Nebraska Interim Head Coach Mickey Joseph met with members of the media following Thursday's practice. Joseph opened by speaking on the high-energy practice.
 
"A lot of energy at practice today," Joseph said. "I thought the team came and prepared today. They were well-prepared today by the coaches and they came out and executed well in practice. I was very pleased with what I saw today."
 
Joseph talked about the offensive boost quarterback Casey Thompson's return will provide.
 
"It gives you a lot of confidence right now with the offensive guys that (Thompson) is back," he said. "Now we can push the ball down the field if we need to, and he is also going to make sure we get it in the right place. He is going to be able to line the running back up. He is the starting quarterback. We are getting him back."
 
He discussed the strengths of Wisconsin's defense.
 
"I think they are a solid defense," Joseph said. "I think they are a top 20 defense in some categories, but they are a team that does not make mistakes. I think they are really good inside with their interior guys, and I think (Nick Herbig) is a really good pass rusher and a good football player. I think they have a solid defense. We have to execute to move the ball on these people."
 
Joseph added what is needed to come out on top on Saturday.
 
"I do not think it is any magic," he said. "It is about them coming out and playing 60 minutes, and that is what we ask them to do. We talked about it this morning that we have to put a 60 minute game together in all three phases and let's try to do that. I think if we do that we are going to be able to get in there and compete, and it will help us to win the game but we have to put 60 minutes in all three phases."
 
The Huskers will kick off against Wisconsin at 11 a.m. (CT) at Memorial Stadium. The game is set to be televised on ESPN, with radio coverage provided by Huskers Radio Network.

Huskers Close Big Ten Road Slate at Iowa on Friday

MATCH PREVIEW
• The Nebraska volleyball team heads into the final two weeks of the regular season with another Friday-Sunday pair of matches. The sixth-ranked Huskers will play at Iowa on Friday at 6 p.m. before hosting No. 19 Purdue on Sunday at Noon. 
• Friday's match at Iowa will be streamed on B1G+ (subscription required). 
• Sunday's match vs. Purdue will be televised on BTN and streamed on FoxSports.com. 
• 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
• With two weeks left in the regular season, the Huskers are in third place in the Big Ten standings at 14-2, behind Wisconsin and Ohio State at 15-1. 
• Nebraska is hitting .249 as a team and is holding opponents to .125 hitting, which leads the nation. The Huskers rank 10th nationally at 2.76 blocks per set. 
• In Big Ten matches only, Nebraska ranks first in opponent hitting percentage (.124), first in opponent kills allowed (10.96 per set) and first in opponent service aces allowed (0.65).
• Nebraska opened the season in a 5-1 system but has been in a 6-2 system since Sept. 1 against Loyola Marymount. Nicklin Hames (5.71 assists per set) and Anni Evans (4.35 assists per set) have run the 6-2 for the Huskers since Hames returned to the 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 4,975 career assists and broke Fiona Nepo's (1995-98) career assists school record on Oct. 22 at Illinois. Hames ranks sixth among active NCAA Division I setters in career assists. An exceptional defensive setter, Hames ranks second on the team in digs at 3.15 per set this season. 
• Outside hitter Madi Kubik is averaging a team-high 3.23 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 3.04 kills per set and has a team-high 24 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 1.38 kills and a .296 hitting percentage to go with 1.63 blocks per set, which leads the nation. Hord ranks No. 2 among active NCAA Division I players in career blocks with 659.
• Sophomore libero Lexi Rodriguez is averaging a team-best 4.15 digs per set. 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. 
• Freshman middle blocker Bekka Allick is putting up 2.03 kills per set on a team-high .346 hitting percentage with 1.01 blocks per set. Allick was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week in back-to-back weeks on Oct. 17 and Oct. 24. 

SCOUTING IOWA
• Iowa is 8-19 (2-14 Big Ten) and snapped a nine-match losing streak with a 3-0 win over Rutgers on Sunday. 
• Michelle Urquhart leads the Hawkeyes with 2.54 kills per set and adds 2.39 digs per set. 
• Amiya Jones contributes 2.51 kills per set and has served 36 aces. 
• Libero Mari Hinkle averages 4.10 digs per set. 
• The Hawkeyes rank 12th in the Big Ten with a .189 hitting percentage and are 13th in opponent hitting percentage at .233. 

SCOUTING PURDUE
• No. 19 Purdue is 18-8 overall and 9-7 in Big Ten play heading into its home finale against Michigan on Friday night. The Boilermakers started the year 14-1 but have gone 4-7 since Oct. 8. 
• Freshman Eva Hudson leads Purdue with 4.33 kills per set on .256 hitting. She also adds 1.92 digs per set and has served 29 aces. Hudson has been named Big Ten Freshman of the Week seven times already this season and has been Big Ten Player of the Week twice. 
• Libero Maddie Schermerhorn averages 4.58 digs per set, which leads the Big Ten.

SERIES HISTORY
• Nebraska is 36-0 all-time against Iowa, and the last five wins have been sweeps. The Huskers swept the Hawkeyes last Friday in Lincoln. Nebraska's defense had a strong showing, holding Iowa to just 17 kills in the match, tied for the fewest by a Husker opponent this season. The Hawkeyes finished with a -.070 hitting percentage, the lowest hitting percentage by a Husker opponent since 2013 and the best defensive effort by the Huskers in Big Ten play since joining the conference in 2011.
• Nebraska is 22-8 against Purdue and has won the last three meetings overall and 10 of the last 11. Nebraska posted a 3-0 win at Purdue on Oct. 19. The last time Purdue beat NU was 3-2 on Oct. 26, 2019, in West Lafayette. The Boilermakers last won in Lincoln on Oct. 19, 2013. 

HUSKERS RANKED NO. 6 IN AVCA POLL
• Nebraska is ranked No. 6 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 also held the No. 1 ranking the week of Oct. 24. 
• Nebraska has been ranked No. 1 in 102 all-time polls, the most in NCAA history. 
• The Huskers have been ranked in the top 10 a total of 528 times, which is also the most in NCAA history.
• Nebraska has appeared in all 584 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 813 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 .873 win percentage (652-95). 
• 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 classes for 2021 and 2023, 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.

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). 

HUSKERS REACH CONSECUTIVE SELLOUT MILESTONE
• Nebraska volleyball celebrated its 300th consecutive regular-season sellout on Nov. 11 against Iowa. 
• The sellout streak dates back to 2001 at the approximately 4,000-capacity NU Coliseum. Despite moving into the 7,907-seat Bob Devaney Sports Center in 2013, the sellout streak continued. 
• 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 volleyball fans have continued to set the bar for attendance throughout the years: 
• 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.
• 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, 2022 at the CHI Health Center, a then-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.

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.

Huskers Battle Bulldogs Saturday

#22/#22 Nebraska Cornhuskers (2-1)
at Drake Bulldogs (1-1)
Saturday, November 19, 2022, 2 p.m. (CT)
Knapp Center - Des Moines, Iowa
Live Video: ESPN+
Live Radio: Huskers Radio Network (1:45 p.m.)
Matt Coatney (PBP), Jeff Griesch (Analyst)
Lincoln (107.3 FM), Omaha (105.9 FM)
Huskers.com, Huskers App

Huskers Look to Bounce Back at Bulldogs 
The No. 22 Nebraska women's basketball team looks to rebound from its first loss of the season, when the Huskers travel to Des Moines to take on Drake Saturday afternoon. Tip-off between the Big Red (2-1) and the Bulldogs (1-1) at the Knapp Center is set for 2 p.m. (CT).

A live video stream of Nebraska's game with Drake will be available on ESPN+. Fans can listen to the call of Matt Coatney and Jeff Griesch on the Huskers Radio Network (107.3 FM in Lincoln and 105.9 FM in Omaha), the Huskers App and on Huskers.com.

Nebraska was ranked No. 22 in both the AP and USA Today/WBCA Top 25 preseason rankings and remained at No. 22 in the first regular season rankings this week. Drake is receiving votes in this week's AP Poll. 

The Huskers suffered their first setback in their first road game on Tuesday at No. 20 Creighton. The Bulldogs, who will play Creighton in Omaha on Dec. 10, suffered their first loss on Sunday with a 92-86 overtime setback to No. 4 Iowa at the Knapp Center.

Nebraska's lineup, which includes Naismith Trophy candidates Alexis Markowski and Jaz Shelley, features four returning starters averaging in double figures. Sophomore Allison Weidner leads the way with 14.7 points and 7.7 rebounds, while fellow sophomore Markowski has added 11.0 points and a team-leading 8.3 boards. Juniors Isabelle Bourne (11.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg) and Shelley (10.0 ppg, 7.3 apg) - both from Australia - complete the four returning starters for the Huskers.

Drake also features four returning starters to its lineup and all five current starters are averaging double figures through two games. Fifth-year senior Grace Berg leads the Bulldog starters with 19.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, while senior Maggie Bair has pitched in 15.0 points and 7.0 boards. Senior Sarah Beth Gueldner (11.0 ppg), the newcomer to the Drake starting five, and senior Megan Meyer (10.5 ppg) give the Bulldogs a load of experience. Sophomore Katie Dinnibier has added 15.0 points per game.

Naismith Trophy and Lisa Leslie Award candidate Alexis Markowski is coming off her first double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds at Creighton. Markowski was the 2022 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and a preseason first-team All-Big Ten selection for 2022-23.

Naismith Trophy and Ann Meyers Drysdale Award candidate Jaz Shelley continues to show her strong all-around game, averaging 10.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and team bests of 7.3 assists and 3.3 steals. The 5-9 guard from Moe, Australia led Nebraska with 14 points at Creighton.

Isabelle Bourne (Canberra, Australia) is a two-time honorable-mention All-Big Ten selection and a three-time Nebraska team captain.

#22/#22 Nebraska Cornhuskers (2-1, 0-0 Big Ten)
34 - Isabelle Bourne - 6-2 - Jr. - F - 11.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg
40 - Alexis Markowski - 6-3 - So. - C/F - 11.0 ppg, 8.3 rpg
1 - Jaz Shelley - 5-9 - Jr. - G - 10.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg
2 - Trinity Brady - 5-11 - So. - G - 3.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg
3 - Allison Weidner - 5-10 - So. - G - 14.7 ppg, 7.7 rpg
Off the Bench
21 - Annika Stewart - 6-3 - Fr. - F - 7.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg
42 - Maddie Krull - 5-9 - So. - G - 7.0 ppg, 0.7 rpg
32 - Kendall Coley - 6-2 - Fr. - F/G - 4.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg
15 - Kendall Moriarty - 6-1 - Fr. - G - 4.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg
14 - Callin Hake - 5-9 - Fr. - G - 4.0 ppg, 1.3 rpg
4 - Sam Haiby - 5-9 - Gr. - G - 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg
24 - Nailah Dillard - 5-10 - Gr. - G - 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg
44 - Maggie Mendelson - 6-5 - Fr. - F/C - 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg
Head Coach: Amy Williams (Nebraska, 1998)
Seventh Season at Nebraska (98-85); 16th Season Overall (291-194)

Drake Bulldogs (1-1, 0-0 Missouri Valley)
43 - Grace Berg - 6-0 - RSr. - F - 19.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg
42 - Maggie Bair - 6-3 - Sr. - F - 15.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg
10 - Katie Dinnebier - 5-8 - So. - G - 15.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg
11 - Megan Meyer - 5-8 - Sr. - G - 10.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg
34 - Sarah Beth Gueldner - 5-9 - Sr. - G - 11.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
Off the Bench
32 - Courtney Becker - 6-0 - Jr. - F - 4.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg
3 - Taylor McAulay - 5-11 - RJr. - G - 3.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg
14 - Anna Miller - 6-3 - So. - F - 3.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg
12 - Ashley Iiams - 6-1 - So. - F - 2.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg
30 - Taedyn Gray - 6-2 - Fr. - F - 0.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg
21 - Ava Hawthorne - 5-9 - Fr. - G - 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg
Head Coach: Allison Pohlman (Northern Iowa, 2000)
Second Season at Creighton (21-15); Second Season Overall (21-15)

Scouting the Drake Bulldogs
Second-year head coach Allison Pohlman brings Drake into Saturday's game with a 1-1 record that includes a solid 80-67 home win over Green Bay (Nov. 7) and a 92-86 overtime loss to No. 4 Iowa at the Knapp Center in Des Moines (Nov. 13). The Bulldogs are receiving votes in this week's AP Poll.

Pohlmann, who spent 14 years as an assistant coach at Drake before moving into the top spot with the departure of Jennie Baranczyk to Oklahoma prior to last season, led the Bulldogs to a 20-14 record a year ago. Drake notched two wins in the Postseason WNIT before falling to South Dakota State in Brookings. The Bulldogs went 9-9 in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Drake's 2021-22 season included an 89-68 loss at Nebraska on Dec. 19. The Huskers improved to 11-0 with win, getting 15 points and 10 rebounds off the bench from Alexis Markowski. Sam Haiby added 15 points, three rebounds and a team-high four assists. Allison Weidner added 10 points, five boards and three assists off the bench.

Former Iowa Hawkeye Megan Meyer led Drake with 16 points, while Maggie Bair added 14 points and four rebounds. Grace Berg contributed 11 points and six assists, while Anna Miller came off the bench with 10 points and five rebounds.

Drake returns four of its five starters from last season and all five of its starters this season enter the Nebraska game averaging double figures in scoring.

Berg, a 6-0 redshirt senior forward, leads the Bulldogs in scoring (19.0 ppg) while ranking second on the team in rebounding (8.0 rpg). She is also tied for the team lead with 3.5 assists and leads the team with 2.0 steals per contest. Berg had 18 points and nine rebounds in the loss to Iowa.

Bair, a 6-3 senior forward, has added 15.0 points and 7.0 rebounds in just 18 minutes per game through two contests. She had 13 points and six boards in just 19 minutes in the overtime loss to Iowa. Bair and Berg have combined to hit 24-of-43 (.558) shots from the field, including 5-of-10 (.500) threes, while going 15-for-21 (.714) at the line. 

Meyer (10.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.0 apg) and Katie Dinnebier (15.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 3.5 apg) return to Drake's starting backcourt. Dinnebier, a 5-8 sophomore, is the only non-senior in the Bulldog starting five. She led Drake with 24 points, four assists and two steals in the loss to Iowa.    Meyer, a 5-8 guard, was the only Bulldog to start all 34 games and led Drake with 72 three-pointers (.336) a year ago. She had 11 points and four rebounds in the loss to her former teammates on Sunday.

Sarah Beth Gueldner, a 5-9 senior guard, is the newcomer to the Drake starting lineup. Gueldner played in 31 games off the bench for the Bulldogs last year, averaging 4.0 points and 1.1 rebounds. Through two games as a starter this year, Gueldner is averaging 11.0 points and 2.0 rebounds. She leads Drake with six three-pointers (.462), including 4-of-8 shooting to finish with 12 points and four boards in the loss to Iowa.

Although Drake must compensate for the loss of starter Maddie Petersen (7.7 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 2.7 apg), the Bulldogs have an experienced reliable bench. 

Courtney Becker, a 6-0 junior forward, has averaged 4.0 points and 6.0 rebounds early this season after averaging 4.1 points and 4.5 rebounds while playing in all 34 games last season.

Anna Miller, a 6-3 sophomore forward, also played all 34 games for the Bulldogs last season, including a pair of starts. She averaged 7.9 points and 5.5 rebounds while leading Drake with 50 blocks on the season. She has managed 3.0 points and a team-best 9.0 rebounds this year, while ranking eighth nationally with 3.5 blocks per contest.

Taylor McAulay, a 5-11 redshirt junior guard, has contributed 3.5 points and 2.5 rebounds this season after missing all of last season to injury. She played four games as a true freshman and competed in 18 games in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season.

As a team, Drake is averaging 83 points per game, while shooting 46.2 percent from the field, including 33.3 percent from three-point range. The Bulldogs have also hit 70.7 percent of their free throws. They own a plus-7.5 rebound margin but a minus-6.5 turnover margin while committing 18 turnovers per game. Opponents have scored 79.5 points per game, while hitting 40.4 percent of their shots, including 30.2 percent of their threes. 
     
Nebraska vs. Drake Series History
Nebraska owns a 12-10 lead in the all-time series with Drake, including last season's 89-68 win in Lincoln (Dec. 19, 2021).

Drake owns a 7-6 edge against the Huskers in Lincoln, dating back to the first meeting between the teams on March 1, 1980, which the Bulldogs won 71-65. Drake also defeated NU 83-77 on Nov. 7, 2018, at Pinnacle Bank Arena, snapping Nebraska's 12-game win streak in home season openers.

The Big Red carry a 5-3 series lead at the Knapp Center, including an 89-84 double-overtime victory over the Bulldogs on Dec. 9, 2017.

Nebraska also owns a 64-63 win over Drake in the only neutral site meeting between the teams, which came on March 8, 1980. Although it was technically a neutral site game, it was also played in Des Moines.

Huskers Travel to Maryland for Navy Classic

Annapolis, Md. – For the second-straight weekend, the Nebraska wrestling team hits the road as it travels to Maryland on Saturday for the Navy Classic.
 
The tournament will begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday with preliminary rounds. Semifinals will begin at 1:30 p.m., and the finals are set for 3 p.m. All times are central and live scoring for each match will be available on FloArena. There will be no live stream.
 
The Huskers are one of 12 teams at the Navy Classic, as they are joined by Air Force, American, Bucknell, The Citadel, Davidson, Kent State, Lock Haven, Michigan State, Navy, Ohio and the Virginia Military Institute.
 
Last Time Out: The Nebraska wrestling team split a pair of duals in Pennsylvania at the Journeymen Wranglemania on Saturday, Nov. 12. NU defeated Army 25-9 before falling to #8 NC State 23-10. 

Up Next: The Huskers will return to action next month at the Cliff Keen Invite, Dec. 2-3 in Las Vegas.
 
Nebraska's Lineup
133 – #28 Boo Dryden (RSr.)
141 – #22 Brock Hardy (RSo.)
149 – Dayne Morton (Sr.)
157 – #4 Peyton Robb (Jr.)
165 – Antrell Taylor (Fr.)/Jagger Condomitti (RFr.)/Bubba Wilson (So.)
174 – #3 Mikey Labriola (Sr.)/Elise Brown Ton (RSo.)
184 – Nathan Haas (RSo.)/#29 Lenny Pinto (RFr.)
197 – #23 Silas Allred (RFr.)
285 – Cale Davidson (Sr.)/Harley Andrews (Fr.)
*Intermat rankings used

Huskers Send Group of Wrestlers to Kearney

• Also on Saturday, nine Huskers will be competing at the Younes Hospitality Open in Kearney, Neb. Those nine include Quinton Chavez (125), Hayden Mills (133), Ismael Ayoub (141), Cameron Graham (157), Nate Wemstrom (197), Blake Cushing (141), Nic Stoltenberg (157) and Austin Emerson (285).

Nebraska to Face Strong Dual Schedule

• Nebraska posted a 6-5 dual record in 2021-22, its 12th consecutive winning season and 33rd in the last 35 years. This winter, the Huskers will look to continue that streak and build off a fifth-place finish at the 2022 NCAA Championships.
• NU will face a challenging schedule that features nine of the top-25 team finishers from last year's NCAA Championships. The home schedule is highlighted by matchups against top-25 finishers Arizona State, Northwestern, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Rutgers. 
• Nebraska faces a grueling road schedule this season with a notable trip to the 2021 national champion Iowa. Other road duals for NU include matchups against Navy, South Dakota State, Purdue and Ohio State.
• As for tournament action, NU will travel to the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Collegiate Wrestling Invitational Dec. 2-3. The Big Ten Championships will take place March 4-5 in Ann Arbor, Mich., where the Huskers will look to improve on last season's seventh-place finish. The NCAA Championships are set from March 16-18 in Tulsa, Okla.

Labriola Looks to Earn Fifth All-America Award

• A 174-pound senior from Easton, Penn., Labriola returns looking to become the first-ever five-time All-American. Labriola is currently one of only three four-time All-Americans in the history of Nebraska wrestling. Last season, he finished fifth at the Big Ten Championships and his seventh-place finish at NCAAs cemented his All-American status.
• Labriola was second on the team last year with 23 wins, giving him a career record of 92-26. This season, he has the chance to be the 30th all-time member of the 100-win club and would join former teammate Taylor Venz. All but one of Labriola's losses last season were to wrestlers ranked in the top 10.

Roster notes

• Nebraska features a 34-wrestler roster as it begins official practice.
• About two-thirds of the Huskers' 2022-23 roster are underclassmen, as 24 of Nebraska's 34 wrestlers are either freshmen or sophomores.
• Included in Nebraska's roster are also five seniors and five juniors.
• 23 Huskers on this season's roster are returning letterwinners.
• This year's Huskers come from 17 states, and six are Nebraska natives.

Huskers Announce 2023 Softball Schedule

The Nebraska softball team is scheduled to play a 56-game schedule this spring, including a 23-game conference slate. 

The Huskers will face a difficult schedule as nearly half of their games will be against postseason teams from last season. Nebraska will face 15 teams who competed in the 2022 NCAA Tournament including six Super Regional squads and four Women's College World Series teams. 

The Huskers open their schedule in Houston, Texas, at the Houston Invitational Feb. 10-12. Nebraska will face Lamar, South Dakota State, Houston and Virginia over the weekend. 

The following weekend, Nebraska journeys to Clearwater, Florida, for the TaxAct Clearwater Invitational. The Huskers are set to play five games the weekend of Feb. 16-19. Nebraska will take on Oklahoma State, UCLA, Virginia Tech, Texas A&M and Arkansas. The tournament is presented by EvoShield and tickets will go on sale on Dec. 12. All games will either be streamed or televised on an ESPN network. More information will released at a later date. 

NU heads to Las Cruces, New Mexico, the next weekend (Feb. 24-26) for the Troy Cox Classic. The Huskers will face Oklahoma State, New Mexico State, CSU Bakersfield and New Mexico. 

The Huskers continue to Tucson, Ariz., the weekend of March 3-5, for the Wildcat Invitational. NU will take on Weber State, TAMU-Commerce, Arizona and CSUN. 

The weekend of March 10-12, Nebraska will travel to Wichita, Kansas, for a four-game tournament. The Huskers will face Wichita State and Missouri State, playing each team twice. 

NU will take on Omaha in a midweek matchup at Omaha on Wed., March 15. The game is set to start at 4 p.m. 

The Huskers finish the non-conference tournament schedule in Lawrence, Kansas, at the Jayhawk Invitational. From March 17-19, NU will face Kansas City, TAMU-Commerce and Kansas. 

Nebraska will host a midweek matchup against Iowa State on Wed., March 22, at Bowlin Stadium. The game is set to start at 4 p.m. 

The Huskers open conference play at home with a three-game series against Purdue over the weekend of March 24-26. 

NU will travel to Iowa City to face Iowa in a doubleheader on Wed., March 29. 

Returning to Bowlin Stadium, Nebraska hosts Michigan for a three-game series, March 31-April 2. 

The Huskers travel to College Park, Maryland, for a three-game series against the Terrapins, April 7-9. 

NU will continue on the road, traveling to Bloomington, Ind., to face the Hoosiers, April 14-16. 

Nebraska will finish the non-conference slate on Wed., April 19, as the Huskers host Creighton at Bowlin Stadium. The game is set to start at 6 p.m. 

In a Big Ten matchup, NU will host Wisconsin, April 21-23, for a three-game series at Bowlin Stadium.

The Huskers will travel to Evanston, Ill., for their final road series against Northwestern, April 28-30. 

Nebraska will finish the regular season at Bowlin Stadium against Ohio State, May 5-7. 

Postseason will begin May 10-13 as the Huskers travel to Champaign, Ill., for the Big Ten Tournament. 

NCAA Regionals are slated for May 19-22 while NCAA Super Regionals are set for May 25-28. The Women's College World Series will be June 1-8/9. 

Nebraska to Host Intrasquad Meet at Francis Allen Training Complex

The Nebraska women's gymnastics team will host its intrasquad Friday, Nov. 18, at 6 p.m. in the Francis Allen Training Complex. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. Admission to the event is free and open to the public while seating is limited, as attendees will get a look at the Huskers' routines before the season begins in January. 

The event will feature routines on all four events in Olympic order beginning on vault, followed by uneven bars, balance beam and concluding on floor exercise.

This year's squad is made up of 18 gymnasts, including 12 returners and six newcomers. 

The Huskers veterans include first-team All-Big Ten selection Kinsey Davis, NCAA Regional qualifier Clara Colombo and Worlds bronze medalist Emma Spence. 

Other returners include Martina Comin, Genesis Gibson, Ayzhia Hall, Katie Kuenemann, Kylie Piringer, Halle Rourke, Emma Simpton, Kathryn Thaler and Savanah Warren. 

The NU newcomers include Csenge Bácskay (Budapest, Hungary), Katelyn Barth (Fargo, N.D.), Emalee Frost (Arrington, Tenn.), Lauren Homecillo (Papillion, Neb.), Annie Worley (Northville, Mich.) and junior-transfer Sophia McClelland (Camarillo, Calif./BYU). 

For all the latest information on Nebraska women's gymnastics, follow HuskersWGymnastics on Instagram, HuskersWGym on Twitter and NebraskaWGym on Facebook.