Kori Cooper

Honors and Awards

• 2009 Team Co-Captain
• Two-Time First-Team Academic All-American (2008-09)
• Two-Time Honorable-Mention AVCA All-American (2008-09)
• Two-Time First-Team All-Big 12 (2008-09)
• Two-Time First-Team AVCA All-Central Region (2008-09)
• Three-time First-Team Academic All-Big 12 (2007-09)
• 2009 NCAA Omaha Regional All-Tournament Team
• 2009 Match Club Scholarship Recipient
• 2008 Ameritas Players Challenge All-Tournament Team
• Two-Time First-Team ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District VII (2008-09)
• 2008 Hero Award for Student-Athlete Leadership
• Eight-Time Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll

Kori Cooper wrapped up a stellar career at middle blocker by averaging 2.49 kills and 0.85 blocks per set following knee surgery in November of 2008 to earn honorable-mention All-America honors Â• All-Big 12 and All-Central Region perfomer who finished first in the league in hitting percentage at .372 after hitting just .150 through NU’s first 11 matches • Finished her career with 11 kills and a team-high five blocks against No. 2 Texas in the NCAA Regional final on Dec. 12 • Totaled nine kills on .562 hitting and four blocks against No. 5 Iowa State on Dec. 11 • Recorded seven kills and a pair of blocks in a sweep of No. 20 Northern Iowa on Dec. 5 • Totaled nine kills on .600 hitting in the regular-season finale against Colorado on Nov. 28 • Led NU with 11 kills on .600 hitting in a sweep of Kansas on Nov. 21 • Tied a season-high with five blocks and added three kills in a sweep of No. 24 Baylor on Nov. 18 • Totaled a match-high 13 kills while hitting a career-high .765 hitting in a sweep of Texas A&M on Nov. 11 • Led NU in kills (nine) and blocks (three) in a sweep at No. 8 Iowa State on Nov. 7 • Totaled 12 kills on .409 hitting and tied her season best with five blocks against Oklahoma on Oct. 24 • Recorded a career-high 16 kills on .414 hitting and four blocks against No. 14 Iowa State on Oct. 21 • Hit a season-best .471 at Missouri with nine kills on 17 swings in a win on Oct. 17 • Reached double figures in kills for the second time in 2009 with 10 kills on .381 hitting and two blocks in a sweep at No. 19 Baylor on Oct. 14 • Put together one of her best matches of the year at Oklahoma on Sept. 30 with a then-season-high 13 kills on .462 hitting and four blocks against the Sooners • Started NU’s season opener against No. 16 Michigan, drilling six kills on .455 hitting and adding four blocks

2008: Junior
Cooper was enjoying her best season as Nebraska’s middle blocker until suffering a season-ending knee injury at Texas on Nov. 19 • Collected honorable-mention All-America honors from the AVCA, as she averaged 2.09 kills and 0.88 blocks per set in 27 matches • Chosen as a first-team All-Big 12 and All-Central Region performer, finishing second in the Big 12 and 10th nationally with a .396 hitting percentage, ranking ninth on Nebraska’s single-season list  • Hit .400 or better in 14 matches, including a season-best .875 on just eight swings against New Mexico on Sept. 13 •  Reached double figures in kills on four occasions, including a season-high 12 kills on .524 hitting and three blocks at Iowa State on Sept. 27 • Totaled eight kills on .375 hitting at No. 4 Texas on Nov. 19, before suffering her injury at the start of the fourth set • Totaled 10 kills on 22 swings in a sweep of Missouri on Nov. 12 • Tied a season high with six blocks and added nine kills vs. Iowa State on Nov. 1 • Totaled eight kills on .538 hitting and three blocks against Baylor on Oct. 15 • Matched her season high with six blocks and added seven kills on .455 hitting at Creighton on Oct. 5 • Totaled eight kills and two blocks in NU’s win over No. 3 Texas on Sept. 20 • Put together a dominant effort at No. 18 K-State on Sept. 17 with a then-season-high 11 kills without an error and five stuffs in a four-set victory • Enjoyed her best weekend of the year at the Ameritas Players Challenge, averaging 2.50 kills on .636 hitting and 1.50 blocks per set to earn all-tournament honors • Collected nine kills and six blocks in a win over No. 4 USC at the Qwest Center in Omaha on Aug. 31.

2007: Sophomore
Cooper was one of Nebraska’s most improved players in 2007, as she earned the starting spot alongside All-American Tracy Stalls at middle blocker • Averaged 2.31 kills and 1.01 blocks per set, while ranking seventh in the Big 12 in hitting percentage (.356) • Reached double figures in kills seven times on the year, including a career-high 14 kills on .385 hitting against Missouri on Oct. 31 • Hit .400 or better on 12 occasions, including a career-best .706 on 17 swings against Baylor on Sept. 29 • Was one of NU’s top performers at the NCAA Madison Regional, hitting .432 in matches against Michigan State and Cal • Totaled seven kills on .462 hitting and three blocks in the loss to the sixth-ranked Golden Bears on Dec. 8 • Was one of four Huskers in double figures with 12 kills on .417 hitting and three blocks in a five-set win over No. 24 Michigan State on Dec. 7 • Had six kills on 13 swings and a pair of blocks in a sweep against Wichita State on Dec. 1 • Recorded eight kills on .389 hitting and three blocks in a sweep at Iowa State on Nov. 11 • Finished with nine kills on .500 hitting and a team-high four blocks in a sweep of Colorado on Nov. 7 • Established a season high with seven blocks against No. 17 Kansas State on Oct. 3, while also contributing 11 kills on .688 hitting • Was dominant against Baylor on Sept. 29, setting a then-personal best with 12 kills on 17 swings for a career-best .706 hitting • Led NU in kills for the first time in her career with 11 kills on .579 hitting and three blocks in a sweep of Texas Tech on Sept. 15 • Keyed the Huskers’ sweep of seventh-ranked Texas with nine kills on .692 hitting and three blocks against the Longhorns on Sept. 12 • Totaled 10 kills on .350 hitting in a sweep of third-ranked Penn State on Sept. 2 • Sparked NU to a four-set win over UCLA in the title match of the AVCA Showcase by chipping in 10 kills on .526 hitting and four blocks against the Bruins.

2006: Freshman
Cooper enrolled at Nebraska in January of 2006 and alternated with Amanda Gates at one of the middle blocker spots • Averaged 1.67 kills and 0.95 blocks per set in 30 matches  • Finished fourth in the Big 12 in hitting percentage (.344) - topping all conference newcomers - and was second in hitting percentage in league matches (.354) • Came up with a strong performance against No. 4 UCLA in the NCAA national semifinals on Dec. 14 with eight kills on .389 hitting and a team-high six blocks • Enjoyed one of her best efforts of the year in the regional semifinal against No. 14 San Diego on Dec. 8, recording nine kills on .571 hitting with a team-best six blocks • Totaled six kills and three blocks in a sweep of Northern Iowa on Dec. 2 • Had her best match of the season at Iowa State on Nov. 8, setting season highs in kills (12) and attempts (21) while hitting .429 and adding five blocks • Recorded four kills and five blocks in a sweep of No. 17 Oklahoma on Nov. 4 • Totaled six blocks and a pair of kills in a sweep at Kansas State on Oct. 28 • Turned in a solid performance against No. 16 Missouri, totaling six kills on 10 swings and tying for team-high honors with three blocks • Enjoyed one of her best matches of the year at No. 9 Texas, recording a career-high eight blocks and seven kills on 15 swings against the Longhorns • Tied her then-season high with eight kills and chipped in three blocks against Texas A&M on Oct. 7 • Set then-season highs in kills (eight) and blocks (five) against Kansas State on Oct. 4 • Made her first career start against Texas Tech on Sept. 23, finishing with five kills on .455 hitting and a block in a sweep of the Red Raiders.

High School
Cooper was considered one of the elite players in the class of 2006 before suffering a knee injury that forced her to miss nearly her entire senior season • Tabbed a Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 pick and the No. 12 player in the country according to Prepvolleyball.com • Co-captained the U.S. Youth National Team to a fourth-place finish at the 2005 Under-18 World Championships in Macau, China, and a first-place showing at the 2004 NORCECA Girls’ Youth Championships • Participated in the USA Volleyball High Performance Camp for two years • Was a three-year starter for Coach Jan Barker at Amarillo High School, leading her team to a regional finals appearance and two regional semifinals • Earned first-team all-state honors for the second straight year in 2004, totaling 439 kills, 103 block assists and 55 block solos • Played club volleyball for Coach Tom Paszko on the Colorado Juniors, leading her team to a 17th-place finish at the 2005 18-open nationals • Was a member of the National Honor Society and was awarded the Ace Achievement Award, recognizing the highest GPA on the Amarillo High School Volleyball team • Chose Nebraska over Texas A&M, Florida and Texas • Possesses a strong athletic pedigree, as her mother (Janie) played college basketball at Texas and Wayland Baptist, her father (Rick) played college basketball at Wayland Baptist and her brother (Tyler) finished his career at West Texas A&M in 2008, where Rick is currently in his 17th season as head coach.