Lincoln, Neb. -- Nebraska volleyball coach John Cook announced Wednesday that four prep standouts have signed national letters-of-intent to attend the University of Nebraska and compete for the Huskers next season. The 2003 class includes setter/outside hitter Dani Busboom of Cortland, Neb., outside hitter Christina Houghtelling of Cambridge, Neb., outside hitter Dani Mancuso of Omaha, Neb., and libero Amanda McCormick of Muncie, Ind.

"We will be losing probably the best senior class in Nebraska history, so we have to replace some great players," NU Coach John Cook said. "But we?re confident this group of extremely talented athletes will come in with a good competitive mentality. With this class, we really strengthen ourselves at outside hitter, a position were we have not had a lot of depth. And this class in in line with the Nebraska tradition of recruiting great athletes, who, when they are able to focus on volleyball, become great volleyball players."

Busboom, who committed to the Huskers before her junior year of high school in 2001, is a four-year letterwinner at Nebraska Class D-1 Freeman for Coach Amy Ludwig. She led Freeman to the 1999 state championship and the 2000 and 2001 runner-up titles. This season, Busboom has tallied 252 kills on a .559 hitting percentage, 62 blocks, 96 service aces and 204 assists for Freeman, which will compete in the state championships this weekend. She recently broke the Nebraska all-class record for career service aces with 370. Busboom is a three-time Lincoln Journal Star First-Team All-State selection, and she earned third-team Super-State honors as a sophomore and first-team Super-State honors as a junior. Busboom plays club ball for Coach Gwen Egbert and the Nebraska Juniors.

A four-sport athlete, Busboom has also won three letters in basketball and two in track. A three-time Lincoln Journal Star All-State selection in basketball, Busboom was a second-team Super-State honoree as a junior in 2001 and averaged 17.2 points per game and 8.0 rebounds per game for Freeman?s state championship team. Busboom played softball and was asked to participate in a Hall of Fame Junior Olympic training camp.

"Dani is someone who has excelled at four sports, and we?re just happy that she chose volleyball," Cook said. "She will continue in the tradition of Nebraska setters, in that she is a great athlete who we will become a great setter. She is a tough kid, and a real competitor."

Houghtelling (pronounced HOE-tell-ing) is the Huskers? first scholarship recruit from Class D-1 Cambridge. A four-year letterwinner for Coach Judy Newcomb, Houghtelling was a first-team Omaha World-Herald and a Lincoln Journal Star Class C2 all-state selection in 2001, and she earned honorable-mention honors as a sophomore. This season, Houghtelling leads Cambridge with 276 kills on a .445 hitting percentage. She has also produced 140 digs, 52 service aces and 55 blocks.

A three-sport athlete, Houghtelling has also earned three letters in basketball and track and four in rifle. Houghtelling won the all-class gold in the triple jump at the 2000 Nebraska state track meet with a leap of 37-8?. She placed third at the state meet last year in the triple jump and fifth in the high jump with a 5-5 mark. Also an accomplished basketball player, Houghtelling was named the honorary captain of the Lincoln Journal Star Class C2 all-state squad. She was also selected to the Miss Basketball Runza team.

Houghtelling serves as the student council president and the president of the National Honor Society. She also earned Lincoln Journal Star academic all-state honors. Houghtelling chose Nebraska over Nebraska-Kearney, Wayne State, South Dakota and South Dakota State.

"Christina is someone we?ve been recruiting for awhile," Cook said. "We love her athletic ability. She has excelled in three sports at Cambridge, and at Nebraska, we believe she can become a big-time outside hitter."

Mancuso (pronounced man-CUE-so), who was the second Nebraska prep star to commit to NU for the 2003 season, is a four-year letterwinner for Coach Yvonne Carson at Omaha Gross High School and competed on the 1999 state championship team and the 2001 state runner-up squad. The 6-foot-2, right-handed hitter was named to the Omaha World-Herald All-Metro first team, the Omaha World-Herald All-Nebraska squad, the Lincoln Journal Star Super-State squad and the Lincoln Journal Star all-state Class B team, of which she was selected the honorary captain. A two-time River City Conference selection, Mancuso was also the 2001 Bellevue Leader Volleyball Player of the Year and the 2002 Italian Athlete of the Year.

This season, Mancuso, who also plays club ball for Nebraska Juniors under Coach Gwen Egbert, is averaging 7.00 kills per game and has posted 90 service aces, 136 blocks and 302 digs through 75 games. She produced 35 kills in a match earlier this season.

An excellent student, Mancuso is four-year member of the dean?s list, and she is a two-time Nebraska Class B academic all-conference selection. Mancuso, who has also earned two letters in track, drew interest from Stanford, Kansas, South Carolina, Pacific, Tennessee and Florida State.

"Dani has really worked hard to become the premier outside hitter in the state," Cook said. "She is an all-around player with great athleticism, and she is mentally very strong. She will be the rare freshman at Nebraska who is asked to compete immediately."

McCormick will be the fourth player from Indiana on Nebraska?s roster in 2003, joining middle blocker Melissa Elmer outside hitter Ally Rebholz and defensive specialist Jenae Dowling. McCormick, a four-year letterwinner, has competed on three state championship teams at Burris Laboratory High for Coach Steve Shondell. She earned first-team all-state and first-team all-conference honors while leading her team to the 2002 Indiana Class 2A state championship. Through 316 games, the 5-foot-8 McCormick recorded 904 kills, 1,107 digs and 170 service aces while. McCormick is a two-time all-state selection, and she earned first-team Mid-Eastern Conference honors as a junior and honorable-mention all-conference honors as a sophomore. McCormick also won a letter in basketball at Burris Laboratory, and she recently received the Indiana Class 2A Mental Attitude Award, an honor that is given to a senior who has displayed a positive mental attitude, athletic ability, dedication to academics and leadership qualities for four years.

McCormick plays club ball for Munciana under 18-and-under Coach Wes Lyon. Her club team won the 2002 17-and-under open division and the 2000 15-and-under open division at the USA Junior Olympic Volleyball Championships.

McCormick chose Nebraska over Southern Illinois.

"Amanda comes from one of the most successful, tradition-rich programs in the country," Cook said. "She?s been a national champion at the club level, and she is a competitor who knows how to win. She is an exceptional passer, and she will be a libero for us."