Huskers, Huskies Will Become NCAA TV First

Nebraska-Washington Play at 8:30 p.m. Friday on ESPNU

Huskers Advanced with Five-Set Win over No. 20 Utah

Toughest Schedule Ever Prepares Huskers for NCAA

Randy York’s N-Sider

When third-ranked Washington (31-2) hosts 11th-ranked Nebraska (22-9) in an NCAA regional semifinal in Seattle Friday night, history will be made. The Huskers and the Huskies will be the first regional semifinal match ever shown on national television. “We normally only show the (streamed) semifinals on ESPN3, but the powers that be decided Nebraska’s match with Washington was worthy of showing on national TV,” ESPN Commentator Sam Gore said Monday from Wilmington, N.C. “Nebraska-Washington is in. Congratulations. Cool!” Gore said in preparation for this historic first that will be telecast Friday at 8:30 p.m. CT on ESPNU. The TV breakthrough for these powerhouse programs can be traced to an epic match in an NCAA regional final six seasons ago. Nebraska lost the first two sets, 14-25 and 23-25 before storming back to win set three, 25-17, set four, 26-24, and set five, 15-13. The explosion of emotion you see at the top of this column is the instantaneous reaction of five Husker players on the floor. They could not have been more excited collectively if they all had just won an Olympic Gold Medal.

Cook: 2008 Comeback Biggest in Husker History

"It was an amazing comeback, the biggest comeback in Nebraska history for sure," Nebraska Coach John Cook said Monday. "We have some great history with matches we've played against Washington. Some have been classics for us and some for them. Friday night should be another great match with two great programs. Both are always wanting to be in Final Fours or win National Championships. They've had a great year and almost ran the table until the end. It's going to be an epic challenge. I don't know if we've played enough to be rivals, but it's certainly been great competition between Nebraska and Washington. It's carried over into football, too, with both teams having big moments." Cook feels fortunate that Nebraska beat No. 20 Utah in five sets last weekend at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. "Utah is very similar to the type of system we have to play against in Washington," Cook said, cognizant that the Utes handed Washington one of its two losses this season. "Playing Utah gave us a really good feel for what we're going to have to do to win. We're going to have to attack."

Securing that first-ever NCAA regional semifinal on national TV “speaks to what people think about the Nebraska-Washington rivalry,” former Husker and current Nebraska assistant coach Dani Busboom Kelly said Monday. “Washington is similar to us in fan support, and this matchup will have two storied head coaches (NU’s John Cook and Washington’s Jim McLaughlin). Both have had great careers. This is a series where every match is big, and that makes it almost as exciting as a national championship game. Whether these two programs meet in an NCAA final, a regional final or a regional semifinal, a lot is on the line.” That includes the upper hand in the rivalry, which now reflects three Husker wins in five overall matches. Nebraska won the first match in a three-set sweep in September of 1993 at the NU Coliseum. Washington won the second, sweeping the Huskers in the Dec. 17, 2005 National Championship in San Antonio. In 2008, Nebraska gained the revenge reflected in the photo above, only to lose three of four sets in a regional semifinal in December of 2010. In 2012, the Huskers swept the Huskies in a regional semifinal in Omaha.

Husker Captains Fully Aware of Washington History

Make no mistake. Cook and Busboom Kelly aren’t the only ones vested in this historic rivalry. “I think it’s cool to see another place that loves volleyball,” senior setter Mary Pollmiller said Monday. “I don’t know if Washington loves it as much as Nebraska, but I know their support for the sport is great, so we’re going to have to go in there and compete and finish strong.” Justine Wong-Orantes, Nebraska’s sophomore libero and tri-captain, didn’t hesitate to weigh in on what’s at stake in Friday night’s match. “I know there is definitely some history between the two schools, and it just kind of motivates both teams to play our best,” the Cypress, Calif., native said Monday. “Just knowing that history, we are playing for past teams, past players and for our coaches. We want to win for them. We’ve come a long way to get to this point, and this is the perfect time to kind of figure ourselves out.” It won’t be easy. Washington won its first 25 matches of the season and features senior outside hitter Krista Van Sant, the 2013 AVCA Player of the Year and already named the 2014 Pac-12 Player of the Year. “She’s a great player,” Wong-Orantes said. "Even though we’re a young team, we’re starting to come together. The main theme for this team is to play loose and play together. That’s when we’re at our best.” Pollmiller, Wong-Orantes and their teammates believe the historical twist to Friday’s match elevates the stakes and excites both teams’ players and coaches. This weekend is pivotal to achieving goals that were planned and experienced last summer when the Huskers competed in China.

NU Assistant Coach: Just Something about the Rivalry

“When we learned the good news today that our match with Washington will be on national TV, we were excited,” said Dan Meske. “Regardless of how good either team is or whatever point we’re at, it always seems to be a great match. There’s just something about the rivalry that’s hard to explain. We’re not in the same conference, but we seem to have the same passion and mindset about volleyball.” This weekend “will be like taking the big test at the end of the semester,” Meske said. “We’ve seen ourselves try real hard and fail at some big games. It makes you want to get back in there and see if you can earn it the right way and win the fifth set. We did that last Saturday night against Utah. We showed a lot of heart. Coach Cook is always preaching to the girls and the staff that we have to fall back on our fundaments to win the fifth set. It really shows you where you are and how important it is to be at your best when you’re pushed the most. Game five was our best set of the night, and it speaks to Husker Power and the fundamentals we adhere to.”

Husker Coaches Proud of 2008 Team Role Models

Perhaps the most interesting fact about Nebraska achieving a television milestone with Friday’s national telecast in a regional semifinal is simply this – several players pictured at the top of this column in the glory of a triumphant comeback will be trying to follow their alma mater from around the world. Jordan Larson (far left) is playing professional volleyball in Turkey. The two-time first-team All-American has won a Silver Olympic Medal, plus a Gold in a recent World Championship. Tara Mueller (No. 19), a sophomore outside hitter who was the MVP of the 2008 Seattle Regional, is playing professionally in France. Kayla Banworth (red shirt), then a sophomore, is the starting libero on the USA volleyball team that won the world title. Less than two months ago, fellow libero Rachel Schwartz (No. 5) delivered her second child in Lincoln. Amanda Gates (No. 17) is a mother who works for the University of Nebraska Foundation. We publish the celebratory photo to remind players, coaches and fans how fast time flies and how fleeting the opportunities are in a powerful West Coast Region that the NCAA and the nation are tracking closely. Eighth-ranked Florida State (30-2) will play No. 12 BYU (27-4) in Friday’s first game, scheduled to start at 6 p.m. CT. The Huskers and Huskies are expected to begin their match about 8:30 p.m. CT. Saturday’s final – the fourth of four nationally televised matches on the road to the Final Four – will be telecast live at 10:30 p.m. on ESPNU.

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