Final Four Bound
Nebraska is on their way to the final 4 for the first time since 2001 and looking for their first national title since their perfect season in 2000. The numbers are on Nebraska’s side this year. The programs first national title came in 1995 and then their perfect run to the title in 2000. Now in 2005 the Huskers are 2 wins away from the crown.
In Friday’s match against Louisville, Nebraska battled back from 3 3-point deficits in game 1 to take the game 30-28. And from then on cruised to an easy 3 set win finishing off the cardinal 30-24 and 30-16.
In Saturday’s match against Florida, it was much of the same as Nebraska started off slowly in game 1 but eventually pulled it out 30-26. After a 10 point run in game 10 that saw Florida come from a 8 points down to two points up Nebraska again cruised from there and took game 2, 30-24. And in game 3 it was all Huskers, 30-16. The 15k+ that saw the match broke an NCAA record for attendance at a volleyball match.
Nebraska completely dominated this weekend and is probalby the hottest team coming into the tournament. Nebraska will play the winner of the Santa Clara/Arizona match (played Saturday night) but in all fairness to those two schools and Tennessee who qualified on the other side of the bracket, everything is setting up for a Nebraska/Washington national title. These two school have been 1 & 2 for most of the year and Washington, like Nebraska, has yet to lose a set in 4 matches in the NCAA tournament.
Much like the CWS at Rosenblatt the city of Omaha is looking to land a pernament home of the final four right here in Nebraska. As the Qwest Center as the site the city will get a trial run in 2006 as the city hosts the final 4. Yes crowds were amazing but the key to Omaha landing a pernam
ent bid will be if Nebraska doesn’t make the Final 4, how will attendance fair? Attendance for Nebraska volleyball is nearly unmatched around the country and if Nebraska can qualify for the final four you can bet that every seat will be full but if Nebraska isn’t there...will people come. Omaha has shown through out the years that they can put on the show with the continued success of the CWS and are more than capable of hosting such an event like the volleyball but the key will be the attendance to non-Nebraska matches.
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