digs (15) in a sweep against ISU on Nov. 7, and totaled a team-high 12 kills on .429 hitting and seven digs against Missouri on Nov. 4. Werth established a career high with 19 kills against Oklahoma on Oct. 24, equaling the most kills by a Husker freshman in the last five seasons.  Werth totaled 17 kills and added 15 digs at Missouri on Oct. 17. Werth had 13 kills on .389 hitting and 12 digs in a sweep  at No. 19 Baylor on Oct. 14.  Werth enjoyed one of her best matches of the year, drilling 15 kills on .448 hitting to go along with nine digs against Kansas on Oct. 7.  She recorded 14 kills  and a season-high 23 digs against No. 8 UCLA on Sept. 13. Werth was the MVP of the 2008 AVCA/Under Armour High School All-America match. 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.

Last Time Out: Huskers Sweep Iowa St.
Behind a solid all-around performance, No. 10 Nebraska spoiled Iowa State’s big night, sweeping the eighth-ranked Cyclones, 3-0 (25-16, 25-22, 25-23) in front of a record crowd of 10,203 at Hilton Coliseum on Nov. 7.

Sydney Anderson guided a balanced attack, dishing out 39 assists and adding a season-high three aces and four kills, as Nebraska hit .327 against a Cyclone team that was holding opponents to a  Big 12-low .142 hitting percentage. Iowa State had held its last 33 foes to under .300 hitting before the Huskers eclipsed the mark.

Kori Cooper, Lindsey Licht and Hannah Werth totaled nine kills apiece, as all five primary hitters totaled at least eight kills in snapping ISU’s 11-match home win streak. NU out-blocked Iowa State, 6-4, as Cooper came up with three blocks, including a pair of solo stops, while NU held Iowa State to .178 hitting in the sweep.

NCAA Regional Passes Now on Sale
All-session passes for the 2009 NCAA Omaha Regional at the Qwest Center are now on sale. All-session tickets are priced from $26-$34 for the two days of action on Dec. 11-12. Tickets can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com or by phone at (800) 277-1700.  Omaha is one of four pre-determined regional sites, joining Gainesville, Fla. (Florida), Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota), and Stanford, Calif. (Stanford).  The Omaha Regional semifinals will take place at 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 11, with the finals taking place at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 12.

Anderson Named AVCA Player of the Week
Sydney Anderson was recognized for the Huskers’ efforts last week, as she was named the Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week on Nov. 10. Anderson was honored after Nebraska picked up a pair of sweeps last week, including a road win at No. 8 Iowa State. She guided the Husker offense to a .384 hitting percentage while dishing out 13.67 assists per set. Anderson also added 0.83 service aces, 1.00 kill, 0.50 blocks and 1.67 digs per set.   It marks the 11th time a Nebraska player has received the AVCA’s weekly award and Anderson is only the second Husker setter to earn the award and first since Greichaly Cepero in 2002.

NU’s AVCA National Players of the Week
Player                                    Dates
Sydney Anderson               11/10/09
Jordan Larson                       9/23/08
Sarah Pavan                          8/27/07 & 11/29/04
Christina Houghtelling        8/29/05
Greichaly Cepero                  12/2/02
Amber Holmquist                 11/25/02 & 9/10/01
Allison Weston                    10/31/94 & 9/20/93

Two Huskers Honored by Big 12
Sydney Anderson and Hannah Werth were honored by the Big 12 Conference on Nov. 9,  Anderson was named Offensive Player of the Week, while Werth received the league’s Rookie-of-the-Week award.  It is the sixth time that Anderson has been honored in her two-year career at NU, but her first Offensive Player-of-the-Week accolade, while Werth has been named Rookie of the Week on five occasions.

Anderson was honored for her play in helping Nebraska to a pair of sweeps on the week, including a road win at No. 8 Iowa State. She guided the Husker offense to a Big 12-best .384 hitting percentage while dishing out 13.67 assists per set. Anderson also led the Big 12 with 0.83 services aces per set and added 1.00 kill on the week. She helped Nebraska hit a season-high .451 against the Tigers on Wednesday, distributing 43 assists along with two aces and two blocks. The six starters hit over .400 on the night, including Brooke Delano’s .833 hitting percentage (10-0-12), which was the sixth-best outing in school history. At ISU, Anderson had 39 assists and a season-high three aces as NU hit at a .327 clip, becoming the first team in 34 matches to hit .300 or better against the Cyclones.

Werth recorded 3.50 kills per set on .312 hitting and 3.67 digs per set in helping NU to a perfect week. At ISU, Werth led NU in both kills (nine) and digs (15) and added two blocks (one solo, one assist) to help hand the Cyclones their first home loss. Earlier in the week, she paced the Nebraska offensive attack with 12 kills while hitting at a .429 clip and adding two aces in a sweep of Missouri.

Cooper Earns Academic Honor
Nebraska middle blocker Kori Cooper was recognized for her athletic and academic success on Nov. 5, as she garnered ESPN the Magazine first-team Academic All-District VII honors. A speech language pathology major who carries a 3.81 GPA, Cooper was selected to the Academic All-District VII team for the second straight year.

This season, Cooper has bounced back from season-ending knee surgery toa verage 2.30 kills and 0.84 blocks per set, ranking fifth in the Big 12 in hitting percentage. She has had four matches with at least 10 kills, including a career-high 16 kills on .414 hitting against Iowa State on Oct. 21.

Husker Quick Sets

• ?-The Huskers have now been ranked in the top 10 of the AVCA poll every week since the start of the 2004 season, a span of 93 weeks.
• ?-Hannah Werth’s 3.19 kills per set ranks 20th nationally among all freshman in the latest NCAA stats released on Nov. 9.
• ?-Nebraska became the first team in 34 matches to hit over .300 against Iowa State on Nov. 7. Prior to the match, ISU was holding foes to a Big 12-low .143 hitting percentage and had held 10 of its last 11 opponents to under .200 hitting.
• ?-John Cook will look for his 300th victory at Nebraska on Friday night against Texas A&M. Cook is 299-25 (.923) in 10 seasons at NU.
• ?-Nebraska’s .451 hitting percentage against Missouri on Nov. 4 was the Huskers’ best effort in a Big 12 match since the 2007 campaign. The Huskers hit .472 against Texas Tech in the final regular-season match of the year.
• ?-One of the overlooked aspects of NU in recent weeks has been improved serving. Over the last 10 matches, the Huskers are averaging 1.50 aces per set after averaging just 0.95 aces per set in NU’s first 14 matches. In league action, Nebraska leads the Big 12, averaging 1.34 aces per set.
• ?-Nebraska had eight aces and two errors against Missouri, matching its season best in both areas. It marks the 10th time in John Cook’s 10 years that Nebraska had at least a +6 on service aces to service errors. Nebraska’s two errors also tied the lowest amount of service errors in a match under Cook, set two other times (vs. KSU, 10/10/09; vs. Texas A&M, 10/22/08).
• ?-Middle blocker Brooke Delano put together the best offensive night of her career against Missouri with 10 kills on .833 hitting. It is the ninth time Delano has been in double figures in kills - most by a Husker since Tracy Stalls accomplished the feat 12 times in 2007 - while her hitting percentage ties for sixth all-time at Nebraska.
• ?-Freshman Gina Mancuso has also been a force at the service line in recent matches, recording 13 aces (0.42 aces/set) and only five service errors in her last eight contests. Mancuso is second among Big 12 freshman with 0.25 aces per set.
• ?-The Huskers are 106-9 (.921) in their last 115 conference matches dating back to the 2003 season.
• ?-The Huskers are 93-4 (.959) in conference home matches under John Cook.
• ?-Three Big 12 teams are ranked in the top 15 of the NCAA RPI released Nov. 10. The teams include Texas (No. 1),  Iowa State (No. 10) and Nebraska (No. 13).
• ?- Under Head Coach John Cook, the Huskers are now 16-2 in matches after a loss in the same season (Cook’s other seven losses have come in the NCAA Tournament).
• ?-Nebraska’s lone senior Kori Cooper has helped the Huskers to a 112-12 mark over the last four years, including three Big 12 titles, two NCAA Final Fours (2006, 2008) and a national title in 2008.
• ?-With her nine kills at Iowa State, Lindsey Licht topped the Huskers in kills for the fifth time this year. Prior to 2009, she had led NU in kills once.
• ?-Hannah Werth’s 19 kills against Oklahoma on Oct. 24 equals the most kills by a Husker freshman in the last five seasons. The last Husker rookie to have more than 19 kills in a match was Sarah Pavan, when she had 35 against USC in the 2004 NCAA Regional final.
• ?-Kori Cooper’s 16 kills against Iowa State on Oct. 21 equaled the most kills by a Husker middle blocker in three seasons. The last time a Husker middle had more than 16 kills in a match was in the 2006 NCAA Semifinals, when Tracy Stalls  had a career-high 17 kills against UCLA.
• ?-The Huskers picked up their 250th Big 12 victory on Oct. 17 at Missouri. Nebraska’s 254 wins since the league’s inception tops all schools, as only Texas (206) is above 200 league wins.
• ?-Freshman Hannah Werth led the Huskers in kills in five straight matches from Sept. 30 to Oct. 17. It was the longest stretch by a Husker freshman leading NU in kills since All-American Sarah Pavan began her career in 2004 by leading the Huskers in kills in her first six matches.
• ?-Nebraska has already received 13 double-digit kill efforts from its middle blockers this season, including nine from Brooke Delano, and are averaging nearly a kill per set more from its middle attack. 
• ?-Tara Mueller has two 20-kill matches in 2009, equaling her entire total of 20-kill matches from last season. Mueller has also tied her career bests with 16 digs twice this season, most recently at Oklahoma on Sept. 30.
• ?-Hannah Werth’s 23 digs against No. 8 UCLA on Sept. 13 marked the most digs by a Husker outside hitter since Christina Houghtelling had 26 at Kansas State in 2007, and the most by any Husker freshman since 2003.
• ?-Brooke Delano’s four solo blocks at LSU on Sept. 4, were the most by a Husker since Tracy Stalls had five against Kansas State on Nov. 19, 2005. It is only the sixth time in the decade that a Husker has had as many as four solo stuffs in a match.
• ?-Werth became the first freshman to start a season-opening match since Jordan Larson in 2005 and just the fifth true freshman to start a season opener since the 2000 season.

Banwarth is Digging the Libero Spot
Junior libero Kayla Banwarth is enjoying an All-Big 12 caliber season in 2009. She ranks second in the Big 12 in digs per set (4.69) and averages a career-best 1.16 assists per set, as she is NU’s primary out-of-system setter.  The junior libero has 10 matches with at least 20 digs this season, highlighted by a career-high 32 digs against Minnesota on Aug. 29. Her effort against the Gophers was the best single-match total by a Husker since 1993, and she is one of only five players in school history to produce a 30-dig match.

Banwarth’s 10 matches with at least 20 digs already eclipses Dani Busboom’s 2006 mark of nine 20-dig efforts in a year by a Husker libero (34 matches). On Oct. 19, Banwarth earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in her career. She averaged 6.71 digs, 0.86 assists and 0.29 service aces per set in two wins. She had 25 digs at Missouri on Oct. 17 and 22 digs in a three-set sweep of Baylor on Oct. 14.

 Banwarth saw her streak of 29 straight matches in double figures snapped at No. 8 Iowa State on Nov. 8, as she has been in double figures in 60 of her 66 career starts at NU. Against Oklahoma on Sept. 30, Banwarth became the first-ever Husker libero to record a double-double. She became the 10th player in school history to record 1,000 career digs, going over the mark against No. 2 Texas on Oct. 30. Banwarth became the third junior (joining All-Americans Jennifer Saleamua and Jordan Larson) and first libero to reach 1,000 digs before her senior year.

Cooper Rounds Into Form
After undergoing season-ending knee surgery last November, senior middle blocker Kori Cooper is regaining her All-America form over the last month. Since returning to the lineup full time,  Cooper is hitting .371 and averaging 2.54 kills per set after hitting just .150 in Nebraska’s first  11 matches (Cooper played in just four of those contests). She is sixth in the Big 12 in hitting percentage (.338), and has hit .361 in conference action to rank second in the Big 12 in league action.

She has reached double figures in kills four times, including a career-high 16 kills on .412 hitting against No. 14 Iowa State on Oct. 21. Cooper has hit .400 or better six times over the last nine matches, including a season-high .471 with nine kills at Missouri on Oct. 17.

A co-captain and four-year starter at middle blocker, Cooper is a career .361 hitter and ranks seventh among all Husker players in hitting percentage with at least 500 kills.

Cooper also excels in the classroom, as she was a first-team ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American in 2008. She carries a 3.819 GPA in speech language-pathology and will graduate this December.

Sydney Sets the Table
Nebraska has the luxury of having one of the best setters in the country in All-American Sydney Anderson. A second-team All-American in 2008, she has played well this season, averaging 11.10 assists, 2.55 digs and 0.77 kills per set. She leads the Huskers with 13 double-doubles (assists/digs) and has been selected to the all-tournament team in each of NU’s three tournaments - the only Husker to earn that distinction. On Nov. 9, she was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week after helping the Huskers hit .384 as a team in wins over Missouri and No. 8 Iowa State. She averaged 13.67 assists, 1.00 kills and 0.83 services aces per set in the two wins, including 39 assists and a season-high three aces at Iowa State, helping NU become the first team this season to hit .300 or better against ISU.

Anderson is one of only 10 Huskers to dish out more than 2,000 assists in a career and ranks fourth all-time at NU with 11.39 assists per set in her career.

In 2009, she has dished out 50 or more assists on five occasions, including a career-high tying 57 at Missouri on Oct. 14. She also dished out 56 assists in a five-set loss to No. 14 Iowa State on Oct. 21, 54 assists in a five-set win at Oklahoma while adding a career-high 16 digs on Sept. 30 and added 51 assists and 14 digs in a five-set win at LSU on Sept. 4. Anderson eclipsed the 50-assist mark most recently against Oklahoma on Oct. 24, when she had 51 assists and 10 digs against the Sooners. Anderson was stellar against Missouri on Nov. 4, helping Nebraska hit .451 against the Tigers - its best conference effort since 2007.

At the LSU Tiger Classic, she was named the offense MVP after averaging 9.90 assists, 2.40 digs and 0.50 blocks per set. She dished out a season-high 51 assists and matched her personal best with 14 digs at LSU on Sept. 14. Against BYU on Sept. 11, Anderson put together another outstanding all-around match, dishing out 49 assists, collecting 10 digs and adding a career-high seven kills on .778 hitting in a four-set win over the Cougars.

Delano Dominating the Middle
Sophomore Brooke Delano has emerged as a rising star in the Big 12 at middle blocker. Delano, who was forced to miss the last month of the 2008 season following surgery, has come back better than ever this fall after playing all three spots in the front row last year. Delano leads NU in both hitting percentage (.348) and blocks (1.19) and is averaing 2.27 kills per set.  Delano is ranked third in the league in both blocks and hitting percentage. She is the only freshman or sophomore in the Big 12 to rank in the top 10 in both hitting percentage and blocks.

She has reached double figures in kills nine times, including a career-high 14 kills against No. 11 Minnesota on Aug. 29 and at Oklahoma on Sept. 30. Delano has collected at least three blocks in 19 of the last 22 matches,  highlighted by a nine-block effort at LSU on Sept. 5, and nine other matches with at least five blocks. Against Missouri on Nov. 4, Delano had 10 kills on a career-high .833 hitting, a total which ranks sixth in school history. She followed up with eight kills on .571 hitting in a sweep at No. 8 Iowa State on Nov. 7.

Lichting Up Opponents
After battling injuries through the first half of her Husker career, junior Lindsey Licht is healthy and putting together a solid junior year. She is averaging 2.66 kills and 1.05 blocks per set, ranking ninth in the Big 12 in blocks per set.  Licht has reached double figures 10 times, including a season-high 16 kills against Oklahoma on Oct. 24 and at  Colorado on Sept. 19.  She led NU in kills for the fifth time this season with nine kills at No. 8 Iowa State on Oct. 30.  Licht has topped the Huskers in blocks in seven matches this season and leads all Big 12 outside hitters in blocks this season.

Werth and Mancuso are Double Trouble
Outside hitters Hannah Werth and Gina Mancuso were two of the keystones of a recruiting class that was ranked second nationally.

Werth has developed into a starter on the left side, topping the Huskers in kills (3.19) and ranking second in digs (2.89) per set. A five-time Big 12 Rookie of the Week, Werth has 10 double-doubles this year and has topped the Huskers in kills in a team-best 11 matches

Like her older brother, Jayson, who helped the Philiadelphia Phillies to the World Series, Werth has been at her best since October. Over her last 10 matches, she is averaging 3.82 kills per set on .297 hitting and 3.18 digs per set.

She set a career high for the second time in a two-week span with a match-high 19 kills against Oklahoma on Oct. 24.  She also had 17 kills and added 15 digs in a win at Missouri on Oct. 17 and had 13 kills on .389 hitting and 12 digs in a sweep of No. 19 Baylor on Oct. 14.

Gina Mancuso shared the left side early on and also plays in the back row for Lindsey Licht on the right side. Mancuso, who is one of NU’s top back row players, is averaging 0.60 kills, 1.68 digs and 0.25 service aces per set. She is seventh in the Big 12 in service aces per set

She had a career-high 16-dig effort against No. 14 Iowa State on Oct. 21. It was one of three double-figure dig nights for Mancuso, who had 13 against Oklahoma on Sept. 30 and No. 11 Minnesota on Aug. 29. Mancuso had three aces and seven digs in a sweep of Missouri on Nov. 4 and io

 She totaled 10 kills against UL-Lafayette and played her best match of the year in NU’s sweep of Tulane, totaling eight kills on .314 hitting, four blocks and five digs. Mancuso had eight digs, two kills and an ace against Colorado on Sept. 19, and recorded four aces without a service error against K-State on Oct. 10.

Both Werth and Mancuso come from athletic backgrounds. Gina’s older sister Dani started on the outside in NU’s 2006 national title season and her dad played in the NFL. Werth’s father, uncle and grandfather all played Major League baseball, her mother ran track at Florida while her sister competed in track at UCLA.

Huskers Shine against Ranked Foes
  NU is 97-19 (.836) against ranked opponents under John Cook. The Huskers are 18-10 (.642) against top-five teams under Cook, including a 14-6 mark since 2005.

Huskers Break NCAA Attendance Mark
It was a record-breaking day in college volleyball on Sept. 13, as Nebraska and UCLA drew an NCAA regular-season record crowd of 13,870 to the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The mark shattered the previous NCAA regular-season high of 13,396 set between Nebraska and LSU in 2008. In fact, the nine largest regular-season crowds in NCAA history have involved Nebraska, including seven this decade.

NCAA Record Home Streak Ends at 90
Nebraska completed another NCAA record streak on Sept. 13, as No. 8 UCLA ended Nebraska’s 90-match home win streak. The streak, which dated back to Sept. 11, 2004, broke the previous mark of 87 set by Penn State from 1995 until 2000. The Huskers won 27 matches against ranked teams in the streak, including 10 contests against top-10 foes.  NU is one of only two programs in NCAA history to record a pair of home win streaks of at least 60 matches. Nebraska also won 63 consecutive home matches between 1999 and 2002.   The Huskers are 508-35 (.936) all-time at home and have lost just nine home matches this decade.

NU Coliseum: Sold Out for 2009
It took just 30 minutes to sell out the entire 2009 ticket allotment at the Nebraska Coliseum on Aug. 5. The Huskers will carry a streak of 130 consecutive sellouts at the NU Coliseum into the Nov. 13 match with Texas A&M.

The Huskers are 122-8 at home during the sellout streak, including 82 straight wins in the NU Coliseum before the streak was snapped by No. 2 Texas on Sept. 26. Nebraska’s sellout streak marks only the second time in NCAA history that a women’s sport has enjoyed a sellout streak of at least 100 matches, joining UConn women’s basketball, which had a streak of 113 straight regular-season sellouts between 1999 and 2005.  The sellout streak - which is the longest ever by an NCAA women’s college program - began with a 10-match stretch to close the 2001 campaign, and has carried over through the last seven seasons. The last non-sellout came on Sept. 25, 2001, against Creighton.

Husker Roster Well Stocked for 2009
Nebraska has 13 players on its 2009 roster who were Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 selections, representing the top-50 players in that year’s recruiting class. In all, five of the Huskers’ last six recruiting classes have ranked in the top five nationally.

In 2009, Prepvolleyball.com rated the Huskers’ incoming recruiting class second nationally.

Nebraska: All-American U
Nebraska continued its string of All-America success in 2008, as Jordan Larson, Sydney Anderson and Tara Mueller were all named AVCA All-Americans. The trio upped Nebraska’s NCAA-leading totals to 31 players and 65 certificates. Nebraska has had at least one All-American every season since 1983, a total of 27 straight seasons, including 30 All-America awards in Cook’s nine seasons at Nebraska.

Nation’s Best Since 2000
John Cook has been amazingly successful during his Husker tenure, posting a 299-25 record (.923 winning pct.) to lead all programs this decade. A two-time AVCA National Coach of the Year, Cook has enjoyed greater success in the Big 12, going 183-12 in Big 12 matches over the past 10 seasons.  NU has won eight Big 12 titles, including each of the past five years and has won 30-or-more matches in eight of the past nine years.

Huskers in the Polls
The Nebraska program is a fixture in the AVCA Coaches poll. The Huskers are ranked sixth in this week’s poll and have been ranked in all 396 polls since its inception in 1982.  NU is one of only two schools to hold that distinction, joining Stanford. Nebraska has now been ranked in the top 10 for 362 weeks, second only to Stanford’s 363 weeks in the top 10. The Huskers have been ranked in the top 10 for 92 consecutive polls dating back to the start of the 2004 campaign.

The Huskers head all programs at the top of the all-time polls, spending 81 weeks all-time at No. 1, including an incredible 26-poll stretch over the 2006 and 2007 seasons. The 81 weeks at No. 1 are 21 more than runner-up Penn State in that category.  NU has spent 62 weeks at No. 1 since the start of the 2000 season. That total is more than any other program has spent in the top spot since the AVCA Poll began in 1982.

Huskers Rank Second in All-Time Wins
The Nebraska volleyball program is one of only six Division I programs to win 1,000 matches in program history. The Huskers’ 1,077 wins are second only to UCLA’s 1,101 wins. NU has taken on two of the other members of the 1,000-win club earlier this season, defeating BYU before falling to UCLA at the Ameritas Players Challenge.