Have you noticed the headlines in the US college volleyball circuit in the past few days? It is full of Nebraska volleyball. Reason? The Huskers have just completed their full sweep in the Pacific Northwest. The first of its kind in the ongoing season. On Saturday, their victory against Washington completed the set. But it was not just a simple victory. In fact, the 3-0 sweep entered the Huskers’ list of complete dominance in this season as 18th. Furthermore, with overpowering the Huskies, Nebraska won 21 straight matches this season. 

That was the team’s success this season, in a nutshell. Now, add Libero Lexi Rodriguez’s personal feat of clinching the B1G Defensive Player of the Week title on November 11. It seems that the women’s volleyball team started from the same point where it left last season. Yet, John Cook, the winningest coach in Nebraska’s history, deters from predicting something big! Rather, he is measuring his steps. 

That may be bound to give hiccups to a few. But yes, Cook is being cautious this time. On November 12, he demonstrated his careful approach during the press conference. Remember, the Big Red is set to face Minnesota on November 14. It will be Nebraska volleyball’s first home match in two long weeks. Nevertheless, Cook remained composed. Even when faced with comparisons to last year’s squad, he didn’t react much.

Instead, in the press conference, Cook conceded, “We’re focused on because it’s a long grind in the Big 10 we don’t get by weeks.” By that comment, he clearly drew a line between last year’s Big Conference volleyball champion squad and this season’s squad. But his statement also makes room for the query on his approach, followed this season. 

However, the soft-spoken coach never lets anyone down. This time as well, he had the answer to questions on his approach. To present a sneak peek at his approach, he said, “We’re moment by moment, point by point, day by day. We’re not, that’s as far as we can look.” That explains his focus. Furthermore, his words also reveal that the coach is not looking beyond the match against the Golden Gophers. For him, the 21 straight victories may come later. But securing a victory at the Devaney Centre after spending two weeks in the away games comes first. Doesn’t it promote a champion’s mindset? It certainly is. But, besides focusing on one target at a time, John Cook has another goal in mind. 

Apart from clinching the top title, Nebraska volleyball has another target 

Last season, in the Big Ten Conference championship, Nebraska volleyball finished as the winner. They had an overall record of 27-0, whereas in the conference they attained an 18-0 mark. Now, this season, the Big Red has already swept 21 straight matches. Although the ranking has played a dampener, the form has shown equal flair. That’s what has made the fans flock to the Huskers’ games in big numbers. Not just in the home arena, but in the opponents’ backyards as well, the squad has caused waves. Example? 

In the last game against the Huskies, Nebraska Huskers witnessed a sell-out audience box. Not only that in Oregon as well, the footfall touched around the 8,566 mark. Before that, in SMU, Northwestern, and Ohio, the picture had been exactly the same. Meanwhile, the hosts have started to call this phenomenon “The Caitlin effect”. But for John Cook, it is a sign of a big thing. He explained, “It’s great for women’s volleyball.” Not just that, he is sure of seeing more numbers in the box in the upcoming matches of Nebraska volleyball. In this field, he does not stop at counting one at a time. Rather, he hopes to have a larger success. What do you think about this approach? Let us know.