Post by GoBigRed on Aug 22, 2007 7:17:31 GMT -5
Huskers will keep 2006 scheme
BY TODD HENRICHS / Lincoln Journal Star
Wednesday, Aug 22, 2007 - 12:08:23 am CDT
The Nebraska volleyball team will open in the same one-setter system with which the Huskers won a national championship last season.
Head coach John Cook made it official Tuesday, confirming that sophomore All-American Rachel Holloway would be the one directing top-ranked NU in Friday night’s opener against Tennessee at Qwest Center Omaha.
But Cook, a proponent of the two-setter system, said he will be looking for the right situation in every match to switch gears.
“The beauty of what we’re going to explore is that we could do it for three rotations or we could do it for one rotation, we could do it at the beginning of the game, the end of the game, if we’re behind or if we’re ahead,” Cook said. “If we need to change momentum, that’s something we could do.
“Or it also might be something that if our team’s rolling, you won’t mess with.”
Cook said that Tuesday was the first time since practices opened earlier this month that the Huskers could really work on the two-setter look.
Senior Sarah Pavan made it through the afternoon practice, seemingly unaffected by the groin injury that the three-time All-American suffered last week.
Without Pavan, freshman Lindsey Licht has practiced exclusively with the starting unit and played for the Red in Saturday’s intrasquad scrimmage.
But with a healthy Pavan in the lineup, Licht – like Pavan, a 6-foot-5 lefty – is an option to replace the 5-foot-10 Holloway whenever the setter is in the front row.
Senior Maggie Griffin would also enter and have three options for hitters at the net.
“Maggie is confident enough that she could come in, hit a serve, run an offense, and get out,” Cook said, adding that Licht is still striving to achieve the level of consistency necessary to succeed in those situations.
Griffin started for Nebraska as a sophomore in 2005, sharing a two-setter system with Dani Busboom on a team that reached the national championship match against Washington. Holloway was the Huskers’ starting setter throughout last season.
Cook said that while junior Rachel Schwartz is projected as the starting libero, she’s being challenged by true freshman Kayla Banwarth. The battle for the starting middle blocker spot opposite of All-American Tracy Stalls remains a toss of the coin between junior Amanda Gates and sophomore Kori Cooper.
Brooke Delano, a freshman from Bellevue West, is gaining ground on both, Cook said. All are expected to play at different points this weekend.
“We’re going to get some people in and see how they play in front of a big crowd,” Cook said.
Reach Todd Henrichs at 473-7320 or thenrichs@journalstar.com.
BY TODD HENRICHS / Lincoln Journal Star
Wednesday, Aug 22, 2007 - 12:08:23 am CDT
The Nebraska volleyball team will open in the same one-setter system with which the Huskers won a national championship last season.
Head coach John Cook made it official Tuesday, confirming that sophomore All-American Rachel Holloway would be the one directing top-ranked NU in Friday night’s opener against Tennessee at Qwest Center Omaha.
But Cook, a proponent of the two-setter system, said he will be looking for the right situation in every match to switch gears.
“The beauty of what we’re going to explore is that we could do it for three rotations or we could do it for one rotation, we could do it at the beginning of the game, the end of the game, if we’re behind or if we’re ahead,” Cook said. “If we need to change momentum, that’s something we could do.
“Or it also might be something that if our team’s rolling, you won’t mess with.”
Cook said that Tuesday was the first time since practices opened earlier this month that the Huskers could really work on the two-setter look.
Senior Sarah Pavan made it through the afternoon practice, seemingly unaffected by the groin injury that the three-time All-American suffered last week.
Without Pavan, freshman Lindsey Licht has practiced exclusively with the starting unit and played for the Red in Saturday’s intrasquad scrimmage.
But with a healthy Pavan in the lineup, Licht – like Pavan, a 6-foot-5 lefty – is an option to replace the 5-foot-10 Holloway whenever the setter is in the front row.
Senior Maggie Griffin would also enter and have three options for hitters at the net.
“Maggie is confident enough that she could come in, hit a serve, run an offense, and get out,” Cook said, adding that Licht is still striving to achieve the level of consistency necessary to succeed in those situations.
Griffin started for Nebraska as a sophomore in 2005, sharing a two-setter system with Dani Busboom on a team that reached the national championship match against Washington. Holloway was the Huskers’ starting setter throughout last season.
Cook said that while junior Rachel Schwartz is projected as the starting libero, she’s being challenged by true freshman Kayla Banwarth. The battle for the starting middle blocker spot opposite of All-American Tracy Stalls remains a toss of the coin between junior Amanda Gates and sophomore Kori Cooper.
Brooke Delano, a freshman from Bellevue West, is gaining ground on both, Cook said. All are expected to play at different points this weekend.
“We’re going to get some people in and see how they play in front of a big crowd,” Cook said.
Reach Todd Henrichs at 473-7320 or thenrichs@journalstar.com.