11/23/04
Volleyball Preview: No. 2 Nebraska
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Match #27
No. 11 Texas (23-3, 15-3 Big 12) at
No. 2 Nebraska (25-1, 18-0 Big 12)
When: Wednesday,
November 24, 2004 (7pm)
Where: Lincon, Nebraska (NU Coliseum; capacity: 4,030)
All-Time Series Record: Nebraska leads, 23-11 (9-6 in Austin, 12-1
in Lincoln, 2-3 neutral)
Series Streaks: Nebraska has won the last 10 matches, dating back to
Nov. 27, 1999
Last Meeting: Oct. 20, 2004 in Austin: NU won, 3-2 (21-30, 31-33, 30-27,
30-23, 16-14) in Austin
Last UT victory: Oct. 23, 1999: UT won, 3-2 (15-11, 7-15, 12-15, 15-9,
15-13) in Austin
Last Nebraska victory: See last meeting
Elliott vs. Nebraska: 0-7
QUICK SETS
Texas
is second in the nation in hitting percentage (NCAA Stats release,
11/23/04), with a .314 mark through last week, and is ranked eighth
in kills per game (17.22) and ninth in assists per game (15.80) with
a freshman - Michelle Moriarty - leading the offense at setter ...
Moriarty is now ranked 23rd nationally in assists/game (13.16).
With one more victory this season, Texas will collected the most victories
in a season since 1998 when the team went 27-5 and was a NCAA Regional
finalist.
A victory either Wednesday at Nebraska or on Saturday against Texas
Tech will also lock Texas into second place in final Big 12 standings,
its highest finish since 1998 when th team also took second behind
NU.
Mira Topic became Texas‚ career kills leader last Wednesday
night, eclipsing Dee Sance‚s 2,013 kills, with a 23-kill effort
against Kansas ... she is just the third player in the histories of
the Big 12 Conference and the former Southwest Conference - and its
member schools - to record 2,000 career kills (Baylor‚s Elisha
Polk, 1996-99, 2,272 kills; and Sance, 1995-98, 2,103 kills).
Mira Topic is ranked sixth nationally - and leads the Big 12 in both
overall and conference only - in kills/game ... she has collected 500
or more kills for the third time in her career, as she had 534 as a
freshman and 523 as a sophomore ... she currently has 511 kills as
a senior ... Topic is the only player in UT history to collect 500+
kills in three seasons.
Bethany Howden has racked up 351 kills this season and has surpassed
the 1,400-, 1,500-, 1,600- and 1,700-kill marks this season ... she
is hitting a team-best .387, is ranked 23rd nationall in the category
(as of Nov. 23) and is second in the Big 12 in both overall matches
and conference only matches.
UT has limited it opponents to a hitting percentage
under .250 in 23 of its 26 matches, including eight matches where
the team has held its opponents below .100 ... the only teams that
have hit better than .250 against UT is Texas A&M, which hit
.257 and .303 in two matches this season against the Horns, and Missouri
(.315) in Columbia ... offensively, Texas has hit for an attack percentage
of .350 or higher in 13 of 26 matches this season, including five
matches of .400 or higher.
UT has won 18 of its 23 victories matches by
3-0 scores, and has won 73 games to its opponents‚ 16 in 2004
... Texas has limited opponents to 19 or fewer points in 34 games
this season ... UT managed the feat in only eight games in 2003.
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
Nebraska clinched its seventh Big 12 Conference title last weekend and is undefeated
in league play with an 18-0 record ... NU has won 22 straight matches ... Texas
is the only team that has taken Nebraska to five games in league play and the
Cornhuskers only have lost a total of five games in Big 12 action ... six players
have collected 100+ kills, led by freshman Sarah Pavan‚s 379 (4.41/game)
... NU leads the nation in blocking and has out-blocked it opponents, 4.02
blocks/game to 1.92 blocks/game, so far as Melissa Elmer averages 1.94 blocks/game
to lead the nation ... Nebraska is second behind Texas in hitting percentage
in the Big 12 at .284, but leads the conference in attack percentage defense
with a .097 mark.
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NEBRASKA QUICK FACTS Location: Lincoln, Neb. Nickname: Cornhuskers Colors: Scarlet and Cream 2003 Record: 28-5 2003 Big 12 Record (Finish): 17-3 (Second) 2003 Postseason: NCAA Tournament Round of 16 Final AVCA Ranking: No. 13 |
