 "Photo: Nate Ohlrich")
After an almost-perfect start, the Nebraska volleyball team is still searching for answers.
The No. 1-ranked Cornhuskers are still undefeated at 12-0 (4-0 in the Big 12 Conference) and have dropped only two out of 48 games, but questions linger in the starting lineup.
Over the weekend against Texas Tech and Creighton, NU Coach John Cook shuffled his starting lineup by starting freshman middle blocker Kori Cooper and junior setter Maggie Griffin for the first time this year.
"Cooper and Gates - whoever has a good day in practice gets on the court," Cook said. "So they're day-to-day, minute-to-minute battling it out."
And the decision for Cook keeps getting tougher because each player brings something different to the table.
The difference at middle blocker between Gates and Cooper right now is on offense and defense.
Gates, who has earned most of the starts this season at middle blocker, averages 1.29 blocks per game opposed to just 0.46 from Cooper.
However, Cooper has produced more from an offensive standpoint with 1.54 kills per game to Gates' 1.14.
"It really pushes you to drive harder," Cooper said. "It helps me see I still have a chance, and I just keep working hard. It (the competition) helps us both to keep the edge on."
Against Texas Tech it was Cooper who moved into the starting rotation. The freshman from Amarillo, Texas, came away with five kills and one block in her first start.
Then on Sunday, Gates and Cooper played almost identical volleyball: Cooper had three kills while Gates had one block and put down two kills against Creighton.
"Blocking," Cooper said. "I think that's what it's going to come down to. It's something that we both need to work on - me more than her (Gates). It's just something that is going to have to be done, and we're working at it."
Likewise, the setter position has also been intriguing, especially with Maggie Griffin earning two starts over the weekend. Griffin was impressive in NU's win over Texas Tech with 43 set assists and nine digs, but it was Holloway who came in to finish out the match against Creighton.
Gates, Cooper, Griffin and Holloway will all have plenty of time to work on their games and state their case for starting positions this week in practice. The Huskers do not play again until they travel to Baylor on Saturday.
With a break in the schedule, Cook plans on using the extra practice time to go back to the basics after playing 12 matches in 27 days.
"I like the fact that this week we don't have a match Wednesday," Cook said. "It's going to allow us to get back into the gym and do a little bit of training and clean some things up that we can improve on."
