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Huskers looking to put it all together
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL
By Bob Hamar
bob.hamar@theindependent.com
This is a different kind of Nebraska volleyball team this season.
It’s a team without any big stars. The Huskers don’t have player of the year candidates like Sarah Pavan or Christina Houghtelling.
There is nobody to carry the team on her shoulders like Jordan Larson did last year when the Huskers were a surprising 31-3 and advanced all the way to the NCAA semifinals.
It’s a team that coach John Cook says is still trying to find its way. The ninth-rated Huskers (10-4, 3-2 in the Big 12) get their next chance Wednesday in a 7 p.m. match against Kansas (9-5, 2-3) at the NU Coliseum.
The match can be seen live on NET.
The Huskers haven’t played since a 3-2 victory at Oklahoma a week ago. That break gave them an opportunity to relax a bit and think about what they need to do from here on out.
Cook said the Huskers are still looking for leadership. Cook met with Tara Mueller, Sydney Anderson and Kayla Banwarth on Thursday and Friday.
He said it’s the time for talking about potential has past.
“One of the things we’ve talked to them about is it’s time,” Cook said. “There are some players who need to start stepping up and it’s time.”
The Huskers have plenty of good players on the team, but no superstar. That makes it imperative that they play together.
“We have to be a great team to play well,” Cook said. “We can’t say, ‘Hey Sarah Pavan, you take the load for a while.’ We don’t have that so we have to play great fundamental volleyball. That’s what has been disappointing to me.”
The Huskers haven’t played the kind of fundamental volleyball Cook wants. They have had their share of breakdowns, particularly late in sets when the pressure is on.
It’s the opposite of how things were in the past several years. Those Husker teams always seemed to be able to score the big points when they needed them.
If it was tied at 23, Larson or Pavan would get a big kill and NU would put its opponent away.
This year, the young Husker team hasn’t been able to do that.
Last year, everything fell in place for Cook and his team.
“That team, everything clicked for them,” Cook said. “We never had a bad practice. They were always in the zone. They trusted each other and played with passion.
“You can’t take that for granted. There is a lot of work that goes into that. It’s a fine line. Either you’re right above that line or below that line. Right now we’re struggling to stay above that line.”
Kansas is now 9-5 overall and 2-3 in the Big 12. The Jayhawks have beaten Oklahoma and Colorado but have lost to Missouri, Baylor and Texas AM.
The Jayhawks have won just one of four matches on the road this season. They’re led by outside hitters Karina Garlington and Allison Mayfield. Garlington is fourth in the Big 12 with 3.82 kills per set while Mayfield is ninth at 3.24.
“Kansas was picked at the bottom, but they’ve been very competitive,” Cook said.
It’s a team without any big stars. The Huskers don’t have player of the year candidates like Sarah Pavan or Christina Houghtelling.
There is nobody to carry the team on her shoulders like Jordan Larson did last year when the Huskers were a surprising 31-3 and advanced all the way to the NCAA semifinals.
It’s a team that coach John Cook says is still trying to find its way. The ninth-rated Huskers (10-4, 3-2 in the Big 12) get their next chance Wednesday in a 7 p.m. match against Kansas (9-5, 2-3) at the NU Coliseum.
The Huskers haven’t played since a 3-2 victory at Oklahoma a week ago. That break gave them an opportunity to relax a bit and think about what they need to do from here on out.
Cook said the Huskers are still looking for leadership. Cook met with Tara Mueller, Sydney Anderson and Kayla Banwarth on Thursday and Friday.
He said it’s the time for talking about potential has past.
“One of the things we’ve talked to them about is it’s time,” Cook said. “There are some players who need to start stepping up and it’s time.”
The Huskers have plenty of good players on the team, but no superstar. That makes it imperative that they play together.
“We have to be a great team to play well,” Cook said. “We can’t say, ‘Hey Sarah Pavan, you take the load for a while.’ We don’t have that so we have to play great fundamental volleyball. That’s what has been disappointing to me.”
The Huskers haven’t played the kind of fundamental volleyball Cook wants. They have had their share of breakdowns, particularly late in sets when the pressure is on.
It’s the opposite of how things were in the past several years. Those Husker teams always seemed to be able to score the big points when they needed them.
If it was tied at 23, Larson or Pavan would get a big kill and NU would put its opponent away.
This year, the young Husker team hasn’t been able to do that.
Last year, everything fell in place for Cook and his team.
“That team, everything clicked for them,” Cook said. “We never had a bad practice. They were always in the zone. They trusted each other and played with passion.
“You can’t take that for granted. There is a lot of work that goes into that. It’s a fine line. Either you’re right above that line or below that line. Right now we’re struggling to stay above that line.”
Kansas is now 9-5 overall and 2-3 in the Big 12. The Jayhawks have beaten Oklahoma and Colorado but have lost to Missouri, Baylor and Texas AM.
The Jayhawks have won just one of four matches on the road this season. They’re led by outside hitters Karina Garlington and Allison Mayfield. Garlington is fourth in the Big 12 with 3.82 kills per set while Mayfield is ninth at 3.24.
“Kansas was picked at the bottom, but they’ve been very competitive,” Cook said.
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