Huskers Host Minnesota Live on BTN

No. 4 Nebraska vs. No. 19 Minnesota • Wednesday, Nov. 16 • NU Coliseum • 7 p.m.

TV: BTN (live)
Web Video: BTN2Go
Radio: Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and KTWI 93.3 FM in Omaha, and on Huskers.com
Live Stats: huskers.com

The No. 4 Nebraska volleyball team will host the No. 19 Minnesota Gophers on Wednesday, Nov. 16 at the NU Coliseum at 7 p.m. The match will air live on BTN.

The Huskers (21-3, 14-2) went 1-1 over the weekend, sweeping Indiana 3-0, but falling to No. 10 Purdue 3-0 the following night.

Minnesota and Nebraska have met 31 times, with NU holding a 27-4 record over the Gophers. The last time the two teams met was on Oct. 15 when Nebraska posted a comeback 3-2 win over Minnesota (28-30, 19-25, 25-10, 25-12, 15-11).

Fans will be able to see the match live on BTN with Kevin Kugler calling the action and Megan Bower adding analysis. It can also be viewed on BTN2Go.

Fans can listen to all of the action with John Baylor and Diane Mendenhall on the 25-station Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and Twister 93.3 FM in Omaha. Fans outside the state will also be able to catch the live audio feed for free on Huskers.com.

Getting to Know the Gophers

Location: Minneapolis, Minn.

Enrollment: 51,721

Nickname: Golden Gophers

Colors: Maroon and Gold

Interim Head Coach: Laura Bush (Illinois, '90)

Record at School: First Year

Overall Record: 100-164 (9 years)

Asst. Coaches: Alfee Raft, Chris Tamas

2010 Record: 16-9

2010 Big Ten Record: 14-6

2010 Postseason: NCAA Regional Semifinalist

2010 Final Ranking: 10th

Letterwinners R/L: 10/2

Starters R/L: 6/1+1

Series Record: Nebraska leads, 27-4

Last Meeting: NU won, 3-2 (10/15/11)

Last NU Win: 10/15/11

Last NU Loss: 10/4/80

Longest NU Winning Streak: 13

Current NU Winning Streak: 5

Two sets: 8-2

Three sets: 6-1

Four sets: 8-0

Five sets: 5-1

All-Time Nebraska/Minnesota Series (NU Leads 27-4)

Sept. 30, 1977         T, 15-10, 15-17

Oct. 14, 1978          W, 15-12, 8-15, 15-12

Oct. 3, 1980           W, 15-5, 15-17, 15-11

Sept. 10, 1982         W, 15-10, 15-8

Sept. 11, 1982         W, 15-5, 15-5, 15-11

Sept. 21, 1986         W, 15-10, 15-7, 12-15, 15-6

Dec. 13, 1986         W, 15-9, 15-8, 15-3

Sept. 26, 1987         W, 15-10, 12-15, 16-14, 13-15, 15-8

Dec. 11, 1987         L, 11-15, 12-15, 5-15

Sept. 17, 1988         L, 14-16, 15-8, 1-15, 9-15

Nov. 11, 1989         L, 15-13, 6-15, 15-11, 8-15, 12-15

Dec. 9, 1989           W, 17-15, 15-5, 15-8

Sept. 21, 1990         W, 6-15, 13-15, 15-9, 15-8, 15-8

Oct. 6, 1991           W, 15-7, 15-7, 15-1

Dec. 7, 1991           W, 15-5, 15-8, 15-12

Sept. 11, 1992         L, 7-15, 14-16, 15-3, 12-15

Dec. 10, 1992         L, 10-15, 7-15, 10-15

Nov. 23, 1993         W, 15-4, 15-12, 15-7

Oct. 25, 1994          W, 15-9, 15-6, 15-10

Aug. 30, 2003          W, 30-27, 30-20, 30-20

Sept. 11, 2010         W, 21-25, 21-25, 25-22, 25-14, 16-14

Oct. 15, 2011          W, 28-30, 19-25, 25-10, 25-12, 15-11

Scouting the Minnesota Gophers

• The Gophers are 15-10 on the year, heading into their match-up with the Huskers on Wednesday.
• Minnesota went 1-1 last weekend, sweeping Michigan State 3-0 on Friday, Nov. 11. The Gophers then lost to Michigan 3-0 on Saturday, Nov. 12.
• In the match against the Spartans, Minnesota was led by Ashley Wittman with 11 kills and 11 digs for her 15th double-double of the season. Katherine Harms had 10 kills, while Hailey Cowles had seven and a match-high 17 digs. Kellie McNeil had a match-high 35 assists and a career-high four aces.
• The Gophers were led by Harms and Tori Dixon in their match against Michigan, as both had double digit kills. Harms had a double-double with 13 kills and 12 digs, while Dixon finished the match with 11 kills, nine digs, two blocks and a service ace. She also had a team-high hitting percentage of .417.
• Wittman leads Minnesota with 451 kills on the year and 4.60 per set. Dixon has 267 kills and 2.72 per set, while Harms has 231 kills and 2.78 per set.
• At setter, Mia Tabberson has 883 assists, averaging 11.77 per set.
• Defensively, Jessica Granquist leads the team with 441 digs this season and an average of 4.50 digs per set. Wittman has 279 digs, while Cowles has 270 digs on the season.
• In the Big Ten standings, Minnesota ranks eighth in hitting percentage (.228), third in assists (13.19), 11th in blocks (1.90), fifth in digs (15.39), 10th in opponent hitting percentage (.208), third in kills (13.94) and seventh in aces (1.10).
• Dixon ranks fourth (.353) in the Big Ten in hitting percentage, while Ariana Filho is eighth (.323). Tabberson is first in assists (11.77), and Wittman is second in kills (4.60). Dixon is also fifth in aces (0.35), while Granquist is fourth in digs (4.50).

The Last Time Nebraska and Minnesota Met (Oct. 15, 2011)

Minneapolis, Minn. - The No. 5 Nebraska volleyball team (15-1, 8-0) posted a 3-2 (28-30, 19-25, 25-10, 25-12, 15-11) victory over No. 14 Minnesota at Williams Arena. In front of 9,334 fans, the Huskers overcame a feisty Gopher squad in their fifth five-set win of the season.

Gina Mancuso led NU for the match with 18 kills on 46 attacks. Morgan Broekhuis and Hannah Werth both had 15 kills, with Werth notching her second double-double of the weekend with 17 digs. Mancuso also tallied a double-double as she had 15 digs. Lauren Cook tabbed 45 assists for NU while Lara Dykstra had a team-high 23 digs.

Nebraska hit .243 for the match while Minnesota hit .111. The Huskers out-blocked the Gophers 17-8 and had 85 team digs.

Big Ten Weekly Awards

(3 honors by 2 players)        

Gina Mancuso

Co-Player of the Week (Sept. 26)

Mancuso averaged 3.7 kills per set with a .319 hitting percentage, along with 1.6 digs and 0.4 blocks per set in the Huskers' back-to-back wins over Penn State and Ohio State. She recorded a double-double against Penn State with 22 kills and 10 digs, marking the fifth double-double of her career. She also tied her career-high mark for attacks against Penn State.

Player of the Week (Oct. 23)

Mancuso posted 4.1 kills, 3.3 digs and 1.0 block per set in Nebraska's wins over the Hawkeyes and Fighting Illini. She recorded her 10th double-double of the season with 15 kills and 14 digs, adding five blocks and two aces to help the Huskers take down Illinois. She also notched 14 kills, nine digs and two blocks against Iowa. Her efforts helped Nebraska earn its first win over a top-ranked opponent since 1990. The honor marked the second conference player-of-the-week award for Mancuso.

Hannah Werth

Player of the Week (Oct. 17)

Werth averaged 4.0 kills and 2.9 digs per set and recorded a .385 hitting percentage in back-to-back wins at Wisconsin and Minnesota. She posted 17 kills on .536 hitting and added 10 digs against the Badgers. Werth recorded her second double-double of the weekend against the Gophers, tallying 15 kills and 17 digs while adding six blocks.

The honor marked the first conference player-of-the-week award for Werth this season and made her the second Nebraska volleyball player to earn a Big Ten weekly award.

Scouting the Huskers

• Nebraska is 21-3 in 2011 and enters this weekend's matches ranked No. 4 in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll.
• The Huskers are 18-1 this season when holding opponents below .200 hitting. Nebraska is 3-2 when opposing teams hit above .200.
• Nebraska has totaled double-digit blocks in 12 matches this season, including a season-high 18 blocks against Michigan.
• The Huskers tallied a season-low six errors against Albany on Sept. 3. The last time NU had six errors or less in a match was against Sacred Heart on Dec. 2, 2010.
• As of Nov. 6, Nebraska ranked second in the Big Ten in hitting percentage (.265), seventh in assists (12.59), third in blocks (2.63), ninth in digs (14.70), second in opponent hitting percentage (.147), sixth in kills (13.53) and 12th in aces (0.84).
• Gina Mancuso has 326 kills so far in 2011, averaging 3.62 per set.
• Mancuso was named the Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday, Oct. 24 after leading the Huskers over previously top-ranked Illinois and the Co-Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday, Sept. 26 after her stellar weekend against Penn State and Ohio State.
• Werth was named the Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday, Oct. 17, after solid outings at Wisconsin and Minnesota.
• Lara Dykstra has 327 digs so far in her freshman campaign, averaging 3.63 per set. She currently ranks third in the all-time freshman digs record at Nebraska.
• Lauren Cook has totaled 917 assists in 2011, averaging 11.05 per set.
• Brigette Root made her first career start at setter against Michigan on Friday, Nov. 4. She notched the first double-double of her career with 25 assists and 11 digs.
• As of Nov. 13, the Huskers ranked 25th nationally in blocks per set with 2.63. NU was 17th in hitting percentage at .265. Lauren Cook ranked 31st nationally in assists per set (11.05) and Hayley Thramer was 38th in blocks per set (1.23).
• Nebraska continued its string of All-America success in 2010, as Brooke Delano, Lindsey Licht and Hannah Werth were named AVCA All-Americans. The trio upped Nebraska's NCAA-leading totals to 34 players and 70 certificates. Nebraska has had at least one All-American every season since 1983, a total of 29 straight seasons, including 35 All-America awards in Cook's 11 years at Nebraska.
• Nebraska has eight players on its 2011 roster who were Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 selections, representing the top 50 players in that year's recruiting class.

Year       Players

2008       Allison McNeal

2009       Gina Mancuso, Hannah Werth, Hayley Thramer, Lauren Cook

2010       Morgan Broekhuis

2011       Lara Dykstra, Taylor Simpson

Tough Tests

With the match against No. 19 Minnesota on Wednesday, Nebraska will take on its 13th top-25 team this season.

Opponent                                 Result

at No. 15 Colorado State           L, 3-2
vs. No. 12 Iowa State                W, 3-0
vs. No. 5 Penn State                 W, 3-2
vs. No. 24 Ohio State                W, 3-1
at No. 11 Michigan                    W, 3-0
vs. No. 11 Purdue                     W, 3-1
at No. 14 Minnesota                  W, 3-2
vs. No. 1 Illinois                        W, 3-1
at No. 23 Ohio State                  W, 3-1
at No. 8 Penn State                   L, 3-1
vs. No. 23 Michigan                   W, 3-1
at No. 10 Purdue                       L, 3-0

Cook Reaches 500

With the Huskers' win over Albany on Sept. 3, Head Coach John Cook tallied his 500th win as a head coach.

First Place

With only two losses in conference play, Nebraska sits in first place in the Big Ten standings, checking in at 14-2.

No Place Like Nebraska

Nebraska celebrated a streak of 150 consecutive sellouts at the NU Coliseum on Sept. 8. It is the longest continuing sellout streak across all NCAA women's athletics. The Huskers averaged 4,632 fans per home contest last season. As of Nov. 14, Nebraska ranks second nationally in current home win streaks with 34.

Small Membership

Lara Dykstra became just the seventh true freshman to start a season opener during Head Coach John Cook's era at Nebraska. Sophomore Morgan Broekhuis was the last Husker to do so in 2010.

Dykstra Digging

Through the first 24 matches of her collegiate career, freshman Lara Dykstra has notched 327 digs of her own and an average of 3.63 digs per set. Her 28 digs against New Mexico State ranked ninth in Nebraska volleyball single-match performances and were the highest total by a Husker since 2009.

Thramer Makes Impact

Sophomore Hayley Thramer made her first career start at New Mexico on Aug. 27. She notched a career-high 10 blocks against Illinois on Oct. 22. She currently ranks sixth in the Big Ten in blocks, averaging 1.23 per set.

Volleyball Blackshirts

Nebraska held Iowa to a .000 hitting percentage on Oct. 19, marking the lowest percentage for a Nebraska opponent this season. The Huskers held Albany to a .038 hitting percentage for the match, Creighton to a .053 hitting percentage on Sept. 8, Indiana to a .022 hitting percentage on Oct. 8 and Michigan State to a .026 hitting percentage of Nov. 5.

Producing Double-Doubles

Five Huskers have combined for 35 double-doubles in 2011, with Mancuso tallying 10, Broekhuis tabbing four, Root adding one, Werth notching seven of her own and Cook adding 13.

Gina Mancuso  |  2011 (10)  |  NU Career (10), All (10)

Opponent (Date)                       K          A          D          B

New Mexico State (Aug. 26)       16         0          14         2
Colorado State (Sept. 2)             24         3          10         1
Creighton (Sept. 8)                    12         0          10         1
Saint Mary's (Sept. 9)                15         1          11         3
Iowa State (Sept. 17)                 14         0          11         1
Penn State (Sept. 21)                22         0          10         2
Michigan State (Sept. 30)           12         1          10         3
Purdue (Oct. 7)                          16         0          19         0
Minnesota (Oct. 15)                   18         0          15         5
Illinois (Oct. 22)                         15         0          14         5

Lauren Cook |  2011 (13)  |  NU Career (32)

Opponent (Date)                       K          A          D          B

New Mexico State (Aug. 26)       1          51         10         0
New Mexico (Aug. 27)                0          40         12         1
Colorado State (Sept. 2)             2          49         12         2
Albany (Sept. 3)                        2          34         13         1
Creighton (Sept. 8)                    5          33         13         0
Penn State (Sept. 21)                1          53         17         2
Ohio State (Sept. 24)                 4          41         14         3
Purdue (Oct. 7)                          0          51         12         1
Wisconsin (Oct. 14)                   1          38         11         0
Minnesota (Oct. 15)                   2          45         19         0
Iowa (Oct. 19)                            4          32         16         0
Illinois (Oct. 22)                         0          54         13         0
Penn State (Oct. 29)                  1          32         11         0

Hannah Werth |  2011 (7)  |  NU Career (29), All (29)

Opponent (Date)                       K          A          D          B

Colorado State (Sept. 2)            12         0          15         1
St. Mary's (Sept. 9)                   10         1          11         1
Wisconsin (Oct. 14)                   17         0          10         0
Minnesota (Oct. 15)                   15         2          17         6
Illinois (Oct. 22)                         14         1          17         0
Ohio State (Oct. 28)                   11         1          13         3
Michigan State (Nov. 5)             11         0          10         3

Morgan Broekhuis |  2011 (4)  |  NU Career (4), All (4)

Opponent (Date)                       K          A          D          B

Iowa State (Sept. 17)                 11         2          10         4

Penn State (Sept. 21)                12         4          11         4
Purdue (Oct. 7)                          13         2          10         2
Illinois (Oct. 22)                         17         2          11         4

Brigette Root |  2011 (1)  |  NU Career (1), All (1)

Opponent (Date)                       K          A          D          B

Michigan (Nov. 4)                      5          35         11         2

Broekhuis Breakout

Morgan Broekhuis recorded the first double-double of her career against Iowa State on Sept. 17, with 11 kills and 10 digs. She has notched three others this season. Her 22 kills at Michigan State on Sept. 30 marked a career high her.

Mancuso Paving Her Way

Gina Mancuso has notched 10 double-doubles so far in 2011, most recently against Illinois on Oct. 22. She tallied 15 kills and 14 digs to lead NU against the Fighting Illini.