NU's 'Big 3' force foes to pick their poison
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BY TODD HENRICHS / Lincoln Journal Star
While most Big 12 volleyball coaches won’t necessarily look forward to their visit to Lincoln this season, Jerritt Elliott did find one positive in No. 7 Texas’ brief pass through the NU Coliseum a week ago.
“It’s the last time I’ll come up there with Pavan and Houghtelling and Stalls on the court,” the Longhorn coach said.
Together, Sarah Pavan, Christina Houghtelling and Tracy Stalls have helped lead NU’s proud program to amazing heights. They’ve won unprecedented awards, played in front of record crowds, and potentially, they could lead the Huskers to a repeat national championship.
NU Coliseum, 7 p.m. Saturday
TV: NET1 (12). Radio: 107.3
But the three seniors have something else in common. In Nebraska’s Rotation 3, when libero Rachel Schwartz serves, Pavan, Hough-telling and Stalls stand together in the front row.
For opposing defenses, that’s two national players of the year and another potential Olympian that they must deal with, a lineup at the net that gives new meaning to the term “Pick your poison.”
“They can jump two (blockers) to me, but then Tracy will score at will,” Pavan said. “A very well prepared team will figure something out, but when you have three attackers in the front row that can do so much, it’s really just a rotation that you try and get out of.”
Success has been limited of late. Since the Huskers dropped game two to UCLA in the second match of the season, Nebraska has won 23 straight games by an average score of 30-21. Six of eight opponents in that stretch are ranked in this week’s CSTV coaches poll.
Saturday night, Nebraska (9-0, 2-0 Big 12) will face a Texas A&M squad that steamrolled through a soft nonconference schedule but has struggled since cracking the Top 25 a week ago.
The Aggies (11-2, 1-2) were swept at Iowa State and have been extended to five games twice at home since beginning Big 12 play. Texas A&M beat Texas Tech on Wednesday to avoid a catastrophic — as NCAA hopes are concerned — 0-3 league start.
Like Elliott, the Aggies’ Laurie Corbelli is another coach who’ll be happy to see NU’s seniors graduate, specifically Pavan. The Ontario native has averaged 6.0 kills and 1.06 blocks per game while hitting .516 in six career matches against A&M.
Commit to slow Pavan and there’s other problems to deal with.
Stalls is hitting .508 while averaging close to 2.6 kills a game, and Houghtelling, coming off knee and shoulder surgery that sidelined her a year ago, has come back to average 3.1 kills a game while hitting .284.
Beyond the numbers, those players are lauded for their competitive fire.
“Houghtelling is a terrific leader, and Stalls is a terrific leader. Those are kids that don’t get rattled,” Penn State coach Russ Rose said. “Pavan might not be as demonstrative in certain areas, but she’s a very confident, competent player, as demonstrated by the awards she’s received, both academically as well as athletically.
“And the setter does a great job of spreading the ball out.”
Sophomore Rachel Holloway admits she has nightmares sometimes that all of Nebraska’s hitters will come up and demand the ball more often.
“What’s hard is, with so many good hitters, I’m just trying to get them in a position where they can score,” Holloway said. “It’s been great, but I’m a little scared sometimes of what they’re thinking.”
Nothing to worry about, her teammates say. The real concern rests on the opponent, which must come up with a plan to slow the nation’s third-ranked offense.
“Having the talent that this team has and being able to run the systems that we do with such efficiency, you can’t ask for anything more,” said Pavan, who also offered some free advice.
“If I was the other team, I would probably make sure you were up against Tracy and then chase,” she added. “Because if Tracy gets a set against nobody, you’re in trouble.”
Reach Todd Henrichs at 473-7320 or thenrichs@journalstar.com.
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