Nebraska Cornhuskers volleyball
Encyclopedia
Nebraska is home to one of the nation's most storied collegiate women's volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...

 programs. The Nebraska women's volleyball team has won three NCAA Women's Volleyball National Championships
NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship
The NCAA has contested team championships in women's volleyball since 1981. The following is a list of the champions of each division with their record for the year in which they won the championship, and the runner up, city, site and other final four participants for division I...

, in 1995, 2000, and 2006 and has had three NCAA National Runner-Up finishes in 1986, 1989, and 2005 as well as 5 other NCAA National Semifinal (Final Four) appearances in 1990, 1996, 1998, 2001, and 2008 bringing the program total to 11 NCAA Final Four
NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship
The NCAA has contested team championships in women's volleyball since 1981. The following is a list of the champions of each division with their record for the year in which they won the championship, and the runner up, city, site and other final four participants for division I...

 appearances. Nebraska also is one of only three programs east of the west coast to have won a NCAA Women's Volleyball National Championship.

The Husker Volleyball program started in 1975. In those 35 years, the huskers have an outstanding 1086-195-12 record. Nebraska is the most winning program since 2000 when John Cook became head coach with a 307-26 record. Since 1988, Nebraska has been in the top 16 every year in the final CBS College Sports/AVCA National Poll and been in the top 5 sixteen of those years. They have now been ranked in the top 10 of the AVCA poll every week since the start of the 2004 season, a span of 97 weeks and are one of only two programs in the country to be ranked in every AVCA poll since its inception in 1982 being a top 10 team for 366 of the 400 polls, trailing Stanford, which has been ranked in 367 polls. The Huskers have had more combined AVCA 1st and 2nd team All-Americans than any other program with 66, and has produced 4 AVCA National Player of the Year award winners.

Nebraska volleyball is a very popular spectator sport in the state. In 2008, AVCA Kathy DeBoer described Nebraska as "the epicenter of volleyball fandom". The four largest ever NCAA volleyball crowds, and seven of the top ten largest NCAA volleyball crowds, were in the state of Nebraska, including the largest ever crowd of 17,430 in the 2008 NCAA National Semifinals and the second most all time (17,209) for the 2006 National Championship
2006 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament
The 2006 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament began on November 30, 2006 with 64 teams and concluded on December 16, 2006, when top ranked Nebraska defeated second ranked Stanford 3 sets to 1 in Omaha, Nebraska for the program's third NCAA title....

 match between Nebraska and Stanford.

Home court advantage

The Nebraska Coliseum
Nebraska Coliseum
The University of Nebraska Coliseum , the home of Nebraska Cornhuskers volleyball, is an on-campus arena at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in Lincoln, Nebraska. Located East of Memorial Stadium, the arena opened in 1926 for the basketball team; the first game was a loss to Kansas...

 is one of the few collegiate arenas that is designed specifically for volleyball. It is noted for its classical architecture, intimate setting with fans close to the floor, perpetually sold-out crowds, and deafening acoustics. At the Coliseum
Nebraska Coliseum
The University of Nebraska Coliseum , the home of Nebraska Cornhuskers volleyball, is an on-campus arena at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in Lincoln, Nebraska. Located East of Memorial Stadium, the arena opened in 1926 for the basketball team; the first game was a loss to Kansas...

, the Huskers are the current holders of the NCAA record for the most consecutive sellouts in a women's sport. The Nebraska Coliseum
Nebraska Coliseum
The University of Nebraska Coliseum , the home of Nebraska Cornhuskers volleyball, is an on-campus arena at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in Lincoln, Nebraska. Located East of Memorial Stadium, the arena opened in 1926 for the basketball team; the first game was a loss to Kansas...

 has statistically proven to be one of the most difficult venues for visiting teams to win at in all of sports, has anecdotally been described as 'the arena that the volleyball gods would build', and has drawn comparisons to Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium
Cameron Indoor Stadium
Cameron Indoor Stadium is an indoor arena located on the West Campus of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. It is home to the Duke Blue Devils men's and women's basketball teams, the women's volleyball team, and the men's wrestling team....

 due to its design, acoustics, and intimate atmosphere. It has also been the subject of a CBS Sports documentary.

The 4,030-seat Nebraska Coliseum
Nebraska Coliseum
The University of Nebraska Coliseum , the home of Nebraska Cornhuskers volleyball, is an on-campus arena at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in Lincoln, Nebraska. Located East of Memorial Stadium, the arena opened in 1926 for the basketball team; the first game was a loss to Kansas...

 has provided the Nebraska volleyball program with an unmatched home-court advantage. Nebraska has had 16 undefeated seasons at home compiling an all-time record of 468-30 (.940) under its roof. Only three times in 33 years of regular-season Big 8/Big 12
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...

 play has a conference opponent ever won in Lincoln. In 1991, the Huskers played their games at the Bob Devaney Sports Center
Bob Devaney Sports Center
The Bob Devaney Sports Center is a sports complex on the campus of the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, Nebraska that includes a 13,595-seat multi-purpose arena, a 1,000-seat covered 25-yard swimming and diving facility and a 5,000-seat covered track and field facility that features a...

 while the building was being renovated and tailored specifically for volleyball. The Huskers have hosted an NCAA Tournament match every season since 1984 compiling a 47-3 playoff record in the building. Nebraska fans have been rewarded by seeing eight of the Huskers’ 11 NCAA regional championships won on their home court. The all-time home record over the 34 years is 484-32. The Huskers established an NCAA record with their 88th consecutive home win against Creighton University
Creighton University
Creighton University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. The university is accredited by...

 in 2009. The streak ended soon after at win number 90 when Eighth-ranked UCLA stunned an NCAA regular season record crowd of 13,870. The record was later passed by now Big Ten rival Penn State in 2010.

Pat Sullivan era: 1975-76

Pat Sullivan was the first volleyball coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers volleyball team. She compiled an 83-21 record over the program's first two seasons of intercollegiate competition, including a 34-8 season in 1975, and a 49-13 season in 1976.

Terry Pettit era: 1977-1999

Terry Pettit
Terry Pettit
Terry Pettit is a retired American volleyball coach at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln from 1977-1999 where he led his Nebraska Cornhuskers volleyball team to the schools first NCAA National Championship in 1995 by defeating Texas in the final...

 was Nebraska's second coach from 1977 to 1999 helping to build the Nebraska Cornhuskers volleyball program into a national power. Pettit led the Huskers to their first NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship in 1995, 2 NCAA National Runner-Up finishes in 1986 and 1989, 6 NCAA national semifinal (Final Four) appearances in 1986, 1989, 1990, 1995, 1996, and 1998, earned 19 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 1982–1999, and won the Big 8/Big 12 every year except 1977 and 1997, guiding the Huskers to a 694-148 record in his 23 years, averaging a 30-6 record each season as coach. Pettit became the Big 8/Big 12] Coach of the Year in 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1998 and the AVCA National Coach of the Year in 1986, and 1994. Pettit was the recipient of USA Volleyball All-Time Great Coach Award
USA Volleyball
USA Volleyball is a non-profit organization which serves as the national governing body of volleyball in the United States of America ....

 in 2004

1995

Three talented seniors led the Huskers entering the 1995 season. After losing the second match of the season to then-No. 1 Stanford, they swept 22 consecutive opponents and the team reeled off 31 consecutive wins. The Huskers easily clinched the Big 8
Big 8
-Sports:*Big 8 Conference , an American athletic association*Big Eight Conference, a former American athletic association*Big Eight Conference , an American athletic association*WIAA Big Eight Conference, an American athletic association...

 conference title, and make short work of opponents in the opening rounds of the NCAA tournament. Nebraska beat a determined Michigan State team in a tough match in the NCAA semifinals (Final Four) 3-2 putting them into the NCAA championship match against Texas
Texas Longhorns volleyball
Texas maintains a successful women's volleyball program, as witnessed by two national championships - one AIAW in 1981 and one NCAA in 1988, in addition to 25 NCAA tournament appearances out of 28 possible years....

. Texas won the first set of the match, but the Huskers battled back to win the next 3 sets, giving Nebraska their first ever NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship by defeating the future Big 12 foe in the final, 3-1.

The Huskers were led by Allison Weston
United States women's national volleyball team
The United States women's national volleyball team represents the United States of America in international volleyball competitions and friendly games, and is governed by USA Volleyball.-Current Squad:...

 who won many awards: Morgan Trophy Award, AVCA Co-National Player of the Year, Volleyball Magazine Player of the Year, AVCA First Team All-American, First Team CoSIDA Academic All-American, All-Big Eight Player of the Year. Christy Johnson and Lisa Reitsma were both also AVCA First Team All-Americans.

John Cook era: 2000-present

John Cook
John Cook (coach)
John Cook is currently the head coach for the Nebraska Cornhuskers women's volleyball team, entering his 11th season as head coach in 2010. He led the Huskers to two NCAA Women's Volleyball Championships, in 2000 by defeating the Wisconsin Badgers, and in 2006 by defeating Stanford. He is a two...

 succeeded Terry Pettit
Terry Pettit
Terry Pettit is a retired American volleyball coach at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln from 1977-1999 where he led his Nebraska Cornhuskers volleyball team to the schools first NCAA National Championship in 1995 by defeating Texas in the final...

 before the start of the 2000 season after a successful stint as the head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin Badgers
The Wisconsin Badgers are the collegiate athletic teams from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. This NCAA Division I athletic program has teams in football, basketball, ice hockey, volleyball, soccer, cross country, tennis, swimming, wrestling, track and field, rowing, golf, and softball...

. Thus far, Cook has guided the Huskers to 2 NCAA National Championships in 2000 and 2006, a NCAA National Runner-up finish in 2005, 5 NCAA National Semifinal (Final Four) appearances in 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, and 2008, and NCAA Tournament appearances in each of his years as coach. Cook was named the AVCA Division I National Coach of the Year in 2000 and 2005, the AVCA Central Region Coach of the Year in 1997 (Wisconsin), 2000, 2005, and 2008, as well as the Big 12 Coach of the Year in 2001, 2005, and 2008. He was also awarded the USA Volleyball All-Time Great Coach Award
USA Volleyball
USA Volleyball is a non-profit organization which serves as the national governing body of volleyball in the United States of America ....

 in 2008. In his first eight years as head coach at Nebraska, he has guided the Huskers to a 250-16 overall record and a 32-6 NCAA tournament record.

Cook has coached three AVCA National Players of the Year - (Greichaly Cepero
United States women's national volleyball team
The United States women's national volleyball team represents the United States of America in international volleyball competitions and friendly games, and is governed by USA Volleyball.-Current Squad:...

 in 2000, Christina Houghtelling in 2005 and Sarah Pavan
Sarah Pavan
Sarah Lindsey Pavan is a 6'5" Canadian volleyball player, who was born and raised in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. She attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, USA where she graduated in 2008...

 in 2006). Pavan also won the Honda-Broderick Cup
Honda-Broderick Cup
The Honda-Broderick Cup is a sports award for college-level female athletes. The awards are voted on by a national panel of more than 1000 collegiate athletic directors. It was first presented by the late Thomas Broderick, owner of a sports apparel company, in 1977, with the first award going to...

 in 2007 as the Collegiate Female Athlete of the Year.

2000

In his first year as the NU head coach, Cook guided the Huskers to their second NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship. They started with a #11 preseason ranking. Nebraska went 20-0 in the Big 12. Nebraska defeated John Cook's former team, the Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin Badgers
The Wisconsin Badgers are the collegiate athletic teams from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. This NCAA Division I athletic program has teams in football, basketball, ice hockey, volleyball, soccer, cross country, tennis, swimming, wrestling, track and field, rowing, golf, and softball...

, in five sets in the national title game, bringing home the first National Championship in the John Cook era. Capping off a 34–0 season, the Huskers became only the second team in NCAA history to finish a season undefeated since the beginning of the NCAA Tournament in 1981.

Sophomore Greichaly Cepero
United States women's national volleyball team
The United States women's national volleyball team represents the United States of America in international volleyball competitions and friendly games, and is governed by USA Volleyball.-Current Squad:...

 led the Huskers, becoming the AVCA National Player of the Year. She also won the Honda Award for Volleyball and became the Big 12 Player of the Year. Laura Pilakowski was also an AVCA First Team All-American and on the NCAA Championship All-Tournament team.

2001 - 2005

Nebraska finished 20-0 in conference play in 2001 to lock up the Big 12 conference title and finished the regular season with only one loss coming against Long Beach State. In the NCAA Tournament, the Huskers cruised through the first two rounds, obtained a NCAA regional semifinals win against Colorado St., setting up a hard fought, 3-2 win against Florida in the NCAA regional finals. Nebraska advanced to the NCAA National Semifinals (Final Four) for the second time in the under Cook, facing Stanford. The Huskers fell to Stanford 0-3 who ultimately went on to win the National Championship. The Huskers finished the season with a record of 31-2, and a ranking of #3 in the AVCA poll. Amber Holmquist was named as an AVCA First Team All American

Nebraska went 20-0 in conference play to wrap up the Big 12 conference title in '02. Nebraska entered the NCAA tournament
2002 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament
The 2002 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament began on December 5, 2002 with 64 teams and concluded on December 21 when Southern California defeated Stanford 3 games to 1 in New Orleans, Louisiana for the program's second NCAA title....

 as the #3 overall seed. The Huskers easily swept through the first two rounds of the tournament, and then swept Miami
2002 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament
The 2002 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament began on December 5, 2002 with 64 teams and concluded on December 21 when Southern California defeated Stanford 3 games to 1 in New Orleans, Louisiana for the program's second NCAA title....

 in the NCAA regional semifinals
2002 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament
The 2002 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament began on December 5, 2002 with 64 teams and concluded on December 21 when Southern California defeated Stanford 3 games to 1 in New Orleans, Louisiana for the program's second NCAA title....

. In the NCAA regional finals, Nebraska fell 3-1 to #6 overall seed Hawaii. Nebraska finished the season with a record of 31-2, and a final ranking of #5. Greichaly Cepero
United States women's national volleyball team
The United States women's national volleyball team represents the United States of America in international volleyball competitions and friendly games, and is governed by USA Volleyball.-Current Squad:...

 and Amber Holmquist were named as AVCA First Team All Americans.

In 2003 the Huskers went 17-3 in conference play to finish 2nd in conference play behind Kansas State. Nebraska was garnered the #9 seed in the NCAA Tournament
2003 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament
The 2003 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament began on December 4, 2003 with 64 teams and ended December 18 when Southern California defeated Florida 3 games to 1 in Dallas, Texas for the program's third NCAA title....

. Nebraska easily advanced through the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament defeating Valparaiso
Valparaiso University
Valparaiso University, known colloquially as Valpo, is a regionally accredited private university located in the city of Valparaiso in the U.S. state of Indiana. Founded in 1859, it consists of five undergraduate colleges, a graduate school, a nursing school and a law school...

 and Dayton
University of Dayton
The University of Dayton is a private Roman Catholic university operated by the Society of Mary located in Dayton, Ohio...

. In the NCAA regional semifinals, Nebraska ran into #8 seed UCLA and fell to the Bruins 3-1. The Huskers finished the season with a record of 28-5, and a final ranking ranking of #13.

Nebraska earned the #1 overall seed in the 2004 NCAA tournament
2004 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament
The 2004 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament began on December 2, 2004 with 64 teams and ended December 18 when Stanford defeated Minnesota 3 games to 0 in Long Beach, California for the program's sixth NCAA title....

. The Huskers advanced to the NCAA regional finals, falling to two-time defending NCAA champion Southern California in a five game marathon. AVCA National Freshman of the Year, Sarah Pavan
Sarah Pavan
Sarah Lindsey Pavan is a 6'5" Canadian volleyball player, who was born and raised in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. She attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, USA where she graduated in 2008...

, led a trio of talented freshmen to a Big 12 conference title and the team's fourth 20-0 Big 12 conference record in the last five seasons. The Huskers finished the season with a record of 30-2, and a ranking of #5. Sarah Pavan
Sarah Pavan
Sarah Lindsey Pavan is a 6'5" Canadian volleyball player, who was born and raised in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. She attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, USA where she graduated in 2008...

 and Melissa Elmer were named as AVCA First Team All Americans

In 2005, after winning the Big 12 conference title with a 19-1 record, Nebraska was the #1 overall seed in the 2005 NCAA tournament
2005 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament
The 2005 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament began on December 1, 2005 with 64 teams and concluded on December 17, 2005, when Washington defeated Nebraska 3 games to 0 in San Antonio, Texas for the program's first NCAA title....

 for the second consecutive year. After sweeping through the first two rounds, sweeping UCLA in the NCAA regional semifinals and Florida in the NCAA regional finals, Nebraska went on to sweep Santa Clara
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose...

 in the NCAA National Semifinals. An NCAA volleyball-record 13,252 tickets were pre-sold for the NCAA regionals at the Qwest Center in Omaha
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...

. The majority of these record ticket sales have been attributed to Nebraska volleyball fans. In the NCAA Championship match against Pacific-10 Conference champion Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...

, Nebraska could not finish off with an NCAA title, despite being the overwhelming favorite. They lost to the #3 seeded Huskies in a somewhat stunning fashion, never finding a rhythm and losing 3-0. The season marked Nebraska's third trip to the Final Four under Cook. The Huskers ended the season the NCAA National Runner-Up with a record of 33-2, and a ranking of #2 in the AVCA poll. Sarah Pavan
Sarah Pavan
Sarah Lindsey Pavan is a 6'5" Canadian volleyball player, who was born and raised in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. She attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, USA where she graduated in 2008...

, Christina Houghtelling, and Melissa Elmer were all named as AVCA First Team All Americans.

2006

The Huskers once again went through the competition leading up to the NCAA tournament keeping their #1 ranking all season long, winning the Big 12 conference title, and losing only one match to Colorado
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...

. For the third consecutive year, Nebraska was the #1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament
2006 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament
The 2006 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament began on November 30, 2006 with 64 teams and concluded on December 16, 2006, when top ranked Nebraska defeated second ranked Stanford 3 sets to 1 in Omaha, Nebraska for the program's third NCAA title....

. They made it to their second consecutive Final Four, by accomplishing an amazing feat. In the NCAA regional final against Minnesota in Gainesville, Florida, Nebraska saw their opponent take a commanding 2-0 lead on them. Nebraska fought back to win the next three sets, thus making it the first time Nebraska ever won a NCAA regional title outside of the state of Nebraska, and also the first time they came from an 0-2 deficit to win the regional title. The Huskers entered the NCAA Championship match after defeating UCLA in four sets in the National Semifinals. On December 16, 2006, in the NCAA National Championship match, Nebraska played in front of a then-NCAA volleyball record crowd of 17,209 in Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...

 at the Qwest Center against Pac-10 champion Stanford. Nebraska dropped the first set, but, like the NCAA Semifinal match, rebounded to win the next three sets to take home the second NCAA national championship in the John Cook era.

The Huskers swept 24 of their 33 opponents and only lost 14 sets all season. They led the nation in both kills (17.4) and assists (16.2) per game, the first time Nebraska has led the nation in either category. Nebraska became just the third team in NCAA history to be ranked #1 in the AVCA poll the entire season, joining UCLA (1992) and USC (2003), and became the first team to win a NCAA National Championship while hosting the finals since UCLA in 1991.

Junior Sarah Pavan
Sarah Pavan
Sarah Lindsey Pavan is a 6'5" Canadian volleyball player, who was born and raised in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. She attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, USA where she graduated in 2008...

 finished the season as one of the most decorated in NCAA history, garnering numerous awards, including AVCA National Player of the Year, AVCA First Team All American, the Honda-Broderick Cup
Honda-Broderick Cup
The Honda-Broderick Cup is a sports award for college-level female athletes. The awards are voted on by a national panel of more than 1000 collegiate athletic directors. It was first presented by the late Thomas Broderick, owner of a sports apparel company, in 1977, with the first award going to...

 award, and the Big 12 Player of the Year & Big 12 Female Athlete of the Year, and the CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year. Jordan Larson also was named an AVCA First Team All American

2007 - 2009

In the first game of '07, the Huskers won the programs 1000th game, sweeping Tennessee in the AVCA Showcase. Nebraska won their fourth consecutive Big 12 title, (sharing it with Texas
Texas Longhorns volleyball
Texas maintains a successful women's volleyball program, as witnessed by two national championships - one AIAW in 1981 and one NCAA in 1988, in addition to 25 NCAA tournament appearances out of 28 possible years....

) with a 19-1 Big 12 record. In the 2007 NCAA Tournament
2007 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament
The 2007 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament began on November 29, 2007 with 64 teams and concluded on December 15, 2007 when Penn State defeated Stanford 3 games to 2 in Sacramento, California for the program's second NCAA title....

, the Huskers were the overall #2 seed. After sweeping past first & second round competition, Nebraska was given a scare by unseeded Michigan State in the NCAA regional semifinals, finding themselves down 2 sets to 0 before rebounding to win the match. Their bid for consecutive NCAA titles was ended in the regional finals, losing to 10th seeded California. The Huskers finished the season with a 30-2 record, and a #5 ranking. Sarah Pavan
Sarah Pavan
Sarah Lindsey Pavan is a 6'5" Canadian volleyball player, who was born and raised in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. She attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, USA where she graduated in 2008...

 became just the fourth player in NCAA history to garner AVCA First Team All-American honors all four years of her collegiate career and was also named the Big 12 Female Athlete of the Year for the second year in a row. Pavan joined Texas
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...

 softball pitcher Cat Osterman
Cat Osterman
Catherine Leigh "Cat" Osterman , is an American athlete and was one of the pitchers on the USA Women's Softball Team which won the gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics and the silver medal in the 2008 Summer Olympics....

 as the only athlete to repeat the award. Nebraska placed a national record 5 players on AVCA All America Teams (before the record was broken in 2008 by Penn St. with 6).

Nebraska won their fifth consecutive Big 12 title in '08 sharing it with Texas
Texas Longhorns volleyball
Texas maintains a successful women's volleyball program, as witnessed by two national championships - one AIAW in 1981 and one NCAA in 1988, in addition to 25 NCAA tournament appearances out of 28 possible years....

 for the second consecutive year with an 18-2 record. In the 2008 NCAA Tournament
2008 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament
The 2008 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament began on December 4, 2008 with 64 teams and concluded on December 20, 2008 when Penn State defeated Stanford, 3 sets to 0, in Omaha, Nebraska for the program's third NCAA title....

 Nebraska was the #4 overall seed having a fairly easy time in the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament. After making short work of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...

 in the NCAA regional semifinals, the Huskers advanced to the NCAA regional finals facing #5 overall seed Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...

 in Seattle on their home court. After losing the first two sets, it looked as if Nebraska's season would end earlier than they wanted. That was, however, before Nebraska mounted one of the greatest comeback wins in the history of the NCAA tournament. In set 3, Nebraska rallied to easily take the set 25-17. In set 4, Nebraska looked well on its way to forcing a fifth set but it didn't turn out to be that easy as the Huskies trailed 22-21, and eventually tied the set at 23 and 24. However a Washington service error and a service ace from libero Kayla Banwarth gave the Huskers a 26-24 win in set 4, forcing a fifth set. In set 5, once again the Huskers looked doomed as they fell 9-3, but in a jaw-dropping run of epic proportions Nebraska went on to score 9 consecutive points to take the lead 12-9. Not giving up, the Huskies were able to tie the set at 13, before an attack error set up match point for the Huskers. Senior Jordan Larson ripped an ace paralyzing the Huskies and sending Nebraska into a frenzy at having completed one of the greatest comeback wins in both school and NCAA tournament history advancing the huskers to the Final Four at the Qwest Center in Omaha
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...

, the fifth Final Four appearance in the John Cook era. In the NCAA National Semifinals, Nebraska lost to #1 overall seed Penn State. Initially down 0-2, the Huskers rallied to deal the Nittany Lions their first 2 set losses of the season, snapping their NCAA record 111 consecutive set wins. In the 5th set, Penn State went on to win 15-11, and ultimately the National Championship over Stanford in straight sets.

The 2009 squad was one of the youngest for John Cook, with one senior on the squad. The Huskers dropped the season opener for the first time under John Cook against Michigan in the Runza/AVCA Showcase at Qwest Center. Later, UCLA came to Lincoln, winning in 5 sets to become the first team to defeat the Huskers on their home court since Florida A&M accomplished the feat in 2004. In the middle of the season, Nebraska hosted Iowa State, who defeated the Huskers for the first time in series history. The Huskers ended the regular season strong, not having dropped a set in November for the first time in program history. The Huskers hosted NCAA Tournament 1st and 2nd rounds as the number 10 seed. They swept through the opening rounds earning a berth to the Big 12 packed Omaha Regional, breaking Northern Iowa's 29 game win streak and becoming the only team to sweep them on the season. They swept a struggling Iowa State at the Quest Center and went on to play Texas in the regional final. The Huskers won the first set but could not keep the momentum. The Longhorns won the next three sets, earning their way to the national semifinals. Texas became the first team to beat the Huskers three times during a single season in the NCAA era.

NCAA

Team
  • Assists in a Five-Game Match (116) Nebraska vs Texas
    Texas Longhorns volleyball
    Texas maintains a successful women's volleyball program, as witnessed by two national championships - one AIAW in 1981 and one NCAA in 1988, in addition to 25 NCAA tournament appearances out of 28 possible years....

    , November 15, 1988 (Record is a combined total, shared with Texas)
  • Winning Percentage (1.000) Nebraska, 2000 (34-0), shared with Long Beach State, Southern California
    USC Volleyball
    The USC Trojans women's volleyball team is currently coached by Mick Haley, who began in 2001. Under Haley, USC became the first repeat NCAA Volleyball National Champion in 2002-03 since Stanford in 1996-97...

    , and Penn State
  • Consecutive Winning/non losing Seasons (28) Shared with Hawaii, Penn State, Stanford
    Stanford Cardinal
    The Stanford Cardinal is the nickname of the athletic teams at Stanford University.-Nickname and mascot history:Following its win over Cal in the first-ever Big Game in 1892, the color cardinal was picked as the primary color of Stanford's athletic teams...

    , UCLA
    UCLA Bruins
    The UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for University of California, Los Angeles . The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pacific-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation . For football, they are in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I...



Individual
  • Tracy Stalls – Hitting percentage in 3 sets (1.000, 13-0-13) vs. Texas Tech
    Texas Tech Red Raiders
    The Texas Tech Red Raiders are the athletic teams that represent Texas Tech University . The women's basketball team uses the name Lady Raiders; however, the school's other women's teams use the "Red Raiders" name. The university's athletic program fields teams in 15 varsity sports and 30 club sports...

     on November 24, 2007
  • Megan Korver – Hitting percentage in 3 sets (1.000, 10-0-10) vs. Iowa State on September 25, 1998

Big 12

Team
  • Block Assists in 3 sets (39) vs Kansas State on November 30, 2002
  • Block Assists in 4 sets (46) vs Texas on October 22, 2000
  • Total Team Blocks in 3 sets (23) vs Kansas on November 12, 2004
  • Total Team Blocks in 4 sets (26) vs Texas on October 22, 2000

Individual
  • Melissa Elmer - Total Blocks in 4 sets (16) vs. Kansas on October 8, 2005
  • Amber Holmquist
    • Block Assists and Total Blocks in 3 sets (13) vs. Kansas State on November 30, 2002
    • Block Assists and Total Blocks in 4 sets (16) vs. Texas on October 22, 2000
  • Megan Korver – Hitting percentage in 3 sets (1.000, 10-0-10) vs. Iowa State on September 25, 1998
  • Nancy Meendering – Attempts in 3 sets (73) vs Texas November 27, 1999
  • Tracy Stalls
    • Hitting percentage in 3 sets (1.000, 13-0-13) vs. Texas Tech
      Texas Tech Red Raiders
      The Texas Tech Red Raiders are the athletic teams that represent Texas Tech University . The women's basketball team uses the name Lady Raiders; however, the school's other women's teams use the "Red Raiders" name. The university's athletic program fields teams in 15 varsity sports and 30 club sports...

       on November 24, 2007
    • Solo Blocks in 4 sets (5) vs. Kansas State on November 19, 2005
  • Tonia Tauke - Total Blocks in 5 sets (15) vs. Michigan State September 6, 1996

All-Americans

Nebraska is second in the nation with 37 AVCA First-Team All-American selections.
  • AVCA National Player of the Year award winners.

First Team

  • Cathy Noth - 1983
  • Annie Adamczak - 1985
  • Karen Dahlgren - 1986
  • Lori Endicott
    Lori Endicott
    Lori Ann Endicott is a retired female volleyball player from the United States, who won the bronze medal with the USA National Women's Team at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. She also competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics, finishing in seventh place. She was also an All-American...

     - 1988
  • Virginia Stahr - 1988
  • Val Novak - 1989, 1990
  • Janet Kruse - 1989, 1990

  • Stephanie Thater - 1991, 1992
  • Allison Weston
    United States women's national volleyball team
    The United States women's national volleyball team represents the United States of America in international volleyball competitions and friendly games, and is governed by USA Volleyball.-Current Squad:...

    - 1993, 1994, 1995
  • Christy Johnson - 1994, 1995
  • Lisa Reitsma - 1995, 1996
  • Fiona Nepo - 1996, 1998
  • Nancy Metcalf
    Nancy Metcalf
    Nancy Jean Metcalf is an American indoor volleyball player. She represented her native country at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, where she finished in fifth place with the USA National Team.-Career:Metcalf graduated from the University of Nebraska in December 2001 with a bachelor’s...

     - 1998, 1999, 2001
  • Laura Pilakowski - 2000

  • Greichaly Cepero
    United States women's national volleyball team
    The United States women's national volleyball team represents the United States of America in international volleyball competitions and friendly games, and is governed by USA Volleyball.-Current Squad:...

    - 2000, 2002
  • Amber Holmquist - 2001, 2002
  • Melissa Elmer - 2004, 2005
  • Sarah Pavan
    Sarah Pavan
    Sarah Lindsey Pavan is a 6'5" Canadian volleyball player, who was born and raised in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. She attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, USA where she graduated in 2008...

    - 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
  • Christina Houghtelling - 2005
  • Jordan Larson - 2006, 2008


Second Team

  • Cathy Noth - 1984
  • Karen Dahlgren - 1985
  • Enid Schonewise - 1986
  • Tisha Delaney - 1986
  • Lori Endicott
    Lori Endicott
    Lori Ann Endicott is a retired female volleyball player from the United States, who won the bronze medal with the USA National Women's Team at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. She also competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics, finishing in seventh place. She was also an All-American...

     - 1987
  • Virginia Stahr - 1989
  • Stephanie Thater - 1990
  • Chris Hall - 1991

  • Janet Kruse - 1991
  • Kelly Aspegren - 1994
  • Fiona Nepo - 1997
  • Lisa Reitsma - 1997
  • Megan Korver - 1998
  • Amber Holmquist - 2000
  • Jenny Kropp - 2001
  • Greichaly Cepero
    United States women's national volleyball team
    The United States women's national volleyball team represents the United States of America in international volleyball competitions and friendly games, and is governed by USA Volleyball.-Current Squad:...

    - 2001

  • Melissa Elmer - 2003
  • Jennifer Saleaumua - 2004
  • Tracy Stalls - 2006, 2007
  • Christina Houghtelling - 2007
  • Rachel Holloway - 2007
  • Sydney Anderson - 2008
  • Tara Mueller - 2008
  • Brooke Delano - 2009


NCAA tournament

The NCAA Volleyball Tournament started in 1981 and Nebraska has qualified for every tournament since 1982. The Huskers have played in 16 consecutive NCAA Regionals, a streak that more than doubles any other program in the nation.

Winning %
1 Stanford 94-24 (.800)
2 Nebraska 80-25 (.762)
3 UCLA 73-26 (.737)
4 Hawaii 69-25 (.734)
5 Florida 51-20 (.718)

Wins
1 Stanford 94
2 Nebraska 80
3 UCLA 73
4 Hawaii 69
5 Penn State 65

Appearances
1 Penn State 29
Stanford 29
2 Nebraska 28
Hawaii 28
UCLA 28

Final Four Appearances
1 Stanford 18
2 Nebraska 11
UCLA 11
4 Long Beach State 8
Hawaii 8

Record By Site
Coliseum 49-3
Devaney Center 6-2
Qwest Center 5-2
Away/Neutral Sits 22-18

Record By Round
First 22-1
Second 15-1
Regionals 32-14
Championship 9-8


External links

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