15. Allison Weston
Volleyball / Papillion / Born: 1974
QUICK FACTS:
Played for: Papillion-La Vista High, Nebraska Cornhuskers, 2000 U.S. Olympic team and AGIL Trecate Italian pro team
Best athlete from Nebraska played with or against: Nikki Stricker Best, a Lincoln native who played volleyball at NU from 1990 through 1993. "I remember being so impressed with her when we played against each other in high school," Weston said. Best, now the head volleyball coach at Montana, hired Weston as an assistant in 2002.
Best moment as an athlete: "Winning the national championship in 1995. That whole season was pretty remarkable. Being a part of the 2000 Olympics is a very close second."
When Allison Weston started playing volleyball at Nebraska, her teammates knew if she made a mistake.
When Weston wasn't pleased with herself during practice, she'd often scream and slap the court. Eventually, she learned to muffle her disgust by pulling at her collar and barking down into her shirt. Former NU coach Terry Pettit convinced Weston it's best not to show your frustration.
"I was always very demanding and very hard on myself," Weston said. "But I learned how to turn frustration into positive energy."
Weston also was a standout in basketball and soccer before graduating from Papillion-La Vista in 1992. But as a volleyball player at NU, she quickly developed into one of the most versatile talents in the country.
A dominant attacker, Weston was NU's first three-time first-team AllAmerican, and she led the Huskers to the 1995 national championship. She was the first Morgan Trophy Award recipient, which goes to the nation's top player, and she was voted captain of the U.S. Olympic team that played in the 2000 Sydney Games.
"Allison was such a complete, all-around player," Pettit said. "Now, with the libero and more chances to make substitutions, the chances of ever seeing someone like her again are becoming increasingly remote. She was just great at everything, and she really exemplifies how I think Nebraska volleyball likes to see itself."
-- Chad Purcell
QUICK FACTS:
Played for: Papillion-La Vista High, Nebraska Cornhuskers, 2000 U.S. Olympic team and AGIL Trecate Italian pro team
Best athlete from Nebraska played with or against: Nikki Stricker Best, a Lincoln native who played volleyball at NU from 1990 through 1993. "I remember being so impressed with her when we played against each other in high school," Weston said. Best, now the head volleyball coach at Montana, hired Weston as an assistant in 2002.
Best moment as an athlete: "Winning the national championship in 1995. That whole season was pretty remarkable. Being a part of the 2000 Olympics is a very close second."
