What Nebraska has accomplished in this volleyball season of absolute dominance is mind-boggling. How the top-ranked Cornhuskers have accomplished it might be even more compelling, or somewhat scary if you are 11th-ranked Hawai'i heading into tomorrow's midseason match in Lincoln.

Coaches have run out of adjectives to describe the defending national champions, who have ripped through their first 17 victories with the loss of only one game. That came in August against UCLA, and opponents have been paying for the momentary lapse since.

"The more we look at them the more we understand how good they really are," UH coach Dave Shoji said. "They are hitting over 30 percent. It's just scary. They have so many weapons, no weak position. ... The setter has so many options. It's something you dream about."

For the past 11 months, opponents have only dreamed of beating the Cornhuskers. Their last loss came 27 matches ago. They have dropped just six games since, with Minnesota's five-game scare in the regional final the pivotal point according to NU coach John Cook.

His team's focus now is to win the Big 12, again, and evaluate its improvement the second half of the season. But it's goal, since that Minnesota scare in December, remains very simplistic:

"We just talk about trying to max out on each point," Cook said. "That was a valuable lesson learned last year. You can't start looking ahead. The Minnesota match was a great teaching moment for our team. The positive thing was, if we don't have that match, we don't win the national championship. It taught us to play only one point at a time. We constantly remind them. It's part of our culture now."

It is a culture the Rainbow Wahine (16-3) will need to embrace tomorrow. Nebraska is the tallest team in the country — its hitters average 6 feet 3 — and returns five All-Americans from the 2006 NCAA championship team, including sophomore setter Rachel Holloway.

She runs a warp-speed attack with high-tech weapons. The ball will be coming at the 'Bows at a quicker pace and from a higher angle than anything they have seen all season. And the wall Nebraska will put up will bear no resemblance to what they have seen in the WAC.

Christina Houghtelling, the 2005 national player of the year, ranks third on the team in kills. Jordan Larson, who is second, was last year's Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.

Sarah Pavan is first, and the reigning national player of the year. She will be a threat from every inch of Devaney Center tomorrow; with 16 kills tonight against Kansas, she will become the school's career leader.

Nebraska's middles are Kori Cooper — the other freshman starter with Holloway last year — and Tracy Stalls, who is hitting .494. That's second nationally and she went 15 for 19 Wednesday at Missouri.

The 'Huskers lead the country in hitting (.346), kills (18.58) and assists (17.17) and should become the first team since Hawai'i, in 2002, to finish the season No. 1 in all three statistics.

More telling might be what they are imposing on their opponents, who are hitting 200 points lower, averaging six fewer kills and more than a block less a game, and getting out-aced 91-33.

"The attack efficiency is probably the biggest surprise," Cook said. "It's pretty high. At this time last year we were hitting .266 in conference and right now we're at .360. A lot of it is, Holloway is a year older and wiser."

And probably can't make a bad choice when she sets the ball. Nebraska has swept its last 15 opponents, won 47 straight games and has eight victories over Top-25 teams. Opponents have scored less than 20 points in 56 percent of the games.

Nebraska is brutally efficient, spectacularly talented and seemingly serene with its star-laden lineup floating unbeaten in a volleyball world of its own. Monday, it broke USC's record of 24 straight weeks at No. 1, pushing it to 25. It has been atop the poll 80 weeks overall, by far the most of any Division I team.

Beyond all that, the Cornhuskers are incredibly bright. Pavan became the fourth volleyball player to win the Honda-Broderick Cup, given to the country's finest female collegiate athlete, in June (UH All-American Deitre Collins was the first). She holds a 4.0 grade point average in biochemistry. Houghtelling, who sat out last year after shoulder surgery, has a 3.90 GPA and Stalls is at 3.946.

"We've got great kids in this program," said Cook, who has been bringing them in since taking over for Terry Pettit in 2000. "We've got four great seniors (backup setter Maggie Griffin is the fourth) who are all 4.0 students. They are all very accomplished players. They've been through the wars, have a great perspective on life and being part of this team. They understand Nebraska volleyball and represent it very well. They are the ones running the show. I rely on them a lot, remind them this is their team. They are motivated as a group. They want to leave a great legacy."

Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com.