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The Nebraska Huskers had everything going right for it this season, except the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship finals. The team had a near-perfect regular season campaign, it often clean-swept its opponents and also had Olympic legend Jordan Larson as a coach.

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While the finals defeat was disappointing for the Nebraska Huskers fans, everyone acknowledges their strength, including their opponents Texas Longhorns. Speaking about the successes of her team, Jordan Larson talked about the journey of Nebraska in 2023.

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The sweet parts of the bittersweet season

The radio voice of Nebraska Huskers Volleyball John Baylor approached Jordan Larson after the final match ended for a brief courtside interview. Talking about the season run, the reigning Olympic gold medalist said, “We can hang our hats on that (finals loss), right? We broke a lot of records. This team, I think, exceeded expectations.”

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The Nebraska Huskers coach further said, “I think just with our youth and all that. I think we know that we didn’t give most of our potential today. And so, I think that’s where maybe the disappointment comes from. But again, hats off to Texas.”

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The Nebraska Huskers did have a breakthrough season in 2023. The Huskers clinched the Big Ten Championships after a six-year-long gap. Moreover, their regular season record ensured that they didn’t have to share the title with anyone this year. They also enjoyed a 27-match winning streak right from the get-go and ended the season with a 28-1 record. 

This enabled the Nebraska Huskers to enter the postseason as the number one seed. The players also enjoyed individual success, with two players earning first-team All-American honors.

Nebraska Huskers players in full glory despite being runner-ups

Nebraska Huskers volleyball captains Lexi Rodriguez and Merritt Beason made it to the first All-American team of 2023. While Beason took the captaincy reins of the team, Lexi Rodriguez became a 3x All-American playing in her third collegiate year. Big Ten Setter of the Year Bergen Reilly made it to the second team, and Harper Murray made it to the third team.

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Interestingly, both Murray and Reilly played as freshmen this year and will come back stronger next season. Moreover, since none of the Nebraska Huskers players was a senior, the veterans will get to fight together for another season. Will the Huskers be able to repeat their 2023 season next year and include a win in the finals as well?

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Ankit Singh

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Ankit Singh is a senior Olympic Sports correspondent at EssentiallySports who covers gymnastics, track and field, and the NCAA Women's Division 1 Volleyball. In his early days at ES, Ankit covered two prime track and field events - the 2023 World Athletics Championships and the 2023 Prefontaine Classic. During the 2023 NCAA Division 1 women’s Volleyball championships, Ankit covered the Nebraska Huskers and the Wisconsin Badgers rivalry, and later covered the transfer portals after the Texas Longhorns lifted the victory. A basketball player himself, Ankit clinched a silver medal in the divisional-level championships and continues to bring the same thrill to his written content. Find more about Ankit on:-

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BHUJAYA RAY CHOWDHURY

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