Nebraska volleyball to visit White House Thursday

Lincoln -- The 2000 Nebraska volleyball team will become the first national champion-volleyball squad ever to visit the White House. The Huskers, who received the invitation May 18, will meet President George W. Bush Thursday, May 31 in a 9 a.m. ceremony in the Rose Garden.

NU will depart for Washington D.C. from Omahas Epley Airfield at 4:05 p.m. Wednesday, May 30. While in Washington D.C., the Nebraska players will also tour the White House, the Capitol, Arlington National Cemetery and various other monuments. The Huskers will return Thursday at 9:45 p.m.

We feel this is an honor that is well-deserved for this team, Nebraska Coach John Cook said. It was a unique team for several reasons. First of all, we went undefeated while redshirting our best player (Nancy Meendering), and that is a very difficult thing to do. Second, eight of the 14 players on our roster were from the state of Nebraska. And finally, this team has always set a great example for young girls in Nebraska. The Huskers are proud that the dream of playing for a national championship volleyball team and going to the White House and meeting the president can be a reality.

The 2000 Huskers became just the second team in NCAA history to finish a season undefeated with the national title when it claimed a 3-2 victory over Wisconsin Dec. 16, 2000 in Richmond, Va.. Nebraska (34-0) was ranked No. 1 in the AVCA/USA Today Coaches Poll for 14 straight weeks, an AVCA record.