Compliments from Cook as Huskers prepare for semis battle with Pitt
Nebraska coach John Cook addresses his team during Wednesday’s practice/@AndyWenstrand
By Joey Johnston for VolleyballMag.com
TAMPA — Nebraska’s Big Red contingent has landed at the NCAA Division I Volleyball Championship. Saying the Huskers travel well is like saying the Gulf of Mexico sunsets are sort of pretty.
The fandemonium remains an incredible sight.
Or is that … inc-RED-ible?
But even though the bandwagon has long been filled to the brim and some paint this weekend as a Nebraska coronation, it’s actually a fierce competition.
No one knows that better than Nebraska coach John Cook, who will lead his top-ranked Huskers (32-1) into Thursday night’s national semifinal against the Pittsburgh Panthers (29-4).
That’s why Cook had his players locked-in and prepared Wednesday morning as they took the court for a public practice that included a few hundred (you guessed it) red-clad onlookers.
Cook told his players it was the best pre-final four practice he had seen from his program.
“There’s so much going on here and it has gotten more (busy) every year,’’ Cook said. “It’s hard to stay focused on why we’re here. These guys had to get up this morning and go to a morning practice. We don’t practice in the mornings (during the regular season). But they came in and took care of business.
“They’ve been doing it all year. I was not surprised. Sometimes, they deserve a compliment.’’
The Panthers deserve a few compliments of their own. Pittsburgh has earned its third consecutive national semifinals berth and doesn’t consider itself as the supporting act.
“I think that we try to treat every opponent the same,’’ Panthers setter Rachel Fairbanks said. “Obviously, every opponent is different (stylistically). But we just focus on preparing really well and not letting all the outward noise get to us, just focusing on who we are as a team and playing our best volleyball.’’
“Each year (of reaching the Final Four) has been a little different story,’’ Pittsburgh coach Dan Fisher said. “But I’ll just say we have very good players who care a lot about their teammates and their team culture. We don’t have selfish players at Pitt who are in it for the wrong reasons. And we train hard.’’
At Pittsburgh, the fans have noticed.
Fisher recalls the days early in his tenure when ACC home matches might draw a few hundred spectators. Now the Panthers have a solid following and a culture that attracts top players.
“I just love that our campus isn’t very traditional,’’ Panthers middle blocker Chaimaka Nwokolo said. “You can be in a different neighborhood in 10 minutes. You don’t see the same Pittsburgh every day.’’
“The University of Pittsburgh campus is integrated with the city and there’s greenery, there are parks,’’ Fairbanks said. “There are so many different aspects to the city of Pittsburgh. The culture of Pittsburgh is cool.’’
Fisher said Pittsburgh’s offerings are a “huge selling point’’ for attracting players.
“They love what they city has to offer,’’ Fisher said. “Pittsburgh is a great-sized city because it has all the things that big cities do, but it’s not overwhelming. I think our team takes advantage of it.’’
The fringe sports fan might not know about Pittsburgh’s volleyball success. But Nebraska volleyball? It has crossed over to the non-volleyball crowd. How could it not? Nebraska’s August match against Omaha in football’s Memorial Stadium — attendance: 92,003 — received maximum exposure and put college volleyball before an entirely different audience.
Good for the sport.
Good for Nebraska.
“Pittsburgh’s volleyball team is very athletic and very well-coached,’’ Cook said. “This is their third final four in a row. Coach Fisher has figured out a way to get that team there.
“They’ve rebuilt through the transfer portal. He has two fabulous freshmen. And he’s been able to recruit the whole country. They’re playing at a really high level. It’s going to be a great challenge.’’
As always, though, the Huskers will have the support of their red-clad faithful. Through the best of times — and even when the team doesn’t get this far — the Nebraska fans are always there, selling out every home match since the 2001 season.
Nebraska constantly works on its connection through the entire state, even scheduling a spring match in Central City (population: 3,032), which Cook compared to a “Super Bowl’’ in that tiny town.
“We’re super grateful for all of Husker Nation,’’ Cornhuskers libero Lexi Rodriguez said. “They show up where we’re at. They always support us. It’s awesome.
“We always get opportunities to interact and give back to them. I think that’s something they realty enjoy and something they’ll always remember. It allows them to just be so supportive of us every single year.’’
Can the Panthers upstage Nebraska’s run? Or will the Cornhuskers’ incredible season continue?
We already know what Amalie Arena might look like. Nebraska’s Big Red contingent has arrived.
Inc-RED-ible.
Pitt coach Dan Fisher during practice Wednesday/@AndyWenstrand
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