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Volleyball

Huskers Take Winning Streak to Ohio State, Penn State

No. 1 Nebraska at No. 23 Ohio State • Friday, Oct. 28 • St. John Arena • 6 p.m.

Web Video: BTN.com (subscription)
Radio: Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and KTWI 93.3 FM in Omaha, and on Huskers.com
Live Stats: ohiostatebuckeyes.com

No. 1 Nebraska at No. 8 Penn State • Saturday, Oct. 29 • Rec Hall • 7 p.m.

TV: BTN (live)
Web Video: BTN2Go
Radio: Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and KTWI 93.3 FM in Omaha, and on Huskers.com
Live Stats: gopsusports.com

The No. 1 Nebraska volleyball team will travel to face the No. 23 Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday, Oct. 28 at 6 p.m., before heading to University Park, Pa., for a showdown with the No. 8 Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. The Huskers' match with Ohio State will be available on BTN.com (subscription) and the match with Penn State will air live on BTN. 

The Huskers (17-1, 10-0) outlasted previously top-ranked Illinois 3-1 last Saturday in a Big Ten Conference showdown of then-undefeated teams.

Ohio State and Nebraska have met 11 times, with Nebraska leading the series 8-3. The last time the two schools met was on Sept. 24, when Nebraska beat the Buckeyes 3-1 (25-23, 23-25, 25-11, 25-16).

Penn State and Nebraska have met 18 times, with Nebraska leading the series 12-6. The last time the two schools met was on Sept. 21, when the Huskers held on for a 3-2 (25-18, 25-16, 23-25, 19-25, 15-10) victory over the Nittany Lions.

Fans can listen to all of the action with John Baylor and Lindsay Peterson on the 25-station Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Twister 93.3 FM in Omaha. Fans outside the state will also be able to catch the live audio feed for free on Huskers.com.

NU-Ohio State All-Time Series (NU leads, 8-3)

Dec. 8, 1978, L, 2-15, 14-16

Oct. 18, 1980, L, 13-15, 10-15

Nov. 24, 1984, W, 15-13, 15-11, 15-7

Sept. 8, 1990, W, 15-9, 8-15, 16-14, 15-9

Dec. 14, 1991, L, 15-9, 9-15, 16-17, 7-15

Sept. 12, 1992, W, 15-12, 15-8, 15-2

Sept. 13, 1997, W, 15-5, 15-13, 15-11

Sept. 12, 1998, W, 15-8, 15-3, 15-10

Dec. 8, 2000, W, 15-9, 15-6, 15-5

Sept. 2, 2005, W, 30-15, 30-19, 30-17

Sept. 24, 2011, W, 25-23, 23-25, 25-11, 25-16

NU-Penn State All-Time Series (NU leads 12-6)

Oct. 2, 1981, L, 2-15, 8-15

Nov. 4, 1982, W, 15-13, 15-5, 15-13

Dec. 7, 1985, W, 15-8, 15-7, 15-12

Dec. 12, 1986, W, 7-15, 15-4, 16-14, 16-18, 15-9

Sept. 12, 1987, W, 15-12, 15-12, 15-17, 15-7

Dec. 8, 1990, W, 15-12, 16-14, 10-15, 15-5

Sept. 4, 1993, W, 15-11, 9-15, 15-4, 15-17, 15-10

Dec. 10, 1994, L, 15-12, 11-15, 9-15, 8-15

Aug. 25, 1995, W, 15-4, 15-3, 15-6

Dec. 8, 1995, W, 15-7, 15-6, 14-16, 15-2

Dec. 14, 1996, W, 15-12, 8-15, 15-13, 9-15, 20-18

Sept. 19, 1997, L, 14-16, 12-15, 14-16

Dec. 17, 1998, L, 11-15, 8-15, 15-8, 11-15

Aug. 28, 1999, L, 15-11, 12-15, 8-15, 14-16

Sept. 11, 2005, W, 30-14, 30-27, 30-23

Sept. 2, 2007, W, 30-20, 30-21, 30-27

Dec. 18, 2008, L, 17-25, 18-25, 25-15, 25-22, 11-15

Sept. 21, 2011, W, 25-18, 25-16, 23-25, 19-25, 15-10

Getting to Know Ohio State and Penn State

Getting to Know the Buckeyes

Location: Columbus, Ohio

Enrollment: 56,064

Nickname: Buckeyes

Colors: Scarlet and Gray

Head Coach: Geoff Carlston (Minnesota '93)

Record at School: 61-42 (3 years)

Overall Record: 254-106

Asst. Coaches: Jayme Gergen, Don Gromala

2010 Record: 24-12

2010 Big Ten Record: 10-10 (6th)

2010 Postseason: NCAA Regional Semifinalist

2010 Final Ranking: 19th

Letterwinners R/L: 8-7

Starters R/L: 2+1/4

Series Record: Nebraska leads, 8-3

Last Meeting: NU won, 3-1 (9/19/11)

Last NU Win: 9/2/05

Last NU Loss: 12/14/91

Longest NU Winning Streak: 6

Current NU Winning Streak: 6

Two sets: 0-2

Three sets: 6-0

Four sets: 2-1

Getting to Know the Nittany Lions

Location: University Park, Pa.

Enrollment: 44,112

Nickname: Nittany Lions

Colors: Blue and White

Head Coach: Russ Rose (George Williams, '75)

Record at School: 1,033-164 (32 years)

Overall Record: same

Asst. Coaches: Dennis Hohenshelt, Kaleena Davidson

2010 Record: 32-5

2010 Big Ten Record: 16-4

2010 Postseason: NCAA Champion

2010 Final Ranking: 1st

Letterwinners R/L: 10/6

Starters R/L: 5/4

Series Record: Nebraska leads, 12-6

Last Meeting: NU won, 3-2 (9/21/11)

Last NU Win: 9/21/11

Last NU Loss: 12/18/08

Longest NU Winning Streak: 6

Current NU Winning Streak: 1

Two sets: 0-1

Three sets: 5-1

Four sets: 3-3

Five sets: 4-1

Scouting the Ohio State Buckeyes

  • The Buckeyes are 15-8 on the year, heading into their match-up with the Huskers on Friday and a match-up with the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday.
  • Ohio State was swept by Penn State on Wednesday, Oct. 19, but beat Michigan State 3-1 on Saturday, Oct. 22.
  • In the match against the Spartans, junior outside hitter Emily Danks posted a team-high 16.5 points with 13 kills (.225), two ace serves and three assist blocks. Senior middle blocker Kelli Barhorst added 14.5 points with 11 kills (.500), one solo block and five assist blocks.
  • Junior outside hitter Mari Hole leads the Buckeyes in points per set at 4.55. Danks ranks second at 4.44 with Barhorst third at 2.93. Barhorst is hitting .331 to lead the squad, Danks ranks second in attack percentage at .288 and Hole is third at .224.
  • At setter freshman Taylor Sherwin is averaging 10.32 assists per set with junior setter Amanda Peterson at 9.24. Leading the squad in aces per set is Danks at 0.52 with 34 total aces. Hole ranks second at 0.19 with 16 aces and senior libero Sarah Mignin is third at 0.18 with 15 aces.
  • Defensively, Mignin has a team-high 4.57 digs-per-set average. Hole ranks second at 2.73 with freshman libero Alyssa Winner third at 1.93. At the net, Barhorst leads the team with a 1.10 blocks-per-set average with 16 solos and 75 assists.
  • In the Big Ten standings, Ohio State ranks seventh in hitting percentage (.244), first in assists (13.47), eighth in blocks (2.37), third in digs (15.58), eighth in opponent hitting percentage (.195), first in kills (14.51) and eighth in aces (1.12) .
  • In the national standings, Ohio State ranks eighth in assists (13.47), 45th in hitting percentage (.244) and ninth in kills (14.51).
  • As of Oct. 25, Danks ranked ninth nationally in aces per set (.52) and Hole was tied for 49th in kills per set (4.01).
  • Barhorst is tied for 12th in Ohio State career solo blocks with 55, while Danks has 160 career aces and is now fourth on the Ohio State career list.
  • Junior middle blocker Mariah Booth is 10th in career blocks per set at 0.92. She has 13 solos and 122 assist blocks.

The Last Time Nebraska and Ohio State Met (Sept. 24, 2011)

Lincoln, Neb. - The 10th-ranked Huskers (9-1) advanced to 2-0 in Big Ten Conference play with a 3-1 win over No. 24 Ohio State at the NU Coliseum. In front of 4,061 fans, Nebraska honored a true Husker legend as Nancy Metcalf's jersey was retired. Metcalf became just the seventh Husker volleyball player to have her jersey retired at the Coliseum.

Hannah Werth notched a season-high 13 kills on the night to lead NU, while Gina Mancuso and Morgan Broekhuis totaled double-figure kills as well, as both tabbed 11. Lauren Cook led NU defensively with 14 digs in addition to 41 assists. Lara Dykstra had 13 digs for the Huskers.

Scouting the Penn State Nittany Lions

  • The Nittany Lions are 15-5 on the year, heading into a weekend where they face Iowa on Friday, Oct. 28, and the Huskers on Saturday, Oct. 29.
  • Penn State enters the weekend after going 2-0 last weekend in matches against Ohio State and Michigan, sweeping both teams.
  • In the sweep over Michigan, sophomore middle hitter Ariel Scott led the team with 11 kills, while sophomore outside hitter Deja McClendon finished the match with 10. Sophomore middle hitter Katie Slay posted nine kills on a match-high .562 hitting percentage. Freshman setter Micha Hancock dished out 33 assists and had three aces. Sophomore defensive specialist Ali Longo had a team-best 12 digs, while freshman outside hitter Nia Grant and Slay put up three blocks apiece.
  • McClendon leads Penn State with 248 kills on the season and an average of 3.34 kills per set. Scott has 231 kills on the season and an average of 3.30 per set.
  • Defensively, Hancock has 160 digs for PSU, with an average of 2.19 per set. Junior defensive specialist Kristin Carpenter has notched 132 digs on the season and averages 2.03 per set.
  • At the net, Slay has 105 total blocks, including 16 solo blocks and 89 assists. She is averaging 1.42 blocks per set.
  • In the Big Ten standings, Penn State ranks fourth in hitting percentage (.258), ninth in assists (12.71), fourth in blocks (2.65), 10th in digs (13.24), fourth in opponent hitting percentage (.166), ninth in kills (13.20) and first in aces (1.73).
  • Nationally, Penn State is 11th in aces per set (1.73), 23rd in blocks per set (2.65) and 24th in hitting percentage (.258).
  • Hancock ranks second nationally in aces per set (.82), while Slay is 13th in blocks per set (1.42) and 12th in hitting percentage (.397).

The Last Time Nebraska and Penn State Met (Sept. 21, 2011)

Lincoln, Neb. - The No. 10 Nebraska Volleyball team (8-1) opened the conference schedule with a bang, taking down the fifth-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions in five sets (25-18, 25-16, 23-25, 19-25, 15-10) at the NU Coliseum. With 4,186 fans on their feet, Penn State could not overcome a dramatic effort by NU to win their inaugural Big Ten Conference match.

The Huskers saw Gina Mancuso lead all NU hitters with 22 kills. She tallied her fifth double-double of the season with 10 digs on the night. Morgan Broekhuis tallied the second double-double of her career with 12 kills and 11 digs. Lauren Cook notched 53 assists, while Hannah Werth led the Huskers defensively with 13 digs.

Scouting the Huskers

  • Nebraska is 17-1 in 2011 and enters Saturday night's match ranked No. 1 in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll.
  • The No. 1 ranking represents the 82nd week that Nebraska has been ranked No. 1 in the poll. Since 2001, the Huskers have been ranked No. 1 for 49 weeks, including holding the top spot nationally for the entire 2006 season and for 15 weeks during the 2005 season. The last time Nebraska was ranked No. 1 was in October of 2007.
  • The Huskers are 16-0 this season when holding opponents below .200 hitting. Nebraska is 1-1 when opposing teams hit above .200.
  • Nebraska has totaled double-digit blocks in 10 matches this season, including a season-high 17 blocks at Minnesota.
  • The Huskers tallied a season-low six errors against Albany on Sept. 3. The last time NU had six errors or less in a match was against Sacred Heart on Dec. 2, 2010.
  • As of Oct. 22, Nebraska ranked second in the Big Ten in hitting percentage at .281. The Huskers were seventh in assists (12.71), second in blocks (2.70), eighth in digs (14.81), first in opponent hitting percentage (.129), eighth in kills (13.62) and 12th in service aces (0.90).
  • As of Oct. 22, Hayley Thramer was third in the Big Ten in blocks (1.36), while Brooke Delano ranked fifth in hitting percentage (.353). Lauren Cook was fourth in assists (11.06), Gina Mancuso was eighth in kills (3.64).
  • Gina Mancuso has 251 kills so far in 2011, averaging 3.64 per set.
  • Mancuso was named the Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday, Oct. 24 after leading the Huskers over previously top-ranked Illinois and the Co-Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday, Sept. 26 after her stellar weekend against Penn State and Ohio State.
  • Werth was named the Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday, Oct. 17, after solid outings at Wisconsin and Minnesota.
  • Lara Dykstra has 255 digs so far in her freshman campaign, averaging 3.70 per set.
  • Lauren Cook has totaled 763 assists in 2011, averaging 11.06 per set. Her efforts have led NU to a .281 hitting percentage on the season.
  • As of Oct. 24, the Huskers ranked 17th nationally in blocks per set with 2.70. NU was ninth in hitting percentage at .281 and is fifth in match win-loss percentage.
  • As of Oct. 24, Lauren Cook ranked 30th nationally in assists per set (11.06) and Hayley Thramer was 19th in blocks per set (1.36).
  • Nebraska continued its string of All-America success in 2010, as Brooke Delano, Lindsey Licht and Hannah Werth were named AVCA All-Americans. The trio upped Nebraska's NCAA-leading totals to 34 players and 70 certificates. Nebraska has had at least one All-American every season since 1983, a total of 29 straight seasons, including 35 All-America awards in Cook's 11 years at Nebraska.

Tough Tests

With the matches against No. 23 Ohio State and No. 8 Penn State this weekend, Nebraska will take on its ninth and 10th top-25 teams this season.

Opponent                     Result

No. 15 Colorado State   L, 3-2
No. 12 Iowa State          W, 3-0
No. 5 Penn State           W, 3-2
No. 24 Ohio State          W, 3-1
No. 11 Michigan            W, 3-0
No. 11 Purdue               W, 3-1
No. 14 Minnesota          W, 3-2
No. 1 Illinois                  W, 3-1

Cook Reaches 500

With the Huskers' win over Albany on Sept. 3, Head Coach John Cook tallied his 500th win as a head coach.

Only One Unbeaten

Nebraska sits in first place in the Big Ten standings through five weeks of conference play, checking in at 10-0.

No Place Like Nebraska

Nebraska celebrated a streak of 150 consecutive sellouts at the NU Coliseum on Sept. 8. It is the longest continuing sellout streak across all NCAA women's athletics. The Huskers averaged 4,632 fans per home contest last season. As of Oct. 24, Nebraska ranks second nationally in current home win streaks with 32.

Small Membership

Lara Dykstra became just the seventh true freshman to start a season opener during Head Coach John Cook's era at Nebraska. Sophomore Morgan Broekhuis was the last Husker to do so in 2010.

Dykstra Digging

Through the first 18 matches of her collegiate career, freshman Lara Dykstra has totaled 255 digs and has averaged 3.70 digs per set. Her 28 digs against New Mexico State ranked ninth in Nebraska volleyball single-match performances and were the highest total by a Husker since 2009.

Thramer Makes Impact

Sophomore Hayley Thramer made her first career start at New Mexico on Aug. 27. She tabbed eight blocks against New Mexico State and three against New Mexico. She notched a career-high 10 blocks against Illinois on Oct. 22. She currently ranks third in the Big Ten in blocks, averaging 1.31 per set.

Volleyball Blackshirts

Nebraska held Iowa to a .000 hitting percentage on Oct. 19, marking the lowest percentage for  a Nebraska opponent this season. The Huskers held Albany to a .038 hitting percentage for the match, Creighton to a .053 hitting percentage on Sept. 8, Weber State to a .071 hitting percentage on Sept. 10 and Indiana to a .022 hitting percentage on Oct. 8.

Producing Double-Doubles

Four Huskers have combined for 31 double-doubles in 2011, with Mancuso tallying 10, Broekhuis tabbing four and Werth notching five of her own and Cook adding 12.

Gina Mancuso  |  2011 (10)  |  NU Career (10), All (10)

Opponent (Date)                       K          A          D          B

New Mexico State (Aug. 26)      16         0          14         2
Colorado State (Sept. 2)            24         3          10         1
Creighton (Sept. 8)                    12         0          10         1
Saint Mary's (Sept. 9)                15         1          11         3
Iowa State (Sept. 17)                 14         0          11         1
Penn State (Sept. 21)                22         0          10         2
Michigan State (Sept. 30)           12         1          10         3
Purdue (Oct. 7)                         16          0          19         0
Minnesota (Oct. 15)                   18          0          15         5
Illinois (Oct. 22)                         15          0          14         5

Lauren Cook |  2011 (12)  |  NU Career (31), All (31)

Opponent (Date)                       K          A          D          B

New Mexico State (Aug. 26)       1          51         10         0
New Mexico (Aug. 27)                0          40         12         1
Colorado State (Sept. 2)             2          49         12         2
Albany (Sept. 3)                         2         34         13         1
Creighton (Sept. 8)                    5          33         13         0
Penn State (Sept. 21)                1          53         17         2
Ohio State (Sept. 24)                 4          41         14         3
Purdue (Oct. 7)                          0          51         12         1
Wisconsin (Oct. 14)                   1          38         11         0
Minnesota (Oct. 15)                   2          45         19         0
Iowa (Oct. 19)                            4          32         16         0
Illinois (Oct. 22)                         0          54         13         0

Hannah Werth |  2011 (5)  |  NU Career (27), All (27)

Opponent (Date)                       K          A          D          B

Colorado State (Sept. 2)            12         0          15         1
St. Mary's (Sept. 9)                   10         1          11         1
Wisconsin (Oct. 14)                   17         0          10         0
Minnesota (Oct. 15)                   15         2          17         6
Illinois (Oct. 22)                         14         1          17         0

Morgan Broekhuis |  2011 (4)  |  NU Career (4), All (4)

Opponent (Date)                       K          A          D          B

Iowa State (Sept. 17)                 11         2          10         4
Penn State (Sept. 21)                12         4          11         4
Purdue (Oct. 7)                          13         2          10         2
Illinois (Oct. 22)                         17         2          11         4

Broekhuis Breakout

Morgan Broekhuis recorded the first double-double of her career against Iowa State on Sept. 17, with 11 kills and 10 digs. She has notched three others this season. Her 22 kills at Michigan State on Sept. 30 marked a career high for Broekhuis. She has 218 kills for the Huskers in 2011.

Mancuso Paving Her Way

Gina Mancuso has notched 10 double-doubles so far in 2011, most recently against Illinois on Oct. 22. She tallied 15 kills and 14 digs to lead NU against the Fighting Illini. Mancuso leads all Nebraska hitters with 251 kills in 2011 and is a two-time Big Ten Player of the Week.