“Nebraska Volleyball Smashes Another Attendance Record—Inside the Historic Match Fans Can’t Stop Talking About”

LINCOLN, Neb. – Nebraska volleyball is once again the talk of college sports. The top-ranked Huskers improved to 6-0 after a clinical straight-sets victory on the road at DePaul on Friday night, hitting .347 and never trailing for more than two points in any frame. The sweep follows marquee wins last weekend in the Players Era Showcase at T-Mobile Arena, where Nebraska overpowered No. 2 Texas 25-19, 25-21, 25-17 in front of a red-clad crowd of 18,412—the largest neutral-site audience in regular-season women’s volleyball this year. Head coach John Cook’s latest roster blends battle-tested veterans with a sophomore class that looks ready to chase banner No. 6. 2025 AVCA National Freshman of the Year Harper Murray is now the go-to outside, averaging 4.6 kills per set while passing in 6-rotation. All-American libero Lexi Rodriguez anchors a defense allowing opponents just .134, and sophomore setter Bergen Reilly—already a two-time Big Ten Setter of the Week—has the offense humming at 14.2 kills per set, tops in the conference. The hot start validates the preseason hype that saw Nebraska receive 57 of 64 first-place votes in the 2026 AVCA coaches poll, their highest opening tally since the 2006 title season. Cook credits his “deeper than ever” bench for the early efficiency: freshman middle Ava Larson came off the pine at South Dakota State on Labor Day and hammered seven kills on nine swings, helping the Huskers post another sweep and set a Frost Arena attendance record of 5,113. Fan energy around the program remains unmatched three years after Nebraska shattered the world mark for a women’s sporting event by drawing 92,003 to Memorial Stadium in 2023. Season tickets at the Devaney Center sold out in 35 minutes this summer, and the athletic department has added standing-room packages for select Big Ten weekends against Wisconsin and Penn State. Next up: a Sunday matinee in Omaha against unbeaten Missouri before conference play opens Sept. 20 at Illinois. The Big Ten slate looks brutal—seven league teams sit in the current top 15—but Nebraska owns nation-leading RPI after taking down three projected NCAA tourney squads in the first two weeks. Key storylines to watch heading into league action: • Serving pressure. Nebraska averages 2.0 aces per set, paced by Murray’s jump-spin that produced four aces versus Texas. Cook calls it “our first-strike weapon.” • Blocking battles. Middles Andi Jackson and Bekka Allick combined for 21 stuffs in two matches last weekend; the Huskers sit second nationally at 3.3 blocks per set. • Freshman influence. Outside hitter Sydney Bengston rotated in late against DePaul and immediately landed two kills, a sign Cook may keep lineups fluid to manage workloads. With elite talent, record-setting fan support and the No. 1 ranking firmly in hand, Nebraska volleyball has positioned itself as the team everyone is chasing this fall. If the Huskers keep serving lasers and stuffing hitters the way they have through six matches, Lincoln could be planning another championship banner ceremony come December.