“It’s like midnight, isn’t it?” John Cook asked yesterday during the post-match interview. “Coach’s bedtime was four hours ago,” joked Harper Murray. However, the late start and long game against the Flyers did take a toll on the Huskers’ energy level. So earlier, Coach Cook once again spoke about the late start, and this time he made a startling revelation.

“You know, our practice was at noon,” the 68-year-old veteran coach revealed during the pre-regional final press conference. “So we had all that time, and then you’re sitting around waiting,” said the coach. And while simply waiting for a game to start may not sound like a big deal, staying focused for so long is “really hard,” admitted Cook.

“I’m going to give them credit for, you know, how they managed that yesterday,” John Cook said about the entire Nebraska Huskers team. The former AVCA Coach of the Year also elaborated on why he praised everyone and why waiting for hours isn’t easy. The 68-year-old revealed his frustration about how the long gap affected his team’s warm-up schedule.

“Not many other sports are doing that. I mean, can you imagine football? Sitting there, trying to warm up when they get to play and stay warm? I mean, so it’s a tough deal,” said the coach. Warming up before sitting on the court is crucial for every player, as going cold turkey is a recipe for sustaining an injury. Yet, that’s what they had to deal with, as there was a huge gap between practice and play.

“We’re the only sport that really does it because we don’t know how long the match is going to go for. So again, our team did a pretty good job managing that yesterday,” explained the Nebraska volleyball coach. However, John Cook isn’t the only one who spoke about how the delay affected the players. Yesterday, Nebraska’s star setter revealed how the players felt.

Before John Cook, Rebekah Allick gave the players’ perspective

During their midnight press conference after defeating the Dayton Flyers, Rebekah Allick explained why the coach’s worries were justified. As one of the players who played on the court, Allick explained how the late start and long game affected the demeanor of the entire stadium. “You can just feel a sense of, like, the shift in the room. I mean, on both sides,” said Allick.

While late evening games are not uncommon in volleyball or any sport, playing until nearly midnight isn’t common. “It’s just past everyone’s bedtime. You could tell even in the crowd like you just wanted to wrap it up,” revealed the junior. The low energy levels also affected the pace of the game. However, John Cook’s resilient students didn’t slip up despite the challenges.

The Dayton Flyers came into the game with an identical 31-2 record. They even showed signs of a resurgence, taking the third set on the back of a gritty performance from hitter Lexie Almodovar. However, the Nebraska Huskers shut down their momentum, winning the fourth set and sealing their victory. Now Big Red will face their old rivals Wisconsin in the regional finals.

Overcoming Wisconsin has been a monumental task for John Cook and the Huskers for the better part of the past decade. This year, they’ve defeated the Badgers twice and are hoping to get the hat trick to get one step closer to their NCAA championship dreams.