[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Pages 2497-2498]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 COMMENDING THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA--LINCOLN WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL TEAM

  Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary 
Committee be discharged from further consideration and the Senate now 
proceed to S. Res. 44.

[[Page 2498]]

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk 
will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 44) commending the University of 
     Nebraska-Lincoln women's volleyball team for winning the 
     National Collegiate Athletic Association Division 1 Women's 
     Volleyball Championship.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to 
reconsider be laid upon the table, and I ask that a statement by 
Senator Nelson of Nebraska be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
 Mr. NELSON of Nebraska. Madam President, today I wish to 
congratulate the No. 1 volleyball team in America: the University of 
Nebraska Cornhuskers Women's Volleyball Team.
  The Cornhuskers won their third national title with a 3-1 victory 
over Stanford University on December 16, 2006. Previously, Nebraska 
captured National Collegiate Athletic Association's Women's Division I 
Volleyball Championships in 1995 and 2000.
  The win moved Nebraska into a tie for second place on the list of 
all-time NCAA Volleyball Championships among all schools. The title was 
also the second for the Huskers under Coach John Cook, who led Nebraska 
to the 2000 title in his first season as Nebraska's head coach.
  Nebraska ended its 2006 season with a 33-1 record. The team's .971 
winning percentage led the Nation and was the second-best mark in 
school history. The Huskers also became just the third team in NCAA 
history to be ranked No. 1 for the entire season.
  In addition, the Cornhuskers are the first team outside of the 
Pacific Ten Conference to win a national title in women's volleyball 
since Nebraska's last title in 2000. After finishing runner-up last 
year, Nebraska became just the third volleyball team to ever win the 
National Championship season after losing in the NCAA's final match. 
Pennsylvania State University, Penn State, and the University of 
California at Los Angeles, UCLA, are the only other schools to 
accomplish such a feat.
  Attendance at the championship match, played at the Qwest Center in 
Omaha, NE, totaled 17,209, an all-time collegiate volleyball record. 
The total attendance for the entire championship session of 34,222 also 
set an NCAA record. The previous record was 23,978 set during the 1998 
Championships in Madison, WI.
  On their way to winning the national title, several Huskers collected 
prestigious individual honors as well. Nebraska's 6-foot, 5-inch junior 
right-side hitter, Sarah Pavan, led the way, winning the American 
Volleyball Coaches Association's, AVCA, Division I National Player of 
the Year award and the 2006-2007 Honda Sports Award for volleyball. 
Pavan became the fourth Husker to win each award. Along with Pavan, 
sophomore outside hitter Jordan Larson was named an AVCA First Team 
All-American, while junior middle blocker Tracy Stalls was a second-
team selection and redshirt freshman setter Rachel Holloway was a 
third-team honoree.
  It is a tremendous accomplishment to win a National Championship, and 
the University of Nebraska's Women's Volleyball Team is to be commended 
for its excellence and for the pride it has instilled in all 
Nebraskans.
  The resolution (S. Res. 44) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                               S. Res. 44

       Whereas the University of Nebraska-Lincoln women's 
     volleyball team (referred to in this preamble as the 
     ``Huskers'') won the 2006 National Collegiate Athletic 
     Association (NCAA) Division I Women's Volleyball National 
     Championship at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Nebraska, on 
     December 16, 2006;
       Whereas Husker junior Sarah Pavan was chosen as the 
     Nation's top collegiate female volleyball player, winning the 
     2006-07 Honda Sports Award for volleyball;
       Whereas Sarah Pavan was named the ESPN Magazine Academic 
     All-American of the Year, becoming the University of 
     Nebraska's 234th Academic All-American and the university's 
     29th Academic All-American in volleyball;
       Whereas the University of Nebraska leads the Nation in the 
     number of players named Academic All-Americans;
       Whereas the Huskers completed the 2006 season with a record 
     of 33-1;
       Whereas Husker head coach John Cook has led the team to 3 
     national championships;
       Whereas the Huskers made their sixth appearance in the NCAA 
     finals;
       Whereas the 2006 Huskers are only the third team in the 
     history of the NCAA to lead the American Volleyball Coaches 
     Association poll for an entire season;
       Whereas the entire Husker volleyball team should be 
     commended for its determination, work ethic, attitude, and 
     heart;
       Whereas the University of Nebraska is building an 
     impressive legacy of excellence in its volleyball program; 
     and
       Whereas the University of Nebraska volleyball players have 
     brought great honor to themselves, their families, their 
     university, and the State of Nebraska: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) commends the University of Nebraska-Lincoln women's 
     volleyball team for winning the 2006 National Collegiate 
     Athletic Association Division I Women's Volleyball National 
     Championship; and
       (2) recognizes the achievements of the players, coaches, 
     students, and staff whose hard work and dedication made 
     winning the Championship possible.

     

                          ____________________