LINCOLN, Neb.—A school teacher before he was a volleyball coach, John Cook used a grease board to illustrate to the media his plan for Nebraska’s season.
He wrote symbolic terms such as “rocks” and “sand” to represent the journey to the beaches of Tampa, Fla., site of the national championship in December.
He wrote “performance index” to denote the measurable improvement in the Cornhuskers’ athleticism.
He wrote “Kia Kaha,” a Polynesian way of saying “be strong,” and “ONE,” for “Opportunity Never Ends.”
Cook wants his team to soak in and live those words.
“If we do all that,” he said, “Penn State will be waiting.”
And really, for Nebraska and every other major volleyball contender, getting a shot at the two-time defending national champion Nittany Lions is what the 2009 season is all about.
Cook spent no time at Wednesday’s media day discussing the Huskers’ chances of winning a sixth straight Big 12 championship. He wasn’t even asked about it. The Huskers’ focus is to make it to the NCAA regional in Omaha.
“We know if we get to Omaha, we’ve got a great shot to get to Tampa,” Cook said. “So that’s what our whole season is about, preparing to be in that regional and win that regional in Omaha and go to the final four.”
Nebraska’s last game of 2008 season was at the Qwest Center 50 miles away, where an NCAA tournament-record 17,400 showed up to watch eventual unbeaten champion Penn State win a thrilling five-set match in the national semifinals.
“It was disappointing that we lost, but it wasn’t as disappointing as some people might think,” said Kori Cooper, who is coming back from a November knee injury that ended her season. “We maxed out as a team last year. Even though we lost, it was a good feeling knowing we gave it our all and left it all out on the court. We’re looking to see that same thing happen this year.”
The Huskers are ranked No. 3 in the Volleyball Magazine preseason poll behind Penn State and Big 12 rival Texas.
Nebraska returns five starters, including All-Americans Tara Mueller and Sydney Anderson, from a team that went 31-3 and reached the NCAA semifinals for the third time in four seasons.
Cooper is the only senior on the roster, and the Huskers must make up for the loss of All-American Jordan Larson, the 2008 Big 12 player of the year.
Cook assembled one of the nation’s top recruiting classes. Megan Pendergast already owns the team record with a 30.5-inch vertical jump, and fellow freshman Hannah Werth has run a record 1.57-second 10-yard dash.
“We’ve always been coined as the big girls—slow and dominant at the net,” Cook said. “This is going to be a different feel. This is going to be a team that plays fast.”
With Anderson beginning her second year as the setter, the Huskers believe they are capable of having an uptempo offense in the mold of Penn State, which enters this season with a 64-match winning streak.
“I don’t think we looked at them and said we want to be like them,” Anderson said. “But it’s a great offense, and if we can run it and be successful, that will help us in the long run.”
Playing at a faster pace with a young team could lead to increased errors, but it’s a risk Cook is willing to take.
“Opponents are going to feel stress playing us because of our speed and quickness,” he said. “People are flying all over this gym. We need to make this gym bigger because they can get to wherever that ball is.”
