| Matches 6-8 (US Bank/Arby?s Classic) |
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#4 Nebraska (4-1) vs. #22 Santa Clara (6-0)
When: Friday, Sept. 13, 7 p.m. Where: Nebraska Coliseum. Capacity: 4,030. Series: Nebraska leads, 3-0. Last Meeting: Nebraska won, 3-0, 9/1/95. Win Streak: Nebraska has won the last three. Cook vs. Santa Clara: Cook has never faced Santa Clara.
#4 Nebraska (4-1) vs. Alabama (6-1)
When: Saturday, Sept. 14, 10 a.m. Where: Nebraska Coliseum. Capacity: 4,030. Series: Nebraska leads, 1-0. Last Meeting: Nebraska won, 2-0, 10/19/79. Win Streak: Nebraska was victorious in the only meeting. Cook vs. Alabama: 1-0 (at Wisconsin).
#4 Nebraska (4-1) vs. Michigan (3-1)
When: Saturday, Sept. 14, 5 p.m. Where: Nebraska Coliseum. Capacity: 4,030. Series: Nebraska has never played Michigan. Cook vs. Michigan: 7-7 (at Wisconsin).
Other US Bank/Arby?s Matches
Alabama vs. Michigan: Friday, Sept. 13, 5 p.m. Michigan vs. Santa Clara: Saturday, Sept. 14, 10 a.m. Alabama vs. Santa Clara: Saturday, Sept. 14, 7 p.m.
Media Information
Radio: Nebraska?s matches will be broadcast live by volleyball play-by-play announcer John Baylor on B107.3 FM (Lincoln and Omaha) and the Nebraska Volleyball Network. Internet Audio: www.huskers.com. Live Stats: www.huskers.com. |
#4 Nebraska Briefly
The fourth-ranked Nebraska volleyball team will make its home debut this weekend when it plays host to the US Bank/Arby?s Classic at the NU Coliseum. Friday, the tournament schedule pits the Huskers against No. 22 Santa Clara at 7 p.m., marking the third straight weekend that NU has faced an opponent ranked in the AVCA/USA Today Coaches top 25.
Saturday, the Huskers will face Alabama at 10 a.m. and Michigan at 5 p.m. The matches were moved to earlier times after the Nebraska football team?s game against Penn State Sept. 14 was scheduled for 7 p.m.
Nebraska enters the tournament with a 4-1 record after sweeping No. 11 Pepperdine and defeating No. 14 Arizona, 4-1. The Huskers were led at the Wildcat Classic by senior outside hitter Laura Pilakowski, who averaged a team-best 3.43 kills per game and 2.71 digs per game, which was also a team high. Freshman outside hitter Jennifer Saleaumua also made an impact offensively, producing 2.71 kills per game on a .342 hitting percentage.
Senior middle blocker Amber Holmquist, who posted a season-high 10 blocks against Pepperdine and averaged 1.86 blocks per game over the weekend.
Holmquist is quickly closing in on two long-standing career records. The Houston, Texas, native needs only four block assists to break Stephanie Thater?s 11-year-old record of 502. The 2000 and 2001 Big 12 blocking champion, Holmquist needs just 34 total blocks to break Thater?s career record of 591.
#22 Santa Clara Briefly
No. 22 Santa Clara is 6-0 and has swept five of its six opponents. Nebraska will be the Broncos? first ranked opponent.
Junior middle blocker Becky Potter is Santa Clara?s top all-around player, as she is averaging 4.56 kills per game on a .358 hitting percentage, 2.56 digs per game and 1.33 blocks per game. Potter was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Week Sept. 4 after she recorded 40 kills in 76 attempts with only 10 errors for a .395 hitting percentage in three matches at the UC Irvine/Marriott Sunrise Classic.
Santa Clara setter Kelli Sousa is producing 14.05 assists per game, as the Broncos are hitting .275 on the season while holding their opponents to a collective .135 average.
Santa Clara Head Coach Jon Wallace: Wallace 73-26 in his fourth season at Santa Clara.
Series: Nebraska leads, 3-0. Win Streak: NU has won the last three. Last Meeting: NU defeated Santa Clara, 3-0, Sept. 1, 1995, in Stockton, Calif. Cook vs. Santa Clara: Cook has never faced Santa Clara.
Alabama Briefly
Alabama is 6-1 overall and suffered its first loss of the season Sept. 7, falling to Missouri in four games. The Crimson Tide, who finished second in the SEC West last season, received votes in the AVCA/USA Today Coaches Preseason Poll Aug. 13 for the first time in school history.
Alabama is led by outside hitters Jennifer Bibber and Erin Heffner, who are averaging 4.28 and 4.15 kills per game, respectively. Sophomore setter Kenna Milner runs the UA offense with an impressive all-around game, as she produces 1.17 kills per game on a .444 hitting percentage, 12.12 assists per game and 2.21 digs per game. Three Alabama players have recorded at least 18 service aces in 2002.
Alabama Head Coach Judy Green: Green is in her seventh year and owns a 75-205 record at Alabama.
The Series: Nebraska leads, 1-0. Last Meeting: Nebraska won, 2-0, Oct. 19, 1979, at the Southwest Missouri State Invitational. Win Streak: NU has won one. Cook vs. Alabama: Cook is 1-0 against Alabama (at Wisconsin).
Michigan Briefly
Michigan, which faces Bowling Green on Tuesday night, entered the week with a 3-1 record. The Wolverines? only loss was a four-game defeat to No. 11 Pepperdine on Aug. 31. Three of Michigan?s four matches have gone four games.
The Wolverines are strong in the middle. Junior middle blocker Erin Moore, who is the Wolverines? first preseason All-Big Ten selection since 1997, is averaging 4.00 kills per game, and senior middle blocker Katrina Lehman leads Michigan with 1.33 blocks per game and a .416 hitting percentage. Overall the Wolverines are producing 17.80 kills per game on a .280 hitting percentage.
Michigan Head Coach Mark Rosen: Mark Rosen owns a 51-44 in his fourth season at Michigan.
The Series: Nebraska has never faced Michigan. Cook vs. Michigan: Cook was 7-7 against Michigan while coaching at Wisconsin from 1988 to 1991.
Nebraska Streaks to Watch
The Huskers carried several streaks into the 2002 season. A few to watch:
**The Huskers have won 46 consecutive home matches, including 44 straight matches at the NU Coliseum (Nebraska won two matches at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln during the streak). NU?s home-match winning streak is the NCAA?s second-longest active streak and the longest in school history. Northern Iowa is first with 48 straight home victories.
**NU Head Coach John Cook is 40-0 in the Big 12 Conference. Cook is 69-3 in his third season at Nebraska, with his only losses coming to 2001 NCAA champion Stanford, 2001 NCAA runner-up Long Beach State and USC, which is ranked third in the USA Today/AVCA Coaches poll.
**The Huskers have won 50 consecutive Big 12 matches. NU?s last lost to a Big 12 opponent was at Texas Oct. 24, 1999.
**NU has won 29 straight Big 12 matches at home, dating back to a five-game loss to Kansas State Sept. 22, 1999.
**Junior defensive specialist Lindsay Wischmeier has played in a team-best 105 consecutive matches.
**The Huskers have not lost more than seven matches since 1981 ? 20 straight seasons.
Record Breaker
Amber Holmquist already owns 10 Nebraska individual blocking records, and she could add to that total in her final season at NU. Despite playing in just 69 games as a freshman, Holmquist is on track to shatter Stephanie Thater?s (1989-92) 10-year-old career total blocks and career block assists records. Holmquist, who produced 166 block assists last season, has 24 in 2002 and needs just four more to surpass Thater?s mark of 502. Holmquist needs just 34 total blocks to break the career record of 591. She had 190 in 2001 and has 27 this season.
Overall, Holmquist, the 2000 NCAA blocking champion and the 2000 and 2001 Big 12 leader in that category, owns 12 school records ? the others are hitting percentage in a postseason four-game match (.600 vs. KSU, 12/1/01) and freshman season hitting percentage (.373, 1999). Holmquist could become the first player in school history to lead NU in hitting percentage and blocks per game in four consecutive seasons.
Sharp Servers
Service aces have accounted for 40 of Nebraska?s 360 points (11 percent) in 2002. The Huskers are averaging 2.50 service aces per game through their first five matches (including three contests against top-25 teams), a marked improvement from the first five matches in 2001, when NU produced 25 service aces, or 1.47 per game.
At minimum, Nebraska will play 72 more games this season. If the Huskers maintain their current pace, they would tally 220 service aces ? 58 more than last season. If NU were to play 108 games this season, as it did last year, it would produce 270 service aces by maintaining its current average of 2.50 per game. The Nebraska single-season record for service aces of 285 was set in 1987. The Huskers have not had more than 200 service aces in a single season since 1990, when they produced 223.
Redshirt freshman middle blocker Melissa Elmer and junior outside hitter Anna Schrad have led NU statistically at the service line in 2002, recording 10 and nine aces, respectively.
Freshman Phenoms
The Huskers are featuring two new faces in their starting lineup this season in redshirt freshman middle blocker Melissa Elmer and true freshman outside hitter Jennifer Saleaumua.
The 6-foot-2 Elmer has been NU?s most efficient offensive threat so far in 2002. Elmer is hitting .419 and has hit .500 or better in three of Nebraska?s five matches. She is averaging 2.12 kills per game and 1.00 blocks per game. The Fort Wayne, Ind., native was the only Husker to hit over .300 against USC Sept. 1, as she posted a .545 efficiency. Elmer also leads the team with 10 service aces.
The 5-11 Saleaumua, who was Volleyball Magazine?s 2001 National High School Player of the Year, has proven to be a solid all-around player. Through Nebraska?s first five matches, Saleaumua ranks third on the team with 2.62 kills per game, and her .306 hitting percentage is the best by an NU outside hitter. Saleaumua also ranks second on the team with 2.75 digs per game, and she is tied for third with six service aces.
Wildcat Classic Wrapup
Nebraska went 2-0 at the Wildcat Classic in Tucson, Ariz., defeating No. 14 Pepperdine, 3-0, Sept. 6 before downing No. 11 Arizona, 3-1, Sept. 7 ... With the victories, NU improved to 2-1 against opponents ranked in the AVCA/USA Today Coaches poll top 15 ... Nebraska also improved to 4-3 all-time against the Waves and 5-1 all-time against the Wildcats ... Senior outside hitter Laura Pilakowski led the Huskers on the week, averaging 3.70 kills per game and 2.90 digs per game ... The Huskers posted a season-high 13.0 blocks against Pepperdine, as senior middle blocker Amber Holmquist tallied 10.0 and senior setter Greichaly Cepero produced 6.0 ... Nebraska recorded a season-high 15 service aces in its four-game win over Arizona. Junior outside hitter Anna Schrad had five, and freshman outside hitter Jennifer Saleumua posted four ... Freshman middle blocker Melissa Elmer hit .500 (6-1-10) against Pepperdine, marking the third time this season that she has swung for a .500 or better hitting percentage ... The Huskers hit .258 over the weekend and held Pepperdine and Arizona to a combined .137 at the net ... Ranked teams are hitting just .180 collectively against Nebraska.
Rank and File
Nebraska is one of three teams that have been ranked in the USA Today/AVCA Coaches poll for all 271 weeks of its existence. The Huskers have been ranked in the top 10 for 240 of the 271 weeks, which ranks second behind Stanford?s 252. Nebraska has spent 38 weeks in the top spot, and its most recent No. 1 ranking was Sept. 24, 2001.
Block Party
Nebraska ranked first in blocking in the Big 12 Conference statistics released Sept. 9 with a 3.06 blocks-per-game average. Two of the top four players in the individual blocking statistics were Huskers. Senior middle blocker Amber Holmquist, the Big 12 blocking champion in 2000 and 2001, leads the league in 2002 with 1.69 blocks per game. Senior setter Greichaly Cepero ranks fourth with 1.19 blocks per game, and she is second in the conference with seven solo blocks. Cepero is the only setter ranked among the Big 12?s top 10 in blocking.
Senior Success
The 2002 senior class of Greichaly Cepero, Amber Holmquist, Laura Pilakowski and Lindsay Wischmeier may prove to be the most successful ever at Nebraska. In their first three seasons, NU compiled a 92-8 overall record and a 57-3 Big 12 Conference mark. The Huskers have won three Big 12 titles and advanced to two NCAA semifinals, capturing the national title in 2000. The four players have combined for five AVCA All-America awards, three Verizon/CoSIDA Academic All-America honors, seven All-Big 12 honors and eight academic All-Big 12 honors.
The most successful four-year period in NU history thus far was 1998-01, when the Huskers posted a 124-10 record. NU totaled a 118-10 mark from 1993 to 1996. Nebraska has never been to three straight NCAA semifinals, a feat the 2002 senior class could accomplish this season.
