1996 NCAA SEMIFINALISTS (30-4, 19-1 Big 12)
HONORS & AWARDS
• USOC Elite Coach of the Year
Terry Pettit
• AVCA District 5 Coach of the Year
Terry Pettit
• Big 12 Coach of the Year
Terry Pettit
• AVCA All-Americans
Lisa Reitsma, first team
Fiona Nepo, first team
• CoSIDA Academic All-American
Lisa Reitsma, third team
• NCAA Regional All-Tournament
Lisa Reitsma
Megan Korver
Fiona Nepo
• NCAA Championship All-Tournament
Lisa Reitsma
• All-Big 12
Lisa Reitsma (Player of the Year)
Fiona Nepo, first team
Megan Korver, first team
Kate Crnich, first team
1996 Big 12 Champion Huskers - (Back row from left): Jen Livers, Assistant Coach Cathy Noth, Assistant Coach Nikki Best, Katie Jahnke, Tonia Tauke, Lisa Reitsma, Lisa Avery, Megan Korver, Head
Coach Terry Pettit, Manager Marcus Shorney and Athletic Trainer Tara Kramer. (Front row from left): Stacie Maser, Mandy Monson, Kim Crandall, Denise Koziol, Renee Saunders, Kate Crnich, Fiona
Nepo, Maria Hedbeck, Jaime Krondak.
Near Repeat
Despite the loss of three standout seniors who
guided Nebraska to its first national title in 1995,
and injuries to three key players, the Huskers nearly
became the first team to repeat as NCAA champions
since UCLA turned the trick in 1990 and 1991. NU
fell only two matches shy of back-to-back national
championships, dropping a hard-fought decision
to eventual champion Stanford in the national
semifinals.
NCAA Semifinals
The 30-3 Huskers faced top-seeded Stanford (29-2),
which featured four AVCA All-Americans. Nebraska won
the first game, 15-9, but the Cardinal amassed large
leads in each of the next three games, securing a 3-1
win. Two days later, the Cardinal swept Hawaii for
the national title. Lisa Reitsma led the Huskers with
a match-high 22 kills. Kate Crnich smacked 16 kills
and added a match-high 15 digs.
1996 Season Highlights
• NU opened the year by recording its then-school
record 32nd-straight victory, a 3-1 triumph over
Illinois State in the State Farm/NACWAA Classic.
• Nebraska claimed the first-ever Big 12
championship with a 19-1 league mark.
• Lisa Reitsma shattered Kathi DeBoer’s singleseason kill total (529 in 1987) with 611. In addition,
Reitsma’s 5.05 kills per game bettered Allison
Weston’s mark of 4.99 kills per game set in 1994.
• Fiona Nepo posted a school-record 1,653 set
assists, eclipsing the 1989 standard of 1,608 set by
Val Novak.
1990 NCAA SEMIFINALISTS (32-3, 12-0 Big Eight)
HONORS & AWARDS
• All-Americans
Janet Kruse, first team
Val Novak, first team
Stephanie Thater, second team
• CoSIDA Academic All-Americans
Janet Kruse, first team
Becky Bolli, third team
• CoSIDA Academic All-American-of-the-Year
Janet Kruse
• All-Mideast Region
Janet Kruse, first team
Val Novak, first team
Cris Hall, second team
• NCAA Regional All-Tournament
Val Novak
Cris Hall
Janet Kruse
Stephanie Thater
• All-Big Eight
Val Novak, first team
Janet Kruse, first team
Cris Hall, first team
Stephanie Thater, first team
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1990 Big Eight Champion Huskers - (Back row from left): Assistant Coach Cathy Noth, Head Coach Terry Pettit, Valerie Vermeulen, Linda Barsness, Stephanie Thater, Sara Hesch, Cris Hall, Janet
Kruse, Carla Baker, Assistant Coach John Cook. (Front row from left): Katherine Pettit, Manager Kari Possehl, Becky Bolli, Debbie Brand, Eileen Shannon, Laura Luther, Nikki Stricker, Kim Kinnan,
Jessica Walter, Val Novak, Athletic Trainer Therese Volmer.
Back-to-Back
For the second consecutive year, Nebraska
returned to the NCAA Championships, only to be
ousted one match short of the finals. Once again,
as it did in 1986, Pacific sent the Huskers home with
a 3-1 loss. It was the Tigers’ second victory of the
season against Nebraska, as the Tigers defeated the
Huskers 3-1 in an early season tournament.
2015 NEBRASKA VOLLEYBALL
NCAA Semifinals
A close match throughout, Nebraska and Pacific’s
intense game one set the tone. Nebraska led 13-11,
but saw the Tigers score four unanswered points and
claim the crucial first game. The Huskers rebounded
for a 15-11 win in game two, scoring the game’s final
three points. Games three and four were equally
competitive, but the Tigers had the stamina to
thwart Nebraska’s attack, winning 15-9 and 15-12.
Cris Hall led NU with 18 kills, while Val Novak had 46
assists and a match-high 17 digs. Krissy Fifer led the
Pacific attack with 21 kills.
1990 Season Highlights
• In terms of winning percentage, Nebraska
finished with its then-best season ever at 32-3
(.914). Before losing to Pacific in the semifinals,
Nebraska had won 16 straight contests.
• Nebraska set team records in block assists (558)
and opponent hitting percentage (.135).
• Nebraska won its 15th consecutive Big Eight
title with a perfect 12-0 record and the tournament
crown with a win over Colorado.
• The 1990 season was the last at the Nebraska
Coliseum until it reopened for volleyball in 1992. In
1990 the Huskers were a perfect 18-0 and drew an
average of 2,816 fans per match.