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NU notes: Huskers Face No. 12 Purdue

The No. 3 Nebraska volleyball team is back on the road for its next three matches, beginning with a 7 p.m. (CT) showdown at No. 12 Purdue on Wednesday.

Tuesday, October 18th 2022, 9:20 PM MDT

By NU Athletic Communications

MATCH PREVIEW
• The No. 3 Nebraska volleyball team is back on the road for its next three matches, beginning with a 7 p.m. (CT) showdown at No. 12 Purdue on Wednesday. The Huskers and Boilermakers will meet in Holloway Gymnasium for a nationally televised Big Ten Network broadcast, with online streaming available at FoxSports.com.
• Nebraska (16-1, 8-0 Big Ten) is riding a nine-match win streak and is the only Big Ten team without a conference loss after eight matches played. The Huskers swept No. 14 Penn State and Northwestern at home over the weekend. The Huskers' last four wins have all been sweeps. Nebraska's 16-1 start to the season is its best since 2016, when the Big Red went 26-1 before a Nov. 23 loss at Minnesota.
• The Huskers Radio Network will broadcast all the action on their radio affiliates, including 107.3 FM in Lincoln and AM 590 in Omaha. A live audio stream will be provided at Huskers.com and the Huskers app. John Baylor is in his 29th season doing play-by-play for the Husker volleyball program. Lauren (Cook) West, a former All-America setter for the Huskers, will provide color commentary.

NOTING THE HUSKERS
• Nebraska is hitting .252 as a team and is holding opponents to .116 hitting, which leads the nation. The Huskers rank fifth nationally at 2.84 blocks per set.
• In Big Ten matches only, Nebraska ranks first in opponent hitting percentage (.103), first in opponent kills (10.41 per set), first in opponent service aces (0.37), third in blocks (3.04) and third in service aces (1.59).
• Nebraska opened the season in a 5-1 system but has been in a 6-2 system since Sept. 1 against Loyola Marymount. Three setters have all been involved for the Huskers this season: Kennedi Orr (5.54 assists per set), Anni Evans (4.80 assists per set) and Nicklin Hames (4.88 assists per set). In 23 sets played as a setter, however, Hames leads the Big Red with 6.74 assists per set. She returned to the Husker lineup on Oct. 14 against Penn State after a one-month absence with an injury.
• Hames, who is in her fifth season at NU, has 4,794 career assists and with 31 more will break the Nebraska career record for assists. Fiona Nepo (1995-98) currently holds that distinction with 4,824. Hames ranks fifth among active NCAA Division I setters in career assists.
• Outside hitter Madi Kubik is averaging a team-high 3.33 kills per set and adds 2.26 digs per set. Kubik surpassed 1,000 career kills on Sept. 10 against Long Beach State, becoming the 24th Husker all-time to reach that mark.
• Outside hitter Whitney Lauenstein is averaging 3.09 kills per set and has a team-high 17 service aces. Lauenstein had a career-high 25 kills on .385 hitting in a win at No. 17 Creighton on Sept. 7. It was the most kills by a Husker in a match since Mikaela Foecke had 27 kills in the NCAA Championship match against Stanford in 2018.
• Middle blocker Kaitlyn Hord is averaging 1.44 kills and a .328 hitting percentage to go with 1.61 blocks per set, which ranks third nationally. Hord ranks among the NCAA active career leaders in three categories. Entering the week, the Penn State grad transfer ranks No. 2 among active NCAA Division I players in career blocks (614), No. 3 in blocks per set (1.35) and is No. 4 in career hitting percentage (.402).
• Sophomore libero Lexi Rodriguez is averaging a team-best 4.30 digs per set and has 65 set assists and 13 service aces on the season. Rodriguez is the reigning AVCA National Freshman of the Year and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. She was named the Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 10 after averaging 6.00 digs per set in sweeps at Michigan State and Michigan, including a season-high 25 digs in the three-set win over the Wolverines.
• Senior defensive specialist Kenzie Knuckles averages 1.86 digs and has 11 kills, 12 aces and nine set assists. Knuckles and Rodriguez are part of a dynamic Husker back row that has helped the Huskers lead the Big Ten in digs at 15.23 per set.
• Sophomore Lindsay Krause averages 2.04 kills per set for the Big Red, third-most on the team.
• Freshman middle blocker Bekka Allick is putting up 1.90 kills per set on .345 hitting with 1.10 blocks per set. Allick was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Monday after averaging 2.50 kills and 1.33 blocks per set in sweeps of No. 14 Penn State and Northwestern. She also had a .481 attacking percentage with 15 kills on 27 swings with just two errors. Allick has been on a tear over the last four matches, averaging 2.46 kills per set on .538 hitting.

SCOUTING PURDUE
• No. 12 Purdue is 15-3 overall and 6-2 in Big Ten play. The Boilermakers won 14 of their first 15 matches but have dropped two of their last three, including a 3-0 loss to Maryland on Sunday at home.
• Freshman Eva Hudson leads Purdue with 4.68 kills per set on .285 hitting. She also adds 2.03 digs per set and has served 18 aces. Hudson has been named Big Ten Freshman of the Week five times already this season and has been Big Ten Player of the Week twice.
• Libero Maddie Schermerhorn averages 4.37 digs per set, which leads the Big Ten.

SERIES HISTORY
• Nebraska is 21-8 against Purdue and has won the last two meetings overall and nine of the last 10. The last time Purdue beat NU was 3-2 on Oct. 26, 2019, in West Lafayette. Nebraska is 5-3 in matches played at Purdue since joining the Big Ten in 2011.

HUSKERS RANKED NO. 3 IN AVCA POLL
• Nebraska is ranked No. 3 in the AVCA Coaches Poll this week.
• The Huskers were ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll, the first time since 2016 the Huskers started a year atop the poll. Nebraska has been ranked No. 1 in 101 all-time polls, the most in NCAA history.
• The Huskers have been ranked in the top 10 a total of 524 times, which is also the most in NCAA history.
• Nebraska has appeared in all 580 AVCA Coaches Polls it has been eligible for since it was established in 1982. Nebraska is the only program to be ranked in every eligible poll all-time.

KNUCKLES, KUBIK, RODRIGUEZ NAMED TEAM CAPTAINS
• The three team captains for the Nebraska volleyball program in 2022 are senior defensive specialist Kenzie Knuckles, outside hitter Madi Kubik and sophomore libero Lexi Rodriguez.
• After two years as NU's libero, Knuckles moved into a defensive specialist role last season and was named a team captain for the first time. She averaged 2.06 digs with 0.29 aces per set. Knuckles finished with a double-digit dig performance seven times and ranked 10th in Big Ten play for aces per set (0.31). Knuckles also contributed 52 kills as an attacker out of the back row.
• Kubik was an AVCA third-team All-American in 2021, and she received first-team AVCA North All-Region and first-team All-Big Ten honors. She averaged a team-leading 3.49 kills per set to go with 2.11 digs while adding 21 aces and 55 blocks. Kubik ranked third in Big Ten play in kills per set with 4.11.
• Rodriguez was recognized as the National Freshman of the Year, a first-team AVCA All-American, North Region Freshman of the Year and first-team North All-Region by the AVCA in 2021. She was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and was a first-team All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection.

AVCA HALL OF FAMER JOHN COOK IN 23RD SEASON AT NEBRASKA
• Nebraska head coach John Cook is in his 23rd season as the Nebraska volleyball head coach in 2022. He has led the Huskers to four national championships, 10 final fours, 12 conference championships and 20 top-10 final rankings since 2000.
• Cook has 807 career wins and is one of the all-time winningest coaches in NCAA history. Since taking over the program in 2000, Cook has led the Huskers to a nation-leading .874 win percentage (646-93).
• Under Cook, the Huskers have achieved 57 AVCA All-Americans and 19 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, both among the best in the nation. He is a two-time AVCA National Coach of the Year, earning the prestigious honor in 2000 and 2005, and a seven-time conference coach of the year, including Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2016 and 2017, his first and second Big Ten honors with the Huskers in their Big Ten era (2011-present).
• Cook is one of only three active coaches - and one of six all-time - to be a two-time AVCA National Coach of the Year and was honored in 2008 by USA Volleyball, receiving its All-Time Great Coach Award.
• Cook was inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame in 2017, joining former Husker volleyball coach Terry Pettit in the hall.

REYES STEPS INTO LEAD ASSISTANT ROLE
• Last December, assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Jaylen Reyes moved into the Huskers' lead assistant role following the departure of associate head coach Tyler Hildebrand, who was named the new head women's volleyball coach at Long Beach State.
• Reyes joined the Husker staff in March 2018. As the Huskers' recruiting coordinator, he has helped NU land the nation's No. 1 recruiting class for 2021 and the No. 2 class for 2022, according to PrepVolleyball.com.
• Reyes coaches the Husker liberos and defense while helping coordinate game plans and scouting reports and assisting with other positions.
• In 2021, Nebraska boasted an elite defense and held opposing teams to just .148 hitting for the year. A former libero at BYU, Reyes led Nebraska's back row defense to unprecedented heights in the 2021 season. Led by AVCA first-team All-American and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Lexi Rodriguez, the Husker defense propelled the young squad all the way to the NCAA Championship match. Rodriguez set a Nebraska freshman record for digs in a season (524), and as a team the Huskers averaged 16.98 digs per set, the third-highest total in school history.

HUNTER EARNS FULL-TIME ASSISTANT POSITION AT ALMA MATER
• Last December, volunteer assistant coach Kelly Hunter was promoted to a full-time assistant role for the Huskers beginning in 2022.
• Following her professional playing career overseas, Hunter joined the Husker staff two years ago. She has served in multiple roles as a volunteer assistant (2020-21), interim assistant coach (January-August 2020) and graduate assistant (2019). She fulfilled her stint as an interim assistant coach in 2020 while former associate head coach Tyler Hildebrand prepared for the 2020 Olympic Games prior to his arrival in Lincoln.
• Hunter set the Huskers to national championships in 2015 and 2017 and was a two-time All-American. She was also the 2017 Big Ten Setter of the Year and a two-time All-Big Ten selection. The three-year Husker captain received numerous honors from volleyball publications, including National Player of the Year and All-America first-team honors from PrepVolleyball.com. Hunter was also named co-Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Championship with teammate Mikaela Foecke after the Huskers beat Florida in the national title match in 2017.

CLOSING IN ON 300 CONSECUTIVE REGULAR-SEASON SELLOUTS
• All season and single-game tickets for the 2022 Nebraska volleyball season have been sold. The Huskers entered the season with 286 consecutive regular-season sellouts and - barring any cancellations - will celebrate their 300th consecutive regular-season sellout on Nov. 11 against Iowa.
• Nebraska's sellout streak is an NCAA women's record. The Huskers have led the nation in attendance every season since moving into the Bob Devaney Sports Center in 2013.
• Nebraska set a new school record for attendance - 8,632 - against No. 2 Stanford on Sept. 18, 2019.
• A new NCAA attendance record was set at the 2021 NCAA Championship with 18,755 fans turning out to watch Wisconsin and Nebraska battle for the national title at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio last December.
• Eight of the top nine crowds in NCAA Volleyball history are all matches that have involved the Huskers.
• When Nebraska played at Creighton on Sept. 7 at the CHI Health Center, a regular-season NCAA record crowd of 15,797 turned out to watch the Huskers defeat the Bluejays, 3-2. It shattered the previous regular-season record of 14,022 (set by Nebraska and Creighton in 2018). The record lasted nine days, however, as Wisconsin and Florida drew a crowd of 16,833 to the Kohl Center on Sept. 16.
• Of the 14 largest NCAA volleyball regular-season crowds, 13 have been matches Nebraska played in.

OMAHA TO HOST NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP FOR THIRD TIME IN EIGHT YEARS
• The NCAA Championship returns to Omaha in 2022 for the third time in the last eight years and the fifth time overall. The University of Nebraska and the Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority (MECA) will host the NCAA Championship at the CHI Health Center on Dec. 15-17.
• Omaha has served as the most frequent host of the NCAA Championship in the 41-year history of the tournament. Omaha has hosted the event four times: 2006, 2008, 2015 and 2020.
• Omaha hosted the entire 48-team NCAA Tournament in April 2021 after the 2020 season was delayed until the spring because of COVID-19. Kentucky beat Texas, 3-1, to win its first NCAA title that season.
• The Huskers won NCAA titles in Omaha in both 2006 (vs. Stanford) and 2015 (vs. Texas), and the Big Red reached the final four in 2008 before losing a five-set thriller to Penn State in the semifinals.
• Four of the top 11 crowds in NCAA history have occurred at the NCAA Semifinals and Finals played at the CHI Health Center in Omaha.
• Future NCAA Volleyball Championship sites include Tampa (2023), Louisville (2024) and Kansas City (2025).

HORD HEADLINES TALENTED GROUP OF NEW HUSKERS
• Nebraska has five new players on its roster this season: Penn State graduate transfer Kaitlyn Hord (Lexington, Ky.), freshman middle blocker Bekka Allick (Lincoln, Neb.), freshman defensive specialist Maisie Boesiger (Firth, Neb.), freshman outside hitter Hayden Kubik (West Des Moines, Iowa) and freshman middle blocker Maggie Mendelson (Ogden, Utah). The Huskers' signing class was the No. 2-ranked class by PrepVolleyball.
• The 6-4 Hord was named to the AVCA All-America Second Team and was a first-team All-Big Ten choice for the third straight season last year at Penn State. She averaged a career-best 2.92 kills per set while hitting .394. Hord recorded 1.40 blocks per set, which ranked third in the Big Ten and seventh nationally.

NINETEEN TV APPEARANCES FOR THE BIG RED IN 2022
• Nebraska plays on TV 19 times this season, including 14 national TV broadcasts.
• The Huskers appear on the Big Ten Network 12 times during the regular season, and Nebraska plays at Creighton on FS1 on Sept. 7 and at Kentucky on ESPNU on Sept. 18.
• In addition to the 14 national TV broadcasts, Nebraska Public Media is televising five matches: Tulsa (Aug. 26), Loyola Marymount (Sept. 1), Ohio State (Sept. 24), Northwestern (Oct. 16) and Iowa (Nov. 11).
• The 10 matches that are not on TV can be streamed with a B1G+ subscription. Every match throughout the season airs on the Huskers Radio Network and can be heard on Huskers.com and the Huskers app.

THREE HUSKERS NAMED TO PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN TEAM
• Three members of the Nebraska volleyball team were named to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team. Kaitlyn Hord, Madi Kubik and Lexi Rodriguez were all voted to the 15-player preseason team by the conference's head coaches. All three were All-Big Ten First Team selections last year. Kubik was the only player in the Big Ten unanimously chosen to the preseason all-conference team.
• Kubik was an AVCA third-team All-American in 2021, and she received first-team AVCA All-North Region and first-team All-Big Ten honors. She averaged a team-leading 3.49 kills per set to go with 2.11 digs while adding 21 aces and 55 blocks. Kubik ranked third in Big Ten play in kills per set with 4.11.
• Rodriguez was recognized as the AVCA National Freshman of the Year, a first-team All-American, North Region Freshman of the Year and first-team All-North Region in 2021. She was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and was a first-team All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection.
• Hord, a transfer from Penn State, was named to the AVCA All-America Second Team and was a first-team All-Big Ten choice for the third straight season last year. She averaged a career-best 2.92 kills per set while hitting .394. Hord recorded 1.40 blocks per set, which ranked third in the Big Ten and seventh nationally.
• The Huskers were picked second in the Big Ten preseason poll behind defending national champion Wisconsin. Minnesota was third, followed by Ohio State and Penn State.

MENDELSON, U.S. U19 TEAM WIN GOLD AT PAN AMERICAN CUP
• Nebraska freshman middle blocker Maggie Mendelson and the U.S. Girls' U19 National Team won the gold medal at the Pan American Cup in Tulsa, Okla., in late July. The U.S. team went 5-0 at the tournament without dropping a set.
• Mendelson, the team captain, had six kills, two blocks and two ace serves in the USA's 25-15, 25-14, 25-17 sweep of Brazil in the championship match.

ALLICK, RODRIGUEZ CLAIM GOLD AT PAN AMERICAN CUP
• The U.S. Women's U21 National Team - with Nebraska freshman middle blocker Bekka Allick and sophomore libero Lexi Rodriguez - defeated Argentina 3-1 (25-20, 21-25, 25-22, 25-14) in June to win the Pan American Cup at La Paz Arena in Baja California Sur.
• It is the second time the U.S. has won the title. The last time was in 2017. Both the U.S. Women (5-0) and Argentina (4-2) qualified for the 2023 FIVB U21 World Championship.
• Allick added 14 points on 12 kills and two blocks. Rodriguez, the libero and team captain, was credited with 24 digs and 12 excellent receptions.

Shelley Named Meyers Drysdale Candidate

Nebraska guard Jaz Shelley was honored Tuesday as one of 20 candidates nationally on the 2023 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Watch List.

The Ann Meyers Drysdale Award, presented by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), honors the nation's top shooting guard in NCAA Division I women's basketball. It is named after the first player, male or female, selected to an All-America team in four straight college seasons (UCLA, 1975-78).

In her first season at Nebraska in 2021-22, Shelley made one of the greatest impacts of any Big Ten newcomer, earning second-team All-Big Ten honors and a spot on the Big Ten All-Defensive Team. One of the nation's top long-range shooters, Shelley set the Nebraska record and tied the Big Ten Tournament record by connecting on nine three-pointers in NU's second-round tournament win over Illinois in Indianapolis on March 3, 2022. She finished with a career-high 32 points against the Fighting Illini.

Over the final six games of 2021-22, Shelley averaged 19.5 points and 4.0 made threes per game.

For the season, Shelley hit 40.6 percent (82-202) of her three-pointers on her way to averaging a team-best 13.1 points per game. She also led the Big Red in assists (5.0 apg), steals (1.8 spg) and blocked shots (0.9 bpg), while adding 6.3 rebounds per game. Shelley helped the Huskers to a 24-9 overall record that included a trip to the 2022 NCAA Tournament after advancing to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals.

Along the way, the 5-9 guard from Moe, Australia notched six double-doubles, including just the fourth triple-double in Nebraska history with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a win over North Carolina Central on Nov. 21, 2021.

The only college player on the Australian National Team at the FIBA Asia Cup in the summer of 2021, Shelley also earned a bronze medal with the Opals before beginning her third season of basketball in the United States. She spent her first two seasons as a reserve at Oregon.

The Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Watch List is loaded with Big Ten shooting guards, which creates the possibility of Shelley going head-to-head to against other candidates in as many as seven games during the 2022-23 regular season. Other shooting guard watch list candidates on Nebraska's schedule include Leigha Brown (Michigan, Dec. 28, Lincoln; Feb. 12, Ann Arbor), Diamond Miller (Maryland, Dec. 4, College Park; Jan. 22, Lincoln), Sara Scalia (Jan. 1, Indiana, Bloomington) and Taylor Mikesell (Ohio State, Jan. 24, Lincoln). Shelley's first match-up against another Meyers Drysdale Award candidate comes against Virginia Tech's Ashley Owusu in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge in Blacksburg on Dec. 1. Owusu was the 2021 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award winner as a guard at Maryland.

Season, single-game and Starting Five Pack tickets are all available now for Nebraska women's basketball through the Athletic Ticket Office at Huskers.com or by calling 1-800-8-BIG-RED.

A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award.

Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies, in each of the three rounds starting Friday, Oct. 21. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2023 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award will be narrowed to 10, and in late February a final list of five candidates will be selected. In March, the five finalists will be presented to Meyers Drysdale and the Hall of Fame selection committee with a winner being selected.

The winner of the 2023 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award will be presented on a date yet to be determined, along with the other four members of the Women's Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Nancy Lieberman Award (Point Guard), Cheryl Miller Award (Small Forward), Katrina McClain Award (Power Forward) and the Lisa Leslie Award (Center).

Previous winners of the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award are Christyn Williams (UConn, 2022), Ashley Owusu (Maryland, 2021), Aari McDonald (Arizona, 2020), Asia Durr (Louisville, 2019) and Victoria Vivians (Mississippi State, 2018).

For more information on the 2023 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award, visit hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophall and #MeyersAward on Twitter and Instagram.

2023 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Watch List
Ja'Mee Asberry (Baylor)
Leigha Brown (Michigan)
Jakia Brown-Turner (NC State)
Zia Cooke (South Carolina)
Azzi Fudd (UConn)
Jordan Horston (Tennessee)
Charlisse Leger-Walker (Washington State)
Jade Loville (Arizona)
Taylor Mikesell (Ohio State)
Diamond Miller (Maryland)
Sonya Morris (Texas)
Charisma Osborne (UCLA)
Ashley Owusu (Virginia Tech)
Taylor Robertson (Oklahoma)
Sara Scalia (Indiana)
Jaz Shelley (Nebraska)
Cameron Swartz (Georgia Tech)
Celeste Taylor (Duke)
Elena Tsineke (South Florida)
Hailey Van Lith (Louisville)

Huskers Look To #24 Penn State, Wisconsin

#25 Penn State at Nebraska
Thursday, Oct. 20 • 7:05 p.m. (CT)
Hibner Stadium
Lincoln, Neb.

» Long Sleeve T-Shirt Giveaway
» Video Stream: Big Ten Plus
» Live Stats: huskers.com
» Twitter Updates: @NebraskaSoccer

Nebraska at Wisconsin
Sunday, Oct. 23 • 1 p.m. (CT)
McClimon Soccer Complex
Madison, Wisc.

» Video Stream: Big Ten Plus
» Live Stats: uwbadgers.com
» Twitter Updates: @NebraskaSoccer

The Nebraska soccer team (6-5-5, 4-2-2 Big Ten) aims to regain momentum as it wraps up regular season play at home against Penn State and at Wisconsin.

The Huskers host the Nittany Lions (10-3-2, 5-2-1 Big Ten) on Thursday, starting at 7:05 p.m. (CT) and battle the Badgers (10-4-2, 5-3-0 Big Ten) on Sunday, starting at 1 p.m. (CT), at McClimon Soccer Complex in Madison, Wisc.

Both matches will be streamed live on Big Ten Plus (subscription required to watch).

Next Up
After this week's conference matches, Nebraska will await the announcement of its seed for the 2022 Big Ten Women's Soccer Tournament starting on Thursday, Oct. 30.

Quick Notes
• Weber, a preseason player to watch, continues to lead the conference standings in shots with 67 through 16 games of play. Junior Eleanor Dale follows closely behind in third place with 54 shots in 15 games this season.
• Weber also leads the Huskers on the offensive side as she has tallied a team-high eight goals on the season, good for second in the Big Ten standings.
• Nebraska has held strong on defense recording four shutouts on the year. Junior goalkeeper Hauk has nine career wins and now ranks eighth in saves per game and seventh in shutouts in the conference standings.
• NU enters the week in seventh in the conference standings with 14 points (three points for a win, one point for a tie).
• Three of NU's six freshman have seen the pitch so far this year. The Huskers started Lauryn Anglim and Sadie Waite against Iowa on Sunday.
• Nebraska is ranked 69th in this week's RPI, released by the NCAA on Monday.
• Nebraska's devoted fan base has continued its strong attendance numbers at Hibner Stadium this season. In 11 games this season, NU welcomed 9,463 fans, an average of 860 per contest. This average ranks 16th nationally and is second in the Big Ten, as Michigan State ranks sixth nationally with 1,670 fans per game.
• Head Coach John Walker is in his 29th season, alongside assistant coaches Ian Bridge (seventh season), Marty Everding (25th season) and Samantha Areman (second season).

Huskers Celebrating 29th Season in 2022
• The Nebraska soccer program is in its 29th year since the inaugural campaign in 1994. Head Coach John Walker has been at the helm of the team since its inception, guiding the Huskers to more than 340 all-time victories.
• Nebraska has made 12 NCAA Tournament appearances in its first 27 seasons, including two trips to the Elite Eight and eight Sweet 16 berths.
• The Huskers have captured four conference regular-season titles and six conference tournament crowns. As a member of the Big 12, NU won the regular-season championship in 1996, 1999 and 2000, while winning the tournament title in 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2002. Nebraska joined the Big Ten in 2011 and two seasons later, swept the regular-season and tournament crowns.

Scouting the Penn State Nittany Lions
• Penn State is 10-3-2 overall with a 5-2-1 record in Big Ten play. The Nittany Lions are coming off a pair of 3-0 wins against both Wisconsin and Michigan last week.
• Penn State leads the all-time series, 6-2-2, dating back to the first meeting between the schools in 2011. Most recently, PSU defeated the Huskers in 2021 in Lincoln, 3-0.
• Head Coach Erica Dambach is 253-87-24 in her 16th season at Penn State. Dambach is assisted by Ann Cook, Tim Wassell and Kelly Lawrence.
• Players to Watch

#34 Ally Schlegel (Redshirt Senior F): Leads the team in goals (seven) and points (16)
#18 Penelope Hocking (Senior F): Second on the team in goals (five), while added four assists this season
#26 Katherine Asman (Redshirt Senior GK): Has earned seven shutouts this season, while recording 51 saves

Scouting the Wisconsin Badgers
• Wisconsin is 10-4-2 this season with a 5-3-0 record in Big Ten play. The Badgers face Illinois on Thursday night before their matchup against Nebraska on Sunday.
• NU leads the all-time series between the two teams, 6-5-3, dating back to 1994. Most recently, the Huskers defeated the Badgers last season at home, 1-0.
• Head Coach Paula Wilkins is 178-94-48 in her 16th season at Wisconsin. She is assisted by Tim Rosenfeld, Becca Harrison and Jon Gulrajani.
• Players to Watch

#2 Emma Jaskaniec (Senior MF): Team-high in goals (10) and points (24)
#19 Aryssa Mahrt (Junior MF): Tallied four goals, four assists and 12 points on the season
#31 Erin McKinney (Graduate GK): Has recorded six shutouts and 72 saves this season