• Video: Nebraska coach John Cook speaks during his weekly press conference Tuesday:
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LINCOLN — Nebraska hasn't lost a volleyball match against Kansas State in seven years. But in John Cook's view, the Wildcats remain one of the Huskers' biggest Big 12 rivals.
The 2003 season doesn't seem that far in the past for Nebraska's coach. That was the year K-State swept its season series with the Huskers on the way to winning a conference championship.
Since then, Nebraska has won 13 in a row over the Wildcats. But some of those victories have been real struggles, so it's tough for Cook to believe that anything will come easy against coach Suzie Fritz and K-State.
“We have a lot of respect for them,” Cook said. “I think Suzie does a great job preparing and coaching that team. They always play really hard against us.”
No. 5 Nebraska (22-2, 14-1 Big 12) hosts Kansas State on Wednesday night at the NU Coliseum in the teams' last meeting as members of the same conference.
The Big Ten-bound Huskers have only three regular-season home matches remaining, and they likely must win out in November to claim an outright Big 12 championship over No. 7 Texas (17-5, 12-2).
Cook doesn't expect Wednesday's meeting with the Wildcats to end the series. He said K-State is one of the Big 12 schools that the Huskers will regularly try to schedule for future nonconference matches.
The Wildcats (10-15, 4-10) are coming off a Big 12 Saturday bye. K-State on Nov. 3 earned a four-set home win over Texas Tech. That victory snapped KSU's eight-match skid, all sweeps. The slump included a three-set loss against the Huskers on Oct. 16 in Manhattan.
On Saturday, Nebraska returns to the road for a match at Colorado (6-15, 3-12).
“This is a week for us where we have to take care of business,” Cook said. “But I think our team understands the sense of urgency. We have five matches left in the Big 12 ... I feel like we're dialing it up here as we go into the stretch run.”
Stemke plans return to bench
Nebraska assistant Lizzy Stemke hopes to return to the Huskers' sideline for Wednesday's home match against Kansas State, Cook said.
Stemke, who is pregnant, wasn't with the team during its past two road matches at Kansas and Texas Tech. She likely will not travel for away matches the rest of this season, Cook said.
Cook said the Huskers have arranged with the NCAA to have Lindsay (Wischmeier) Peterson coach Nebraska's setters whenever Stemke can't be with the team. Peterson, NU's director of volleyball operations, was a setter, defensive specialist and libero with the Huskers from 1999 through 2002. She also has coaching experience at Northern Colorado and Virginia Tech.
Stemke and her husband, Kevin, are expecting their first child. Her due date is around Christmas, but Cook said her doctor has encouraged her to remain in Lincoln before delivery. Stemke continues to work with the Huskers during practice.
“She's going to try to be on the bench (Wednesday),” Cook said. “I think her doctor has given her the OK — as long as she's calm. ... But she told her doctor that it was more stressful not being there (on the road).”
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