Steven M. Sipple: Husker volleyball team envied
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So much for the Nebraska volleyball team’s “rebuilding year.”
So much for folks that were merrily anticipating the Huskers’ demise, what with the departure of four All-Americans, plus a brutally difficult early schedule.
Second-ranked Nebraska takes a 9-0 record into Saturday night’s match against No. 3 Texas (6-1) at the NU Coliseum. The volleyball world will be watching, and probably cheering for Texas.
Husker coach John Cook noticed it a few years ago. Non-Nebraska folks — the Pac-10 comes to mind — began resenting Big Red’s success much the way many sports fans tend to cheer against the Yankees, Notre Dame football and Duke basketball.
“That’s not the way we feel about Nebraska here,” Stanford coach John Dunning said Thursday. “I don’t see why anybody would be bitter toward Nebraska at all.”
OK, Dunning sort of understands why.
“I think when you do win a lot of matches, people want to beat you,” he said. “The way we like to look at it at Stanford, it’s a show of respect. It’s going to make us better by playing teams that are prepared every single time we play them. It’s going to make us better by having teams want to beat us badly.”
This was supposed to be a year many foes would get even with Nebraska. The Huskers were No. 7 in the preseason poll. That was low for them. They had a new setter and an untested right-side hitter and, well, you know the story. NU blitzed No. 2 Stanford and No. 4 USC in the AVCA Showcase in Omaha, swept No. 14 Cal Poly on the road and — here comes the topper — traveled to No. 18 Kansas State and prevailed Wednesday despite missing two starters because of disciplinary reasons.
So, Husker haters are cringing now. Oh, they must absolutely love the thought of Nebraska storming Qwest Center Omaha in December with a roaring sea of red for the NCAA final four. Yeah, just wonderful.
I can understand some petty jealousy on the part of rivals, but comparing the Huskers to the Yankees? Ouch.
“We’ve been called that many times,” Cook said.
Cook is 259-16 at Nebraska (.941), winning national titles in 2000 and 2006. Big Red has earned 26 straight trips to the NCAA Tournament. It has won 75 straight home matches. The Coliseum’s always sold out. Yeah, hearing all that stuff might get a little old for coaches recruiting against NU.
What’s more, “I’ve probably fueled it by saying a few things,” Cook said.
In 2006, Nebraska was joined in the final four in Omaha by three Pac-10 teams. Everybody was singing the Pac-10’s praises. Everybody except Cook.
“If Pac-10 teams are so good, are they filling arenas?” Cook asked Thursday. “Are they setting attendance records? Are they doing anything to help the sport? The answer was no, but they didn’t like hearing that.”
Meanwhile, Nebraska continues to take risks to inspire interest in volleyball. Risks such as leaving the comforts of the Coliseum to play before sellouts in the Devaney Sports Center. Risks such as playing host to a second final four despite the real possibility of being spectators when the event rolls around in December.
“We’re trying to get the best teams to come in for our (Ameritas Players Challenge),” Cook said. “We’re paying them big guarantees to come in because we want to try to create (intriguing) matchups. We’ve thrown out all kinds of ideas of creating matchups — conference matchups like basketball does or home and away (series) like Nebraska-UCLA. Those are the kind of risks we’re taking to try to create interest in the sport.”
Nebraska picked up a huge shot of momentum by winning Wednesday — momentum the Huskers carry into their match against Texas, an awesomely talented outfit. So, two of volleyball’s titans set to battle in one of the premier settings in all of women’s sports, and arguably all of sports, period.
So, tell me again, what’s not to like about Nebraska volleyball?
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.
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