14th-ranked Iowa State won in five sets over #5 Nebraska, 18-25, 25-19, 23-25, 25-20, 15-12, giving the Cyclones their first win in school history over the Huskers in a series dating back to 1975. The Huskers struggled in their attack, committing 34 errors. 

The win leaves the series at 1-75. Iowa State is coached by former Husker Christy Johnson, who earned All-America honors in '94 and 95. She was the starting setter when Nebraska won their first national title in 1995.

If the football team somehow loses to Iowa State, this will be one horrific week. 

I don't know how many of you caught the Nebraska - Oklahoma volleyball game on ESPNU this past week, but if you did you had to be amazed at how close the Oklahoma fans were to the Nebraska volleyball players during the serves. Now it sounds like there will be some actiontaken on the part of the Big 12 conference:

Nebraska coach John Cook said Monday that OU event management staff and Big 12 referees lost control of Wednesday's match in Norman, Okla. The Huskers beat the Sooners in five sets before a crowd of 2,046, the second-largest in OU volleyball history.

Cook said OU fans viciously taunted Nebraska servers from extremely close proximity.

Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne said he has addressed the matter with the appropriate people. He would not say whether he contacted Oklahoma or Big 12 officials, or both.

Several members of the Oklahoma women's basketball team stood right next to the Nebraska player whenever they were making a serve. You had to be amazed that the Husker volleyballers maintained their composure with the opposing team's fans screaming only inches away. The harassment had an obvious effect, however, as Nebraska committed 14 service errors throughout the match.

Nebraska struggled at times, but got eventually the best of the Sooners, winning in five sets. The win stopped a two-match losing streak.

The word "unsportsmanlike" was used to describe the taunting by Oklahoma fans, but that's a little light. Abuse might be more appropriate. An OU spokesperson stated:

"We view this event as an opportunity to further educate our student-athletes and fans about sportsmanship, and to continue modeling it as administrators, coaches and staff."

 What a load of crap. If they were concerned about it, they should have done something during the match, but clearly they didn't care. They were more worried about beating a struggling Husker team than they were with anything resembling decent behavior.

What is it with Oklahoma that they feel the need to resort to this kind of classlessness?

The Husker volleyball team dropped to sixth in the first seasonal AVCA poll released today. The Huskers started the season ranked third behind Penn State and Texas. Today's poll finds them ranked as follows: 

Penn State
Texas
Washington 
Hawaii
Florida
Nebraska
Michigan

The drop was due to Nebraska's loss to Michigan Friday night in the AVCA Showcase tournament. It was a tough season opener for the Huskers - they were swept by a Michigan team to whom they'd never lost a set. On Saturday, the Huskers came back with a five-set win against then 11th-ranked Minnesota. 

I didn't see Friday's game, but Mrs C said it was like watching a high school team take on the Wolverines. Saturday's game was much more pleasing - it's always enjoyable when Nebraska beats Minnesota in volleyball. ALWAYS. 

Kansas State dropped to 23rd from 22nd after going 0-2 in the tournament, while Texas remains at second after going 2-0 over the weekend, sweeping 15th-ranked San Diego, and coming back after being down two sets to beat 23rd-ranked Long Beach State. 

Side note: We'd love to find someone to cover volleyball on a regular basis. If you're interested, send a note to cornnation@gmail.com. Thanks. 

Fans who bought tickets to tonight’s Final Four matches got their money’s worth. In the first match, Texas won the first two sets to go up 2-0 over Stanford, then proceeded to lose the next three and become the only team to lose a 2-0 lead in the history of the NCAA volleyball tournament.

That was only the start of the evening.

The 2008 Husker team went down to the Penn State juggernaut 2-0, losing the first two sets 25-17, 25-18. The Nitts stretched their NCAA record set win streak to 111. It looked like another Penn State blow out before the Huskers came roaring back in the next two sets.

In the third set, Nebraska’s serving kept Penn State off-balance while the hitting improved. Hitting just .169 in the first two sets while Penn State hammered away at .403, the Huskers hit .348 while holding the Nitts to .203 over the next two sets, winning both 25-15, and 25-22. In sets three and four, the Huskers hit .348, while holding Penn State to .203.

The match stood tied at 2-2. The NCAA record-setting crowd of 17,430 of mostly Husker fans had to be exhausted by the time the fifth and final set started.

In the final set, the score bounced back and forth before Penn State scored three straight to take a 5-3 lead. After a Nebraska time out Penn State scored again to make it 6-3. Nebraska came back, tying the set at six, then scored two more to stretch their lead to 8-6. Both teams scored twice before Penn State took a time out with the Nebraska lead at 10-8. After the time out, Penn State reeled off six straight points to take a 14-10 lead. The Huskers would score only once more while the Nitts’ Megan Hodge pounded the final score home for a 15-11 final set and match score.

Penn State's Nicole Fawcett finished with 24 kills, while teammate Megan Hodge finished with 23 kills and 12 digs for a double-double. Nebraska's Jordan Larson finished with 17 kills and an incredible 18 digs for another double-double. Fellow Huskers Tara Mueller had 15 kills while Lindsey Licht finished with 13.

The Huskers lost a game in Nebraska for the first time in 96 tries, they lost for the first time at Omaha’s Qwest Center, and the Husker seniors Jordan Larson, Amanda Gates, and Rachel Schwartz lost their first game ever in the state. Larson finishes her career as the best all-around player in Husker volleyball history.

The story would end there if scores and stats were the only parts of the tale that mattered. What mattered is that the 2008 team didn’t quit fighting, just like the week before when they made an incredible come back at Washington and beat the Huskies on their home floor. They ended Penn State’s run of perfection and took them to the limit before losing a chance at a national title match while playing a level of volleyball of which no one expected.

If you missed the game, you missed the best volleyball I’ve ever seen. Both teams made some mistakes, but both played to the edge of their abilities. The fast, frenzied pace of the game and the number of amazing plays by both teams had to leave fans exhausted physically and emotionally by the time they filed out of Qwest Center to greet horrendous weather. It was collegiate volleyball of the highest level.

Nebraska's season ended tonight with the Huskers’ record at 31-3. They earned a Big 12 championship, shared with Texas, but more importantly they earned the respect of volleyball fans across the nation. 

What a difference a year makes. Last year’s team had all the athletes, lost two games all season, but failed to reach the Final Four and finished as a major disappointment. This year’s team began with doubts that they’d compete well in the Big 12 and finished the season proving they deserved to be on a national stage.

Whether we like it or not, teams tend to be measured by the trophies they acquire. The 2008 team will prove to be an exception. They’ll be remembered most for an epic game they lost but went down fighting to the end.

The Husker volleyball team takes on Penn State tonight to see who'll be going to the national title game on Saturday. It'll be a tough task for a Husker team as Penn State hasn't lost a single set since last season and they're 36-0 this season. Their 109-set streak is a NCAA record, as is their 62 match-winning streak.

Put this up against the Huskers' 13-0 record at the Qwest Center, and the fact that seniors Jordan Larson, Rachel Schwartz and Amanda Gates have never lost in the state of Nebraska.

Stats aren't on the Huskers' side, as Penn State comes into the match a clear statistical leader:

Nebraska can't match the Nitts in skills players either. Penn State placed four players on the AVCA first-team list - Nicole Fawcett, Alisha Glass, Christa Harmotto and Megan Hodge. Compare that to Nebraska's Jordan Larson on the first team.

I look at these teams and I can't help but think of the first Rocky movie (before they became a cliche', the first Rocky was pretty good and a lot of fun) when Rocky turns to (Yo!) Adrian and says: "I can't beat him. But that don't bother me. The only thing I want to do is to go the distance, that's all."

I'm tempted to say that if the Huskers can beat Penn State in one set, then they can smash the "perfection" that are the Nittany Lions and that would be good enough for me.

You can be glad I'm not one of them nor their coach because those last two paragraphs sound like accepting a moral victory is enough. Throughout this season, the 2008 team has shown that they're capable of fighting for wins despite low expectations. They could have lost last week by giving up against Washington when they were clearly beaten but they came back to make the Final Four.

Nebraska wasn't expected to make it this far but they did and for their reward they get to face "Perfect Penn State". It's the perfect set up for an epic. David vs. Goliath. Rocky vs. Apollo Creed (he beat him in Rocky II). 300 Spartans. We don't have any references like this for female athletes. Perhaps after tonight we'll have one.

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Fans planning to come to this weekend's NCAA Volleyball Final Four at the Qwest Center Omaha might not be aware of street and parking lot changes that occurred last week in preparation for construction of the new downtown ballpark for the College World Series.

12th Street is now closed south of Cuming Street, and the old lot C is now closed.  A new lot has been added on the northeast corner of 10th & Capitol, though you need to enter this new lot from Davenport (one block to the north).

The NCAA volleyball championships are the first major events to be held at the Qwest Center since the changes occurred, and may catch fans who think they are familiar with the Qwest Center off-guard.  (Especially if you had just been to the Qwest Center for a concert, earlier volleyball games this season, or hockey...)

My suggestion is that if you are driving in along Cuming Street, head east past 10th Street and use Lot D; they've enlarged that lot quite a bit and it's usually the last lot to fill anyway.  If you are coming in from Capitol, turn north on 12th Street (at Hauff Sporting Goods) and then immediately turn right onto Davenport and use the two new lots.  Those lots will be closer to the arena and probably won't fill as fast as lot B, which used  to be the "prime" parking spot.

If the weather is bad (the current forecast indicates a possible ice storm on Thursday), consider the parking garage on 12th & Capitol.  It might be a touch longer walk, but you won't be spending time scraping windows after the match.

I've updated a Google Map to pinpoint these locations to help you plot your way.  Hopefully it saves you a few minutes of frustration if you are attending the game...and hopefully gets you into the arena in plenty of time.

Down 2-0 on the University of Washington's home court, the volleyballers came back. Like Rasputin (what the hell kind of reference is that?) they wouldn't die, storming back in the last three sets to win the match. Not only did they come back from being down 2-0, but in the final 15-pointer, they came back after being down 9-3, scoring nine points in a row to smash Washington's spirito, their hopes, their dreams.

No one does that. When you're down 9-3 in five, you give up and die. It's the equivalent of coming back from 36 down in the fourth quarter. You allow the other team to advance. NO ONE comes back from a six-point deficit in five. No one but our Huskers.

The Juggernaut that is Penn State awaits them. Penn State is the meaning of perfection. 109 straight sets, dating back to last year, the Nitts may be a team of destiny. Perhaps someone should tell Tara "The Hammer" Mueller about that. Mueller had 24 kills, a career high (and they say football terms are violent).

Exciting? You bet. The Final Four is in Omaha, in the state of collegiate sports, where "we have nothing else to do" but to support teams who play hard.

The Final Four:

Penn State versus Nebraska
Texas versus Stanford

Welcome to Omaha! In the words of Tokyo Rose, this is where we live. This is where you die...... we hope. Penn State is amazing. Can they be stopped? 

Tara - "Hammer" Mueller. Whoot!

The Nebraska Volleyball team will be staying home for the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament. Nebraska received the number four seed in the tournament.

Only four Big 12 teams made the NCAA tournament, amongst them #3 seed Texas, Kansas State, and Iowa State. The complete bracket layout may be found here.

The Husker women will face the Liberty Flames (25-8) on Friday after the conclusion of the first game between the UAB Blazers (26-7) and the Missouri State Bears (23-12).

Should the Huskers win out, they will continue on to the Seattle, WA regional. Regional sites are determined ahead of time, not by seeding or record. The four regional sites for 2008 are Austin, TX (Texas), State College, PA (Penn State), Fort Collins, CO (Colorado State), and Seattle, WA (Washington). 

Earlier, Nebraska won a share of the Big 12 title after Nebraska and Texas finished with the same record and split the series between them with each team winning at home. Not bad for a team from which not much was expected after having to replace uber-volleyballers Sarah Pavan, Christina Houghtelling, and Tracy Stalls. This year's title makes it five consecutive Big 12 titles.

Unfortunately, Nebraska will be without three-year starter middle blocker Kori Cooper who tore her ACL in the match against Texas in Austin.

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