You couldn’t have asked for a better seniors’ night! Despite several challenges and errors, the Nebraska volleyball team held their ground and handed Wisconsin another defeat earlier today at the Devaney Center. The victory added to the celebration, especially since the Huskers repeated the 3-0 sweep that ended the Badgers’ undefeated streak on home soil earlier this month. Talk about giving the seniors a thunderous final round of applause! However, it wasn’t a perfect journey for Lexi Rodriguez and her teammates during their time in Lincoln.

Just hours before the two NCAA volleyball heavyweights faced off tonight, the Nebraska football team notched a major victory against its Wisconsin counterparts. Naturally, head coach John Cook was eager to keep the momentum going, and by the end of the night, he had every reason to beam with pride. However, there’s still a lingering thought of what could have made the victory even sweeter.

Nebraska volleyball HC determined to end the year on a high note

During the post-game presser, Cook couldn’t stop gushing about how Kennedi Orr, Leyla Blackwell, Merritt Beason, Lindsay Krause, and Rodriguez’s final seniors’ night was special. With that, he also noted how one achievement remains elusive for the Huskers seniors. “You know, it’s hard to put into words what this senior group means, and what they’ve done,” said the HC, nodding his hat at the incredible performances the athletes have dished out over the past few years.

But still, one thing was still unfulfilled. As the seniors gear up for their last NCAA ride, Coach Cook believes this could be the year that becomes the cherry on the top for the squad. The Huskers last won the national title in 2017, and last year, they came painfully close to doing so once again. But in the finals in Tampa, Florida, the Nebraska volleyball team was trampled over by Texas. The itch isn’t something that Cook is over still. “ If you look at their legacy, what they’ve done, I mean, they’ve literally done everything but win a national championship, and you know, we still got an opportunity to do that,” he further explained his feelings.

And yet, John had few things to complain about. Considering how the Huskers hold some of the top numbers in the collegiate football scene, the HC has a lot to be proud of about his team.

The Huskers fans continue their emphatic support

“We didn’t want to be the team that lost on senior night, lost when you had all this unbelievable momentum going,” the coach confessed after the game on why he was anxious after seeing the football contingent triumph over the visitors. With its victory, the volleyball squad also recorded its first season series win against the Badgers in over two decades. Ahead of the match, Rodriguez had explained why the rematch against the arch-rivals would be a difficult task, and how the team prepped for the game. But there wasn’t a record-making crowd present to witness the historic feat.

Nebraska currently holds almost all of the top attendance records in the country, showing with gusto how popular the sport is in the state. But that wasn’t the case tonight despite all the action. The Huskers are on a 25-match winning streak, with a perfect Big Ten record so far. To ensure the team continues its winning ways, the fans have gone beyond their means to show up at every game to cheer for the athletes. Earlier this month, when the Nebraska volleyball squad traveled to Oregon, the record-setting attendance again greeted them with vehement applause, and Cook was astounded to see so many members of the Huskers Nation in the stands. But will all these efforts come together to help the seniors finish their collegiate career with the coveted NCAA title? What are your thoughts? Tell us!