The Big Ten has announced that its television partners will use a six-day pick for the games of Saturday, Nov. 22, including Minnesota at Nebraska. The game will be played at either 11 a.m. or 2:30 p.m.
A limited number of tickets for the Nebraska-Minnesota game remain. The tickets are recently returned tickets from the visiting team allotment, and cost $75 each. They can be purchased on-line at Huskers.com, or by calling the Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-8-BIG RED.
MADISON, Wis./LINCOLN, Neb. – Wisconsin and Nebraska always have plenty to play for when the two Big Ten rivals meet on the football field. Now, the Freedom Trophy can be added to that list.
The trophy will be on the line for the first time on Saturday, Nov. 15, when the Badgers host the Cornhuskers at Camp Randall Stadium.
“Trophy games are part of the tradition of college football, and I’m thrilled that we’re going to be introducing one into our rivalry with Nebraska,” Wisconsin Director of Athletics Barry Alvarez said. “The Freedom Trophy brings recognition to two historic football venues and it honors our nation’s veterans. It is something I know the coaches, student-athletes and fans of both programs will embrace for years to come.”
“We are honored to partner with Wisconsin in an annual Freedom Trophy game, as both of our football programs and stadiums have rich histories and traditions,” Nebraska Director of Athletics Shawn Eichorst said. “The Freedom Trophy provides a unique opportunity for us to pay special tribute to the brave men and women who have and will continue to defend our nation’s freedom.”
The Freedom Trophy, designed and sculpted by Harry Weber of Wright City, Mo., features a bronze football stadium with an American flag extending from the center. One half of the outside of the stadium depicts the North section of Wisconsin’s Camp Randall Stadium (built in 1917) and the other half the East side of Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium (built in 1923, East side expansion in 2012). The stadium and flag sculpture sits on top of a wooden base that has dedicated space for future Wisconsin-Nebraska game scores. With the Big Ten establishing East and West divisions for football prior to this season, the Huskers and Badgers will now play each other every year as members of the West Division.
The base also contains an identical inscription on two sides that reads:
“The Freedom Trophy pays tribute to the brave men and women who have fought in our nation’s wars. The University of Wisconsin’s Camp Randall Stadium, built on what was once a Civil War training ground, and the University of Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium, dedicated in honor of our nation’s veterans, stand as proud monuments to those who have sacrificed so much in the name of freedom.”
Since 1901, Wisconsin and Nebraska have met a total of eight times on the football field with each school winning four games apiece.
Wednesday Nov. 12 Volleyball Michigan State (HuskersNside)
Thursday Nov. 13 Bowling Big Red Invitational
Friday Nov. 14 Bowling Big Red Invitational
Friday Nov. 14 Cross Country at NCAA Midwest Regional
Saturday Nov. 15 Bowling Big Red Invitational
Saturday Nov. 15 Women’s Basketball Pepperdine (BTN Plus)
Saturday Nov. 15 Football at Wisconsin (ABC)
Sunday Nov. 16 Men’s Basketball Northern Kentucky (BTN Plus)
Sunday Nov. 16 Wrestling Maryland
Sunday Nov. 16 Volleyball Maryland (NET/BTN Plus)
Sunday Nov. 16 Women’s Basketball Alcorn State (HuskersNside)
Lincoln – Rachel Theriot scored a game-high 19 points and Emily Cady produced her second straight exhibition double-double to power the No. 16 Nebraska women’s basketball team to a 78-46 win over Concordia-St. Paul on Sunday at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Theriot, an honorable-mention All-American last season, hit 7-of-16 shots from the floor while adding four rebounds and four assists to lead the Huskers.
Cady, a second-team All-Big Ten choice last season, added 10 points and a game-high 13 rebounds for the Big Red. In two exhibition games, Cady averaged 15 points, 12 rebounds and three assists in just over 20 minutes per contest.
Sophomore center Allie Havers contributed 11 points and eight boards off the bench, as Nebraska dominated the glass against the NCAA Division II power Golden Bears. The Huskers outworked No. 10 CSP on the glass, 60-35 and won the turnover battle 20-12 on the day. Concordia-St. Paul advanced to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight last season.
Golden Bear All-American Anika Whiting, a 6-2 senior forward, was held to just six points on 2-of-9 shooting against the Husker defense. She also managed just three rebounds before fouling out. Last season, Whiting averaged nearly 18 points and eight boards per game.
Nebraska’s dominance in the possession game allowed the Huskers to overcome a subpar shooting performance. The Big Red hit just 37.8 percent (28-74) of their shots from the field, including just 1-of-13 threes on the day. NU also connected on just 21-of-33 free throws.
However, the Huskers held Concordia-St. Paul to just 16-of-55 shooting (.291), including just 4-of-17 threes (.235). The Golden Bears went 10-for-14 from the free throw line.
Mishayla Jones led the Golden Bears with 11 points and six rebounds, while Amanda Barton added 10 points, including a pair of threes.
In an entertaining first half, the Huskers ran to a 38-21 halftime lead thanks to 13 first-half points from Theriot. The junior point guard went 6-for-10 from the field and added three rebounds in 17 minutes.
Cady, Tear’a Laudermill and Natalie Romeo each added six first-half points as all eight Huskers who played in the first half found the scoring column.
As a team, Nebraska hit 16-of-36 shots from the field, but went 0-for-3 from three-point range. The Huskers were also just 6-of-12 at the free throw line. NU outrebounded CSP, 26-17, and won the first-half turnover battle, 12-7.
Ameshia Kearney, Jones and Barton each scored five first-half points to lead the Golden Bears, who hit just 9-of-30 shots from the floor, but did connect on 2-of-8 three-pointers. Kearney hit CSP’s lone free throw attempt of the half.
The Huskers open regular-season play against Pepperdine at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Saturday, Nov. 15, at 11 a.m. That game time was announced for the first time duringSunday’s game. The game can be heard live on the Husker Sports Network, including 107.3 FM in Lincoln and 93.3 FM in Omaha. It will also be available for free on Huskers.com.
Tickets to Saturday’s game against the Waves are available now at Huskers.com.
Baylor, Arizona State and Ohio State all took big steps forward in The Associated Press college football poll after big wins, and Auburn dropped out of the top five after being upset.
For the fifth straight week, the top two are Mississippi State (9-0) and Florida State (9-0). The No. 1 Bulldogs received 49 first-place votes Sunday. The second-ranked Seminoles have 12.
Oregon jumped to No. 3 past Alabama, which remained No. 4. No. 5 TCU also moved up a spot.
Baylor climbed four places to sixth after romping at Oklahoma, 48-14. Arizona State is up four spots to seventh after a 55-31 victory against Notre Dame. Ohio State moved five spots to No. 13 after beating Michigan State 49-37.
Auburn fell 41-38 to Texas A&M, dropping the Tigers from third to ninth.
Oklahoma dropped out of the rankings for the first time since the final poll of the 2009 season.
The Top 25 teams in The Associated Press college football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Nov. 8, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote, and previous ranking:
| Record | Pts | Pv | |
| 1. Mississippi St. (48) | 9-0 | 1,488 | 1 |
| 2. Florida St. (12) | 9-0 | 1,446 | 2 |
| 3. Oregon | 9-1 | 1,334 | 5 |
| 4. Alabama | 8-1 | 1,326 | 4 |
| 5. TCU | 8-1 | 1,273 | 6 |
| 6. Baylor | 8-1 | 1,193 | 10 |
| 7. Arizona St. | 8-1 | 1,142 | 11 |
| 8. Ohio St. | 8-1 | 1,086 | 13 |
| 9. Auburn | 7-2 | 981 | 3 |
| 10. Mississippi | 8-2 | 948 | 12 |
| 11. Nebraska | 8-1 | 830 | 15 |
| 12. Michigan St. | 7-2 | 782 | 7 |
| 13. Kansas St. | 7-2 | 742 | 9 |
| 14. UCLA | 8-2 | 691 | 18 |
| 15. Notre Dame | 7-2 | 630 | 8 |
| 16. Georgia | 7-2 | 622 | 17 |
| 17. Arizona | 7-2 | 471 | 21 |
| 18. Clemson | 7-2 | 457 | 19 |
| 19. Duke | 8-1 | 431 | 22 |
| 20. LSU | 7-3 | 429 | 14 |
| 21. Marshall | 9-0 | 297 | 23 |
| 22. Wisconsin | 7-2 | 225 | 25 |
| 23. Colorado St. | 9-1 | 128 | NR |
| 24. Georgia Tech | 8-2 | 127 | NR |
| 25. Utah | 6-3 | 87 | 20 |
Others receiving votes: Oklahoma 85, Texas A&M 83, Missouri 68, Southern Cal 47, Minnesota 26, Louisville 12, West Virginia 6, Stanford 4, Boise St. 1, Georgia Southern 1, Miami 1.
Lincoln – The No. 13 Nebraska volleyball team cruised to its fourth straight sweep with a 25-14, 25-17, 25-12 triumph over Indiana Saturday before 8,462 fans wearing white for “White Out” night at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
The Huskers’ fourth straight win put them at 16-7 overall and 10-4 in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers fell to 14-12 overall and 5-9 in the Big Ten.
Kelsey Fien led NU with 11 kills and hit a career-best .526. Kadie Rolfzen had nine kills and Amber Rolfzen added six while hitting .667. Mary Pollmiller had a season-best seven kills on nine attacks to go with 24 assists, as she kept the Indiana defense off balance all night.
The Huskers hit a season-high .525 for the match with their fewest errors all season (six). NU hit a season-best .833 in the first set and .714 in the third set. NU committed no errors in the first and third sets after entering the match with one error-free set all season, against Denver on Sept. 12. The Huskers were just as strong defensively, holding Indiana to a -.013 hitting percentage for the match, its lowest output of the season.
Nebraska came out firing on all cylinders and built a 9-4 lead in set one with three kills by Pollmiller on three attacks. Indiana got within 11-7, but an Amber Rolfzen kill and three straight IU attacking errors led to a 15-7 Husker advantage. The Huskers won 25-14, finishing with a season-best .833 hitting percentage (15 kills on 18 attacks). The Hoosiers hit just .042.
Indiana forced a Husker timeout in the second set by taking a 7-5 lead with a four-point run. But afer the break, Kadie Rolfzen terminated and Pollmiller made an acrobatic play to keep a ball alive before Meghan Haggerty stuffed the Hoosiers to tie it 7-7. Indiana then hit long, and Haggerty and Kadie Rolfzen combined for a block to put the Big Red up 9-7, a lead they would not surrender. Kills by Fien and Pollmiller, followed by an IU attack error made it 14-10 Huskers. Nebraska closed the set on a 10-4 run to win it 25-17. Although the Huskers cooled off a bit and hit .241 in the second set, they held Indiana to a -.067 hitting percentage in the set.
The Huskers came out for the third set with sweep in mind, bolting to a 4-0 lead before an Indiana timeout. Pollmiller served up an opening ace, and Cecilia Hall and Amber Rolfzen combined for a block to set the tone. Leading 13-8, the Huskers finished the match on a 12-4 run for the 25-12 clincher. NU needed just 10 kills in the set while committing no errors for the second time on the night. Indiana committed 10 errors on 24 attacks as the Hoosiers struggled to hit around the Husker blockers.
Nebraska hosts Michigan State on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Laramie, Wyo. – No. 7 Nebraska completed its weekend trip to Wyoming by winning eight weight class titles at the Cowboy Open at War Memorial Field House on Saturday.
No. 2 James Green (157) won all four of his matches by technical fall to take the title. Outscoring his opponents 72-9, Green has 99 career victories after Saturday’scompetition. He will go for No. 100 next weekend against Maryland at home.
At 174 pounds, No. 2 Robert Kokesh earned two pins and two technical falls before winning a 9-3 decision over Wisconsin’s Frank Cousins in the finals. Kokesh, a two-time All-American, is 6-0 on the season.
No. 13 TJ Dudley defeated Aaron Studebaker, 3-1, in the 184-pound finals. Dudley earned a pin and major decision before the final bout. Studebaker knocked off No. 17 Ben Stroh of Wyoming in the quarterfinals and added a pin before the finals.
At 133 pounds, sophomore Eric Montoya captured the crown with his 13-2 major decision over Wyoming’s Drew Templeman in the finals. Montoya also had a technical fall and a decision on Saturday during the Cowboy Open.
Anthony Abidin captured the 141-pound title with an 11-0 major decision over Cole Mendenhall of Wyoming. Abidin won all four of his matches at the Cowboy Open by major decision on his way to the crown.
At 149 pounds, Justin Arthur won four decisions and added a pin en route to first place. Arthur completed his run with an 8-6 decision over Wyoming’s Jake Elliot.
Sophomore Tim Lambert took runner-up honors at 125 pounds, falling to No. 8 Tyler Cox of Wyoming, 5-2, in the finals. Lambert, the No. 14 wrestler by InterMat, had a technical fall and major decision victory on Saturday.
Micah Barnes also earned runner-up honors at 197 pounds. He went 3-1 at the Cowboy Open with one of his wins by major decision.
At heavyweight, No. 15 Collin Jensen and Nyle Bartling each advanced to the third-place match, but did not wrestle each other.
At 149 pounds, Tyler Berger captured the Amateur division title, winning four of his five matches in bonus-point fashion. In the 141-pound Amateur division, Colton Adams and Hayden Tuma, each wrestling unattached, advanced to the finals but did not compete against each other. Mitchell Maginnis took home third-place honors at 125 pounds in the Amateur division.
John Svoboda (157), No. 14 Austin Wilson (165) and Spencer Johnson (197) also wrestled for the Huskers at the Cowboy Open.
The Huskers return home next weekend to host Big Ten newcomer Maryland at the NU Coliseum on Sunday, Nov. 16 at 1 p.m. (CT). NU’s five remaining home duals will all be contested at the Devaney Center.
Cowboy Open
War Memorial Field House, Laramie, Wyo.
Saturday, Nov. 8, 2014
Nebraska Tournament Finishes
125 Elite: #14 Tim Lambert 2nd
125 Amateur: Mitchell Maginnis 3rd
133 Elite: Eric Montoya 1st
141 Elite: #17 Anthony Abidin 1st
141 Amateur: Colton Adams (unattached) T-1st
141 Amateur: Hayden Tuma (unattached) T-1st
149 Elite: Justin Arthur 1st
149 Amateur: Tyler Berger (unattached) 1st
157 Elite: #2 James Green 1st
157 Elite: John Svoboda DNP
165 Elite: #14 Austin Wilson MFF
174 Elite: #2 Robert Kokesh 1st
184 Elite: #13 TJ Dudley 1st
184 Elite: Aaron Studebaker 2nd
197 Elite: Micah Barnes 2nd
197 Elite: Spencer Johnson DNP
HWT Elite: #15 Collin Jensen T-3rd
HWT Elite: Nyle Bartling T-3rd
Laramie, Wyo. – No. 7 Nebraska (1-0) opened its dual season with a 22-13 victory over No. 25 Wyoming at the Wyoming Indoor Practice Facility on Friday afternoon.
No. 15 Collin Jensen opened the dual with a victory at heavyweight, taking down Wyoming’s Leland Pfeifer by a 6-1 decision. Jensen earned a takedown in the first period and added one in the second period after an escape from the bottom position. In the third stanza, Jensen racked up more than two minutes of riding time before letting Pfeifer escape.
At 125 pounds, No. 14 Tim Lambert fell by a 7-4 margin to No. 8 Tyler Cox. After a scoreless first period, Lambert escaped from the down position to build a 1-0 lead before a Cox takedown. Lambert responded with a reversal before a Cox escape made it 3-3. In the third period, Cox escaped from bottom and added a takedown before giving up a Lambert escape. Cox added a point for riding time.
Sophomore Eric Montoya picked up a 9-3 victory at 133 pounds over the Cowboys’ Drew Templeman. Montoya earned a takedown and added near fall points in the first period to build a 4-0 lead. Templeman earned a reversal before Montoya’s escape to make the score 5-2 after the first period. After an escape from the down position in the second period by Montoya, Templeman picked up one of his own in the third to make it 6-3. Montoya added a takedown before a riding time point to finish off the win.
Anthony Abidin continued NU’s momentum at 141 pounds in his dominating 14-2 major decision over Cole Mendenhall. After an early Mendenhall takedown, Abidin earned three of his own and added near fall points en route to his first win of the season.
At 149 pounds, sophomore Justin Arthur lost a 5-3 decision to Jake Elliott to cut NU’s lead to 10-6 at the halfway point. After a scoreless first period, Arthur escaped from the down position before an Elliott takedown in the second period. Elliott escaped from the down position to start the third period and added a takedown to ensure the victory.
No. 2 James Green pinned Wyoming’s Archie Colgan in 5:17 to give the Huskers a 16-6 lead. Green earned two takedowns and five near fall points before the fall.
At 165 pounds, No. 14 Austin Wilson came from behind to defeat No. 15 Dakota Friesth by a 5-2 decision. Friesth earned a first-period takedown before Wilson escaped to make it 2-1. Wilson rode out Friesth in the second period before earning an escape in the third period to tie the score 2-2. Wilson added a takedown and a point for riding time.
No. 2 Robert Kokesh trailed early against Andy McCulley at 174 pounds, but emerged victorious with a 5-2 decision. McCulley took down Kokesh in the opening stanza before a Kokesh escape to make it 2-1. Kokesh rode out McCulley from the top position in the second period to secure riding time. In the third period, Kokesh escaped from bottom and earned a takedown.
At 184 pounds, No. 13 TJ Dudley fell by a 15-6 major decision to No. 17 Ben Stroh. At 197 pounds, Micah Barnes lost a 3-2 decision to No. 16 Shane Woods to close out the dual.
The Huskers finish their weekend trip by competing at the Cowboy Open on Saturday, starting at 10 a.m. (CT). Live video streaming is available on Flowrestling.org, with a subscription required to view the matches. Live scoring will be through TrackWrestling.com.
No. 7 Nebraska 22, No. 25 Wyoming 13
Wyoming Indoor Practice Facility, Laramie, Wyo.
Friday, Nov. 7, 2014
Results
HWT: #15 Collin Jensen (NEB) by dec. over Leland Pfeifer (WYO), 6-1 (NEB 3, WYO 0)
125: #8 Tyler Cox (WYO) by dec. over #14 Tim Lambert (NEB), 7-4 (NEB 3, WYO 3)
133: Eric Montoya (NEB) by dec. over Drew Templeman (WYO), 9-3 (NEB 6, WYO 3)
141: #17 Anthony Abidin (NEB) by major dec. over Cole Mendenhall (WYO), 14-2 (NEB 10, WYO 3)
149: Jake Elliott (WYO) by dec. over Justin Arthur (NEB), 5-3 (NEB 10, WYO 6)
157: #2 James Green (NEB) by pin over Archie Colgan (WYO), 5:17 (NEB 16, WYO 6)
165: #14 Austin Wilson (NEB) by dec. over #15 Dakota Friesth (WYO), 5-2 (NEB 19, WYO 6)
174: #2 Robert Kokesh (NEB) by dec. over Andy McCulley (WYO), 5-2 (NEB 22, WYO 6)
184: #17 Ben Stroh (WYO) by major dec. over #13 TJ Dudley (NEB), 15-6 (NEB 22, WYO 10)
197: #16 Shane Woods (WYO) by dec. over Micah Barnes (NEB), 3-2 (NEB 22, WYO 13)
The No. 16 Nebraska women’s basketball team closes its two-game exhibition schedule by welcoming the NCAA Division II No. 10 Concordia-St. Paul Golden Bears to Pinnacle Bank Arena, Sunday at 2 p.m.
The game will be the first meeting between the Huskers and Golden Bears and will feature free live audio from the Husker Sports Network on Huskers.com. No TV or live video will be available.
Tickets for Sunday’s game can be purchased in advance by visiting Huskers.com or by calling 1-800-8-BIG-RED. Tickets also will be available at the Pinnacle Bank Arena Ticket Office before the game. Reserved seats are just $10, while adult general admission tickets are just $5. Youth and seniors receive discounted rates, while UNL students with ID are admitted free.
Sunday’s matchup between Nebraska and Concordia-St. Paul should offer another one of NCAA Division II’s best teams. The Golden Bears were ranked No. 10 nationally in both the WBCA Preseason Top 25 and the Women’s Division II Bulletin Top 25. The Golden Bears finished with a 28-9 overall record, while advancing to the 2014 NCAA Division II Elite Eight. Concordia-St. Paul has advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament 10 times in the past 12 years. Last season, the Bears beat Wayne State twice during the regular season, including a 69-50 win on Jan. 17.
The Huskers, who are coming off an 84-43 exhibition-opening win over Division II No. 6 Wayne State last Sunday, return four All-Big Ten starters who led the Big Red to a 26-7 record, a Big Ten Tournament title and the NCAA Tournament second round. Honorable-mention AP All-American and first-team All-Big Ten point guard Rachel Theriot rejoins seniors Emily Cady (second-team All-Big Ten), Tear’a Laudermill (second-team All-Big Ten) and Hailie Sample (Big Ten All-Defensive) in 2014-15.
Theriot, a 6-0 junior from Middleburg Heights, Ohio, claimed preseason first-team All-Big Ten honors after averaging 14.1 points and 7.1 assists per game as a sophomore. She averaged 18.7 points and a tournament-record 10.0 assists on her way to 2014 Big Ten Tournament MVP honors.
Nebraska Cornhuskers (26-7, 12-4 Big Ten)
3 – Hailie Sample – 6-1 – Sr. – F – 6.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg
23 – Emily Cady – 6-2 – Sr. – F – 12.7 ppg, 9.2 rpg
31 – Anya Kalenta – 6-3 – Jr. – F – JUCO
33 – Rachel Theriot – 6-0 – Jr. – G – 14.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg
1 – Tear’a Laudermill – 5-9 – Sr. – G – 11.8 ppg, 2.7 rpg
Off the Bench
13 – Brandi Jeffery – 5-7 – Sr. – G – 3.7 ppg, 1.9 rpg
22 – Allie Havers – 6-5 – So. – C – 3.2 ppg, 2.6 rpg
11 – Esther Ramacieri – 5-8 – So. – G – 0.2 ppg, 0.5 rpg
2 – Kaylee Page – 6-2 – Fr. – F – High School
5 – Natalie Romeo – 5-7 – Fr. – G – High School
12 – Emily Wood – 5-5 – Fr. – G – High School
30 – Chandler Smith – 6-0 – Fr. – G – High School
34 – Jasmine Cincore – 5-8 – Fr. – G – High School
Head Coach: Connie Yori (Creighton, 1986)
13th Season at NU (241-142); 25th Season Overall (436-282)
Concordia-St. Paul Golden Bears (28-9, 16-6 NSIC)
25 – Kionda Nicks – 6-2 – Jr. – F – 5.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg
40 – Anika Whiting – 6-2 – Sr. – F – 17.7 ppg, 7.2 rpg
2 – Ameshia Kearney – 5-9 – Sr. – G – 12.4 ppg, 2.9 rpg
20 – Mishayla Jones – 5-6 – So. – G – 1.6 ppg, 1.2 rpg
12 – Voneisha Harris – 5-10 – Sr. – G – 1.5 ppg, 2.1 rpg
or 30 – Lauren Shifflett 5-8 – RFr. – G – 2.5 ppg, 0.5 rpg
Off the Bench
34 – Amanda Barton – 6-2 – Sr. – F – 6.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg
22 – Asha Knight – 5-11 – Sr. – F – 1.5 ppg, 0.7 rpg
32 – Tierra Bender – 5-7 – Sr. – G – 1.3 ppg, 1.7 rpg
23 – Jordyn Dudley – 6-0 – Jr. – G – 0.6 ppg, 0.3 rpg
42 – Caitlyn Russell – 6-3 – So. – C – Evansville
10 – Kayla Miller – 5-10 – Fr. – G – High School
40 – Kyrah Fredenburg – 5-11 – Fr. – G – High School
Head Coach: Paul Fessler (Northern Iowa, 1988)
15th Season at CSP (306-128); 19th Season Overall (407-146)
Big Red Begins Season at No. 16 in AP, Coaches Polls
The Huskers open the 2014-15 season at No. 16 in both the Associated Press Preseason Poll and the USA Today Coaches Preseason Top 25. Nebraska closed the 2013-14 campaign at No. 13 in the AP rankings, which did not include NCAA Tournament results.
NU, which went 26-7 last season and 12-4 in the Big Ten before winning its first Big Ten Tournament title, ended the season at No. 17 in the final USA Today Coaches Top 25. Both Nebraska’s final AP and Coaches Top 25 rankings were the second-best year-end rankings in school history. The Huskers have finished the season in the AP Top 25 four times in the past five years.
The Huskers finished No. 19 in the official NCAA RPI, which was its third-best RPI finish in history – all in the last five seasons.
Before Nebraska Coach Connie Yori came to Nebraska for the 2002-03 season, the Huskers had never finished a season ranked in the top 25 in either of the major polls or the RPI.
Nebraska Opened Basketball Season with Big Red Tip-Off
The Nebraska men’s and women’s basketball programs hit the floor for the first time together on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at Big Red Tip-Off at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
The fun family-friendly event included 15-minute scrimmages by both the men’s and women’s teams and a head-to-head three-point contest between the two programs.
Nebraska women’s basketball Coach Connie Yori and men’s basketball Coach Tim Miles both addressed the thousands of fans who filled the arena for the free event.
The two teams wrapped up the night with an autograph session at the arena.
Husker Season Ticket Sales Reach Another All-Time High
Nebraska’s second season inside the spectacular Pinnacle Bank Arena promises to be packed with action from start to finish, and Husker women’s basketball fans are showing that they want to see it all in person this season.
Heading into their final exhibition game with Concordia-St. Paul on Sunday, Nov. 9, Nebraska had sold a school-record 3,904 season tickets for the 2014-15 campaign.
In their first season at Pinnacle Bank Arena in 2013-14, Nebraska shattered its previous season ticket sales record with more than 3,700. The previous record came in 2010-11, when NU sold approximately 2,700 season tickets.
Last season, Nebraska ranked No. 11 nationally with an average home attendance of 6,161 fans per game. The Huskers ranked No. 8 nationally in total attendance with 110,892 fans flocking to the arena to watch the Big Red roll to a 16-2 home record.
Theriot Claims Preseason All-Big Ten Honors
Nebraska junior Rachel Theriot captured preseason first-team All-Big Ten team announced at Big Ten Conference Women’s Basketball Media Day on Thursday, Oct. 16.
Theriot, a 6-0 point guard from Middleburg Heights, Ohio, joined senior point guards Rachel Banham (Minnesota) and Samantha Logic (Iowa) on the five-player honor squads of both the conference coaches and media. Michigan State sophomore Aerial Powers and Northwestern sophomore Nia Coffey rounded out the coaches top five. Sophomores Amanda Zahui from Minnesota and Lexie Brown from Maryland, along with junior Ameryst Alston from Ohio State claimed spots on the media’s six-player team.
As a team, Nebraska was picked No. 3 in the conference by the media, trailing Maryland and Michigan State. Iowa earned the No. 3 spot ahead of the Huskers in the coaches ranking of the top three teams.
Scouting the Concordia-St. Paul Golden Bears
Coach Paul Fessler has bult a traditionally strong NCAA Division II program at Concordia-St. Paul. Entering his 15th season at the helm of the Golden Bears, Fessler has produced a 306-128 record while leading the team to 10 NCAA Tournament appearances in the past 12 seasons. Last year, Fessler guided CSP to its first NCAA Elite Eight appearance after claiming its third Sweet 16 bid in the past 10 years.
The Golden Bears, who enter 2014-15 ranked No. 10 by both the WBCA and Women’s Division II Bulletin, are coming off a 28-9 campaign. CSP went 16-6 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. Down the stretch, the Golden Bears defeated No. 19 Northern State (54-36), No. 2 Harding (68-57), No. 8 Central Missouri (85-60) and No. 7 Emporia State (70-67) before falling to No. 10 Nova Southeastern in the NCAA Elite Eight at Erie, Pa.
Concordia-St. Paul returns three starters and 10 letterwinners, including leading scorer and rebounder Anika Whiting. The 6-2 senior forward from Ashland, Wis., averaged 17.7 points and 7.2 rebounds last season. She started all 37 games and averaged 31.5 minutes per contest. In addition to her strong presence inside, Whiting hit 20-of-49 three-pointers (.408) and a sizzling 84.5 percent (169-200) of her free throws. In her three seasons as a starter, Whiting has amassed 1,485 points and 647 rebounds. She pumped in a career-high 32 points against Central Missouri in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last year.
The Golden Bears also return senior Ameshia Kearney. The 5-9 guard from Minneapolis averaged 12.4 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. Kearney, who scored a season-high 26 points against Sioux Falls in February, also knocked down 69 threes on the year while hitting 36.9 percent of her long-range attempts.
That dynamic duo of double-figure scorers is joined by returning starter Kionda Nicks. The 6-2 junior forward from St. Paul, Minn., averaged 5.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game last season. Nicks was a back-door stopper for the Golden Bears last year, blocking 104 shots. She also committed 113 fouls.
Concordia-St. Paul must replace a pair of double-digit scorers from last season, including Rachel Hansen. The point guard averaged 13.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and a team-best 4.7 assists. A four-year starter, Hansen closed her career with 1,305 points, 597 rebounds, 474 assists and 182 steals.
Carissa Wolyniec joined Hansen, Whiting, and Kearney in the starting five for all 37 games. The 5-11 guard averaged 11.1 points and 4.4 boards while burying a team-best 100 threes (.392).
Senior Voneisha Harris (1.5 ppg, 2.1 rpg), Mishayla Jones (1.6 ppg, 1.2 rpg) and Lauren Shifflett (2.5 ppg, 0.5 rpg) are leading contenders to replace Hansen and Wolyniec in the starting backcourt. Tierra Bender (1.3 ppg, 1.7 rpg) and Jordyn Dudley (0.6 ppg, 0.3 rpg) add more experience at guard.
Amanda Barton, a 6-2 senior forward, adds depth up front after averaging 6.7 points and 3.5 rebounds per game as a junior. Barton started two games and played in 10 contests before missing the rest of last season with a health issue. A sixth senior, Asha Knight (1.5 ppg, 0.7 rpg) adds more depth at forward.
The Golden Bears added a trio of newcomers, led by Caitlyn Russell, a 6-3 sophomore center who transferred from Division I Evansville. Russell played in 20 games for the Purple Aces last season. Freshmen guards Kayla Miller and Kyrah Fredenburg may also be asked to contribute.
As a team, Concordia-St. Paul averaged 70 points per game last year, while surrendering 62.1 points per contest. The Golden Bears hit just 40.3 percent of their shots, including 33.9 percent of their threes, but held opponents to just 35.3 percent success, including 30.4 percent from long range. CSP hit 72.9 percent of its free throws, attempting 4.1 more free throws per game than the opposition. Despite their size, the Golden Bears struggled with a minus-1.7 team rebounding margin, but owned a plus-2.6 team turnover margin, committing just 11.2 turnovers per game. They also blocked 5.6 shots per game.
Nebraska vs. Concordia-St. Paul Series History
Sunday’s game marks Nebraska’s first meeting in school history with Concordia-St. Paul.
The No. 13 Nebraska volleyball team will host Indiana on “White Out” night at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Saturday at 7 p.m. on NET. All fans are encouraged to wear white as the Huskers go for their fourth straight win. Saturday’s matchup marks the first of two between NU and Indiana over the next two weeks, as the Huskers will visit Bloomington on Nov. 19.
The Huskers are 15-7 overall and 9-4 in the Big Ten after a resounding sweep against No. 12 Purdue on Wednesday. The Huskers lost twice to the Boilermakers last year, but turned a dominating defensive effort into a 25-21, 25-22, 25-20 sweep. The Huskers have now swept three straight conference matches for the first time since 2010, when the Huskers won eight Big 12 matches in a row by sweep. John Cook is in his 15th season as head coach at Nebraska and is 428-55 leading the Huskers.
Indiana is 14-11 overall and 5-8 in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers fell in five sets at Iowa on Wednesday, marking their second straight loss and seventh in their last nine. The Hoosiers do have three conference road wins over Maryland, Rutgers and Northwestern. Sherry Dunbar-Kruzan is in her eighth season as head coach with a record of 116-137.
Media Information
Saturday’s match will air on NET and stream online with a BTN Plus subscription. The match was not originally scheduled for any TV coverage, but BTN did not select the match for its wildcard pick, so NET was granted the rights to the match. 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. Live stats will be available at Huskers.com as well.
Series History
Nebraska leads the all-time series with the Hoosiers, 7-1. The Huskers have won seven straight matches against Indiana after dropping the series opener in 1978. NU swept Indiana twice last year – 25-15, 25-16, 25-16 in Lincoln on Oct. 18 – and 25-22, 25-21, 25-11 in Bloomington on Nov. 23.
Up Next
The Huskers play host to Michigan State on Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m.
Noting the Huskers
• Kadie Rolfzen leads the Huskers with 3.58 kills per set and ranks fifth in the Big Ten. The 2013 third-team AVCA All-American has 15 or more kills nine times this season. Rolfzen is also second on the team in digs with 2.72 per set.
• Kelsey Fien is second on the team in kills per set with 3.02. Over her last five matches, Fien is averaging 3.69 kills per set and hitting .323.
• Amber Rolfzen adds 2.17 kills per set with 1.82 digs per set and is second on the team in blocks with 59.
• Justine Wong-Orantes leads the Huskers in digs with 3.94 per set and ranks eighth in the Big Ten.
• Mary Pollmiller, the Huskers’ lone senior, has 808 set assists for 10.36 per set to rank fifth in the conference. She also adds a defensive presence at the net with 57 blocks to rank third on the team.
• Nebraska ranks first in the Big Ten and 15th nationally with 2.90 blocks per set. Meghan Haggerty is third in the Big Ten with 1.36 blocks per set and tied her career high with 11 against Purdue.
• The Huskers are fourth in the Big Ten in digs with 14.51 per set. The Huskers are 14-1 when outdigging their opponents and 0-4 when getting outdug.
• The Huskers are 10-1 in matches played on Monday through Friday this season, while they are 5-6 in matches played on Saturday and Sunday.
• The Huskers are 230-0 when hitting .300 or better under John Cook.
• Nebraska is 376-16 when winning the first set under Cook.
• Cook is 141-42 (.770) against ranked opponents at Nebraska. Just under one-third of Cook’s total victories at Nebraska (428) have come against ranked teams.
• Nebraska volleyball leads the nation with 213 consecutive sellouts, the longest sellout streak in the history of NCAA women’s athletics. NU owns a 195-18 record during the streak.
Scouting Indiana
The Hoosiers (14-11, 5-8 Big Ten) are led by Amelia Anderson’s 3.12 kills per set. Taylor Lebo adds 2.70 kills per set and has 44 service aces, second most in the Big Ten. Megan Tallman averages 10.20 assists per set to rank sixth in the Big Ten. Awele Nwaeze leads the team in blocks with 1.12 per set, and Courtney Harnish is the team’s top digger with 4.16 per set to rank sixth in the Big Ten.
Pollmiller Named B1G Co-Setter of the Week
Senior setter Mary Pollmiller was named Big Ten Co-Setter of the Week on Nov. 3. The award is the fifth career weekly Big Ten honor for Pollmiller and the first of this season for her or any Husker. Pollmiller led the Huskers to a pair of road sweeps at Rutgers and Maryland over the weekend. The Littleton, Colo., native averaged 11.67 assists per set and tallied seven kills, eight digs and two blocks. Pollmiller had 42 assists in the win against Rutgers, and she added 28 at Maryland with five kills on nine attacks for a .556 attacking percentage, helping the team hit .329 for the match. Pollmiller shared the honor with Wisconsin’s Lauren Carlini.
Heads Up Play
The Husker volleyball team made their way onto SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays on Wednesday, Nov. 5 in the sweep over Purdue. A Boilermaker serve deflected off the net and bounced off Kelsey Fien’s head. Kadie Rolfzen dove in and kept the ball alive with her knee, and Mary Pollmiller was in the right spot at the right time to punch the ball over the net. The Huskers stuffed the ensuing Purdue attack for one of the most remarkable points of the season, earning the Huskers the No. 7 play of the night on ESPN’s SportsCenter.
