Husker Volleyball Team Looking For Repeat National Title

LINCOLN, (AP) _ The Nebraska volleyball team has a new attitude this season. <br/><br/>It's an outlook that reflects the team's status as defending national champion and its goal to repeat. <br/><br/>``We're

Friday, August 10th 2007, 4:42 pm

By: News On 6

LINCOLN, (AP) _ The Nebraska volleyball team has a new attitude this season.

It's an outlook that reflects the team's status as defending national champion and its goal to repeat.

``We're almost going to have to have the 'us against the rest of the country' mentality,'' coach John Cook said Friday. ``We know everybody wants to see Nebraska lose. We're going to take everyone's best shot. That's our biggest challenge.''

It's a challenge Cook and his players are excited to face.

``Last season was the perfect season,'' said 6-foot-5 rightside hitter Sarah Pavan. ``Winning the national championship is the reason we came to Nebraska.

She said while it will be difficult to top that, ``we have all the talent. It is realistic for us to do it again.''

Pavan, the American Volleyball Coaches Association player of the year, will anchor the team, which also returns three other all-Americans from 2006 _ Jordan Larson, Tracy Stalls and Rachel Holloway.

They'll be joined by 2005 AVCA national player of the year Christina Houghtelling, who sat out last season after undergoing shoulder surgery.

Houghtelling said she has recovered from her surgery and is thrilled to be back practicing with her teammates.

``Coming back, you're so humbled and realize how much you really missed it,'' she said.

Talent won't guarantee Nebraska a return trip to the NCAA Volleyball Championships, to be held in December in Sacramento, Calif., Cook said.

``It's not about talent,'' Cook said. ``It's about a group of people committed to each other. We've had some very talented teams that didn't get it done. We've got a lot of talent. But it's going to come down to the team.''

Cook said he studied the Florida NCAA men's basketball team repeat championship and had a long lunch with former Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne to talk about the back-to-back championship seasons in 1994 and 1995 in preparation.

The Huskers open their season Aug. 24 at Omaha's Qwest Center for the AVCA Showcase, an annual invitational tournament.