Hoping to catch Thursday’s Husker Volleyball game from the National Championship semi-finals in San Antonio? Think again.

ESPNU, ESPN’s upstart channel devoted to underexposed college sports, owns the TV rights to the game and isn’t available in Nebraska’s two largest markets (TimeWarner in Lincoln and Cox in Omaha). DirectTV subscribers do get ESPNU and several bars in the area should have it on screen.

Diehard fans would be wise to trek to the Devaney Center in Lincoln, where the game will be broadcast for free. Other than that, drive around the neighborhood looking for the telltale satellite dish and buddy up with your neighbors - bringing some Holiday Cheer of course. Or simply hit your local sports bar (you know, the ones with lots of TVs).

The Huskers added to what is shaping up to be another decent recruiting class. The latest is a junior college transfer from City College of San Francisco, Maurice Purify. From the what the press and his soon-to-be-former coach, it sounds like he could have an immediate impact.

From the Lincoln Journal Star:

Purify drew a five-star rating (out of five possible) from Scout.com and a four-star ranking from Rivals.com. He’ll have three seasons to play two at Nebraska.

“Nebraska’s getting a guy who — unless something odd happens — you’ll be paying to see play on Sundays (in the NFL),” said John Balano, an assistant coach and head strength and conditioning coach at City College of San Francisco. “He’s a big receiver who runs aggressive routes. He’s long and rangy and deceptively fast.”

Collegiate Tennis Online: The Nebraska women’s tennis team enters the 2006 spring season with numerous individual ITA Central Regional Rankings, including the No. 7 doubles ranking for the duo of sophomore Imke Reimers and senior Ewelina Skaza.

Reimers and Skaza received the No. 7 doubles ranking after two victories over conference foes in the Main Draw of the ITA Regionals.  The duo is coming off of a 17-win season, which ranks No. 5 on NU’s single-season doubles chart.

In singles, freshman Kim Hartmann showed her ability to contribute immediately in the fall season.  Hartmann, ranked No. 9 regionally, defeated three nationally ranked opponents at the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships.  Reimers received a No. 21 singles ranking.  The sophomore from Germany posted a 6-2 fall record, including four straight victories en route to capturing the ITA Central Regional Consolation Bracket.   Freshman Vanessa Heute earned the No. 28 regional ranking.  Heute burst onto the Husker tennis scene when she won four straight matches at the ITA Central Regional and advanced to the third round of the Main Draw of the ITA Central Regional.

Assistant coach Hayden Perez was excited about the new rankings.

“It’s exciting to have three girls ranked in singles and especially for two of them to be newcomers is meaningful,” Perez said.  “By having three players ranked, it shows the strength of our team.  We had a good fall and hope to build off of that in the spring.” 

Omaha World Herald: Nebraska has added its fifth oral commitment in nine days from junior-college offensive lineman Victory Haines.

Haines committed to NU, according to rivals.com, on Saturday during an official recruiting visit to the school. He attended the Huskers’ annual banquet on Saturday night and was unavailable for comment.

One of seven recruits on campus this weekend, the 6-foot-7, 285-pound Haines attends Snow (Utah) College - the school that produced defensive end C.J. Ah You of Oklahoma and offensive tackle Taitusi Lutui of Southern California.

Haines, orginally from Logan, Utah, was reportedly also offered scholarships by Duke, New Mexico State and Hawaii.

After seven contests at the Devaney Center, Nebraska is set to play its first road game of the season when it takes on Creighton in Omaha on Sunday.

Nebraska ended its longest homestand in 80 years with a 6-1 record after defeating South Dakota State, 76-67, on Thursday. It is the second time in three years that the Huskers have won six of their first seven contests. In 2003-04, Nebraska opened the year with a 10-1 mark before getting into conference play and finished the season with an 18-13 record while advancing to the second round of the NIT.

Nebraska and Creighton will be matching up for the 39th time in the series that dates back to the 1922-23 campaign, with the Huskers holding a 22-16 all-time lead.

Creighton enters the weekend with a 3-2 record after dropping its last two games, both on the road. CU is undefeated in two contests at home in the Qwest Center with an 87-55 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff and a 91-90 double-overtime victory over Dayton.

The Huskers dominated the series from the early 1980s to the mid-1990s, taking a 15-3 advantage during one stretch, but Creighton has turned the tables in recent years. The Bluejays have won seven of the past nine contests since 1997 with the Huskers’ last win coming in the 2004 postseason NIT, 71-70, at the Qwest Center. NU lost earlier that season in Omaha, giving it a 1-1 record in the Qwest Center. Overall, Creighton leads the series in Omaha 11-9.

Since the series resumed on a yearly basis in 1977, seven meetings have been decided by five points or less, including each of the past two matchups being decided by a basket in the final 10 seconds.

[via Huskers.com]

[UPDATE] Creighton 70, Nebraska 44

Just like UCLA, the Florida Gators go down in defeat to the Husker Volleyball team in straight sets.

Nebraska will face the winner of Arizona v. Santa Clara Thursday night in San Antonio.

The top-ranked Husker Volleyball team drops UCLA in straight sets to continue on in the NCAA tournament. Nebraska won 30-28, 30-24 and 30-16 in front of an NCAA-record crowd at the Qwest Center. The win eliminates UCLA from the tournament and Nebraska advances to a 5:00 pm game on Saturday vs. Florida.

Journal Star: Turner Gill is continuing to pursue a head coaching job. The former Nebraska quarterback and assistant coach has interviewed for the vacancy at the University of Buffalo, according to the Buffalo (N.Y.) News.

Gill, 43, is in his first season as director of player development and offensive assistant with the NFL Green Bay Packers. He had spent the previous 13 seasons as a Nebraska assistant coach.

Gill couldn’t be reached for comment Tuesday. If he lands the Buffalo job, he would join the same conference as former Nebraska head coach Frank Solich, who just completed his first season at Ohio.

In announcing his resignation from Nebraska last February, Gill said he wanted to pursue head coaching opportunities. He is known to have interviewed for head coaching positions at New Mexico State and Sam Houston State, with those jobs going to Hal Mumme and Todd Whitten, respectively.

Gill coached receivers at Nebraska in 2004 after 12 seasons of guiding quarterbacks. He was 28-2 as the Huskers’ starting quarterback from 1981-83.

Courtesy of KingsOfVegas.com, the rest of the Bowl Game Schedule.

Journal Star: Playing in the Alamo Bowl might help bolster the Huskers’ success in a region fertile with football talent, NU coach Bill Callahan said Monday.

“For any prospect in the state of Texas who has interest in Nebraska, this will give us great exposure and allow us not only to get exposure through media coverage and being in San Antonio, but to invite their coaches to practice and have a dialogue with the area coaches.

“It’s just another avenue to extend ourselves and to really sell what Nebraska’s all about.”

At the bowl site, Nebraska coaches are barred by NCAA rules from initiating contact with prospects. However, coaches can have contact with prospects’ coaches.

Callahan said a Nebraska triumph in the Alamo Bowl also would provide a dose of momentum for next season, when the Huskers play each of the two teams that will play for the national title Jan. 4 in the Rose Bowl. Southern Cal plays host to Nebraska next Sept. 16 in Los Angeles, while Texas comes to Lincoln on Oct. 21.

“I don’t think anybody faces the schedule we’re going to face a year from now,” Callahan said.