The Huskers (10-1, 2-0 Big Ten) followed up their Friday night 3-2 comeback win at No. 20 Illinois with a hard-fought sweep of the Wildcats 24 hours later. Nebraska got 13 kills on .526 hitting from Jazz Sweet, who led Nebraska in kills for the second straight night.
Lexi Sun had 11 kills, and Lauren Stivrins had 10 kills on .615 hitting with three blocks and three aces. Madi Kubik contributed six kills, and Callie Schwarzenbach had a career-high four solo blocks to go with three kills.
Nicklin Hames had 34 assists and nine digs, and Kenzie Knuckles led the team with 10 digs.
The Huskers hit .316, their best outing in their last six matches. Northwestern was held to .190 hitting. NU had a decisive 10-2 advantage in blocks and a 7-3 edge in aces. Megan Miller contributed two of NU's seven aces.
Nebraska has started 2-0 in Big Ten play each of the past seven seasons.
Temi Thomas-Ailara led Northwestern (9-5, 0-2 Big Ten) with 16 kills.
Nebraska plays its third straight Big Ten road match when it visits Rutgers for a 6 p.m. (CT) match on Wednesday in New Brunswick, N.J.
Set 1: Northwestern jumped out to an 8-2 lead as the Huskers started slowly. The lead went to 11-3 before the Huskers started chipping away, and a block by Schwarzenbach and Hames cut it to five, 13-8. Northwestern made it 17-10 before Sweet tallied consecutive kills, and Knuckles served an ace before a block by Stivrins trimmed the Wildcats' lead to 17-14. An ace by Miller started an 8-0 run for the Huskers that put them ahead 22-18. The Wildcats got back within 23-21 with an ace, but Kubik got a kill and Sun and Stivrins teamed up for a block to give the Huskers the 25-21 win. NU outscored Northwestern 22-10 after trailing 11-3.
Set 2: Sweet had the first three points of the set for the Big Red, all via kills, but the Wildcats once again had the better start, taking an 8-5 lead. But a tip kill by Sun and three straight aces by Stivrins made it 10-8 Huskers after the 5-0 run. Nebraska went up 13-10 after another three-point spurt, and a kill by Schwarzenbach, followed by three errors by Northwestern and a block by Sweet and Schwarzenbach had the Huskers ahead 18-11. Northwestern scored three in a row to force a Husker timeout, but Sweet got the Huskers out of the rotation with her seventh kill, and her eighth kill of the night made it 21-15. Stivrins hammered another kill, and Sun tooled a block to give Nebraska the 25-17 win in set two.
Set 3: Schwarzenbach started the set with a kill and two blocks, and kills by Sweet and Stivrins made it 6-4 Huskers. Northwestern answered with four straight points on the jump serve of Thomas-Ailara to go up 8-6 before Kubik terminated to get the Huskers out of the rotation. A back-row blast by Kubik and a Northwestern hitting error restored an 11-9 Husker lead. But the Wildcats came out of a timeout with a 3-0 run to go up 12-11. Sun came back with a kill for Nebraska and Northwestern hit into the net to put the Big Red back in the lead, 14-12. Schwarzenbach added another solo block, her fourth of the match, and the Huskers led 16-12 after a 5-0 run. The game of runs continued as Northwestern strung together four points to tie the set at 16-16. Sun terminated an out-of-system ball to end the run, and the Huskers went ahead 19-17 after Sweet connected again. Northwestern answered with a 4-0 run to gain a 21-19 advantage before Stivrins sided out for the Big Red with her eighth kill. Thomas-Ailara put Northwestern ahead 22-20 with a kill, but Stivrins answered for the Big Red. Sun then put away a bump set from Hames to tie the score at 22-22. Northwestern earned set point twice, but Sun killed off both of them. The Huskers appeared to gain set point at 26-25 on a kill by Sweet, but the point was reversed after video review showed an attack by Northwestern earlier in the rally hit the floor. Sweet's 12th kill gave the Huskers sideout once again. Thomas-Ailara and Sweet traded kills once again to put the score at 27-27, and Hames and Stivrins combined for a block to get match point at 28-27. Northwestern sided out before Stivrins terminated on the slide, and Sun ended the set and match with her 11th kill.
University of Nebraska Chancellor Ronnie Green and Athletic Director Bill Moos announced Friday plans to embark on construction of a new athletic facility housing the Nebraska football program. The ‘Go Big’ project will provide Nebraska Athletics with a facility that will be the largest of its kind in the country.
The new athletic complex will be approximately 350,000 square feet and will be constructed east and north of Memorial Stadium and will blend naturally into the University of Nebraska’s flagship campus. The facility will be convenient and beneficial for all 600-plus Husker student-athletes, and help Nebraska provide the most comprehensive student-athlete experience in the country.
Groundbreaking is expected to occur next summer with completion of the new complex scheduled for the summer of 2022. The $155 million project will link the new facility with Memorial Stadium and will also improve the fan experience at Memorial Stadium. Construction will include new vertical transportation for fans entering and exiting the North Stadium.
“Nebraska has been an innovator in college athletics going back to Coach Devaney and Coach Osborne,” Moos said. “We are making the investment to once again be a national leader in facilities, and continue our mission of competing at the highest level and building for championships.”
The facility will provide the Nebraska football program with a new locker room, strength and conditioning center, athletic medicine facility, equipment room, meeting rooms, coaches’ offices and an additional outdoor practice facility. Plans for the building also include the training table and academic support facilities for student-athletes across all 24 Nebraska sports.
The last major facility construction for the Nebraska football program was completed in 2006 with the opening of the Tom and Nancy Osborne Athletic Complex. Since that time, every Big Ten school has opened new football facilities or is in the planning stages of constructing a new facility.
The current football facilities were built to accommodate a roster of approximately 125 players. Head Coach Scott Frost has placed a renewed emphasis on the importance and mission of the storied Nebraska walk-on program. Nebraska’s 2019 roster has more than 150 student-athletes creating a need for an expanded locker room, weight room, athletic medicine and meeting spaces.
Nebraska owns the largest roster in the Power Five ranks this season and trails only the service academies among FBS schools.
“This new complex will give our football program everything we need to operate efficiently on a daily basis,” Frost said. “This building will showcase Nebraska and be a difference-maker as we sell our program to recruits from all parts of the country. It was also important that we design a building that benefits all of our student-athletes and helps position all of our teams to compete at the highest level.”
The addition of a new athletic complex continues a building boom on the University of Nebraska campus. When including projects that are newly completed, under construction or committed, UNL is investing more than $350 million in new or renovated facilities. Recently completed or upcoming projects include the College of Engineering, the Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts, Mabel Lee Hall and more than $50 million of facility investments on East Campus.
“We are investing more than $500 million to lead on a national stage—both in athletics and academics,” said Ronnie Green, Chancellor, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “And we appreciate all of the incredible public and private support we have for these efforts. This new facility is an exciting opportunity to ‘Go Big’ for Husker Football and all of our student-athletes.”
The footprint of the new athletic facility will sit on part of the current location of Ed Weir Track, the outdoor home of the Nebraska track and field program. As part of the facilities plan, Nebraska will construct a new outdoor track stadium north of the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Innovation Campus. The new outdoor track will be closer to Nebraska’s indoor track facility and coaches’ offices, which are housed at the Devaney Center.
The facility upgrades for the football and track program continue Nebraska Athletics’ commitment to championship facilities. Nebraska has partnered with the city of Lincoln to have the Husker basketball programs compete in Pinnacle Bank Arena, one of the nation’s top arenas. The renovated and modernized Bob Devaney Sports Center provides Nebraska with the nation’s top volleyball venue. The Husker soccer and tennis programs have opened new facilities in the past five years, and the men’s and women’s gymnastics programs will soon move into a new training facility.
"This facilities upgrade is another example of the commitment the Nebraska Athletic Department shows to dreaming big," Nebraska Volleyball Head Coach John Cook said. "When we renovated the Devaney Center in 2013, it changed the landscape of college volleyball with our record attendance numbers, and it certainly helped in attracting recruits who have helped us win two national championships and compete in four straight Final Fours. This new facilities project is another huge step forward for our athletic department.”
The Nebraska Athletic Department has a goal of raising approximately $100 million to fund the ‘Go Big’ project. Nebraska Athletics is one of only a handful of athletic departments in the nation who receive no state dollars or student fees and give funds back to the university. The Athletic Department annually provides more than $10 million to the general University fund, including $5 million to provide scholarships for non student-athletes.
| VOLLEYBALL |
|---|
Ashland-Greenwood def. Fort Calhoun, 25-22, 25-11, 25-22
Auburn def. Palmyra, 25-23, 16-25, 25-23, 13-25, 15-6
Beatrice def. Fairbury, 25-12, 25-16, 25-22
Bellevue West def. Omaha Burke, 25-16, 25-9, 25-19
Bruning-Davenport/Shickley def. Meridian, 25-20, 25-16, 25-23
Burwell def. Ainsworth, 25-22, 25-22, 13-25, 25-22
Cambridge def. Arapahoe, 25-13, 25-17, 25-13
Chadron def. Scottsbluff, 25-14, 22-25, 25-19, 25-20
Columbus Scotus def. Lincoln Christian, 23-25, 25-14, 25-21, 25-21
Cross County def. Palmer, 25-17, 25-8, 25-22
David City def. Schuyler, 3-0
Falls City Sacred Heart def. Lewiston, 25-16, 25-11, 25-12
Fremont def. Grand Island, 19-25, 21-25, 25-20, 25-20, 15-10
Garden County def. Paxton, 25-5, 25-14, 25-12
Giltner def. Nebraska Lutheran, 25-9, 25-17, 25-12
Grand Island Central Catholic def. Adams Central, 25-16, 26-28, 25-19, 25-14
Hartington-Newcastle def. Osmond, 25-18, 23-25, 20-25, 25-19, 15-7
Hastings def. North Platte, 27-25, 25-20, 26-24
Hastings St. Cecilia def. Sutton, 25-15, 25-13, 25-9
Heartland def. McCool Junction, 25-8, 25-8, 25-0
Hershey def. Southwest, 25-15, 25-23, 25-22
Humphrey St. Francis def. Bloomfield, 28-26, 25-11, 25-10
Johnson County Central def. Southern, 25-13, 28-26, 25-16
Johnson-Brock def. Freeman, 25-13, 25-13, 25-15
Kearney Catholic def. Grand Island Northwest, 18-25, 16-25, 25-20, 25-20, 15-10
Kenesaw def. Hampton, 25-14, 25-15, 25-22
Lawrence-Nelson def. Silver Lake, 25-13, 25-20, 25-8
Lincoln Lutheran def. Crete, 25-19, 25-11, 25-11
Lincoln Pius X def. Norfolk, 25-19, 25-14, 25-16
Lutheran High Northeast def. Pierce, 25-13, 25-17, 25-14
Malcolm def. Yutan, 25-6, 25-20, 25-19
Maywood-Hayes Center def. Wauneta-Palisade, 25-20, 25-17, 25-20
Mead def. Omaha Christian Academy, 25-9, 25-11, 25-6
Millard North def. Omaha Northwest, 25-9, 25-17, 25-16
Minden def. Gothenburg, 25-16, 25-15, 28-26
North Bend Central def. West Point-Beemer, 25-18, 25-17, 25-17
Omaha Gross Catholic def. Omaha Concordia, 25-16, 25-20, 20-25, 20-25, 15-8
Omaha Marian def. Papillion-LaVista South, 25-18, 22-25, 23-25, 25-14, 15-10
Platteview def. Douglas County West, 25-16, 25-11, 25-15
Seward def. Columbus, 25-13, 19-25, 25-16, 25-20
Summerland def. Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family, 3-0
Thayer Central def. Milford, 25-14, 20-25, 25-17, 29-27
Valentine def. Mullen, 25-18, 25-19, 16-25, 22-25, 15-9
Wausa def. Creighton, 25-18, 25-22, 25-23
| Arlington Triangular |
|---|
Guardian Angels def. Arlington, 25-16, 25-16
Oakland-Craig def. Guardian Angels, 25-18, 25-22
| Axtell Triangular |
|---|
Axtell def. Wilcox-Hildreth, 25-15, 25-17
Southern Valley def. Axtell, 25-19, 25-22
Southern Valley def. Wilcox-Hildreth, 25-14, 25-14
| Blue Hill Triangular |
|---|
Blue Hill def. Shelton, 25-8, 25-11
Blue Hill def. Red Cloud, 25-19, 25-7
Shelton def. Red Cloud, 25-22, 25-20
| Broken Bow Triangular |
|---|
Broken Bow def. Centura, 25-22, 29-27
Broken Bow def. Gibbon, 25-8, 25-18
Centura def. Gibbon, 25-17, 25-18
| Cedar Bluffs Triangular |
|---|
Cedar Bluffs def. Pender, 25-17, 25-19
Howells/Dodge def. Pender, 25-6, 25-19
Howells/Dodge def. Cedar Bluffs, 25-16, 25-17
| Conestoga Triangular |
|---|
Conestoga def. Weeping Water, 25-21, 25-18
Raymond Central def. Weeping Water, 25-17, 25-12
Raymond Central def. Conestoga, 25-17, 25-22
| Cozad Triangular |
|---|
Maxwell def. Cozad, 25-19, 22-25, 25-19
Sutherland def. Cozad, 25-9, 25-17
Sutherland def. Maxwell, 22-25, 25-12, 25-19
| Dorchester Triangular |
|---|
Shelby/Rising City def. High Plains Community, 28-26, 25-15
Shelby/Rising City def. Dorchester, 25-22, 25-12
| East Butler Triangular |
|---|
Aquinas def. East Butler, 25-17, 25-11
Aquinas def. Friend, 25-12, 25-9
East Butler def. Friend, 25-23, 25-15
| Elgin/Elgin Pope John Triangular |
|---|
Elgin Public/Pope John def. Riverside, 25-27, 25-15, 25-19
Nebraska Christian def. Riverside, 25-13, 25-13
Nebraska Christian def. Elgin Public/Pope John, 25-22, 25-10
| Elm Creek Triangular |
|---|
Elm Creek def. Sumner-Eddyville-Miller, 25-10, 25-17
Elm Creek def. Loomis, 25-22, 19-25, 25-19
Sumner-Eddyville-Miller def. Loomis, 28-26, 21-25, 25-16
| Fullerton Triangular |
|---|
Fullerton def. Osceola, 25-11, 25-22
Fullerton def. Elba, 25-8, 25-11
| Gering Triangular |
|---|
Gering def. Kimball, 25-10, 25-3
Sidney def. Gering, 25-21, 25-11
Sidney def. Kimball, 25-11, 25-11
| Hartington Cedar Catholic Triangular |
|---|
O'Neill def. Hartington Cedar Catholic, 25-23, 25-17
Wayne def. O'Neill, 25-18, 25-18
Wayne def. Hartington Cedar Catholic, 21-25, 26-24, 25-15
| Hay Springs Triangular |
|---|
Leyton def. Hay Springs, 26-24, 25-27, 28-26
Mitchell def. Hay Springs, 25-12, 25-15
| Lourdes Central Catholic Triangular |
|---|
Nebraska City Lourdes def. Falls City, 2-0
Syracuse def. Nebraska City Lourdes, 25-11, 23-25, 25-20
Syracuse def. Falls City, 25-7, 25-16
| Nebraska City Triangular |
|---|
Nebraska City def. Ralston, 27-29, 25-17, 25-15
Omaha Roncalli def. Nebraska City, 25-12, 14-24, 25-21
Omaha Roncalli def. Ralston, 25-9, 25-16
| Omaha Brownell-Talbot Triangular |
|---|
Humboldt/Table Rock-Steinauer def. Omaha Brownell-Talbot, 2-0
Omaha Brownell-Talbot def. Cornerstone Christian, 25-12, 25-16
| Overton Triangular |
|---|
Amherst def. Hi-Line, 21-25, 25-18, 25-23
Overton def. Hi-Line, 25-21, 25-19
Overton def. Amherst, 25-15, 25-22
| Winside Triangular |
|---|
Walthill def. Santee, 25-21, 28-26
Winside def. Walthill, 25-7, 25-5
Winside def. Santee, 25-9, 25-13
| Wisner-Pilger Triangular |
|---|
Battle Creek def. Wisner-Pilger, 25-23, 25-19
Battle Creek def. Crofton, 25-10, 25-13
Wisner-Pilger def. Crofton, 25-21, 25-10
| Wynot Triangular |
|---|
Laurel-Concord/Coleridge def. Wakefield-Allen, 25-21, 15-25, 25-16
Wynot def. Laurel-Concord/Coleridge, 25-13, 25-22
Wynot def. Wakefield-Allen, 25-17, 25-21
PREP FOOTBALL=
Cambridge 58, Arapahoe 8
Central Valley 56, Clearwater/Orchard 6
Columbus Scotus 35, Raymond Central 14
Elwood 52, Anselmo-Merna 28
Hartington-Newcastle 38, Randolph 32
Kearney 62, Omaha Benson 0
Lincoln Southeast 24, Omaha North 7
Millard West 74, Omaha Bryan 6
Morrill 50, Perkins County 14
Norfolk 31, Omaha South 28
Omaha Roncalli 24, Bennington 14
St. Mary's 42, Stuart 6
West Holt 63, Ainsworth 34
Nissan Heisman House Highlights Saturday’s Top Attractions at Pavilion
The Husker Nation Pavilion located at Ed Weir Track & Field Stadium will open at a special time – 11 a.m. Saturday – seven-and-a-half hours in advance of the Nebraska football team’s game with Ohio State at Memorial Stadium.
Husker Nation Pavilion will be located just steps away from the ESPN College GameDay stage, and will provide a fun space for fans to continue pregame festivities prior to Nebraska’s kickoff with Ohio State, which is set for 6:30 p.m.
The family-friendly options at the Husker Nation Pavilion include inflatable games, face painters, balloon artists and the HyVee Autograph Zone. In addition, two live bands will be playing during the day inside the Pavilion. Starting at 3 p.m., Chick-Fil-A will be selling sandwiches inside Husker Nation Pavilion.
Rodgers, Crouch to Appear at Nissan Heisman House
Special attractions this Saturday at the Husker Nation Pavilion include Husker Heisman Trophy winners Eric Crouch and Johnny Rodgers along with ESPN’s Mike Golic Jr., as part of the Nissan Heisman House Tour. Johnny Rodgers will be at the Nissan Heisman House from 2 to 3:30 p.m., while Eric Crouch will appear at the Heisman House from 4 to 5:30 p.m.
East Stadium, College of Business Huskers Shops to Open at 11 a.m.
The Huskers Shop inside East Stadium, at the University of Nebraska College of Business, and at the satellite store (Fanatics Trailer near Stadium Gate 22) will open at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Other outside locations for the Huskers Shop will open at 1 p.m.
Top of the World Hat Company -- Offering Special Customization Offer
Top of the World Hat is offering free customization for any fan who purchases a Top of the World Hat on Saturday. A table will be set up outside the Fanatics Trailer (Gate 22) and fans can choose from hundreds of customization options, including area code or Gameday patches, while supplies last. The customization generally takes less than one minute. The Fanatics location will begin offering the customization at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
360, Ultra-High Res, Interactive Fan Panoramic Photo Offered Saturday
Husker fans also will have a special opportunity on Saturday to find themselves in an ultra-high resolution, 360-degree panoramic fan photo taken during the game. Fans who would like to star in this interactive fan photo with the ability to rotate, zoom, tag and share online, in addition to being entered to win prizes, can text HUSKERS to 800-334-7266 to receive a notification when the photo is ready.
• Both matches this weekend can also be heard on Husker Sports Network radio affiliates, including 107.3 FM in Lincoln and 105.9 FM in Omaha. A live audio stream will be provided at Huskers.com and also on the official Huskers app. John Baylor is in his 26th season doing play-by-play for the Husker volleyball program. Lauren (Cook) West, a former All-America setter for the Huskers, will provide color commentary.
Series History
• Nebraska is 26-8-1 all-time against Illinois. Nebraska won at Illinois last year on Sept. 29, 3-1, but Illinois returned the favor in Lincoln on Oct. 27, 3-1. The teams met for a third time in the NCAA Semifinals in Minneapolis, where Nebraska rallied from down 0-2 to defeat the Ilini, 3-2, and advance to the NCAA Championship match against Stanford. The Huskers have won seven of the last eight meetings with the Illini. Illinois head coach Chris Tamas and his wife, Jen, were on the coaching staff of Nebraska's 2015 NCAA Championship team.
• Nebraska is 13-1 all-time against Northwestern. The Huskers have won nine straight in the series, including six sweeps in a row.
Coaches
• John Cook: 20th year at Nebraska (568-77); 27th year overall (729-150)
• Chris Tamas: 3rd year at Illinois (60-19)
• Shane Davis: 4th year at Northwestern (49-59); 16th year overall (314-147)
About the Huskers
• Nebraska got back on the winning track last Saturday with a 3-0 sweep at home against Wichita State to improve to 8-1 on the season.
• The Huskers suffered their first loss of the year on Sept. 18, a 3-1 defeat to second-ranked Stanford, in front of a school-record crowd of 8,632.
• Nebraska is 7-1 all-time in Big Ten openers. The lone defeat was in 2012 at Penn State.
• Nebraska has a .135 opponent hitting percentage this season, which ranks first in the Big Ten.
• The Huskers have held five of their nine opponents below .100 hitting this season.
• The Huskers rank second among Big Ten teams with 15.76 digs per set. Freshman libero Kenzie Knuckles leads the team with 4.03 digs per set.
• Lexi Sun leads the Huskers with 3.64 kills per set on .270 hitting this season. The junior from Encinitas, California was named the MVP of the Ameritas Players Challenge after a career-high 23 kills against Loyola Marymount.
• All-America middle blocker Lauren Stivrins leads the Huskers in blocks with 1.24 per set. She is also putting up 2.24 kills per set on .310 hitting.
• Sophomore setter Nicklin Hames is averaging 9.91 assists and 3.27 digs per set. She has five double-doubles this season.
Scouting Illinois
• Illinois (5-4) has won three matches in a row after a four-match skid.
• Jacqueline Quade leads all Big Ten players with 4.64 kills per set.
• Ashlyn Fleming is averaging 1.15 blocks per set along with 2.46 kills per set on .359 hitting.
Scouting Northwestern
• Northwestern (9-3) hosts Iowa on Friday night before facing the Big Red. The Wildcats have not faced a ranked team yet this season.
• The Wildcats are holding their opponents to a .173 hitting percentage this season.
• Freshman Temi Thomas-Ailara leads the team with 3.98 kills per set and has 19 aces this year.
Huskers Ranked No. 3 in AVCA Coaches Poll
• Nebraska is ranked No. 3 in the AVCA Coaches Poll this week.
• The Huskers have been ranked No. 1 in 100 all-time polls, the most in NCAA history. The Huskers held the No. 1 ranking this season the week of Sept. 16.
• The Huskers have been ranked in the top 10 a total of 491 times, which is also the most in NCAA history.
• Nebraska has appeared in all 547 AVCA Coaches Polls since it was established in 1982. Nebraska and Stanford are the only two programs to be ranked in every poll all-time.
Three Huskers Named to Preseason All-Big Ten Team
• Nicklin Hames, Lauren Stivrins and Lexi Sun were all voted to the 14-player preseason team by the conference's head coaches. Additionally, the Huskers were picked second in the preseason poll behind Wisconsin. Minnesota was third.
• Stivrins, a Scottsdale, Arizona native, had a breakout sophomore season to earn first-team All-Big Ten and first-team AVCA All-America honors in 2018. The Huskers' co-captain averaged 2.36 kills per set and had a hitting percentage of .421, the third-highest mark in school history and the No. 3 mark in the nation last season. Stivrins was selected to the NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team after a career-high 19 kills on .615 hitting in the championship match against No. 1 Stanford.
• Hames, a sophomore from Maryville, Tennessee, set the Huskers to the NCAA Championship match as a true freshman. The Huskers' co-captain finished the season with 10.49 assists per set and 3.32 digs per set, along with 40 service aces, second-most on the team. Hames had 25 double-doubles during the 2018 season, which broke Jordan Larson's school record for double-doubles. She tallied a career-best 62 assists in the NCAA final against Stanford with 12 digs.
• Sun, a junior from Encinitas, California, is Nebraska's top returning kills leader. She averaged 3.11 kills per set and 2.69 digs per set in 2018, her first season as a Husker. Sun was one of NU's top servers with 30 aces on the season, and she played a big role for the Huskers down the stretch with 19 kills and 12 digs in the NCAA Semifinal win over Illinois.
"29,029" and "To Be Continued..."
• The 2019 Nebraska volleyball team has two slogans for the season: 29,029 and To Be Continued...
• 29,029 is the elevation in feet of Mount Everest. The Huskers, who nearly reached the peak of college volleyball in 2018 before coming up three points short against Stanford, are using the memory of that defeat to motivate them in 2019. The Huskers will play 29 regular-season matches, and head coach John Cook said the hardest part of climbing Mount Everest is the final 29 feet. "Many people say the elevation is 29,000 feet, forgetting the final 29 feet. We got to that 29,000 (in 2018). We didn't get that last 29 feet. All the bad things happen in the last 29 feet. People mentally let go, they're exhausted, they get stuck. Our whole theme is we've got to figure out how to get the last 29 feet."
• The Huskers also have a team slogan of "To Be Continued..." in 2019. The slogan references the Huskers continuing what they couldn't quite finish in 2018 - winning an NCAA Championship. It also means carrying on the recent success of the program (four straight NCAA Semifinals appearances) and preparing to bring back the entire team for the 2020 season, as the Huskers have no seniors on their roster for the first time in program history. The ellipsis signifies the three points that separated the Huskers from a national championship in 2018.
Foecke and Maloney Leave Big Shoes to Fill
• This year, the Huskers are without two players who led the program to four straight final fours from 2015-18 in Mikaela Foecke and Kenzie Maloney. The All-Americans both graduated, leaving big production to replace at outside hitter and libero. Foecke and Maloney won two NCAA titles, two Big Ten titles and won more postseason matches than any other player in Husker history.
• Stivrins, Hames and Sweet are among 10 returning players who are being counted on to step up for the Huskers. Jazz Sweet also returns to lead the Huskers on the right side, and sophomore Callie Schwarzenbach is back after breaking the Nebraska freshman record for blocks last season with 177. Sophomore hitter Capri Davis played a big role last year coming off the bench, and sophomore Megan Miller and Hayley junior Densberger both have a plethora of experience in the back row.
• A group of six freshmen help offset the loss of the most decorated senior class in school history. Three of the six newcomers - outside hitter Madi Kubik, middle blocker Riley Zuhn, libero Kenzie Knuckles - were PrepVolleyball.com All-Americans and ranked among the top 40 prospects in the 2019 class. The Huskers' incoming class was ranked No. 2 by PrepVolleyball.com.
Huskers Visit Asia in Summer of 2019
• The Nebraska volleyball team took a 17-day trip to Japan and China over the summer. The Huskers took on top professional teams from the two countries during the trip, winning about half of the sets they played. Head Coach John Cook called it "by far the best" of the five trips his teams have taken to Asia in his 20 years at Nebraska.
• In addition to the highly competitive matches, the Huskers also toured numerous sites in Asia, including the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and the Great Wall of China. With six newcomers and no seniors on the roster for the 2019 season, the trip was a great opportunity for the team to bond on and off the court, a team that will spend the next two years playing together.
• The NCAA allows a team to take a foreign trip every four years, and Cook has made it a habit to take his team to Asia. Previous trips have usually paid off with successful seasons. In the last four seasons following a Cook-led foreign trip, Nebraska has responded by winning three conference titles and two national championships.
• Cook took his first team to Asia prior to the 2000 season, his first as Nebraska's head coach. The Huskers responded with a 34-0 season and the program's second national championship.
• In 2006, Cook took his team back to Asia and the results were the same: another national championship. The Huskers went 33-1 following their international trip and capped the national title with a 3-1 victory over Stanford in front of 17,209 fans at the Qwest Center in Omaha.
• Nebraska went back to Asia in 2010. Although NU did not win the national title that year, it did put together a 29-3 season that included a Big Ten title. Nebraska took a No. 3 ranking into the NCAA Tournament but was upset in a four-set loss at No. 11 Washington in the NCAA Regional Semifinal.
• The Huskers' last Asia trip in 2014 with only one senior was followed by a 23-10 season. But the following year saw that young group go on to win the program's fourth national title.
Nebraska Fans Continue Record-Setting Consecutive Sellout Streak
• Nebraska volleyball holds an NCAA women's record 260 consecutive regular-season sellouts.
• Nebraska led the nation in attendance in 2018 for the sixth straight year since moving into the Bob Devaney Sports Center in 2013, averaging 8,205 fans per match.
• Nebraska has ranked in the top three nationally in attendance every season since 1990 (28 straight seasons).
• Nebraska set a new school record for attendance - 8,632 - against No. 2 Stanford on Sept. 18.
AVCA Hall of Fame Head Coach John Cook in 20th Season at Nebraska
• Nebraska head coach John Cook is in his 20th season as the Nebraska volleyball head coach in 2019. He has led the Huskers to four national championships, nine final fours, 12 conference championships and 17 top-10 final rankings since 2000.
• Cook has 729 career wins and is one of the all-time winningest coaches in NCAA history. Since taking over the program in 2000, Cook has led the Huskers to a nation-leading .881 win percentage in that time (568-77).
• Under Cook, the Huskers have achieved 55 AVCA All-Americans and 19 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, both among the best in the nation. He is a two-time AVCA National Coach of the Year, earning the prestigious honor in 2000 and 2005, and a seven-time conference coach of the year, including Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2016 and 2017, his first and second Big Ten honors with the Huskers in their Big Ten era (2011-present).
• Cook is one of only four active coaches - and one of six all-time - to be a two-time AVCA National Coach of the Year and was honored in 2008 by USA Volleyball, receiving its All-Time Great Coach Award.
• Cook was inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame in 2017, joining former Husker volleyball coach Terry Pettit in the hall.
• Cook became the ninth active Division I head coach to reach 700 career wins in 2018.
Elkhorn def. Bennington, 25-9, 25-12, 25-12
Ponca def. Bancroft-Rosalie/Lyons-Decatur, 25-17, 25-18, 25-23
| Cedar Bluffs Triangular |
|---|
Cedar Bluffs def. Elba, 25-17, 25-3
Heartland Christian, Iowa def. Elba, 25-17, 25-15
| Maywood Tournament |
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Hi-Line def. Arthur County, 25-6, 25-13
Maywood-Hayes Center def. South Platte, 25-19, 25-11
| Consolation |
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Arthur County def. South Platte, 23-25, 26-24, 25-20
| Championship |
|---|
Maywood-Hayes Center def. Hi-Line, 25-17, 25-11
| Palmyra Triangular |
|---|
Malcolm def. Palmyra, 25-9, 25-15
York def. Palmyra, 25-7, 25-27, 25-16
York def. Malcolm, 25-23, 25-15
The University of Nebraska will host ESPN’s College GameDay on Saturday in Lincoln marking the show’s first trip to Lincoln since 2007.
ESPN will originate the show on the east side of Memorial Stadium, just outside the Nebraska Coliseum. College GameDay will air live on Saturday morning from 8-11 a.m. CT, with live segments from Lincoln on other ESPN platforms beginning at 6 a.m.
ESPN’s College Football Live will originate from Lincoln on Friday afternoon at 2 p.m. from the same location.
In order to accommodate College GameDay, Husker fans should be aware of the following parking information:
· All football donor lots will open at 6:00 a.m. Saturday morning, with the exception of Lot 12. Donors with valid parking permits will have their parking permit stubbed upon entry into the lot. Donors will not be allowed to exit the lot and re-enter after having their parking permit stubbed, and should plan to park in public parking cashiered locations for a fee if planning to exit and return closer to game time.
· Donors who wish to park near Memorial Stadium Saturday morning, attend ESPN’s College GameDay show, and leave at the conclusion of the show, should plan to utilize public cashiered parking locations surrounding Memorial Stadium. All general public cashiered parking will be available beginning at 6:00 a.m. This includes Haymarket Park lots, the Pinnacle Bank Arena Festival Lot, and some UNL Campus Parking lots.
· Donors holding Lot 12 parking passes will receive direct communication from the Huskers Athletic Fund staff.
University of Nebraska students who are interested in watching the show from College GameDay’s Pit will have access to that area beginning at 5:30 a.m. on Saturday. Students who enter this area will be screened and must adhere to all of ESPN’s rules for being located in the pit area. No food or drink is allowed in the area, and screening will include bag checks and inspection of all signs. Sign restrictions include: no vulgar, political or religious signs. Also, signs can’t promote outside brands or websites.
For fans who do not want to be part of the pit area, there will be plenty of space outside the East Stadium to enjoy the show, and come and go as they please.
More information regarding ESPN’s College GameDay and related activities for the upcoming weekend will be communicated throughout the week.
