If the Nebraska volleyball team was hoping to catch up on some extra rest, then that plan has gone down the drain. Big Red is among the final four teams that’ll clash in the NCAA Championship semifinals in Louisville, Kentucky. The competition kicks off on Thursday, December 19. However, the Huskers arrived at their destination later than they had planned.

“The #Huskers are here! After a delayed flight, Nebraska arrives in Louisville for the Final Four,” wrote 1011 Now reporter Chase Matteson on X. The accompanying video showed the Huskers team bus arriving at their hotel late at night. However, the delay didn’t seem to have caused too much of a problem, as the players seemed to be in a good mood.

Nebraska volleyball coach John Cook even greeted the reporters who had gathered to catch their arrival. “How’re we doing guys?” asked the 68-year-old while making his way to the gates. Huskers stars Andi Jackson, Lexi Rodriguez, Rebekah Allick, and others also appeared in the clip and seemed to be in a good mood. In fact, some of them even had some presents with them.

Besides Andi Jackson and Rebekah Allick carrying soft toys with them, Allick walked into the hotel with a wrapped present. Another reason they all seemed in a good mood was because, despite the delay, the team would still get some extra rest. The hosts, Louisville, will kick off the semifinals on Thursday against Pittsburgh at around 5:30 p.m. CT.

The Nebraska Huskers will step off the court after the first semifinal match. Although the Huskers are scheduled to take on Penn State at around 8:00 p.m. C.T., there could be a delay depending on how long the first match lasts. However, now that they’ve overcome this small hurdle, one thing’s for certain: The red and white brigade will need all the rest they can get before facing Penn State.

Nebraska volleyball is set for a rematch of epic proportions

The last time Penn State and Nebraska squared up against one another, the Nittany Lions shocked the Huskers. Despite coming into the BIG10 title match as defending champion, on a much longer undefeated streak, Penn State cracked NU’s code. When the dust settled on November 29, the Nittany Lions snatched their share of the BIG10 title.

Despite Nebraska volleyball’s best efforts to bounce back, Penn State won the match 3-1. However, a successful NCAA Championship run has once again pitted the two rivals against one another. This time the stakes are even higher. Besides getting a chance to avenge their loss against the Nittany Lions, the Huskers have the opportunity to knock their rivals out of competition.

After last year’s loss against the Texas Longhorns, the runner-ups from Nebraska are on a mission to redeem themselves. Hence, there’s no shortage of motivation for the Huskers to avenge their regular-season loss against the Nittany Lions. However, Penn State has also proven they belong in the final four after defeating a surging Creighton Bluejays.

The nail-biting 3-2 victory showed just how determined Penn State is to win the NCAA title. “We know we can do it. It’s just about capitalizing on that and not resting on our laurels,” ex-Husker Caroline Jurevicius said after winning the shared BIG10 title, and that’s exactly what the side has done so far. Who do you believe will come out on top? Let us know about your predictions.