Cook: Husker volleyball team still developing

When Nebraska volleyball coach John Cook slammed his hand into his notebook Tuesday, you could hear it from across the NU Coliseum.

Frustration is something Cook said is part of the growing process after his team swept Creighton.

Even with a bit of sloppy play, the NU coach was still able to crack a few jokes afterward.

"I guess it's probably good we're not peaking right now," Cook said with a laugh.

After all, his team set an NCAA record of 88 straight home wins; he had a sophomore, Jordan Wilberger, set a career high kill mark, and he watched his team record its first sweep of the season.

To say the Cornhuskers are settled into the season would be hyperbole.

Cook knows his team has a ways to go, but he also knows that it's expected. To put it Cook's way, the team is developing.

Cook even took some of the blame for what he considered to be a lack of preparation for his team.

"It's coach Cook's job to figure out how to get that better," Cook said. "When some of the slop goes down, we don't practice that. We're practicing what we have to defend. I'm going to have to create a drill that's kind of an off-play out of system."

These "chaos" moments, as Cook called them, should be where his team's athleticism takes over, and plays are made. Without the proper communication and trust, Kayla Banwarth said those plays wouldn't be made.

"When you trust your teammates, you can be disciplined," Banwarth said. "You can stay on the sideline, you don't have to worry about areas you wouldn't normally cover because you know that your teammates are going to be there."

Compared to the weekend, the Huskers' sweep seemed anti-climactic physically and emotionally. Aside from a few longer rallies, the night played out almost easy for Cook's team, who took the court with confidence.

Mixed in with NU mistakes, however, was an unorganized but upcoming Bluejay squad.

CU head coach Kristen Booth said the youth of her team showed.

"We have so many unknowns going into this season with so many inexperienced kids," Booth said. "Our goals are conference championship, NCAA tournament bid. I walk away from Saturday and tonight and think those goals are essentially attainable."

Cook had high praise for Creighton, a team he said Nebraska has tried to help rise up by fitting it into NU's schedule. The in-state rivalry will not only to create closer competition but also keep in-state talent in the state, Cook said.

It was an all-around charitable night for Cook.

Supporting a rejuvenating student section, Cook walked out before the match and offered three boxes of Valentino's pizza to the section.

Cook even offered up a quote or two to reporters about the NCAA record.

"Is it the longest win streak ever? Yeah, well, that's pretty awesome," Cook said with a sarcastic smile.

He even added that the fact it broke Penn State's previous record made it "a little bit sweeter."

Cook said he was happy for the fans and the media that the record was there to talk about and be proud of, something that he said fits in well with the history and tradition of the Coliseum.

Jokes and records aside, Cook still has a lot of coaching to do before the Huskers head to Baton Rouge, La., to take part in the LSU tournament. Included in that will be continuing to rotate freshmen Hannah Werth and Gina Mancuso, who didn't play Tuesday, after a solid performance against Minnesota.