Nov. 4, 2004

By Carter Blackburn
Special to CollegeSports.com

Nebraska University Coliseum might be the best collegiate volleyball venue in the country and when the Huskers host Colorado State on Sunday night for the CSTV Sunday Night Spikes/AVCA Match of the Week, the 4,000-plus fans expected will mark the 52nd consecutive sell-out crowd to cheer on the Huskers at home.

They're cheering on an excellent volleyball team, ranked third in the latest CSTV/USA Today poll. The Huskers have lost only once this season, stacking up a 17-match winning streak since being upset by Florida A&M on September 10.

"Nebraska is the most physically talented team in the country right now," Colorado State coach Tom Hilbert said.

So why is Hilbert taking his ninth-ranked Rams on the road to play against that excellent Husker team in a raucous arena in the middle of the regular Mountain West Conference schedule?

"We need to play a Final Four level team this time of year," Hilbert explained. "We're going to Lincoln to win, like we want to win every match. But our primary purpose is to play in a high-level environment against an athletic team, like we are likely to face in the NCAA Tournament."

Both Colorado State and Nebraska have matches scheduled in their conferences this weekend (the Rams Friday at Wyoming; the Huskers Saturday versus Kansas State), making for a tough turnaround on Sunday. That is apparently the idea, according to Nebraska coach John Cook.

"The reason we scheduled this match is to gain the experience of playing two great teams back-to-back to get ready for the NCAA Tournament, when you have to do that," Cook said.

There is a reason both the Rams and Huskers are starting to look toward the NCAA Tournament that begins in less than a month -- they are both good enough to aim for a national championship, especially in a season when most observers think there is no dominant team in college volleyball.

Shocking nobody, Nebraska boasts a dominant front line that leads the nation in blocking with 3.84 blocks per game. Junior All-American Melissa Elmer anchors the group, but freshman Sarah Pavan is already making a huge impact in Lincoln. The Canadian right side hitter is third in the Big 12 in kills, averaging nearly five per game.

To beat a solid block like Nebraska's, a team needs exactly what Colorado State has in Melissa Courtney -- an experienced setter. Last year's co-MWC Player of the Year is eighth in the nation with nearly 14 assists per game and has the Rams hitting .299 as a team, seventh best in the nation heading in to the weekend.

"(Courtney) is only five-foot-eight, but she plays well close to the tape," Hilbert said. "Her teammates trust her a lot. She doesn't take too many risks, but she takes risks at the right time. We just have to make sure she doesn't throw something at the net right in front of Sarah Pavan."

Those are the types of adjustments both coaches will be making with their teams not only on Sunday night, but in the final month of the regular season. As much as both Cook and Hilbert are hoping to simulate an NCAA environment in Lincoln this weekend, one team will be happy at the end of the night . After a loss on Sunday for either the Rams or Huskers, there is more volleyball to be played, unlike a loss a month from now in the real NCAA Tournament.

This winter, Carter Blackburn will be the play-by-play announcer for CSTV Sunday Night Spikes and is a regular contributor to CollegeSports.com.

Carter's Last Column
Stanford and Cal set for Sunday Night