Nebraska’s John Cook Gets Honest About Dayton’s Major Threat Ahead of Sweet 16 Challenge: “She’s Just Undersized”

John Cook knows how to give flowers to the opponents because of their valiant effort in the arena. In October, the Huskers’ head coach showered his praise on SMU. In the press conference, he even termed the Mustangs the ‘real invincible.’ Remember, such words came from him after SMU defeated both Nebraska and Pittsburgh in the regular season volleyball games. Both had been the heavyweights in the rankings. Yet, the Mustangs overpowered them, being the ‘Goliath.’ Now, once again, the veteran coach has claimed something big on his opponent. No, not a team this time, folks, but a redshirt senior. 

On December 13, the Nebraska volleyball team will lock horns with the Dayton Flyers. The Huskers will surely enjoy an edge because of playing the match on their home turf. Additionally, in the NCAA Volleyball Championship, it is a game between the No. 3 and No. 23. Therefore, the Huskers may likely have a distinct edge over the Flyers and ultimately win the match. The fans are already counting on this prediction. John Cook would prefer to have the same thinking. Yet, he had a few words to say about someone from Dayton. 

It is about Lexie Almodovar. Per Cook, the 5’8” outside hitter has a lot of things to take pride in. In the pre-game press conference, the Nebraska coach said, “She reminds me a lot of our Arkansas girl last year. She’s just undersized, but man, she’s a heck of a player, does everything great.” And when Cook calls something ‘great,’ you can bet on it. How? Just look at what Almodovar can do in a volleyball arena. 

Before moving to the Sweet 16 round in the ongoing NCAA Volleyball Championship, Dayton faced Baylor in the second round. And boy! Almodovar played the game of her life that evening. She unlocked the key winners in the crunch time of the game. Ultimately, she ended the night with 34 kills on 77 attacks. While crafting her career-high score, Lexie Almodovar had just 13 errors. Not only that, she unfurled her all-around ability by having two aces, eight digs, and two blocks in the five-set game. The result? 

Dayton will face the Huskers on Friday after pocketing the game. However, John Cook sees beyond just one-game heroics. So what does the Noblesville native have in her bag? Well, in the match against Baylor, she crossed the 2,000-kill milestone of her career. Apart from that, Lexi has a sixth place on the national list. The credit goes to her average mark of 5.02 kills per set this season. Also, she has claimed the title of Atlantic 10 Player of the Year two times in her career. A splendid achievement for someone belonging to the ‘littles’ of a squad! However, her image makes John Cook think about Jill Gillen. 

Notably, the 5’7” outside hitter from Arkansas played a phenomenal role last year in keeping her team in the fight to snag the national title. According to Cook, Lexie Almodovar is playing the same for the Dayton Flyers. After all, riding on her magic, the squad has tasted history. How? 

John Cook’s Nebraska will face a motivated opponent in a critical time 

On Friday, the Nebraska Huskers will match up against the Dayton Flyers in the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The victory in the game will pave the way to enter the Regional final. Will the Huskers take the piece? Or will the Flyers enjoy another night in the pages of history? However, the guests already had their historical moment last weekend. With the victory against Baylor, the Flyers punched the ticket for the Sweet 16 round. This is the first time they have landed such an opportunity. They can extend it further. 

Ultimately, a victory against one of the history-making squads of college volleyball can lift Dayton to an upper echelon. Isn’t it? Coach Tim Horsmon certainly knows this. He also knows that the record is against his team. Notably, John Cook’s team holds a 4-0 record and odd Dayton. Last time when the two teams met, the Huskers took away the victory with a 3-0 mark. Moreover, in 2003, Horsmon had the chance to battle with Cook in the NCAA contest as a coach. Again, the latter claimed the victory without breaking a sweat. Will history repeat itself this time? After spending more than two decades in the Flyers, Horsmon knows one or two things about taking lessons from the champions. So when the topic came up, the coach said, “To break through and get to this level is something we’ve been pushing for and striving for a long time so I’m really excited.” That’s all. But will this excitement be reflected on Friday? What do you think?