The No. 2 Nebraska volleyball team is in the final stages of preseason training before embarking on another high-pressure season in which the Huskers are considered Big Ten Conference favorites and are expected to repeat their success from 2023 – which ended with an appearance at the national championships. But that isn’t stopping the program from looking ahead to future seasons.
Husker coach John Cook confirmed he is in talks with the Nebraska athletic department and the NCAA to host high-profile non-league games at Pinnacle Bank Arena during the 2025 season. Nebraska has never played in the PBA, and Cook balks at the idea of playing at the 15,500-seat arena in downtown Lincoln.
While the Huskers won’t come close to the 92,003 fans who watched NU’s victory over UNO on Nebraska’s Volleyball Day at Memorial Stadium, it will be another top-tier event that will help catapult college volleyball into the mainstream media, much like the breakthrough of women’s college basketball and the WNBA over the past few seasons.
“It’s a lot of pressure to go there,” Cook said. “We’re talking about playing some games there. The PBA is open, so we’ll see. I’d bet right now that I’d say yes.”
Cook and his team are now looking ahead to 2024 and the annual practice game between the Reds and the Whites, which is scheduled to take place on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. CDT at the Devaney Center.
Although nearly the entire starting lineup returns, Saturday will still be critical for Nebraska’s lineup ahead of its game against No. 9 Kentucky next Tuesday on ESPN2. Four hitters will have to fit into two starting roles, while Cook and his team will have to decide how to use their back-row outfielders.
The teams have not yet been determined, but Cook announced that at least four sets will be played on Saturday evening.
Tuesday’s game against the Wildcats will bring more changes for the No. 2 Huskers to contend with as part of the AVCA First Serve Showcase, which also features No. 3 Wisconsin and No. 6 Louisville. The showcase will largely feature international rules with no linesmen, a new replay system, faster timeouts and an 8-second service clock.
Nebraska will be a regular at the AVCA Showcase, which will be held at the KFC Yum! Center in downtown Louisville, where this year’s Final Four will be held. Teams can only compete in this event twice every four years. As Cook also mentioned, this is a chance for volleyball to stand on its own two feet.
“The best part is that it’s a great opportunity for us to showcase volleyball before football starts. I think that’s the key,” Cook said. “…The week the Final Four is on, there are four college football playoff games. There’s going to be a lot of competition and a lot of focus on football, which could work against volleyball. This is our chance to get an early start.”
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