Steven M. Sipple: "Shaky" Huskers suffer broken hearts
MADISON, Wis. — The Nebraska seniors’ staggering success on the volleyball court is worth revisiting, for the foursome is foremost among reasons the Huskers once again pushed deep into the NCAA Tournament.
The Huskers once again helped heat up our fall and winter. They stole their fans’ hearts, an annual occurrence.
Alas, they broke their fans’ hearts Saturday night, when the second-ranked Huskers’ season ended with a thud in the Madison Regional final, a win short of the final four.
Bottom line, Nebraska didn’t play particularly well in any area, and sixth-ranked California applied consistent pressure in prevailing 30-28, 31-29, 30-26 before 3,205 at UW Field House.
Nebraska coach John Cook stood much of the night with his hands on his hips. Never a good sign.
The Huskers entered the tournament regarded as one of the best teams in 27 years of NCAA volleyball championships. Big Red, with a record of 30-1, seemed poised to become the sixth team to repeat as champion, and the first from a cold-weather state. But the Huskers were “shaky,” Cook said, while the Golden Bears stood firm in a match that included 42 ties and 20 lead changes.
This may sound strange, considering Nebraska’s exalted reputation, but the better team won.
For the fourth time in five years, the Huskers’ season ended with a loss to a Pac-10 team.
This setback, of course, will be particularly painful for the Huskers’ seniors.
“I’m still kind of shocked,” said Tracy Stalls, fighting back tears in the postmortem.
Sitting next to Stalls, fellow senior Sarah Pavan buried her head in her hands, tears welling in her red eyes.
“I’m disappointed we weren’t able to max out,” Stalls said. “That was the goal.”
When the dust settles, the seniors’ list of accomplishments will easily exceed their list of disappointments, as empty as that may have seemed late Saturday as Cal players’ celebratory shouts echoed through the venerable field house’s corridors.
Earlier this season, Stalls, Pavan and Christina Houghtelling became the second group of Husker seniors to capture four straight Big 12 championships, joining the 2002 senior class of Greichaly Cepero, Amber Holmquist, Laura Pilakowski and Lindsay Wischmeier.
The Huskers’ other senior in 2007, setter Maggie Griffin, started all 35 matches in 2005 and helped lead her team to an NCAA runner-up finish after transferring from Michigan State. She played a valuable reserve role in the last two seasons.
Why fixate on these seniors?
Because they essentially are the impetus behind arguably Nebraska’s best team in school history. The seniors’ names are worth repeating because Husker volleyball players — even the greatest ones — have a way of fading quickly from our sporting consciousness once they’ve finished their college careers.
There are no high-profile pro volleyball leagues with rich television deals that keep their names in the news.
There are far too many former Husker All-Americans, too many dynamic players, to list in this space. Mention of their names elicits a flood of memorable victories and moments in a proud and tradition-rich program.
At this moment, however, one wonders whether Cook will ever again assemble a team with this much talent, especially in the senior class.
“The first thing that comes to mind is they set the bar so darn high,” he said, pointing in part to last year’s final four played before huge crowds at Qwest Center Omaha — “maybe the greatest stage NCAA volleyball will ever see,” Cook said. “Maybe I can get a job as a sportswriter because I’m not sure I can top this group of seniors.”
The 6-foot-5 Pavan is arguably the best player to ever take the court for Nebraska.
The 6-4 Stalls, of Denver, is the greatest team leader he’s ever coached, Cook has said.
The 6-2 Houghtelling transformed herself into a defensive wizard in the wake of a shoulder injury that sidelined her all of last season.
Meanwhile, Griffin, of St. Charles, Ill., helped bring positive energy to the squad.
It’s easy to forget that each of the seniors excels in the classroom.
Indeed, we’d be wise to cherish this group, Saturday’s heart-wrenching loss notwithstanding.
Forgive me if I sound like a broken record, but it’s a sentiment that seems worth repeating.
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.
The Huskers once again helped heat up our fall and winter. They stole their fans’ hearts, an annual occurrence.
Alas, they broke their fans’ hearts Saturday night, when the second-ranked Huskers’ season ended with a thud in the Madison Regional final, a win short of the final four.
Bottom line, Nebraska didn’t play particularly well in any area, and sixth-ranked California applied consistent pressure in prevailing 30-28, 31-29, 30-26 before 3,205 at UW Field House.
Nebraska coach John Cook stood much of the night with his hands on his hips. Never a good sign.
The Huskers entered the tournament regarded as one of the best teams in 27 years of NCAA volleyball championships. Big Red, with a record of 30-1, seemed poised to become the sixth team to repeat as champion, and the first from a cold-weather state. But the Huskers were “shaky,” Cook said, while the Golden Bears stood firm in a match that included 42 ties and 20 lead changes.
This may sound strange, considering Nebraska’s exalted reputation, but the better team won.
For the fourth time in five years, the Huskers’ season ended with a loss to a Pac-10 team.
This setback, of course, will be particularly painful for the Huskers’ seniors.
“I’m still kind of shocked,” said Tracy Stalls, fighting back tears in the postmortem.
Sitting next to Stalls, fellow senior Sarah Pavan buried her head in her hands, tears welling in her red eyes.
“I’m disappointed we weren’t able to max out,” Stalls said. “That was the goal.”
When the dust settles, the seniors’ list of accomplishments will easily exceed their list of disappointments, as empty as that may have seemed late Saturday as Cal players’ celebratory shouts echoed through the venerable field house’s corridors.
Earlier this season, Stalls, Pavan and Christina Houghtelling became the second group of Husker seniors to capture four straight Big 12 championships, joining the 2002 senior class of Greichaly Cepero, Amber Holmquist, Laura Pilakowski and Lindsay Wischmeier.
The Huskers’ other senior in 2007, setter Maggie Griffin, started all 35 matches in 2005 and helped lead her team to an NCAA runner-up finish after transferring from Michigan State. She played a valuable reserve role in the last two seasons.
Why fixate on these seniors?
Because they essentially are the impetus behind arguably Nebraska’s best team in school history. The seniors’ names are worth repeating because Husker volleyball players — even the greatest ones — have a way of fading quickly from our sporting consciousness once they’ve finished their college careers.
There are no high-profile pro volleyball leagues with rich television deals that keep their names in the news.
There are far too many former Husker All-Americans, too many dynamic players, to list in this space. Mention of their names elicits a flood of memorable victories and moments in a proud and tradition-rich program.
At this moment, however, one wonders whether Cook will ever again assemble a team with this much talent, especially in the senior class.
“The first thing that comes to mind is they set the bar so darn high,” he said, pointing in part to last year’s final four played before huge crowds at Qwest Center Omaha — “maybe the greatest stage NCAA volleyball will ever see,” Cook said. “Maybe I can get a job as a sportswriter because I’m not sure I can top this group of seniors.”
The 6-foot-5 Pavan is arguably the best player to ever take the court for Nebraska.
The 6-4 Stalls, of Denver, is the greatest team leader he’s ever coached, Cook has said.
The 6-2 Houghtelling transformed herself into a defensive wizard in the wake of a shoulder injury that sidelined her all of last season.
Meanwhile, Griffin, of St. Charles, Ill., helped bring positive energy to the squad.
It’s easy to forget that each of the seniors excels in the classroom.
Indeed, we’d be wise to cherish this group, Saturday’s heart-wrenching loss notwithstanding.
Forgive me if I sound like a broken record, but it’s a sentiment that seems worth repeating.
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.
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