Nebraska Volleyball
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NEBRASKA VOLLEYBALL 2020-21 Nebraska Volleyball (4-0) #4 Nebraska Cornhuskers (4-0) at Rutgers Scarlet Knights (1-5) Date Opponent Time (CT) TV / Internet 1/22 at Indiana W, 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-17) Friday, Feb. 12 / 3 p.m. CT / New Brunswick, N.J. / College Avenue Gym (1,200) 1/23 at Indiana W, 3-0 (25-21, 25-16, 25-19) TV: None / Stream: BTNPlus.com ($) / Listen: HSN, Huskers.com, Huskers App 1/29 Northwestern Postponed Saturday, Feb. 13 / 3 p.m. CT / New Brunswick, N.J. / College Avenue Gym (1,200) 1/30 Northwestern Postponed TV: None / Stream: BTNPlus.com ($) / Listen: HSN, Huskers.com, Huskers App 2/5 Maryland W, 3-1 (25-19, 25-27, 25-19, 25-14) 2/6 Maryland W, 3-0 (25-14, 25-21, 25-18) • The fourth-ranked Nebraska volleyball team heads to the East Coast for a pair of matinee matches at 2/12 at Rutgers 3 p.m. None / BTN+ Rutgers this weekend. The two teams will square off at College Avenue Gym in New Brunswick at 3 p.m. 2/13 at Rutgers 3 p.m. None / BTN+ CT on both Friday and Saturday. Both matches will be streamed on BTNPlus.com (subscription necessary). • Husker Sports Network will broadcast all the Husker action on HSN radio affiliates, including 107.3 FM in 2/19 #5 Minnesota 8 p.m. BTN / FoxSports Lincoln and AM 590 in Omaha. A live audio stream will be provided at Huskers.com and the Huskers app. 2/21 #5 Minnesota 11 a.m. BTN / FoxSports John Baylor is in his 27th season doing play-by-play for the Husker volleyball program. Lauren (Cook) 2/26 at #1 Wisconsin 7 p.m. BTN / FoxSports West, a former All-America setter for the Huskers, will provide color commentary. 2/27 at #1 Wisconsin 7 p.m. BTN / FoxSports 3/5 at Illinois TBD BTN / FoxSports About the Huskers 3/6 at Illinois TBD None / BTN+ • Nebraska is off to a 4-0 start after sweeping Indiana twice on opening weekend and adding a pair of wins 3/12 Ohio State TBD NET / BTN+ at home over Maryland last weekend. The Huskers had a Jan. 29-30 series with Northwestern postponed 3/13 Ohio State TBD BTN / FoxSports due to COVID-related issues in the Northwestern program. 3/17 at Iowa 6 p.m. BTN / FoxSports • The Huskers led the Big Ten in defense last season and so far this season have picked up where they left off, holding opponents to .130 hitting to rank second in the conference. 3/20 Iowa 6 p.m. NET / BTN+ • Nebraska leads all Big Ten teams in kills (14.46 per set), assists (12.92 per set) and service aces (2.00 per 3/25 at #24 Michigan TBD BTN / FoxSports set). NU is showing a marked improvement in the aces column from last year, when the Big Red ranked 13th 3/26 at #24 Michigan TBD BTN / FoxSports in league play in aces per set (1.00). 4/1 #8 Penn State 8 p.m. BTN / FoxSports • The Huskers return every starter from last year’s 28-5 squad that reached the NCAA Regional Final against 4/2 #8 Penn State 8 p.m. BTN / FoxSports eventual national runner-up Wisconsin. • Senior middle blocker Lauren Stivrins and senior outside hitter Lexi Sun were AVCA All-Americans and All- NCAA Tournament Big Ten First-Team selections in 2019. Junior setter Nicklin Hames was also an All-Big Ten First-Team choice 4/9 First Round in 2019. Stivrins and Hames return to captain the Huskers for a second straight season. 4/10 Second Round • Sophomore outside hitter Madi Kubik was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2019 and, along with sophomore libero Kenzie Knuckles, was a member of the All-Big Ten Freshman Team. 4/16 Regional Semifinals • The Huskers added four newcomers during the offseason, including junior Missouri transfer Kayla Caffey. 4/17 Regional Finals The middle blocker ranked ninth nationally with a .408 hitting percentage during the 2019 season. She 4/22 NCAA Semifinals (CHI Health Center, Omaha, Neb.) joins three freshmen who are new to the program: middle blocker Kalynn Meyer, setter Anni Evans and 4/24 NCAA Championship (CHI Health Center, Omaha, Neb.) defensive specialist Kaylei Akana. *Indicates match will air on 105.9 FM in Omaha and 107.3 FM in Lincoln. All other matches will • Sun leads the Huskers with 3.38 kills per set with a team-high eight service aces as well as 2.31 digs per be on AM 590 in Omaha and 107.3 FM in Lincoln. All matches can be heard on Huskers.com and set. Kubik adds 2.92 kills per set and 1.92 digs per set with four aces. the Huskers app. • Stivrins is putting up 3.23 kills per set on a team-high .485 hitting percentage, which ranks second in -Matches televised on BTN will also be streamed on the Fox Sports app and FoxSports.com. -BTN+ is a web stream that requires a fee to view. Subscriptions start at $9.95 per month. the Big Ten Conference. She had 18 kills on 20 swings for an .850 hitting percentage last Friday against Maryland. • Hames paces the Husker attack with 10.85 assists per set - second most in the Big Ten - and she chips in 3.00 digs per set with five service aces. • Caffey has stepped in for the Huskers and contributed 2.22 kills per set on .342 hitting with 1.44 blocks per set. • Junior middle blocker Callie Schwarzenbach leads the team in blocks per set at 2.25. • Sophomore Riley Zuhn averages 2.62 kills per set on a .291 attack percentage, the best by a Husker pin hitter this season. She is also tied with Caffey for the team lead in blocks with 13 (1.00 per set). Scouting Rutgers • Rutgers is off to a 1-5 start this season. After being swept twice at Northwestern, the Scarlet Knights beat Indiana 3-1 at home before dropping the rematch. Rutgers was swept by No. 1 Wisconsin twice last weekend. • Beka Kojadinovic leads Rutgers with 2.75 kills per set and adds 2.25 digs per set. ` Series History • Nebraska leads the all-time series 8-1 and has won eight in a row. The Huskers swept Rutgers twice last year. Coaches • John Cook: 21st year at Nebraska (592-81); 28th year overall (753-154) • Caitlin Schweihofer: 1st year at Rutgers (1-5); 5th year overall (58-67) 1 NEBRASKA VOLLEYBALL Huskers Ranked No. 4 in AVCA Coaches Preseason Poll AVCA Coaches Poll (Feb. 8) • Nebraska is ranked No. 4 in the AVCA Coaches Preseason Poll. Rk Team Points Record Prev • The Huskers have been ranked No. 1 in 100 all-time polls, the most in NCAA history. 1 Wisconsin (50) 1489 6-0 1 • The Huskers have been ranked in the top 10 a total of 506 times, which is also the most in NCAA history. 2 Texas (9) 1440 14-0 2 • Nebraska has appeared in all 562 AVCA Coaches Polls it has been eligible for since it was established in 3 Kentucky (1) 1343 10-0 3 1982. Nebraska and Stanford are the only two programs to be ranked in every eligible poll all-time. 4 Nebraska 1316 4-0 4 5 Minnesota 1247 6-0 6 Two Huskers Named to Preseason All-Big Ten Team 6 Baylor 1222 13-3 5 • Nebraska volleyball seniors Lauren Stivrins and Lexi Sun were voted to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team by 7 Utah 1152 6-0 8 the league’s 14 head coaches. The coaches also tabbed the Huskers as the No. 3 team in the Big Ten Preseason 8 Penn State 1054 2-0 9 Poll behind Wisconsin and Minnesota. 9 Florida 974 8-2 10 • Stivrins is a two-time AVCA All-American and two-time All-Big Ten First-Team selection. She posted 2.55 10 Washington 948 5-1 11 kills per set, 1.07 blocks per set and a team-best .374 hitting percentage in 2019. The senior middle blocker 11 Purdue 773 2-4 13 led the Huskers to a .152 opponent hitting percentage as a junior, which ranked eighth in the nation. The 12 BYU 742 3-0 14 Scottsdale, Arizona native also served nine aces and was a unanimous first-team All-Big Ten selection a year 13 Notre Dame 723 6-1 15 ago. She led the Huskers to an eighth straight NCAA Regional Final appearance and became the 32nd Husker 14 Louisville 697 5-2 12 all-time to earn multiple AVCA All-America honors in a career. 15 Stanford 620 0-2 7 • Sun earned her first ever All-America accolade in 2019 after leading the Huskers with 3.57 kills per set with 16 Missouri 589 8-2 16 2.45 digs per set and 25 service aces. The native of Encinitas, California posted double-digit kills in 18 of 20 17 Georgia Tech 530 7-1 17 Big Ten matches and was a first-team All-Big Ten selection for the first time. She had 10 double-doubles as a 18 UCLA 444 4-2 18 junior, second-most on the team. Sun, a senior outside hitter, received AVCA All-America honorable mention 19 Pittsburgh 366 4-4 20 as a freshman at Texas in 2017 before transferring to Nebraska. 20 San Diego 304 1-0 21 • Defending Big Ten champion and NCAA runner-up Wisconsin was the unanimous choice by the coaches 21 Creighton 274 4-2 19 as the top team in the Big Ten Preseason Poll.