NEBRASKA VOLLEYBALL 2020-21 Nebraska Volleyball (2-0) #5 Nebraska Cornhuskers (2-0) vs. Northwestern Wildcats (2-0) Date Opponent Time (CT) TV / Internet 1/22 at Indiana W, 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-17) Friday, Jan. 29 / 6 p.m. / Lincoln, Neb. / Bob Devaney Sports Center (7,907) 1/23 at Indiana W, 3-0 (25-21, 25-16, 25-19) TV: NET / Stream: BTNPlus.com ($) / Listen: HSN, Huskers.com, Huskers App 1/29 Northwestern 6 p.m. NET / BTN+ Saturday, Jan. 30 / 6 p.m. / Lincoln, Neb. / Bob Devaney Sports Center (7,907) 1/30 Northwestern 6 p.m. NET / BTN+ TV: NET / Stream: BTNPlus.com ($) / Listen: HSN, Huskers.com, Huskers App 2/5 Maryland 6 p.m. NET / BTN+ 2/6 Maryland 7:30 p.m. BTN / FoxSports • After a successful start to the 2020-21 season, the No. 5 Nebraska volleyball team will make its debut at the 2/12 at Rutgers 3 p.m. None / BTN+ Bob Devaney Sports Center this weekend when the Northwestern Wildcats visit for matches on Friday and 2/13 at Rutgers 3 p.m. None / BTN+ Saturday. Both matches will begin at 6 p.m. and will be televised locally on NET and streamed at BTNPlus. com (subscription necessary). 2/19 #7 Minnesota 8 p.m. BTN / FoxSports • Husker Sports Network will broadcast all the Husker action on HSN radio affiliates, including 107.3 FM in 2/21 #7 Minnesota Noon BTN / FoxSports Lincoln and AM 590 in Omaha. A live audio stream will be provided at Huskers.com and the Huskers app. 2/26 at #1 Wisconsin 7 p.m. BTN / FoxSports John Baylor is in his 27th season doing play-by-play for the Husker volleyball program. Lauren (Cook) 2/27 at #1 Wisconsin 7 p.m. BTN / FoxSports West, a former All-America setter for the Huskers, will provide color commentary. 3/5 at Illinois TBD BTN / FoxSports • Per Big Ten policy, tickets to the matches this weekend will not be sold to the public. 3/6 at Illinois TBD None / BTN+ 3/12 Ohio State TBD NET / BTN+ About the Huskers 3/13 Ohio State TBD BTN / FoxSports • Nebraska began the season with a pair of sweeps at Indiana last weekend. It marks the first time since 3/17 at Iowa 6 p.m. BTN / FoxSports 2015 that the Huskers have opened a season with consecutive sweeps. • The Huskers led the Big Ten in defense last season and picked up where they left off, holding Indiana to 3/20 Iowa 6 p.m. NET / BTN+ .089 hitting on the weekend. That mark leads the Big Ten after the first week of play. 3/25 at #21 Michigan TBD BTN / FoxSports • The Huskers return every starter from last year’s 28-5 squad that reached the NCAA Regional Final against 3/26 at #21 Michigan TBD BTN / FoxSports eventual national runner-up Wisconsin. 4/1 #9 Penn State 8 p.m. BTN / FoxSports • Senior middle blocker Lauren Stivrins and senior outside hitter Lexi Sun were AVCA All-Americans and All- 4/2 #9 Penn State 8 p.m. BTN / FoxSports Big Ten First-Team selections in 2019. Junior setter Nicklin Hames was also an All-Big Ten First-Team choice in 2019. Stivrins and Hames return to captain the Huskers for a second straight season. NCAA Tournament • Sophomore outside hitter Madi Kubik was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2019 and, along with 4/9 First Round sophomore libero Kenzie Knuckles, was a member of the All-Big Ten Freshman Team. 4/10 Second Round • The Huskers added four newcomers during the offseason, including junior Missouri transfer Kayla Caffey. The middle blocker ranked ninth nationally with a .408 hitting percentage during the 2019 season. She 4/16 Regional Semifinals joins three freshmen who are new to the program: middle blocker Kalynn Meyer, setter Anni Evans and 4/17 Regional Finals defensive specialist Keonilei Akana. 4/22 NCAA Semifinals (CHI Health Center, Omaha, Neb.) • Sun leads the Huskers with 3.67 kills per set on .286 hitting with a team-high five service aces. Kubik adds 4/24 NCAA Championship (CHI Health Center, Omaha, Neb.) 2.67 kills per set and 1.83 digs per set. *Indicates match will air on 105.9 FM in Omaha and 107.3 FM in Lincoln. All other matches will • Stivrins is putting up 2.67 kills per set on a team-high .429 hitting percentage to go with 1.33 blocks per be on AM 590 in Omaha and 107.3 FM in Lincoln. All matches can be heard on Huskers.com and set. Junior middle blocker Callie Schwarzenbach leads the team in blocks with 2.00 per set. the Huskers app. • Hames paces the Husker attack with 10.00 assists per set, and she chips in 2.83 digs per set with three -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. service aces. • Knuckles leads the team in digs at 3.33 per set. Akana adds 2.17. • Caffey had a strong first match as a Husker at Indiana. She provided six kills on .273 hitting with three blocks. • Sophomore Riley Zuhn made her first career starts as Nebraska’s right-side hitter last weekend. She averaged 2.33 kills per set on .290 hitting and showed off her blocking prowess with seven blocks. Scouting Northwestern • Northwestern swept a pair of matches at home last weekend against Rutgers. • The Wildcats are led by sophomore hitter Temi Thomas-Ailara, who was an All-Big Ten Second Team selection as a freshman last season. Thomas-Ailara, who averaged 3.94 kills per set in 2019, had 13 and 16 kills in the first two matches of the season. • Abryanna Cannon adds 3.17 kills per set and 3.50 digs per set. • Former Husker Megan Miller transferred to Northwestern after the 2019 season and had 19 digs and four aces in the Wildcats’ season-opening weekend. Series History • Nebraska is 15-1 all-time against Northwestern. The Huskers have won 11 straight in the series, including eight sweeps in a row. The Wildcats’ lone win came in 2011, Nebraska’s first year in the Big Ten. Coaches • John Cook: 21st year at Nebraska (590-81); 28th year overall (751-154) • Shane Davis: 5th year at Northwestern (56-74); 17th year overall (321-162) 1 NEBRASKA VOLLEYBALL Huskers Ranked No. 5 in AVCA Coaches Preseason Poll AVCA Coaches Poll (Jan. 26) • Nebraska is ranked No. 5 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. The Huskers held the 1 Wisconsin (49) 1486 2-0 1 No. 1 ranking this season the week of Sept. 16. 2 Texas (8) 1444 14-0 2 • The Huskers have been ranked in the top 10 a total of 504 times, which is also the most in NCAA history. 3 Stanford (1) 1315 0-0 3 • Nebraska has appeared in all 560 AVCA Coaches Polls it has been eligible for since it was established in 4 Kentucky (1) 1291 8-0 4 1982. Nebraska and Stanford are the only two programs to be ranked in every eligible poll all-time. 5 Nebraska (1) 1268 2-0 5 6 Baylor 1210 13-3 6 Three Huskers Named to Preseason All-Big Ten Team 7 Minnesota 1169 2-0 7 • Nebraska volleyball seniors Lauren Stivrins and Lexi Sun were voted to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team by 8 Utah 1076 2-0 10 the league’s 14 head coaches. The coaches also tabbed the Huskers as the No. 3 team in the Big Ten Preseason 9 Penn State 1017 0-0 9 Poll behind Wisconsin and Minnesota. 10 Florida 904 6-2 11 • Stivrins is a two-time AVCA All-American and two-time All-Big Ten First-Team selection. She posted 2.55 11 Washington 849 1-1 8 kills per set, 1.07 blocks per set and a team-best .374 hitting percentage in 2019. The senior middle blocker 12 Louisville 747 5-2 12 led the Huskers to a .152 opponent hitting percentage as a junior, which ranked eighth in the nation. The 13 Purdue 706 0-2 13 Scottsdale, Arizona native also served nine aces and was a unanimous first-team All-Big Ten selection a year 14 Creighton 680 2-0 15 ago. She led the Huskers to an eighth straight NCAA Regional Final appearance and became the 32nd Husker 15 Notre Dame 653 6-1 14 all-time to earn multiple AVCA All-America honors in a career. 16 BYU 594 0-0 16 • Sun earned her first ever All-America accolade in 2019 after leading the Huskers with 3.57 kills per set with 17 Missouri 521 6-2 17 2.45 digs per set and 25 service aces. The native of Encinitas, California posted double-digit kills in 18 of 20 18 Georgia Tech 452 7-1 18 Big Ten matches and was a first-team All-Big Ten selection for the first time. She had 10 double-doubles as a 19 UCLA 427 2-0 22 junior, second-most on the team. Sun, a senior outside hitter, received AVCA All-America honorable mention 20 Pittsburgh 365 4-4 19 as a freshman at Texas in 2017 before transferring to Nebraska.