Final Four-like Weekend Key to Elusive Big Ten Title

Huskers Get 62 No. 1 Votes, Texas 1, Penn State 1

Kadie Rolfzen Named Big Ten Player of the Week

Strength Coach Kmitta Helps Husker Volleyball

Randy York’s N-Sider

Official Blog of the Huskers

At Monday’s press conference to promote an NCAA Final Four-like weekend Friday night and Sunday afternoon, John Cook – and the media that covers his powerhouse volleyball program – must have had an unspoken mutual agreement.

Cook has guided three teams to national championships, including last December’s sweep of Texas in Omaha. The legendary coach of the top-ranked Huskers, however, never mentioned that Nebraska’s last Big Ten Conference championship was 2011.

Members of the media followed suit with sounds of silence about NU’s five-year conference title drought prior to the Huskers’ 8 p.m. showdown with Wisconsin Friday night at the Devaney Center. Sunday’s 1 p.m. match against Minnesota at the Devaney will complete a pivotal weekend for three of the nation’s top four NCAA programs.

The Huskers, Gophers and Badgers each reached No. 1 in the past few weeks, and Monday’s reshuffled deck landed Nebraska at No. 1, Minnesota at No. 3 and Wisconsin at No. 4. Texas, the NCAA 2015 runner-up, joined the three Big Ten teams in the top four as the No. 2 choice.

Cook envisioned three Big Ten teams among the top four. “If you told me that we were going to be playing a Final Four-level weekend here in Nebraska less than a year later from Omaha, I could hardly imagine the excitement we have for volleyball,” he said.

Senior outside hitter Kadie Rolfzen was named Big Ten Player of the Week, averaging 4.29 kills and 2.71 digs per set in two road wins.

Volleyball Heaven: Three Top Four-Ranked Teams in Lincoln on Same Weekend

Having three of the nation’s top four-ranked teams in Lincoln on the same weekend is regular-season volleyball’s version of heaven, especially when both matches will be televised nationally on BTN while Nebraska continues its unequaled NCAA record for consecutive home sellouts.

“I think this weekend will determine a lot,” Cook said. “We have a shot to win the Big Ten, so it’s a big weekend. It’s also for a seeding for the (NCAA) Regionals. There are a lot of implications for that or could be. I don’t know though because we keep beating each other up.”

Cook praised Penn State (No. 9) and Michigan State (No. 11) for joining the crowded spots for elite status. “This will be a good weekend to make some gains,” he said. Four more Big Ten members are also ranked this week – No. 16 Michigan, No. 19 Ohio State, No. 22 Illinois and No. 24 Purdue. For those counting, that's nine Big Ten teams ranked in the nation's top 25.

Despite the enormity of the challenge, “one match at a time has been our mantra," Cook said. "You can’t get too excited or too low over one win. It’s a long season, and we gotta grind. This is a great opportunity for us, for our crowd, for our fans and for the national spotlight for volleyball.

"It’s another big moment in the epicenter of volleyball in this country – Lincoln, Nebraska, and the state of Nebraska,” Cook said with conviction, pointing out that "serve and pass" will be big factors that will determine which teams will win in this classic showdown weekend.

Middle blocker Brianna Holman (No. 13) plays an important role on Nebraska's top-ranked volleyball team.

Nebraska, Minnesota and Wisconsin Share Strengths: Good Blocking, Defense

“All three teams are really good blocking teams and really good defensive teams,” Cook said. “It’s probably going to come down to who can win long rallies and get big swings in long rallies.”

Last weekend, the Huskers avenged a conference loss to Ohio State in Lincoln with a four-set triumph over the Buckeyes in Columbus. The Huskers won because they did a much better job on Taylor Sandbothe, Ohio State’s All-America middle blocker.

“I think she hit .180 (in Columbus),” Cook said. “I think she had 52 sets. That’s just incredible how they run her. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything like it. She’s a great player, but we did a better job on her. Kelly (Hunter) had 19 digs and most of those were off Sandbothe.”

Cook said the Huskers improved defensively against Ohio State on the road than at home while dominating the first two sets and coming back in a tight third set before winning set four.

Nebraska’s head coach acknowledged a B1G weekend that goes well beyond having three teams in the top four. As part of the N Club Weekend of Champions Celebration, Nebraska will honor three teams at Friday night’s match against Wisconsin – the 1986, 1996 and 2006 Nebraska volleyball teams. Each team won its respective conference championship before advancing to the NCAA Final Four.

Terry Pettit returns to Lincoln this weekend to honor 1986 and 1996 NCAA Final Four teams he coached.

Coaching Duties the Priority for Cook, Busboom Kelly Over Title Celebration

“This is a champions and football weekend,” Cook said. “We’re going to make sure we stay in our routine and don’t get distracted, so we can take it like any other match. We don’t want to make this any bigger than it is. Last year, when we got to this point, we had a lot of distractions in a similar weekend with all kinds of different things, so we didn’t give our best effort.”

That will not happen again. Even though the Huskers will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the second of three Cook-coached national title teams, he will not join the festivities. The same principle applies to Dani Busboom Kelly, who played on the 2006 team before becoming an assistant coach under Cook. Both will be with the team instead of on the court.

Terry Pettit, the 1986 AVCA National Coach of the Year, guided the Huskers to a Big Eight Conference Championship and a 29-6 record before becoming the ’86 NCAA national runner-up. Pettit also coached the 1996 Huskers to a Big 12 Conference Championship and a 30-4 record while advancing to the NCAA Final Four.

Cook coached Nebraska’s 2006 NCAA National Championship Team, which also earned the Big 12 title and recorded a 33-1 record. Ten years ago, the Huskers defeated Stanford in four sets in Omaha in front of a then record NCAA crowd of 17,209 fans.

All-America setter Fiona Nepo returns to Lincoln for a 20-year team reunion.

Fans Have the Opportunity to Celebrate 1986, 1996, 2006 Final Four Teams

Here are the team members who are returning for the Weekend of Champions:

1986 Huskers: Linda Barness, Rochester, Minn.; Virginia Stahr, Waco, Neb.; Barbie Young, Sidney, Neb.; Susie Hansen, Lincoln, Neb.; Karen Dahlgren, Bertrand, Neb.; Tisha Delaney, Festus, Mo.; Lori Endicott, Springfield, Mo.; DeLisa Debolt, Dubuque, Iowa; Kathi DeBoer, Firth, Neb.; Angie Millikin, Ogallala, Neb.; and Enid Schonewise, Beatrice, Neb.

1996 Huskers: Lisa Avery, Shawnee Mission, Kan.; Kim Crandall, Papillion, Neb.; Kate Crnich, River Forest, Ill.; Maria Hedbeck, Sollentuna, Sweden; Katie Jahnke. West Bend, Wis.; Megan Korver, Panama, Neb.; Denise Koziol, Norfolk, Neb.; Jaime Krondak, Lincoln, Neb.; Stacie Maser, Lincoln, Neb.; Mandy Monson, Wallace, Neb.; Fiona Nepo, Honolulu, Hawaii (pictured above left); Lisa Reitsma, Sanborn, Iowa.; Renee Saunders, Omaha, Neb.; and Tonia Tauke, Council Bluffs, Iowa.

2006 Huskers: Brooke Bartek, Lincoln, Neb.; Kori Cooper, Amarillo, Tex.; Amanda Gates, Columbus, Neb.; Maggie Griffin, St. Charles, Ill.; Christina Houghtelling, Cambridge, Neb.; Rachel Schwartz, Lincoln, Neb.; Tracy Stalls, Denver, Colo.

Rolfzen Named Senior CLASS Award Candidate

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