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Nebraska Women’s Volleyball Wins In Front Of 92,003 Fans, Largest Crowd Ever For Women’s Sporting Event

LINCOLN, NEBRASKA - AUGUST 30: General view of the court during the game between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Omaha Mavericks at Memorial Stadium on August 30, 2023 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)

The Nebraska women’s volleyball team competed in Lincoln Wednesday in front of 92,003 fans, the largest crowd ever recorded for a women’s sporting event. The Cornhuskers defeated Omaha in three straight sets.

Nebraska head coach John Cook was introduced to the crowd, well above the usual capacity of Memorial Stadium, to a raucous ovation.

“And I was thinking this morning, there’s only three things that shut down the University of Nebraska: 1) snowstorms, 2) Covid, 3) Nebraska volleyball in the stadium. So students, you’re welcome. … From one of our players, she said tonight, ‘The impossible is possible.’ So thank you very much. There’s no place like Nebraska,” Cook said.

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The contest was held on “Volleyball Day in Nebraska,” at a school that has heavily promoted the sport for decades. The team has appeared in the NCAA Tournament 47 times since 1975, winning the championship in 1995, 2000, 2006, 2015 and 2017. The attendance at Wednesday’s game exceeded the average enjoyed by most men’s professional sports leagues.

“It’s incredible. I don’t have enough words to describe it,” Nebraska player Andi Jackson said. “We were walking out of the tunnel after the second set, and we heard on the speaker we had just broken the world record. Everyone was trying to stay locked in, but we were also so excited. I can’t describe how grateful I am to be a part of it.”

With the victory over Omaha, Nebraska moved to 4-0 on the season after consecutive wins over weaker competition. The Huskers play their first road game on Sept. 3 against Kansas State and will begin Big Ten conference play against Ohio State on Sept. 22.

“I’ve been saying it’s so huge for little girls to get to see a women’s sport and volleyball being played on this big of a stage and having so many people invest in it,” Nebraska player Lexi Rodriguez said. “When you’re little, you have big dreams and big goals. Having this to look up to is something that a lot of little girls will keep in the back of their mind when they’re pursuing the sport of volleyball.”