The women’s volleyball has always been a de facto cynosure in the sporting realm, with thousand flocking into sold out stadiums and rooting for their favorite teams to clinch glory. In the same vein, the 2023 NCAA Women’s Volleyball Finals carried infinite drama and a staunch Texas Longhorns hammered the Nebraska Huskers like nails. The Huskers looked strong throughout the season while Texas grew better with each match. Eventually, the conclusion of the tournament had the undivided attention of thousands of people.

While the Texas Longhorns made a lot of news for conquering the near-unconquerable Nebraska, the match in itself broke several records. Although the match had already established a new high with in-house spectators, a new social media post revealed that it had an even bigger impact, with viewership not being its sole barometer.

NCAA Women’s Volleyball Finals viewed by millions

The NCAA posted a tweet on its official X account declaring the viewership records made by the Texas Longhorns vs Nebraska Huskers match. The tweet carried the caption, “History Made!! Most watched college volleyball match in history (1.7 million viewers). Largest indoor attendance record broken (19,727). The 2023 @ncaavolleyball Championship did not disappoint!”

These numbers are phenomenal and showcase just how much traction the finalists, as well as the tournament, had accumulated. The finalists represented two traditional powerhouses, who already had a 28-year-old historical rivalry. Moreover, while the Texas Longhorns avenged their two finals defeats against Nebraska, the red team also burns with an insatiable thirst for vengeance now.

While it was the Texas Longhorns and the Nebraska Huskers playing the finals, it also drew in fans of other teams. This includes the NFL legend Ben Roethlisberger, who admitted he has started to like volleyball because of the Pittsburgh Panthers. In fact, the finals also caught the attention of legendary actor Matthew McConaughey.

Matthew McConaughey celebrates the win of Texas Longhorns

Matthew McConaughey congratulated the Texas Longhorns for securing back-to-back NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship titles. This makes the interstellar actor one of the 1.7 million people who streamed the final match. Interestingly, McConaughey is also an alumnus of the University of Texas-Austin and was a Longhorn in college himself.

ALSO READ – Texas Longhorns’ Madisen Skinner Receives ‘Most Outstanding Player’ Honor Post NCAA Volleyball Finals

The only downside the match had was how one-sided it became from the second set. The Huskers, who had defeated the Texas Longhorns in 2015 with a clean sweep, got the same treatment, but more brutally. In fact, Nebraska collapsed with a score of 25-22, 25-14, and 25-11. Will the Huskers strike the Longhorns back in 2024? Or will Texas hit a threepeat next year?

WATCH STORY – The Double-Attack of US Women’s Beach Volleyball Team on Sand Advances Them to the Prestigious World Championship Quarterfinals