Lincoln, NE (CSTV U-WIRE) -- The championship match hadn't been three days old when professional volleyball scouts approached a pair of former Nebraska players with an offer few ever receive.

Fresh off Nebraska's three-game loss to Washington in the NCAA Tournament title game in December, outgoing seniors Melissa Elmer and Jennifer Saleaumua had a choice to make: pursue a life without volleyball or extend their playing career for at least a few more months.

Their eligibility exhausted, each player met with Puerto Rican scouts to discuss the possibility of playing in the country's professional league.

The Guaynabo Mets, a team in need of a quick and athletic middle blocker, targeted Elmer.

The three-time All-American accepted, and achieved, her goal of playing professionally when she began the season with her new team in Puerto Rico in January.

For Saleaumua, though, the decision wasn't as simple.

Nebraska's two-time All-American outside hitter had also expressed a desire to play professionally, but she also had openly strived to be the first woman in her family to graduate.

Unlike Elmer, who graduated in December, Saleaumua still needed to complete more than a semester before she would receive her degree.

After talking things over with her parents and NU Coach John Cook, Saleaumua too decided to hold off on school and accepted an invitation to play in Puerto Rico.

``It wasn't a bad deal, you get to play volleyball and you don't have to go to school,'' Saleaumua said. ``After this, I'm coming back to graduate.''

But neither player wanted to rush their return from the tropical island, where temperatures in the 80s and sunny skies are the norm.

``I'm a big fan of the beach and, of course, shopping,'' Elmer said, who lives on the northeastern section of the island. ``I think the neater stuff is on the other side of the island with rainforests and beaches.''

Saleaumua, whose new team is located on the western tip of Puerto Rico in the city of Mayaguez, said organized fights are a big form of entertainment and she often spends time with members of her team out on the town.

Unfortunately, many of Saleaumua's teammates don't speak English, and the National City, Calif., native can't speak Spanish.

But amid the language barrier and new environment, the biggest shock to both players has come on the court.

Saleaumua's Mayaguez Indias are currently 7-6 this season, good for sixth in the 10-team league. Elmer's Mets are languishing in ninth place at 1-13.

In their four years at Nebraska, Saleaumua and Elmer lost a total of 11 matches while winning 122 en route to three Big 12 Conference titles.

Saleaumua said the league, while full of talent, wasn't as strong per team as the Division I opponents Nebraska played, and she and Elmer agreed if their Husker team of 2005 were in the league, it would dominate the competition.

``Losing three in a row sucks really bad,'' Saleaumua said. ``I've gotten used to it now but there are some times I wish my teammates were here.''Elmer, Nebraska's career blocks leader, likened the experience to playing overseas with the U.S. National Team in that the group chemistry is lacking, especially early on.

``You have to take a whole different approach to it,'' Elmer said. ``It's definitely a lot different than college volleyball.''

Cook, who coached both players for four years in Lincoln, said other former Husker players who played in Puerto Rico - like Nancy Metcalf (2001) and Laura Pilakowski (2002) - loved their time playing volleyball on the island, which provided a variety of new opportunities and experiences.

Metcalf played two seasons on the island, and it served as a springboard to landing her a spot in a higher-paying league in Turkey. Cook said Elmer would probably use the time to improve for the U.S. team's training camp down the road.

``This is professional,'' Cook said of the league. ``It is very competitive and their matches are on TV. Three or four thousand fans show up, and the matches are wild and crazy because they're all drunk.''

Cook added that the league is like professional football in that each team looks to bring in top college talent from around the world to fit its needs.

For many, that includes a salary of around $25,000 for the three-month season, along with paid expenses like a car and an apartment.

Cook also can take pride in the fact that only Nebraska and Southern California boast more than one player competing on the island this season, according to the Puerto Rico league's website.

There are 19 foreign players in the league this year, with 12 from the United States. Each team is allowed no more than two foreign players.

Another distinguishing mark of professional volleyball in Puerto Rico is each team's schedule.

Players compete in about three matches per week as opposed to the usual Wednesday-Saturday college slate. Because of the jumbled system, the former Huskers have yet to make the 2-and-a-half-hour drive for a casual visit.

The only time the two were together in Puerto Rico was when Mayaguez and Guaynabo faced off on Jan. 19, with Saleaumua and the Indias prevailing three games to one.

``I'm not gonna lie, she got me a couple times,'' Saleaumua said of Elmer's performance that night. ``She's still got it.''

Today, the former teammates will meet again as Elmer travels to take on Saleaumua and Co. in Mayaguez.

Strange how much can change in two months.

Saleaumua, the 2005 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, was Nebraska's emotional leader last fall.

Now she considers herself mellow compared to even more extroverted competition, and seemed turned off by the individual nature of a professional team.

``It's your job,'' Saleaumua said. ``You miss practice or a game and you have to pay a fee instead of running sprints.''

Plus, the fans don't exactly overflow with compassion if she has a bad match.

``You're either considered really good or not,'' Saleaumua said. ``The fans out here are pretty brutal. You lose and they talk about you.''

Along with adjusting from the faithful NU Coliseum crowd to dealing with fickle fans, both Nebraskans agree that driving in Puerto Rico has also taken a little getting used to.

``People drive like maniacs here, it's just nuts,'' Elmer said. ``When it rains, they drive like we drive in the snow.

``I guess you could say I have road rage pretty bad now.''

(C) 2006 Daily Nebraskan via CSTV U-WIRE