HuskersHQ

2009-04-10T13:32:00.000-07:00

It's been a good spring for the Nebraska volleyball team. The Huskers wind up their spring exhibition schedule by playing Wichita State Saturday in Scottbluff. Earlier this spring, Nebraska won at Hawaii and defeated Missouri State in Lincoln last weekend.

John Cook is putitng a young team on the court this spring. Senior Kori Cooper will be the only senior next year, and Cooper is out this spring as she recovers from a knee injury suffered late in the regular season last fall. That means juniors like Sydney Anderson, Kayla Banwarth and Tara Mueller have to step things up.

Freshmen Hannah Werth and Megan Pendergast have already enrolled and are practicing with the Huskers this spring. Werth will be one of the candidates to replace the graduated Jordan Larson when the Huskers start playing for real next fall.

Sophomore Brooke Delano played all three front row positions last year. Now she's practicing solely at rightside and Cook has liked what he's seen from her there. Jordan Wilberger, who filled in for Cooper when she was injured last year, has been playing well in the middle along with redshirt freshman Allison McNeal.

It will certainly be interesting to see what Cook comes up with for a lineup when fall rolls around.

Impressive Husker win

2009-03-20T10:39:00.000-07:00

It's always tough to win in Hawaii. Even in the spring. The Husker volleyball team began its spring slate with a 25-23, 25-23, 16-25, 25-23 win over the Rainbow Rahine early Friday morning (Nebraska time). Freshman Hannah Werth, who has joined the program early, got off to a good start with 15 kills. She'll need to pull that .182 hitting percentage up, but that will come. Coach John Cook might not have been to crazy about Hawaii's .282 hitting percentage, but it's still a win for the Huskers.

Freshman libero/defensive specialist Megan Pendergast, who like Werth entered the program early, saw her first action as did former Penn State setter Jessica Yanz. Returning All-American Sydney Anderson saw most of the action at setter. That will be interesting to watch. Anderson is so athletic and had a great year in 2008, but Yanz is very good too.

Redshirt freshman Allison McNeal also so her first action as a Husker. McNeal, who could be a star in the making, had 9 kills in just swings. It was good to see Brooke Delano, who missed the last part of the season after surgery, back in action.

All in all, a good showing for the Huskers.

NCAA disses Omaha

2009-02-08T19:43:00.000-08:00

Interesting that the NCAA decided not to give Omaha the volleyball final four for either 2010 or 2012. Apparently a guarantee of record crowds wasn't enough. I really thought Omaha would win the bid for one of those years, but I think many believe the Huskers have an unfair advantage when they play a final four at home.

And they do. It's a huge advantage for the Huskers whenever they play in the state of Nebraska whether its at the NU Coliseum, the Devaney Center or the Qwest Center. Plus with the outstanding recruiting class the Huskers signed for next year - including outside hitters Hannah Werth and Gina Mancuso - plus 6-5 setter/rightside hitter Morgan Broekhuis committed for next year's class, coach John Cook has pretty much guaranteed his Huskers will be national championship contenders from 2010 to 2012.

When you look at it like that, it's not too surprising that the NCAA went another direction. Cook didn't seem that disappointed. He said he'd rather play a regional in Omaha and go on the road for the final four. After all, if the Huskers make the final four in 2010 all they have to do is cruise down I-29 to Kansas City. The Sprint Center there could turn into Qwest Center South if the Huskers make it.

Then the 2012 final four will be in Louisville. The 2009 final four will be in Tampa with the 2011 going to San Antonio. It's quite possible that there won't be a home team in any of those, although Florida could certainly cause some problems for opponents if they make it to Tampa.

The Huskers are already set to host a regional at the Qwest Center at the end of this season. You have to think they will have a decent chance of making it to Tampa. And as good as they will be, they will likely host a couple more in the near future.

It was an ecomonic loss for the city of Omaha. Kansas City estimates the final four in 2010 will bring $5 million into its economy. It is a loss for Omaha, but it really looks like a good thing for Cook and his team.

Big commitment for John Cook

2009-01-22T13:58:00.000-08:00

Setter/hitter Morgan Broekhuis is a huge commitment for the Husker volleyball program. Broekhuis is the best player in Colorado and could well be the No. 1 senior in the nation next year. Her setting ability will allow coach John Cook to use a 6-2 offense with her hitting in the front row if he should so choose.

In any event, it's bad news for the rest of the Big 12 and other college programs. The Huskers were one of the top teams in the nation this past year, and that won't change now for the next few years. Cook has a great recruiting class coming this fall and now has a great start on the 2010 class.

Huskers will give their all

2008-12-18T06:10:00.000-08:00

Jordan Larson couldn't really explain her feeling after her ace served in the fifth set gave the Huskers a victory over Washington Saturday night in Seattle.

“There’s no words to describe how that felt,” Larson said Wednesday as the Huskers were preparing to play Penn State in an NCAA semifinal Thursday at the Qwest Center in Omaha. “After that last point - - physically, mentally, emotionally - - I had nothing left. People need to understand when you leave a match that’s how you should feel.”

If the Huskers beat the seemingly unbeatable Nittany Lions tonight, it will take every bit of effort and heart they have. But of course they do have one advantage they didn't have in Seattle. Tonight there well be some 18,000 fans rooting them on.

“Fans are the seventh player on the court,” senior Rachel Scwhartz said. “You still have to go in and play your butt off and play as hard as you can. But having 18,000 people behind you is never going to hurt.”

It's impossible to predict a Husker victory tonight, but one thing is for sure. They will definitely give it every ounce of effort they have. Penn State looks too good, but as volleyball legend Karch Kiraly said, if the Huskers somehow manage to win that first set, all bets are off.

Interesting final four

2008-12-16T08:49:00.001-08:00

It should be an interesting night for sure Thursday when the final four kicks off at the Qwest Center in Omaha. Of course Penn State against Nebraska is the feature attraction, but the first match of the night will be interesting as well.

Texas and Stanford will meet in a rematch of an early-season match at the Qwest Center. The Cardinal took a 25-17, 25-19, 25-27, 20-25, 15-10 victory over the Longhorns in a match that lasted 2 hours and 17 minutes. Thursday's match starts at 6 p.m. with NU vs. Penn State scheduled for 8 p.m. Don't be surprised if the Huskers and Nittany Lions are a bit late getting started. Texas-Stanford could certainly play another five-setter.

It will also be interesting to see if the pro-Nebraska crowd gets behind Texas or Stanford in that match. My guess is Stanford. A lot of Nebraska fans just don't like the Longhorns in any sport.

Of course the Huskers will have the home-court type advantage against Penn State, and they'll need every bit of it. The Nittany Lions have been more dominating than any team in NCAA history. The 108-0 record in sets proves that. But we're in the final four now. That pressure to win may cause Penn State some jitters.

NCAA Tournament heating up

2008-12-11T11:01:00.000-08:00

Now we get to the real deal. The first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament were pretty much a formality. There was no way the Huskers weren't going to advance to regional play in Seattle. But now it gets interesting.

Michigan is no push over. The Wolverines play in a tough conference. The Big Ten has four teams still remaining in the final 16. No doubt the Wolverines won't be intimidated by the Huskers after playing No. 1 Penn State twice this season.

If NU gets past that match, the Huskers will face either Washington or Utah. Washington is obviously the favorite there, but Husker coach John Cook said that's a very interesting match up. You know Cook and the Huskers would rather face Utah in Seattle than the Huskies on their home court. That wouldn't guarantee anything, but it would certainly make the task less daunting for the Huskers.

Two years ago when the Huskers played in Gainsville, Fla., it was Minnesota that beat the host team in the regional semifinal. The Huskers survived that regional to win the school's third national title, but they fell behind the Gophers 2-0 before rallying to win in the regional final.

Last year, Nebraska had to travel to Madison, Wis. The Badgers would have been the host team playing on their home court, but Iowa State beat them in the second round. Of course that didn't help the Huskers in the end because they were knocked out by Cal in the regional final.

If the Huskers make the regional final, fans will have to stay up late Saturday night to watch on ESPNU. First serve for the regional final is set for 10:30 p.m. CDT.

Huskers will head for Seattle

2008-12-03T08:17:00.000-08:00

No disrespect to the other three teams coming to Lincoln this weekend for the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, but they aren't going to win. The three Husker seniors have never lost in the NU Coliseum or even in the state of Nebraska. They aren't about to start now.

Two wins would set up a possible match up with Kentucky in the regional semifinal. That would be interesting because the Wildcats are coached by former Nebraska assistant Craig Skinner and feature Becky Pavan, the younger sister of former NU All-American Sarah Pavan. Grand Island's Ann Armes and Brooke Bartek, who lived in Grand Island until her family moved to Lincoln during before her freshman year of high school, also play for the Wildcats.

A win in the third round and the Huskers would likely face a very good Washington team on its home court. The Huskies have won 13 of their last 14 matches since back-to-back losses to Caland Stanford in early October. This will be a tough match up for a Husker team that has battled adversity much of the season.

But who knows? You can't count John Cook out. Of course a regional win would send the Huskers to Omaha for a national semifinal match against unbeaten Penn State, a team that not only hasn't lost a match this season but hasn't even lost a set.

The Huskers would love the opportunity to play the Nittany Lions. A trip to the Final Four would be a huge accomplishment for a team that wasn't expected to be that good this season.

Cook controls himself

2008-11-26T16:34:00.000-08:00

Nebraska coach John Cook has learned a few things over the years. The Huskers don't yet know if they will host first- and second-round NCAA Tournament matches or if they will have to go on the road. When asked if he thought it was fair that his 26-2 team might have to go on the road, Cook said, "I figured out it really doesn’t matter what I think. I just tick people off when I say what I feel.”

Cook did go on to say that he thought only places that have good attendance should get to host NCAA Tournament matches.

“I see some of these places that host and there’s nobody there,” Cook said. “Why are they hosting? They shouldn’t be rewarded with that.”

That's why the Huskers likely will get to host first- and second-round matches because the NCAA knows the NU Coliseum will sell out. On the other hand, Cook has been hearing things about money, travel and air flights. Cook is going to try and not worry about it. We'll know Sunday night where the Huskers are headed.

“They have things they have to deal with when they set this tournament up, so there’s no sense worrying about it,” Cook said.

Loss at Texas no surprise

2008-11-20T08:57:00.000-08:00

I don't think anyone can be surprised that the Huskers lost at Texas on Wednesday night. The Huskers just didn't match up very well athlete for athlete with the Longhorns. That being said, they did battle to the very end. They played extremely well at times, but those 33 hitting errors were just too many.

The Longhorns had just 13 hitting errors. That's a difference of 20 points in that category alone. That margin needed to be much lower for the Huskers to win the match.

Texas' Destinee Hooker is certainly a special athlete. She's been great in the front row her whole career. Now she's worked hard on her defense and that certainly showed up against the Huskers. Hooker had a number of impressive digs that helped the Longhorns prolong rallies, several of those they turned into points.

The big news though, is the possible loss of Kori Cooper to a knee injury. We'll know more soon, but it doesn't look good. That means redshirt freshman walkon Jordan Wilberger will have to fill in for the rest of the year unless John Cook pulls freshman Allison McNeal out of her redshirt season. I hope that doesn't happen. McNeal is loaded with potential and it would be a shame for her to lose a year of eligibility for just a handful of matches.

On the other hand, if McNeal can help the Huskers to the Final Four maybe it would be worth while. It's a tough call to make. That's why Cook gets paid the big bucks.

Coaches make family sacrifices

2008-11-13T07:15:00.000-08:00

Nebraska volleyball coach John Cook will watch his daughter, Lauren, play for Lincoln Pius X in the Nebraska State Volleyball Tournament Thursday. But if the Thunderbolts advance to the Class B finals, Cook won't be there. He'll be in Lawrence, Kan., for a 7 p.m. match against the Jayhawks.

That's just one of the huge drawbacks that coaches face. No doubt John Cook would like to be watching his daughter throughout the state tournament. Cook joked Tuesday that he thought about call the NSAA and asking them to change the 7 p.m. starting time of Saturday's match so he could watch.

“It’s just part of it,” Cook said. “I look at the football coaches with their kids. They have to make the same decisions and go through the same things. It’s just part of being a coach. My kids understand that.”

NU's Licht looking for consistency

2008-11-07T08:20:00.000-08:00

Nebraska sophomore Lindsey Licht is third on the team in kills with 2.52 per game. The potential for the 6-foot-5 left handed rightside player is obvious. She hits the ball as hard as anyone around.

But consistency has been a problem. That’s evidenced by her.221 hitting percentage. Obviously coach John Cook would like to get that up closer to .300.

He would like to see the same production as he saw on Sept. 20 when Licht hammered 17 kills and hit .500 in a 3-1 victory over Texas. In the match before that she hit a negative .040. In the following match she hit .143.

Cook just wants a little consistency.

“Now she thinks every night should be like Texas,” Cook said. “As a coach, you have to continue to remind them that the great players are good over a long period of time. Sure somebody can have a great night one night, but can you do it over a long period of time?

“That’s what we try to do is have that consistent level of performance so we know what we’re going to get every night out.”

Huskers to sign four next week

2008-11-04T14:14:00.000-08:00

The college volleyball signing period begins on Nov. 12. The Huskers are expected to sign four players in Ewing middle blocker Haley Thramer, outside hitter Gina Mancuso of Papillion-LaVista, outside hitter Hannah Werth of Glenwood, Ill., and libero Megan Pendergast of League City, Texas.

This class will continue a trend of smaller, more defensive-minded outside hitters. Werth and Mancuso are both around 6-foot. They'll join Tara Mueller, another 6-footer and the 5-11 Kaitlynn James, who has missed all of this season so far after shoulder surgery. Of course coach John Cook will continue to look for the 6-5 left handed right side players like current Husker Lindsey Licht and former NU All-American Sarah Pavan.

By the way, Hannah Werth is a younger sister to Jayson Werth, an outfielder who helped the Philadelphia Phillies to their first World Series championship since 1980.

Big 12 challenging Huskers

2008-09-29T09:39:00.000-07:00

The Nebraska volleyball team is now 4-0 in Big 12 play. In the past, those four wins might have been sweeps. It's different this year. The Huskers have won all four of their Big 12 matches 3-1.

The Huskers were in danger at Iowa State Saturday. The Cyclones very nearly won the third set to take a 2-1 lead. Who knows what would have happened if Christy Johnosn's team had done that. We might now be talking about the Huskers' first loss of the season.

But Nebraska held on. This year's team is nothing if not resilient. Next up Wednesday is a road match at cellar-dweller Texas Tech and a match Saturday at the NU Coliseum against Colorado. We may see a sweep or maybe even two this week.

Stalls helping out with Huskers

2008-09-23T06:21:00.001-07:00

Former Husker All-American Tracy Stalls is helping out this season. Stalls is still finishing her degree, so NCAA rules say she's eligible to work with the Huskers as a student coach. Her job is to tutor freshman middle blocker Allison McNeal.

“Her main role is to mentor Allison McNeal,” NU coach John Cook said. “I just say, ‘Allison, here’s Tracy. Do what she does. Follow her around.’

“So she mentors her and then she’s great support to be around the girls as part of our support system. She’ll pull players aside. She’s been through the wars. She knows what it takes and she has a great perspective. They have a lot of respect for her.”

Huskers still No. 2

2008-09-08T14:37:00.001-07:00

The second CBS Sports/AVCA Coaches poll is out and the Huskers are still No. 2 behind Penn State. Penn State got all 60 of the first-place votes. The Huskers, who won three matches at the Cal Poly Invitational over the weekend, received 1,427 points in the poll after getting 1,411 a week ago.

Here's a look at the latest ratings:

CBS College Sports/AVCA Top 25

Team Pts W-L

1. Penn State (60) 1,500 6-0

2. Nebraska 1,427 6-0

3. Texas 1,365 3-1

4. California 1,309 5-0

5. UCLA 1,242 5-1

6. Southern Cal 1,147 3-2

7. Stanford 1,126 4-2

8. Florida 1,110 4-0

9. Washington 1,056 4-0

10. Hawaii 932 4-2

11. Minnesota 774 5-1

12. Oregon 733 5-1

13. Middle Tennessee 653 6-0

14. Wisconsin 641 5-1

15. Purdue 585 6-0

16. Cal Poly 545 4-2

17. Illinois 505 5-1

18. Wichita St. 421 8-0

19. Kansas St. 401 6-1

20. San Diego 369 5-1

21. Colorado St. 293 5-1

22. Long Beach St. 227 5-1

23. BYU 241 5-1

24. Pepperdine 189 6-0

25. Michigan 172 6-0

Others Receiving Votes and appearing on two or more ballots: LSU 141; Saint Louis 134; Iowa State 43; Utah 34; Miami (OH) 25; New Mexico State 25; St. John's 24; Santa Clara 22; Western Kentucky 12; Clemson 9; Georgia Tech 3; Arizona 3.

Huskers rated No. 7

2008-08-19T15:37:00.000-07:00

Nebraska volleyball team was rated No. 7 in the preseason CBS College Sports Network/AVCA Top 25 poll released on Tuesday.

Defending national champion Penn State, with six starters returning, was a runaway No. 1 pick as it received 59 of the 60 first-place votes. Nebraska received the other first-place vote.

Stanford, Nebraska's season-opening opponent and NCAA runner-up the past two years, is No. 2 with Texas No. 3. Southern Cal, another final four team last year that is NU's second opponent on Aug. 30, is fourth with California fifth and UCLA sixth.

CBS College Sports Network/AVCA Top 25

Team Pts. 2007 rec.

1. Penn State (59) 1,498 34-2

2. Stanford 1,431 32-3

3. Texas 1,360 27-4

4. Southern Cal 1,229 29-5

5.California 1,214 26-8

6. UCLA 1,188 23-11

7. Nebraska (1) 1,161 30-2

8. Forida 1,025 29-3

9. Washington 944 27-4

10. Cal Poly 849 23-8

11. Oregon 797 22-11

12. Hawaii 781 27-6

13. Wisconsin 765 26-5

14. Kansas St. 655 23-9

15. Mid. Tennessee 479 35-3

16. Minnesota 446 18-13

17. Colorado St. 363 23-8

18. Iowa State 327 19-14

19. Clemson 303 29-4

20. BYU 292 24-8

21. LSU 276 25-8

22. San Diego 271 21-8

23. New Mexico St. 229 26-6

24. Long Beach St. 220 26-7

25. Purdue 190 19-14.

Others Receiving Votes and appearing on two or more ballots: St. John's 180; Michigan 177; Pepperdine 113; Dayton 98; Michigan State 80; Louisville 66; Santa Clara 65; Ohio 62; Texas A&M 55; Utah 45; Illinois 44; Missouri 42; Tulane 38; Arizona 31; Duke 18; Kentucky 16; Oklahoma 15; Wichita State 14; Georgia Tech 8; Western Kentucky 6.

Sand volleyball next college sport?

2008-07-23T12:14:00.001-07:00

Nebraska coach John Cook is behind a movement to get sand volleyball in as an NCAA sanctioned sport. The movement to recognize sand volleyball got a boost this summer when the Committee on Women's Athletics voted to recommend that legislation move forward toward adding sand volleyball to the list of emerging sports for women.

Once 40 institutions sponsor an emerging sport, it qualifies for an NCAA championship.

Cook says sand volleyball would provide an opportunity to promote the sport in the spring during a period of the year when it's not currently being promoted.

In the coaches' proposal, sand teams would consist of five doubles teams - much like tennis - with the team that wins three matches taking the event.

Yanz is out

2008-05-28T16:45:00.000-07:00

It appears official. Former Penn State setter Jessica Yanz won't be playing for Nebraska this fall.

Yanz enrolled at Nebraska in January, but needed a release from Penn State to be eligible this fall. The Nittany Lions won't give her that release. That means Yanz won't be playing for Nebraska until the fall of 2009.

It also means Sydney Anderson, a former Utah setter, will be the Huskers lone scholarship setter on the roster next fall. Anderson still has some school work she has to complete to be eligible, but NU coach John Cook is confident she'll get caught up.

Brigette Root of Grand Island, who led the Islanders to Class A state runner-up finishes the past two years, will be a walk-on setter for the Huskers in the fall.

Huskers add volleyball recruit

2008-05-05T13:17:00.000-07:00

Megan Pendergast, a 5-foot-7 senior to be at Clear Creek High School in League City, Texas, told the Galveston County Daily News that she has verbally committed to join the Nebraska volleyball program in the fall of 2009.

Pendergast was being recruited by several schools as an outside hitter, but is expected to play libero at Nebraska.

Pendergast is the third known recruit for John Cook's 2009 recruiting class. Hannah Werth, a 6-1 outside hitter from Chatham, Ill., and Papillion-LaVista's Gina Mancuso, a 6-0 outside hitter, have previously committed to the Huskers.

Cook mixed on new scoring system

2008-04-18T06:38:00.000-07:00

Husker volleyball fans got their first look at the new college scoring system Saturday night when Nebraska downed Kentucky in an exhibition match at the NU Coliseum.

This year, college volleyball games will go to 25 instead of 30.

“I’m still mixed on it,” Cook said. “There is a lot of pressure right now to go back to 30. Whether or not that happens, I don’t know. We’re preparing for 25, but I like it in the way I think it rewards the programs and the coaches that can prepare the best because now it’s a shorter time fame so your preparation is even more important.

“We have always prided ourselves on being really well prepared to play for our opponent and what’s going to happen. The sooner you get out the gate the better. We went from a mile run to a 400 sprint.”

There also will be a change in calling ball handling errors on the second touch as well.

“They’re going to try and take the referees making those calls right at 24-24,” Cook said. “I’m not anticipating that it’s going to be that big a change. I think they’re just going to be a little more liberal on that.

“Again it will help promote longer rallies because the referees won’t be stopping play. I think that’s probably positive as well.”

Glenn to linebacker?

2008-04-02T05:03:00.001-07:00

Word out of Lincoln says Cody Glenn is considering a move to linebacker for his senior season. That is an intriguing possibility for the Husker defense. NU appears well stocked at running back, but needs help at linebacker. Glenn played mostly on offense in high school, but did get some time on defense when needed.

Where ever Glenn plays, you have to wish him luck. He appeared to be on his way to an outstanding career as a freshman, but injuries slowed his progress. Last year Glenn saw little playing time, even though he now says he was healthy and ready to go.

Cook hires new assistant

2008-02-14T12:54:00.000-08:00

Nebraska coach John Cook has found a new assistant to replace Lee Maes who left last week to become head coach at Virginia. Cook announced Thursday that Colorado assistant Erik Sullivan had been hired to take Maes' place.

Sullivan, 35, played libero for Team USA at the 2004 Summer Olympics. He also played on the 2000 Olympic team as well.

Huskers find setter

2008-01-24T07:41:00.000-08:00

Nebraska coach John Cook went looking for another setter after Rachel Holloway transferred to Alabama and ended her volleyball career. Now it appears he's found her.

Former Penn State setter Jessica Yanz enrolled at Nebraska early this week. Yanz was a backup her freshman and sophomore seasons before deciding to transfer. She weighed her options and decided Nebraska was the place to go.

Yanz still must be released by Penn State before she will be eligible for the spring exhibition season and to play in the fall.

Mancuso a Husker

2008-01-16T09:54:00.000-08:00

It's not a big surprise, but Papillion-LaVista's Gina Mancuso has given her oral commitment to join John Cook's volleyball program for the 2009 season. The 6-foot outside hitter seems to be following a trend of smaller outsides for the Huskers, but there's no doubt the sister of former Husker Dani Mancuso can terminate.

Gina Mancuso has 1,650 carer kills and has a shot, though an outside one, of breaking the state record of 2,444 set by Papillion-LaVista's Kyla Roehrig, who now plays at the University of Minnesota.

Mancuso had 669 kills in leading the Monarchs to the Class A state championship this past season. Grand Island fans remember her and her teammates well. Papillion-LaVista beat the Islanders in five games to win the state title.

Cook gets recruit

2008-01-10T16:35:00.001-08:00

The Nebraska volleyball team got some good news when Hannah Werth, a 6-1 outside hitter from Chatham, Ill., told coach John Cook that she would join the Husker program in the fall of 2009 the Omaha World-Herald reported.

Werth will be one of the top seniors in the nation next year. She comes from an athletic family that includes her brother, Jayson, who is an outfielder with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Pavan to Kentucky

2008-01-02T07:47:00.000-08:00

Kentucky volleyball coach Craig Skinner got a huge recruit for his program when Becky Pavan signed on to join the Wildcats. Pavan, a 6-4 middle blocker from Kitchener, Ontario, is the sister of Husker All-American Sarah Pavan.

For more on Becky Pavan, check out the story below:

http://news.therecord.com/article/280040

Husker spikers honored

2007-12-13T12:25:00.000-08:00

The All-America teams are out and Nebraska was well represented with five players on the first three teams. Sarah Pavan was a lock as a first-teamer, but it may have been a bit of a surprise that Tracy Stalls was named to the second team instead of the first. All the players on the first team were certainly deserving, but Stalls' .474 hitting percentage speaks for itself.

Christina Houghtelling, Rachel Holloway and Stalls were all second-team picks. That wasn't a surprise. Houghtelling wasn't quite at the same level this year as she was in 2005 when she was named player of the year. Houghtelling played some great defense, but she just couldn't hit the ball as hard as she did before the shoulder injury.

I can't really find any fault to Larson being named to the third team. She was a first-teamer a year ago, but had her ups and downs this year. Larson will have to step up and play at an extremely high level next season.

Huskers pull through

2007-12-08T09:02:00.000-08:00

Michigan State gave Nebraska all the Huskers could handle in a regional semifinal Friday in Madison. Few outside of the Michigan State program gave the Spartans much of a chance against the No. 2-ranked and seeded Huskers. But there is something to be said for the underdog role.

There was no pressure on Michigan State and that's how the Spartans played. They left it all on the court and that's all coach Cathy George could ask of her team.

Maybe the Huskers were tight early. Who knows for sure? They definitely weren't playing at their best early on. A couple of calls went against them - one on Christina Houghtelling for reaching over the net. I had a good view of that one and it was a bad call.

Another was for a double-hit on setter Rachel Holloway. I'm not quite sophisticated to see those double hits most of the time. I can say this: Holloway and coach John Cook both reacted swiftly on that call. Neither could believe it. In a close game, a couple of points can make all the difference.

But Michigan State played extremely well. The Huskers couldn't do much to slow the Spartans' big outside hitters. Then when NU let a 27-24 lead slip away in game two, the Huskers were in trouble.

We don't know where this journey will end for the Huskers. It's not easy to repeat in any sport. To do it, the Huskers have to be at the top of their game for the next three matches. If they do that, they have a shot. If not, we'll be talking about what might have been.

Staff has familiar names

2007-12-07T06:42:00.000-08:00

New Nebraska football coach Bo Pelini is building his staff in a hurry. Some of those names are quite familiar to Husker fans. Ron Brown, Barney Cotton and Marvin Sanders were assistants for Frank Solich until Steve Pederson hired Callahan.

And of course Pelini was defenisve coordinator under Solich in 2003 as well. That means four of the members on the new staff were also on that 2003 staff. Anybody else wonder what that staff could have done if it had been given the chance?

Of course in the end it doesn't matter. The past is the past and cannot be changed. We don't know what Solich and his staff would have done so there is not much use to speculate about it. I do know this: It just felt wrong when Solich was fired. I felt like somebody had hit me in the gut when I heard the news.

But now, with Tom Osborne back in the picture and the hiring of Pelini, things feel right again. Lincoln Journal-Star columnist Steve Sipple said this week on the radio that the past four years have just felt uncomfortable around the Husker program. Now, things are comfortable again.

Pelini feels right

2007-12-02T20:46:00.000-08:00

No doubt about it. This just feels right.

Bo Pelini said all the right things Sunday when he was introduced as Nebraska's next football coach. One friend suggested he just said the right things - like a politician always tries to tell you what you want to hear. There may be some truth to that. We can't really know just yet.

All I can say is it felt right. I got the same feeling when Doc Sadler was introduced as the new basketball coach not much more than a year ago. I think Doc can take the Nebraska program to a place it hasn't been before.

Of course Bo is different. The Husker football program has been at the top of the college football program. Now Bo will try to lead it back to that spot.

This isn't to say that Steve Pederson made a mistake four years ago in not hiring Pelini. There was a feeling at the time - and obviously Pederson felt it - that Pelini wasn't ready to be a head coach. Since then, he's spent time with Bob Stoops at Oklahoma and les Miles at LSU. He is more ready now than he was then. There's no doubt about that.

Nebraska may never get back to the dominance it displayed in the 1990s. Realistic Nebraska fans don't expect national championships every year. But you want to be competitive at the national level, and the Huskers haven't been there for a while.

Something tells me that Pelini is the right guy and that he's going to be at Nebraska for a long time. Just hang with him. Don't bail like some LSU fans who are glad to see him gone because the Tigers didn't shut out every opponent this season. That's just not the way this whole thing works.

Pelini is a good defensive football coach. We will see how he works out as a head coach.

Road to Fina Four easier?

2007-12-02T06:27:00.000-08:00

Nebraska's road to the Final Four got easier Saturday night when Iowa State swept Wisconsin in Madison. That means the Huskers won't have to face a team on its home court next weekend in regional play, and that makes the road easier. Right?

Maybe not. Last year, Minnesota knocked off host Florida in the regional semifinals, then had the Huskers on the ropes before NU came back from a 2-0 deficit to win. The fact is, at least on Saturday night, Iowa State was just plain better than Wisconsin. The Huskers have beaten the Cyclones twice, but ISU has now won three straight matches over rated teams. That comes after they took Texas to five games and led 14-9 in game five before losing.

The Cyclones are playing well, maybe even well enough to beat Cal Friday night. If Nebraska beats Michigan State, and the Huskers certainly should, it would set up an all-Big 12 regional final with NU coach John Cook going against his former assistant Christy Johnson. Now that would make a good story.

New interim head coach

2007-11-29T05:23:00.000-08:00

The headlines Thursday morning were startling headlines like "Osborne is interim head coach" certainly get your attention. No, Tom Osborne isn't going to be actually coaching this year. He's just smartly using his name to help lure recruits to Lincoln.

It seems that as interim head coach, Osborne can go out recruiting while he waits for his new coach to become available (or so it seems). He can also keep recruiting after the new coach is named, quite possibly early next week.

Osborne can be a huge plus in recruiting. Not many schools have living legends on their athletic staff. Certainly any Nebraska-raised player will be impressed if Osborne comes to their house, sits in their living room and tells them why Nebraska is still the place to go.

Yes, I know, Osborne hasn't coached since 1997. Ten years ago, today's potential recruits were just 7- or 8-years old. They probably don't remember those championship seasons all that well. But their parents do. What parent wouldn't be impressed if Dr. Tom showed interest in their son?

So far in his first six weeks as interim athletic director, it seems like Osborne has handled everything perfectly. Now his most important decision is just around the corner. If he picks the right head coach, things could get turned around in a hurry. Here's betting that we won't hear anything about "changing the culture" this time around.

Folsom Filed Blues?

2007-11-23T08:23:00.000-08:00

Here we are, the Friday after Thanksgiving and we're sitting in the press box at F0lsom Field in Colorado. It's kind of a strange feeling here in what might be Bill Callahan's last game as head coach at Nebraska.

There really should be no joy for anyone if Callahan does indeed get fired. You get the impression that many fans will be glad to see him go, but you know Callahan didn't want things to go this way. He worked hard to try and make the program a success. No one is more disappointed than he is with what has transpired this season.

A win at Colorado would be a great way to finish the regular season, but a win probably won't sway intermim athletic director Tom Osborne's opinion. Osborne has said he'd wait until after the season to evaluate the coaching staff. What he surely meant is he would wait until after the season to talk about his evaluation of the coaching staff.

Sometime in the near future we'll know the direction the Husker program is headed. We can only trust that Osborne once again makes the right call.

Cook's recruiting class

2007-11-16T18:54:00.000-08:00

John Cook unveiled his 2008 recruiting class on Friday. It didn't include the nation's top-ranked prospect Kelly Murphy, but it looks like a solid effort with three top 20 recruits. The outside hitters are a bit smaller than Nebraska usually gets at 6-1 and 5-11, but they should be solid.

Setter Sydney Anderson is an intriguing recruit who has NCAA Tournament experience at Utah and USA National Team experience. We may be seeing some kind of a 6-2 offense down the line with Anderson and Rachel Holloway in the lineup.

Pavan is NU's best ever

2007-10-21T06:56:00.000-07:00

I don't think there can be any doubt about it now. Sarah Pavan is the best player to ever don a University of Nebraska volleyball uniform. Pavan became the school's all-time leading kills leader Saturday night, passing three-time first-team All-American Allison Weston in the process.

Pavan will become NU's first four-time first-team All-American in December, joining Stanford legend Logan Tom as the only four-timer. She could also become a two-time player of the eyar as well.

The interesting thing about Pavan is her demeanor. She's quiet, soft spoken and doesn't seek the spotlight.

But there's an intensity in her that is undeniable. That's what makes her the player she is - that and her 6-foot-5 frame. She really has the perfect volleyball body and athletic ability to go along with that competitiveness streak. Just think. Through 3 1/2 seasons with Pavan, the Huskers have lost just five matches -- Florida A&M, USC, Texas, Washington and Colorado. That surprising loss to Florida A&M early in her freshman year is Pavan's only loss in the state of Nebraska and her only loss at the NU Coliseum.

The rest of the Big 12 certainly won't be sorry to see Pavan and fellow seniors Tracy Stalls and Christina Houghtelling leave.

Callahan gone?

2007-10-14T09:17:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, I thought there was no way Bill Callahan wouldn't be head coach at Nebraska next year. Now, unless things change in a hurry, I can't see how he could possibly be back. The players keep saying they're trying, but it just doesn't look like it. It hasn't looked like the defense has had a real plan all season, and now the offense seems to be following down that path. What had been a successful passing game disappeared on Saturday.

You hate to get into a rut of changing coaches every three or four years, but that might be what the Husker program is now looking at doing. You just can't help but wonder what Steve Pederson's fate will be.

ISU game interesting

2007-09-30T11:32:00.000-07:00

Nebraska's 35-17 victory over Iowa State Saturday in Lincoln may not have been dominating as some would have liked, but it was certainly interesting. It's not often you see a team hold the ball for over 39 minutes, run 102 offensive plays, get more yards its opponent and still lose the game but that's exactly what Iowa State did.

The Huskers again did some nice things offensively, although turnovers helped keep the game closer than it should have been. The NU defense wasn't dominating, but you did see some emotion from the Blackshirts who were on the field much of the day. They will need more than just emotion when Nebraska plays at Missouri Saturday night.

Interesting week in Husker land

2007-09-26T20:22:00.000-07:00

It's been an interesting week in Husker land what with the Blackshirts giving up 610 yards and 40 points to Ball State. Some fans have reacted negatively to Corey McKeon's comments during a 27-minute press conference on Tuesday. I thought it was great for once to hear a Husker player speaking from the heart. We don't get a lot of that down in Lincoln. McKeon is hurting, as I am sure all the the Blackshirts are hurting. We'll see if they can turn that hurt around on Iowa State.

Kelly Murphy looks elsewhere

2007-09-19T16:42:00.000-07:00

It appears that Kelly Murphy, everybody's top prep volleyball player this year, has apparently dropped Nebraska from her list. The Huskers will host talented California prospect Tarah Murrey this weekend in an official visit.

No doubt John Cook is disappointed about Murphy's decision. Of course nothing is official yet so she could still possibly change her mind. For now Murrey may will by the Huskers' No. 1 target.

Husker fans

2007-09-15T15:43:00.000-07:00

Lee Corso loves Nebraska fans. He said more than once Saturday while in Lincoln for GameDay that Nebraska has the best fans in the country. Those fans showed that class when ESPN ran a feature on USC kicker Mario Danelo who was killed a few days after USC's win over Michigan in the Rose Bowl. Nebraska fans were quiet throughout the feature, and gave a nice round of applause when it was over. I hope T.J. Simers was around to see it.

I also witnessed some telling of that famed Nebraska hospitality with fans, many who appeared to be students, telling USC fans good luck. I saw two students who appeared to ambush a USC fan and pretend to shoot him with foam Husker fingers. Then one of the young men said "Thanks for coming and good luck tonight" before taking off in search of his next victim.

Huskers survive in North Carolina

2007-09-12T11:07:00.001-07:00

There has been a lot of talk from Husker fans who were unhappy with the play of their team Saturday in a 20-17 victory at Wake Forest. It's past time to let go of the past. Nebraska isn't going to beat everybody 56-10 like back in the mid 1990s. This was the ultimate trap game - playing smaller school with a good team on the road the week before a big game.

The Huskers survived. No, they weren't perfect and were lucky Wake Forest's No. 1 QB was out with an injury, but it was still a big win for Bill Callahan and his team.

Now it's on to USC. It's just another game, right?

Callahan's contract

2007-09-05T14:22:00.000-07:00

So the Huskers locked up coach Bill Callahan through the 2012 season. It does seem like the right move to make. The Huskers appear improved, although we'll learn a lot more Sept. 15 when Southern Cal comes to Lincoln. It looked like Wake Forest would be a big challenge, but the Demon Deacons no longer look that strong after losing to Boston College and losing their No. 1 quarterback to a shoulder injury.

Now Callahan is here for at least five more years, as long as he wants to stay. We all know what happens to these contracts when a coach doesn't want to stay. A five-year deal also should help make the NU recruiting just that much better, and it has looked pretty good of late.

Cook's team looks good

2007-09-03T10:16:00.000-07:00

Nebraska's volleyball team looked like the No. 1 team in the country Sunday in sweeping a very good Penn State team 30-20, 30-21, 30-27. The Nittany Lions are every bit as tall and physical as the Huskers at the net, but they didn't dig nearly as well and coach Russ Rose wasn't at all pleased with the decision making of his setter. That's a problem similar to a football coach not liking decisions made by his quarterback.

Now NU coach John Cook has to keep his team motivated and improving. That may not be easy to do, because there aren't a lot of potential losses staring the Huskers in the face. Cook is probably going to have to make up challenges for them along the way to keep his players focused.

Is Sam the man?

2007-08-26T14:01:00.000-07:00

We'll find out soon if Sam Keller is the man to lead the Huskers back to the promised land. If he has a big year, maybe former Arizona State coach Dirk Koetter could be the Husker MVP. It's easy now to second-guess Koetter's decision to bench Keller and put Rudy Carpenter in as starting QB at Arizona State after first naming Keller the starter.

The story is that Carpenter threatened to transfer if he wasn't the starter. There is certainly more to the story. Koetter obviously wasn't sure about the decision to name Keller the starter, and there were questions from some players about Keller's dedication to football at ASU. Even so, to me unless Carpenter is a whole lot better than Keller, you start the senior, tell the sophomore he's the back up - and thus just one play from being the starter - and would be the top candidate to start as a junior and senior.

But Koetter waffled and named Carpenter the starter. Carpenter struggled, the Sun Devils folded, and Koetter was out of a job. We'll never know if things had been different at ASU if Keller had bene the starter. Sure would be interesting if we could go back and find out.

The Huskers certainly are happy to have him. We have yet to see him in a real game, but Callahan has needed an NFL-type quarterback to run his offense. Now he has him. Zac Taylor was good college player, and you had to love his competitiveness, but he's not an NFL player. Keller is that kind of player. We'll see what he has Saturday against Nevada.

Huskers looking strong

2007-08-24T19:48:00.000-07:00

It's early in the volleyball season, but this year's opener was much smoother than last year.

Nebraska struggled in a win over San Diego to open its 2006 run to a national title. This year, the Huskers are rolling against Tennessee. Christina Houghtelling looks healthy, Sarah Pavan does indeed look better (if that's possible) as does Jordan Larson.

The younger middles - Amanda Gates and Kori Cooper - look much more comfortable and affective out there, and Rachel Holloway is in total control from here setter's position. All this guarantees is that the Huskers are going to win a lot of matches this year. They will have to be better, because other teams are better. At the top of that list is Stanford with six starters back and the top ranked recruiting class coming in.

No. 3 Penn State got the season off to a good start with a 3-1 victory over Texas. The Nittany Lions will find out a little bit more about themselves when they play Nebraska Sept. 2 at the Qwest Center.

Cook announces lineup

2007-08-22T13:33:00.001-07:00

Nebraska volleyball coach John Cook announced Tuesday that the Huskers will open the season in a 5-1 offense with sophomore Rachel Holloway as the No. 1 setter. Cook had to decide between a 5-1 and a 6-2 with Holloway and Maggie Griffin both setting.

Cook has confidence in both those setters, but at this point he's still waiting for 6-5 freshman Lindsey Licht to develop at rightside hitter. If Licht gets to where Cook needs her to be, don't be surprised if the Huskers use the 6-2 later in the season. Cook loves that offense when he has the players to run it.

Senior Sarah Pavan also returned to practice on Tuesday after sitting out the Red-White scrimmage on Saturday and much of Monday's practices with a slight groin injury. Pavan is apparently fine and was anxious to get back on the court.

Cook undecided

2007-08-21T20:28:00.000-07:00

Nebraska coach John Cook joked at the team's media day that he would know what kind of system the Huskers were going to run about the same time as NU football coach Bill Callahan knew who would be his quarterback. Well, Callahan has his guy in Sam Keller, but Cook is still up in the air.

It seems Cook really wants to use a 6-2 offense with both Maggie Griffin and Rachel Holloway playing at setter, but Sarah Pavan's groin injury throws a big monkey wrench into those plans. The Huskers have just two right side players - Pavan and freshman Lindsey Licht. That means if Pavan can't plan, the Huskers can't use the 6-2. Things may change, but at this point we have to assume the Huskers will open in the 5-1 with Holloway at setter, Licht playing right side up front with freshman Kayla Banwarth subbing in for her in the back row. Christina Houghtelling and Jordan Larson will play at outside hitter and senior Tracy Stalls at one middle position.

There's been no indication as to who the other starter will be at middle blocker with Amanda Gates and Kori Cooper as the top candidates. Freshman Brooke Delano also could see some time.

Good news for Cook

2007-08-19T08:24:00.000-07:00

The performance of the NU volleyball team in the annual Red-White scrimmage Saturday night had to bring a smile to coach John Cook's face. The Huskers played without returning player of the year Sarah Pavan who was battling a slight groin injury, but 2005 player of the year Christina Houghtelling showed she is back and ready to go after having shoulder surgery and missing all of last season.

Houghtelling had nine kills against a tough Red team defense, but more impressive was her match-high 16 digs. Cook said her floor defense is much better than when she last played in 2005. That will just make the Huskers that much better when they start the season Friday against Tennessee at the Qwest Center in Omaha.

As of Saturday night, Cook still hadn't decided whether the Huskers will go with a 5-1 or a 6-2 offense. The guess here, and it's only a guess, is he'll pick the 6-2. The Huskers are loaded with players who can contribute, and a 6-2 will give Cook the chance to mix and match and get the most out of those players. We may know by Monday.

Going to the 6-2 would allow both setters Rachel Holloway and Maggie Griffin to get on the floor. It would also give the Huskers three strong hitters in the front row at all times. Cook does love the 6-2 when he has the players to run it. The Huskers used it in 2005, and their offensive stats were much stronger that year than last year when they won the national championship.

We know this much: Houghtelling showed she is back and will be on the floor. Pavan will be there as soon as she is healthy, and so will Jordan Larson. Freshman Tara Mueller is a versatile player who gives Cook a lot of options. Freshman libero Kayla Banwarth has sparkled at times as well. One key will be 6-5 freshman Lindsey Licht. If Licht is ready to contribute right away, she can play opposite of Pavan at rightside hitter and the Huskers would have two 6-5 lefties on the floor much of the time. That would indeed be a unique situation.

Return of the Pipeline?

2007-08-16T13:35:00.000-07:00

The best news to come out of fall football camp so far is this: The offensive line physically looks the part. That wasn't the case at the end of the Solich era and the begin of Callahan's reign. There were plenty of fine young men playing up front at the time, but there's no doubt the football talent was down. I remember looking at the offensive linemen one August at the media day and thinking, "This is the pipeline?"

Now the Huskers are building up the depth on the offensive line. Freshmen are going to come in and redshirt like in the old days. The upper classmen are good enough that the freshmen don't have to play. That's a good thing. It takes time for everyone to learn Callahan's offense, but offensive line is particularly difficult.

Make no mistake about it. Those championship teams back in the '90s were built around the offensive line. There were great players in the backfield (Tommie Frazier, Lawrence Phillips, Ahman Green) and on defense (Mike Minter, Jason and Christian Peter, Jared Tomich to name a few) but the the offensive line were a bunch of big, strong, tough bruisers who made the difference in the fourth quarter of games.

Husker tickets

2007-08-07T09:32:00.001-07:00

Have you gotten your Husker volleyball tickets yet? If not, forget about it.

NU tickets went on sale last week. All 14 home matches at the NU Coliseum were sold out in 45 minutes. That's the fastest ever for the 4,030 seat Coliseum and shows just how much Husker fans like volleyball. Or maybe it shows how much they like a winner. If the Huskers weren't defending national champions and weren't a favorite to repeat this year, the tickets might not have gone quite so fast.

The sellouts guarantee that Nebraska's streak of 90 straight home sellouts at the Coliseum will reach at least 104. NU will also play three times a the Qwest Center early in the season and face Hawaii at the Devaney Center in October.

There's no guarantee that Nebraska's streak of 48 straight wins at the Coliseum will continue, but with the match against Penn State scheduled for the Qwest Center and Hawaii at Devaney, you have to like the chances. The big hurdle will be a Sept. 12 match against Texas to open the Big 12 season.

Spike this

2007-08-03T13:04:00.000-07:00

John Cook and the Husker volleyball team are set to begin their practices next week. To say the outlook for the Huskers is bright would be an understatement.

Cook's team is absolutely loaded going into the 2007 season. 2007 player of the year Sarah Pavan returns as does 2006 player of the year Christina Houghtelling. Jordan Larson is probably the team's best all-around player and setter Rachel Holloway is a star in the making. And don't forget Tracy Stalls, one of the best leaders Cook has ever had.

But all that doesn't guarantee anything. We'll have to wait to see if this team has the same chemistry that last year's team demonstrated in a regional final comeback win over a tough Minnesota team.

Defending champs

2006-12-20T15:25:00.000-08:00

For the next year, Nebraska's volleyball team will be the defending NCAA champions. The Huskers certainly have a chance to go back-to-back, but it won't be easy. Success one season doesn't guarantee anything for the next. That's something to 2001 team found out after the 2000 team went 34-0 to win the national title.

Nebraska will be good - very good. With Christina Houghtelling coming back, the Huskers will be in a unique situation with two NCAA players of the year on the same team-Houghtelling and this year's winner Sarah Pavan. Tracy Stalls returns along with first-team All-American Jordan Larson and setter Rachel Holloway.

But don't be surpised if coach John Cook goes back to the 6-2 offense. It was extremely effective in 2005 and Cook will have the personnel to make it work next season as well.

Qwest craziness

2006-12-15T10:20:00.000-08:00

Who would have thought 15 or 20 years ago that we would see 17,014 fans pack an arena for a volleyball match? That's just what happened Thursday for Nebraska's national semifinal against UCLA at the Qwest Cetner in Omaha.

The volleyball was hot, the crowd was loud- and in the end happy - when the Huskers came away with a 3-1 win the advance to Saturday's national championship against Stanford. Expect more of the same when the Huskers go for their third national title and the Cardinal for its seventh. Don't be surprised if a new attendance record is set. Somehow, the Qwest people may find a way to squeeze in a few more red-clad fans.

Final Four

2006-12-14T12:02:00.000-08:00

Things are hopping in Omaha. Four outstanding college volleyball teams are here. Each one plans on winning a national title this weekend, and each one definitely has a shot.

Nebraska may be the favorite because the Huskers will be playing before a sell-out crowd nearing 17,000 at Qwest Center Omaha, and most of those will be wearing red. That may be enough to carry the Huskers to a title. If the fans can will the Huskers to a couple points a game, that could make the difference.

But UCLA is good. Washington is good. So is Stanford. This won't be a run away for the Big Red. The Huskers are going to have to play their best volleyball, and even then, it might not be enough. But in any case it's going to be fun to be in an environment unlike any before for a college volleyball event.

What a match

2006-12-10T01:41:00.000-08:00

The Husker volleyball team somehow found a way back from a 2-0 deficit to down a determined Minnesota team Saturday in the regional final. Some may have thought it was a break for the Huskers when the Gophers knocked off home-standing Florida. It didn't turn out that way. The Gophers were just a better team than the Gators. NU would have been much better off had Florida won on Friday night.

In any event, the Huskers are on their way to next weekend's festivities in Omaha. First up, UCLA. That will be another tough one for Nebraska. The Bruins are battle-tested in the tough Pac 10 Conference In case you haven't noticed, three of the four Final Four teams are from the Pac 10 - UCLA, Stanford and Washington. Two of those teams-UCLA and Stanford - earned their trips by winning regionals on the road.

Coach John Cook said before the regional that Minnesota, a team NU defeated 3-1 early in the season, was the best team they had played all year. Hang on coach. UCLA is on the way.

Great match up

2006-11-29T14:50:00.000-08:00

We've waited a long time for this - Nebraska vs. Oklahoma for the Big 12 title. When this league was formed, no one could have guessed it would be this long before both teams made the championship game in the same year. Of course in the early days of the Big 12 the Sooners weren't very good. Then Bob Stoops came and worked his magic. About that time the Huskers were suffering through the end of the Solich era and the beginning of the Callahan era.

Now we finally get the Huskers vs. the Sooners. It's a tough match up for NU. The Sooner defense started the season slowly, but has been coming on strong late in the season. The offense may not be spectacular without Adrian Peterson and Brett Bomar, but it's still solid.

Hang on. It's going to be fun no matter what happens.

Closing in on outright title

2006-11-20T14:42:00.000-08:00

Only one Nebraska sports program won a Big 12 title during the 2005-06 season. Yep. The Nebraska volleyball team was the only one. The Husker spikers can clinch this year's title outright with a win at Kansas Wednesday night. The Jayhawks, who have been hit hard by injuries, have lost eight straight matches. You can bet the ninth in a row is soon to follow.

Saturday the Huskers will face a much tougher challenge when Texas comes to the NU Coliseum. The Longhorns had some ups and downs, but are extremely athletic with freshman Destinee Hooker leading the way. Hooker, who won an NCAA high jump title last spring, was simply amazing in the match earlier this season at Austin. Hooker can jump over any block, even one put up by NU's 6-5 All-American Sarah Pavan.

The key is to get the Longhorns out of system. If their passing breaks down, then they won't be able to get Hooker going. If the Huskers can't take the Longhorns out of system look out. Hooker is a special athlete who will be extremely tough for opponents to deal with for the next four seasons.

Cook is fine tuning team

2006-11-17T17:59:00.000-08:00

John Cook always has something interesting to say. This week he told reporters that he was going to put a picture of a NASCAR in the pits up for the team to see. The idea behind is this: NASCAR teams are always fine tuning their cars to get another mile per hour or so out of it. That's what Cook is trying to do with his Husker volleyball team. The talent is there. It just has to be fine tuned so it's ready when the NCAA Tournament starts in just two weeks.

When you consider the Huskers lost two All-Americans to gradution, including the school's all-time leading blocker, and player of the year Christina Houghtelling to injury, the surprising thing isn't that NU lost a match. The surprising thing is it took until well into November before it happened. This team is certainly a Final Four contender, but it's important to win the remaining three matches in order to get that top seed in the tournament. That could determine if the Huskers make it to Omaha or will be sitting at home watching on TV.

Are they back?

2006-11-11T05:52:00.000-08:00

Are they back? That's the question we heard about the Huskers after the narrow loss to Texas. Then they go to Oklahoma State and get waxed in the fourth quarter, and we knew they weren't back - at least back to the level of the 1990s. The truth is, Nebraska has a good team this year, not great by any means, but good. Someday the Huskers will be great again, but don't expect them to be great like they were in the '90s with three national titles in four years. That kind of dominance just doesn't happen very often, and will be even more difficult to achieve in today's college football world.

Today the Huskers get another shot at respect when they play at Texas A&M. It's an important program for the Huskers. A win would clinch the Big 12 North title. A loss would leave them staring at a possible 8-5 record heading into a bowl game. Somehow, 9-4 is just so just light years better than 8-5.

Great game

2006-10-23T09:38:00.000-07:00

That was just a great college football game Saturday in Lincoln. The Huskers were far from perfect. Mistakes cost them a game they could have won, but it was still a great college football game regardless of the outcome.

Doing the best he can.

2006-10-04T10:33:00.000-07:00

There's been enough talk about Cortney Grixby already. Here's a young man, a leader of the team, who is playing his hardest and doing the best he can. Poor guy is out there in the open for everybody to see. We all know about his lack of size. We all know about his limitations. I just want to know what people expect he coaches to do. Does anyone actually think that Nebraska has somebody better to put out there? The coaches aren't stupid. They will put their best guys on the field. The coaches say the young D-backs just aren't ready yet.
If they were ready, we'd be seeing them on the field more. We're seeing just how much the loss of Zack Bowman has changed the NU defense. Cosgrove now can't do some of the things he would like to be doing.
The fact is this is where Nebraska football is right now. The Huskers aren't going to beat everybody 49-0, but they can still be a solid football team.

Huskers looking sharp

2006-09-28T06:08:00.000-07:00

The most impressive thing about Saturday's 56-0 win over Troy was how sharp the Huskers really were. Sure, it looked like Troy was a tired team after playing Florida State and Georgia Tech, but the focus we saw from Bill Callahan's team coming off the loss at Southern Cal was impressive. The Huskers looked like a Top 10 team against the Trojans from Troy. Now we'll see if they can turn around and do it again against a team that beat them 40-15 a year ago.

Cook looking for improvement

2006-09-12T15:23:00.000-07:00

It had to be hard for NU volleyball coach John Cook to find much wrong with his team through the first six matches. The Huskers swept all six before beating Minnesota 3-1 on Sunday. Although Nebraska had dominated up until that match, be began to see where the Huskers need improvement.

Sarah Pavan and Jordan Larson have been spectacular despite being double blocked. Rachel Holloway has shown how good she can be at setter while Dani Busboom has embraced her new role as libero.

We knew Tracy Stalls would be outstanding in the M1 spot. The M2 and the other outside spot with Dani Mancuso were the question marks and they still are. Mancuso came on strong late in the Minneota match, but NU got little from Amanda Gates and Kori Cooper at the M2 position. Cook is looking for Mancuso and either Gates or Cooper to step up and produce in order to take the pressure off Stalls, Pavan and Larson.

That will probably be the key to the season. Mancuso is a very good player, just not at the same level as Pavan, Larson and Stalls. The Huskers really need either Gates or Cooper to pump up their play and take it to the next level.

No surprise here

2006-09-10T11:05:00.000-07:00

Nebraska's 56-7 win over Nicholls State couldn't have surprised too many people. The Huskers totally outclassed their opponent on Saturday. What remains impressive is how sharp the offense looks with Zac Taylor at the controls. The Huskers had minimum penalties and only one turnover, and that came when the ball took a funny hop on a punt and hit Todd Peterson so that's not the same as the offense turning it over.

Is NU ready for USC? We'll find out on Saturday night.

Nice start

2006-09-03T06:13:00.000-07:00

Not a bad start at all for the Husker football team. We got to see that Zac Taylor does indeed have a great grasp of Bill Callahan's offense. If not for a handful of drops, his statistics would have been even more outstanding. It was interesting to see all those tight ends catching balls. Where was that last year? Callahan has an interesting way of calling plays. Yes, in the end it may be a balanced offense, but it seems as if one drive will be all runs, then the next all passes. That happened more than once on Saturday, not that that's necessarily a bad thing, but it's just different than you generally see.
The four I-backs all ran well. Brandon Jackson's TD run in the fourth quarter was particularly exciting, although it did come against a tired La. Tech defense. We only saw Kenny Wilson's burst of speed once on a TD run in the first quarter that was called back because of a penalty, but it was enough to see that when he gets in the open, look out.
The offensive line looks to be much improved. Slausen and Nicks are real men in there. Those guys are going to have a real impact this season.
The defensive front looked pretty good as expected. The backfield ... now there's a question mark, especially with Grisby and Fluellen getting dinged up on Saturday. We'll see where that goes. Anytime you have recently converted receivers in the d-backfield like Fluellen, it's got to be a concern for the coaching staff.

Game Day

2006-09-01T10:26:00.000-07:00

Thank God the Husker opener is almost here. The players need a game, the coaches need a game, the fans need a game and the media needs a game. I don't think there's much left to write or talk about. We've been doing that for most of the past month. Now it's time to tee it up and see what happens. My prediction for what it's worth: 10-4 after a loss in the Big 12 championship game and a win in a bowl game.

Cook's not happy

2006-08-30T15:46:00.000-07:00

Nebraska volleyball coach John Cook was obviously not terribly pleased after his team downed No. 20 San Diego in its season opener on Tuesday. The first game was spectacular for the Huskers, but then their passing and ball handling broke down for much of the final two games. When passing and ball handling break down, the hitting percentage is sure to follow. On the plus side, the athletic ability of former setter and new libero Dani Busboom was obvious. Busboom made a number of outstanding defensive plays, plays the Huskers wouldn't have made a year ago. Redshirt freshman setter Rachel Holloway made some similar plays. She took the blame for the poor hitting percentage, but any coach knows that the passing has to be there or the setter doesn't have a chance.

Keller now a Husker

2006-08-23T16:52:00.000-07:00

It appears Sam Keller is officially a Husker. Reports are Bill Callahan confirmed after practice Wednesday that Keller is joining the program. He'll be eligible to play in 2007. No doubt Callahan feels like Christmas came early this year. Keller is a proven quarterback, something the Huskers would have been missing next year after Zac Taylor graduates. He was also supposed to be one of the top senior QBs in the nation this season before his problems at Arizona State. Keller still will have to compete for the starting job, but you have to think he'll be the No. 1 candidate to replace Taylor when spring practice begins.

What's up Doc?

2006-08-21T16:57:00.000-07:00

Doc Sadler has been busy in his first couple of weeks as new Nebraska men's basketball coach. Get Aleks Maric back? Check. Get Jamal White back? Check. Spread as much good will as possible in as little time as possible? Check. Get fans talking about basketball right before football season? Check. Well, maybe not talking a lot about basketball. This is Nebraska after all. Football is, was, and always will be king, but I believe - make that I know - there's a spot for Nebraska basketball in the hearts of NU fans. We saw it in the early 1990s before Danny Nee wore out his welcome. The Devaney Center was rocking back then. Doc and his guys may never make a Final Four, but I know they will make things interesting, if not this year then maybe in 2007-08. In this state when you say T.O. everybody knows you're talking about Tom Osborne, not the other T.O. of the Dallas Cowboys. Someday when you say "Doc," everyone will know you're talking about NU basketball.

Two weeks till kickoff

2006-08-17T08:10:00.000-07:00

We're only two weeks away from the kickoff for the 2006 college football field. Are you ready for some football? I certainly am, and I think the Husker will be too. It sounds as if Callahan has four quality running backs, a senior QB, an improved offensive line and some tall receivers on offense. On defense the linebackers could be spectacular, the D-line should be solid (only questions are the tackles but I think they'll be good). The secondary has some things to prove, but all in all the Blackshirts should be tough. The Huskers really need to blow out a couple of opponents so Callahan can get some younger guys some experience, particularly the quarterbacks. Somebody needs to be ready to take Zac's place next yaer.

The Doc is in

2006-08-09T04:53:00.000-07:00

Nebraska fans are going to like Kenneth "Doc" Sadler who was introduced as the new men's basketball coach on Tuesday. He's coached 19 future NBA players during his years as an assistant and head caoch. That's pretty impressive in itself. Of course it's no guarantee he can bring that kind of NBA talent to Lincoln. That remains to be seen. But what ever happens in the next few years, it's going to be fun. Doc is going to make sure of that.

Alamo Bowl blues?

2005-12-24T09:22:00.000-08:00

Obviously Nebraska is a big underdog in the Alamo Bowl in the minds of most people. The Huskers definitely face a challenge against a good Michigan team. On the other hand, they may have an advantage with the mental part of the game. The Wolverines thought they were headed for the Outback Bowl in Orlando, but that bowl took Iowa instead. We've seen this happen again and again in the past. When one team feels snubbed, that team seems to lay an egg in their bowl game. It remains to be seen if Michigan will follow that trend.

Second guessing

2005-11-13T07:22:00.000-08:00

Bill Callahan opened himself up to all kinds of second guessing on Saturday. Pulling Harrison Beck out of his redshirt year to beat Kansas State was certainly a controversial move. Callahan said they needed Beck to win the game. It seems like the Husker might have won by using Joe Ganz, handing the ball off, punting with the wind and playing some defense. Then again, we don't know for a fact that Harrison Beck is the future of the program. We don't know if he could beat out Zac Taylor next year, or any other QB Callahan may bring in.

And what about that swing pass in the end zone? That's a play I've never seen.

great loss

2005-10-11T10:13:00.000-07:00

That really was a great loss for the Huskers on Saturday. It was a great loss because a game like that gave hope to the entire Husker Nation. The offense is showing signs of coming around and the defense was great in the second half. Holding Tech to field goals in the third quarter kept the Huskers in the game.

Great win

2005-10-02T16:16:00.000-07:00

Saturday's 27-20 win over Iowa State in overtime was huge for the entire Husker nation. The players certainly needed it. The coaches too. It was also big for the fans. Now there is some hope for Bill Callahan's West Coast offense, an offense that had struggled through the first three games. The defense had been pretty good through the first three games, but the offense was horrid. Now comes the real test. Nebraska will have to find a way to score 30 of the Huskers are going to beat the Red Raiders next week.

Husker volleyball

2005-09-15T12:57:00.000-07:00

Outstanding performance by the NU volleyball team on Sunday when the Huskers swept No. 4 Penn State. This is a team that is loaded with talent and should only get better. It will be a big disappointment to them if they don't end the season in San Antonio.

More Frank

2005-09-15T12:52:00.000-07:00

Some of you out there (and you know who you are) still hold some very deep, hostile feelings toward former Nebraska coach Frank Solich. And you can't understand why I can't let Solich go. I have. It's over, and I've said it again and again, but some of you just won't listen. Those with those hostile feelings probably need some therapy of some kind. I hope you get if before you go off the deep end. Bill Callahan is now the Nebraska coach, and I wish him well. It's a lot more fun to watch a winning team than a losing one. That's it for now on this subject. I'm off to watch the "Frank Solich Show" on the Internet.

And please, if you find any errors in this blog, good for you. I really don't care. It's a blog.

Fearless Frankie

2005-09-10T07:18:00.000-07:00

Ohio struggled offenisvely in their 16-10 OT win over Pit, but nobody in Athens cares. The Bobcats won the game and that's all that matters. Even Husker fans who were happy to see Frank Solich ousted from NU should feel good for a guy who gave his life to Nebraska football. I spoke to several Grand Island residents - not necessarily Husker fans - who were as happy as I was with the Bobcats' victory.

Boomer Sooner

2005-09-03T13:51:00.000-07:00

Here we are just a few hours into the football season and already one of the Big 12's big boys has gone down to defeat -- and to the Horned Frogs of all teams. Maybe TCU is a lot better than we thought. Maybe OU isn't nearly as good. Can't help but wonder what Husker fans think of the Sooners going down. Personally I'm a bit disappointed on one hand, on the other hand David slaying Goliath is what college football is all about.

Husker VB

2005-08-24T13:47:00.000-07:00

John Cook going to the 6-2 is big news in the volleyball world. It will be interesting to see how long he sticks with it before changing to the 5-1. One high school coach said the 6-2 goes against everything Cook has ever believed in, so he doesn't expect it to last too long. If he does go to the 5-1, who sits? That question will be especially interesting once Rachel Holloway gets over her tendonitis.