Nebraska Volleyball: Why Huskers can win 2019 National Championship
Nebraska volleyball begins their 2019 season this Friday and will look to make it back to somewhere they’ve been all too familiar with over the past four years – The National Championship match. Here’s why they can win it all in 2019.
When it comes to volleyball season, Nebraska volleyball fans have every right to be cocky. This program has made it to four straight Final Fours (recent graduates Mikaela Foecke and Kenzie Maloney made it in each of their four seasons with the program), three of the last four National Championship games, and have won two of the last four titles.
So yeah… Nebraska volleyball fans have a right to be entitled. This is a program that wins and the fans are used to winning. That being said, fans are expecting this team to be right back in the biggest match of the season when December rolls around.
What are some reasons why the Cornhuskers could be college volleyball champions come December? Let’s take a look.
TEAM HAS WORKED TOGETHER FOR MONTHS
It’s not uncommon for a team to practice and play together during the spring due to beach season, but Nebraska took a trip to Asia over the summer and that will be critical now that the regular season is about to begin. Not only did the girls bond on that trip, but they got to play in actual matches against opponents they hadn’t seen before.
That trip to Asia gave the Huskers an idea of what they’re good at and what they need to work on. It was yet another opportunity for the young team to play together and continue to gel on and off the court. That kind of experience will only help them when the matches get tougher.
BEEN THERE, DONE THAT
Okay, let’s just say it. Nebraska is at the top – or at least near the top – every year. Even in their toughest stretch last year that saw them lose five out of seven games, the Huskers still gave it everything they had. Even when the losses started to “pile up”, this team never gave up and that paid off.
They ultimately made yet another deep run in the tournament and, thanks to Oregon knocking off the second overall seeded Minnesota Golden Gophers, Nebraska was able to get back into the Final Four once again. When it looked like they’d be eliminated in three sets to Illinois in the semifinals, the team fought back and won it in five.
When it comes to the big matches, Nebraska has been in almost all of them. While they don’t always win those big matches, they learn something from it no matter what. Not all programs learn something from their losses, but Nebraska does. It’s why they’re at the top every single year.
Making it to a National Championship match would intimidate most teams, but not Nebraska volleyball. They’ve made it to three of the last four and won two of those. That’s why making it to a third straight is nothing for this squad.
REVENGE TOUR
While the Huskers gave it all they had last year, their final push wasn’t enough to get them their second straight title. No, that honor went to the Stanford Cardinal, who – don’t get me wrong – deserved to win. They were the better team when push came to shove and made plays when Nebraska didn’t.
All of that being said, some stuff surfaced after the game that added some fuel to the fire and it’s safe to say that Nebraska will have September 18th circled on their calendar. That’s the day Stanford will play in Lincoln at the Devaney Center in front of a hyped up Husker crowd, who is itching for revenge.
Even if Nebraska volleyball loses that match, this entire season will be fueled by that feeling of losing in five sets in the biggest game of the season. The Cornhuskers came so close to being back-to-back champs and fell just short.
That’s why 2019 will be their revenge tour and anyone who gets in their way will be destroyed.
dark. Next. Nebraska Volleyball: Roster loaded for next two years
Volleyball season is an exciting time for Husker fans and even though the football program appears to be back on track and the basketball program looks to be headed in the right direction, everyone knows who has the best chance at winning a National Championship this year and it’s – without a doubt – the volleyball team.
Go Big Red!