John Cook’s Nebraska Huskers are arguably the favorites to win the NCAA title this season. Coming off the agonizing defeat at the finals against the Texas Longhorns last season, the team now looks pumped up to avoid that fate this time. This has been seen throughout the season, as they finished the regular games with an incredible record of 29-2. The team has managed to continue this form in the first round of the NCAA Division I tournament.

They defeated Florida A&M on December 7th in a clean sweep, which involved a points scoreline of 25-3, 25-9, and 25-17. Through this win, they showed all the teams currently in the tournament that their intent is clearly to win the title this year. But Nebraska now faces an unusual challenge against the Miami volleyball team. Despite not being seeded in the top 16, they have shocked some big teams, which means that the game could be tricky for the Huskers. Team coach John Cook talked about the challenges they could face in the post-match interview.

John Cook on Nebraska Huskers’ tricky game against the Miami Hurricanes

In the post-game press conference after the Florida game, John Cook was asked about what problems he thinks Miami could give to his team, who seem to be cruising right now. The coach refused to undermine them and spoke about their incredible victory against South Dakota State. Miami swept their opponents in the game with a scoreline of 25-17, 25-23, and 25-15. Thus, despite not being seeded, the Hurricanes are not to be taken lightly.

John Cook said, “They’ve got great arms. They hit a lot of different shots. There were three jump servers today. They got major league arms. And number 10 was hitting some balls today, like in the back row, I mean, just thumping them.” Thus, the coach seemed to understand the ability possessed by the team. “Its going to be a great match. I think they’re going to be really fun to play.” Miami has also gained a certain notoriety for being a giant killer this season.

The team had managed to defeat defending champions and top-seeded team at that time, the Texas Longhorns, with a margin of 3-2, handing them their first unranked loss in a decade in September. After that, they defeated Stanford in November, proving that the Texas victory was not just a one-off. Thus, they definitely can pose a threat to the Huskers. “I mean, this team’s beating Stanford and Texas. So this is going to be a great challenge for us,” said John Cook. Thus, Nebraska won’t take matters lightly. However, it seems hard to imagine the results not going Nebraska’s way considering the insane dominance they showed against Florida.

How John Cook led Nebraska Huskers to decimate their opponents in the first round

Despite John Cook’s inhibitions about the next game, the Nebraska Huskers’ performance against Florida seems to indicate that they have very little to worry about. The team completely dominated them in every single aspect of the game, sweeping them 25-3, 25-9, 25-17. In terms of kills, Nebraska’s figures of 43 completely blew away the Rattler’s 16. Thus, the side were incredibly good in all aspects. This has also helped them create history in the game.

The Huskers managed to limit their opponents to the lowest score ever in a set at the rally-scoring era with 3. After that, Florida were also limited to the lowest score in a match, with just 26 points conceded. Thus, John Cook’s side showed why they’re arguably the most dominant team in this competition. If they continue this form in the later rounds, every opponent of the Huskers would struggle against them, leading them to their title. Let’s see if they can live up to these expectations. But for now, it seems like the Nebraska Huskers have a great chance to do so.