Devastating Loss Spurs Nebraska Volleyball Veteran to Recognize a Blessing in Disguise: ‘Exposed Some Weakness’

The Big Ten volleyball battle is done and dusted, and now the Nebraska women’s squad is all about the “Race for the Roses.” Come December 6, the Huskers will step into their backyard again, ready to make a strong case for the NCAA volleyball crown. Last year, heartbreak struck when Texas stole the show in the finals, leaving Nebraska undefeated but empty-handed. This season, with a scorching 19-1 Big Ten record, the Big Red isn’t settling for anything less than championship glory. But can they navigate the rocky road ahead?

Someone in the camp sure thinks so—and they’ve got their reasons. Sure, winning the Big Ten title puts Nebraska in a solid spot on the NCAA bracket, but the veteran insider is betting on some lesser-known factors to seal the deal. Could those be the game-changers over the next three weeks?

The veteran finds Nebraska volleyball’s loss a ‘blessing in disguise’

Lindsay Peterson, Nebraska volleyball’s director of operations and a former Husker legend herself, joined Jessica Coody for a chat on The Dig. These days, Peterson keeps a sharp eye on the team’s progress, and she’s brimming with optimism about their championship prospects. Interestingly, her confidence stems from what many would see as a low point—the team’s regular-season loss to Penn State. In the conversation, she explained, “We needed to see that [the team formation] because a lot of times if you’re winning, and I think we talked to coach mentioned that we’d only lost nine sets of volleyball, and you don’t learn a lot when you’re winning like that.” Per her, the learning moment came against Penn State as they made Nebraska volleyball see the bitter truth. 

After winning 41 games in a row, the Huskers had to lose the showdown against the Nittany Lions on November 29. It was the first time two teams had locked horns this season. The anticipation had already been there, as the game was set between two ranked squads. In the end, the Nittany Lions ended the night with a 3-1 victory. According to Lindsay, the loss came as a learning opportunity. In the conversation, she said, “Playing a team like Penn State that exposed some weaknesses and showed us areas that, hey, we maybe weren’t at our best and what we have to the level we’re going to have to be at moving forward.” Has the Nebraska volleyball team taken up the call? The director of operations says yes. 

In the interaction, she said, “These next three weeks is hopefully a blessing in disguise for us and how our team applies that these next three weeks.” Conceding that, she surely hinted at the NCAA volleyball championship. After all, after winning the national title in 2000, the veteran knows what it takes to win the laurel. So, she is ready to count the chips. She elaborated on her hopes by claiming, “We’ll see but I think that they’re they saw where we can get better and saw where we let some things go and know that those are easy things that we can control and we’re not asking them to try to reinvent the wheel to try to make those changes.” But hold on! The coach has something extra on his mind. 

John Cook believes in the motivation 

Just 24 hours after their gut-wrenching loss to Penn State, the Nebraska volleyball team had to shake it off and show up again—and they did, big time. On November 30, in the Xfinity Center, the Huskers clinched the Big Ten title, dropping just one set against Maryland. Cue the pandemonium! The Big Red faithful erupted in celebration, but Coach John Cook kept his cool. No tears, no over-the-top jubilation—just a steady focus on the positives.

Even soaked in a locker-room shower courtesy of his players, Cook had words of wisdom for the team. In their huddle, he reflected, “I also said way back that it might take the team of the century to go undefeated. We almost did it, but again we found a way to win it and again, this is the hardest conference, the toughest challenge.” Clearly, Cook was already looking ahead, seeing beyond the team’s weak spots and focusing on what they’d need for the NCAA title run.

Before the championship night, Cook’s pep talk was a masterclass in rallying the troops. “I reminded them that they went through nine weeks of the Big Ten—the hardest conference in the country, the hardest Big Ten Conference ever. We only lost five sets up until tonight. We got a lot of good stuff we’re doing, and we got to get back to doing that, and we got 24 hours to do it.”

So, will this steady blend of resilience, reflection, and preparation be enough to carry Nebraska to NCAA glory? All signs point to a squad that’s ready for anything—but what’s your take? Share in the comments below!