Mueller steps up in Saturday’s win

daily nebraskan
Tara Mueller's Friday night can be described with one word:
Frustration.
Saturday night was a different story, though.
In Friday night's three-set loss to No. 16 Michigan, the junior outside hitter just couldn't get it going.
She only compiled one kill in the first set in seven total attacks and finished the match with five kills and six errors.
Mueller was blocked on consecutive attacks during one point in the second set, giving Michigan a three-point lead.
With a less than perfect outcome for her team, Mueller wanted to put the night behind her.
She did just that.
In the first set on Saturday night against No. 11 Minnesota, Mueller came out hot, producing eight kills in 10 attacks, leading the No. 3 Huskers to a first-set victory (25-20).
"I think Tara was very disappointed with how she played (Friday) night, and it's good to see her come out and play like an All-American (Saturday night)," said NU coach John Cook. "She still made errors, and I think she ran out of gas a little bit, but she did set the tone for us early."
Mueller slowed down as the match went on, but the energy she created in her first set was enough to get the rest of her teammates going.
NU freshman Gina Mancuso finished the first set Saturday night with a forceful set, picking up where Mueller left off.
Sophomore Brooke Delano was equally impressive in the way she finished the match, recording four kills and two blocks in the deciding set.
"She did a great job tonight," Mancuso said of Mueller. "She really stepped it up as a leader tonight and us feeding off that energy was great, and that's just what we needed to get going."
Mueller stepped up in a big way on Saturday night, recording six of the Huskers' first 10 points.
"After last night, our main focus was getting on Minnesota fast, and I think that just tonight we were just playing more like a team and for each other," Mueller said.
With a team filled with players who have little or no experience at the Division 1 volleyball level, Cook said it's important for the upperclassmen, including Mueller, to embrace a leadership role.
"We have one senior, and it's us juniors," Mueller said. "So, there are definitely some leadership roles that needed to be filled with our class, and I definitely see myself in a leadership position."
Mueller finished the night against Minnesota with 17 kills in 57 attacks.
"With this team, I think we don't exactly have that one person yet that can really do that and switch over the whole team's mentality," Mueller said. "There is a few of us that need to do it, and there is a few people that have to step up, and new people will have to step up."
dougburger@dailynebraskan.com