Local Sports

12-Nov-2018 / WNCC Sports Info

In a battle of Top 15 teams, the Salt Lake Community College men’s basketball team shot 50 percent and buried 15 3-pointers in racing to a 108-78 win over Western Nebraska Community College Saturday evening at Cougar Palace.

Salt Lake, who is ranked eighth in the nation, put up 61 first-half points and held the 14th-ranked Cougars to 27 percent shooting in the first half to register the victory and go 1-1 over the weekend. Casper and the College of Southern Idaho also went 1-1 in the Region 9/18 Classic after CSI came back from a 60-47 halftime deficit to top Casper 105-103 in the early game Saturday.

WNCC, who dropped to 3-2 on the season, will have a week to regroup before hosting another 4-team classic next weekend when Central Wyoming College, Western Wyoming Community College, and Williston State come to Cougar Palace. WNCC will play Western Wyoming on Friday at 7 p.m. and then Central Wyoming on Saturday at 4 p.m.

Saturday, WNCC’s shooting woes started early in the match. The two teams were tied just once at 2-2. After that, Salt Lake went on a 10-0 run and never relinquished the lead again.

The Cougars, however, kept fighting in the game. With the Bruins up 12-2, WNCC sliced the lead to 12-7 on a Henry Tanksley 3-pointer and a Jervay Green bucket. Salt Lake came right back on an 8-0 run for a 20-7 lead and later led 37-22. That was when the Bruins went on a 12-0 run to lead 49-22 before settling for a 61-28 halftime lead.

The first half saw several Cougars in foul trouble early, including Green and Dru Kuxhausen each with three fouls.

The second half was an evenly played 20 minutes with WNCC outscoring Salt Lake 50-47. The trading baskets, though, was not enough as the Cougars suffered their second loss of the season.

Shooting was the big reason for the Cougar’s defeat. WNCC shot 26.5 percent in the first half and just 37 percent for the game. Added to that, the Cougars were 3 of 17 from beyond the arc in the first half for 18 percent. The second half was better, shooting 47 percent from the field and 42 percent from the 3-point area (8 of 19).

Free throw shooting wasn’t go the Cougars way either shooting 50 percent at 15 of 30.

Salt Lake, on the other hand, shot 51 percent in the first half, 47 percent in the second half for an even 50 percent for the game. The Bruins buried eight treys in the first half and nine in the second half. Salt Lake was also 19 of 24 from the charity stripe.

Salt Lake also won the rebound battle 53-41.

WNCC had four players finish with double figures. Bryce Sanchious led the Cougars with 22 points, including going 7 of 10 from the charity stripe. Kuxhausen tallied 21 points and six 3-pointers before fouling out.

Tanksley finished with 12 points followed by Martin Roub with 10. Green, after tallying 44 in a game against Southern Idaho on Friday, finished with eight points.

Salt Lake also had four players in double figures. Josh Colon had 25 points with three 3-pointers while going 8 of 8 from the charity stripe. Daron Henson also had 23 points with four treys, while Cameron Mack had 15 and three 3-pointers, and Aaron Burt tallying 12 points.

In the first game of the day, Casper College ran out to a 60-47 halftime lead on 43 percent shooting while burying eight 3-pointers. The second half was the difference as the T-birds shot 36 percent and made just two treys. CSI, on the other hand, stayed consistent in shooting 46 percent in the first half and 47 percent in the second half. The big difference in the game was rebounding, where the Golden Eagles held a 59-48 advantage.

Casper had four players in double figures, led by Isaac Bonton with 29 points, including five 3-pointers and going 12 of 15 from the free throw line.

Southern Idaho had six players in double figures. David Walker finished with 20 points, including going 8 of 10 from the free throw line, while Coreyoun Rushin and N’Keil Nelson each had 18 points.

Casper (3-1) 60 43 – 103

Southern Idaho (2-2) 47 58 – 105

CASPER

Braxton Bertolette 18, Jalen Harris 4, Keiron Goodwin 7, Amin Adamu 6, Isaac Bonton 29, Philip Pepple 6, Wilfried Likayi 16, Zion Tordoff 4, Broc Furman 10, James Hampshire 3.

CSI

David Walker 20, Malik Porter 6, Coreyoun Rushin 18, Roberto Gittens 11, N’Keil Nelson 18, Coleman Sparling 3, Brayden Parker 15, Jaxon Edelmayer 12, Andrea Lo Biondo 2.

Salt Lake (2-1) 61 47 – 108

WNCC (3-2) 28 50 – 78

SALT LAKE

Asa McCord 8, Daron Henson 23, Cameron Mack 15, Aaron Burt 12, Alan Zekovic 6, Dimi Pansev 2, Matt Lindsy 9, Josh Colon 25, Hunter Schofield 8.

WNCC

Dru Kuxhausen 21, LeBeck Warren 2, Bryce Sanchious 22, Ernesto Chavez 1, Elie Cadet 2, Henry Tanksley 12, Jervay Green 8, Martin Roub 10.

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12-Nov-2018 / NU Athletic Communications

Nebraska senior outside hitter Mikaela Foecke was named the Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday, and setter Nicklin Hames was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week, the conference office announced.

Foecke averaged 5.00 kills per set on .413 hitting in wins at Iowa and No. 15 Michigan last week. She sparked the Huskers to the 3-1 comeback win at Michigan with 22 kills, eight digs and five blocks while hitting .465. Against Iowa, Foecke had 13 kills and eight digs and became the eighth Husker all-time to surpass 1,500 career kills. Foecke earned her third Big Ten Player of the Week honor this season and the fourth of her career.

Hames led the Huskers to a .333 hitting percentage in the win at Iowa with 30 assists and 17 digs. She then posted 52 assists and 18 digs in the 3-1 win at No. 15 Michigan. Hames averaged 11.71 assists per set and 5.00 digs per set. She has a team-high 20 double-doubles this season, including in the last 12 matches. It marks the second time this season Hames has been named freshman of the week.

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12-Nov-2018 / NU Athletic Communications

Nebraska running back Devine Ozigbo was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week and quarterback Adrian Martinez was honored as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week, the conference announced on Monday.

The weekly award is the first of Ozigbo’s career, while he became the first Husker to be named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week since Tommy Armstrong Jr. in 2016. Martinez was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the second straight week and for the third time this season. Martinez is the eighth player in Big Ten history to take home three freshman-of-the-week awards, and he is the first quarterback to be named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week three times since Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett in 2014.

Ozigbo was recognized after he averaged 14.7 yards per carry in the Huskers’ 54-35 win over Illinois on Saturday. Ozigbo had 162 yards rushing on only 11 carries – his fourth Big Ten game with more than 150 rushing yards – and he scored a career-high three touchdowns. Ozigbo had touchdown runs of 60 and 66 yards for the two longest rushes of his career. He is just 42 yards shy of rushing for 1,000 yards this season. The Sachse, Texas, native leads the Big Ten and ranks eighth nationally with 12 rushing touchdowns this season, and he also ranks fifth nationally in yards per carry (7.5) and is 21st in rushing yards (958).

Martinez directed a Husker offense that totaled more than 600 yards of offense against the Illini while scoring 54 points, the most points Nebraska has ever scored in a Big Ten Conference game. The Fresno, Calif., native accounted for 345 yards of total offense against Illinois, as he tied the school record with his sixth 300-yard total offense game this season. Martinez completed 24-of-34 passes for 290 yards and a career-high-tying three touchdowns. He also ran for 55 yards and one touchdown, tying his career high with four total touchdowns. Martinez, who moved into the top 10 on Nebraska’s season passing yards and total offense lists on Saturday, ranks second nationally among FBS freshmen in total offensive yards per game (305.2) and is third among all freshmen in passing yards per game (245.8). Among all FBS players, Martinez ranks 14th nationally in total offense, 17th in completion percentage (66.9) and 21st in points responsible for per game (15.1).

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12-Nov-2018 / NU Athletic Communications

Lincoln -- James Palmer Jr. had 15 of his game-high 17 points in the first half, as No. 25 (Coaches) Nebraska improved to 2-0 on the season with an 87-35 victory over Southeastern Louisiana Sunday afternoon.

The Huskers shot 56 percent and put six players in double figures against the Lions, who won 22 games en route to an NIT bid last season. Palmer also added four assists and four steals, as the Huskers first-half runs of 22-0 and 22-2 to build a 36-point halftime cushion.

Glynn Watson Jr. had 16 points and six rebounds, while Isaac Copeland (11), Isaiah Roby (10), Thomas Allen (10) and Brady Heiman (10) all reached double figures to help Nebraska win its 13th straight at home. The 13-game home win streak is the longest since moving into Pinnacle Bank Arena in 2013.

Nebraska forced 25 turnovers and held Southeastern Louisiana (1-2) to 27 percent shooting, as the Huskers have allowed 36.5 ppg in its two wins.

The Huskers trailed 7-4 in the opening minutes before running off 22 straight points, as NU held the visitors scoreless for more than eight minutes in building a 26-7 lead. Palmer then had seven points in a 22-2 Husker spurt as Nebraska put the game out of reach in the opening half.

Marlain Veal led the Lions (1-2) with 10 points, while Moses Greenwood added eight in a losing effort.

The Huskers return to action Wednesday night, as they take on Seton Hall at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Tipoff for the Gavitt Tipoff Games matchup is set for 6:30 p.m.

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12-Nov-2018 / NU Athletic Communications

Lincoln - Taylor Kissinger set a school record by connecting on all six of her three-point attempts on her way to a team-high 22 points, shooting Nebraska to an 87-64 win over USC Upstate on Sunday at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

The Huskers, who evened their record at 1-1 on the young season, got 22 points on 8-of-9 shooting overall from Kissinger, while her only miss was put back by fellow sophomore Kate Cain, who finished with 16 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Senior forward Maddie Simon gave the Huskers three players in double figures with 10 points on 3-of-5 shooting from the field and a 4-for-4 effort at the free throw line.

As a team, Nebraska shot a solid 53.1 percent (34-64) from the field, including 11-of-24 from three-point range (.458). The Big Red was also 8-of-10 at the free throw line. The Huskers controlled the glass against the Spartans, 42-27.

Kissinger got going early for Nebraska by knocking down all three of her first-quarter three-point attempts to propel the Huskers to a 26-12 lead at the end of the first 10 minutes.

The Big Red maintained a 13-point lead after Kissinger's fourth three with 6:50 left in the second quarter, before USC Upstate rallied to cut the margin to eight points at 41-33 with 1:30 left in the half. USC Upstate's Brianna Lewis scored 10 of her 12 first-half points in the second quarter to keep the Spartans within striking distance before the Huskers took a 43-33 lead to halftime.

The Huskers shot 52 percent (16-30) from the field, including 5-of-12 threes (.417) and all six of their free throws in the first half. USC Upstate hit 43.8 percent (14-32) of its shots, including 4-of-12 threes (.333) and 1-of-2 free throws. Nebraska out-rebounded the Spartans 19-14, but lost the first-half turnover battle 8-7.

Kissinger and the Huskers pushed the lead to 19 points at 67-48 at the end of three quarters, as she connected on both of her three-point attempts in the period. She did not attempt a shot from long range in the fourth quarter to become the first Husker in history to hit all six of her three-point attempts in a game. The only other Husker in history to hit as many as five threes in a game without a miss was Jessica Periago at Indiana on Dec. 5, 2010.

Nebraska got its 11th three of the game on the second triple of the day from senior guard Kristian Hudson to end the scoring in the closing minute. The final 23-point margin was Nebraska's largest lead of the contest.

Hudson, who made her first start as a Husker in place of junior guard Hannah Whitish, finished with six points and three assists. Whitish played 16 minutes in the game but had her streak of 50 straight starts come to an end. She missed significant practice time the past three days while nursing a minor leg injury that occurred in the first half of Nebraska's season-opening loss to Drake on Wednesday, Nov. 10. Whitish did not score Sunday, but did dish out four assists.

Nebraska got a strong game from junior Nicea Eliely, who pitched in eight points and team highs with six rebounds and six assists, while freshman Leigha Brown contributed seven points and four boards off the bench. Junior Grace Mitchell added six points and six rebounds, while freshman Ashtyn Veerbeek also contributed six points. Freshman Sam Haiby managed four points and five assists, while freshman Kayla Mershon completed the scoring for the Big Red with two points.

USC Upstate junior Brianna Lewis led all scorers with 26 points, while adding six assists. She hit 10-of-21 shots from the field and all six of her free throws. DeNisha Swain added 11 points, while Natalia Panufnik gave the Spartans three players in double figures with 10 points.

As a team, Upstate hit 23-of-60 shots (.383), including 6-of-22 threes (.273) while connecting on 12-of-13 free throws. The Spartans also won the turnover battle by a narrow 15-14 margin.

Nebraska opens a five-game road trip on Friday by traveling to Washington State. Tip-off between the Huskers and Cougars in Pullman is set for 7:30 p.m. (CT) with live audio coverage from Huskers.com and the Husker Sports Network and a live video stream provided by Washington State.

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12-Nov-2018 / NU Athletic Communications

Lincoln - Nebraska showcased an explosive offense and an opportunistic defense on its way to an impressive 54-35 win over Illinois on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

Nebraska's 54 points marked the second straight Big Ten home game that the Huskers set their conference scoring record against another Big Ten team. On Oct 20, the Huskers scored 53 in a 25-point win over Minnesota.

In a game that featured more than 1,100 yards in offense, the Huskers amassed 606 total yards, including 316 on the ground and 290 through the air. The Blackshirts also did their part in helping the offense, nabbing two interceptions and forcing a fumble, while the Huskers also recovered a pair of muffed punts on special teams. Freshman quarterback Adrian Martinez and the offense turned the five Illini mistakes into 24 points.

With the victory, Nebraska improved to 3-7 overall and 2-5 in the Big Ten, while notching their third consecutive home win at Memorial Stadium. In those three games, the Big Red are averaging 50.7 points per game. Illinois slipped to 4-6 overall and 2-5 in the conference.

Nebraska's first-half offensive eruption was ignited by three Illinois turnovers, including a pair of muffed punts, that the Big Red converted into 17 points. The turnovers were the difference in Nebraska's 38-21 halftime lead.

The second muffed punt by the Illini came in the final minute of the half, just seconds after Illinois cut the Nebraska lead to 31-21 with former Husker AJ Bush's third touchdown run with 58 seconds left in the half. The Illinois defense then forced a three-and-out. Isaac Armstrong's low, line drive punt carried 43 yards but bounced off Illinois return man Jordan Holmes' chest and a mad scramble was on, resulting in a recovery by Nebraska special teams stalwart Jeramiah Stovall at the Illinois 7-yard-line with 20 seconds left. Three plays later, Martinez found tight end Jack Stoll in the middle of the end zone on a 12-yard touchdown pass to put the Big Red up 17 points.

It was Martinez's third touchdown pass of the half, as he accounted for 196 total yards in the half, including 129 yards on 12-of-17 passing. He added 67 rushing yards and another score to become the Nebraska freshman season record holder for total yards, which was previously held by Taylor Martinez (2,596 in 2010).

Martinez finished the day with 345 yards of total offense, including 290 yards on 24-of-34 passing. He threw three touchdown passes and one interception.

Nebraska started fast, racing 75 yards in just three plays after winning the coin toss and electing to receive. Martinez opened with an eight-yard run, before rushing over the right end for a 30-yard burst. He capped the drive with a 37-yard scoring strike to Stanley Morgan Jr. to give the Huskers a quick 7-0 lead just 1:02 into the game. It marked the sixth consecutive game that Nebraska scored on its first drive after receiving the opening kickoff.

The Illini's high-powered rushing attack marched back on the Big Red, covering 76 yards on eight plays capped by Bush's 11-yard touchdown run to tie the score with 10:39 left in the first quarter.

Nebraska showed no signs of slowing down, racing 89 yards in seven plays capped by Martinez's nine-yard scoring run to put the Huskers back in front at 14-7 with 7:27 left in the quarter.

Bush struck again with an eight-yard touchdown run to cap a second consecutive eight-play, 76-yard drive to tie the score with 3:40 left in the opening period.

Martinez found Morgan again on the ensuing drive, hooking up with the senior receiver for the second time in the quarter to give Nebraska a 21-14 lead. Morgan finished the day with eight receptions for 131 yards. It was his second 100-yard receiving game of the season and seventh of his career. He finished the day at No. 2 on Nebraska's career receiving yardage list with 2,599.

In a first quarter filled with fireworks, the two offenses combined for 424 total yards, including 241 yards and three touchdowns on just 16 plays for Nebraska.

The second quarter took on a different tone with three huge mistakes by the Illini. The first came on Armstrong's first punt of the game for the Huskers, which carried 37 yards before being dropped by Illini return man Carlos Sandy. Long-snapper Chase Urbach sprinted down the field after his snap and jumped on the loose ball at the Illinois 45.

Martinez and the Huskers drove to the Illinois 10, but had to settle for Barret Pickering's 27-yard field goal to take a 24-14 lead.

Bush and the Illini tried to rally, driving 52 yards in 10 plays before Blackshirt safety Tre Neal stripped the ball while tackling Bush. The Huskers wasted little time converting the turnover to points, as Devine Ozigbo sprinted 66 yards to paydirt for the longest run of his career on the third play of the drive to give Nebraska a 31-14 lead with six minutes left in the half.

Neal finished the game with 10 tackles and a pair of forced fumbles, while Mohamed Barry led the Blackshirts with 11 total tackles on the day to push his season total to 93.

Ozigbo added a four-year touchdown run in the third quarter and a 60-yard touchdown run in the fourth to close the scoring for the Huskers. The senior running back finished the day with 162 yards and a career-high three touchdowns on just 11 carries.

Bush rallied the Fighting Illini for a 12-play, 75-yard scoring drive that resulted in his third touchdown run with 58 seconds left in the half to cut the Husker edge to 31-21, but Illinois would get no closer the rest of the way after muffing their second punt of the half less than a minute later. Bush closed with a game-high 187 rushing yards and 313 yards of total offense, while going 11-for-25 for 126 passing yards with two interceptions.

Nebraska finished the half with 356 total yards, including 227 rushing yards, while Illinois put up 292 yards with 209 on the ground.

After forcing three turnovers in the first half, the Blackshirts added a fourth turnover on the opening drive of the second half when Aaron Williams intercepted a Bush pass across the middle to stop the Illini. For Williams, it was his first interception of the season.

Nebraska's offense converted again, covering 82 yards in a season-long 17 plays over 7:53. The Huskers went 3-for-3 on fourth down on the drive, before Ozigbo scored on a four-yard run to give the Big Red a 45-21 lead with 4:07 left in the quarter. Before the drive, Nebraska was just 2-for-11 on fourth down this season.

In clearly Nebraska's best special teams effort of the season, the Huskers extended the lead to 47-21 early in the fourth quarter with its first blocked punt of the year off the hands of Marquel Dismuke, which rolled out the back of the end zone for a safety.

The Illini managed a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns around Ozigbo's 60-yard scoring sprint to make the final margin. Nebraska senior defensive tackle Mick Stoltenberg put the exclamation point on the Husker win in the closing minute with his first career interception to give the Blackshirts their fifth turnover of the day. It marked the the most turnovers Nebraska has gained since getting six against Wyoming in 2016. It also marked the third straight game that the Big Red has gained at least three turnovers.

Nebraska will complete its home schedule next week when the Huskers play host to Michigan State on Senior Day at Memorial Stadium. Kick-off time and television information will be announced soon.

12:10 - NEB - Marquel Dismuke blocked punt for safety, NEB 47-21
7:44 - ILL - RaVon Bonner 2 run (McLaughlin kick), 3 plays, 39 yards, 1:22, 47-28
6:15 - NEB - Ozigbo 60 run (Pickering kick), 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:29, NEB 54-28
3:21 - ILL - Dre Brown 15 run (McLaughlin kick), 7 plays, 93 yards, 2:46, NEB 54-35

Scoring SummaryNebraska 54, Illinois 35
Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018
Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, Nebraska)
Attendance: 88,316

First Quarter (21-14)
13:58 - NEB - Stanley Morgan Jr. 37 pass from Adrian Martinez (Barret Pickering kick), 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:02, NEB 7-0
10:39 - ILL - AJ Bush 11 run (Chase McLaughlin kick), 8 plays, 76 yards, 3:14, 7-7
7:27 - NEB - Martinez 9 run (Pickering kick), 7 plays, 89 yards, 3:06, NEB 14-7
3:40 - ILL - Bush 8 run (McLaughlin kick), 8 plays, 76 yards, 3:43, 14-14
1:54 - NEB - Morgan 32 pass from Martinez (Pickering kick), 5 plays, 75 yards, 1:46, NEB 21-14

Second Quarter (38-21)
10:36 - NEB - Pickering 27 FG, 7 plays, 35 yards, 3:19, NEB 24-14
6:00 - NEB - Devine Ozigbo 66 run (Pickering kick), 3 plays, 77 yards, 1:13, NEB 31-14
0:58 - ILL - Bush 2 run (McLaughlin kick), 12 plays, 75 yards, 5:02, NEB 31-21
0:03 - NEB - Jack Stoll 12 pass from Martinez (Pickering kick), 3 plays, 7 yards, 0:17, NEB 38-21

Third Quarter (45-21)
4:12 - NEB - Ozigbo 4 run (Pickering kick), 17 plays, 82 yards, 7:48, NEB 45-21

Fourth Quarter (54-35)
12:10 - NEB - Marquel Dismuke blocked punt for safety, NEB 47-21
7:44 - ILL - RaVon Bonner 2 run (McLaughlin kick), 3 plays, 39 yards, 1:22, 47-28
6:15 - NEB - Ozigbo 60 run (Pickering kick), 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:29, NEB 54-28
3:21 - ILL - Dre Brown 15 run (McLaughlin kick), 7 plays, 93 yards, 2:46, NEB 54-35

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09-Nov-2018 / Keaton Monier

The #14 Western Nebraska Community College Cougars Men's Basketball program is back in action Friday as they will play for a second time this season against the top five College of Southern Idaho. The Cougars pulled out a close 105-102 victory over the Golden Eagles last weekend at Central Wyoming.

The Golden Eagles look to redeem themselves in what will be a less than packed house at the Palace as the Scottsbluff Bearcats Semi-Final State Football Playoff game will be played at the same time. WNCC is offering free entry to anyone with a stamp from the Scottsbluff game.

The Cougars will also host another top ten opponent Salt Lake Community College on Saturday at 6pm. You can listen to all the action beginning at 5:45pm for pregame coverage tomorrow.

Here is my conversation with Cory Fehringer on the Cougars 3 and 0 start to the season.

11.09 Cory Fehringer

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09-Nov-2018 / NU Athletic Communications

The Nebraska men's basketball team continues its opening week schedule on Sunday afternoon, as the Huskers take on Southeastern Louisiana. Tipoff from a sold-out Pinnacle Bank Arena is set for 3 p.m. Any game returned tickets would be available at PBA beginning 90 minutes before tipoff.

Sunday's game will be carried nationally on ESPNU with Jon Meterparel and Brooke Weisbrod on the call. The game is also available on the ESPN app on most mobile devices, including Apple TV.

Fans can follow all of the action across the state of Nebraska on the IMG Husker Sports Network with Kent Pavelka and Jake Muhleisen on the call. The game will also be available on Huskers.com, on the Huskers app, on TuneIn Radio and the TuneIn Radio app and on SiriusXM radio.

Sunday's game is the second Lincoln Regional round of the Hall of Fame Classic Powered by ShotTracker. The championship rounds will be at the Sprint Center in Kansas City on Nov. 19-20 with NU, Texas Tech, Missouri State and USC comprising the four-team field.

Sunday's game is also the annual Toys for Tots game, as fans are encouraged to bring new, unwrapped toys along with cash donations for the Marines Toys for Tots program. Volunteers will be collecting donations at locations around Pinnacle Bank Arena to benefit area youth. In addition, Veterans, active, and retired military personnel will receive one standing room only ticket by showing their valid military ID at the Pinnacle Bank Arena box office on Sunday.

The Huskers, who are ranked 25th in the USA Today coaches poll, had little trouble in their opener, routing Mississippi Valley State, 106-37, on Tuesday evening. Glynn Watson Jr. led four Huskers in double figures with a game-high 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting, while James Palmer Jr. had 15 of his 17 points in the first half, as the Huskers built a 42-point halftime lead. NU emptied the bench as all 12 players who dressed played between six and 23 minutes. Nebraska's 69-point margin was the second largest in more than a century, while the 106 points marked the most by a Husker team since 2005.

Nebraska's defense forced 19 turnovers and harassed the Delta Devils into 19 percent shooting, including 1-of-15 from 3-point range. The 37 points allowed and 13 first-half points allowed were lows in the Tim Miles era.

Southeastern Louisiana comes into the weekend with a 0-1 record, as they will take on William Carey on Friday before coming to Lincoln. The Lions, who went 22-12 and reached the NIT for the first time in school history, lost to LSU in their opener on Tuesday. Freshman Parker Edwards led SELU with 25 points - all coming in a 10-minute span of the second half.

OPENING NUMBER18 - Nana Akenten had a career-high 18 points off the bench in just 13 minutes on Tuesday. Akenten played just 21 minutes as a freshman, totaling seven points. He had five of Nebraska's 15 3-pointers, NU's highest total since hitting 15 against Miami on Dec. 20, 2006.

NUMBERS TO KNOW

.912 - With Tuesday's win, Nebraska is now 31-3 under Tim Miles when scoring 80-or-more points.

10 - Number of times since WWII that Nebraska has returned a first-team all-conference performer. James Palmer Jr. became NU's first returning All-Big Ten player since Terran Petteway in 2014-15.

12 - Nebraska has won 12 straight at Pinnacle Bank Arena dating back to last season. With a win on Sunday, it would be the Huskers' longest win streak in the building since it opened in 2013.

13 - Rebounds for Brady Heiman in Tuesday's win over Mississppi Valley State. It was the most rebounds by a Husker freshman since Shavon Shields also had 13 boards vs. Michigan State on Feb. 16, 2013.

106 - Nebraska's highest point total since scoring 107 against North Carolina A&T on Dec. 19, 2005. It is also NU's highest opening-game total since putting up 108 against Colgate to start the 1992-93 season.

SCOUTING SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA
Under fifth-year Head Coach Jay Lander, the Lions head into a pair of weekend games, as they will host William Carey on Friday before traveling to Lincoln. Lander's teams have improved their win total each season, culminating with a 22-12 record in 2017-18 when Southeastern Louisiana won the Southland Conference regular-season title and earned a berth to the NIT. The 22 wins were the most by the school since the 2004-05 season, and Southeastern Louisiana was picked second in the Southland Conference preseason poll.

The 2018-19 squad opened the year with a 94-63 loss at No. 23 LSU on Tuesday night. In that game, the Lions shot just 29 percent in the first half as LSU took a 48-18 lead into the locker room. Freshman Parker Edwards was the bright spot, coming off the bench with 25 points, including 6-of-8 from 3-point range, in just 10 minutes. Moses Greenwood also finished in double figures with 12 points and seven boards, while LSU limited Marlain Veal to one point in 26 minutes. Veal, who was a first-team All-Southland Conference selection, is coming off a knee injury after averaging 12.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game last season. Greenwood started 13 games last season and averaged 10.2 points and a team-high 5.6 rebounds per game while blocking a team-high 30 shots.

Series history: Nebraska won both previous meetings posting victories in 2010 and 2015. In the most recent matchup, NU posted a 92-65 win on Nov. 22, 2015. In that game, the Huskers scored the first 12 points as part of a game-opening 19-2 run. Glynn Watson Jr. led four Huskers in double figures with 14 points. The other meeting was a 77-59 Husker win on Jan. 5, 2010. The Huskers are 9-2 all-time against the current members of the Southland Conference.

LAST TIME OUT
Glynn Watson Jr. tallied 19 points to lead four Huskers in double figures, as the No. 25 (Coaches) Nebraska Cornhuskers blitzed Mississippi Valley State, 106-37, Tuesday evening in the opener for both teams.

Watson, who played just 19 minutes, was 7-of-10 from the field, including five 3-pointers, as Nebraska built a 24-5 lead in the first nine minutes and cruised to the win.
Nana Akenten came off the bench with 18 points, while James Palmer Jr. and Isaac Copeland added, 17 and 10 points, respectively. In all, 11 of the 12 players who dressed got into the scoring column, as no Husker played more than 22 minutes.

Nebraska limited MVSU to just 19 percent shooting on the evening, including 3-of-32 in the first half, and forced 19 turnovers that led to 32 Husker points.

WHAT IS BACK FOR THE BIG RED
The Huskers enter the 2018-19 season welcoming back three starters and nine letterwinners from a team that went 22-11 and finished tied for fourth in the Big Ten with a 13-5 mark. The group includes All-Big Ten performers James Palmer Jr. and Isaac Copeland and three-year starter Glynn Watson Jr., all of whom averaged double figures in 2017-18. NU also returns junior forward Isaiah Roby, who started 13 of NU’s final 14 games - all but Senior Night - and led NU in both rebounding (6.3 rpg) and blocked shots (2.0 bpg).

Nebraska returns 73.4 percent of its scoring, 61.4 percent of its rebounding, 71.5 percent of its assists and 67.2 percent of its blocked shots from last year. Last year, NU averaged 72.3 points per game, its highest average since the 1996-97 season (72.9 ppg). It is only the third time in the last 15 seasons that Nebraska returns at least 70 percent of its scoring from the previous season.

Nebraska's 3,432 returning points ranks 13th nationally entering the 2018-19 season. Among Big Ten programs, only Iowa, which has 4,246 returning points has more points returning than the Big Red.
Entering the season, Nebraska's returnees have combined for 160 career starts for the Big Red and 214 games at the Division I level. Copeland (49 starts at Georgetown) and Palmer (five starts at Miami) both cracked the starting lineups at their previous schools before coming to Nebraska.

What’s Returning (Last Four Seasons)

Returning Power Conference Players w/50 Assists & Blocks
Player	School	Assists	Blocks
Isaiah Roby	Nebraska	53	63
Jontay Porter	Missouri	74	55

Huskers w/50 Assists & Blocks
Player	Year	Assists	Blocks
Isaiah Roby	2017-18	53	63
Aleks Maric	2007-08	64	57
Venson Hamilton	1998-99	54	80
Venson Hamilton	1997-98	58	66
Rich King	1990-91	90	68

COPELAND ANCHORS FRONTCOURT
Isaac Copeland Jr. made a successful return to action following back surgery and put together a strong junior season. The 6-foot-9 forward was second on the team in scoring (12.9 ppg), rebounding (6.1 rpg) and blocked shots (1.0 bpg), setting personal bests in all three areas. In all, he reached double figures 23 times, including five 20-point performances. He turned in a solid effort in Tuesday's win with 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting and four rebounds in 23 minutes.A top-20 recruit coming out of high school, Copeland earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten honors by averaging 13.5 points on 51 percent shooting, including 43 percent from 3-point range, and was in double figures in eight of his final nine Big Ten contests. Copeland graduated from Nebraska in May and is working on his Masters Degree.

FILLING UP PINNACLE BANK ARENA
Pinnacle Bank Arena will be full once again in 2018-19, as the NU Athletic Ticket Office announced on September 25 that general public season tickets are sold out for the upcoming season. It is the fourth time in the past six seasons that the Huskers have sold out their entire season allotment of tickets at Pinnacle Bank Arena. In all, nearly 15,000 season tickets have been sold for the 2018-19 season, including the Red Zone student section.

Since moving into PBA in 2013-14, the Huskers have ranked in the top-15 in attendance nationally all five years, and are one of only nine schools in the country to average 15,000+ fans per contest in that span.

In addition, 300-level seats are available for NU's games against Western Illinois (Nov. 24), Cal State Fullerton (Dec. 22) and Minnesota (Feb. 13). Every other remaining home game this season is sold out.

Pinnacle Bank Arena Attendance Since 2013-14

Season	Average (Rank)
2013-14 (1st year of PBA)	15,419 (13th)
2014-15	15,569 (10th)
2015-16	15,430 (11th)
2016-17	15,427 (11th)
2017-18	15,492 (11th)

PROTECTING THE VAULT
The Huskers have been strong at protecting its home court at Pinnacle Bank Arena since it opened in 2013-14.

NU enters Sunday's game with Southeastern Louisiana with a 12-game home winning streak, the longest among power conference schools and eighth-longest home win streak nationally.
With Tuesday's win over Mississippi Valley State, Nebraska tied its longest winning streak since moving into Pinnacle Bank Arena. NU won 12 straight between Jan. 20-Nov. 18, 2014.
NU has posted a 60-24 (.714) record in Pinnacle Bank Arena since it opened in August of 2013, including a 16-1 mark in 2017-18. Against non-conference foes, NU is 32-7 in PBA (.821). Since the start of the 2006-07 season, NU is 95-12 against non-conference foes (.888).
Nebraska went 16-1 at Pinnacle Bank Arena in 2017-18 with the only loss coming in a one-point setback against then-No. 13 Kansas on Dec. 16. NU's .941 home winning percentage is the best since the 1982-83 campaign, while the 16 home wins was one shy of the school record.
Nebraska went a perfect 9-0 at home in Big Ten play and won its two Big Ten home games against ranked teams by an average of 15.0 points per game. NU's 9-0 mark - the only unbeaten mark in the Big Ten - marked the first time the Huskers went unbeaten in conference play at home since the 1965-66 season. All of the other eight seasons with a perfect conference home record were between 1908 and 1921.

HUSKERS RECEIVE FIRST RANKING SINCE 2014
For the first time since 2014, the Nebraska men’s basketball team is nationally ranked, as the Huskers are ranked No. 25 in the preseason USA TODAY Sports coaches poll released Oct. 25.
The Huskers return three starters, including All-Big Ten selections James Palmer Jr. and Isaac Copeland Jr, and their top four scorers from a team that went 22-11 and reached the NIT last season. In 2014-15, the Huskers were ranked in the first two coaches polls and were ranked 21st on Nov. 17, 2014.

Nebraska is one of four Big Ten teams in the preseason coaches poll, joining Michigan State (10), Michigan (18) and Purdue (22). In addition, the Huskers’ ACC/Big Ten Challenge opponent is also ranked as Clemson enters the poll at No. 23. The Huskers were receiving votes in the AP poll released earlier this month.

GATES JOINS HUSKER STAFF
The only new face on the Husker bench is a familiar one to Big Ten fans, as Armon Gates joined the Husker coaching staff this past May. Gates, a native of Chicago, returns to the Big Ten after recently serving as associate head coach at the University of Florida under Mike White. Gates has coached and developed all-conference performers at three schools during his coaching career.
For the past five seasons (2013-18), Gates was at Northwestern under Chris Collins, helping the Wildcats to a pair of 20-win seasons, including the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2017. He also helped bring a top-30 recruiting class to Northwestern in 2014, while the 2018 class is listed as high as 24th nationally by 247Sports.

THORBJARNARSON REPRESENTS ICELAND AT EUROPEAN U-20 CHAMPIONSHIPS
Husker sophomore Thorir Thorbjarnarson spent part of the summer representing his native Iceland for the U-20 National Team. At the FIBA U-20 European Championships, he averaged 9.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.6 steals per game, ranking second on the team in scoring and first in assists. He closed tournament action with three straight double figure efforts and averaged 18.5 points on 67 percent shooting, including 55 percent from 3-point range, in Iceland’s final two contests. Thorbjarnarson was solid in NU's opener, tallying career highs in both points (nine) and rebounds (four) vs. MSVU.

National Team Members under Miles

Player	Country
Thorir Thorbjarnarson	Iceland
Jack McVeigh	Australia
Shavon Shields	Denmark
Tai Webster	New Zealand
Leslee Smith	British Virgin Islands

CHASING WIN #100
Nebraska Coach Tim Miles is poised to become just the fourth Husker coach to win 100-or-more games at Nebraska in the coming weeks. Miles enters his seventh season needing only 10 wins to pass both Doc Sadler and Moe Iba for third place on NU’s career wins chart.

No.	Coach	Years	Wins
1.	Danny Nee	1987-2000	254
2.	Joe Cipriano	1964-80	253
3.	Moe Iba	1981-86	106
4.	Doc Sadler	2007-12	101
5.	Tim Miles	2013-Present	98

DEFENSIVE IMPROVEMENTS
Nebraska’s biggest improvements came on the defensive end in 2017-18, going from 13th to 6th in the Big Ten in field goal percentage defense and from 14th to 2nd in 3-point percentage defense. NU ranked in the top-75 nationally in both field goal defense (74th) and 3-point percentage defense (32nd) last season.The defense has been stout in the early going of 2018-19, as Nebraska held Wayne State (exhibition) and Mississippi Valley State to a combined 21.3 percent shooting, including just 6-of-37 from 3-point range. NU allowed just 37 points in its opener, the sixth-lowest total allowed in school history.

Defensive Improvement

	2016-17 Season		2017-18 Season
Category	Overall (Rk.)	B1G (Rk.)	Overall (Rk.)	B1G (Rk.)
PPG Allowed	73.0 (12)	76.4 (12)	68.6 (10)	66.5 (5)
FG Pct. Def.	.447 (13)	.459 (13)	.423 (6)	.411 (2)
3-Pt. Pct. Def.	.399 (14)	.425 (14)	.322 (2)	.279 (1)

ALLEN MAKES IMPACT FOR LINCOLN KIDS
Sophomore guard Thomas Allen coordinated a back-to-school drive for the kids of Everett Elementary School in Lincoln. Allen spearheaded the efforts, using traditional and social media to get the word out on the event, which took place on Aug. 4. In all, more than five vans of materials were donated that day with other Husker teams and university staffers making contributions for the event.

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09-Nov-2018 / NU Athletic Communications

• The sixth-ranked Nebraska volleyball team, coming off its third straight win, will face No. 15 Michigan at Cliff Keen Arena in Ann Arbor on Saturday at 6 p.m. (CT).

• The match will not have a television broadcast; it will only have a live video stream with no audio. It will air 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. John Baylor is in his 25th season doing play-by-play for the Husker volleyball program. Lauren West, a former All-America setter for the Huskers, will provide color commentary.

About the Huskers

• The Huskers enter the match at 19-6 overall and 10-5 in the Big Ten after a sweep at Iowa on Wednesday.

• After a 3-5 record in October, the Huskers are looking to rebound in the month of November, which historically has been a good month for the Huskers. Nebraska possesses a .903 win percentage all-time in the month of November, compared to an .881 win percentage all-time during August-October. Nebraska’s two seniors - Kenzie Maloney and Mikaela Foecke - are a combined 26-1 in the month of November.

• Nebraska leads the Big Ten and ranks second nationally in opponent hitting percentage at .129. Nebraska’s .129 opponent hitting percentage is its best mark since .126 in the 2005 season. The best defensive team in the John Cook era was the 2004 squad that held opponents to .103 hitting for the season.

• The Huskers have held 22 of their 25 opponents under .200 hitting this year.

• Nebraska ranks second in the Big Ten and 18th nationally with 1.66 aces per set.

• Nebraska’s 2.82 blocks per set ranks 11th nationally and second in the Big Ten.

• Senior co-captain Mikaela Foecke, who has twice been named Big Ten Player of the Week this season, leads the Huskers with 3.64 kills per set and adds 2.71 digs per set and has a team-high 35 service aces this season. The AVCA second-team All-American is the only active player in NCAA Division I with at least 1,000 career kills, 200 career blocks, 500 career digs and 100 career aces. Foecke became the eighth Husker all-time to surpass 1,500 career kills on Wednesday.

• Fellow senior captain Kenzie Maloney is averaging 4.03 digs per set to lead the Husker defense.

• Freshman middle blocker Callie Schwarzenbach ranks 10th in the nation and second in the Big Ten with 1.49 blocks per set.

• Sophomore middle blocker Lauren Stivrins is averaging 2.13 kills on a team-best .401 hitting percentage to go with 1.15 blocks per set. Stivrins was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Monday after a career-high 10 blocks in a five-set win over No. 7 Penn State last Friday. She averaged 2.25 blocks per set to go with 2.25 kills per set on a .516 hitting percentage last weekend.

• Since debuting for the Huskers on Sept. 14, Lexi Sun has put up 3.06 kills per set and 2.65 digs per set.

• Freshman setter Nicklin Hames has 19 double-doubles through 25 matches and is averaging 10.05 assists and 3.36 digs per set.

• Sophomore opposite hitter Jazz Sweet is second on the team in total kills and is producing 2.49 kills per set.

Coaches

• John Cook, Nebraska: 19th year at Nebraska (550-75); 26th year overall (711-148)

• Mark Rosen, Michigan: 20th year at Michigan (403-251); 27th year overall (612-288)

Series History

• Nebraska is 15-3 all-time against Michigan. The Huskers have won seven straight in the series dating back to 2014, and NU beat Michigan 3-1 at the Devaney Center on Sept. 21 behind 21 kills from Mikaela Foecke. The loss was the first of the season for Michigan. Nebraska swept Michigan at Cliff Keen Arena last year, 25-22, 25-18, 25-13.

Scouting Michigan

• After an 11-0 start to the season, Michigan has gone 8-7 in its last 15 matches. The Wolverines have been up and down in the past two weeks, beating No. 5 Wisconsin on the road but losing on the road at Indiana (3-1) and at home to Maryland (3-0).

• Libero Jenna Lerg leads the Big Ten with 5.17 digs per set. Carly Skjodt leads the team with 4.21 kills per set, second-most in the Big Ten. Paige Jones adds 3.32 kills per set with 30 service aces.

• Michigan is hitting .232 on the season and is allowing opponents to hit only .175. The Wolverines are second in the Big Ten in digs (16.11 per set) but 13th in blocks (1.93 per set).

Foecke, Maloney Captain Young Husker Squad

• Seniors Mikaela Foecke and Kenzie Maloney are co-captaining the 2018 Husker squad. Foecke and Maloney are the lone players on the team who have been part of both the 2015 and 2017 NCAA Championship teams, and the duo will look to become the first in program history to appear in four straight final fours and win three national championships.

• Foecke, an outside hitter from West Point, Iowa, was selected the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Championship in both 2015 and 2017 after leading the Huskers to their fourth and fifth NCAA titles all-time.

• Foecke became the fourth player in NCAA history to twice be named the MOP - as she also earned the honor in 2015 - and she was the first to earn the honor in non-consecutive years.

• Foecke was named an AVCA second-team All-American and was unanimously selected to the All-Big Ten team and was an AVCA All-North Region pick for the third straight year in 2017.

• Foecke was a unanimous preseason All-Big Ten selection entering her senior season. She had a career-high 25 kills on .351 hitting with 13 digs at Creighton on Sept. 6, earning Big Ten Co-Player of the Week honors for the first of two times this season.

• Foecke leads the Huskers with 3.64 kills per set on .295 hitting with 2.71 digs per set. She ranks eighth on Nebraska’s career kills list with 1,512, which also ranks fourth in the rally scoring era (2001 to present). Her 124 career aces are ninth-most in school history.

• Maloney, a libero from Louisville, Kentucky, was named to the NCAA Championship All-Tournament team in 2017 and was a PrepVolleyball.com first-team All-American after serving a school-record 13 aces during the NCAA Tournament.

• In her first season as NU’s libero in 2017, Maloney played all 125 sets and averaged 3.62 digs per set and 0.95 aces per set with season totals of 452 digs and 37 aces, second-most on the team.

• Maloney was named to the preseason All-Big Ten team this year. She is averaging a team-high 4.03 digs per set and had a career-high 25 digs in a win at No. 14 Creighton and at No. 3 Minnesota.

• Maloney became the 11th Husker all-time to reach 1,000 career digs when she did so against Missouri State on Sept. 15. She now has 1,249 career digs, eighth-most in school history.

Stivrins, Sweet Stepping Up in Sophomore Seasons

• After earning All-Big Ten Freshman team honors in 2017, middle blocker Lauren Stivrins and opposite hitter Jazz Sweet are both playing bigger roles as sophomores in the program.

• Stivrins is averaging 2.13 kills per set on a team-best .401 hitting percentage to go with 1.15 blocks per set. Her hitting percentage ranks third in the Big Ten. She added serving to her repertoire this season and has 19 aces.

• Stivrins finished the 2017 season with 2.07 kills per set on .309 hitting and 1.02 blocks per set while playing all 125 sets. She tallied nine kills on .316 hitting against Florida in the NCAA Championship match and had seven kills and a career-high nine blocks in the NCAA Semifinal vs. Penn State.

• Stivrins picked up her first-career Big Ten Player of the Week honor after becoming the third Husker in school history to post a 1.000 hitting percentage with at least 10 kills when she went 10-for-10 in a sweep of Northwestern on Sept. 28.

• Sweet also played in all 125 sets last season and had 2.22 kills per set on .273 hitting in her first year as a Husker. Sweet posted 12 kills on .375 hitting against Penn State in the NCAA Semifinal.

• This year, Sweet moved into the starting lineup for the Big Red and is third on the team in kills per set at 2.49. Sweet also has 78 blocks this season, third-most on the team behind only the two middles.

Sun Shining for Huskers

• Nebraska added sophomore outside hitter Lexi Sun to its attack in the offseason. The University of Texas transfer was a 2017 first-team All-Big 12 selection and received All-America honorable mention in her freshman season with the Longhorns. A native of Encinitas, California, Sun was the PrepVolleyball.com National Player of the Year, the Gatorade Player of the Year and the All-USA Volleyball Player of the Year as a senior at Santa Fe Christian.

• Sun made her Husker debut on Sept. 14 against New Mexico. She had 13 kills on .346 hitting with five digs, and she followed that the next day with nine kills on .368 hitting with seven digs against Missouri State.

• Sun is playing all six rotations for the Huskers and is averaging 3.06 kills and 2.65 digs per set.

Young Huskers Making Instant Impact

• Eight of the 15 Huskers on the roster are new to the team this season, and five are freshmen.

• Setter Nicklin Hames has started every match and has 19 double-doubles. The Knoxville, Tennessee native is averaging 10.05 assists and 3.36 digs per set. Her 31 service aces are second-most on the team.

• Middle blocker Callie Schwarzenbach has started every match and leads the team in blocks with 1.49 per set.

• Defensive specialist Megan Miller has played in 18 matches and is providing 1.49 digs per set, as well as 11 aces from the service line.

• Outside hitter Capri Davis has played in 15 matches and was huge for the Huskers in a 3-2 comeback win at No. 14 Creighton, providing 18 kills.

• Defensive specialist Chen Abramovich made her first collegiate appearance against Wake Forest on Aug. 31.

Smith Makes Return to Huskers

• Senior setter Brooke Smith was part of the Huskers’ 2015 NCAA Championship team and 2016 Big Ten Championship team. She played the 2017 season at Kansas State before transferring back to Nebraska for her senior season this year. Smith was cleared by the NCAA to start playing for the Huskers on Sept. 7 and has played in eight matches, recording six assists and one ace.

Huskers Will Play School-Record 19 Home Matches

• Nebraska will play a school-record 19 regular-season home matches in 2018.

• Nine of the Huskers’ 10 non-conference matches were played at the Devaney Center this season. The only road trip was to Omaha, where NU beat Creighton, 3-2, on Thursday, Sept. 6.

• The 2018 season marked the first time the Huskers didn’t play a non-conference match outside of Nebraska since 2007.

Huskers Record 250th Consecutive Regular-Season Sellout

• Nebraska carries an NCAA women’s record 251 consecutive regular-season sellouts. The Huskers celebrated their 250th straight regular-season sellout with a thrilling 3-2 win over No. 7 Penn State on Nov. 2.

Huskers Ranked No. 6 in AVCA Coaches Poll

• Nebraska is ranked No. 6 in the AVCA Coaches Poll this week.

• The Huskers have been ranked No. 1 in 99 all-time polls, the most in NCAA history.

• The Huskers have been ranked in the top 10 a total of 482 times, which is also the most in NCAA history.

• Nebraska has appeared in all 537 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.

Cook Adds to Legacy; Joins AVCA Hall of Fame

• Nebraska head coach John Cook is in his 19th season as the Nebraska volleyball head coach in 2018. He has led the Huskers to four national championships, eight final fours, 12 conference championships and 16 top-10 final rankings since 2000. Cook has 711 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 .880 win percentage in that time (550-75).

• Under Cook, the Huskers have achieved 52 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 was named the AVCA North Region Coach of the Year in 2016, his fifth career regional coaching honor and fourth while at Nebraska.

• 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 10th active Division I head coach to reach 700 career wins with the Huskers’ eighth win of the season on Sept. 14 against New Mexico. Cook is one of 27 Division I coaches all-time to have reached the 700-win mark.

• Cook passed former Husker head coach and AVCA Hall of Famer Terry Pettit on the all-time career wins list earlier this season. Pettit finished his career with 694 career wins, which Cook passed on Aug. 31 when Nebraska beat Wake Forest.

Husker Fans Set Attendance Standard Once Again

• Nebraska fans led the nation in attendance for a fifth straight season in 2017, averaging 8,202 fans per match, nearly 2,000 more than any other school.

• In 2016, the Huskers also led the nation with an average attendance of 8,210 fans per match, a new NCAA attendance record.

• In 2013, the Huskers led the nation in attendance (8,175) for the first time since 1992, ending Hawaii’s 21-year reign as the national leader.

• The Huskers repeated as attendance champions in 2014 with 8,083 fans per match, which included a school-record 8,585 fans at the Oct. 3 win against Penn State.

• Nebraska has ranked in the top three nationally in attendance every season since 1990 (27 straight seasons).

Cook’s Coaching Tree Continues to Grow

• Nebraska head coach John Cook’s assistant coaches have a great track record of moving on to become head coaches.

• Following the 2017 season, Husker assistant Tyler Hildebrand was named the Director of Coaching, Beach Volleyball for USA Volleyball in his home state of California.

• After the 2016 season, Nebraska assistants Chris Tamas and Dani Busboom Kelly both accepted high-level Division I head coaching jobs. Busboom Kelly became the head coach at Louisville, while Tamas accepted the head coaching job at Big Ten foe Illinois. Tamas led his Fighting Illini squad to the Sweet 16 in his first year, while Busboom Kelly made the NCAA Tournament with Louisville and was named the AVCA East Region Coach of the Year.

• Seven assistants under Cook have become head coaches following their time on Cook’s Nebraska staff: Craig Skinner (Kentucky), Lee Maes (Virginia), Lizzy Stemke (Georgia), Dan Conners (UC Davis), Dan Meske (Augustana, Associate Head Coach at Louisville), Busboom Kelly and Tamas.

• In the last eight years, five of Cook’s Husker assistants have become head coaches. with her 1.60 blocks per set.

Foecke Named Senior CLASS Award Finalist

• Ten NCAA women’s volleyball student-athletes, including Nebraska senior outside hitter Mikaela Foecke, were selected on Oct. 25 as finalists for the 2018 Senior CLASS Award in collegiate volleyball. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.

• A native of West Point, Iowa, Foecke carries a 3.649 GPA majoring in animal science and is a two-time NCAA Championship most outstanding player, making her one of only four volleyball players in NCAA history to accomplish that feat. Foecke was an AVCA second-team All-American in 2017 after leading the Huskers to their second NCAA Championship in three years. Foecke has excelled both on and off the court in her four years at Nebraska, as she is a three-time academic All-Big Ten selection and has received Nebraska’s high honors (silver) academic medallion twice.

• Fans are encouraged to vote at seniorCLASSaward.com through December 5. Fan votes will then be combined with media and Division I head coaches’ votes to determine the winner. The Senior CLASS Award recipient will be announced during the 2018 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship in December.

Nebraska Volleyball Retires Jersey of Sarah Pavan

• Nebraska volleyball retired the jersey of one of the most decorated student-athletes in NCAA history, Sarah Pavan, on Sept. 9 after the Huskers’ win over Iowa State. She became the ninth volleyball player in school history to have her jersey retired. Pavan was also inducted into the Nebraska Athletic Hall of Fame that weekend.

• The Kitchener, Ontario native is NU’s all-time leader in kills (2,008) and kills per match (4.56). She is one of five players in NCAA history to be named a four-time first-team AVCA All-American, and she helped lead the Huskers win the 2006 NCAA Championship.

• Pavan was the AVCA National Player of the Year, a three-time Big 12 Player of the Year, a two-time ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American of the Year and the Honda Broderick Cup winner, given to the best female student-athlete in the country. She earned a 4.0 GPA majoring in biochemistry. Pavan went on to compete in the 2016 Olympics in Brazil, representing Canada in beach volleyball.

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08-Nov-2018 / Keaton Monier

As we get you set for one of the biggest games of the year the HFRSN caught up with the Head Coaches at Scottsbluff and York. York is back in the State Semi-Finals after capturing the NSAA Class B State Title last season. While Scottsbluff takes it one week at a time.

Scottsbluff Head Coach Joe Benson