4VB SID: Shannon Sherman 4Office e: (402) 472-3290 4Cell: (402) 540-0278 4 e-mail: ssherman@huskers.com Weekly Husker Notes Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2003 2003 Schedule Illinois State Tournament (Normal, Ill.)@ 8/29 vs. Clemson@ W, 3-0 8/30 vs. Illinois@ W, 3-0 8/30 at Illinois State@ W, 3-1 Nokia Sugar Bowl Tournament (New Orleans, La.)+ 9/5 vs. New Orleans+ W, 3-0 9/6 vs. Louisiana State+ W, 3-0 9/6 at Tulane+ W, 3-0 US Bank/Arby s Classic (Lincoln, Neb.)% 9/12 #13 Santa Clara% W, 3-1 9/13 #17 Michigan State% W, 3-0 9/14 #10 Georgia Tech% (NETV) L, 2-3 9/17 Texas A&M* (NETV) W, 3-2 9/20 at Texas W, 3-0 9/24 vs. Iowa State (Omaha Civic Aud.) W, 3-0 9/27 Texas Tech W, 3-0 10/1 Colorado (NETV) W, 3-0 10/14 at Oklahoma W, 3-0 10/18 at Kansas W, 3-1 10/11 #12 Kansas State L, 2-3 10/15 Missouri (NETV/CSTV) L, 2-3 10/18 at Baylor W, 3-0 10/25 Iowa State (Devaney Center) W, 3-0 10/29 at Texas Tech W, 3-1 11/1 Oklahoma (NETV) W, 3-0 11/2 #12 Northern Iowa (CSTV) W, 3-0 11/5 at #21 Texas A&M W, 3-0 11/8 at #25 Missouri W, 3-0 11/12 Texas* (NETV/CSTV) W, 3-2 11/15 at #5 Kansas State* L, 1-3 11/19 Kansas* W, 3-0 11/22 Baylor (Senior Night) W, 3-1 11/26 at Colorado W, 3-1 NCAA First, Second Rounds (East Lansing, Mich.)^ 12/5 vs. Valparaiso^ W, 3-0 12/6 vs. Dayton^ W, 3-0 NCAA Regionals (Lincoln, Neb.)* 12/12 #16 Texas A&M vs. #1 USC* 4:30 p.m. 12/12 #9 vs. #8 UCLA 7 p.m. 12/13 Regional Final* 7 p.m. 12/18-20 NCAA Championships TBA 2003 NCAA Regional Semifinals and Final NU Coliseum (Capacity: 4,030) - Lincoln, Neb. Match Times (CST) Friday, Dec. 12, Regional Semifinals 4:30 p.m. #16 Texas A&M (23-9) vs. #1 USC (31-0) 7 p.m. #9 (28-4) vs. #8 UCLA (23-8) Saturday, Dec. 13, Regional Final 7 p.m. Winner of Semifinal #1 vs. Winner of Semifinal #2 Media Information TV: The regional final match will be produced by ESPN and televised live on regional sports networks. A list will be available on Huskers.com. Bill Doleman and Krista Blunk will call the action. Radio: matches can be heard live on B107.3 and selected Pinnacle Sports Network affiliates. John Baylor and NU volleyball Director of Operations Diane Mendenhall will call the action. Live Stats: Live stats for all matches in the Lincoln, Neb., regional can be found at Huskers.com. Live Audio: Live audio for matches will be available at Huskers.com Live Video: TBA. NCAA Regional Storylines 4The Lincoln, Neb., regional will feature four traditional volleyball powers in, Texas A&M, UCLA and USC. Between them, they have won seven of a possible 22 national titles, have advanced to the national semifinals 23 times and have made 76 NCAA Tournament appearances, going a combined 173-70. All four teams recorded two three-game sweeps last weekend. 4The Huskers have played host to NCAA regional action 13 times and have advanced to the NCAA final four in eight of the 12 previous times. NU failed to advance in 1985, 1991, 1994 and 2002, when Hawaii defeated the Huskers in four games. 4 has the youngest roster of any team in the Lincoln, Neb., regional, as nine of the 13 (69 percent) Huskers are freshmen and sophomores. Fifty-nine percent of UCLA s roster is composed of underclassmen, followed by USC (43 percent) and Texas A&M (40 percent). 4The Huskers had a hot hand at every hitting position in the first and second rounds last weekend. Senior right side hitter Anna Schrad led NU with 4.33 kills per game on an incredible.500 hitting percentage. Sophomore middle blocker Melissa Elmer averaged 3.50 kills per game and hit.436 over the two matches, and freshman outside hitter Dani Mancuso averaged 3.67 kills per game on a.459 hitting percentage. Numerical Roster No. Name Pos. Ht. Cl. Hometown (High School/Last School) Notables 1 Amanda McCormick DS/L 5-8 Fr. Muncie, Ind. (Burris Laboratory) Tallied Big 12-best 31 digs against Missouri Oct. 15 2 Michelle Lynch S 5-11 So. Jacksonville, Ill. (Jacksonville) Leads team with 45 service aces 3 Christina Houghtelling MB 6-2 Fr. Cambridge, Neb. (Cambridge) Returned Dec. 5 against Valpo after knee injury 4 Emily Schroeder OH 5-11 Fr. Belden, Neb. (Laurel-Concord) 2003 walk-on, is redshirting 6 Jenae Dowling DS/L 5-6 Sr. Fort Wayne, Ind. (Northrop) 2003 co-captain returned from a back injury Oct. 26 vs. ISU 7 Dani Mancuso OH 6-2 Fr. Omaha, Neb. (Omaha Gross) Leads NU with 0.83 sapg in the postseason 8 Melissa Elmer MB 6-2 So. Fort Wayne, Ind. (Northrop) Leads NU and the Big 12 with 1.60 blocks per game 10 Kelsey Fautsch OH 6-1 R-Fr. Chisago Lakes, Minn. (Chisago Lakes) Tied career high with 10 kills at Kansas State Nov. 15 13 Ally Rebholz OH 6-1 Jr. Indianapolis, Ind. (Cathedral) Averaging 2.36 kpg and 0.95 bpg 15 Sara Westling MB 6-2 Sr. Lincoln, Neb. (Northeast/Pacific) Returned to starting lineup after Houghtelling injury 16 Anna Schrad OH 6-2 Sr. Lincoln, Neb. (Pius X) Leads NU with 4.33 kpg on.500 hitting in the tournament 18 Dani Busboom S 5-11 Fr. Cortland, Neb. (Freeman) Tied for third on the team with 33 service aces 26 Jennifer Saleaumua OH 5-11 So. National City, Calif. (Bonita Vista) Leads NU in kills (3.28/game) and digs (3.87/game) Head Coach: John Cook, Fourth Year (San Diego, 1979), 124-8 Overall at, 77-3 Big 12 Assistant Coaches: Craig Skinner, Fourth Year (Ball State, 1993), Charlene Tagaloa, First Year (Brigham Young, 1999)
Page 2 NU in the NCAA Tournament Overall: 56-19 Home: 43-4 (Coliseum 37-2 / Devaney Center 6-2); Away:13-15 First Round: 17-1; Second Round: 10-1; Regional Round: 23-11; Championship Round: 6-6 NCAA Tournament Records Best NCAA Tournament Winning Per cent age * 1. Stanford...70-18 (.795) 2. NEBRASKA...56-19 (.747) 3. Long Beach State...44-15 (.746) 4. UCLA...57-19 (.750) 5. Hawaii...52-18 (.743) 6. Florida...36-13 (.735) 7. Southern California...41-18 (.695) 8. Texas...40-19 (.678) 9. Pacific...46-23 (.667) 10. Penn State...40-21 (.656) *teams with at least 10 appearances. Most NCAA Tournament Wins 1. Stanford...70 2. UCLA...57 3. NEBRASKA...56 4. Hawaii...52 5. Pacific...45 6. Long Beach State...44 7. Southern California...41 8. Texas...40 9. Penn State...40 10. Florida...36 Most Tournament Appearances 1. Pacific...22 Penn State...22 Stanford...22 UC Santa Barbara...22 5. NEBRASKA...21 Hawaii...21 UCLA...21 8. Brigham Young...20 Southern California...20 Most NCAA Semifinal Appearances 1. Stanford...14 2. UCLA...10 3. NEBRASKA...8 Long Beach State...8 5. Pacific...7 6. Hawaii...7 7. Florida...5 Penn State...5 9. Texas...4 Southern California...4 Most NCAA Championships 1. Stanford...5 2. UCLA...3 Hawaii...3 Long Beach State...3 5. NEBRASKA...2 Pacific...2 Southern California...2 8. Penn State...1 Texas...1 Note: NCAA Tournament action 1981-current. Huskers Return to Lincoln For NCAA Regional After spending the first weekend of competition in the NCAA Division I Tournament on the road, the volleyball team will return to Lincoln for the NCAA Regional this Friday and Saturday, Dec. 12-13 at the NU Coliseum. The Huskers, seeded ninth overall in the tournament, will play host to eighth-seeded UCLA (23-8) at 7 p.m. Friday in the day's second regional semifinal match. The first regional semifinal match will begin at 4:30 p.m. Friday and will pit top-seeded and defending national champion USC (31-0) against Texas A&M (23-9), the No. 16 seed. The winners of the regional semifinal contests will advance to Saturday's 7 p.m. regional final match to play for a spot in the 2003 NCAA semifinals in Dallas Dec. 18-20. is one of four pre-determined regional sites this year. The remaining three teams in the NCAA semifinals will advance from regionals at Florida, Hawaii and Long Beach State. has traditionally had great success in the NCAA Tournament. NU owns a 56-19 (.747) all-time NCAA Tournament record. The Huskers rank third nationally in NCAA Tournament wins and second in NCAA Tournament winning percentage., which is 11-4 against teams in this year's tournament, has advanced to the NCAA national semifinals eight of the 12 previous times in which it has played host to a regional. is 15-2 in NCAA Tournament matches under head coach John Cook, who led the Huskers to the 2000 national title and an appearance in the NCAA national semifinals in 2001. The Huskers enter this weekend s competition with the momentum gained from easy first- and second-round sweeps of Valparaiso and Dayton at Michigan State s Jenison Field House. dominated its competition in every statistical category, including hitting percentage. The Huskers hit.384 for the weekend while holding their opponents to a.078 mark. NU was led by senior outside hitter Anna Schrad, who averaged 4.33 kills per game on a.500 hitting percentage significantly up from her season averages of 3.12 kills per game and.219 hitting. Sophomore middle blocker Melissa Elmer and freshman outside hitter Dani Mancuso also enjoyed great success in East Lansing. Elmer averaged 3.50 kills per game and hit.436 over the two matches. Against Dayton, Elmer broke the postseason record for hitting percentage in a single match, as she swung at a.737 clip. Mancuso contributed 3.67 kills per game on a.459 hitting percentage, compared to her season averages of 2.00 kills per game on.168 hitting. s NCAA Tournament Quick Hits The Huskers have historically had great success in the NCAA Tournament. A few things to know: 4 has appeared in 22 of 23 NCAA Tournaments, missing just the first one in 1981. Only UC-Santa Barbara, Pacific, Penn State and Stanford have played in every tournament. 4 owns a 56-19 (.747) all-time NCAA Tournament record. The Huskers rank third nationally in NCAA Tournament wins and in NCAA Tournament winning percentage. 4 has advanced to the round of 16 in 10 straight seasons, last missing the sweet 16 in 1993. 4 has advanced past the second round of the NCAA Tournament 20 times and is 23-11 all-time in NCAA regional action. The Huskers are 20-4 in regional matches in Lincoln and 3-7 in regional contests on the road. 4 has advanced to the NCAA Final Four eight of the 12 times that it has played host to a regional, fail ing to ad vance in 1985, 1991,1994 and 2002. 4 went 11-4 during the regular season against 2003 NCAA Tournament teams. 4 is 17-1 all-time in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and 10-1 in the second round. 4NU lists seven players on its roster with NCAA Tournament experience, but senior outside hitter Anna Schrad is the only Husker who saw action in the 2000 national championship match. 4NU s eight final four appearances are tied for third with Pacifc and Long Beach State in NCAA history behind Stanford (13) and UCLA (10). 4The Huskers have advanced to the NCAA Semifinals five times in the last eight years. 4The Huskers have advanced to the NCAA Championship match four of the eight times they have played at the Final Four, winning the national championship in 1995 and 2000. 4A breakdown of s NCAA Semifinal appearances: Year Result Last Opponent Match 1986...L, 0-3...Pacific...NCAA Championship 1989...L, 0-3...Long Beach State...NCAA Championship 1990...L, 1-3...Pacific...NCAA Semifinal 1995...W, 3-1...Texas...NCAA Championship 1996...L, 1-3...Stanford...NCAA Semifinal 1998...L, 1-3...Penn State...NCAA Semifinal 2000...W, 3-2...Wisconsin...NCAA Championship 2001...L, 0-3...Stanford...NCAA Semifinal
Page 3 NCAA Regional Statistical Comparison (categories per game) Team Kills Hitting Pct. Assists Service Aces Digs Blocks #9 16.42.255 14.98 1.96 16.34 3.19 #16 Texas A&M 16.34.253 15.03 1.30 17.22 2.61 #8 UCLA 16.43.233 14.83 1.41 16.93 2.53 #1 USC 17.73.355 16.36 1.64 16.33 3.23 For Starters...The Latest on s Probable Lineup Outside/Right Side Hitters #7 Dani Mancuso, 6-2, Fr., OH... After seeing limited duty in September and October, Mancuso earned a lineup spot in November and has started the last 11 matches. In two NCAA Tournament matches, she is averaging 3.67 kills per game on.459 hitting to go along with a team-high five service aces. Mancuso is one of four freshmen on the NU roster from. #26 Jennifer Saleaumua, 5-11, So., OH... Saleaumua is widely considered NU s top all-around player and best passer. She leads NU in kills (3.28 per game) and digs (3.87 per game), which ranks second in the Big 12. Saleaumua has recorded 422 digs in 2003, breaking the NU single-season record set by Kate Crnich in 1996 (390 digs). #13 Anna Schrad, 6-2, Sr., RS... Schrad moved to the right side Nov. 1 against Oklahoma, and she has played the position in the last 11 matches. Since moving to the right, Schrad is hitting.277 and averaging 1.24 blocks per game, both significant increases over her season averages. Schrad has posted at least 10 kills in NU s last seven matches. She shares times with either redshirt freshman Kelsey Fautsch or junior Ally Rebholz in the Huskers 6-2 offense. Middle Blockers #8 Melissa Elmer, 6-2, So., MB... Elmer led the Big 12 and leads NU with 1.60 blocks per game. She also ranks first on the team with a.360 hitting percentage. She posted a career-high 15 blocks at Kansas Oct. 8, the third-highest total in school history and the most blocks by any player in the Big 12 Conference this season. Elmer hit.401 in nine matches in November and broke the NU record for hitting percentage in a postseason match with a.737 (15-1-19) mark against Dayton in the second round Dec. 6. #15 Sara Westling, 6-2, Sr., MB... Westling has started 24 of NU s 32 matches. She finished the regular season ranked seventh in the Big 12 with 1.14 per game. Setters/Libero #2 Michelle Lynch, 5-11, So., S; -OR- #18 Dani Busboom, 5-10, Fr., S: Lynch and Busboom share the setting duties in the Huskers 6-2 offense. Lynch leads the team with 45 service aces and 7.26 assists per game. Lynch led the Big 12 in aces per game in conference matches. Busboom is second on the team with 33 service aces and 5.97 assists per game. #1 Amanda McCormick, 5-8, Fr., L: McCormick claimed a spot in the lineup mid-season and is averaging 3.53 digs per game, the highest average ever by an NU freshman. Against Missouri Oct. 15, McCormick had 31 digs -- the third-highest total in school history and the most by any player in the Big 12 this season. She finished the regular season ranked 10th in the Big 12 in digs. Recapping Rounds One and Two was one of just two top 16 seeds in the 2003 NCAA Tournament that was not selected to host the first and second rounds of the tournament. However, traveling wasn t a factor for the Huskers. NU, which was sent to Michigan State, swept Valparaiso Dec. 5 and Dayton Dec. 6. Against the crusaders, senior right side hitter Anna Schrad and freshman outside hitter Dani Mancuso struck at will. Schrad tallied 15 kills and hit.483, while Mancuso added 14 kills and hit a career-best.571. Saturday against the Flyers, sophomore middle blocker Melissa Elmer dominated the net with 15 kills on an NU postseason-record.737 hitting percentage. A few more highlights: 4Freshman libero Amanda McCormick broke the NU postseason record for digs in a threegame match with 20 against Dayton. McCormick averaged 5.00 digs per game in the first and second rounds. 4 hit.321 against Valparaiso and.463 against Dayton, marking only the third time this season that NU has hit over.300 in back-to-back contests. 4Three Huskers averaged over 1.00 blocks per game against Dayton and Valparaiso, including Elmer (1.17), sophomore outside hitter Jennifer Saleaumua (1.17), and junior right side hitter Ally Rebholz (1.33). 4Freshman setter Dani Busboom led NU in assists in both matches. Busboom has led NU or tied for the lead in assists in four of the past six matches after leading in that category just twice in the Huskers first 26 contests. USA Today/AVCA Poll (Dec. 8) Rk. Team Points Record LW 1USC (65) 1,625 31-0 12 Hawai i 1,548 34-1 2 3Florida 1,505 33-1 3 4Pepperdine 1,427 27-2 4 5Stanford 1,359 25-6 5 6Kansas State 1,267 30-4 6 7UCLA 1,216 23-8 7 8California 1,162 25-6 8 9 1,110 28-4 9 10Penn State 1,035 30-4 10 11Georgia Tech 968 33-3 11 12Colorado State 927 30-4 12 13Washington 845 22-8 14 14Minnesota 749 24-10 17 15Illinois 688 26-6 18 16Loyola Marymount 561 26-7 15 17Texas A&M 535 23-9 24 18Northern Iowa 528 28-6 16 19Santa Clara 467 20-11 13 20Louisville 383 25-6 19 21UC Santa Barbara 275 19-9 20 22Notre Dame 157 23-7 21 23Wisconsin 127 22-11 NR 24Maryland 125 27-8 25 25Utah 124 22-9 NR Others Receiving Votes: Arizona 83, Arkansas 73, Kansas 56, Southwest Missouri State 52, Michigan 31, Florida A&M 29, UC Irvine 26, Ohio 13, Pittsburgh 13, University of San Francisco 12, Brigham Young 6, Missouri 5. Cincinnati 3. s Week-by-Week Ranking Preseason...7 Oct. 20...11 Sept. 1...5 Oct. 27...11 Sept. 8...5 Nov. 4...10 Sept. 15...8 Nov. 10...10 Sept. 22...7 Nov. 17...10 Sept. 29...7 Nov. 24...10 Oct. 6...7 Dec. 1...9 Oct. 13...t-8 National Attendance Rankings Rk. School Average Total Matches 1. Hawaii 7,317 153,655 21 2. Wisconsin 4,294 64,405 15 3. 4,246 59,437 14 4. Penn State 2,687 40,299 15 5. Florida 2,545 38,178 15 6. Minnesota 2,430 43,746 18 7. Kansas State 1,951 31,223 16 8. Texas A&M 1,801 27,009 15 9. Northern Iowa 1,787 19,661 11 10. Stanford 1,782 28,516 16 NCAA Media Opportunities Coach John Cook will hold his weekly press conference Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 1:30 p.m. Selected players will be available. Thursday, each team will practice at the NU Coliseum, and all workouts are open. Fifteen minutes following each practice has been reserved for interviews with players and coaches. Practices Friday are closes.
Page 4 Coach John Cook Year-by-Year Record (Overall: 285-81) (: 124-8, Big 12: 77-3) (Wisconsin: 161-73, Big Ten: 89-51) Year Record Pct. League Pct. Place 1992 (UW) 14-17.452 9-11.450 7th 1993 (UW) 19-13.593 11-9.550 5th 1994 (UW) 21-12.636 11-9.550 5th 1995 (UW) 22-15.595 9-11.450 7th 1996 (UW) 25-8.758 13-7.650 5th 1997 (UW) 30-3.909 19-1.950 t1st 1998 (UW) 30-5.857 17-3.850 2nd 2000 (NU) 34-0 1.000 20-0 1.000 1st 2001 (NU) 31-2.940 20-0 1.000 1st 2002 (NU) 31-2.940 20-0 1.000 1st 2003 (NU) 28-4.875 17-3.850 Totals 285-81.779 166-54.754 -- Coaching Honors 42001 Big 12 Coach of the Year 42000 AVCA D-I National Coach of the Year 42000 AVCA D-I Central Region Coach of the Year 41997 Big Ten Co-Coach of the Year 41997 NACDA/USOC Collegiate Coaches Award Coaching Ledger Seasons at 4Head Coach, 2000-present 4Associate Head Coach, 1999 4Assistant Coach, 1988-91 Other Coaching Experience 4Wisconsin, 1992-98 4U.S. Men s National Team, 1992 4San Diego VB Club, 1986-88 4UC-San Diego, 1983-84 4Francis Parker High, 1981-88 More About Cook Education University of San Diego, 1979 Bachelor s Degree, History John Cook C 4Head Coach 4Fourth Season 4285-81 San Diego State University, 1991 Master s Degree, Teaching and Coaching Effectiveness #8 UCLA Quickly (23-8) The Bruins, who are participating in their 22nd NCAA Tournament, are 57-19 all-time in the NCAA Tournament and have won three NCAA titles (1984, 1990, 1991). UCLA enters the weekend with a 23-8 record. Six of the Bruins losses were to ranked teams, but UCLA also boasts six victories over ranked opponents. Seven Bruins, including five juniors, earned All-Pac-10 honors in 2003. UCLA features an extremely balanced offensive attack, with six players who have played in at least 82 games averaged 2.00 kills per game or more. Brynn Murphy leads the Bruins with 3.82 kills per game on a.301 hitting percentage. Defensively, Cira Wright leads UCLA with 1.12 blocks per game, and she is averaging 1.67 in two NCAA Tournament matches. Junior libero Chrissie Zartman is a two-time first-team all-conference selection and finished the regular season ranked 27th nationally with 4.47 digs per game. 4Coach Andy Banachowski: Banachowski is in his 37th season on the bench. He owns a 962-243 record, and in September 2001, Banachowski became the first collegiate women's volleyball coach to record 900 career wins. 4Series: owns a 6-3 advantage in its all-time series with the Bruins, and NU swept UCLA in the team s last meeting Sept. 9, 2001, in the championship match of the US Bank/Arby s Classic at the NU Coliseum. The Huskers are 2-1 vs. UCLA in Lincoln and 2-0 against the Bruins in postseason matches. NU s last NCAA Tournament win over UCLA was Dec. 9, 1995, at the NU Coliseum. 4Cook vs. UCLA: Cook is 2-1 all-time against UCLA. #1 USC Quickly (31-0) The defending NCAA champion, USC captured the 2003 Pac-10 Conference title with an 18-0 record, earned the national No. 1 seed for the second year in a row. USC has won 43 consecutive matches (dating back to 11/2/02 when they lost 3-2 to Stanford at home), and the Women of Troy need just one more win to tie the NCAA Division I record of 44 consecutive victories set by Penn State from Aug. 31 through Dec. 7, 1990. The Women of Troy are led by five 2003 All-Pac-10 first team selections, including Pac-10 Player of the Year and four-time first-team all-conference pick April Ross, a senior outside hitter. Ross leads USC with 3.63 kills per game. Senior middle blocker Emily Adams is averaging 3.44 kills per game on a.459 hitting percentage and finished the regular season ranked fourth nationally in hitting percentage. Overall, the Women of Troy rank second in the nation in hitting percentage with a.355 mark. USC also finished the regular season ranked among the national leaders in assists per game (third), kills per game (third), and blocks per game (fourth). 4USC Coach Mick Haley: USC is coached by Mick Haley, who boasts an 860-193-1 (.816) overall record and 610-142 (.811) NCAA Division I record. Before arriving at USC, Haley coached Texas for 17 seasons (1980-1996) and led the Longhorns to two national championships. 4Series: USC leads the all-time series, 6-1. The Huskers lone win came in 1997 in the NCAA regional semifinals. USC has not played in Lincoln since Dec. 14, 1985, when the Bruins defeated NU in four games in the NCAA Mideast Regional final. The Trojans swept in the teams last meeting Sept. 2, 2002, in the Radisson Hotel Roberts/ Nike Classic at Ball State. Melissa Elmer, Jennifer Saleaumua and Anna Schrad are the only players remaining on the NU roster who saw significant action in the match. Elmer posted six kills and hit.545, while Saleaumua had seven kills and seven digs in the loss. Schrad had six kills. 4Cook vs. USC: Cook is 2-2 all-time vs. USC. #16 Texas A&M (23-9) Texas A&M, which finished the season tied for third in the Big 12 standings, is making its 11th consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament and its 15th overall appearance. Last year, A&M advanced to the NCAA second round before being eliminated by No. 1 seed and eventual national champion USC. The Aggies feature middle blocker/outside hitter Melissa Munsch, a two-time first-team All-Big 12 selection. Munsch averages a team-best 3.73 kills per game and ranks second with 1.06 blocks per game. All-Big 12 outside hitter Laura Jones is close behind with 3.72 kills per game. 4Texas A&M Coach Laurie Corbelli: Texas A&M is coached by Laurie Corbelli, who owns a 259-94 record in her 11th season. Corbelli s husband, John Corbelli, serves as the associate head coach. John Corbelli was an assistant coach at in 1981. 4Series: leads the all-time series against the Aggies, 19-6, and the Huskers have won nine straight. Texas A&M has defeated NU twice in five-game matches since the Big 12 Conference s inception in 1996 once in 1998 and once in 1999. Texas A&M has pushed past three games 13 times in 25 matches, and the Huskers came out on top of a five-game battle Sept. 17, 2003, in Lincoln in the Big 12 opener. Senior outside hitter Anna Schrad had 20 kills and seven digs in the NU win. 4Cook vs. Texas A&M: Cook is 10-0 all-time vs. Texas A&M.
Page 5 Cook s Winning Ways Coach John Cook has been amazingly successful during his four seasons at the helm, posting a 124-8 record. Cook picked up his 100th victory as s head coach Sept. 5, when NU defeated New Orleans, 3-0. Cook s only losses in his first three seasons were to 2001 NCAA champion Stanford, 2001 NCAA runner-up Long Beach State, 2002 NCAA champion USC and 2002 NCAA semifinal participant Hawaii. Cook has lost just three Big 12 Conference matches, going 77-3 and winning three league titles. Cook was the AVCA Coach of the Year in 2000 after leading to a 34-0 season and a national title. He was also named the 2001 Big 12 Coach of the Year. In 2001, NU posted a 31-2 mark and advanced to the NCAA semifinals. Last season, also finished with a 31-2 record and advanced to the NCAA regional finals. The Huskers have won three Big 12 titles under Cook. 40 Consecutive Sellouts enters the postseason with a streak of 40 consecutive sellouts at the NU Coliseum. The Huskers sold out all 17 matches they played at the Coliseum last season (NU played one match at the 13,595-seat Bob Devaney Sports Center). NU ended the 2001 season with 10 straight sellout crowds at the Coliseum. The Huskers sold out every match at the Coliseum in 2001 except a Tuesday, Sept. 25, match against Creighton. In 2003, NU has sold out all 13 of its matches at the Coliseum. The Huskers drew 6,142 fans for their match against Iowa State Oct. 25 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Elmer, Saleaumua Earn All-Big 12 honors Melissa Elmer and Jennifer Saleaumua were among the 12 student-athletes named to the 2003 Big 12 All-Conference First Team.The selection was the second for Saleaumua, a sophomore outside hitter who also earned first-team honors in 2002. Elmer, a sophomore middle blocker, made her first appearance on the team. A native of Fort Wayne, Ind., Elmer was the conference s top blocker and most efficient hitter in Big 12 play, as she led the league in blocks per game (1.64) and hitting percentage (.379). Elmer tallied a career-high 15 blocks at Kansas Oct. 8, which was the highest total by a Big 12 player in 2003, the third-most ever by an NU player and the most by a Husker in the rally-scoring era. On the season, Elmer is averaging 3.07 kills per game on.360 hitting. She has swung at a.400 clip or better 11 times this season. Saleaumua was one of the top all-around players in the league in 2003, as she leads the Huskers in kills per game (3.28), digs per game (3.87) and double-doubles (16 kills-digs). Saleaumua is tied for third on the team with 33 service aces and hit.259 on the season. Saleaumua ranked second in the Big 12 in digs per game, and she has averaged 4.37 digs per game in 11 matches against ranked teams. Saleaumua has tallied 422 digs in 2003, breaking the NU single-season record of 390 set by Kate Crnich in 1996. Super Servers finished the regular season ranked second in the Big 12 with 1.97 service aces per game (207 total) and surpassed its 2002 season total of 169 Nov. 5 at Texas A&M. In conference matches, the Huskers led the Big 12 with 2.04 service aces per game. tied the 13-year-old school record for service aces in a three-game match with 16 at Texas Sept. 20. Ten Huskers own a service ace, eight have at least 15, and four have at least 30 aces. Sophomore setter Michelle Lynch leads the team with 45 aces. A left-handed jump server, Lynch tallied 21 aces in November and needs just four more aces to move into the all-time top 10, which would be a rare feat. The last player to break into NU s career service aces chart was Kelly Aspegren in 1993. Aspegren ranks ninth all-time at NU with 51 career aces. Block Party has led the nation in blocks per game in each of the three previous seasons, and although the Huskers numbers are down slightly this year, they still lead the Big 12 with 3.19 blocks per game. Sophomore middle blocker Melissa Elmer leads NU and ranks first in the Big 12 and among the national leaders with 1.60 stops per game. Elmer had a career-high 16 blocks against Kansas, the most by any player in the Big 12 this season and third-highest mark in school history. The Huskers had 21.5 team blocks against Colorado Nov. 26, and they totaled a season-high 22 team blocks against Kansas, which is the best mark by a Big 12 team this season. The total was the most by a Husker team in 83 matches. NU had 23 team blocks against Hawaii in the NCAA semifinals Dec. 14, 2000. Around the Big 12 Conference Standings Big 12 Overall Rk. Team W L W L 1. Kansas State 18 2 28 4 2. 17 3 26 4 3. Colorado 13 7 21 9 Texas A&M 13 7 21 9 Kansas 13 7 21 10 6. Missouri 12 8 19 10 7. Texas 10 10 15 14 8. Iowa State 4 16 12 19 Baylor 4 16 12 22 9. Texas Tech 3 17 11 18 Oklahoma 3 17 11 21 2003 First-Team All-Big 12 Name, School Pos. Ht. Cl. Lauren Goehring, KSU MB 6-0 Sr. Melissa Elmer, NU MB 6-2 So. Melissa Munsch, TAMU OH/MB 6-1 Jr. Gabby Guerre, KSU S 6-1 Jr. Josiane Lima, KU MB 6-0 So. Jennifer Saleaumua, NU OH 5-11 So. Monique Gerlach, CU MB 5-11 Sr. Valeria Hejjas, KSU OH 5-11 Jr. Lindsey Hunter, MU S 5-10 So. Bethany Howden, UT OH/MB 6-2 Jr. Mira Topic, UT OH 6-3 Jr. Shen Danru, MU OH 5-11 So. Coach of the Year: Suzie Fritz, KSU Player of the Year: Lauren Goehring, KSU Newcomer of the Year: Valeria Hejjas, KSU Freshman of the Year: Jessica Vander Kooi, MU Defensive Specialist of the Year: Juliana Godoi, MU Libero of the Year: Laura Downey-Wallace, KSU Big 12 Player of the Week Date Player Sept. 1 Laura Jones, OH, Texas A&M Sept. 8 Kelly Johnson, OH, Texas Tech Sept. 15 Lauren Goehring, MB, Kansas State Sept. 22 Valeria Hejjas, OH, Kansas State Sept. 29 Shen Danru, OH, Missouri Oct. 6 Janaina Correa, OH, Kansas Oct. 13 Melissa Elmer, MB, Oct. 20 Mira Topic, OH, Texas Oct. 27 Kelly Johnson, OH, Texas Tech Nov. 3 Bethany Howden, MB, Texas Nov. 10 Andrea Vakulya, OH, Baylor Nov. 17 Melissa Munsch, OH, Texas A&M The Big 12 vs. (1996-2003) Baylor... 0-15 Colorado... 2-14 Iowa State... 0-16 Kansas... 0-16 Kansas State... 3-13 Missouri... 1-15 Oklahoma... 1-14 Texas... 2-14 Texas A&M... 2-14 Texas Tech... 1-15 Totals... 12-146
Page 6 2003 Husker Honor Roll Melissa Elmer 4First-Team All-Big 12 4Illinois State/Barker GMC Classic MVP 4Nokia Sugar Bowl Classic MVP 4US Bank/Arby s All-Tournament Team 4Big 12 Player of the Week (10/13) Kelsey Fautsch 4First-Team Academic All-Big 12 Christina Houghtelling 4Nokia Sugar Bowl Classic All-Tournament Team Michelle Lynch 4First-Team Academic All-Big 12 Jennifer Saleaumua 4First-Team All-Big 12 4Preseason All-Big 12 Anna Schrad 4CoSIDA Second-Team Academic All-American 4First-Team Academic All-Big 12 4Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year 4Illinois State/Barker GMC Classic 4Nokia Sugar Bowl Classic All-Tournament Team 4US Bank/Arby s All-Tournament Team Sara Westling 4First-Team Academic All-Big 12 Fans Vote for Greatest Matches The Athletic Department invited fans to visit Huskers.com and vote for their all-time favorite Husker match, and 722 votes were cast. The top five were revealed on the Show with John Cook Oct. 26. The results are as follows: Pct. Match 1. 33.5 vs. Penn State, NCAA Reg. Final, 12/14/96 2. 18.4 vs. Florida, NCAA Reg. Final, 12/8/01 3. 17.7 vs.wisconsin, NCAA Final, 12/16/00 4. 11.6 vs. Texas, NCAA Final, 12/16/95 5. 7.2 vs. So. Carolina, NCAA 2nd Round, 12/2/00 *The remaining 11.5 percent of the votes were casts for the three other choices on the ballot. Freshmen Phenoms While making an impact on the court, freshmen Dani Busboom and Amanda McCormick are climbing the Husker freshman charts. Busboom, a setter in NU s 6-2 offense, has totaled 675 assists, which ranks second all-time behind Lindsay Wischmeier s 724 in 1999. Busboom is second on the team with 33 service aces, which ranks third all-time among NU freshmen. She needs just four more aces to break the record of 36 held by Maria Hedbeck (1993) and Kim Tonniges (1991). McCormick, who was sidelined for much of the season with an elbow injury, moved into the starting lineup against Missouri Oct. 15. She is averaging 3.53 digs per game, the highest average ever by a Husker freshman and the most since Maria Hedbeck (3.45) in 1993. McCormick recorded a careerhigh 31 digs in her first career start against the Tigers, the third-highest total in school history and the most by a Big 12 player this season. Youth Movement With a lineup low on experience and depth at some positions, s freshmen, as well as several players who saw little time in 2002, have been asked to contribute immediately. Eight Huskers who are freshmen or first-year starters have seen significant playing time in NU s 6-2 (two-setter) offense this year. Freshmen Dani Busboom (setter), Christina Houghtelling (middle blocker) and Kelsey Fautsch (right side), a redshirt freshman, have played in at least 15 matches. The Huskers lineup grew even younger in the second half of the season. Freshman libero Amanda McCormick has started 14 of the past 15 matches. Freshman outside hitter Dani Mancuso has also started 11 straight matches. Other first-year starters in 2003 include junior right side hitter Ally Rebholz, sophomore setter Michelle Lynch, senior libero Jenae Dowling and senior middle blocker Sara Westling, who has shared time at the second middle blocker spot with Houghtelling. When McCormick is in the lineup and Houghtelling is healthy, NU has played at times with up to five freshmen (Fautsch, Busboom, Mancuso) on the court. Rank and File was ranked No. 9 in the final USA Today/AVCA Coaches poll released Dec. 1. The Huskers had been ranked 10th for four straight weeks, originally moving into the spot in the Nov. 3 poll on the strength of their three-game win over then-no. 12 Northern Iowa Nov. 2. is one of two teams that have been ranked in the USA Today/AVCA Coaches poll for all 297 weeks of its existence. The Huskers have been ranked in the top 10 for 265of the 297 weeks, which ranks second behind Stanford s 278. has spent 38 weeks in the top spot, and its most recent No. 1 ranking was Sept. 24, 2001. The End of an Era s five-game loss to Kansas State Oct. 11 snapped several of the nation s most impressive conference winning streaks, including the following: 4Entering the KSU match, the Huskers had won 77 consecutive regular-season Big 12 matches, which ranks third in NCAA history. The streak started after NU s loss at Texas on Oct. 24, 1999. won 10 straight conference matches to close the 1999 season, and went 20-0 in 2000, 2001 and 2002, and was 7-0 in 2003. 4The Huskers had won 78 straight matches against Big 12 teams (the Huskers defeated Kansas State in a non-conference match in the 2001 NCAA Tournament). s 78-match league winning streak ranks fourth in NCAA history. 4 NU had won 42 straight Big 12 matches at home, dating back to a five-game loss to Kansas State Sept. 22, 1999. After the KSU loss, won its last nine Big 12 home matches that year, then won 10 in each of the next three seasons and had won three in 2003 before falling to the Wildcats again. 4 John Cook had won 68 straight matches against Big 12 teams (67 regular season) as head coach. All-America U In 2002, at least three players earned All-America status for the third straight season. Seniors Greichaly Cepero and Amber Holmquist were named to the first team, and senior Laura Pilakowski was recognized on the second team. In program history, 22 NU players have earned 45 AVCA All-America certificates, which ranks first nationally. The 2003 season marks the first time since 2000 that the Huskers have fielded a lineup that did not include a returning All-American. Nancy Metcalf (Meendering) earned All-America honors in 1999 but redshirted the 2000 season.
Page 7 #1 Amanda McCormick 4Freshman 4Libero/Defensive Specialist 45-8 4Fort Wayne, Ind. (Burris Laboratory) 4McCormick in the Big 12 Statistical Rankings (Final, Nov. 30) Category Rank Overall per game Big 12 per game Service Aces per Game 10th 3.40 3rd 0.67 After missing most of September with an elbow injury, McCormick returned a month later and secured a spot in the starting lineup in mid-october. She has started 14 of the last 15 matches at libero... tallied 31 digs in her first career start Oct. 15 vs. Missouri, the third-highest total in school history and the most by any player in the Big 12 this season... is averaging 3.53 digs per game, the highest average ever by an NU freshman... is averaging 5.00 digs per game in the NCAA Tournament... had 20 digs against Dayton in the second round Dec. 6, breaking the NU postseason record for digs in a three-game match... averaged 3.67 digs per game in Big 12 play, which ranked third in the conference... showed promise in s three wins at the Illinois State/Barker GMC Classic Aug. 29-30, starting at libero against Illinois State and totaling 13 digs... suffered an injury to her left elbow in practice two days later and was sidelined for three weeks... returned briefly against Iowa State Sept. 24, then recorded eight digs against Texas Tech Sept. 27... has played in 60 games and 20 matches. Kills...None... Same Attempts...3 vs. Texas, 11/12... Same Hitting %...000 vs. Texas, 11/12... Same Digs...31 vs. Missouri, 10/15... Same SA...None... Same Assists...3 at Baylor, 10/18... 2003 Honors and Awards 4First-Team Academic All-Big 12 Michelle Lynch #2 4Sophomore 4Setter 45-11 4Jacksonville, Ill. (Jacksonville) 4Lynch in the Big 12 Statistical Rankings (Final, Nov. 30) Category Rank Overall per game Big 12 per game Service Aces per Game t-5th 0.41 2nd 0.47 assists against Georgia Tech Sept. 14... one of the best servers on the team and ranked second in the Big 12 statistical rankings with 0.47 service aces per game against league teams... leads the team with 45 service aces and needs just four to become the first player in 10 years to break into the NU all-time top 10 chart, which would be a rare feat. The last player to break into NU s career service aces chart was Kelly Aspegren in 1993... a left-handed jump server, Lynch served flat-footed in NU s first nine contests because of a back injury, totaling six aces... averages 1.92 digs per game and had a career-high 19 digs against Missouri Oct. 15. Kills...3 vs. Texas A&M, 9/17... Same Attempts...4 Three times... Same Hitting %...1.000 (1-0-1) Twice... Same Digs...19 vs. Missouri, 10/15... Same SA...5 at Texas, 9/20; vs. Baylor, 11/22... Same Assists...40 vs. Georgia Tech, 9/14... Same #3 Christina Houghtelling 4Freshman 4Middle Blocker 46-2 4Cambridge, Neb. (Cambridge) 2003 Honors and Awards 4Nokia Sugar Bowl Classic All-Tournament Team Houghtelling, who has struggled with knee problems all season, played for the first time since Oct. 15 against Missouri last Saturday when she came off the bench against Valparaiso in the first round of the NCAA Tournament... posted two kills and two blocks against the Crusaders... originally secured a spot in the starting lineup nine matches into the 2003 season, when she came off the bench and posted a season-best nine kills and seven digs in the final four games of a five-game loss to Georgia Tech Sept. 14... averages 1.76 kills per game on a.258 hitting percentage... has tallied at least eight kills three times... hit a season-high.462 (8-2-13) against Texas Tech Sept. 27... is one of the Huskers best servers... previously ranked first in the Big 12 in service aces per game, with 0.57 in league contests... had four aces at Texas Sept. 20, when tied a 13-year-old school record with 16 aces in a three-game match... is one of four natives in the freshman class. Kills...9 vs. Georgia Tech, 9/12... Same Attempts...21 vs. Georgia Tech, 9/12... Same Hitting %...600 (4-1-5) at Illinois State, 8/30... Same BA...4 vs. Texas A&M, 9/17... Same BS...2 vs. Missouri, 10/15... Same Digs...7 vs. Santa Clara, 9/12... Same SA...4 at Texas, 9/20... Same After patiently waiting on the sideline for two seasons behind former NU All-America setter Greichaly Cepero, Lynch stepped into the role of the Huskers floor general this season. Lynch, who redshirted in 2001 and was a serving specialist in 2002, shares the setting duties this season with freshman Dani Busboom in the Huskers 6-2 offense... has played in all 113 of the Huskers games, and averages 7.26 assists per game... had a career-high 40
Page 8 2003 Honors and Awards 4First-Team Academic All-Big 12 Jenae Dowling #6 4Senior 4Libero/Defensive Specialist 45-6 4Fort Wayne, Ind. (Northrup) Dowling, a first-year starter, opened the season as the Huskers libero after contributing the past three seasons as a defensive specialist, but she missed two matches (Oct. 15-18) with a back injury and has played sparingly since... has played in 64 games and averages 3.41 digs per game... has produced double-figure digs eight times... has had at least 20 digs in three matches, including Aug. 29 against Illinois (20), Sept. 12 against Santa Clara (21) and Sept. 17 vs. Texas A&M (career-best 23)... has led the Huskers in digs eight times... is one of four players on the roster from Indiana, and she was a high school teammate of NU middle blocker Melissa Elmer. Kills...None... Same Attempts...None... Same Hitting %...None... Same BA...None...1 vs. Georgia, 9/2/01 Digs...23 vs. Texas A&M, 9/17... Same SA...None...3 Twice Dani Mancuso #7 4Freshman 4Outside Hitter 46-2 4Omaha, Neb. (Omaha Gross) 4Mancuso in the Big 12 Statistical Rankings (Final, Nov. 30) Category Rank Overall per game Big 12 per game Service Aces per Game -- -- 8th 0.36 Mancuso, the only Magazine Fab 50 recruit in the freshman class, earned a spot in the starting lineup Nov. 1 and has started on the left side in 11 straight matches after playing sparingly the first half of the season... averaging 3.67 kills per game on.459 hitting and 0.83 service aces per game in two NCAA Tournament matches... averaging 2.00 kills per game on the season and 2.24 kills per game since moving to the left side... has 23 service aces and produced an ace for match point at No. 21 Texas A&M Nov. 5 and at No. 25 Missouri Nov. 8... posted a career-high five aces against KU Nov. 19, tying the highest mark by a Husker this season... ended the regular season ranked eighth in the Big 12 with 0.36 aces per game in league contests... earned her first career start Sept. 5 against New Orleans, replacing the injured Jennifer Saleaumua, and pounded a match-high 16 kills while swinging at a.429 clip... has recorded double-figure kills five other times this season, including Oct. 25. vs. Iowa State (11), Nov. 1 against Oklahoma (10), Nov. 12 vs. Texas (11), Nov. 15 at Kansas State (10) and Dec. 5 vs. Valparaiso (14)... had a career-high 16 digs at Colorado Nov. 26... is one of four Husker freshmen from. Kills...16 vs. New Orleans, 9/5... Same Attempts...39 at Kansas State, 11/15... Same Hitting %...571 (14-2-21) vs. Valparaiso, 12/5... Same BA...3 vs. Iowa State, 10/25; vs. Oklahoma, 11/1... Same BS...1 Five times... Same Digs...16 at Colorado, 11/26... Same SA...3 vs. Valparaiso, 12/5... Same Melissa Elmer 4Sophomore 4Middle Blocker 46-2 4Fort Wayne, Ind. (Northrup) 2003 Honors and Awards 4First-Team All-Big 12 4Big 12 Player of the Week (Oct. 13) 4Illinois State/Barker GMC Classic MVP 4Nokia Sugar Bowl Classic MVP 4US Bank/Arby s Classic All-Tournament Team #8 4Elmer in the Big 12 Statistical Rankings (Final, Nov. 30) Category Rank Overall per game Big 12 per game Blocks 1st 1.63 1st 1.64 Hitting Percentage 2nd.356 2nd.379 Elmer earned first-team All-Big 12 honors Nov. 29 after producing the best numbers by a middle blocker in the conference. She led the Big 12 with 1.64 blocks per game and a.379 hitting percentage in conference matches... averaging 3.50 kills per game on.436 hitting in two NCAA Tournament matches... had 15 kills against Dayton in the second round Dec. 6 and hit.737 to establish a new postseason record for hitting percentage in a single match... averaging 3.07 kills per game on.360 hitting for the season... averaged 3.28 kills per game on.401 hitting in November... had a career-best 15 blocks at Kansas Oct. 8, the third-highest total in school history, the highest total ever by an NU player during the rally scoring era, and the most blocks by any player in the Big 12 Conference this season... ranks among the national leaders in blocks per game... has 166 block assists, which is tied for third on the NU single-season charts... has produced at least seven blocks 10 times... ranks second on the team with 36 service aces... has had at least two aces in nine matches, and she recorded a career-best five aces against Clemson Aug. 29... has tallied double-figure kill totals 17 times, including a career-best 19 against Kansas State Oct. 11 and 15 against Santa Clara Sept. 12... has hit over.300 21 times this season and swung at a season-best.733 clip (11-0-15) against Iowa State Sept. 24... had backto-back.500-plus matches against Kansas Oct. 8 (.577) and KSU Oct. 11 (.548)... earned Big 12 Player-of-the-Week honors Oct. 13 after averaging 2.33 blocks per game and 3.89 kills per game on an incredible.561 hitting percentage against Kansas and Kansas State... named to three all-tournament teams in s first three weeks of the season... earned MVP honors at the Illinois State/Barker GMC Classic Aug. 29-30 with 3.00 kills per game and 2.40 blocks per game... named MVP of the Nokia Sugar Bowl Classic Sept. 5-6... also named to the US Bank/Arby s All-Tournament team after averaging 3.17 kills per game on a.317 hitting percentage and 1.25 blocks
Page 9 against three ranked teams... one of four players on the roster from Indiana, and she was a high school teammate of libero Jenae Dowling. Kills... 19 vs. Kansas State, 10/11... Same Attempts...35 at Texas Tech, 10/29... Same Hitting %...737 (15-1-19) vs. Valpo, 12/5....778 (7-0-9) vs. Kansas, 11/20/02 BA... 13 at Kansas, 10/8... Same BS... 2 vs. Santa Clara, 9/12; vs. Colorado, 10/1; at Kansas, 10/8... Same Digs... 6 vs. Kansas State, 10/11... Same SA... 5 vs. Clemson, 8/29... Same 2003 Honors and Awards 4First-Team Academic All-Big 12 Kelsey Fautsch #10 4Redshirt Freshman 4Right Side Hitter 46-2 4Chisago Lakes, Minn. (Chisago Lakes) Fautsch is one of several first-year starters contributing regularly in the Huskers 6-2 offense. She played little during the first half of November when Coach John Cook moved Dani Mancuso to the left side and Anna Schrad to the right to share time with Ally Rebholz. However, she came off the bench Nov. 15 at Kansas State and tied her season high with 10 kills, then was part of the regular 6-2 rotation against KU Nov. 19 for the first time all month... ranks fifth on the team with 2.19 kills per game and a.238 hitting percentage... first had a season-high 10 kills against Louisiana State on Sept. 6... matched the mark with 10 kills in s four-game win over No. 13 Santa Clara Sept. 12 and with 10 kills against Iowa State Oct. 25... has hit over.300 10 times and over.400 six times... hit a career-best.889 (8-0-9) against Clemson Aug. 29 in the first match of her collegiate career... averages 0.62 blocks per game... had a career-best six blocks at Kansas Oct. 8, then matched the total against Kansas State Oct. 11. Kills...10 Four times... Same Attempts...29 vs. Missouri, 10/15... Same Hitting %...889 (8-0-9) vs. Clemson, 8/29... Same BA...5 vs. Kansas State, 10/11... Same Digs...3 vs. Clemson, 8/29; vs. Michigan State, 9/13... Same SA...1 vs. Illinois, 8/30... Same Ally Rebholz #13 4Junior 4Right Side Hitter 46-2 4Indianapolis, Ind. (Cathedral) Rebholz and redshirt freshman Kelsey Fautsch share playing time opposite Anna Schrad at right side hitter in the Huskers 6-2 offense... ranks third on the team in blocks (0.95), fifth in hitting percentage (.247) and fourth in kills per game (2.36)... averaging a team-best 1.33 blocks per game in the NCAA Tournament... has had at least 10 kills eight times... five of her double-figure kill efforts were against ranked teams, including No. 17 Michigan State (10) Sept. 13, No. 10 Georgia Tech (11) Sept. 14, No. 12 Kansas State (12) Oct. 11, No. 12 Northern Iowa (12) Nov. 2 and No. 25 Missouri (10) Nov. 8... posted a career-best 15 kills against Texas A&M Sept. 17... has swung for at least a.300 hitting percentage in 11 matches... hit a career-best.615 (9-1-13) against Iowa State Sept. 24... recorded a career-best 11 blocks (eight assists, three solo) against Illinois Sept. 30... had 10 blocks against Illinois State Sept. 30... is one of four players on the NU roster from Indiana. Kills...15 vs. Texas A&M, 9/17... Same Hitting %...615 (9-1-13) vs. Iowa State, 9/24...667 Twice Attempts...36 vs. Texas A&M, 9/17... Same BA...9 at Illinois State, 8/30... Same BS...3 vs. Illinois, 8/30; vs. Dayton, 12/5... Same Digs... 9 at Missouri, 11/8... Same SA...1 at Tulane, 9/5... 1 Three times 2003 Honors and Awards 4First-Team Academic All-Big 12 Sara Westling 4Senior 4Middle Blocker 46-2 4Lincoln, Neb. (Northeast) #15 4Westling in the Big 12 Statistical Rankings (Final, Nov. 30) Category Rank Overall per game Big 12 per game Blocks 5th 1.14 3rd 1.26 Hitting Percentage 9th.310 5th.317 Westling has played in 75 games and has started 24 matches, splitting time with freshman middle blocker Christina Houghtelling, who has battled knee problems all season... has posted at least four blocks in 11 of the last 14 matches and moved into the Big 12 statistical rankings Oct. 30 for the first time in 2003... ranked fifth in the conference with 1.14 blocks per game...ranked third in the Big 12 with 1.26 blocks per game in league matches... averaging 1.81 kills per game on a.309 hitting percentage... has hit over.300 13 times this season... had the best match of her career at Texas Tech Oct. 29, where she posted career-best totals in kills (15) and blocks (eight)... tied her career-best blocks total with eight at Colorado Nov. 26... an excellent server, Westling has 15 aces this season, including three at Oklahoma Oct. 4... one of six players from on the roster. Kills...15 at Texas Tech, 10/29... 8 vs. Kansas, 10/10/01 Attempts...28 at Texas Tech, 10/29... Same Hitting %...750 (6-0-8) vs. MSU, 9/13....889 (8-0-9) vs. Kansas, 10/10/01 BA...7 at Texas Tech, 10/29... Same BS...1 Seven times... Same Digs...4 vs. Iowa State, 10/25... Same SA...2 vs. Texas, 11/12; vs. Baylor, 11/22...2 Five times
Page 10 Anna Schrad 4Senior 4Outside Hitter 46-2 4Lincoln, Neb. (Pius X) 2003 Honors and Awards 4CoSIDA Second-Team Academic All-American 4First-Team Academic All-Big 12 4Preseason All-Big 12 4Illinois State/Barker GMC Classic All-Tournament Team 4Nokia Sugar Bowl Classic All-Tournament Team 4US Bank/Arby s Classic All-Tournament Team Dani Busboom 4Freshman 4Setter 45-10 4Cortland, Neb. (Freeman) #16 Schrad is a three-year starter and the most experienced player on a young squad. She ranks second on the team with 3.12 kills per game... is averaging 4.33 kills per game on.500 hitting in the NCAA Tournament... swung for a season-best.526 (11-1-19) hitting percentage against Dayton in the second round... has led in kills nine times... has posted double-figure kill totals in 17 matches, and has pounded at least 20 kills in three matches... recorded a career-high 22 kills against Illinois State Aug. 30... is averaging 0.78 blocks per game, but has posted 1.24 blocks per game in the last 11 matches since moving to the right side... had a career-best eight block assists against Baylor Nov. 22, then tied the mark at Colorado Nov. 26... produced a season-best 21 digs against Missouri Oct. 15... had 15 digs against Kansas Oct. 8, then matched the total in NU s next contest with 15 against Kansas State Oct. 11... is sixth on the team with 20 service aces despite serving little in the last 11 matches... was named to three all-tournament teams in the first three weeks of the 2003 season... at the Illinois State/Barker GMC Classic Aug. 29-30, Schrad averaged a team-high 4.20 kills per game... averaged 3.58 kills per game against three ranked teams in the US Bank/Arby s Classic Sept. 12-14... is one of six players on the roster from. Kills...19 at Kansas, 10/8... Same Attempts...51 vs. Missouri, 10/15... Same Hitting %...483 (15-1-29) VS. Valpo, 12/5....563 (10-1-16) vs. Pepperdine, 9/6/02 BA...8 vs. Baylor, 11/22; at Colorado 11/16... Same BS...1 Ten times...2 vs. Tennessee-Martin, 12/6/02 Digs...21 vs. Missouri, 10/15... Same #18 Busboom is one of four freshmen contributing regularly in s 6-2 offense. She shares the setter duties with sophomore Michelle Lynch and is averaging 5.97 assists per game... is averaging 8.17 assists per game in the NCAA Tournament and has led NU in assists in four of the past six matches... has 675 assists in 2003, which ranks second on the NU freshman charts... had a career-best 36 assists against Baylor Nov. 22... had 28 assists against Texas A&M Sept. 17... is tied for third on the team with 33 service aces... has had at least two service aces in 10 matches... ranks third in service aces on the NU freshman single-season charts and needs just four to break the 10- year-old record... produced a career-best five service aces against Iowa State Oct. 25... is averaging 1.74 digs per game and tallied a career-best 12 against Baylor Nov. 22... is one of four freshmen from. Kills...2 at Colorado, 11/26; vs. Valparaiso, 12/5... Same Attempts...4 vs. Clemson, 8/29; vs. Valparaiso, 12/5... Same Hitting %...1.000 (1-0-1) Three times... Same BA...1 Three times... Same Digs...12 vs. Baylor, 11/22... Same SA...4 vs. Iowa State, 10/25... Same Assists...36 vs. Baylor, 11/22... Same 2003 Honors and Awards 4First-Team All-Big 12 4Preseason All-Big 12 Jennifer Saleaumua #26 4Sophomore 4Outside Hitter 45-11 4National City, Calif. (Bonita Vista) 4Saleaumua in the Big 12 Statistical Rankings (Final, Nov. 30) Category Rank Overall per game Big 12 per game Digs 2nd 3.86 2nd 3.99 Saleaumua is considered the Huskers best passer and top all-around player. She leads the team in kills per game (3.28), digs per game (3.87) and doubledoubles (16)... averaging 3.83 kills per game on.308 hitting and 4.00 digs per game in the NCAA Tournament... earned first-team All-Big 12 honors after leading all conference left-side hitters in hitting percentage and ranking second in the league in digs... has tallied 322 digs in 2003, breaking the NU singleseason record of 390 set by Kate Crnich in 1996... averaged 4.37 digs per game in 11 matches against ranked teams... has led in digs 14 times... has posted double-figure kill totals in 21 of her last 25 matches after reaching the mark just once in NU s first six contests... tied for third on the team with 33 service aces, 11 of which she has recorded in November... has led NU in kills 12 times... Oct. 8 at KU, Saleaumua recorded a career-best 19 kills on a.340 hitting percentage... tallied a then-career-best 17 kills Sept. 17 to help defeat Texas A&M in a come-from-behind victory... had 18 kills and hit a season-best.500 (18-1-34) against No. 12 Northern Iowa Nov. 2... tallied 17 kills against Texas Nov. 12... has hit.300 or better 14 times and.400 or better eight times... has recorded double-figures in digs 22 times this season, including 15 straight matches from Oct. 1 to Nov. 19... tallied a career-best 23 digs against Kansas State Oct. 11, then bettered the mark with 27 digs against Missouri Oct. 15, which is tied for seventh on the all-time NU charts and is the second-highest total by a Big 12 player this season. Category... 2003 Season Best...Career Best Kills... 19 at Kansas, 10/8... Same Attempts... 57 vs. Missouri, 10/15... Same Hitting %....500 (18-1-34) vs. No. Iowa, 11/2....563 (10-1-16) vs. Pepperdine, 9/6/02 BA... 7 at Kansas, 10/8... Same BS... 3 vs. Missouri, 10/15... Same Digs... 27 vs. Missouri, 10/15... Same SA... 4 at Texas, 9/20... 5 vs. Creighton, 9/29/02 Assists... 4 vs. Texas Tech, 9/27... 6 Three times