Nothing stands strong in front of Nebraska volleyball this season. Last night, the Rattlers experienced the heat, facing a 3-0 defeat from them. For coach John Cook, it was a sweet payback, as in 2004, the Florida A&M handed the Huskers a thrashing defeat in the NCAA volleyball. On December 7, the sweetness followed an extra bit. It was the fight between Nebraska and Miami in the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The host had no hiccups, not before the game nor during the show. Rather, after the match, another intriguing news item entered the fold. How? 

First, the Huskers secured their place in the Sweet 16 by defeating Miami on Saturday. It was yet another day in the office for Nebraska as it handed the Hurricanes a 3-0 thrashing. In the game, the guests had no loose moment to take a breath. In three sets, they had to counter Harper Murray and others. And on D-day, they had no answer to the Huskers’ tough questions. Ultimately, the Hurricanes had to give up, and the celebration started in the Big Red camp. Soon, the fun extended with another piece of good news. 

As per the update, the Nebraska Huskers topped the #WeGiveBlood Drive chart while huddling with other conference squads. Now, the victory in the drive has earned the camp a massive $1 million prize money. And the effort has saved almost 12,000 lives. A phenomenal achievement in the book of humanitarian causes! However, the Huskers’ chance of winning the drive had always been on the cards. 

On October 20, Lincoln Arneal, Husker Illustrated’s journalist, shared an excellent update. On X, he posted a snapshot of the We Give Blood Leaderboard. The list showed Nebraska Huskers dominating the leaderboard with 1,317 donors from the program. The nearest chaser, UCLA, stood with a mere 464 donors. Therefore, the Huskers’ consistency served as a hint to claim the title in the upcoming weeks. And the end results show a stunning rise in the number. 

The update states that the Big Ten Conference received blood donations from almost 20,000 students, alumni, and fans in the drive. The Nebraska Huskers’ contribution formed almost 20% (3,983) of the entire count. Meanwhile, the archrival, Wisconsin, followed the Big Red here as well. The Badgers claimed the second position on the list. That’s how they missed the trophy and the $1 million money from Abbott, aiming to improve the student’s health at the university. Before the mega clash in the upcoming regionals, the achievement will surely motivate the volleyball program to win the glory. But what was the entire drive? 

Nebraska volleyball may take inspiration from the off-court achievement 

On September 27 this year, Big Ten and Abbott joined hands to announce the blood donation drive. The authorities opened the gate for all 18 teams of the conference to engage in the noble cause. They had the duration as the officials announced it to be from September 26 to December 6. Meanwhile, the programs joined the cause to address the critical situation. 

In January 2024, the American Red Cross announced a critical shortage of blood donations. The organization’s press statement revealed that donations via the Red Cross have decreased by roughly 40% over the past two decades. The Red Cross reports that nearly 13.6 million units of blood components are collected each year in the United States, which are utilized in a variety of treatments, including those for trauma, childbirth, and chronic illnesses. In the meantime, these treatments have stood on the brink of an utmost crisis because of the shortage of blood. 

But the nationwide drive has seemed to provide a ray of hope. The officials are also expecting to see a better tomorrow. Nebraska volleyball will also look forward to taking the momentum. In the last 13 years, the program has appeared in the regional final at least 11 times. This time as well, the target remains the same. Now, to see the further outcome, the fans will have to wait for December 13, when the program will have back-to-back games in the Bob Devaney Sports Center.