Husker Heroes Treasure Standing on Sacred Ground

Randy York N-Sider

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At Nebraska, the true beauty of intercollegiate athletics is the mutual respect that two franchise programs have for each other – Husker Football, which has sold out of every home game dating back to 1962 and Nebraska Volleyball, which has sold out of every home game in the last 15 seasons.

Nebraska football has won five national championships and Husker volleyball has won four national titles after beating Texas last December in Omaha's CenturyLink Center. That game drew more spectators than the 2016 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship game. Nebraska's two signature programs have earned the right to call both respective fan bases THE nation’s best in the history of NCAA men’s and women’s athletics.

And that leads me to an interesting question:Did the Husker volleyball student-athletes “feel it” Saturday when their entire team and coaching staff officially received their 2015 National Championship rings in front of 73,000-plus fans who roared their approval?

Huskers celebrating their new national title rings are, from left: Sydney Townsend, Annika Albrecht, Kelly Hunter and Olivia Boender.

Twins Amber and Kadie Rolfzen, Freshman Foecke are Humbled, Appreciative  

I interviewed three Husker players – the All-America Rolfzen twins and the freshman phenom who became the third first-year student-athlete in NCAA volleyball history to win the National Championship MVP Award.

Their collective answer? Yes, All-Americans Amber Rolfzen, Kadie Rolfzen and Mikaela Foecke felt the vibes so dramatically that goose bumps surfaced while they surveyed and waved their appreciation to Nebraska’s fifth largest Spring Game crowd ever.

“I’d say yes,” Kadie said when asked if Saturday was an unmatched experience. “When you’re recognized like this, it’s almost like the whole state of Nebraska is behind you,” she said. “It’s a unique campus here to say the least.”

Ten minutes later, twin sister Amber weighed in, agreeing that she, her teammates and coaches treasured standing on Memorial Stadium’s sacred ground. “Like all of our programs, we bring recruits here so they can see the passion of our fans,” Amber said. “This was our first time getting recognized on the field, and it's hard to describe. It really is true that there's no place like Nebraska."

A weekend earlier, Foecke and her parents flew with Nebraska Coach John Cook to New York City, where she was recognized as a Sullivan Amateur Athlete national award finalist. “This was so special,” Foecke said. “I think our whole team had goosebumps. It was so motivational. I can’t wait for next season.”

Kappa Alpha Psi Celebrates Its 100-Year Anniversary as a UNL Fraternity

Talk about standing on hallowed ground. Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity also was honored Saturday while celebrating its 100-Year Anniversary as a University of Nebraska fraternity. The Nebraska chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi followed in the footsteps of its charter fraternity, which was founded in 1911 at the University of Indiana in Bloomington.

Al Maxey, an Indiana native who is enshrined in the University of Nebraska Basketball Hall of Fame, told me that 60 fraternity brothers converged in Lincoln Thursday through Sunday to celebrate the 100-year milestone.

"We've represented Nebraska for 100 years and we also feel that Memorial Stadium is hallowed ground," Maxey said. "I joined Kappa Alpha Psi in 1957. The University of Nebraska gave us an opportunity. The student-athletes who were in our fraternity helped Nebraska become one of the best athletic departments in the country through football, basketball, track and field and other sports. We had a great weekend with a full schedule from Thursdsay to Sunday. We are proud of our alma mater and we were especially excited to be honored on the football field."

Green Gets Jersey to Commemorate 20th University of Nebraska Chancellor 

Another major introduction Saturday on Memorial Stadium's turf placed a spotlight on the recipient of a black-framed Husker red-and-white jersey with No. 20 on it. The jersey had nothing to do with Johnny "The Jet" Rodgers, who eariler was featured on the big screen in his famed punt-return touchdown in the Game of the Century.

This special-made No. 20 jersey now belongs to Ronnie Green, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Chancellor-Elect beginning his second week in that critical role. Green's jersey simply matches the number of chancellors UNL has named, including 19 of his predecessors.

Green is well equipped for his new role. Raised on a mixed beef, dairy, and cropping farm in southwestern Virginia, Green's previous position at UNL was Vice Chancellor for the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. His new appointment is subject to approval by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents.

The N-Sider believes Nebraska fans deserve major kudos for showing their on-the-field respect for a variety of recognition events on Saturday, including national championship volleyball rings, a fraternity's 100th anniversary and a new Chancellor who just might have to explain that his No. 20 jersey has nothing to do with a certain Nebraska legend who scored the most memorable and replayed touchdown in Game of the Century history.

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