Huskers hand losses
to Texas, Houston
By John Adkisson
Staff Reporter
What’s a vollQyball team hitting
its stride?
Maybe it’s running off a 12-match
winning streak in the middle of the
year, taking 36 of 38 games in that
stretch.
Maybe it’s beating a higher-ranked
team on the road in straight games
that aren’t even close.
Maybe it’s Nebraska.
The Comhuskers raised their rec
ord to 19-3 this weekend with pastings
of Houston and seventh-ranked Texas
in the Delta Airlines Challenge in
Austin, Texas, and may have proved
themselves as contenders for the na
tional championship.
Just ask Nebraska Coach Terry
Pettit, who, when asked if the Husk
ers can play any better than they did
in their 15-8,15-8,15-8 victory over
Texas Saturday, responded this way:
I don t think they II have to play
belter than they did (against Texas),”
Pettit said. “They played well enough
in that match to win a national cham
pionship.
“The question from here is whether
they can maintain that level for the
rest of the season.”
That level against Texas included
both a sterling defensive perform
ance and another big match from senior
outside hitter Janet Kruse.
For the match, the Huskers had 65
digs, including 14 from freshman Kim
Tonniges and 12 from senior Cris
Hall. At the net, the Huskers outblocked
Texas 10-2 behind an eight-block
performance from junior Stephanie
Thaler.
Kruse paced the offense with 23
kills and a .462 hitting percentage,
just two short of the Nebraska record
for kills in a three-game match. It was
the fourth straight match in which
Kruse led the Huskers in kills.
Pettit said the Husker defense was
largely responsible for Kruse’s kill
total.
“While Janet was able to termi
nate for us,” Pettit said, “it was our
pursuit of the ball and being able to
get (Huskcr setter) Nikki (Strieker)
the ball in good position that led to
that.”
Texas, which fell to 16-6 with the
loss, had beaten UCLA in straight
games in California the week before.
The Huskers’ victory was their
first in Austin since Nebraska and
Texas began playing in 1981.
Pettit said he was impressed with
the Longhorns, despite the lopsided
score.
“Texas played well,” he said. “We
had watched several of their matches
on tape, and they played better than
what we had seen.”
He added that Nebraska s victory
over Colorado in Boulder, Colo., a
week before had seasoned the Husk
crs for playing in front of a large
crowd. The Husker-Longhom match
was watched by 2,061 people in the
Recreation Sports Center.'
“We faced the same situation
against Colorado,” Pettit said. “We
have a mature team, and the crowd
wasn’t much of a factor.”
On Friday, Nebraska polished off
Houston 15-8,15-6,15-11, extending
their win streak to 11. Kruse led with
12 kills, and Hall added 11.
Pettit said Houston, which fell to
15-9 with the loss, is a team that
Nebraska defended well.
“Houston is a good team,” Pettit
said. “We had a good game plan, we
stuck to it and we were able to stop
their big hitter.”
The Huskers will have a week off
before playing Iowa State at the Bob
Dcvaney Sports Center on Saturday
at 7:30 p.m. Nebraska, 9-0 in Big
Eight play, can clinch its 16th-con
secutivc conference championship with
wins in two of their last three league
matches.
Kiley Timperley/DN
Nebraska’s Janet Kruse spikes the ball past Kansas State’s Kathy Saxton earlier this season.
Kruse tallied 35 kills In Nebraska’s weekend wins over Houston and Texas, including a near
record 23 against the Longhorns.
