McPherson County Volleyball player Ashley Starr Signs letter of intent to play volleyball at North Platte Community College. McPherson County Volleyball Coach Alan Miller, Scott Starr, and NPCC Volleyball coach Alexa Hopping look on.
North Platte Community College Lady Knights Head Volleyball coach Alexa Hopping has signed Ashley Starr to a national letter of intent for the upcoming school year.
Starr played volleyball for the McPherson County Longhorns. In her senior year, Starr had 159 kills and a .275 hitting percentage. In addition, she recorded 23 service aces and had 111 blocks.
Hopping said, “She is a hard worker and has a lot of athletic ability.”
Ashley is the daughter of Scott and Bobbi Starr.
With the addition of Starr, the number of incoming freshman to the Lady Knights volleyball program is seven. The Lady Knights previously signed Tracy Blake of Maxwell, Megan Chintala of Fleming, Colo., MaKenna Ketter of Imperial, Jessica Lovitt of Mullen, Josie Palmer of Brady and Shelby Wolever of Brush, Colo.
Grand Island, Neb. – In front of a sold-out crowd of 6,006 at the Heartland Events Center, the Nebraska volleyball team put on an impressive display in a 25-13, 25-11, 25-23 sweep against Kansas State on Saturday night.
Playing against a veteran Wildcat squad that reached the NCAA Tournament last season, the Huskers came out blazing and took care of the Wildcats in three sets in NU’s only spring exhibition match of 2015.
Kadie Rolfzen had 12 kills and Alicia Ostrander had 10. Kelsey Fien had nine kills and five blocks, and Amber Rolfzen had four kills and nine blocks. The Huskers outblocked Kansas State 16-4 and outhit them .294 to .036.
Sophomore setter Kelly Hunter filled the stat sheet for the Big Red. Taking over for Mary Pollmiller, Hunter tallied 33 assists, 14 digs, four blocks and two kills.
Kylee Zumach led Kansas State with 11 kills. Grand Island Central Catholic product Katie Brand had 25 assists and six digs in her homecoming.
The Huskers took control of set one with a 5-1 run to go up 8-5. NU pushed its lead to 12-7 by smashing eight kills on its first 15 attacks with no errors. A kill by Kadie Rolfzen and three consecutive Husker blocks put NU up 21-12. Hunter and Cecilia Hall teamed up to end the set with another block, 25-13. NU hit .500 in the first set with 14 kills and just one error. The Huskers had seven blocks in the frame.
In the second set, the Huskers gained momentum about the same time they did in the first set. After falling behind 3-1, the Huskers went on an 8-2 run to take a 9-5 lead after back-to-back kills by Fien. After a Wildcat timeout, Kadie Rolfzen served up an ace and Fien killed again for an 11-5 lead. Another kill by Fien and block with Hall led to a 15-8 Husker advantage. Kills by Hall and Ostrander then made it 17-9. The Huskers continued to blast away and won the set, 25-11. Through two sets, NU totaled 31 kills with just five errors.
In the third set, Olivia Boender’s kill ignited a 5-0 run to put NU up 7-3. After the Wildcats got within 9-6, Boender recorded another kill to start a 3-0 run that gave the Huskers a 12-6 lead. The Huskers went up 17-10 but Kansas State rallied to tie it 18-18. Kadie Rolfzen killed for a 19-18 lead, and an Annika Albrecht ace made it 21-18. Amber Rolfzen pasted a kill for a 22-18 lead, and Kadie followed to make it 23-18. Kansas State made it interesting by pulling within 24-23, but the match ended when Kansas State served long.
The Nebraska volleyball team plays its only official match of the spring when it takes on Kansas State in Grand Island on Saturday at the Heartland Events Center. The match is set to begin at 6 p.m., with doors opening 60 minutes prior to first serve. The Huskers will sign autographs for a short time after the match, which sold out in less than an hour. While the Huskers will be playing for the first and only time this spring, Kansas State has already put 22 sets under its belt against eight different opponents enteringSaturday. The Wildcats also play Nebraska-Kearney early on Saturday before taking on the Huskers Saturday night.
SERIES HISTORY
Record: NU leads 82-4 (Last Meeting: KSU 3-2, Dec. 2, 2011 in Lincoln)
Notes: The last meeting was Kansas State’s upset of the Huskers in Lincoln in the NCAA Tournament Second Round. It snapped Nebraska’s 14-match win streak in the series. Nebraska last played in Grand Island in the 2011 spring season, topping Wichita State 3-2. A packed crowd of 5,522 fans filled the Heartland Events Center for that match.
NOTING THE HUSKERS
The Huskers are coming off a 23-10 (14-6 Big Ten) season in 2014 in which they advanced to an NCAA Regional Final for the third consecutive season. After defeating Hofstra and Utah to advance to the Seattle Regional, the Huskers upset No. 3 Washington 3-1 on its home court to reach the final eight teams. NU’s season came to an end at the hands of the BYU Cougars, who went on to reach the NCAA Championship match.
Outside hitter Kadie Rolfzen was an AVCA third-team All-American for the second time in 2014, earning Nebraska’s nation-leading 77th AVCA All-America certificate. She is the 27th Husker to earn multiple honors in her career. Rolfzen led Nebraska in kills with 405 (3.55 per set) and posted a double-double in all four NCAA Tournament matches to help lift the Huskers to the Elite Eight for the third straight season. Rolfzen, a Papillion-La Vista South grad, finished second on the team in digs with 316 (2.77 per set), establishing herself as one of the top all-around players in the nation, region and Big Ten for the second straight season.
Kelsey Fien earned honorable-mention All-America honors following her junior season. The outside hitter from Bakersfield, Calif., was second on the team in kills with 286 (3.21 per set) and was particularly strong in conference play, posting 3.39 kills per set while hitting .303, the best mark by an NU player and third among all B1G outside hitters.
Briana Holman and Alicia Ostrander were selected to the U.S. Collegiate National Team Program this spring. Holman is one of 12 players who will represent the U.S. Collegiate Natioanl Team at the 2015 World University Games July 2-12 at Gwangju, South Korea. It’s her second career selection to the team. Ostrander is one of 36 players who will train and compete conjunction with the USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Championships from June 21-29 in New Orleans, La.
SCOUTING KANSAS STATE
The Wildcats finished 22-9 (9-7 Big 12) last season. Their season came to an end in Lincoln in an NCAA Tournament first-round loss to Utah. KSU is led by outside hitter Kylee Zumach, who was the unanimous Big 12 Freshman of the Year and was an All-Big 12 first-team selection with setter Katie Brand in 2014. Saturday’s match marks a homecoming for the GI native Brand, who led Grand Island Central Catholic to a state title in her junior year of high school. Brand is coming off an honorable-mention All-America season as a sophomore with the Wildcats.
ROSEMONT, Ill. – For the first time in conference history, Big Ten volleyball student-athletes from all 14 schools will travel overseas to take part in a foreign tour to feature not just competition on the court, but also community service initiatives and the opportunity to experience new cultures in some of the world’s greatest cities. The Big Ten Volleyball Foreign Tour Team will travel to Slovenia, Croatia and Italy from June 13-25.
Northwestern’s Keylor Chan will serve as the head coach of the Big Ten Volleyball Foreign Tour Team. Indiana’s Paul Koncir and Rutgers Phuong Louong will travel as assistant coaches, while Michigan State athletic trainer Lianna Hadden will also accompany the team.
“The Big Ten Volleyball Foreign Tour Team will have a great opportunity this summer to come together and compete against some of the best players in the world,” said Chan. “These tours provide student-athletes and coaches with the ability to visit different places, meet new people and experience new cultures through the game that we all love. I’m really looking forward to representing Northwestern University and the Big Ten Conference overseas in June.”
The first stop for the Big Ten Foreign Tour Team is Maribor, Slovenia, where matches with four national teams will take place. The squad will then travel to several cities in Croatia to play in two contests versus the Istrian Select team. The final leg of the tour will be in Italy, where the team will play the Italian National Team.
In addition to competition on the court, the 14 student-athletes will have the opportunity to partake in community service initiatives, study foreign languages with local students and visit some of Europe’s most historic cities, including Ljubljana in Slovenia, Istra, Pula, Rovinj and Porec in Croatia, and Padova and Venice in Italy.
The complete Big Ten Foreign Tour Team and final schedule will be announced at a later date.
LINCOLN, Neb. – Nebraska volleyball rising senior Alicia Ostrander is one of 36 athletes USA Volleyball has selected to participate in the U.S. Collegiate National Team (CNT) program that will train and compete in conjunction with the USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Championships from June 21-29 in New Orleans, La.
For the fourth consecutive year, USA Volleyball will have its U.S. Collegiate National Team program (formerly known as U.S. Women’s National A2 Team) represented at the USAV Girls’ Junior National Championships.
Ostrander, a Gordon, Neb., native, is coming off a breakout season in which she notched 152 kills and averaged 2.49 kills per set to rank fourth on the team. Ostrander posted 10 or more kills in nine matches and recorded a career-high 19 kills on 25 swings against Illinois on Oct. 18. The outside hitter went through a breakout stretch in the middle of the season with double-digit kills in seven of eight matches.
“USA Volleyball is excited to bring these three dozen outstanding collegiate athletes together for the College National Team program in New Orleans,” USA Volleyball Senior Director Tom Pingel said. “It’s always beneficial to the development of our National Team pipeline to get this group in the gym during the summer, as well as in front of the juniors playing at the GJNC so they can see the next level of play. Over the past four years, our CNT athletes have served as outstanding role models for these younger athletes.”
In March, the U.S. Collegiate National Team program selected players to compete in the World University Games in Gwangju, South Korea. Husker junior Briana Holman was selected to that squad. In total, 60 athletes have been selected into the CNT program, which is part of the USA Volleyball High Performance pipeline.
This CNT program includes nine middle blockers, nine outside hitters, six setters, six opposites and six liberos. The middle blockers are Alyssa Garvelink (Michigan State University, Holland, Mich.), Krystalyn Goode (University of Michigan, River Hills, Wis.), Kayla Haneline (University of Northern Iowa, Plattsmouth, Neb.), Molly Lohman (University of Minnesota, Mankato, Minn.),Kaitlyn Oliver (Boise State University, Helena, Mont.), Tyler Richardson (Ohio State University, Ypsilanti, Mich.), Jenna Rosenthal (Marquette University, Fond du Lac, Wis.),Lauren Schad (University of San Diego, Rapid City, S.D.) and Stephenee Yancy (University of Illinois-Chicago, Aroma Park, Ill.).
Opposites selected to the program are Cody Dodd (Tennessee Tech, Cookeville, Tenn.),Canace Finley (University of San Diego, Fort Collins, Colo.), Chelsey Harris (Rice University, Houston, Texas), Hayley McCorkle (University of North Carolina, Winterville, N.C.), Kelsie Payne (University of Kansas, Austin, Texas) and Taylor Treacy (University of North Carolina, Columbia, S.C.).
The selected outside hitters are Adora Anae (University of Utah, Laie, Hawaii), Alexis Austin(University of Colorado, Houston, Texas), Kia Bright (University of Central Florida, Jacksonville, Fla.), Tiana Dockery (University of Kansas, Richmond, Texas), Erin Fairs (University of Louisville, Richmond, Texas), Katie Horton (Florida State University, Westland, Mich.), Alicia Ostrander (University of Nebraska, Gordon, Neb.), Luisa Schirmer (Ohio State University, Pittsford, N.Y.) and Azariah Stahl (Purdue Univeristy, Elkhart, Ind.).
Liberos named to the program are Heather Gearhart (University of North Carolina, Chula Vista, Calif.), Alyssa Goehner (University of Minnesota, Lakeville, Minn.), Morgan Heise (Southern Methodist University, Hempstead, Texas), Amanda Neill (Purdue University, Lafayette, Ind.),Cierra Simpson (University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Cassandra Strickland(University of Washington, Huntington Beach, Calif.).
The setters are Bianca Arellano (Arizona State University, Phoenix, Ariz.), Morgan Bergren(University of Kentucky, Muncie, Ind.), Katie Brand (Kansas State University, Grand Island, Neb.), Nicole Edelman (University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo.), Ainise Havili (University of Kansas, Fort Worth, Texas) and Gabrielle Simpson (University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, Colo.).
The coaching staff for the CNT-GJNC program will be named in the coming weeks.
After the training portion of the program, the 36 athletes will be divided into three equal teams which will compete in a round-robin event June 26-29. The round-robin event may include an additional team to increase the field to four teams that would compete June 25-29.
U.S. Collegiate National Team for 2015 USAV Girls’ Junior National Championships Name (Position, School, 2015 College Year, Hometown)
Adora Anae (OH, University of Utah, So., Laie, Hawaii)
Bianca Arellano (S, Arizona State University, Sr., Phoenix, Ariz.)
Alexis Austin (OH, University of Colorado, Sr., Houston, Texas)
Morgan Bergren (S, University of Kentucky, Sr., Muncie, Ind.)
Katie Brand (S, Kansas State University, Jr., Grand Island, Neb.)
Kia Bright (OH, University of Central Florida, Jr., Jacksonville, Fla.)
Tiana Dockery (OH, University of Kansas, Sr., Richmond, Texas)
Cody Dodd (OPP, Tennessee Tech, Sr., Cookeville, Tenn.)
Nicole Edelman (S, University of Colorado, Sr., Boulder, Colo.)
Erin Fairs (OH, University of Louisville, Sr., Richmond, Texas)
Canace Finley (OPP, University of San Diego, Sr., Fort Collins, Colo.)
Alyssa Garvelink (MB, Michigan State University, So., Holland, Mich.)
Heather Gearhart (L, University of North Carolina, Sr., Chula Vista, Calif.)
Alyssa Goehner (L, University of Minnesota, So., Lakeville, Minn.)
Krystalyn Goode (MB, University Michigan, Sr., River Hills, Wis.)
Kayla Haneline (MB, University of Northern Iowa, Jr., Plattsmouth, Neb.)
Chelsey Harris (OPP, Rice University, Jr., Houston, Texas)
Ainise Havili (S, University of Kansas, So., Fort Worth, Texas)
Morgan Heise (L, Southern Methodist University, Jr., Hempstead, Texas)
Katie Horton (OH, Florida State University, Jr., Westland, Mich.)
Molly Lohman (MB, University of Minnesota, So., Mankato, Minn.)
Hayley McCorkle (OPP, University of North Carolina, Jr., Winterville, N.C.)
Amanda Neill (L, Purdue University, Sr., Lafayette, Ind.)
Kaitlyn Oliver (MB, Boise State University, So., Helena, Mont.) Alicia Ostrander(OH, University of Nebraska, Sr., Gordon, Neb.)
Kelsie Payne (OPP, University of Kansas, So., Austin, Texas)
Tyler Richardson (MB, Ohio State University, Sr., Ypsilanti, Mich.)
Jenna Rosenthal (MB, Marquette University, Fr.-R, Fond du Lac, Wis.)
Lauren Schad (MB, University of San Diego, Jr., Rapid City, S.D.)
Luisa Schirmer (OH, Ohio State University, So., Pittsford, N.Y.)
Cierra Simpson (L, University of Colorado, Jr., Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Gabrielle Simpson (S, University of Colorado, So., Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Azariah Stahl (OH, Purdue University, So., Elkhart, Ind.)
Cassandra Strickland (L, University of Washington, Sr., Huntington Beach, Calif.)
Taylor Treacy (OPP, University of North Carolina, Jr., Columbia, S.C.)
Stephenee Yancy (MB, University of Illinois-Chicago, Sr., Aroma Park, Ill.)
Sally Thalken, recently retired coach of the North Platte Community College Lady Knight volleyball team was awarded National Junior College Athletic Association’s (NJCAA) Service Award at its 74th Annual Meeting in Tucson, Ariz. In March.
The NJCAA Service Award is awarded to the individuals who made significant contributions to the NJCAA on a national level for an extended period of time.
In the NJCAA news release which was released on Monday, April 6, reads, “The winningest coach in the history of NJCAA DII volleyball, Sally Thalken has established herself as one of the most successful coaches ever in two-year college athletics. Having just completed her 34th season at North Platte (Neb.), Thalken’s 921 wins are the fourth-most all-time at any level of NJCAA volleyball. Since her arrival in 1981, the Knights have claimed five district titles yielding four appearances at the NJCAA DII Volleyball Championship along with participation at the 1984 NJCAA Volleyball Championship prior to the sport breaking into divisions. Thalken has had 11 players receive All-America honors, including Carolyn Williams and Michelle Jankovits who earned first team recognition. Her contributions to the sport were recognized by her peers in 2003 when she was inducted into the NJCAA Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.”
There were four national recipients of the award. Other recipients of the Service Award were: Francis Flax from Brown Mackie College; Cleo Hill from Essex County College and Jim Southward from the Mississippi Board for Community Colleges.
To read the full NJCAA news release go to www.njcaa.org.
FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — A 16-year-old club volleyball player and her family are suing after they say her coaches spiked her playing time and her league blocked a transfer to another club where she could have played more.
Audrey Dimitrew and her family sued the Chesapeake Region Volleyball Association on March 10. They claim she was led to believe she would get playing time when she joined the team but was later told she lacked the skills to compete with the group. Coaches told her she could switch teams but the league blocked that move saying it could lead to an overwhelming number of team-change requests.
The lawsuit was first reported by The Washington Post (http://wapo.st/1yzMNgp ). The newspaper reports that in recent years more families have asked the courts to intervene in youth sports disputes.
Briana Holman when playing for LSU before transferring to Nebraska.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Nebraska junior volleyball player Briana Holman is one of 12 players selected to the U.S. Collegiate National Team that will play in the 2015 World University Games July 2-12 at Gwangju, South Korea.
It is the second career selection for Holman to the U.S. Collegiate National Team. The middle blocker from DeSoto, Texas was part of the USA team that participated in the Tour of China in 2014.
The World University Games happens every four years as a prelude to the Olympics the following summer.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for Briana,” Nebraska head coach John Cook said. “It’s been a dream of hers, and she will get to go to South Korea where the 1988 Olympics were held. This will be a high-level tournament, and the USA is sending its best possible team to try and medal. It will be a great experience for her, not only to go to Korea and play against the best competition in the world, but to get to meet and play with different student-athletes from other teams around the United States.”
The World University Games roster is part of USA Volleyball’s High Performance program’s Collegiate National Team. The squad has four players who finished their senior seasons in 2014, along with three seniors and five juniors.
Team USA for the World University Games includes setters Lexi Dannemiller (University of Michigan, West Chester, Ohio) and Micha Hancock (Penn State University, Edmond, Okla.). Opposites on the team are Khat Bell (University of Texas, Mesquite, Texas) and Alex Holston (University of Florida, Olney, Md.). Laura Larson (University of Arizona, Lakeville, Minn.) was named as the libero.
Middle blockers chosen to the World University Games roster are Nia Grant (Penn State University, Warren, Ohio), Briana Holman (University of Nebraska, DeSoto, Texas) and Paige Tapp (University of Minnesota, Stewartville, Minn.). Outside hitters selected to the team are Jordan Burgess (Stanford University, Fort Myers, Fla.), Carly Kan (University of Missouri, Honolulu), Andi Malloy (Baylor University, Allen, Texas) and Nicole Walch (Florida State University, Stuart, Fla.).
Mary Wise, head coach for the University of Florida, has been named the head coach for the team. She will be assisted by Kyle Robinson, the new University of Oklahoma assistant coach, and Dan Thomassen, Sage Hill High School volleyball coach and co-founder of Prime Volleyball Club in California.
“The World University Games is a unique event that we look forward to competing in come July,” Wise said. “We are fortunate to assemble such a talented group of players to represent USA Volleyball.”
The squad includes five AVCA All-America First-Team selections in 2014, including Burgess, Grant, Hancock, Holman and Holston. Further, Bell and Walch were AVCA All-America Second-Team selections in 2014, while Tapp was named to the third-team.
The World University Games squad will come together June 28 in Los Angeles before traveling to South Korea for the competition. The roster was selected through the U.S. Women’s National Team Open Tryouts held Feb. 20-22 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., along with an invitation-only training block held in January in Anaheim, Calif.
The U.S. Collegiate National Team program also includes a China Tour roster that will be announced later this week, along with a 36-player group that will train and compete in conjunction with the USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Championships in June.
U.S. Women’s World University Games Roster Name (Position, School, 2015 College Year, Hometown) Khat Bell (OPP, University of Texas, Grad, Mesquite, Texas) Jordan Burgess (OH, Stanford University, Sr., Fort Myers, Fla.) Lexi Dannemiller (S, University of Michigan, Grad, West Chester, Ohio) Nia Grant (MB, Penn State University, Grad, Warren, Ohio) Micha Hancock (S, Penn State University, Grad, Edmond, Okla.) Briana Holman (MB, University of Nebraska, Jr., DeSoto, Texas) Alex Holston (OPP, University of Florida, Jr., Olney, Md.) Carly Kan (OH, University of Missouri, Jr., Honolulu, Hawaii) Laura Larson (L, University of Arizona, Jr., Lakeville, Minn.) Andi Malloy (OH, Baylor University, Sr., Allen, Texas) Paige Tapp (MB, University of Minnesota, Jr., Stewartville, Minn.) Nicole Walch (OH, Florida State University, Sr., Stuart, Fla.)
Head Coach:Mary Wise (University of Florida) Assistant Coach:Kyle Robinson (University of Oklahoma) Assistant Coach: Dan Thomassen (Prime Volleyball Club, Sage Hill High School, Calif.) Trainer: Meredith Dillon (West Valley College)
Lincoln, Neb. – Nebraska volleyball head coach John Cook announced on Tuesday that Alexa Ethridge, Maddie Haggerty and Kira Larson are leaving the Nebraska volleyball program. Each player has been given a full release to transfer.
“We are very thankful for the contributions these three young women have provided to our program, both on and off the court,” Cook said. “Alexa, Maddie and Kira are great talents and special people with high character. They all have bright futures ahead of them, and we wish them nothing but the very best. We are totally supportive of their decisions.”
Ethridge was a defensive and serving specialist for the Huskers the past two seasons, appearing in 66 career matches. Larson played in 15 matches this season as a redshirt freshman, registering 13 kills and 10 blocks. Haggerty sat out her freshman season with a lingering injury.
The Huskers, who just wrapped up their third sand season with a 6-2 record, will now begin preparing for their only spring match on April 25 against Kansas State in Grand Island.
Lincoln, Neb. – The Nebraska volleyball program has announced its 2015 season schedule. After leading the nation in attendance for the second straight season with 8,083 fans per match last season, the Huskers will play 15 regular-season matches at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in 2015. NU finished 23-10 overall and reached an NCAA regional final for the third straight season last year.
The Huskers will host a season-opening round-robin tournament on Aug. 28-29 at the Devaney Center. NU’s season opener will be against Tulsa on Friday, Aug. 28. The Big Red will play Grand Canyon and Pittsburgh on Saturday, Aug. 29.
For the second straight season, the Huskers will meet the Texas Longhorns, as Nebraska travels to Austin, Texas the weekend of Sept. 4-5 for a pair of high-profile matches. NU will square off against the Longhorns on Sept. 4 and will face the Oregon Ducks in a neutral-site match on Sept. 5. Texas advanced to the NCAA Semifinals last season and finished the year ranked fifth at 27-3. Meanwhile, Oregon was ranked 14th in the final AVCA rankings with a 23-10 record.
NU returns to the Devaney Center the following weekend for the Ameritas Players Challenge on Sept. 11-12. A schedule is yet to be determined, but the field includes UC Davis, Georgia Tech and South Florida.
The Huskers face in-state foe Creighton on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at the CenturyLink Center. Non-conference play concludes with the Huskers renewing their series with Iowa State on Saturday, Sept. 19 in Ames, Iowa.
The Big Ten schedule is in identical order to last season, with only home and away dates reversed. For example, the Huskers will begin Big Ten play with back-to-back matches against Iowa again, except the first one on Sept. 23 will be at Iowa, and the Sept. 26th match is at the Devaney Center.
Just like last season, the Huskers will again play home-and-home matches with Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State. The Huskers will see Northwestern, Ohio State, Minnesota, Rutgers, Purdue and Wisconsin only once. Minnesota, Rutgers and Wisconsin will visit Lincoln, while the Huskers will play on the road at Northwestern, Ohio State and Purdue.
The 2015 season marks the return of the NCAA Championship to the CenturyLink Center in Omaha. It’s the third time the Huskers have hosted the NCAA semifinals and final in Omaha. The other years – 2006 and 2008 – still account for the top two all-session attendance records in NCAA volleyball history. A record-breaking 34,223 fans attended the 2006 semifinals and final, while 31,729 showed up in 2008.
The Huskers have had noteworthy seasons each time the final four has been in Omaha, and they hope 2015 will be no different. In 2006, the Huskers won the title over Stanford in front of a packed house of 17,209 fans. In 2008, NU fell just short against eventual national champion Penn State in the NCAA semifinals in front of an NCAA-record 17,430 fans.
Nebraska will hold its annual Red/White Scrimmage on Saturday, Aug. 22 at the Devaney Center. Ticket and TV information, including start times for select matches will be announced at a later date.
