Did we recruit Kori Cooper from Canyon when she was coming out of high school?
http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2007/12/06/huskerextra/volleyball/doc47574eca0eb1a983545294.txt
COOPER DOING HER PART FOR NEBRASKA
Madison, Wis. — Considering the spotlight that beams onto the five All-Americans on the volleyball court for second-ranked Nebraska, you might think that Kori Cooper could sometimes get lost in the dark.
Not a chance. Not once you’ve come to know the sophomore from north Texas with the bounce in her step, the fan favorite who Coliseum-goers know best as “Coooop.”
“She’s incredible. She really is a light for our team,” said senior Tracy Stalls, who not surprisingly, takes quite seriously her role as the momma duck to Cooper and Amanda Gates, Nebraska’s other experienced middle blockers.
“What’s always been so cool for me is to watch those two and see how supportive they are of each other,” Stalls added. “There is competitive tension at that position, but they both embrace it, they both understand it, and they don’t seem to carry it with them off the court.”
As Nebraska heads to this weekend’s Madison Regional in pursuit of two wins and a third consecutive trip to the NCAA final four, it is Cooper, as much as anyone on Nebraska’s talent-rich side of the net, who has a critical role.
Study this year’s numbers and you’ll find a connection between Cooper’s best nights and Nebraska’s strongest nights offensively. If she can help to take some of the heat off Sarah Pavan and Christina Houghtelling at the net, college volleyball’s two most recent players of the year become even better.
“She’s got to get sets that she can terminate, but when she’s one-on-one, she’s got to put the ball away,” said Nebraska coach John Cook. “Last year, she wasn’t really even an option. Now, we start off saying we’re going to give Kori sets until you stop her.”
Cooper is stronger and more physical, a big emphasis in the offseason, and she’s more confident, the offshoot of last year’s national championship match.
Cooper started the match against Stanford, only to be pulled after producing two kills and a block through three games. Gates stepped in, and it was her block that tied game three at 27-27 and her key pass of a short serve in game four that catapulted NU to the national title.
“I don’t think we would have had the outcome had she not come in and done that,” Cooper said this week. “After that match, I looked at what broke down in that match and looked ahead knowing that I had another chance to prove that I should be out there.
“That’s what’s been motivating me this year. You know you didn’t play as well as you could have, but you know the next time you’re going to play better.”
Once again the starter, Cooper has improved her numbers from a year ago and enters this weekend averaging 2.30 kills and 1.05 blocks a game. She’s hitting at a .349 clip.
Cooper’s positive energy comes in part from growing up under a coach’s roof. Her mother and brother both played college basketball, and her father, Rick, is in his 15th year as head men’s basketball coach at West Texas A&M.
While her father’s team is off to a good start this winter, it’s hard to match Cooper’s career mark of 62-2 as a college player at Nebraska. She’s often reminded that while it might seem easy, winning is hard.
“I see the toll it takes on him,” Cooper said. “Every time you step on the court, you’ve got to fight for the win.”
That’s just the mentality that Cook hopes his team will take into Friday’s match with No. 24 Michigan State, one of six unseeded teams to earn spots in this weekend’s Sweet 16.
A year ago at this point, Cook said Nebraska looked more like a team playing not to lose than one intent on winning.
He believes last year’s five-game thriller with Minnesota, just like Cooper’s performance in the championship match, was a great learning experience.
“This weekend, we’re not protecting anything,” Cook said. “We know we’re going to have to go there and take it.”
http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2007/12/06/huskerextra/volleyball/doc47574eca0eb1a983545294.txt
COOPER DOING HER PART FOR NEBRASKA
Madison, Wis. — Considering the spotlight that beams onto the five All-Americans on the volleyball court for second-ranked Nebraska, you might think that Kori Cooper could sometimes get lost in the dark.
Not a chance. Not once you’ve come to know the sophomore from north Texas with the bounce in her step, the fan favorite who Coliseum-goers know best as “Coooop.”
“She’s incredible. She really is a light for our team,” said senior Tracy Stalls, who not surprisingly, takes quite seriously her role as the momma duck to Cooper and Amanda Gates, Nebraska’s other experienced middle blockers.
“What’s always been so cool for me is to watch those two and see how supportive they are of each other,” Stalls added. “There is competitive tension at that position, but they both embrace it, they both understand it, and they don’t seem to carry it with them off the court.”
As Nebraska heads to this weekend’s Madison Regional in pursuit of two wins and a third consecutive trip to the NCAA final four, it is Cooper, as much as anyone on Nebraska’s talent-rich side of the net, who has a critical role.
Study this year’s numbers and you’ll find a connection between Cooper’s best nights and Nebraska’s strongest nights offensively. If she can help to take some of the heat off Sarah Pavan and Christina Houghtelling at the net, college volleyball’s two most recent players of the year become even better.
“She’s got to get sets that she can terminate, but when she’s one-on-one, she’s got to put the ball away,” said Nebraska coach John Cook. “Last year, she wasn’t really even an option. Now, we start off saying we’re going to give Kori sets until you stop her.”
Cooper is stronger and more physical, a big emphasis in the offseason, and she’s more confident, the offshoot of last year’s national championship match.
Cooper started the match against Stanford, only to be pulled after producing two kills and a block through three games. Gates stepped in, and it was her block that tied game three at 27-27 and her key pass of a short serve in game four that catapulted NU to the national title.
“I don’t think we would have had the outcome had she not come in and done that,” Cooper said this week. “After that match, I looked at what broke down in that match and looked ahead knowing that I had another chance to prove that I should be out there.
“That’s what’s been motivating me this year. You know you didn’t play as well as you could have, but you know the next time you’re going to play better.”
Once again the starter, Cooper has improved her numbers from a year ago and enters this weekend averaging 2.30 kills and 1.05 blocks a game. She’s hitting at a .349 clip.
Cooper’s positive energy comes in part from growing up under a coach’s roof. Her mother and brother both played college basketball, and her father, Rick, is in his 15th year as head men’s basketball coach at West Texas A&M.
While her father’s team is off to a good start this winter, it’s hard to match Cooper’s career mark of 62-2 as a college player at Nebraska. She’s often reminded that while it might seem easy, winning is hard.
“I see the toll it takes on him,” Cooper said. “Every time you step on the court, you’ve got to fight for the win.”
That’s just the mentality that Cook hopes his team will take into Friday’s match with No. 24 Michigan State, one of six unseeded teams to earn spots in this weekend’s Sweet 16.
A year ago at this point, Cook said Nebraska looked more like a team playing not to lose than one intent on winning.
He believes last year’s five-game thriller with Minnesota, just like Cooper’s performance in the championship match, was a great learning experience.
“This weekend, we’re not protecting anything,” Cook said. “We know we’re going to have to go there and take it.”