Nebraska volleyball is aiming to shatter the all-time attendance record for women’s sports.

What started out as a “joke,” head coach John Cook told The Athletic, has turned into reality, with more than 90,000 fans expected to come together for the Cornhuskers’ match against Omaha at Lincoln Memorial Stadium.

“We never thought seriously about doing it,” Cook said. But then rival Wisconsin drew a crowd of 16,833 people in its basketball arena, breaking the regular-season attendance record for a women’s volleyball match.

And Nebraska, which holds 13 of the 14 largest regular-season crowds and has played in front of eight of the nine largest collegiate crowds in the sport, couldn’t let that stand.

“The attendance record for volleyball belongs in the state of Nebraska,” Nebraska athletics director Trev Alberts said in April.

Of course, their basketball arena wouldn’t work – it wasn’t big enough.

“Wisconsin, being as competitive as they are, went and took one of our attendance records away,” Cook said. “So we’re like, ‘How are we going to get it back?’”

Enter Lincoln Memorial Stadium, which seats 83,406 in the stands and will hold extra seats on the stadium floor and in added bleachers. A total of 82,900 tickets were sold over three days in April, and if the weather holds the team is expected to play in front of more than 90,000 fans – and likely even more than the 91,648 that attended FC Barcelona’s Women’s Champions League semifinal against Wolfsburg last April. With that match at Camp Nou, Barcelona set the world record for attendance at a women’s sporting event.

That’s right – Nebraska volleyball could take down soccer powerhouse FC Barcelona and their women’s sporting event attendance world record because of Midwestern rivalry.

The volleyball match also is set to break the record for the biggest crowd at a U.S. women’s sporting event, overtaking the 90,185 fans who attended the 1999 World Cup final between the U.S. and China at the Rose Bowl. And that’s not to mention setting the Memorial Stadium attendance record, which currently sits at 91,585.

“Yes, we believe that goal will be attained,” Nebraska athletics director Trev Alberts told USA TODAY Sports. “I think the number is going to be pushing closer to 95,000.”

Nebraska volleyball is set to shatter the record for attendance at a women’s college sporting event after selling out Memorial Stadium, a football stadium with 82,900 available seats.

The school announced Thursday that every single one of those seats had a ticket sold in the 48 hours since they went on sale. That number could climb higher, as it does not account for indoor club-level and field-level seating that will be made available for students.

Volleyball Day in Nebraska is scheduled to take place on Aug. 30 and include the historic match. The five-time NCAA champion Huskers will play Nebraska-Omaha in a regular-season opener.

The event was designed to break the attendance record for an NCAA volleyball match, previously set at 18,755 when Nebraska played Wisconsin for the national title in 2021.

Wisconsin currently owns the regular-season NCAA volleyball attendance record of 16,833 fans, set last year in a match against Florida.

“The attendance record for volleyball belongs to the state of Nebraska,” athletic director Trev Alberts said in February, when Volleyball Day in Nebraska was first announced. “And I wanna hope that the number is large enough that nobody dares even try to attack our all-time record.

“We knew the interest in this match would be extremely high, but to sell out Memorial Stadium is truly remarkable.”

The final figure could approach the record for a women’s sporting event in the United States.  That record still stands from the 1999 Women’s World Cup, when 90,185 fans attended the final between the U.S. women’s national team and China.

Barcelona set the global women’s attendance record last year, with 91,553 fans attending a Champions League quarterfinal match against Real Madrid at Camp Nou.

“To sell out more than 80,000 tickets already, it’s unreal,” said Nebraska head coach John Cook. “Our team was already pumped up about Volleyball Day in Nebraska, but now I can’t even imagine how excited they are going to be. It’s epic.”

Southern Cal bested UCLA 3-1 on Sunday to capture the school’s third beach volleyball national championship.

Wins by USC’s pairings of Hallgren and Harward, as well as Graudina and Kraft, set the team up for the deciding dual.

USC’s Scoles and Slater ultimately sealed the deal for the Trojans with their victory over UCLA’s pairing of Monkhouse and Newberry.

The Trojans’ win snapped UCLA’s two-year title streak after taking home the NCAA trophy in 2018 and 2019. USC dominated all tournament, only dropping one dual point to the reigning champs in the final.

Graduate transfer outside hitter Avery Skinner is bringing her talents to Baylor.

The reigning national champion and first-team AVCA All-American has decided to spend her fifth year of eligibility in Waco, where her father Brian was a three-time all-conference pick for the Baylor men’s basketball team in the 1990s and later spent 14 years in the NBA.

Skinner’s younger sister, Madi, just finished her freshman season as an outside hitter for Kentucky.

In her four years at Kentucky, Skinner hit .268 with 821 kills, averaging 3.11 kills per set in 86 matches. She also notched 178 digs, 100 blocks and 10 service aces. She was particularly good her senior year, hitting at a .366 clip and averaging 3.77 kills per set en route to her first All-America selection, in addition to All-SEC and AVCA All-Region accolades.

Skinner will undoubtedly bring extra juice to the Bears, who made it all the way to the Sweet 16 in this year’s NCAA Tournament before No. 5 seed Nebraska knocked them out, 3-0. Baylor finished the season 20-7.

With the last of the confetti cleaned up following Kentucky’s historic volleyball championship, it’s time to look ahead to the 2021 season.

Predictions this far out are always tough. That’s especially true this year, as it’s still unclear how many seniors will take advantage of the NCAA’s blanket waiver and return for another go. This list could look very different if the bulk of Wisconsin’s seniors decide to stay — or if those I think will remain at Nebraska end up leaving. 

Regardless, it makes for an interesting exercise. And though last season only just wrapped up, I already can’t wait for next season to begin. 

1. Texas 

Logan Eggleston, Big 12 Player of the Year, said it best after Texas lost in the championship — this team will be back. The Longhorns had the talent to win it all this year, but their best players sometimes struggled to get in sync. Skylar Fields seemed to come out of her shell during the tournament. If she can find her stride early next year, she packs the perfect punch to complement Eggleston. That could be enough to get Texas over the hump.

2. Nebraska 

The Cornhuskers’ great NCAA tournament run was just cut short by Texas. Next year, they return their high-IQ setter Nicklin Hames to run the offense as well six-rotation outside hitter Madi Kubik to bring some stability to the lineup. Kubik is one of the best six-rotation outside hitters in the Big 10, and her experience will pair perfectly with Nebraska’s number-one ranked recruiting class. 

Jazz Sweet has already said she will not return, while Lexi Sun and Lauren Stivrins have yet to announce their decisions. Should they return, Nebraska would have both the talent and experience needed to contend for a title.

3. Washington

The Huskies return a number of key pieces, notably Ella May Powell, their First Team All-American setter, as well as Samantha Drechsel and Madi Endsley, two pin hitters who carry a huge load for UW. Drechsel was another First Team All-American, while Endsley was only a freshman last year. She was excellent in the tournament, creating high expectations for this trio next year. 

4. Florida

Florida returns the bulk of its starting lineup, including the highly-efficient trio of Marlie Monserez, T’ara Ceasar and Thayer Hall. Lauren Forte, an All-American middle blocker, is also returning for her extra senior eligibility. Elli McKissock, freshman libero, won the jersey this year and ran with it late in the season. I think we’re going to see a lot of progress in Florida’s backcourt game as she has another year under her belt. 

5. Kentucky

The Kentucky Wildcats had a pretty good season, in case you haven’t been following. Next year, the National Champions return several key pieces from their title-winning squad. The fantastic pin duo of Madison Skinner and Alli Stumler will bring sure firepower to the team, while middle blockers Ashani Tealer and Elise Goetzinger are also set to stay. 

The challenge for the Wildcats will be to replace two irreplaceable players — Madison Lilley, the AVCA National Player of the Year, and Gabby Curry, the SEC Libero of the Year. Even without them, Kentucky has the talent to be a Top 10 team.

6. Purdue

The Boilermakers keep the soul of their team intact as they approach the upcoming year. Hayley Bush, All-American setter, returns to run the offense of this team. Her go-to player, Grace Cleveland, First Team All-American, brings both experience and skill. The departure of Jena Otec, Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year, will be hard to swallow, but a solid recruiting class is coming in to complement an already-deep roster.

7. Ohio State

The Buckeyes went down swinging last season. Returning six of their seven best players, I expect them to start off next year swinging as well. Emily Londot, the AVCA Freshman of the Year, will return, as will Mac Podraza, the setter who feeds the team. That duo should shine next year after a full offseason working together.

8. Baylor

Returning First Team All-American Yossiana Pressley is reason enough to put Baylor in the Top 10. She has given plenty of top teams trouble over the past few years, and next season will be no different. Lauren Harrisson complements Pressley on the other left side pin, while the back court is patrolled by Shanel Bramschreiber, the reigning Big 12 Libero of the Year. Expect Baylor to contend with Texas for the Big 12 title.

9. Oregon

Oregon has some of the best ball control in the country. If their setter/hitter connection can improve, this is a very dangerous team. Brooke Nuneviller, Second Team All-American, returns as an outside hitter that passes as well as any libero in the country. Her ability to control the court is why Oregon will contend with Washington for a Pac 12 title.

10. Penn State

Penn State depended a lot of their youngsters last year. And while Annie Cate Fitzpatrick and Anastasiya Kudryashova will have another year of experience, the Nittany Lions are also bringing in several notable transfers, including Adanna Rollins (Minnesota) and Erika Pritchard (Maryland). 

Jonni Parker had an unbelievable season last year and was undoubtedly one of the most consistent scorers for Penn State with her aggressive right side play. Her senior year will be special. Kaitlyn Hord likewise brings both height and athleticism to the middle position, ensuring the team’s block will be up there with the best of the Big 10.

Many players shined in this year’s NCAA volleyball tournament. But these were the best of the best. 

Madison Lilley, Kentucky

It’s no surprise that Madison Lilley, Kentucky setter and AVCA National Player of the year, tops our NCAA tournament All-Tournament Team. She ran the offense that led Kentucky to their first-ever National Championship, tallying a personal-best 19 digs in the title game while keeping her team above a .300 clip for the entire tournament.

Alli Stumler, Kentucky

Alli Stumler, Kentucky outside hitter, led her team throughout the tournament. Her team made history by winning the SEC’s first volleyball title, and Stumler made personal history as well, with a career high 26 kills in the national championship match. Possibly the best six-rotation player in the tournament, she carried a huge load for the Wildcats on both offense and defense.

Logan Eggleston, Texas

The Big 12 Player of the Year, Logan Eggleston came into the NCAA tournament with lofty expectations as someone who is a threat from everywhere on the floor. When Texas was in trouble, Eggleston was there to clean up the mess. Her consistency in every aspect of the game led the Longhorns to the championship game.

Azhani Tealer, Kentucky

A jack of all trades, Azhani Tealer is a middle who can also run off two feet behind the setter. Her versatility is a huge reason Kentucky won a national championship, as she was able to find kills when needed all tournament long. She also earns a spot on this list for her blocking IQ. The tournament announcers repeatedly talked about her height — only 5’10 — but she closes to the pins and presses her hands over the net in a way where height doesn’t necessarily matter.

Dana Rettke, Wisconsin

Dana Rettke, middle hitter from Wisconsin, is one of a few middles who lead their programs in kills. She commands attention blocking, running the slide, and attacking in front of the setter. She opens up the court for her teammates and allows a lot of players to shine with her.

Chinaza Ndee, University of Pittsburgh

Chinaza Ndee, right side hitter for the University of Pittsburgh, helped take the volleyball program further than it had ever gone. Ndee played fearlessly against teams that were ranked higher and picked to win. Her swings sealed a ticket to the regional final in a big way — she had 19 kills to upset No. 3 Minnesota. 

Gabby Curry, Kentucky

Gabby Curry reads the game so well. Easy balls never fall on her watch, and she puts her setter (Madison Lilley) in a position to run her offense almost every time. The two-time SEC Libero of the Year brought energy, ball control, secondary setting and so many more crucial elements to the floor en route to helping Kentucky win their first-ever title.

If you build it, they will come.

That’s what the theme seems to be surrounding women’s sports.

According to ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe, the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament title match drew 696,000 viewers on Saturday night, making it the most-viewed show on ESPN2 this month. It also marks a significant increase in viewership — 28 percent — over the 2019 women’s volleyball championship.

The 2017 and 2018 title matches drew more viewers than this year’s. However, sports television ratings have been down in general since the beginning of the pandemic and the number does not appear to include digital streams, so the fact that volleyball is reporting positive numbers is still a good sign.

For comparison, ESPN’s broadcast of New York Mets-Chicago Cubs last week drew 630,000 viewers. It was the most-watched weekday MLB game on ESPN since Opening Day, and yet it averaged roughly 66,000 fewer viewers than the volleyball national championship.

This comes amid a ratings surge for many other women’s sports that have received exposure from national networks and streaming services.

The NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championship on April 17 drew the sport’s biggest television audience since 2011, according to Sports Media Watch. Broadcast on ABC for the first time, the event averaged 808,000 viewers, up 510 percent from 2019.

Over four million people tuned in to watch Stanford beat Arizona in the April 4 national championship game for women’s basketball, marking a 10.5 percent increase over 2019. The two semifinal games did even better, averaging 2.2 million viewers for a 22 percent increase over the ratings from 2019.

Viewership for the 2020 WNBA season was up 68 percent over 2019, and the NWSL shattered viewership records during the 2020 Challenge Cup, up 493 percent from the year before. Those increases can be attributed to more games being broadcast on major networks, with the WNBA airing on ESPN and ABC and the NWSL reaching a new deal with CBS.

Similar trends can be found on social media. A survey done during the men’s and women’s Elite Eight showed that eight of the 10 players with the biggest social media followings were women. Among them were UConn breakout star Paige Bueckers, who has over 800,000 Instagram followers following her team’s tournament run.

Kentucky Volleyball won their first-ever National Championship Saturday, bringing to conclusion a season unlike any other. While they say history isn’t made easily, the Wildcats certainly made it look like that at key moments Saturday night, as they beat the Texas Longhorns 3-1 in Omaha.

Here’s how the action unfolded.

No. 2 Kentucky battled in the first set, but No. 4 Texas jumped out to an early lead. At the highest level of the sport, the serve and pass battle is what matters most, and Texas was passing dimes. The combination of Logan Eggleston and Skylar Fields proved lethal for the Longhorns, and when Jhenna Gabriel had the ball in her hands close to the net, Kentucky had to respect the efficiency of each hitter on the floor.

The Wildcats had their opportunities. Kentucky setter Madison Lilley, the AVCA National Player of the Year, often had the ball in her hands, but Kentucky couldn’t find the floor. Texas continued to ride their early momentum to a 14-10 before eventually taking the first set 25-20. Kentucky seemed to be playing with some nerves, as they only hit .216 in the opening set with seven errors — their worst numbers of the season.

This game was always going to be played on the pins. Eggleston (the Big 12 Player of the Year) and Alli Stumler (First Team All American and Kentucky’s kill leader) were going to carry a huge load for their respective teams in this match. And whichever team could hold the other player in check was going to have a good chance of winning the championship. 

Kentucky came out swinging fearlessly in set two. The dynamic pin play of Stumler and the Skinner sisters proved to be too much for the Texas defense, as Kentucky found a new level from the service line and forced Texas to play one-option volleyball. This helped Azanhi Tealer, as she got an early read on the block and could disrupt Eggleston and Fields. Kentucky dominated the set from start to finish, with an ace from Stumler sealing it, 25-18.

In set three, I expected both teams to find their go-to pin players. Lilley has said in interviews that she’s not afraid to ride the hot hand of her team as the match goes in waves. That player has been Stumler all year, and she continued to deliver on Saturday.

Tied at 13-13, this set was closer than the previous two until Kentucky made a run. Texas brought it within one at 22-23 but missed a crucial serve to give Kentucky game point. Kentucky won the set on yet another Madi Skinner kill.

Set four, and with a national championship on the line, Texas came out firing. Off to a 6-1 lead, past sets would have indicated a strong start would lead to a set win. Kentucky was facing the largest deficit they had seen all tournament, but the Wildcats clawed their way to a 14-13 lead, their first advantage of the set. 

The teams swapped sideout points and Kentucky battled to keep Eggleston in check. A crucial Avery Skinner kill put Kentucky at 21-19, and the Wildcats rolled from there. A service ace gave Kentucky room to breathe, and in the most fitting ending, Ali Stumler’s 26th kill of the match sealed Kentucky’s fate and won the NCAA championship, both the program’s and the SEC’s first.

Congratulations immediately began flowing in from various Kentucky luminaries: 

While students burned couches in the streets of Lexington: 

In the end, it only seemed fitting that a year like no other should end with history being made in the championship game.

Congrats, Wildcats!

The AVCA announced its Division I Women’s Volleyball awards Thursday, highlighting the Player of the Year, Head and Assistant Coach of the Year and Freshman of the Year.

After winning the Southeast Region Player of the Year and SEC Player of the Year, Kentucky senior Madison Lilley was named the AVCA Women’s Division I Player of the Year. She led the NCAA with 12.33 assists per set. Since being named POY, Lilley has also helped the Wildcats to their first-ever women’s volleyball championship final.

But she’s not the only one making history for Kentucky. Head coach Craig Skinner was named Women’s Division I National Coach of the Year, the first time a Kentucky volleyball head coach has received the award.

Kentucky basketball head coach John Calipari was pretty excited about the awards, tweeting his congratulations and reminding people to watch the game.

Washington Assistant Coach Leslie Gabriel was named the Women’s Division I Assistant Coach of the Year. She helped the Huskies to a 20-4 record and a semifinal berth.

Lastly, Ohio State’s Emily Londot was named Women’s Division I Freshman of the Year. She’s the second Buckeye in program history to win the award, following Stacey Gordon, who won the award in 2001. Additionally, Londot was named Second Team All-American, Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and unanimous First Team All-Big Ten.

The NCAA volleyball championship match is set.

No. 4 Texas will take on No. 2 Kentucky after sweeping previously-undefeated Wisconsin in three straight sets last night. 

Texas ended Wisconsin’s glorious undefeated run, taking down the Badgers 26-24, 25-19, 25-23 for a chance at its fourth national title. 

Asjia O’Neal had one of the biggest plays of the night in the second set as she helped put Texas up 18-12.

The final play of the match wasn’t without some drama, requiring a review of a touch on the block by Wisconsin led to Texas’ win.

Meanwhile, Kentucky won the first set but dropped the second against Washington before responding to win two straight sets and earn a spot in the title game. It’s Kentucky’s first-ever trip to the championship final. 

The Wildcats defeated the Huskies 25-18, 23-25, 25-23, 25-17. Avery Skinner had the standout performance of the semifinals, recording a match-high 19 kills en route to the Wildcat’s victory. 

Watch the highlights for Kentucky’s victory below:

The championship game will be broadcast live Saturday night at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2.