Huskers – Page 104 – North Platte Post Archive

Huskers Settle for 1-1 Tie Against Rutgers

Posted on September 25, 2014

Lincoln, Neb. – Nebraska (4-4-2) and No. 25 Rutgers each scored in the first half, but couldn’t break a 1-1 tie the rest of the way at the Nebraska Soccer Field on Thursdayevening.

Senior Mayme Conroy scored the Huskers’ lone goal of the game in the 37th minute off an assist from Jourden Casey. The goal marked Conroy’s third of the season as she headed it in from five yards out.

NU’s goal came after the Scarlet Knights got on the scoreboard in the 15th minute as Brianne Reed scored off a deflection at the near corner of the box. Nebraska goalkeeper Kelly Schatz didn’t give up a goal the rest of the way and compiled seven saves for the game, a new career high.

Schatz earned three of her saves in the second half after one in the first half. She added two in the first overtime and one in the second overtime to preserve the tie.

Despite the Huskers being outshot in the first half, 4-2, they responded by taking seven shots in the second half, while the Scarlet Knights took four. Katie Kraeutner and Caroline Gray each had a shot on goal. Conroy took three shots for the game, while Jaycie Johnson and Haley Hanson each took two.

The Huskers complete their two-game home stand on Sunday in a 2 p.m. match against Maryland on the Big Ten Network.

Huskers Ready for Illini in Big Ten Opener

Posted on September 25, 2014

Lincoln, Neb.- The Nebraska football team continued its preparations for their Saturday night Big Ten opener with the Illinois Fighting Illini on Thursdayafternoon, as the Huskers completed a 50-minute walk-thru inside of the Hawks Championship Center.

Nebraska Head Coach Bo Pelini met with the media afterward, noting that the Huskers have had a good week of preparation leading up the game Saturdaynight.

“We’ve had a good week of preparation,” Pelini said. “It’s been a good attention to detail. We’re looking forward obviously to starting Big Ten play.”

After a shaky start defensive start in the first few games, Pelini is happy with the progress the linebackers have made since the victory over Miami last weekend.

“We’ve definitely had a good week,” he said. “I mean it always depends how they’re going to come out and choose to play us, but we could definitely end up in multiple packages. We just have to see how it plays out. Our linebackers have had a good week.”

Pelini announced that junior linebacker David Santos will most likely not see any action Saturday night due to an injury suffered last Saturday against Miami. So far this season, Santos has made 11 solo tackles and 13 assisted tackles. The Spring, Texas, native also had an interception against Miami last weekend.

With the absence of Santos, look for senior walk-on Trevor Roach of Elkhorn, Neb. to step in and fill the position. Roach played a key role during NU’s last game against Miami, forcing a fumble that senior cornerback Josh Mitchell recovered and returned for a touchdown.

The Nebraska football team will have one more practice Friday afternoon before its Saturday night game. Nebraska’s Homecoming game against the Fighting Illini kicks off at 8 p.m. (central) at Memorial Stadium on Saturday. BTN will carry the TV coverage.

Pelini Named Campbell Trophy Semifinalist

Posted on September 25, 2014

Lincoln – University of Nebraska center Mark Pelini is among the semifinalists for the 2014 William V. Campbell Trophy announced Thursday.

Pelini, a senior from Youngstown, Ohio, anchors a Husker offensive line which leads the Big Ten and ranks eighth in the country in total offense (559.8 ypg.). The Huskers also rank in the top-10 nationally in sacks allowed (one, fourth), rushing yards per game (329.0 ypg., fifth) and scoring offense (45.5 ppg., 10th). A three-year letterwinner, Pelini saw time at center in 2013 and has started each of the first four game this season for the unbeaten Huskers.

In the classroom, he is a two-time academic All-Big Ten selection and has been named to Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll five times during his tenure at Nebraska. Pelini was named to both the Brook Berringer Citizenship Team and Tom Osborne Citizenship Team in 2014 for his community outreach work. Pelini has volunteered his time with School is Cool Week, Husker Heroes, Husker Hotline, Super Hero Day, NFL Fuel Up to Play 60 and local school and hospital outreach activities.

The National Football Foundation (NFF) Awards Committee will select up to 16 finalists and award $18,000 scholarships that can be used for the honorees’ postgraduate educations. The recipients will be announced on Thursday, Oct. 30, and one of the finalists will be selected as the Campbell Trophy winner on Dec. 9.

The nominees must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first-team player or significant contributor and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. The class is selected each year by the NFF Awards Committee, which is comprised of a nationally recognized group of media, College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators.

Nebraska leads the nation with 22 National Football Foundation Scholar-Athletes, most recently Spencer Long in 2013.

Huskers Open Big Ten Play With Sweep of Iowa

Posted on September 24, 2014

Lincoln – The No. 8 Nebraska volleyball team opened Big Ten play with a sweep of Iowa on Wednesday night before 8,151 fans at the Bob Devaney Sports Center, 25-18, 25-13, 31-29.

The Huskers improved to 7-3 overall and 1-0 in the Big Ten, while Iowa fell to 8-4 overall and 0-1 in Big Ten play.

Kadie Rolfzen led the Huskers with 15 kills and seven digs. Her twin, Amber Rolfzen, had 10 kills on 16 attacks for a career-high .625 hitting percentage. Alicia Ostrander also had 10 kills, and Melanie

Keil had a career-high-tying eight kills while hitting .538. Mary Pollmiller dished out 34 assists and Justine Wong-Orantes added seven digs.

Alexa Ethridge keyed the Huskers in the first set, serving a 5-0 run that included two of her match-high three service aces to break a 7-7 tie and give the Huskers a 12-7 lead. The Huskers eventually strung together a 9-1 run for a commanding 16-8 lead before claiming the 25-18 win after Iowa scored four straight with the Huskers at set point. Nebraska hit .417 in the opening frame, while Iowa hit .344.

Kadie Rolfzen had six kills quickly in set two as the Huskers built a 17-9 lead with Pollmiller serving a 6-0 run. Keil had three of her kills in the second set to lift Nebraska to the 25-13 victory. The Huskers hit even better in set two, finishing at .429. The story was much different for Iowa though, as the Hawkeyes hit -.040 after their hot start to the match.

The Huskers jumped out to a 15-11 lead in set three, but the Hawkeyes rallied with a 5-0 run to take a 16-15 lead. The run came courtesy of a Nebraska service error and three straight attacking errors. The Big Red committed another service error with the score tied at 18-18, but Ostrander tied it again with her ninth kill of the match. Two Iowa attacking errors put Nebraska up 21-19, but Iowa came back and took a 24-23 lead after Kadie Rolfzen’s swing went just beyond the back line. After a timeout, Kadie Rolfzen tied it at 24-24 with a tip shot, but Iowa earned set point again with a kill from Alex Lovell. After Lovell served into the net to even the score, Iowa committed a net violation to give the Huskers set point with a 26-25 lead. But the teams continued to battle back and forth until Kadie Rolfzen killed for a 30-29 lead, and NU finished off the sweep on a double-stuff block by Meghan Haggerty and Amber Rolfzen.

The Huskers hit .347 for the match, while Iowa hit .202. Nebraska outdug Iowa 26-24 and outblocked the Hawkeyes 8-5. Haggerty led the way with six.

The two teams meet again on Saturday in Iowa City for a 7 p.m. match.

This Saturday at Husker Nation Pavilion

Posted on September 24, 2014

The Husker Nation Pavilion presented by CenturyLink will be open Saturday, Sept. 27 at 5 p.m. (three hours before kickoff) for Nebraska’s Homecoming game against Illinois at Memorial Stadium. The Pavilion, located north of Memorial Stadium on the Gass Practice Field, offers fun with family-friendly entertainment for every game.

Activities at the Pavilion will be open to fans from 5 p.m. right up until kickoff shortly after 8 p.m. against the Fighting Illini.

While the activities will end when the football game begins, fans are still welcome to watch the game, which is being televised nationally by BTN at the Pavilion live on the big screen.

The nation’s premier pregame party, the Husker Nation Pavilion provides free and fun activities for the whole family. The Pavilion features great games and activities for kids.

The Gass FieldTurf practice area is available for kids of all ages to stretch out on before the game. The FieldTurf area is exactly like the FieldTurf inside Memorial Stadium and the nearby Hawks Championship Center, and is one of the fields the Huskers use in their preparations each week.

The Nebraska football team’s grass practice field and the track will be closed to fans.

Husker Nation Pavilion Highlights

Fun & Inflatables – The Husker Nation Pavilion presented by CenturyLink features games for kids of all ages, including inflatable games (weather permitting) and obstacle courses. Field goal kick, quarterback toss, basketball shot, and baseball/softball pitch speed games will all be available for kids to play at the Pavilion.

Unity Walk – Husker fans are encouraged to join the new path of the Nebraska football team’s Unity Walk. The team expects to arrive on the East side of Memorial Stadium, directly in front of the entrance to Nebraska’s new East Stadium. The team’s arrival is expected approximately two hours before kickoff (6 p.m. for Illinois). Fans are encouraged to line the walkway, along with members of the Husker Spirit Squad and Nebraska band members, as the Huskers enter East Stadium through Gate 20.

Pole Vault Exhibition – Members of the Nebraska Track & Field team will hold their annual pole vault exhibition in the Husker Nation Pavilion from 6 to 7 p.m.

Live Band: Lemon Fresh Day will perform live in the Husker Nation Pavilion from 5 to 7:30 p.m.

Food Vendors – A food vending area will be located in the East Plaza. Face painters and balloon twisters will also be on hand.

Huskers Authentic Team Store – Nebraska’s official team store – Huskers Authentic – will not be in the Pavilion, but fans are encouraged to visit the new Huskers Authentic Team Store in East Stadium. Huskers Authentic also will have a satellite store open for fans on the East side of the Pavilion.

Big Screen & Bleacher Seating – Seating is available for fans to help them relax while watching the video board or meeting friends before the game. Saturday’s game with Illinois, which is being televised by BTN, will be available on the Husker Nation Pavilion screen.

Gass Practice Field – The Ed and Joyanne Gass Practice Field is available for youngsters and families. The FieldTurf surface on the practice field next to the Hawks Championship Center offers fans a fun place to stretch out before the games – just like the Huskers during their game-week preparations. Nebraska’s grass football practice field, the Nebraska Soccer Field and the track surface are not available to football fans.

Autograph Zone – No scheduled participants in the autograph zone as of Wednesday, Sept. 24.

Pavilion Entrances & Exits – Fans can enter the Husker Nation Pavilion from both the East and West gates at field level outside of the Ed Weir Track & Field/Nebraska Soccer Stadium (North side of Memorial Stadium). Fans who plan to watch the game on the big screen can enter through the South gates near the Columns above the track (East side of Memorial Stadium).

Huskers Showing More Defensive Maturity

Posted on September 23, 2014

Lincoln, Neb.- The Nebraska football team continued its preparations for its primetime Big Ten conference opener Saturday night with the Illinois Fighting Illini, as the Huskers conducted a 1-hour and 50-minute practice Tuesday afternoon. The Huskers practice both inside of the Hawks Championship Center and outside on the Ed and Joyanne Gass Practice Fields.

Defensive coordinator John Papuchis met with media members after practice, mentioning that the overall defensive maturity has been the thing that he has been most impressed with so far this season.

“I would say as much as anything is our maturity, in terms of when things have happened during the games that haven’t been good for us, we have responded relatively well,” Papuchis said. “That was probably one of the things that bothered me the most in the last couple years, things started to snowball on us.”

Papuchis added that the team’s maturity has really improved with the increased confidence and mental strength shown on the team.

“We have a lot of guys that have a lot of snaps under their belt, but they have realized you have to keep playing and believe in what we are doing and have confidence that we are going to get things squared away,” Papuchis said.

Freshman cornerback Joshua Kalu made an enormous impact for the Blackshirts this past weekend against Miami, as the first year player made his first career interception in the second half of the game. So far, Papuchis has really liked what he has seen out of Kalu, noting that he is a football smart kid.

“First of all he is a very good football player, athletically gifted, beyond that he is mature and smart,” Papuchis said. “He is a football smart kid, I think when he leaves this facility he spends a lot of time with his playbook because when he makes a mistake he corrects it the next time.”

When asked what he and the coaching staff is preparing for defensively, Papuchis said the Illini’s offensive scheme is very multiple, with different variations of the spread offense and pro-style offense.

“They are as multiple of an offense as you can be, I think they have every personnel grouping that you can have,” he said. “The big sets, spread four-wide sets, and they run a lot of empty. They force you to prepare for a lot of different things.”

The Nebraska football team will continue its week of preparation Wednesday as the Huskers prepare for Saturday’s game. Kickoff between the two Big Ten West foes will be nationally televised on Big Ten Network at 8pm (CT).

Huskers Host Pair of Big Ten Newcomers

Posted on September 23, 2014

The Nebraska soccer team (4-4-1) returns home this week to host Big Ten newcomers No. 25 Rutgers and Maryland at the Nebraska Soccer Field.

The Huskers face the Scarlet Knights on Thursday at 4:30 p.m., in a match that will be streamed on BTN Plus. NU’s game against Maryland on Sunday will be televised on the Big Ten Network starting at 2 p.m.

Nebraska enters the week seeking its first Big Ten win of the season after an 0-2-1 start in conference play. Each game will mark the Huskers’ first meeting in series history against the opponent.

Last Time Out: Huskers Fall to No. 13 Wisconsin, 3-0
Nebraska outshot Wisconsin 10-7 at McClimon Soccer Complex in Madison, Wis., but fell by a 3-0 margin on Saturday, Sept. 20. The Badgers scored goals in the first, 20th and 86th minutes.

Jaycie Johnson (three shots on goal), Caroline Gray (two shots on goal), Mayme Conroy (one shot on goal) and Caroline Flynn (one shot on goal) led Nebraska’s offense.

Scouting the Rutgers Scarlet Knights
No. 25 Rutgers is 6-1-0 on the season and holds a 2-1-0 record in Big Ten play during its first year as a member of the conference. The Scarlet Knights opened their season with consecutive wins over Stony Brook, Vanderbilt, Seton Hall and Prin before suffering their only loss of the season to Maryland, 2-0, on Sept. 12. Rutgers responded last weekend with victories over Michigan State and Michigan at home.

Eight different players have scored for the Scarlet Knights, with Amy Pietrangelo and Stefanie Scholz leading the team with three goals each. Goalkeeper Casey Murphy has earned four shutouts in seven starts this season, while allowing three goals over 628 minutes. She has 18 saves.

Scouting the Maryland Terrapins
Maryland is 3-3-2 this season and holds a 1-1-1 mark in the Big Ten. After suffering back-to-back losses to start the season, including a 3-0 setback to No. 1 UCLA on Aug. 22, the Terrapins reeled off wins against William & Mary and NC State before tying Navy. Maryland defeated Rutgers 2-0 on Sept. 12 before falling to Michigan and tied Michigan State on Sept. 21.

Eight different players have scored for the Terrapins, including Alex Doody, who leads the team with two goals. Goalkeeper Rachelle Beanlands has played all 760 minutes of the season in net and compiled 28 saves. She has given up seven goals and pitched three shutouts.

Huskers Showing Ability to Score Late
Nebraska has scored in the 75th minute or later in six of its nine games this season. Jaycie Johnson has scored twice in the 75th minute or later, while Courtney Claassen, Caroline Flynn, Katie Kraeutner and Sydney Miramontez have each added one during that time stretch.

The Huskers failed to score down the stretch against Wisconsin, Illinois, Oklahoma, but made late goals in each of their first four games of the season. Overall, NU is 4-1-1 when scoring in the last 15 minutes. The Huskers are 0-3-0 when they don’t.

Schatz Filling Goalkeeper Role
Sophomore Kelly Schatz has started all nine games at goalkeeper for the Huskers this season, playing more than 804 minutes. Schatz has 23 saves and has earned two complete game shutouts. She also contributed to a third NU shutout as she played the first 48 minutes against North Dakota. Schatz has given up 13 goals on the season and holds a .639 save percentage.

Johnson Continues to Produce on Offense
Nebraska’s leading goal scorer from 2013, Jaycie Johnson, started 2014 where she left off from last season and has six goals through nine games.

Johnson scored two goals in each of the first three weekends, managing a pair of scores in both the Marquette and North Dakota matches. She scored once against SMU and once while facing DePaul.

A Lake Winnebago, Mo. native, Johnson has taken 38 shots this season, 27 of which have been on goal.

NU Ties Big Ten Opener, Falls to Illinois
Nebraska opened its Big Ten season with a pair of home matches on Thursday, Sept. 11 and Sunday, Sept. 14. The Huskers tied Northwestern in the first game, 1-1, before dropping a 3-0 decision to Illinois.

Against the Wildcats, Northwestern’s Sami Schrakamp struck first in the 12th minute to put the Wildcats up 1-0. With time winding down in the game, Katie Kraeutner scored off an assist from Jaycie Johnson in the 88th minute to tie the game. Neither team scored in the extra time.

Against the Fighting Illini, the Huskers took six shots but failed to score in a 3-0 setback. Illinois’ Allison Stucky scored in the 40th minute, while Jannelle Flaws added two goals, scoring in the 71st and 80th minute.

NU Responds to 2OT Loss with 4-0 Win
Nebraska went 1-1 at home in its third weekend of play, falling to No. 20 Oklahoma in double overtime on Friday, Sept. 5, before dominating North Dakota by a 4-0 margin on Sunday, Sept. 7.

Against the Sooners, Katie Kraeutner scored in the sixth minute to put NU up early, but Oklahoma tied the score 1-1 in the 71st minute with Ayana O’Neal’s goal. Despite Nebraska controlling on offense to start the second overtime, Oklahoma’s defense managed to withstand the pressure and scored in the 107th minute for the win.

On Sunday, the Huskers outshot North Dakota 32-2, as Jaycie Johnson scored twice, and Mayme Conroy and Courtney Claassen each added one goal in the 4-0 win.

Both of Johnson’s goals came in the first three minutes of the second half. Conroy scored NU’s first goal of the game in the ninth minute. Claassen scored off a rebound in the 76th minute for her first career goal. Caroline Flynn recorded two assists.

Huskers Sweep Butler, Marquette
Nebraska took down Butler, 1-0, on Friday, Aug. 29 at the Nebraska Soccer Field before defeating Marquette, 3-2, on Sunday, Aug. 31 at Valley Fields in Milwaukee, Wis.

The Huskers outshot the Bulldogs 17-2, but it wasn’t until Caroline Flynn’s goal in the 83rd minute that NU got on the scoreboard. Flynn scored from 30 yards out to the top left corner of the net from the right side of the field. Goalkeeper Kelly Schatz earned two saves during the shutout.

Against the Golden Eagles, Nebraska trailed 2-0 before scoring three goals in the final 26 minutes en route to a 3-2 triumph. Jaycie Johnson scored twice, making her first goal in the 65th minute before adding the game winner off an assist from Caroline Gray in the 83rd minute. Mayme Conroy added a goal for the Huskers in the 69th minute.

Huskers Split Opening Weekend Games
Nebraska opened the regular season on Friday, Aug. 22 with a 4-0 victory over SMU before falling to DePaul, 2-1, on Sunday, Aug. 24 at the Nebraska Soccer Field.

Against the Mustangs, goalkeeper Kelly Schatz earned a shutout in her first career start at the position. She compiled five saves, four of which came in the second half. Caroline Gray, Caroline Flynn, Jaycie Johnson and Sydney Miramontez each scored for the Huskers in the home opener.

Against the Blue Demons, Johnson scored the lone goal for the Huskers in the 89th minute off an assist from Flynn, but DePaul had already built a 2-0 lead. Elise Wyatt scored for the Blue Demons in the 16th minute before Abby Reed added a goal in the 85th minute.

Final Season at Nebraska Soccer Field
The Huskers are in their 10th and final season at the Nebraska Soccer Field before moving into the Nebraska Soccer and Tennis Complex next season. Since moving to campus in 2005, NU has compiled a 66-27-13 record and has five home games remaining in 2014.

2014 Season Outlook
Nebraska’s 2014 team includes five seniors in Head Coach John Walker’s 21st season at the helm of the school’s soccer program. The Huskers also welcomed back All-Big Ten second-team member Jaycie Johnson, who is a sophomore in 2014 after leading the team with 17 goals last season. The Huskers added 12 newcomers in the offseason in addition to their 12 returning letterwinners from 2013.

Huskers to Make Three BTN Appearances
Nebraska appeared on the Big Ten Network on Thursday, Sept. 11 and will make two more showings this season. The Huskers host Big Ten newcomer Maryland on Sunday, Sept. 28 at 2 p.m., on BTN. The game was originally set for 1 p.m., but was changed for TV scheduling. NU’s final regular season appearance on the network comes at Michigan on Thursday, Oct. 2 at 2:30 p.m.

Boyd Epley Returns to Nebraska Athletics

Posted on September 23, 2014

Boyd Epley (Photo courtesy of boydepley.com

The University of Nebraska Athletics Department announced the hiring of Boyd Epley as Assistant Athletic Director for Strength and Conditioning. Epley will oversee the strength and conditioning staff and programs of all Husker athletic programs except football and will serve as the primary strength and conditioning coach for baseball.

Initially hired by former Athletic Director Bob Devaney to start a strength and conditioning program at Nebraska in 1969, Epley served 35 years as NU’s head strength coach before moving into an associate athletic director position. He retired from NU in 2006.

Most recently Epley served as director of coaching performance for the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) in Colorado Springs, the organization he founded in 1978. There he secured sponsorships for the NSCA and helped Division I strength coaches gain certification to meet an NCAA requirement that goes into effect in 2015.

“Shawn Eichorst is committed to give Nebraska student-athletes an educational opportunity they can’t get anywhere else and he wants them to compete for championships. I want to be a part of that vision,” Boyd Epley said. “While my main priority will be working with Coach Darin Erstad and the baseball team, I also look forward to working with the other sport programs. My wife and I miss Nebraska and look forward to reuniting with the Husker Nation.”

Senior Associate Athletic Director for Performance and Strategic Research Steve Waterfield said, “We are excited to have Boyd return to Nebraska Athletics. His leadership, innovations, and experience in strength and conditioning have produced results that have improved student-athlete performance and helped propel teams to championships. We look forward to him working directly with the baseball program and collaborating with strength and conditioning staff to benefit Husker student-athletes.”

For his outstanding contribution in strength and conditioning, Epley was recently named a 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award winner by the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition. He was honored at the Association’s annual meeting September 16th in Washington, D.C.

Epley will assume his new position at Nebraska on October 6th.

Huskers Begin Big Ten Play With Iowa

Posted on September 23, 2014

The No. 8 Nebraska volleyball team (6-3) begins Big Ten action this week with a home-and-home series with Iowa, beginning on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The Huskers make the trip to Iowa City on Saturday for a 7 p.m. match. The Huskers are entering their fourth year of Big Ten play and this will be the first time they’ve played the same conference opponent twice in the same week.

Media Information
Wednesday’s match will be streamed online only at BTN Plus, which fans can purchase for $9.95 for one month’s access. Fans can also listen to the action with John Baylor and Diane Mendenhall on the 25-station Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and The Wolf 93.3 FM in Omaha. Fans inside and outside the state of Nebraska will also be able to catch the live audio feed on Huskers.com for free. Free live stats will be available at Huskers.com as well.

Series History
Nebraska leads the all-time series, 19-0. Seventeen of the 18 Husker victories have been sweeps. The only time Iowa has won a set against Nebraska was Sept. 5, 1987 in a match the Huskers won 3-1. The teams did not play from 2000 to 2010, but that changed when Nebraska joined the Big Ten. The Huskers won last year’s meeting in Lincoln on Oct. 23, 25-19, 25-21, 25-8. Kadie Rolfzen had 11 kills and 12 digs. Amber Rolfzen had eight kills, and Cecilia Hall had seven. The Huskers hit .388 in that match. Nebraska won in Iowa City on Nov. 27, 25-16, 25-18, 25-18. Kadie Rolfzen had nine kills, while Melanie Keil had six.

Last Time Out
The Nebraska volleyball team fought toe-to-toe with No. 2 Texas but came up just short in a 3-2 (23-25, 25-21, 19-25, 25-23, 8-15) thriller before 8,312 fans at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Saturday. Kadie Rolfzen paced the Huskers (6-3) with a career-high 21 kills and 16 digs. Alicia Ostrander, coming off a strong outing off the bench against Creighton, earned the start and tallied 14 kills and four blocks. Justine Wong-Orantes recorded a career-high 29 digs with no receiving errors, and Mary Pollmiller had 40 assists, a career-high six blocks and five kills. Meghan Haggerty had nine blocks to match her season high. Texas All-American Haley Eckerman led the Longhorns with 20 kills. Amy Neal added 15 kills, and Khat Bell had seven blocks for Texas. The Huskers hit .165, while Texas hit .189, the lowest it has hit all season. Texas (8-0) entered the match with the nation’s eighth-ranked attack at .307 percent, but NU held the Longhorns well under their season average. Texas had also lost just one set all season before the Huskers topped them twice on Saturday. Nebraska outblocked Texas (15-13) and outdug the Longhorns (78-76). The Big Red also committed fewer service errors with 11 to Texas’ 13. But in the fifth set with the match on the line, Texas produced nine kills on 22 attacks with one error for a .364 hitting percentage, while Nebraska put together five kills on 23 attacks with three errors for a .087 hitting percentage.

Up Next
The Huskers visit Iowa on Saturday for a 7 p.m. match at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Noting the Huskers
• Kadie Rolfzen set career highs with 21 kills and 51 attacks against No. 2 Texas last Saturday, surpassing her previous career high of 20 kills. The 2013 All-American also had 16 digs in the match and now has three of Nebraska’s four double-doubles this season (Mary Pollmiller has the other). Rolfzen is averaging a team-high 3.45 kills per set and is second in digs with 3.03 per set. She has double-digit kills in six of her last seven matches, with the outlier a nine-kill effort against Denver on just 22 swings.
• Nebraska ranks second in the Big Ten with 2.88 blocks per set, and the Huskers’ 31 solo blocks are tied with Northwestern for the most by any Big Ten team. Meghan Haggerty is fifth in the Big Ten with 1.29 blocks per set.
• The Huskers have just one solo block against them all season. The next closest Big Ten teams are Penn State and Michigan at seven.
• The Huskers rank third in the Big Ten in digs per set (15.00). Justine Wong-Orantes (4.16 per set) leads the Big Red and ranks ninth in the conference. She is coming off a career-high 29 digs against No. 2 Texas last weekend, the most by a Husker since Kayla Banwarth’s 32 against Baylor on Nov. 18, 2009.
• Mary Pollmiller, the Huskers’ lone senior, has 326 set assists for 10.19 per set. She also adds a defensive presence at the net with 22 blocks to rank third on the team and is fourth in digs with 56.
• The Huskers have held three opponents to single-digit sets so far this season, matching last year’s season total. The Huskers have beaten Eastern Kentucky 25-7, Bakersfield 25-8 and Colgate 25-9. Nebraska held two opponents to single digits in 2012 and one in 2011.
• Nebraska is 6-0 this season when recording as many or more service aces than its opponent.
• The Huskers are 227-0 when hitting .300 or better under John Cook. Nebraska is also 369-15 (.961) when winning the first set under Cook.
• John Cook is 138-40 (.775) against ranked opponents at Nebraska. Just over one-third of Cook’s total victories at Nebraska (419) have come against ranked teams.
• Nebraska volleyball leads the nation with 207 consecutive sellouts, the longest sellout streak in the history of NCAA women’s athletics. NU owns a 191-16 record during the streak.

Scouting the Iowa Hawkeyes
The Hawkeyes enter the week 8-3 overall. All three losses have been sweeps, but two of Iowa’s three losses have come to Top 25 teams in Texas A&M and Arizona State. The other was their most recent match, a sweep at Iowa State. The Hawkeyes will be playing their home opener against the Huskers, as they’ve gone 1-3 on the road and 7-0 in neutral games so far this season. Iowa ranks third in the Big Ten in blocks (2.65 per set) and service aces (1.61 per set).

Senior outside hitter Alex Lovell is the top attacker with 128 kills and 3.56 kills per set. She led the Hawkeyes last season as well with 216 kills. Sophomore setter Alyssa Klostermann has moved into the No. 1 setter role and has a team-high 228 assists for 6.33 per set. Jess Janota has been one of the Big Ten’s best freshmen this season, ranking fifth among freshmen with 2.66 kills per set (93 total) along with 26 blocks. Junior middle blocker Mikaela Gunderson has 40 blocks for Iowa.

Iowa finished 11-21 last season and 2-18 in the Big Ten for an 11th-place finish. The Hawkeyes have six starters back though and 10 total letterwinners.

Huskers Extend Record Poll Streak to 467 Weeks
With its No. 8 ranking, Nebraska has appeared in every one of the AVCA’s 467 all-time weekly polls. NU and Stanford are the only two programs to appear in every AVCA poll, dating back to its inception in 1982. Nebraska has spent a nation-leading 420 weeks in the top 10.

Nebraska’s Abdullah: Jameis Winston Must Grow Up

Posted on September 22, 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska running back and Heisman Trophy candidate Ameer Abdullah says 2013 winner Jameis Winston of Florida State needs to clean up his act.

Abdullah and Winston both grew up in the Birmingham, Alabama, area and trained together at the same gym. He said he considers Winston a friend.

Abdullah says Winston lacks maturity and needs to understand that how he presents himself has consequences.

Winston was suspended for last Saturday’s game against Clemson after several students said he stood on campus last week and shouted an obscene phrase that may have derived from an internet meme. Last April, Winston was caught leaving a supermarket without paying for crab legs and crawfish and was ordered to perform community service.