No. 6 Nebraska Cornhuskers (22-7, 11-7 Big Ten)
vs. No. 14 Illinois Fighting Illini (7-19, 1-13 Big Ten)
Thursday, March 3, 2022 (approx. 7:30 p.m.)
Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament
Gainbridge Fieldhouse - Indianapolis, Ind.
Live Television: BTN
Live Radio: Huskers Radio Network (7 p.m.)
Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)
Lincoln (107.3 FM & 1400 AM), Omaha (ESPN 590 AM), Huskers.com, Huskers App

Huskers Face Fighting Illini Thursday at Big Ten Tournament 
The No. 6 seed Nebraska women's basketball team will tip-off postseason tournament play by taking on No. 14 Illinois in the second round of the Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Thursday.

The Huskers (22-7, 11-7 Big Ten) will face the Fighting Illini (7-19, 1-13) following a 75-66 win by Illinois over No. 11 seed Wisconsin in Wednesday's first round. Tip time for Nebraska's game Thursday will be approximately 7:30 p.m., or 25 minutes after the completion of the first game of Session 3 between No. 7 Northwestern and No. 10 Minnesota, which begins at 5:30 p.m. (CT).

All games from the first round through the semifinals will be televised live by the Big Ten Network, with Sloane Martin and Christy Winters Scott on the call in the evening session games. Meghan McKeown will provide sideline coverage for the first 12 games of the tournament, before coverage switches to ESPN2 for the Big Ten Championship Game on Sunday at 4 p.m.

Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch will call the action on the Huskers Radio Network (B107.3 FM/1400 AM in Lincoln, along with 590 AM in Omaha), the Huskers App and Huskers.com.

Nebraska heads to Indianapolis with momentum, winning five of its last six games to close the regular season, including a 73-59 victory over Northwestern at Pinnacle Bank Arena (Feb. 27).

The Huskers went 9-3 from Jan. 27 to Feb. 27after resuming competition following a COVID pause (Jan. 17-26) with losses at Big Ten co-champion Ohio State, at top-25 Maryland and at Penn State, in a game the Huskers led by 13 with less than eight minutes left. 

Big Ten Freshman of the Year Alexis Markowski headlined Nebraska's postseason hardware haul on Tuesday. The only unanimous Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection by the coaches, Markowski was a second-team All-Big Ten choice after leading the Huskers in scoring (15.6 ppg) and rebounding (8.6 rpg) in conference play.

Jaz Shelley, who is the only Big Ten player to rank among the top 20 in the league in all five major statistical categories, added second-team All-Big Ten honors, while Sam Haiby and Isabelle Bourne were both named honorable-mention All-Big Ten.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (22-7, 11-7 Big Ten)
34 - Isabelle Bourne - 6-2 - So. - F - 11.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg
40 - Alexis Markowski - 6-3 - Fr. - F/C - 13.0 ppg, 7.9 rpg
1 - Jaz Shelley - 5-9 - So. - G - 12.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg
3 - Allison Weidner - 5-10 - Fr. - G - 7.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg
4 - Sam Haiby - 5-9 - Jr. - G - 10.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg
Off the Bench
14 - Bella Cravens - 6-3 - Jr. - F - 6.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg
21 - Annika Stewart - 6-3 - Fr. - F - 5.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg
32 - Kendall Coley - 6-2 - Fr. - F/G - 2.5 ppg, 1.8 rpg
5 - MiCole Cayton - 5-9 - Gr. - G - 2.3 ppg, 1.0 rpg
11 - Ruby Porter - 5-10 - Fr. - G - 2.1 ppg, 0.9 rpg
10 - Whitney Brown - 5-8 - Fr. - G - 1.8 ppg, 0.7 rpg
15 - Kendall Moriarty - 6-1 - Fr. - G - 1.6 ppg, 0.5 rpg
Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)
Sixth Season at Nebraska (94-82); 15th Season Overall (287-191)

Nebraska's All-Big Ten Honors
• Alexis Markowski (Lincoln, Neb.) captured Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Year honors from both the conference coaches and media when the league announced its annual awards on Tuesday, March 1. Markowski was also the only unanimous choice on the coaches' five-player Big Ten All-Freshman Team, while claiming second-team All-Big Ten honors from both the coaches and media. An eight-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week, Markowski averaged a double-double each of the final five weeks of the regular season while helping the Huskers to a 9-3 record over the last 12 games (Jan. 27-Feb. 27).

• Jaz Shelley (Moe, Australia) joined Markowski on the All-Big Ten Second Team by both the coaches and media. The 5-9 first-year Husker was the only player in the Big Ten to rank among the top 20 in the league in all five major statistical categories - scoring (17th), rebounding (12th), assists (5th), steals (7th) and blocks (7th). Shelley was one of five players on the media's Big Ten All-Defensive Team. 

• Sam Haiby (Moorhead, Minn.) claimed All-Big Ten accolades for the second time by earning honorable-mention recognition from the coaches and media. A second-team All-Big Ten choice in 2020-21, Haiby continued to prove herself as one of the most versatile guards in the league, averaging 10.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.4 steals in her fourth year as a Husker. In the victory over Northwestern (Feb. 27), Haiby became the first Husker in history to achieve the combined career milestones of 1,000 points (1,320), 500 rebounds (511) and 400 assists (400).

• Isabelle Bourne (Canberra, Australia) joined Haiby on the coaches' honorable-mention All-Big Ten team. The 6-2 forward was also an honorable-mention choice last season. Bourne is surging down the stretch in 2021-22, averaging 14.4 points and 5.3 rebounds the past nine games.

• Bella Cravens (Laie, Hawaii) completed Nebraska's conference honors by earning a Big Ten Sportsmanship Award for the second consecutive season. Cravens is averaging 6.2 points and 5.6 rebounds as one of NU's top players off the bench during the second half of the season. She started 15 games early in the year for the Big Red.

Huskers Chasing History
• The 2021-22 Huskers have put themselves in position to chase history by recording 22 regular-season wins. Another victory by Nebraska would move the Huskers into a tie for the fifth-most single-season victories (23) in school history.

• The last time Nebraska notched more than 21 wins came with a 26-7 season in 2013-14, when the Huskers won the Big Ten Conference Tournament championship in Indianapolis.

• Nebraska has produced its 18th 20-win season in program history in 2021-22 and its first since Coach Amy Williams led the Big Red to a 21-11 campaign in 2017-18, when she was named Big Ten Coach of the Year.

2021-22 Big Red Dominant at Pinnacle Bank Arena
• Nebraska tied a school record by winning 16 home games at Pinnacle Bank Arena in 2021-22. The Huskers finished 16-1, matching the 1997-98 (16-0), 2009-10 (16-0) and 2013-14 (16-2) teams for most home wins. Coach Amy Williams was a senior guard on Nebraska's 1997-98 team coached by 2022 Women's Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Paul Sanderford.

• Nebraska's 16 home wins lead NCAA Division I women's basketball this season. In fact, only NC State has as many as 15 wins through games (Feb. 27). Twelve other teams had amassed 14 home victories.

• The Huskers didn't just win at home, they won big, posting the largest home combined cumulative margin of victory in school history despite losing a game to Big Ten co-champion Iowa (Jan. 9). The 2021-22 Huskers produced a total victory margin of 429 points (25.2 ppg). The 2009-10 Huskers that earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and finished No. 3 in the AP final regular-season poll won their 16 games by a total of 388 points (24.3 ppg).

• Nebraska delivered double-digit margins in 15 of 16 home wins, including wins over top-10 Michigan (79-58) and Indiana (72-57) teams, with only Creighton falling by single digits (67-62).

• The Huskers also ranked No. 13 nationally in total attendance (76,317) and 17th in average home attendance (4,489) entering March.

Nebraska Numbers to Watch
• Nebraska's two wins over top-10 opponents represent the second time in school history the Huskers have posted multiple wins over top-10 teams in the same season, joining the 2009-10 campaign when NU recorded three top-10 victories.

• Through games Feb. 28, the Huskers ranked among the top 25 teams nationally in 12 statistical categories, including total rebounds (7th, 1,240), assists (8th, 511), scoring offense (10th, 78.6), assists per game (12th, 17.6 apg), assist-to-turnover ratio (15th, 1.23), rebounds per game (42.8 rpg), scoring margin (16th, +15.7 ppg), three-point field goals made (16th, 244), defensive rebounds per game (17th, 29.4 rpg), three-point field goal percentage (24th, .357, three-point field goals made per game (25th, 8.4 pg) and rebound margin (25th, +7.4 rpg).

• Nebraska leads the Big Ten in scoring margin (+15.7 ppg), total rebounds (42.8 rpg), field goal percentage defense (.374) and three-point field goal percentage defense (.275).

• Nebraska ranks 10th nationally in scoring offense with 78.6 points per game. The only time in the last 25 years NU has averaged more than 75 points per game in a season came in 2009-10 (77.4 ppg). That Husker team went unbeaten in the regular season, won the Big 12 regular-season title and advanced to Nebraska's first NCAA Sweet Sixteen as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.    

• Sophomore point guard Jaz Shelley has pulled down 191 total rebounds in 852 minutes this season. In two seasons (971 minutes) at Oregon (2019-20, 2020-21), the 5-9 Shelley totaled 70 rebounds.

• Shelley needs nine rebounds to become the first Nebraska guard to get 200 total rebounds since Brandi Jeffery (209, 2014-15). The only other Husker guard to pull down 200 boards since the turn of the century was Keasha Cannon-Johnson (227, 2001-02; 251, 2003-04).

• Jaz Shelley leads Nebraska with 30 blocked shots in 28 games. She had six blocks in 55 games over two seasons at Oregon.

• In 29 games in 2021-22, Nebraska has far surpassed its season steals total (120, 26 games) from a year ago. The Huskers own 213 steals this season. The last time NU had 200 steals in a season came with 221 in 2018-19.

• Nebraska's minus-21 foul disparity (28-7) at Iowa (Jan. 16) marked the largest foul differential in program history (by NU or opponent) in 1,457 games over 48 seasons. It marked the first time in history that a Husker team held a negative foul differential of greater than 17. In NU's other 28 games this season, the Huskers own a positive foul differential of +1.7.

• Nebraska has hit 244 threes this season, which ranks second in school history, trailing only 250 made threes in 2017-18 when the Huskers earned their last NCAA Tournament bid.

Scouting The No. 14 Seed Illinois Fighting Illini
• Coach Nancy Fahey brings Illinois into Thursday's Big Ten Tournament second round with a 7-19 overall record following a 75-66 win over No. 11 seed Wisconsin in Wednesday's first round. The Illini, who went 1-13 in regular-season Big Ten play snapped an 11-game losing streak with the win over Wisconsin. Both of the Illini's wins against Big Ten foes this season came against the Badgers, including a 68-47 win over Wisconsin (Jan. 9) in Champaign. 

• Since losing to Nebraska 82-63 at the State Farm Center (Feb. 12), Illinois had lost five straight games by an average of 20.2 points per contest. But on Wednesday, Aaliyah Nye led five Illinois players in double figures with 17 points on 5-of-6 three-point shooting. Erika Porter added a career-high 15 points, while Adalia McKenzie pitched in 14 points. Kendall Bostic added a big double-double with 12 points and 16 rebounds, while Jada Peebles added 12 points of her own on 4-of-5 three-point shooting. 

• Sophomore Aaliyah Nye has accounted for nearly one-fifth of the Illinois offense over the past six games, averaging 14.5 points per game, while hitting 19 of Illinois' 30 threes during that span. Nye scored a game-high 23 points in the first meeting with the Huskers.

• Kendall Bostic, a 6-2 forward, and the Big Ten's top rebounder on the season has added 7.3 points and 12 boards the past six games. Bostic is the only Illinois player to start all 26 games this season and is averaging 11.5 rebounds per contest on the year.

• Freshman Adalia McKenzie has joined Nye and Bostic in the starting five down the stretch, averaging 10.2 points and 3.5 rebounds the last five games.

• Erika Porter (7.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg) and Eva Rubin (1.5 ppg) have split starting time the last six games. Since getting 13 points against the Huskers, Rubin has scored just nine points.

• Jayla Oden (2.8 ppg) and Jada Peebles (7.0 ppg) have also split starts since playing Nebraska. Both were held scoreless by the Huskers, while De'Myla Brown sparked Illinois with 12 points off the bench in the first meeting. Brown has managed just 24 total points since facing the Huskers. Peebles suffered a lower leg injury late in the fourth quarter in Wednesday's win over Wisconsin.

Illinois Fighting Illini (7-19, 1-13 Big Ten)
20 - Erika Porter - 6-3 - So. - F - 4.1 ppg, 2.3 rpg
44 - Kendall Bostic - 6-2 - So. - F - 6.7 ppg, 11.6 rpg
11 - Jada Peebles - 5-10 - Jr. - G - 7.2 ppg, 1.5 rpg
24 - Adalia McKenzie - 5-10 - Fr. - G - 9.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg
32 - Aaliyah Nye - 5-11 - So. - G - 12.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg
Off the Bench
5 - De'Myla Brown - 5-7 - Jr. - G - 8.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg
12 - Jayla Oden - 5-9 - Fr. - G - 5.6 ppg, 2.2 rpg
0 - Sara Anastasieska - 5-11 - Gr. - G - 5.0 ppg, 1.7 rpg
14 - Geovana Lopes - 6-3 - Sr. - F/C - 3.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg
22 - Eva Rubin - 6-5 - RSr. - C - 2.9 ppg, 1.5 rpg
3 - Solape Amusan - 6-1 - Jr. - F - 1.2 ppg, 0.8 rpg
2 - Lyric Robins - 5-11 - RSr. - F - 1.1 ppg, 1.3 rpg
Head Coach: Nancy Fahey (Wisconsin, 1981)
Fifth Season at Illinois (42-98); 36th Season Overall (779-231)

Nebraska vs. Illinois Series History
• Nebraska leads the all-time series with Illinois 17-5, including seven consecutive victories. Jaz Shelley led Nebraska with 21 points and five three-pointers in an 82-63 win in Champaign (Feb. 12). Isabelle Bourne added 17 points and seven rebounds, while Bella Cravens added a double-double off the bench with 12 points and 11 boards. Sam Haiby was also outstanding with 10 points, eight rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block.

• Aaliyah Nye led all scorers with 23 points, while Eva Rubin (13) and De'Myla Brown (12) combined for 25 points off the bench for the Illini. 

• Nebraska is 14-3 against Illinois as Big Ten Conference foes, including 13-2 in Big Ten regular-season conference games. The last win in the series for Illinois came with a 79-70 decision over the Huskers at the Big Ten Tournament (March 1, 2017).

• Nebraska owns four straight wins over the Illini in Champaign and six straight over Illinois at Pinnacle Bank Arena. NU is 8-1 against the Illini in Lincoln. The only Illinois win came with a 62-52 victory over the Huskers on Jan. 17, 2013.

• The series dates back to an 89-86 Nebraska win over the Illini on March 3, 1982 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

Huskers Head To California Face Pepperdine, Pacific Coast Tournament

Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-8) @ #19 Pepperdine Waves (5-4)
Thursday, March 3 at 3:00 p.m. CT
La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club (La Jolla, Calif.)
Live Video/Stats: https://pepperdinewaves.com/sports/2018/8/7/playsight.aspx

Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-8) vs Pacific Coast Doubles Championships
Thursday-Sunday, March 3-6 at TBA
La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club (La Jolla, Calif.)
Live Stats: https://playtennis.usta.com/Competitions/LJBTC/Tournaments/draws/23ABB9DB-B5DD-4E58-AD39-C85898E92199

The Nebraska men's tennis team is coming off the Blue-Gray National Tennis Classic, where they took on two ranked opponents in Montgomery, Alabama. Nebraska will look to bounce back as they take on No. 19 Pepperdine on Thursday afternoon before staying in California for the Pacific Coast Doubles Championships over the weekend.

Nebraska will send four doubles teams to the tournament in La Jolla, California. Leading the Huskers will be the teams of Nic Wiedenhorn and Victor Moreno Lozano as well as Dario Huber and Shunya Maruyama. Nebraska will also send William Gleason and Chester Wickwire along with Patrick Cacciatore and Calvin Mueller as the final two doubles teams. Fans can view the full draw here.
 
Live stats are available using the link provided above. Updates will be posted to Huskers.com and @HuskerMTennis on Twitter.

Scouting Pepperdine
• The Tigers enter Friday's matchup with a 5-4 record, including a victory over #5 USC last Saturday, 4-2.
• Pepperdine has four players on the ITA Top-125 Singles Rankings List: (No. 13 Daniel De Jonge, No. 24 Andrew Rogers, No. 49 Pietro Fellin, No. 111 Tim Zeitvogel).
• So far this season, Pepperdine has faced five ranked opponents in nine games, holding a 3-2 record during those matches.
• The Tigers have not lost at home so far with a 4-0 record, while Zeitvogel currently holds a match winning streak of five.
 
Up Next
• The Huskers will stay on the road as they take on Cornell at the Reis Tennis Center in Ithaca, N.Y., on March 12 at Noon.
 
Hietaranta Continues Strong 2022 Campaign
• Roni Hietaranta started the year off strong, winning his first six singles matches to begin the season with a 6-0 record. Dating back to the fall, he now has 15 total singles wins which marks the most on the team thus far.
• On Jan. 25, Hietaranta was named Big Ten Co-Athlete of the Week after singles wins over Baylor and Oklahoma. He knocked off the No. 54 ranked singles competitor in the nation, defeating Oklahoma's Jordan Hasson, 6-4, 7-5. The Lappeenranta, Finland native also defeated Baylor's Cole Gromley in the No. 6 spot, 6-1, 6-3.
• Three weeks ago, Hietaranta rallied back from a 4-2 hole to knock off Wichita State's Orel Ovil and clinch the victory for the Huskers. He won the singles match against Ovil 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. Last weekend, he knocked off Princeton's Filippos Astreinidis in consecutive sets to push his spring record to 7-3.

Moreno and Maruyama Holding Down Back Half of Lineup
• Victor Moreno Lozano currently holds the second-most wins for the Huskers as he boasts a 5-1 singles record for Nebraska this season. He's gathered three victories in the No. 5 spot and two in the No. 6 spot for the Big Red, defeating Wichita State's Alex Richards to help fuel to comeback victory for Nebraska three weeks ago.
• Shunya Maruyama has won four of his last seven singles matches, with wins in the No. 4-6 spots. He has the second most wins on the team dating back to the fall, and has proved to be a consistent player for the Huskers so far this spring once again.
• In doubles action, he has six wins in eight matches, including a 3-0 record with Patrick Cacciatore primarily in the No. 2 and No. 3 spots. He has continued to build off a 2021 season in which he gathered the most wins for the Huskers with eight, including a win in the No. 1 spot over Penn State.

Tough Schedule Early
• Nebraska has matched up against four, top 30 teams in its first 11 games to begin the spring season. They lost to No. 2 Baylor at home, 6-1, and No. 24 Oklahoma on the road, 5-2. In the Blue-Gray Classic, they dropped matches to both #29 Princeton and #25 Auburn. Once they reach the back half of their schedule, the Huskers will meet currently ranked opponents in seven of their last 13 games.

Haebig Selected for Fourth Trip to NCAAs

After swimming to sixth in the 200 freestyle at the 2022 Big Ten Championships and continuing to shave almost a full second off her time at the Mizzou Last Chance Qualifier meet, fifth-year senior Autumn Haebig was selected to compete in the NCAA Championships in Atlanta, Ga., March 16-19. The NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving Committee officially invited swimmers across the country to the championships on Wednesday, March 2.

This marks Haebig's fourth year representing Nebraska at the NCAA Championships, after making her nationals debut as a freshman in 2018. Haebig was named a two-time NCAA All-American after finishing ninth in the 200 freestyle and 14th in the 500 freestyle during the 2021 meet. 

The Grafton, Wis. native qualified in the 200 freestyle by posting a B-cut time of 1:44.79 at the Mizzou Qualifier meet on Feb. 26. Haebig will also compete in the 100 freestyle and 500 freestyle at nationals.

The NCAA Championships are set to begin Wednesday, March 16 and run through Saturday, March 19 at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta, Ga.

On the women's side, a total of 281 swimmers representing 58 teams will compete in the championships. The divers to compete will be determined by performances at the Zone Diving Meets, March 7-9.

NU's divers will look to qualify for nationals by competing in the Zone D Diving meet in Madison, Wis., next week.

Huskers Return to Grand Island for 2022 Spring Match

The Nebraska volleyball team will play a spring match against Kansas at the Heartland Events Center in Grand Island on Saturday, April 23. The match is set to begin at 5 p.m., with doors opening 90 minutes prior to first serve. The Huskers will also sign autographs after the match. 

Tickets will go on sale through Etix and at the Heartland Events Center Box Office at 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 10. All tickets will be reserved at $10. There will be a handling charge on all tickets purchased from Etix. No tickets will be sold through the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office.

Nebraska last played in Grand Island in the 2015 spring season, sweeping Kansas State in front of a sold-out crowd of 6,006 at the Heartland Events Center. NU also played in Grand Island in 2011, topping Wichita State 3-2 in front of a packed house of 5,522.

The Huskers are coming off a 26-8 season (15-4 Big Ten) and NCAA Final appearance. 

Talley Named B1G Field Athlete of the Championships

Nebraska thrower Alex Talley was named the Big Ten Field Athlete of the Championships on Wednesday after a vote by the league's head coaches. His award is the second consecutive won by a Husker after Burger Lambrechts Jr. became the first-ever Nebraska men's track and field athlete to win a Big Ten Athlete of the Championships award last season.

On Friday at the Big Ten Indoor Championships in Geneva, Ohio, Talley found himself on the podium with Lambrechts Jr., as he earned the silver medal in the shot put. Talley recorded a throw of 64-1 1/4 (19.54m) on his second attempt. Talley finished third in the shot put at the NCAA Indoor Championships last year while at North Dakota State, and he ranks ninth nationally heading into this year's NCAA meet.

Talley brought home the weight throw title with a toss of 72-3 (22.02m) on Saturday. The first-year Husker was a two-time Summit League weight throw champion at North Dakota State and placed sixth at the NCAA Indoor Championships last year in the event. Talley enters next weekend's NCAA meet ranked ninth in the weight throw.

Nebraska's Sportsmanship Award honorees were Papay Glaywulu and Winsome Harris.

Whittaker Earns Big Ten Weekly Honor

Megan Whittaker claimed the first Big Ten Women's Golfer-of-the-Week award of her career on Wednesday after leading Nebraska to a runner-up finish at the Westbrook Spring Invitational in Peoria, Ariz., Feb. 27-28.

Whittaker, a senior out of Elkhorn South High School, fired a career-best three-round score of 211 that included a career-best-tying 69 (-3) in the final round on Tuesday at the Westbrook Village Golf Club. Her five-under-par three-round total on the 6,230-yard layout of the Vistas Course was four strokes better than her previous career best.

Whittaker tied for seventh individually in the 81-player field at Westbrook, and she was the top-10 finisher from the Big Ten Conference. The 14-team tournament field, which was loaded with 12 top-100 teams including six in the top 60 nationally, included the hosts from Wisconsin, Ohio State, Minnesota and Iowa from the Big Ten.

A key contributor to Nebraska's NCAA Regional appearance and Big Ten runner-up finish in 2021, Whittaker carries NU's No. 2 individual stroke average this season at 74.06 over 18 rounds. She owns four top-25 individual finishes in six tournaments this season, including a pair of top-10 performances. She also went a perfect 3-0 at the Big Ten Match Play in Florida to open the spring season (Jan. 31-Feb. 1).

Remarkably, Whittaker becomes the fifth Nebraska women's golfer this season to earn the conference weekly award. Nicole Hansen and Lindsey Thiele shared the honor Sept. 22 after bringing home medalist honors from the Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invitational. Michaela Vavrova brought home the honor Oct. 6, after claiming her first career collegiate title at The Stampede at the Creek. Kirsten Baete bagged Nebraska's final award of the fall season on Oct. 27, after winning the individual title at the White Sands Intercollegiate in the Bahamas (Oct. 22-24).

Whittaker and the Huskers will be back in action at the Briar's Creek Invitational hosted by the College of Charleston in John's Island, S.C., March 14-15.

2021-22 Nebraska Big Ten Women's Golfers of the Week
Sept. 22: Nicole Hansen, Jr., Nebraska
                Lindsey Thiele, So., Nebraska
Oct. 6: Michaela Vavrova, So., Nebraska
Oct. 27: Kirsten Baete, RSr., Nebraska
March 2: Megan Whittaker, Sr., Nebraska

Four Baseball Games Televised on Nebraska Public Media

Four Nebraska baseball games have been selected by Nebraska Public Media, formerly known as NET, for statewide broadcasts during the 2022 season.
 
Nebraska Public Media's slate includes home games on Saturday, March 26 vs. Michigan, Wednesday, April 27 vs. Omaha and Saturday, April 30 vs. Iowa. Nebraska's road game at Creighton on Tuesday, March 29 will also be aired on Nebraska Public Media.
 
2022 NEBRASKA BASEBALL BROADCAST SCHEDULE
Through March 2, 2022

NU Falls Short to Wildcats

Lincoln, Neb. - The Nebraska women's tennis team (5-4, 0-0 Big Ten) dropped its matchup against the Kansas State Wildcats (5-3, 0-0 Big 12) 4-1 Wednesday evening at the Dillon Tennis Center. 

The Huskers started off strong in doubles competition, with the No. 1 team of Kristina Novak and Maja Makoric securing the 6-1 win over K-State's Florentine Dekkers and Ioana Gheorghita. Falling short on court two was Ellie Kuckelman and Samantha Alicea to Karine-Marion Job and Maria Linares, 4-6. In the No. 3 spot, Isabel Adrover Gallego and Chloe Kuckelman rounded out doubles play as they battled Wildcats' Dinara Alloyarova and Anna Turco, 3-6. 
 
To start off singles play, Novak fought hard in a three-set battle to Job at No. 1, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2. At No. 3, Chloe swept Maffei in two straight sets, 6-1, 6-2. Alicea dropped her match at No. 5, 2-6, 2-6. Adrover Gallego fell short in the No. 2 spot, 1-6, 0-6 to Kansas State's Linares. Freshman Jillian Roa battled at the No. 6 spot, in a two-set match to Anna Turco, resulting in an unfinished match. The No. 4 spot also resulted in an unfinished match as Makoric battled Dekkers, 7-6 (4), 5-7. 

Up next, the Huskers will stay home and face the Minnesota Gophers on Saturday, March 5 at 11 a.m. CT.

Doubles Competition: 
1. Kristina Novak/Maja Makoric (NEB) def. Florentine Dekkers/Ioana Gheorghita (KSU) 6-1
2. Karine-Marion Job/Maria Linares (KSU) def. Ellie Kuckelman/Samantha Alicea (NEB) 6-4
3. Dinara Alloyarova/Anna Turco (KSU) def. Chloe Kuckelman/Isabel A. Gallego (NEB) 6-3

Singles Competition:
1. Karine-Marion Job (KSU) def. Kristina Novak (NEB) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
2. Maria Linares (KSU) def. Isabel Adrover Gallego (NEB) 6-1, 6-0
3. Chloe Kuckelman (NEB) def. Rosanna Maffei (KSU) 6-1, 6-2
4. Maja Makoric (NEB) vs. Florentine Dekkers (KSU) 7-6 (7-4), 5-7, unfinished
5. Ioana Gheorghita (KSU) def. Samantha Alicea (NEB) 6-2, 6-2
6. Jillian Roa (NEB) vs. Anna Turco (KSU) 6-4, 3-5, unfinished

Match Notes: Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (2,3,5,1)

Huskers Set for Home Opening Weekend

• In the game against Northern Colorado, Olivia Ferrell made her 100th appearance in the circle. 
• Peyton Glatter has averaged 0.45 doubles per game, ranking No. 3 in the Big Ten Conference. 
• Billie Andrews ranks first in the Big Ten and sixth in the NCAA with seven home runs through 13 games. 
• Sydney Gray ranks second in the Big Ten with six home runs. 
• Notching 19 RBIs, Sydney Gray leads the conference and ranks 14th in the nation. 
• Leading NU, Billie Andrews has totaled four stolen bases this season. 
• Billie Andrews and Sydney Gray have both slugged two home runs in one game twice this season. 
• Against New Mexico State, Camyl Armendariz smashed her first career hit, a home run to help the Huskers to a 14-4 win. 
• Brooke Andrews made her first career start in center field at the Troy Cox Classic.
• Behind the plate, Ava Bredwell made her first career start at the Troy Cox Classic. 
• Mya Felder slugged her 20th career home run in the game against New Mexico State. 
• The Huskers are 5-0 when scoring in the first inning. 
• Abbie Squier notched her first two career home runs at the UNI Dome Tournament.

Huskers in the Ranks 

• The Huskers are currently ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten Conference with a .316 batting average. 
• Averaging 1.62 home runs per game, The Big Red ranks No. 1 in the Big Ten Conference. 
• NU is ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten Conference in runs per game, averaging 6.0. 
• Nebraska holds a .423 on base percentage which ranks No. 1 in the Big Ten Conference.
• NU has dominated in slugging percentage with a .571, ranking No. 1 in the Big Ten and No. 16 nationally. 
• The Huskers have tallied 57 walks through 10 games, a number that ranks first in the Big Ten and 24th nationally. 
• As a team, the Big averages 0.46 doubles per game, an average that ranks second in the Big Ten Conference. 
• The Huskers have tallied 18 doubles through 13 games which ranks third in the Big Ten Conference behind Illinois and Michigan who both have hit 24. 

Huskers Open Spring Stroke Play in Arizona

Scottsdale, Ariz. -- The Nebraska men's golf team begins stroke play for its 2022 spring season by heading to Scottsdale, Ariz., for the Desert Mountain Intercollegiate, March 5-6.

Nebraska's five-player lineup will be part of a solid 15-team field to golf on the par-71, 7,107 yard course at Desert Mountain Golf Course. The host of the tournament, Michigan, is the only other Big Ten opponent joining Nebraska. The two-day, 54-hole event is set to tee off with a shotgun start on Saturday and will conclude with the final round on Sunday. Live scoring will be provided by GolfStat.com.

Joining Nebraska and Michigan will be Coastal Carolina, Mississippi State, Santa Clara, UAB, Louisiana Monroe, Arkansas Little Rock, Lipscomb, South Dakota State, Arkansas State, Southern Illinois, UTEP, Grand Canyon and Northern Illinois.

Nebraska's lineup will be led by junior Will Marshall, who produced his career-best tournament score (212) and career-best round (70) at the 2021 Quail Valley Collegiate, the last tournament of the fall campaign. Senior Branden Meyer will play out of the No. 2 position at Desert Mountain, while fellow senior Tom Westenberger will take the third spot. Westenberger (Wuppertal, Germany) was the only NU golfer to make an appearance in every lineup during the fall. He owns the lowest career-best tournament score on the roster, as he fired a 211 at Quail Valley in the fall. Seniors Caleb Badura (Aurora, Neb.) and Mark Foelbaek (Jelling, Denmark) will round out Nebraska's weekend lineup.

In the fall, the Huskers broke the school record, posting the lowest fall season stroke average in school history with a 290.67. Moving into the spring, NU hopes to build on the improvement and success under first year coach, Brett Balak.

Desert Mountain Intercollegiate
March 5-6, 2022
Scottsdale, Ariz. (Host: Michigan)
Desert Mountain GC, Outlaw Course (Par 72, 7,107 Yards)

Live Scoring: GolfStat.com

Participating Teams (15)
Michigan
Coastal Carolina
Mississippi State
Santa Clara
UAB
Louisiana Monroe
Arkansas Little Rock
Lipscomb
South Dakota State
Arkansas State
Southern Illinois
UTEP
Grand Canyon
Northern Illinois
Nebraska

Nebraska Lineup
1. Will Marshall
2. Branden Meyer
3. Tom Westenberger
4. Caleb Badura
5. Mark Foelbaek

Huskers Head to Florida for Five Matches

After a 2-0 start to the beach volleyball season last week, the Huskers will head to Jacksonville, Florida this weekend for the North Florida Invitational at Cooper Beach Volleyball Complex.

The Huskers will play three matches on Friday and two on Saturday before returning home. On Friday at 9 a.m. (CT), Nebraska will begin play against No. 17 Florida International. The Huskers will follow with matches against Coastal Carolina at 1 p.m. and North Florida at 3 p.m. On Saturday, the Huskers play Jacksonville at 7 a.m. and Mercer at 11 a.m. 

Upon returning home, the Huskers will have a quick turnaround before their next matches. Nebraska will play Oklahoma Wesleyan at Noon on Monday at the Hawks Championship Center. NU will then host Ottawa (Kan.) on Tuesday at Noon in the final home match of the spring. 

Nebraska beat Wayne State (5-0) and Park (4-1) last week at the Hawks Championship Center. Bekka Allick/Lexi Rodriguez, Keonilei Akana/Ally Batenhorst, Nicklin Hames/Lindsay Krause and Whitney Lauenstein/Kennedi Orr all went 2-0 as pairs. Kenzie Knuckles and Madi Kubik played in one match and won 21-5, 21-18. 

Huskers Host Masters Classic