“You know, it’s hard to put into words what this senior group means and what they’ve done.” Coach John Cook said about the seniors leaving Nebraska volleyball after the 2024 season ends. Seniors Lexi Rodriguez, Merritt Beason, Lindsey Kraus, and others have helped the Huskers establish dominance in the BIG10 conference. However, the Huskers hope to add another NCAA title to close out their college volleyball careers on top.

“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,” John Cook said about his seniors after a win against one of their biggest rivals, the Wisconsin Badgers. So as the Cornhuskers prepare to begin their NCAA Tournament campaign, here’s a look at the rivals who could unceremoniously end NU’s championship dreams.

The Nebraska volleyball team’s high-stakes rivalry with the Texas Longhorns

First on the list of rivals Nebraska volleyball’s rivals are the team that has already squashed their championship dreams once. Among the top contenders from the Southeastern Conference, the Texas Longhorns vs. Nebraska rivalry may be relatively new, but the stakes couldn’t be higher, because last season Texas demolished the Nebraska Huskers 3-0 in the NCAA final.

While the Huskers had made it to the 2023 finals as the BIG10 champions, the Longhorns put on a masterclass on the court, beating Nebraska 25-22, 25-14, and 25-11 in straight sets. However, Nebraska volleyball’s quest to avenge their loss against the two-time consecutive national champions has been a waiting game. Belonging to different conferences, the teams can only face one another during the NCAA tournament.

Thankfully, the Nebraska Huskers and the University of Texas team have both made it to the NCAA tournament. With Texas batting to become three-time consecutive champions and the Huskers hoping to avenge last year’s snub. However, whether the two teams meet will depend on how they perform during the initial rounds. The Longhorns will begin their NCAA Tournament campaign on Thursday against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. How the next rivalry on the list is a much older one.

An ongoing rivalry that started in the 80s

The Huskers first met the Nittany Lions on the volleyball court in 1981. Although Penn State drew first blood, the following decades saw Nebraska volleyball cementing itself in the lead. So far the Huskers have won 28 of 40 matches between the two sides. However, on November 29, Penn State shut down their rivals in the most crucial match of the regular season, the BIG10 title clash.

The defending champions had everything to play for because defeating the Lions on home turf would crown them two-time consecutive BIG10 champions. However, in a statement win, Penn State thrashed Nebraska 3-1 to snatch a share of the conference title. The Nittany Lions prevented the reverse sweep, winning three out of four sets with a 25-21, 14-25, 25-22, and 25-23 scoreline.

The massive upset not only snapped Nebraska volleyball’s 25-match win streak but also established Penn State as a serious NCAA title contender just days before the tournament selection show. “I think we just kind of solidified, like, ‘Yeah, we should be here. We’re Penn State volleyball, and we’re gonna defend our house,” said Penn State’s MVP, Caroline Jurevicius.

“We know we can do it. It’s just about capitalizing on that and not resting on our laurels,” added the former Husker. While Penn State and NU are not on a collision course yet, they could face one another if both teams progress to the quarter or semifinals. Interestingly, the Nittany Lions have won two out of three times the teams have clashed in the NCAA semifinals. Meanwhile, the final team on the list may face Nebraska even before the lockout rounds.

A third meeting between Nebraska volleyball and their toughest rival?

Since 2011, Nebraska and Wisconsin have had the fiercest rivalry in the BIG10 conference. While the Huskers dominated the first phase of the epic rivalry with six consecutive wins, the Badgers turned the tables in 2017. From October 2017 to November 2022, the Badgers handed the Huskers ten straight losses, becoming a constant thorn in their side.

It did not matter whether the Huskers clinched the conference title, the NCAA title, or set college volleyball records; they couldn’t figure out the Wisconsin puzzle. However, that changed on November 1st, 2024. Nebraska swept the Badgers on their first meeting of the season and repeated the feat on their second clash on November 30. Even Coach Cook acknowledged their achievement.

“Nate pointed out, you know, we’ve lost three of the last four of the last Black Fridays. We’ve lost three of them have been on the road, so we got to get that fixed,” said John Cook while discussing their losing streak against the Badgers. Now, there’s a possibility the two teams could end up in a round-three clash at the NCAA Tournament if they both manage to progress that far.

“We knew there was a chance we could get Wisconsin in our bracket. We knew there was a chance we could get Texas in our bracket.” Cook said after the NCAA released the official bracket on Sunday. And while the Huskers have already defeated Wisconsin twice this season, Nebraska volleyball won’t take the challenge lightly if it presents itself in round 3. Which one of these three rivals do you believe Nebraska volleyball will face this year? Tell us in the comments below.