NU's seniors win one last sweep at the NU Coliseum.
TODD HENRICHS / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Saturday, December 1, 2007 6:00 pm
John Cook is headed for a homecoming in the cheese state, but for Nebraska’s Sarah Pavan, Saturday’s NCAA Tournament win was all about leaving home.
The Huskers, so beloved in the NU Coliseum, so dominant at Qwest Center Omaha, site of last year’s national championship, now must complete their journey toward a second consecutive title on the road.
“I was definitely thinking about it before the match,” said Pavan, who with Tracy Stalls finished their four years as Huskers with 72 straight victories at home, a winning streak that followed a loss in the first home-court match of their careers.
But who was thinking of that on this occasion? Saturday’s 30-22, 30-19, 30-19 win against Wichita State was strictly about winning and advancing in the tournament.
“All business,” as Cook put it.
Yet on this day, the best in the business made certain to soak in the experiences along the way.
“I just really took the time to look around and really appreciate what our team has played in front of for four years,” Pavan said. “I’ll never forget this place.”
And one day, say two weeks from now after the NCAA final four in Sacramento, Calif., has been decided, this Nebraska team may guarantee that it’s not soon forgotten.
The most wins over a four-year period in the program’s history look good on paper, but after watching the Huskers on television and in person this season, Wichita State coach Chris Lamb said it’s not going overboard to say this Nebraska team is one of the best ever.
Wichita State fought gamely, digging more shots than Nebraska has seen over recent weeks, but in the end, the Shockers were no match for a steady attack and a surging service game.
Led by Jordan Larson’s five aces, Nebraska peppered Wichita State with 11 service winners. Over their last three matches, the Huskers have 30 aces, or better than three per game.
“When I think of Nebraska, I think of the word pressure,” said Lamb, whose Shockers have suffered second-round losses at NU in both of their NCAA Tournament appearances.
The pressure came not only from the likely sources. Pavan hit .481 with 15 kills, Larson added 11 kills and Stalls chipped in 10. But freshman Tara Mueller had nine kills on 19 swings despite playing just 2½ games in place of injured starter Christina Houghtelling.
The senior All-American, who also missed Friday’s win against South Dakota State, tried to play in her final match at the Coliseum, but was again bothered by back spasms that Cook said first cropped up in Thursday’s practice.
“She probably could have played through it, but it wasn’t worth risking that,” said Cook, adding that Mueller played much more relaxed than in Friday’s match, which was only her second start of the season.
“Most people do not have that depth,” Larson said.
So for Nebraska, it’s onto the regionals for a 14th consecutive year, an amazing accomplishment considering the closest programs to that string of success have gone to regionals five straight years.
Nebraska (29-1) will face Michigan State (21-13) on Friday in a Madison Regional that has already had a few surprises. The Spartans upset No. 15 Dayton to advance, while Iowa State stunned host Wisconsin, eliminating the Badgers in three games Saturday.
The Cyclones will meet No. 7 California in Friday’s other semifinal. The regional final is next Saturday at the UW Field House where Cook coached the Badgers for seven years.
Following Saturday’s win, Cook said he hasn’t been back there since leaving in 1998 to join Nebraska.
He’s won two national championships since then and helped an already top-flight program achieve milestones in fan interest and recruiting.
But on this night, his smile beamed because of what his seniors will remember. For Stalls, it will be rising up to kill an overpass on her final Coliseum swing.
For backup setter Maggie Griffin, it will be coming in and serving her only ace of the season amid a standing ovation.
When it was over, the crowd of 4,056 demanded an encore. Over the last few years, it’s become a tradition for NU to take a spin around the Coliseum and slap hands with fans after their final home match.
“I felt like they were rock stars,” Cook said, “and tonight, the crowd wasn’t going to let them leave.”
Reach Todd Henrichs at 473-7320 or thenrichs@journalstar.com.