Coastal Carolina vs. Nebraska Quotes

NCAA Volleyball Tournament First and Second Rounds<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

December 4, 2009

Northern Iowa vs. Washington State

 

Nebraska Quotes

Head Coach John Cook
Opening Statement
“Well, we are one game better than we were last year, so we’re getting better.  I thought we came out, like last year, we came out fired up and pumped up and played great. Like last year, there is always going to be a letdown. Fortunately this year, we were able to avoid a second-game total letdown like we did last year and pulled ourselves out and got a chance to get a lot of players in that haven’t had a lot of playing time. It was fun to see Paige (Hubl) and Megan (Pendergast) out there and Jordan Wilberger as well. It was a good night, we’re getting ready for a tough one tomorrow.”

 

On the attitude of the team coming into tonight

“We don’t really talk about it, we just talk about trying to be relaxed. I know their adrenalin is going to be pumping. You sit around waiting all day, we haven’t played in a week; it’s the NCAA Tournament. It’s just a different feel. It’s something our young players need to go through, and it’s something we have to burn off that adrenalin a little bit and try to control it.”

 

On how the team will play tomorrow

“I think they are going to be a lot better tomorrow night. I think they are real inconsistent. They did some great things, but they are inconsistent at times. It’s just nerves, but that is part of it, they have to go through it.”

 

On his opinion of how the team was excited to play tonight

“I don’t know if it is a good sign or not, human nature is that you relax. I liked how we were humming when we came out. We can build on that for tomorrow. When we come out we have to play a whole match.”

 

On some of the errors they made tonight

“I let Megan go tonight, she hasn’t served a lot. We have to give her some leeway. A lot of those errors were on long runs. We’re just not used to serving four, five or six in a row. In the Big 12, you don’t have those big runs. That is part of it. Again it is jitters, we did serve really tough for the most part tonight, that has to be a strengthn for us.”

 

Sydney Anderson

On Nebraska’s defense tonight

“That is what we work on every day. It is a routine we do. It’s big; defense wins. We’ve seen that. It turns into if we get the ball up in system I can run anywhere. It all starts with that and we’re really big on it in practice.”

 

On the team being excited to play tonight

“It’s like coach said, you come out and want to play. We haven’t played in a week, and we’re excited. We want to get this thing started. Then again, you let up. We’re up 13-3 and we slack off a bit. We now know how to handle that and it won’t happen again.“

 

Brooke Delano

On her attitude coming into the match

“I don’t know, I came out pumped up. We haven’t played in a week. It felt really good to be in the court again and to be back in practice. I learned that I cannot take it for granted. Last match when I sat on the bench, it was hard and it made me want it more. From the next matches we have until the end of the season I can’t take it for granted.”

 

Coastal Carolina Quotes

Coach Kristen Bauer
Opening Statement
“To play in front of the Husker fans was really a dream come true tonight. I think the result we would have changed if we could have, but this was just an amazing atmosphere and we’re happy to be here.”

 

On Coastal Carolina at the start of the match
“We tried to prepare the team for what they would see and feel when they got to the Coliseum tonight. We had some jitters, but I was glad to see us down a little bit and fight back and forth. Unfortunately for us, Nebraska’s defense was stellar. Whatever we threw at them, they were able to pick up. I was telling the ladies after the match that they would come from about ten feet away and play outside their area, they just got every ball up that we threw at them.”

 

On the benefit of getting into the NCAA tournament
“We talked about our season kind of being up and down and passing through some adversity and having like the dream ending coming to Nebraska and getting to the NCAA tournament. A few years ago, we talked to our freshmen the very first day and said that they needed to lay the ground work for a legacy here. We’re really trying to push and one of our goals was to make the NCAAs. This group was able to do that. We said that we kind of stepped up on another rung of the ladder and next year we have that taste now. We know what it’s like. We want to be back. So hopefully we can just press on and continue with that success.”

Jill Nyhof
“It was exciting to be here. I think our whole team was excited. I think we kind of knew a little bit what to expect coming in and playing Nebraska. They have a great volleyball legacy here and a great fan base. We have a tendency as a team to get a little anxious and I think that was game one for us, but it was nice to see us settle down and make it a bit more even in the next few games. Overall it was exciting. It was as exciting as it can be when you lose.”

Chelsy Kimes
“I’m from Fort Wayne, Ind., originally, so I grew up watching Melissa Elmer, an All-American here, so Nebraska has been in my head since I was young. I’m so thankful that I got the experience to play here. It’s definitely volleyball country and it just felt good to be up there and swinging with those blockers in front of you. It was great.”

 

On if she knew Melissa Elmer
“I knew her younger sister, Sarah. She was like my mentor when I was in middle school. It’s pretty cool.”