January 11, 2007

Lincoln, NE (CSTV U-WIRE) -- A championship won means a season is done for most teams, but don't tell that to the Nebraska volleyball team.

Their season is just getting started.

Not even a month after beating No. 2 Stanford to win their third national championship in program history, the Cornhuskers are back to work.

Early preparations for the 2007 season mean an early start to the day for the players.

Wake-up calls can be heard anywhere from 5:30 to 6 a.m. for the defending champs. The reason: offseason conditioning and lifting sessions.

Junior right-side hitter Sarah Pavan said she doesn't mind the workouts, but it's one of her least favorite parts of the offseason because of how early her mornings become.

She would know, too, as this is her third time going through offseason training.

"I only have one season left," Pavan said. "It's sad because I want to make the most of it. I'm just going to enjoy every moment I have with this group of people because each one will be closer to my last."

Pavan has enough on her mind without having to worry about senioritis. The 2007 Huskers are looking to start their repeat campaign on the right foot.

With the departures of seniors Dani Busboom and Dani Mancuso, Nebraska will be adding four new faces to its roster.

NU Assistant Coach Lee Maes said now and throughout the summer will be the time the coaching staff needs to work the new players into the system.

"It will be imperative for us to get the incoming freshmen integrated into our culture," Maes said. "It will not only be in the volleyball gym, but with the academic rigors they will face this coming fall."

The upcoming season will also feature the much-anticipated return of 2005 AVCA National Player of the Year Christina Houghtelling to the Husker line-up.

After having season-ending surgeries on her right shoulder and right knee, Houghtelling will be joining Pavan, the 2006 AVCA National Player of the Year, in the front row.

Even after winning a national championship, there is some speculation next year's team could be even better than the 2006 championship squad.

"The prospect of our success is certainly high," Maes said. "We all know as a program we can't look too far ahead because we need to look to what we have to do right now."

Pavan agreed that the outlook for 2007 was bright, but she said that shouldn't change the way the team trains.

"We have to have the mindset of not being satisfied," Pavan said. "We have to work just as hard."

Maes said player improvement is the No. 1 focus in the offseason for the coaching staff.

"Improvement is critical on a daily basis; improving what we do mentally and physically," Maes said. "We need to constantly evaluate and re-evaluate what we're doing with our athletes and what we're requiring of them."

The 2007 squad won't be the first Nebraska team Coach John Cook has tried leading to a repeat national championship.

After winning the national championship in his first year at Nebraska, Cook faced a similar situation in 2001 when Stanford swept NU in the national semi-finals.

"We don't spend a lot of time trying to compare one team to a previous team," Maes said. "Players change roles; sometimes the system changes."

The pressure to repeat can be handled in various ways, but Maes said the coaching staff and players consider that the last thing on their minds.

"We're not looking ahead, we're looking at now," Maes said. "We're not spending a lot of time focusing too far in advance. We're focusing on now and on what we need to get better at today."

(C) 2007 Daily Nebraskan via CSTV U-WIRE