It doesn’t matter how experienced an athlete becomes; even the best athletes in history have felt nervous ahead of the biggest races of their career. So across all sports, athletes often resort to interesting solutions to tame their minds and focus on the task at hand, moments ahead of the test. So as Nebraska volleyball’s Sweet 16 clashes against Dayton Flyers, fans spotted one of the Husker’s star players bring out her crocheting kit.

“SHE’S CROCHETING IN THE STANDS TO PASS THE TIME,” one fan wrote in the caption of their post. The athlete in question was none other than setter Rebekah Allick. The two-image collage showed Allick wearing a steely expression on her face, completely focused on the task at hand. Immediately, fans couldn’t help but draw parallels with another athlete who went viral during the Paris Olympics.

“She pulled a Tom Daly! Hahahah love it,” one fan commented on the post on X. Watching the Nebraska volleyball star knit moments ahead of the NCAA Championship game gave the fans flashbacks of Olympic gold medalist Tom Daley. The most decorated springboard diver in Team GB’s history, Daley went viral when fans spotted him crocheting ahead of his Men’s Synchronized 10m Platform event in Paris.

However, being spotted while crocheting ahead of a dive is nothing new for Tom Daley. The five-time Olympic medalist has been spotted crocheting several times before, including at the Tokyo Olympics. In fact, the Olympian has vouched for the positive effects of the hobby, citing it as a key factor leading up to his Olympic medal-winning performances.

“It just turned into my mindfulness, my meditation, my calm, and my way to escape the stresses of everyday life and, in particular, going to an Olympics…” Tom Daley said about the hobby. It may not be a stretch to imagine that knitting has the same effect on Nebraska volleyball’s star setter. Seeing their favorite player knit right before the game drew a variety of wholesome comments from the fans.

The Nebraska volleyball star’s actions inspired some playful comments from the fans

While Allick was busy crocheting, one fan cleverly connected it to the Huskers’ goal to become NCAA Champions. “A cozy for the championship trophy,” commented the fan, jokingly, predicting what the Lincoln, Nebraska, native was making. The comment aged well as the Huskers prevailed against the Flyers in their Sweet Sixteen clash.

Despite the determined effort from Lexie Almodovar to claw back the third set, Nebraska volleyball won the match 3-1. However, the guesses kept on coming. “Well, after all, Christmas is just around the corner,” commented another fan, implying the Nebraska player must be making something for Christmas. However, it’s more likely that Allick knew she’d need to engage in a little crocheting to calm her nerves.

Once again, Tom Daley’s statement may provide some insight. “I of course have some yarn on me at all times. Also, my knitting needles. Knitting for me became my, like, therapy.” Tom Daley told British Vogue in July. Allick may have done the same, at least for the team’s Sweet 16 match against Dayton. One fan expressed how watching the Nebraska volleyball star express a more personal side publicly made the fan admire the junior even more.

“@bekkaallick is going to go down as my favorite #Huskers player of all time (all sports) and this just widens her lead over the field.” commented the X user. However, the post also revealed that not every athlete does similar things to ease the tension before a match. “Meanwhile, Harper (Murray) took a pic with a couple of kids,” revealed a volleyball enthusiast.

Maybe interacting with the extended fans instead of crocheting did the trick for the Nebraska Husker offensive specialist. From Allick and Daley’s crocheting to gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik solving Rubik’s cubes and Michael Phelps bobbing his head to the music, different athletes have different approaches. What matters is a favorable end result, and that’s exactly what Rebekah Allick helped Nebraska volleyball achieve tonight.