At a time when the direction of collegiate sports is uncertain and unpredictable, volleyball is entering a season expected to be filled with noteworthy achievements. While every season concludes with the crowning of a new national champion, this December will likely mark 2023 as a historic year for our sport.
The season’s first week has always provided volleyball fans with great matchups, and this year is no exception. Contests such as Florida vs. Stanford, Texas vs. Minnesota, and Wisconsin vs. Baylor are just a sample of potential championship scenarios to play out in Tampa at the end of the year.
However, the most anticipated match is a midweek, in-state contest between Nebraska and Omaha on August 30. The intrigue is not around Omaha’s efforts to upset the #4 team in the country but rather the fact that a volleyball match will likely become the most attended women’s sporting event in the history of the United States.
The game is being hosted in Memorial Stadium (home to Nebraska football) as part of a doubleheader with a Division II exhibition between Nebraska-Kearney and Wayne State. Almost 83,000 tickets were sold in 48 hours, with an additional 8000 later being made available. The current record, at least for another week, is…
