Huskers – Page 99 – North Platte Post Archive

Petteway Named to Preseason All-Big Ten Team

Posted on October 16, 2014

Chicago — Nebraska junior guard/forward Terran Petteway was honored Thursday morning, as he was chosen for the preseason All-Big Ten team.

The five-member team, which is selected from media members from around the Big Ten region, were announced prior to the opening session of Big Ten Media Day in Chicago. Petteway is a returning first-team All-Big Ten pick after averaging a conference-high 18.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per game in 2013-14.

He is the first Husker chosen to a preseason all-conference team since Aleks Maric in 2007.

In 2013-14, Petteway became the first Husker to lead the conference in scoring in over 60 years en route to earning first-team all-district accolades by the NABC (coaches) and U.S. Basketball Writers Association (writers). He was a consistent scorer for the Big Red, reaching double figures 30 times in 32 games, including a pair of 30-point outings. He had a career-high 35 point game – the most by a Husker since 2008 – against Minnesota. Petteway had many of his best games against NU’s toughest opponents, averaging 20.8 points and 4.9 rebounds in 12 games against top-50 RPI teams last season.

Petteway is joined on first team by Indiana’s Yogi Ferrell, Caris LeVert of Michigan and the Wisconsin duo of Sam Dekker and Frank Kaminsky. In addition, the conference released the top three teams in the preseason poll. Wisconsin was a unanimous choice to win the league with Michigan State and Ohio State picked second and third, respectively.

Huskers Dominate Northwestern on “Pink Night”

Posted on October 16, 2014

Lincoln – The No. 13 Nebraska volleyball team made quick work of Northwestern on “Pink Night,” sweeping the Wildcats 3-0 (25-12, 25-22, 25-13) on Wednesday at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

The Huskers improved to 11-5 overall and 5-2 in Big Ten action, while Northwestern dropped to 13-5 overall and 3-4 in the Big Ten.

The Huskers outhit Northwestern .290 to .000, the lowest a Husker opponent has hit this season.

Alicia Ostrander led a balanced Husker attack with 12 kills, her third straight match with double-digit kills and seventh in eight matches. Ostrander hit a career-best .440 on the night. Kadie Rolfzen had nine kills and 13 digs while hitting .500. Meghan Haggerty had five kills and six blocks, while Cecilia Hall had five kills and four blocks. Mary Pollmiller had 28 assists.

The Huskers had an 11-6 edge in blocks. Although the Wildcats entered the match second in the Big Ten in digs per set in conference play, Nebraska outdug them 42-40 and also had a 7-0 advantage in service aces.

Katie Dutchman led Northwestern with seven kills. Nebraska held the Wildcats’ best offensive threat, Symone Abbott, to just three kills and a -.150 hitting percentage. She came in averaging 3.48 kills per set.

In the first set, the Huskers turned a 2-1 deficit into an 8-2 lead with a 7-0 run, keyed by two blocks and back-to-back Justine Wong-Orantes aces. The Huskers showed considerably improved passing from Sunday’s loss at Michigan and were hitting .433 in taking a 14-5 lead. Nebraska finished out the 25-12 win, its largest margin of victory in a Big Ten set this season. The Huskers hit .391 in the frame, while Northwestern struggled to a -.091 clip.

In set two, Nebraska needed a timeout after Northwestern staked an 11-8 lead. The Huskers came out of the break with a kill by Ostrander and a Wildcat wide shot to get within 11-10. Soon after, the Huskers leveled the set at 12-12 on another Wildcat hit out of bounds. But Northwestern responded with four points in a row to reclaim a 16-12 edge. Northwestern led 18-14, but Haggerty terminated and Northwestern misfired twice and committed a net violation to bring the score level at 18-18. Haggerty swung down from the right side to give Nebraska a 20-19 lead, its first in the set since it was 5-4 Huskers. Haggerty then stuffed Taylor Tashima’s set attack to make it 21-19 Big Red. But the Wildcats rallied to take a 22-21 lead with two kills by Savannah Paffen. Pollmiller caught Northwestern with a surprise attack to tie the set at 22-22, and Alexa Ethridge served an ace straight to the floor to make it 23-22 Huskers. Ostrander then hit off a block and out to give Nebraska set point, and the Huskers finished it off, 25-22, with a chicken-wing save and kill from Ostrander.

The Huskers took any potential drama out of the third set immediately, bolting to an 8-0 lead with some incredible defensive saves along the way. The seventh point of the run came after one of the longest rallies of the season resulted in a block by Hall and Amber Rolfzen to force a Wildcat timeout. Ostrander killed after the timeout to make it 8-0 Huskers, and Nebraska never looked back in closing out the sweep with a 25-13 victory.

The Huskers host No. 15 Illinois on Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Devaney Center. The match will be streamed live online on ESPN3.com and will air tape-delayed on ESPN2 on Sunday at Noon.

Huskers Return Home for Two Games

Posted on October 15, 2014

After spending two weeks on the road, the Nebraska soccer team (5-7-2) comes home to host a pair of matches at the Nebraska Soccer Field.

The Huskers face Purdue on Friday at 4 p.m., before squaring off against Indiana on Sunday at noon. Both games will be streamed on BTN Plus. The first 200 fans toSunday’s game will receive a free Husker Soccer Scarf.

NU leads the all-time series against both Purdue and Indiana. The Huskers hold a 4-2-0 advantage over the Boilermakers and a 4-1-0 lead over the Hoosiers.

Last Time Out: Huskers Drop 3-1 Decision at Minnesota
Nebraska struck first against Minnesota, but lost by a 3-1 margin after the Gophers scored three unanswered goals on Thursday, Oct. 9 at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium.

Sophomore Jaycie Johnson notched her ninth goal of the season in the 31st minute to give NU an early 1-0 lead. Senior Caroline Gray assisted on the goal, as Johnson knocked it in to the top right corner of the goal. On the defensive end, goalkeeper Kelly Schatz earned seven saves in 90 minutes of action to tie her career high.

The Gophers tied the score, 1-1, in the 42nd minute when Josee Stiever scored off an assist from Simone Kolander. Kolander also assisted on Minnesota’s second goal, as Taylor Stainbrook knocked it in to the top right corner of the goal to give the Gophers a 2-1 advantage. In the 68th minute, Stainbrook added her second goal of the game, this time off an assist from Rashida Beal.

Scouting the Purdue Boilermakers
Purdue is 6-8-1 on the season, with a 2-7 record in the Big Ten. The Boilermakers enter Friday’s contest on a six-game losing streak. Before the string of losses, Purdue had defeated Ohio State and Northwestern following a loss to Penn State to start conference play 2-1. The Boilermakers opened the season with a loss to Miami (Ohio) before winning four consecutive games and then tied Youngstown State.

Maddy Williams has led the Purdue offense this season with five goals and five assists. Erika Arkans has four goals this season to go along with one assist. The Boilermakers have used three goalkeepers: Erika Yohn (708 minutes), Jordan Ginther (532) and Maddy Olsen (142).

Scouting the Indiana Hoosiers
Indiana is 5-9-1 this season and holds a 1-7-1 record in conference play. The Hoosiers’ victories came against Indiana State, UC Irvine, George Mason, Dayton and Northwestern. Five of Indiana’s games have gone into overtime, with the Hoosiers holding a 2-2-1 record in those contests.

Jessie Bujouves has led the Hoosier offense with five goals and one assist in 2014. Kayla Smith and Abby Smith each have two goals for IU as well. Sarah Stone has seen the majority of time in net, and holds a 4-9-1 record in more than 1,270 minutes. Katie Greulich has spent nearly 144 minutes as goalkeeper and has one victory.

Huskers Showing Ability to Score Late
Nebraska has scored in the 75th minute or later in eight of its 14 games this season. Jaycie Johnson has scored three times in the 75th minute or later, while Courtney Claassen, Caroline Flynn, Katie Kraeutner, Mayme Conroy and Sydney Miramontez have each added one during that time stretch.

The Huskers failed to score down the stretch against Wisconsin, Illinois, Oklahoma, Rutgers, Michigan and Minnesota, but made late goals in each of their first four games of the season. Overall, NU is 5-2-1 when scoring in the last 15 minutes. The Huskers are 0-5-1 when they don’t.

Schatz Filling Goalkeeper Role
Sophomore Kelly Schatz has started all 14 games at goalkeeper for the Huskers this season, playing more than 1,279 minutes. Schatz has 42 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.

Johnson Continues to Produce on Offense
Nebraska’s leading goal scorer Jaycie Johnson has nine goals through 14 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, DePaul, Maryland, Michigan State and Minnesota. A Lake Winnebago, Mo. native, Johnson has taken 51 shots this season, 33 of which have been on goal.

Huskers Drop Two in Michigan
Nebraska fell to Michigan and Michigan State during a two-game road trip to the Great Lakes State to start October.

Mayme Conroy scored the lone goal for the Huskers against the Wolverines in the eighth minute. Michigan’s Nicky Waldeck responded, though, with a hat trick to lead U-M to a 3-1 triumph.

Against the Spartans, Jaycie Johnson scored in the 83rd minute off a penalty kick, but it came after Michigan State had scored three goals. The goal marked Johnson’s eighth of the season.

Conroy Collects Big Ten Honor
Senior forward Mayme Conroy earned Big Ten Offensive Player-of-the-Week accolades on Monday, Sept. 29, after scoring three goals in two games during the previous week.

Conroy, an Omaha, Neb., native, tallied two goals in Nebraska’s 4-3 overtime triumph over Maryland, including the game winner in the 96th minute. Her first score of the game came in the 22nd minute off an assist from Katie Kraeutner.

On Thursday, Sept. 25, Conroy delivered in the 37th minute against No. 25 Rutgers, helping the Huskers’ to a 1-1 tie at the Nebraska Soccer Field. She took three shots in 105 minutes of action while facing the Scarlet Knights.

Conroy Leads NU to Win, Tie
Nebraska got back to its winning ways on Sunday, Sept. 28 at the Nebraska Soccer Field as the Huskers posted a 4-3 overtime win over Maryland after tying No. 25 Rutgers on Thursday, Sept. 25.

Against the Scarlet Knights, senior Mayme Conroy scored in the 37th minute off a pass from Jourden Casey to tie the game at 1. Neither team scored for the remainder of the game, as goalkeeper Kelly Schatz registered a career-high seven saves.

Conroy scored two goals, including the game winner in the 96th minute, against Maryland in Sunday’s match. Caroline Gray and Jacyie Johnson also scored for the Huskers, and Casey earned two assists.

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.

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 onSunday, 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 67-27-14 record and has three 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.

Big Red Tip-Off Set for Oct. 29

Posted on October 15, 2014

Lincoln – The Nebraska Athletic Department invites fans to get their first look at the 2014-15 Husker men’s and women’s basketball programs, as the Huskers will host the Big Red Tip-Off at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Wednesday, Oct. 29.

The fun and free event will feature scrimmages from both programs. Doors at Pinnacle Bank Arena open at 5:45 p.m. while the program will begin at 6:30 p.m. with introductions of both teams. The Husker women will conduct a 15-minute scrimmage first before halftime festivities take place with a 3-point shooting contest between players from both teams, a dunk contest from the Husker men and a performance by the Scarlets. The Husker men will scrimmage for 15 minutes following halftime while the teams will have combined autograph session on the main concourse at the end of the event until 8:30 p.m. The men’s scrimmage will feature live commentary from Coach Miles, while Sports Nightly will broadcast its show during the 6 p.m. hour from Pinnacle Bank Arena.

The Big Red Tip-Off marks the first opportunity to see the 2014-15 Huskers prior to the first exhibition games for the women (Wayne State on Nov. 2) and men (Southwest Minnesota State on Nov. 6). The Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office will have staff on hand to assist fans in purchasing women’s season tickets, or in answering questions about the men’s basketball waitlist or transferring tickets.

Hopes are high for both teams entering the 2014-15 season, as the Husker men return all five starters from a team that reached the NCAA Tournament, while the Husker women return four starters back from its Big Ten Tournament championship squad.

The Nebraska men have been a preseason top-25 selection by several publications coming off a year where the Huskers went 19-13 and reached the NCAA Tournament. Tim Miles, the reigning Big Ten Coach of the Year, welcomes back all five starters, including All-America candidate Terran Petteway and All-Big Ten performer Shavon Shields. Petteway led the Big Ten in scoring at 18.1 points per game while averaging 4.8 rebounds per game, while Shields averaged 12.8 points and a team-best 5.8 caroms per outing. It marks the first time since 2003-04 and just the third time in the last 15 years that the Huskers returned a pair of double-figure scorers. Forwards Walter Pitchford and David Rivers and guard Tai Webster round out the Husker returning starters. In all, Nebraska welcomes back nine letterwinners who return 81.5 percent of NU’s points and 85.6 percent of its rebounds from last season. The Huskers also welcome a five-member recruiting class including transfers Moses Abraham (Georgetown) and Andrew White III (Kansas), as well as freshmen Jake Hammond, Tarin Smith and B.J. Day.

The Husker women return four starters who all earned All-Big Ten awards in 2014, led by first-team all-conference and honorable-mention All-American Rachel Theriot. The 6-0 point guard fueled Nebraska’s run to the Big Ten Tournament title by earning MVP honors. She is joined by second-team All-Big Ten selections Emily Cady and Tear’a Laudermill and Big Ten All-Defensive Team pick Hailie Sample. The returning Huskers helped Nebraska to a 26-7 overall record that included a 12-4 Big Ten mark in 2014. The Big Red advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and finished in the top 25 in the national rankings for the third straight year. The four returning starters along with senior Brandi Jeffery and sophomores Allie Havers and Esther Ramacieri will be joined by the highest-ranked recruiting class in school history in 2014-15. NU’s seven-player group of newcomers give Coach Connie Yori a talented 14-player roster, which matches her second-largest squad in her 13 seasons at Nebraska.

Big Red Tip-Off Event Schedule

5:45 p.m. – Gates open
6:00 p.m. – Sports Nightly Broadcast from Pinnacle Bank Arena
6:30 p.m. – Introductions of both men’s and women’s teams
6:50 p.m. – Women’s scrimmage for 15 minutes
7:05 p.m. – Halftime show (3-point contest, dunk contest, Scarlets performance)
7:25 p.m. – Men’s scrimmage for 15 minutes
7:45 p.m. – Autograph session on concourse until 8:30 p.m. (4 areas of MBB/WBB players)

Huskers Focus in on Northwestern

Posted on October 14, 2014

Lincoln, Neb.- The Nebraska football team continued its preparations for its Saturday night Big Ten West Division showdown with the Northwestern Wildcatson Tuesday afternoon, as the Huskers completed a 90-minute practice inside of the Hawks Championship Center and outside on the Ed and Joyanne Gass practice fields.

Offensive coordinator Tim Beck addressed the media following practice, mentioning that the Huskers have been working on the little things since the Huskers’ last game Oct. 4 at Michigan State.

“Just improving and working on little things like pad level, trying not over coach our guys too much. I thought we thought a little too much against Michigan State,” he said. “Trying to be perfect all the time, you have to play fast and hard. If you play trying not to make a mistake, you usually do.”

This was the first time Beck met with media members since after the McNeese State victory. Beck said that he decided to speak after the loss against the Spartans.

“I felt like after the loss, we needed to have somebody speak on behalf of the offense,” Beck said. “I know Coach Bo (Pelini) speaks for our team, but I didn’t want our players coming up here without having a guy that is in the ‘war-room’ so to speak.”

According to Beck, Northwestern has a very well-coached defense led by their head coach, Pat Fitzgerald, a former All-American linebacker at the school.

“They are another well-coached good defensive team, they are going to stop the run and load the box up,” Beck said. “Good red-zone defense, trying to keep you out of the end zone. It is one of the top scoring defenses.”

Beck added that the Huskers need to not give any possessions away to Northwestern if NU wants to win.

“First of all, we have to take care of the football, we have had 10 turnovers in three games against them, that’s big,” he said. “It has hurt us over the years, a lot of those have been in the red zone. we have to be better in that area and just more consistent in the game finishing drives.”

The Nebraska football team will continue its preparations for its Saturday night game Wednesday afternoon. The Huskers Big Ten West Division road showdown against Northwestern will be nationally televised on BTN at 6:30 pm (Central).

Huskers Host Northwestern on “Pink Night”

Posted on October 14, 2014

The No. 13 Nebraska volleyball team returns to the Bob Devaney Sports Center this week for a pair of Big Ten matches, beginning with a Wednesday match against Northwestern at 7 p.m. Wednesday’s match will be the Huskers’ annual breast cancer awareness “Pink Night.”

Media Information
Wednesday’s match will air live on NET and will stream online with a BTN Plus subscription. Fans can 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
The Huskers own a 7-1 lead in the all-time series with Northwestern. Nebraska has won three straight matches against the Wildcats after dropping the first meeting between the schools as Big Ten foes on Nov. 26, 2011, 3-1 in Evanston, Ill. Nebraska has never lost to Northwestern at home. As a head coach, John Cook is 18-1 all-time against Northwestern and is 4-1 as the Nebraska head coach. The Huskers won both matches last season, 3-1 in Evanston (25-16, 20-25, 25-21, 25-20) on Sept. 27 and 3-2 (21-25, 25-17, 21-25, 25-17, 15-13) in Lincoln on Nov. 2.

Last Time Out
The Husker volleyball team fell 3-0 at Michigan on Sunday, 19-25, 30-32, 21-25. The Huskers dropped to 10-5 overall and 4-2 in the Big Ten, while Michigan improved to 8-8 with a 3-3 Big Ten record. Alicia Ostrander had a team-high 12 kills. Mary Pollmiller had 35 assists, and Annika Albrecht had a team-best 12 digs. Michigan’s Abby Cole had 19 kills, and Adeja Lambert had 13 and Caroline Knop 12. Lexi Dannemiller had 46 set assists, and Tiffany Morales had 17 digs. Michigan outhit the Huskers .331 to 222 and outdug them 57-46. Nebraska had an 8-3 edge in blocks.

The Michigan loss came after a hard-fought victory at Michigan State on Friday in East Lansing, the first Husker victory at MSU since 2011. The Huskers tallied the 3-1 (25-20, 25-18, 22-25, 25-23) win over the Spartans, the 1,200th win in school history, which ranks second all-time in the NCAA. Kadie Rolfzen had her fourth double-double of the season with 16 kills and 12 digs. Alicia Ostrander added 12 kills, and Amber Rolfzen had 10 kills. Meghan Haggerty had five kills and four blocks, and Kira Larson had a career-high four kills and three blocks in her first career start. Mary Pollmiller had 43 assists, her most since Sept. 6 against Bakersfield, and Justine Wong-Orantes led four Huskers in double-digit digs with 19. Nebraska hit .190 for the match but held Michigan State to a .152 clip. The Huskers outblocked the Spartans 8-6 and outdug them 66-61. The Huskers had eight service aces, their second-best output this season.

Up Next
Nebraska hosts No. 15 Illinois on Saturday at 3 p.m. That match will stream live on ESPN3 and will be delayed on ESPN2 on Sunday, Oct. 19 at Noon (CT).

Noting the Huskers
• Kadie Rolfzen leads the Huskers with 3.56 kills per set and ranks fifth in the Big Ten. In conference play, she is producing 3.71 kills per set. The 2013 third-team AVCA All-American has four of Nebraska’s six double-doubles this year and has led Nebraska in kills in eight of the past 13 matches.
• Alicia Ostrander is second on the team with 2.86 kills per set and is averaging 2.95 kills per set in Big Ten play. Ostrander has double-digit kills in six of the last seven matches dating back to the Texas match on Sept. 20.
• Nebraska ranks second in the Big Ten with 2.80 blocks per set. The Huskers had a season-high 18 against Ohio State on Oct. 4, matching the most since Sept. 11, 2010 when NU had 19 blocks against Illinois. Meghan Haggerty is fifth in the Big Ten with 1.25 blocks per set.
• Amber Rolfzen is second on the team with 112 total kills per set and is averaging 2.38 kills per set in Big Ten play with a .304 hitting percentage.
• Justine Wong-Orantes leads the Big Red in digs with 3.93 per set and ranks eighth in the conference. She had a career-high 29 digs against No. 2 Texas on Sept. 20, the most by a Husker since Kayla Banwarth’s 32 against Baylor on Nov. 18, 2009.
• Mary Pollmiller, the Huskers’ lone senior, has 550 set assists for 10.19 per set. She also adds a defensive presence at the net with 39 blocks to rank second on the team.
• The Huskers are 229-0 when hitting .300 or better under John Cook.
• Nebraska is 372-16 when winning the first set under Cook.
• John Cook is 139-40 (.777) against ranked opponents at Nebraska. Just over one-third of Cook’s total victories at Nebraska (423) have come against ranked teams.
• Nebraska volleyball leads the nation with 210 consecutive sellouts, the longest sellout streak in the history of NCAA women’s athletics. NU owns a 193-17 record during the streak.

Scouting the Northwestern Wildcats
Northwestern is 13-4 overall and 3-3 in the Big Ten. The Wildcats started the year 12-1 but have lost three of their last four, including to Penn State (3-0) and Ohio State (3-1) on the road last week. The Wildcats were ranked 24th in last week’s AVCA Top 25 Poll before dropping out this week after their two losses. Northwestern is in the midst of a four-match road swing, as they also visit Iowa on Saturday. Symone Abbott leads the team with 3.48 kills per set. Taylor Tashima has 10.73 assists per set to rank fifth in the Big Ten, while Caroline Niedospial is averaging 5.19 digs per set in conference play to lead the Big Ten. In conference matches only, Maddie Slater has the league’s best hitting percentage at .456 with 32 kills on 57 swings.

Three Former Huskers Capture Gold With Team USA
Team USA – with former Huskers Kayla Banwarth, Jordan Larson-Burbach and Kelsey Robinson – beat China 3-1 (27-25, 25-20, 16-25, 26-24) on Oct. 12 to win the FIVB World Championship in Italy. The U.S. Women had never before won gold at any of the three major international volleyball events: World Championship, World Cup or Olympic Games. Larson-Burbach was one of the team’s top hitters throughout the tournament, while Banwarth captured the starting libero role and never relinquished it. Robinson, one of the team’s youngest players, was a key contributor in the early rounds of the tournament.

Huskers Extend Record Poll Streak to 470 Weeks
Nebraska has appeared in every one of the AVCA’s 470 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 422 weeks in the top 10.

Huskers’ Lone Senior Among the Nation’s Best
Tri-captain Mary Pollmiller is Nebraska’s lone senior in 2014. The Huskers may only have one senior, but Pollmiller is one of the nation’s top setters. She is in her second season at Nebraska after spending her first two years at Tennessee in 2011 and 2012. Pollmiller was the 2011 SEC Freshman of the Year, and she has earned honorable-mention AVCA All-America accolades twice in her career, including last season (also in 2011). Pollmiller owns 4,569 career assists, a total that ranks fourth nationally. Three of the nation’s top-four active players in career assists are Big Ten Conference setters.

Last 3 Nebraska-Northwestern Games Tight Affairs

Posted on October 13, 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — If No. 19 Nebraska’s game Saturday at Northwestern is anything like the teams’ previous three meetings, there’ll be no shortage of drama.

Since the Cornhuskers joined the Big Ten in 2011, their three games against the Wildcats have been decided by a total of seven points. The Huskers have won two of those games.

Nebraska coach Bo Pelini said the games have been “strange, to say the least.”

The Huskers won 27-24 in Lincoln last year when Jordan Westerkamp snagged Ron Kellogg III’s tipped desperation heave on the final play.

This week’s game has major implications in the Big Ten West. The Huskers (5-1, 1-1) had an open date last week after losing 27-22 at Michigan State. The Wildcats (3-3, 2-1) lost 24-17 to Minnesota this past Saturday.

Nebraska-Rutgers Kickoff Time, TV

Posted on October 13, 2014

The Big Ten Conference announced on Monday that Nebraska’s Oct. 25 matchup with Rutgers will kick off at 11 a.m. CDT. The matchup at Memorial Stadium will be televised on either ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU. The network determination will be made following this weekend’s games.

The Nebraska-Rutgers game is just the second all-time between the schools and the first ever meeting in Lincoln. The only previous game between the two programs was a 28-0 Nebraska win in 1920, in a contest played at the New York Polo Grounds.

Rutgers heads into this weekend’s game at Ohio State with a 5-1 record, including a 1-1 mark in Big Ten Conference play.

The daytime start against Rutgers will be the Huskers’ first day game since a Sept. 6 contest against McNeese State. Nebraska will complete a stretch of five consecutive prime-time games this Saturday when Nebraska travels to Northwestern for a 6:30 p.m. game televised by BTN.

Game times and television information for Nebraska’s November games with Purdue, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa will be announced six to 12 days in advance.

This Week in Nebraska Athletics

Posted on October 13, 2014

Mon.-Tues. Oct. 13-14 Men’s Golf at Bill Ross Intercollegiate Overland Park, Kan. 8:30 a.m.

Wednesday Oct. 15 Volleyball Northwestern (NET/BTN Plus) Devaney Center 7 p.m.

Thurs.-Mon. Oct. 16-20 Women’s Tennis at ITA Central Region Tournament Stillwater, Okla. TBA

Friday Oct. 17 Cross Country at Bradley Classic Peoria, Ill. 3 p.m.

Friday Oct. 17 Soccer Purdue (BTN Plus) Nebraska Soccer Field 4 p.m.

Saturday Oct. 18 Rifle vs. NC State Citadel, S.C. 8 a.m.

Saturday Oct. 18 Swimming & Diving at Iowa State Ames, Iowa 10 a.m.

Saturday Oct. 18 Volleyball Illinois (ESPN3 Live/ESPN2 Delay, Oct. 19) Devaney Center 3 p.m.

Saturday Oct. 18 Football at Northwestern (BTN) Evanston, Ill. 6:30 p.m.

Sunday Oct. 19 Rifle Army Citadel, S.C. 8 a.m.

Sunday Oct. 19 Soccer Indiana (BTN Plus) Nebraska Soccer Field Noon

Sunday Oct. 19 Baseball Red/White Series Game 1 Hawks Field 6:05 p.m.

Mon.-Tues. Oct. 20-21 Men’s Golf at Herb Wimberly Intercollegiate Las Cruces, N.M. 9 a.m.

Monday Oct. 20 Baseball Red/White Series Game 2 Hawks Field 6:05 p.m.

Huskers Fall On the Road to Michigan

Posted on October 12, 2014

Ann Arbor, Mich. – The No. 8 Nebraska volleyball team fell 3-0 at Michigan on Sunday, 19-25, 30-32, 21-25. The Huskers dropped to 10-5 overall and 4-2 in the Big Ten, while Michigan improved to 8-8 with a 3-3 Big Ten record.

Alicia Ostrander had a team-high 12 kills. Mary Pollmiller had 35 assists, and Annika Albrecht had a team-best 12 digs.

Michigan’s Abby Cole had 19 kills, and Adeja Lambert had 13 and Caroline Knop 12. Lexi Dannemiller had 46 set assists, and Tiffany Morales had 17 digs. Michigan outhit the Huskers .331 to 222 and outdug them 57-46. Nebraska had an 8-to-3 edge in blocks.

Michigan controlled set one from the onset, jumping out to a 3-0 lead and extending it to 12-4 with a 6-0 run. The Huskers scored three straight to get within 19-14 with Meghan Haggerty and Kadie Rolfzen (twice) providing kills, but Michigan held on and won 25-19. Michigan hit .308 to just .167 for the Huskers.

The second set started similarly as Michigan jumped out to a 3-0 lead and went up 5-1. Melanie Keil and Kadie Rolfzen recorded consecutive kills to pull within 5-3. The Huskers kept digging and finally took their first lead of the match at 9-8 on a block by Haggerty and Ostrander. But it was short-lived, as Michigan scored three in a row to reclaim an 11-9 lead after kills by Cole and Lambert. Trailing 14-12, the Huskers strung together a 5-0 run for a 17-14 lead, with a kill by Keil, a solo stuff from Kadie Rolfzen and a service ace by Annika Albrecht leading the way. But Michigan inched back and tied it at 20-20 on a kill by Cole. Michigan had the first two set points, but Kadie Rolfzen and Haggerty answered each time, and then Michigan committed a net violation to give Nebraska its first set point at 26-25. The Huskers had four chances to win the set, the last three coming off Ostrander kills. But Michigan staved off the Huskers each time and the momentum shifted when Dannemiller’s serve fell to the Husker floor untouched, and Lambert finished off the 32-20 win with her 11th kill.

Nebraska took a 5-3 lead in the third set after a kill from Haggerty, but the Huskers surrendered a 4-0 run to the Wolverines and then trailed 7-5. Three kills by Kelsey Fien gave Nebraska a 10-9 lead. An Ostrander kill made it 11-10 Huskers, but Michigan came back with a 4-0 run to go up 14-11 with the final three points coming on hitting errors by the Big Red. Cole’s 18th kill added to the Michigan lead, 19-14, and the Wolverines wrapped up the sweep with a 25-21 win.

The Huskers are back at home on Wednesday to face No. 24 Northwestern at 7 p.m. on NET.