Three takes from Nebraska smashing world women’s attendance record and sweeping Omaha
Nebraska volleyball had the largest crowd in women’s athletics history, with 92,003 attendance, at Memorial Stadium during Volleyball Day in Nebraska. Let that sink in.
In the history of women’s athletics, including all of the wonderful championship and world final games, Nebraska tops the list.
Not only did the Huskers set a seemingly unreachable number, but they also took care of business. Nebraska beat Omaha in three quick sets (25-14, 25-14, 25-13).
RELATED – Nebraska volleyball sweeps Omaha on record-breaking Volleyball Day in Nebraska
The Huskers hit .263 despite a windy night. The temperature was perfect. Maybe even the best night in Lincoln in weeks.
Even though the Huskers dominated on the court, they didn’t talk about the match itself during the post-match press conference. This was a day that these players, coaches and fans will remember forever. People across the world will remember the day Nebraska volleyball shocked the world.
Here are my three takes from an unforgettable event:
Great under pressure
Nebraska will likely never play in an environment as big as Memorial Stadium. They could and hope to play in situations with more pressure (a national championship, for example). But the expectations couldn’t have been higher. A world record high.
So much adrenaline is flowing after the Tunnel Walk, especially a one-and-a-lifetime Tunnel Walk. A record-breaking crowd was on their feet to welcome and celebrate their Husker volleyball team.
The Huskers settled in much quicker than I anticipated. They won the first two points and took a 3-1 lead early. Murray had two big kills to take the lead. NU got up to a 10-4 lead after a 6-0 scoring run.
They didn’t look out of sorts at all.
“They perform great,” Husker Head Coach John Cook said. “I was very, very impressed with how they handled the moment and it was not easy with the wind trying to make those adjustments. I thought they did a wonderful job doing it. Very proud of them.”
If this team makes it as far as they hope, they’ll have a great taste of how they will handle the pressure.
Even after the news of setting a world record, the Huskers ran out onto the court for set three. They kept the hammer down and got up to a huge lead.
Setter Bergen Reilly did a great job running the offense in front of a loud crowd on a windy. She had 19 assists and a .311 setting percentage. Reilly had three great setter dumps and two very close to each other. Her composure during what was likely the biggest match of her young career was incredible. All of the players were.
The Huskers have big goals and at the top of that list is a national championship. They just played on the biggest stage literally possible at this level and performed at a high level.
“I think we took a big step on this because this is as big as anything they’re ever going to play in,” Cook said.
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An electric environment
Nebraska volleyball has set the standard high for the Husker football games to come in Memorial Stadium. Husker fans showed their excitement and appreciation throughout the entire match.
Cook is never afraid to say the crowd at the Bob Devaney Sports Center was flat. He had no critiques on Wednesday.
“I’ve never seen the crowd in Memorial Stadium as fired up as they were tonight for the entire event,” Cook said. “I hope we set a new standard tonight for football games with our fans, what they can do and the energy they can bring. The energy down there was unbelievable.”
Nebraska volleyball breaks women’s world attendance record
The Huskers have inadvertently challenged football fans in another way as well. Nebraska volleyball now owns the Memorial Stadium attendance record.
The Tunnel Walk was just as iconic as the football teams.
Cook, libero Lexi Rodriguez and opposite hitter Merritt Beason (the Huskers’ captains) led the team out of the Tunnel Walk. Beason was playing it cool but Rodriguez had a huge grin on her face.
“I was really just trying to stay in the moment and stay present and soak it all in,” Rodriguez said. “I was super excited. So I couldn’t just hold a serious face. I just wanted to show everyone how happy I was and how excited I was.”
The entire day was filled with events, including the Rally at the Coliseum, presented by Adidas. Tears were shed throughout the day. At the Rally, two young girls were chosen to talk to the team and the crowd. One cried because she was “so excited to meet Bekka Allick.” All of the players and Cook got emotional.
Cook cried at the Rally and cried while on the court, soaking in the moment. He said he cried five times on Wednesday and had to bite his cheek a few times to keep it together. The coach said he “lost it” when he hugged Briana Holman for the first time since she graduated in 2017.
It’s not just the record. It’s the support this team and program felt and continue to feel from their fans. Women’s programs across the country dream of having 100 fans in their gyms or selling out the gym. Nebraska sold out an entire football stadium.
Cook dreamed and grinded to build Nebraska volleyball to this iconic, unbreakable brand and fan base. Wednesday was a culmination of his hard work and the work of many, many others.
Volleyball on the rise
The previous USA women’s attendance record was USA vs. China in the FIFA World Finals in Pasadena, CA at the Rose Bowl. Cook remembers that match in 1999 vividly.
“I remember as like it was yesterday,” Cook said. “It was so impactful. Seeing those women compete and their celebration afterward, they’ve made a mark on women’s sports in this country. Again, they showed what can be done and how big a crowd they could draw.
“But that was a US team playing and I think it was a world championship at the time and this is a college volleyball team, a Division I college volleyball team playing another in-state Division I volleyball team and to Division Two teams. I think this is going to impact a lot of people.”
The sport of volleyball is and has been on the rise. Attendance at Final Four matches and others across the country have continued to grow. Television viewership is way up (stand by on the Volleyball Day in Nebraska numbers).
On Wednesday, people of all ages, saw 92,003 people celebrating and having a wonderful time during a volleyball match. They saw how much volleyball means to the state of Nebraska. It’s in the core of this state, just like football and farming.
Just like there was after the USA Finals soccer match, I expect there to be a boom in volleyball players and interest after this event. Even the NCAA President Charlie Baker was at Memorial Stadium.
“It’s huge. I’ve been saying it ever since we were considering this to be like an option for a game,” Rodriguez said. “I’ve just been saying that it’s so huge for little girls to get to see a women’s sport and volleyball being played on this big of a stage and having so many people invest into it. I think it’s huge because when you’re little you have big dreams and big goals. I think having this to look up to is something that a lot of little girls will keep in the back of their mind when they’re pursuing the sport of volleyball.”
Nebraska volleyball’s motto is “Dream Big” and they are the epitome of doing what seems impossible. The Huskers have inspired the world to do just that.
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