The Nebraska volleyball team plays its only official match of the spring when it takes on Kansas State in Grand Island on Saturday at the Heartland Events Center. The match is set to begin at 6 p.m., with doors opening 60 minutes prior to first serve. The Huskers will sign autographs for a short time after the match, which sold out in less than an hour. While the Huskers will be playing for the first and only time this spring, Kansas State has already put 22 sets under its belt against eight different opponents enteringSaturday. The Wildcats also play Nebraska-Kearney early on Saturday before taking on the Huskers Saturday night.

SERIES HISTORY

Record: NU leads 82-4 (Last Meeting: KSU 3-2, Dec. 2, 2011 in Lincoln)

Notes: The last meeting was Kansas State’s upset of the Huskers in Lincoln in the NCAA Tournament Second Round. It snapped Nebraska’s 14-match win streak in the series. Nebraska last played in Grand Island in the 2011 spring season, topping Wichita State 3-2. A packed crowd of 5,522 fans filled the Heartland Events Center for that match.

NOTING THE HUSKERS

• The Huskers are coming off a 23-10 (14-6 Big Ten) season in 2014 in which they advanced to an NCAA Regional Final for the third consecutive season. After defeating Hofstra and Utah to advance to the Seattle Regional, the Huskers upset No. 3 Washington 3-1 on its home court to reach the final eight teams. NU’s season came to an end at the hands of the BYU Cougars, who went on to reach the NCAA Championship match.
• Outside hitter Kadie Rolfzen was an AVCA third-team All-American for the second time in 2014, earning Nebraska’s nation-leading 77th AVCA All-America certificate. She is the 27th Husker to earn multiple honors in her career. Rolfzen led Nebraska in kills with 405 (3.55 per set) and posted a double-double in all four NCAA Tournament matches to help lift the Huskers to the Elite Eight for the third straight season. Rolfzen, a Papillion-La Vista South grad, finished second on the team in digs with 316 (2.77 per set), establishing herself as one of the top all-around players in the nation, region and Big Ten for the second straight season.
• Kelsey Fien earned honorable-mention All-America honors following her junior season. The outside hitter from Bakersfield, Calif., was second on the team in kills with 286 (3.21 per set) and was particularly strong in conference play, posting 3.39 kills per set while hitting .303, the best mark by an NU player and third among all B1G outside hitters.
• Briana Holman and Alicia Ostrander were selected to the U.S. Collegiate National Team Program this spring. Holman is one of 12 players who will represent the U.S. Collegiate Natioanl Team at the 2015 World University Games July 2-12 at Gwangju, South Korea. It’s her second career selection to the team. Ostrander is one of 36 players who will train and compete conjunction with the USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Championships from June 21-29 in New Orleans, La.

SCOUTING KANSAS STATE

The Wildcats finished 22-9 (9-7 Big 12) last season. Their season came to an end in Lincoln in an NCAA Tournament first-round loss to Utah. KSU is led by outside hitter Kylee Zumach, who was the unanimous Big 12 Freshman of the Year and was an All-Big 12 first-team selection with setter Katie Brand in 2014. Saturday’s match marks a homecoming for the GI native Brand, who led Grand Island Central Catholic to a state title in her junior year of high school. Brand is coming off an honorable-mention All-America season as a sophomore with the Wildcats.