Nebraska found itself in an unusual position when the final AVCA poll was released Tuesday. The Huskers were ranked 12th after a second-round NCAA tournament loss to Kansas State, finishing outside the top 10 for the second time in 12 seasons. It marked Nebraska's lowest final ranking since it finished the 2003 season at No. 13.
In all, seven Big Ten schools finished in the year's final rankings, led by national runner-up Illinois at No. 2. Penn State (No. 9), Purdue (No. 10), Minnesota (No. 15), Michigan (No. 20) and Ohio State (No. 23) also made the Top 25.
Iowa State finished eighth after losing in the regional final to Florida State.
Buttermore steps down as NU strength coach
As the Huskers move on to winter conditioning in January, the program will be looking for a new strength coach.
Nebraska coach John Cook said Laura Buttermore will be leaving the program and moving to Hastings, where her husband, Matt, was named head volleyball coach at Hastings College.
The former Laura Pilakowski had been a strength coach at Nebraska since 2004, working with the volleyball, softball, women's gymnastics and rifle programs. That came following a career as a two-time All-America volleyball player for the Huskers. She was a member of NU's national championship team in 2000.
Cook said Buttermore would remain with the program through early February, by which time he hopes her replacement will be hired. Nebraska begins its winter conditioning program during the first week of second semester classes, which start Jan. 9.
Huskers eye UCLA for 2012 schedule
Cook said Tuesday that Nebraska is working to finalize its 2012 schedule, and the Huskers are in talks with national champion UCLA for a match next fall.
The Bruins won their third national title last Saturday, beating Illinois in four sets.
Details had not been finalized, Cook said, but a match would mark the fifth time in eight seasons that the Huskers and Bruins would face off. NU leads the series 9-5, but UCLA won the most recent meeting in five sets at the Devaney Center in 2009 in front of an NCAA-record regular-season crowd of 13,870.
In that contest, the Bruins snapped NU's 90-match home winning streak with the help of setter Lauren Cook, then a UCLA freshman. Cook, the daughter of John Cook, transferred to Nebraska following that season and will be a senior next fall.
John Cook said Nebraska also is working out the details for the team's spring exhibition schedule. The Huskers will likely play two home matches, including one in either Kearney, Grand Island or Scottsbluff, plus two road matches. One road match will likely be at Iowa State — the Cyclones came to Lincoln for an exhibition last April.
Good news, bad news on the health front
Cook had news about a couple players who missed significant time with health issues in 2011.
Middle blocker Alison McNeal, who has missed the better part of two seasons with a health condition not related to volleyball, has been cleared to resume physical training, Cook said Tuesday.
McNeal, who would have one season of eligibility remaining unless she received a medical redshirt from the NCAA, did not play in 2011 after action in 23 matches as a redshirt sophomore in 2010. The Schulenburg, Texas, native would be a welcome addition after the Huskers graduate senior middles Brooke Delano and Jordan Wilberger.
Cook said McNeal showed flashes of greatness early in her career, especially during the team's exhibition trip to China in the spring of 2010.
"She was our best middle when we went to China," Cook said. "She was phenomenal. We need to get her back in the saddle."
Cook said the situation was less clear for outside hitter Taylor Simpson, who missed the last two months of the season with a back condition. Simpson, a freshman from Colorado Springs, Colo., played in 12 matches this year and was expected to be a top backup before being sidelined.
Cook said that while he hopes Simpson will be able to return for spring ball, she won't be doing any volleyball activities for at least the next month-and-a-half.
New faces may get early opportunities
The Huskers' search for depth may mean members of the incoming freshman class will get the opportunity to contribute right away next fall.
Setter Lauren Sieckmann will join the program in January after graduating early from Elkhorn South, and is expected to back up Lauren Cook in 2012. Sieckmann's all-around skills could mean she may be used as a defensive specialist or serving specialist in certain rotations, similar to the role Paige Hubl played this year.
A pair of touted outside hitters arriving next fall will get strong looks, as well. Cook said 6-foot-3 Kelsey Fien from Bakersfield, Calif., and 5-11 Alexa Strange of San Clemente, Calif., will be looked at to ease the load on returning starters Gina Mancuso, Hannah Werth and Morgan Broekhuis.
Alicia Ostrander, a 6-3 freshman outside hitter, will also join the mix after redshirting this season.
Graduating seniors enter new chapter
With the season finished, Nebraska's three departing seniors are taking their first steps after Husker volleyball. Cook said Delano had a tryout this week with a Puerto Rican team, and Wilberger is attempting to line up a spot with a club in Europe.
NU's other senior captain, setter Brigette Root, has finished her volleyball career and will continue training to be a radiologist. Root was one of 12 winners of the Big Ten's sportsmanship award this season.
— Jeff Sheldon
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