The Nebraska volleyball team opens the 2016 NCAA Tournament against the New Hampshire Wildcats on Friday, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The other first-round match in Lincoln pits the Wichita State Shockers against the TCU Horned Frogs at 4:30 p.m. Doors for Friday’s session will open at 3:30 p.m.

Friday’s winners will play in the second round match on Saturday at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. Tickets for the weekend, including standing room only, are sold out.

As one of the top four national seeds, the Huskers are in line to host a regional next weekend should they advance. This year, regional hosts will be the top seed remaining in each section of the bracket. The other national seeds in the Huskers’ section of the bracket are No. 8 Washington, No. 9 Michigan State and No. 16 Penn State. Should the Huskers qualify for an NCAA regional for the 22nd time in the last 23 years, tickets would go on sale Monday, Dec. 5 at 10 a.m.

About the Huskers
• The defending national champion Huskers (27-2) are aiming to become the first Husker team to repeat as national champions, as the three previous NCAA title teams (1995, 2000, 2006) came up short of a repeat. This year’s NCAA Championship is set for December 15-17 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.
• Nebraska (27-2) won the Big Ten Conference title this season for the first time since 2011. Its 18-2 Big Ten record marked its most wins in the conference since joining in 2011.
• Nebraska is the top seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006. This season marks the fifth time Nebraska has been the No. 1 overall seed since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1998. The Huskers won national titles in 2000 and 2006 as the top overall seed, were runners-up in 2005 as the No. 1 seed and reached a regional final in 2004.
• The Huskers are making their 35th straight NCAA Tournament appearance and are hosting the first and second rounds for the 13th straight year and 32nd overall. Nebraska is 98-30 (.766) all-time in the NCAA Tournament, ranking second among NCAA schools in wins and winning percentage.
• The Huskers were ranked No. 1 in 12 of 15 AVCA Coaches Polls this season but enter the NCAA Tournament ranked second.
• Nebraska head coach John Cook was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year, while Kelly Hunter, Amber Rolfzen, Kadie Rolfzen and Justine Wong-Orantes were on the All-Big Ten team. Wong-Orantes was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season. Mikaela Foecke and Briana Holman received honorable mention.
• Nebraska led the Big Ten in opponent hitting percentage (.141) during the regular season and ranked fifth in the nation.
• Nebraska averaged 14.35 kills per set this season to rank first in the Big Ten and 12th in the nation.
• The Huskers hit .289 as a team, which ranked third in the Big Ten and seventh nationally.
• Nebraska’s .886 win percentage under Cook is the best by any program since Cook took over in 2000.
• Nebraska has won 27 matches this season, marking the 16th time in his 17 years that Cook’s Huskers have reached at least 25 wins.

Scouting New Hampshire
• New Hampshire (21-10) won the America East regular-season and tournament titles for the fourth straight season to earn its fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament trip. Their last three trips have ended with first-round sweeps at Florida, Washington and USC.
• The Wildcats will make their seventh trip to the tournament in program history under 21st-year head coach Jill Hirschinger. Their other appearances were 1998, 2002 and 2003.
• The Wildcats ranked first in their conference in nearly every statistical category, including a .162 opponent hitting percentage that ranked 18th in the nation this season.
• New Hampshire is led by two-time America East Player of the Year Demi Muses (3.57 kills per set, 3.56 digs per set) and two-time America East Setter of the Year Keelin Severtson (10.93 assists per set), who was also named the most outstanding player at the America East Championship.
• That senior duo was joined on the all-conference first team by freshman Emily Tanski (2.74 kills per set, 2.93 digs per set).

Scouting Wichita State
• Wichita State (24-7), the Missouri Valley Conference champion, is making its 10th appearance in the NCAA Tournament, and for the fifth time in 13 years the Shockers will visit Lincoln to open the tournament.
• The Shockers won their conference tournament for the fourth time and are 7-9 all-time in the NCAA Tournament and 6-3 in the first round.
• Wichita State has won nine straight matches entering the tournament, its longest winning streak this season.
• The Shockers rank eighth in the nation with a .288 hitting percentage entering the tournament. They are sixth in kills per set (14.52).
• Jody Larson was the MVC Tournament MVP and was a first-team All-MVC selection. Larson leads the team with 3.12 kills per set and adds 3.41 digs per set.
• Emily Hiebert was the MVC Setter of the Year and a first-team all-conference selection with 10.68 assists per set and 2.75 digs per set.
• Abbie Lehman was also an all-MVC pick with 2.68 kills per set and 1.23 blocks per set. Her .391 hitting percentage ranked 20th nationally.

Scouting TCU
• TCU is making its second straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
• The Horned Frogs went 14-12 overall and 7-9 in the Big 12 during the regular season and earned their third NCAA selection in program history. TCU is 1-2 all-time in the tournament and lost in five sets to eventual regional finalist Hawaii last year in the first round.
• The Horned Frogs won three straight matches to end the regular season and finish sixth in the Big 12. They have the No. 2 strength of schedule in the country.
• The Horned Frogs averaged 2.35 blocks per set to rank sixth in the Big 12, with Natalie Gower leading the way with 1.26 blocks per set, which put her fourth in the Big 12. TCU’s 1.20 aces per set ranked third in the Big 12. Kaylee Smith led the team with 0.32 aces per set to rank second individually in the conference.
• The Horned Frogs feature an incredibly balanced attack with four players separated by 12 total kills on the season. Sarita Mikals sets the tone with 2.10 per set, while Anna Walsh (1.96 per set), Gower (1.94 per set) and McGuire (1.94 per set) are close behind. Gower had a .366 hitting percentage this season, third-best in the Big 12, and was a first-team All-Big 12 selection.

Series History – Huskers vs. The Field
• Nebraska is meeting New Hampshire for the first time.
• Nebraska is 12-0 all-time against Wichita State, including a 25-19, 25-19, 25-14 sweep over the Shockers in the NCAA second round in Lincoln last year. The teams also met in the second round in Lincoln in 2004 and 2007, both Husker sweeps. In fact, all 12 Husker wins against the Shockers have come in straight sets.
• Nebraska has never played TCU.