Husker Volleyball

by Ken Hambleton

Nebraska continues to stamp its name all over volleyball around the world.

On what seemed a whim, Nebraska volleyball coach John Cook, planted the idea of putting the Huskers in front of the largest volleyball crowd ever—again.

In 2001, Nebraska already notched the longest sellout streak in college volleyball. The Huskers played before the largest volleyball crowds in NCAA history—five of the top six crowds ever involved Nebraska.

The idea popped into Cook’s head, “Let’s go for it.”

In Just a few hours in April of 2023, Nebraska sold out Memorial Stadium with 82,000 tickets gone in few hours. A reconfiguration of the famous football stadium added even more than the all-time record for a women’s sports event—90,185 fans for the U.S. vs. China in soccer in the Rose Bowl for the 1999 Women’s World Cup.

Surprised? Remember, Nebraska packs the Devaney Sports Center with more than 8,000 fans for every home game and jams in thousands more when NU makes a run in the NCAA tournament.

The program is so successful and vital to volleyball in general and Nebraska; it’s a sport on par with any women’s program worldwide.

The Huskers boast 99 All-Americans, five NCAA national titles, two runner-up finishes, and nine NCAA semifinal appearances.

American Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame coach Terry Pettit started the ball rolling, or flying, in this case, in 1976. Hall of Fame member John Cook followed him, and Nebraska has 35 conference titles, l20 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, and nine Olympic team members. This year alone, one-third of the under-21 U.S. national volleyball team is made up of future Husker recruits.

The best of the best on the volleyball roll call include Karen Dahlgren, Cathy Noth, Lori Endicott, Allison Weston, Janet Kruse, Stephanie Thater, Nancy Metcalf, Jordan Larson, and Sarah Pavan. Larson, a three time Olympic medalist, was added to the staff as an assistant in 2023.

Consider that Pettit was 694-148 with NU’s first NCAA title, and Cook was 630-52 with four national titles. Nebraska still hasn’t lost 60 conference games since 1985, the first time the Huskers were in the Big Eight.

After Pettit and Cook, the Nebraska volleyball coaching tree includes former Penn State coach Russ Rose, Christy Johnson at Iowa State, Dahlgren at Kansas, Mary Buysse at North Carolina, Dani Busboom at Louisville, and Craig Skinner at Louisville. Dozens of former Huskers are standout high school coaches. Omaha Skutt coach Renee Saunders has won seven consecutive state high school titles.

“People know what Nebraska volleyball is. They know the type of athlete on the court. They know the style of play. They know she is a solid citizen and a good student when she plays at Nebraska,” Pettit said. Cook added, “We want to be the best, and we will make that possible here because of the program, the players, and our fans.”

And the volleyball dominance doesn’t stop
at Nebraska.

Creighton University, University of Nebraska-Kearney, Hastings College, Midland University, and Wayne State College have all been in the national title chase in their respective divisions of college volleyball.