Huskers Back at Home to Host Penn State, Northwestern

MATCH PREVIEW
• The No. 3 Nebraska volleyball team will play at home for the first time in 20 days when it hosts No. 14 Penn State on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Since beating No. 7 Ohio State on Sept. 24 at the Devaney Center in five sets, the Huskers have won four straight matches on the road – dropping only one set – over the last two weeks. Following Friday’s match, the Huskers will have Saturday off before welcoming Northwestern to the Devaney Center at 2 p.m. on Sunday. That match will be the Huskers’ annual “Pink Match” to honor breast cancer survivors and raise awareness about the importance of early detection.
• Nebraska (14-1, 6-0 Big Ten) is riding a seven-match win streak and is the only Big Ten team without a conference loss after six matches played. The Huskers swept Michigan State and No. 24 Michigan last week on the road.
• Friday’s match against Penn State will be televised on Big Ten Network and streamed on FoxSports.com. Sunday’s match will be televised on Nebraska Public Media and streamed on B1G+ (subscription required).
• The Huskers Radio Network will broadcast all the action on their radio affiliates, including 107.3 FM in Lincoln and AM 590 in Omaha. A live audio stream will be provided at Huskers.com and the Huskers app. John Baylor is in his 29th 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.

NOTING THE HUSKERS

• Nebraska is hitting .252 as a team and are holding their opponents to .118 hitting, which leads the nation. The Huskers rank 14th nationally at 2.72 blocks per set.

• In Big Ten matches only, Nebraska ranks first in opponent hitting percentage (.105), first in opponent kills (10.33 per set), tied for first in service aces (1.76) and first in opponent service aces (0.48).

• Nebraska’s 14-1 start to the season matches its best start since 2016, when the Big Red went 26-1 before a Nov. 23 loss at Minnesota.

• Outside hitter Madi Kubik is averaging a team-high 3.37 kills per set and adds 2.20 digs per set. Kubik surpassed 1,000 career kills on Sept. 10 against Long Beach State, becoming the 24th Husker all-time to reach that mark. The senior from West Des Moines, Iowa is coming off a 15-kill, .519 performance at Michigan on Saturday.

• Outside hitter Whitney Lauenstein is averaging 3.14 kills per set and has a team-high 14 service aces. Lauenstein had a career-high 25 kills on .385 hitting in a win at No. 17 Creighton on Sept. 7. It was the most kills by a Husker in a match since Mikaela Foecke had 27 kills in the NCAA Championship match against Stanford in 2018.

• Middle blocker Kaitlyn Hord is averaging 1.49 kills and a team-best .333 hitting percentage and 1.53 blocks per set, which ranks seventh nationally. Hord ranks among the NCAA active career leaders in three categories. Entering the week, the Penn State grad transfer ranks No. 2 among active NCAA Division I players in career blocks (593), No. 3 in blocks per set (1.33) and is No. 4 in career hitting percentage (.404).

• Sophomore libero Lexi Rodriguez is averaging a team-best 4.29 digs per set and has 62 set assists and 13 service aces on the season. Rodriguez is the reigning AVCA National Freshman of the Year and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. She was named the Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week on Monday after averaging 6.00 digs per set in sweeps at Michigan State and Michigan, including a season-high 25 digs in the three-set win over the Wolverines.

• Senior defensive specialist Kenzie Knuckles averages 1.86 digs and has 10 kills, 12 aces and nine set assists. Knuckles and Rodriguez are part of a dynamic Husker back row that has helped the Huskers lead the Big Ten in digs at 15.04 per set.

• Sophomore Lindsay Krause averages 2.08 kills per set for the Big Red, third-most on the team.

• Freshman middle blocker Bekka Allick is putting up 1.82 kills per set on .324 hitting with 1.07 blocks per set.

• Nebraska opened the season in a 5-1 system but has been in a 6-2 system since Sept. 1 against Loyola Marymount. Three setters have all been involved for the Huskers this season: Kennedi Orr (5.54 assists per set), Anni Evans (4.95 assists per set) and Nicklin Hames (4.35 assists per set).

SCOUTING PENN STATE

• No. 14 Penn State (14-3, 3-3 Big Ten) went a perfect 11-0 in non-conference play before splitting its first six Big Ten matches. The Nittany Lions own wins over Indiana (3-0), Michigan State (3-1) and Illinois (3-0). They’ve lost to Michigan (0-3), at No. 8 Wisconsin (0-3) and at No. 6 Ohio State (2-3).

• Kashauna Williams leads Penn State with 3.34 kills per set with a .261 hitting percentage. Williams signed to be a Husker in January of 2018 and played the 2018 beach volleyball season at NU before transferring to Long Beach State before the 2018 indoor season. She was a two-time first-team All-Big West selection there before enrolling at Penn State as a graduate transfer this season.

• Allie Holland adds 2.06 kills per set and is hitting .343 on the season along with a team-high 1.44 blocks per set, which ranks 14th nationally.

• Penn State ranks sixth nationally in blocks per set (2.87) and 29th in opponent hitting percentage (.167).

SCOUTING NORTHWESTERN

• Northwestern is off to a 13-5 start this season with a 2-4 record in Big Ten play entering a home match on Friday vs. Maryland. The Wildcats have already exceeded their win total from last year (12-19).

• Northwestern pulled off a 3-2 upset at No. 7 Minnesota on Sept. 28 and beat Rutgers at home (3-0) on Oct. 7. The Wildcats most recently fell at No. 6 Ohio State on Oct. 9, 3-1.

• Temi Thomas-Ailara leads Northwestern with 4.05 kills per set and is hitting .268. Hanna Lesiak averages 2.74 kills.

• Former Husker Megan Miller is putting up 4.14 digs per set as the Wildcats’ libero.

• Northwestern leads all Big Ten teams in kills per set (13.83) and is second in hitting percentage (.267) and digs per set (14.34).

SERIES HISTORY

• Nebraska is 25-11 all-time against Penn State and has won four matches in a row over the Nittany Lions. The teams played twice last year with Nebraska winning 3-1 at Penn State on Oct. 8 and 3-0 in Lincoln on Nov. 19. Penn State’s last victory over Nebraska was Oct. 13, 2018, and the last win in Lincoln was Nov. 30, 2013. NU is 12-2 against Penn State since that date, including a 7-0 record at the Devaney Center.

• Nebraska is 16-1 all-time against Northwestern. The teams have only played one time since 2019, a 3-1 Husker win on Sept. 22 last year in Evanston. Nebraska has won 12 in a row over the Wildcats since their lone win on Nov. 26, 2011. Last year’s match was the first time Northwestern had taken a set off the Huskers dating back to 2013.

HUSKERS RANKED NO. 3 IN AVCA POLL

• Nebraska is ranked No. 3 in the AVCA Coaches Poll this week.

• The Huskers were ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll, the first time since 2016 the Huskers started a year atop the poll. Nebraska has been ranked No. 1 in 101 all-time polls, the most in NCAA history.

• The Huskers have been ranked in the top 10 a total of 523 times, which is also the most in NCAA history.

• Nebraska has appeared in all 579 AVCA Coaches Polls it has been eligible for since it was established in 1982. Nebraska is the only program to be ranked in every eligible poll all-time.

KNUCKLES, KUBIK, RODRIGUEZ NAMED TEAM CAPTAINS

• The three team captains for the Nebraska volleyball program in 2022 are senior defensive specialist Kenzie Knuckles, outside hitter Madi Kubik and sophomore libero Lexi Rodriguez.

• After two years as NU’s libero, Knuckles moved into a defensive specialist role last season and was named a team captain for the first time. She averaged 2.06 digs with 0.29 aces per set. Knuckles finished with a double-digit dig performance seven times and ranked 10th in Big Ten play for aces per set (0.31). Knuckles also contributed 52 kills as an attacker out of the back row.

• Kubik was an AVCA third-team All-American in 2021, and she received first-team AVCA North All-Region and first-team All-Big Ten honors. She averaged a team-leading 3.49 kills per set to go with 2.11 digs while adding 21 aces and 55 blocks. Kubik ranked third in Big Ten play in kills per set with 4.11.

• Rodriguez was recognized as the National Freshman of the Year, a first-team AVCA All-American, North Region Freshman of the Year and first-team North All-Region by the AVCA in 2021. She was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and was a first-team All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection.

AVCA HALL OF FAMER JOHN COOK IN 23RD SEASON AT NEBRASKA

• Nebraska head coach John Cook is in his 23rd season as the Nebraska volleyball head coach in 2022. He has led the Huskers to four national championships, 10 final fours, 12 conference championships and 20 top-10 final rankings since 2000.

• Cook has 805 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 .874 win percentage (644-93).

• Under Cook, the Huskers have achieved 57 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 three 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.

REYES STEPS INTO LEAD ASSISTANT ROLE

• Last December, assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Jaylen Reyes moved into the Huskers’ lead assistant role following the departure of associate head coach Tyler Hildebrand, who was named the new head women’s volleyball coach at Long Beach State.

• Reyes joined the Husker staff in March 2018. As the Huskers’ recruiting coordinator, he has helped NU land the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class for 2021 and the No. 2 class for 2022, according to PrepVolleyball.com.

• Reyes coaches the Husker liberos and defense while helping coordinate game plans and scouting reports and assisting with other positions.

• In 2021, Nebraska boasted an elite defense and held opposing teams to just .148 hitting for the year. A former libero at BYU, Reyes led Nebraska’s back row defense to unprecedented heights in the 2021 season. Led by AVCA first-team All-American and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Lexi Rodriguez, the Husker defense propelled the young squad all the way to the NCAA Championship match. Rodriguez set a Nebraska freshman record for digs in a season (524), and as a team the Huskers averaged 16.98 digs per set, the third-highest total in school history.

HUNTER EARNS FULL-TIME ASSISTANT POSITION AT ALMA MATER

• Last December, volunteer assistant coach Kelly Hunter was promoted to a full-time assistant role for the Huskers beginning in 2022.

• Following her professional playing career overseas, Hunter joined the Husker staff two years ago. She has served in multiple roles as a volunteer assistant (2020-21), interim assistant coach (January-August 2020) and graduate assistant (2019). She fulfilled her stint as an interim assistant coach in 2020 while former associate head coach Tyler Hildebrand prepared for the 2020 Olympic Games prior to his arrival in Lincoln.

• Hunter set the Huskers to national championships in 2015 and 2017 and was a two-time All-American. She was also the 2017 Big Ten Setter of the Year and a two-time All-Big Ten selection. The three-year Husker captain received numerous honors from volleyball publications, including National Player of the Year and All-America first-team honors from PrepVolleyball.com. Hunter was also named co-Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Championship with teammate Mikaela Foecke after the Huskers beat Florida in the national title match in 2017.

CLOSING IN ON 300 CONSECUTIVE REGULAR-SEASON SELLOUTS

• All season and single-game tickets for the 2022 Nebraska volleyball season have been sold. The Huskers entered the season with 286 consecutive regular-season sellouts and – barring any cancellations – will celebrate their 300th consecutive regular-season sellout on Nov. 11 against Iowa.

• Nebraska’s sellout streak is an NCAA women’s record. The Huskers have led the nation in attendance every season since moving into the Bob Devaney Sports Center in 2013.

• Nebraska set a new school record for attendance – 8,632 – against No. 2 Stanford on Sept. 18, 2019.

• A new NCAA attendance record was set at the 2021 NCAA Championship with 18,755 fans turning out to watch Wisconsin and Nebraska battle for the national title at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio last December.

• Eight of the top nine crowds in NCAA Volleyball history are all matches that have involved the Huskers.

• When Nebraska played at Creighton on Sept. 7 at the CHI Health Center, a regular-season NCAA record crowd of 15,797 turned out to watch the Huskers defeat the Bluejays, 3-2. It shattered the previous regular-season record of 14,022 (set by Nebraska and Creighton in 2018). The record lasted nine days, however, as Wisconsin and Florida drew a crowd of 16,833 to the Kohl Center on Sept. 16.

• Of the 14 largest NCAA volleyball regular-season crowds, 13 have been matches Nebraska played in.

OMAHA TO HOST NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP FOR THIRD TIME IN EIGHT YEARS

• The NCAA Championship returns to Omaha in 2022 for the third time in the last eight years and the fifth time overall. The University of Nebraska and the Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority (MECA) will host the NCAA Championship at the CHI Health Center on Dec. 15-17.

• Omaha has served as the most frequent host of the NCAA Championship in the 41-year history of the tournament. Omaha has hosted the event four times: 2006, 2008, 2015 and 2020.

• Omaha hosted the entire 48-team NCAA Tournament in April 2021 after the 2020 season was delayed until the spring because of COVID-19. Kentucky beat Texas, 3-1, to win its first NCAA title that season.

• The Huskers won NCAA titles in Omaha in both 2006 (vs. Stanford) and 2015 (vs. Texas), and the Big Red reached the final four in 2008 before losing a five-set thriller to Penn State in the semifinals.

• Four of the top 11 crowds in NCAA history have occurred at the NCAA Semifinals and Finals played at the CHI Health Center in Omaha.

• Future NCAA Volleyball Championship sites include Tampa (2023), Louisville (2024) and Kansas City (2025).

HORD HEADLINES TALENTED GROUP OF NEW HUSKERS

• Nebraska has five new players on its roster this season: Penn State graduate transfer Kaitlyn Hord (Lexington, Ky.), freshman middle blocker Bekka Allick (Lincoln, Neb.), freshman defensive specialist Maisie Boesiger (Firth, Neb.), freshman outside hitter Hayden Kubik (West Des Moines, Iowa) and freshman middle blocker Maggie Mendelson (Ogden, Utah). The Huskers’ signing class was the No. 2-ranked class by PrepVolleyball.

• The 6-4 Hord was named to the AVCA All-America Second Team and was a first-team All-Big Ten choice for the third straight season last year at Penn State. She averaged a career-best 2.92 kills per set while hitting .394. Hord recorded 1.40 blocks per set, which ranked third in the Big Ten and seventh nationally.

NINETEEN TV APPEARANCES FOR THE BIG RED IN 2022

• Nebraska plays on TV 19 times this season, including 14 national TV broadcasts.

• The Huskers appear on the Big Ten Network 12 times during the regular season, and Nebraska plays at Creighton on FS1 on Sept. 7 and at Kentucky on ESPNU on Sept. 18.

• In addition to the 14 national TV broadcasts, Nebraska Public Media is televising five matches: Tulsa (Aug. 26), Loyola Marymount (Sept. 1), Ohio State (Sept. 24), Northwestern (Oct. 16) and Iowa (Nov. 11).

• The 10 matches that are not on TV can be streamed with a B1G+ subscription. Every match throughout the season airs on the Huskers Radio Network and can be heard on Huskers.com and the Huskers app.

THREE HUSKERS NAMED TO PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN TEAM

• Three members of the Nebraska volleyball team were named to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team. Kaitlyn Hord, Madi Kubik and Lexi Rodriguez were all voted to the 15-player preseason team by the conference’s head coaches. All three were All-Big Ten First Team selections last year. Kubik was the only player in the Big Ten unanimously chosen to the preseason all-conference team.

• Kubik was an AVCA third-team All-American in 2021, and she received first-team AVCA All-North Region and first-team All-Big Ten honors. She averaged a team-leading 3.49 kills per set to go with 2.11 digs while adding 21 aces and 55 blocks. Kubik ranked third in Big Ten play in kills per set with 4.11.

• Rodriguez was recognized as the AVCA National Freshman of the Year, a first-team All-American, North Region Freshman of the Year and first-team All-North Region in 2021. She was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and was a first-team All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection.

• Hord, a transfer from Penn State, was named to the AVCA All-America Second Team and was a first-team All-Big Ten choice for the third straight season last year. She averaged a career-best 2.92 kills per set while hitting .394. Hord recorded 1.40 blocks per set, which ranked third in the Big Ten and seventh nationally.

• The Huskers were picked second in the Big Ten preseason poll behind defending national champion Wisconsin. Minnesota was third, followed by Ohio State and Penn State.