Husker volleyball hopes to build upon winning streak against Baylor

The No. 9 Cornhuskers have won nine straight sets and have hit .379 during that span, but Nebraska coach John Cook said there is work left to do.

"We are giving up too many easy kills," Cook said. "Defense, when you get into the tournament; that's what separates teams."

Nebraska (19-6, 12-4 Big 12) has held its opponents to a .219 hitting percentage in its last three victories. Nebraska's last three victims – Missouri, Iowa State and Texas A&M – have combined to commit 23 more attack errors than the Huskers. Even with the dominant play, Cook said defense remains the emphasis at practice.

"I don't think we've peaked in that area at all," Cook said.

Nebraska will welcome No. 24 Baylor to the NU Coliseum tonight at 7 p.m. The Huskers had one of their most impressive defensive performances of the season in Nebraska's first match against the Bears on Oct. 14.

NU held Baylor (21-7, 10-7 Big 12) to a .169 hitting percentage, including .079 in the final two sets of the sweep. Nebraska dug the Bears 56 times, including 22 digs from libero Kayla Banwarth.

Banwarth said she spent her second full year as a libero working on being a more consistent defensive player.

"I have the same responsibilities," Banwarth said. "It's just a matter of I have to do them better than I did last year."

The 5-foot-10-inch junior has had 10 matches with 20 digs or more this season. Banwarth is second in the Big 12 Conference with an average of 4.71 digs per set. She has averaged just over 15 digs per match during Nebraska's three-match winning streak.

"If I can be a rock out there and if I can be somebody (my teammates) can look to, then that is just going to take some of the weight of their shoulders," Banwarth said.

Banwarth has made a handful of digs this year that have brought Husker crowds to their feet.

Cook said a focus in practice has been to get his blockers to set up in a way that will "funnel" more dig chances to his libero. If the opposing team is going to hit away from Nebraska's blockers, Cook wants those opportunities going to Banwarth.

"If it goes to Kayla, she's got a great shot at digging it," Cook said.

Cook said that the team's offensive play is coming along as well. Nebraska received 25 kills from its two middle blockers – Kori Cooper and Brooke Delano – in the team's last match against Texas A&M. Cooper leads the conference with a .363 hitting percentage, and Delano is third at .357.

Cook is still thinking defensive-minded, though, going into tonight's matchup. He said if he were in Baylor's position of facing Nebraska, he would try to shut down NU's middle blockers.

"If they are going to take that away, our left sides have to be able to make them pay," Cook said. "If they try to shut down our left side, then (Lindsey) Licht and those middles better make them pay."

The Huskers are fifth in the Big 12 in digs per set at 15.76, and Cook said he hopes his team can ride the recent momentum into postseason play.

"Serving, blocking and defense is really what creates anxiety in other teams at this time of year," Cook said. "We want to be a suffocating type defensive team."

dougburger@dailynebraskan.com