Husker volleyball sweeps Colorado, looks to NCAA tournament

Daily Nebraskan

After Kori Cooper dropped in her ninth kill Saturday night, she turned to her teammates with arms spread and a gaping smile.

It was the final kill of the match, the regular season and her career.

On a night dedicated to her, Cooper and the Huskers swept Colorado 25-16, 25-11, 25-11. The senior from Amarillo, Texas, tried to keep the focus on her team, their seventh consecutive win and the future.

"They have many more games to come," Cooper said. "I wanted it to be about them, not myself."

With humility, Cooper ended her final regular season game at the NU Coliseum with poise and appreciation for Nebraska fans. More impressive to coach John Cook, though, is the path his senior has taken and the place she's at now.

That journey, Cook said, led to an ovation like he'd never heard before on senior night, one that he said made him speechless.

"She has experienced the whole spectrum of a college student athlete," Cook said. "That's what the fans showed her tonight: how much they appreciate and admire what she's done here and who she is."

Cooper's role in Nebraska's turnaround this season has been pivotal. With 167 kills, her .378 hitting percentage has led all NU offensive scorers.

Cook said her play this season surpassed that of any other season, even after two knee surgeries forced her to work her way into the lineup as her final season began.

Reminiscent of last year's postseason – when Cooper sat out with her second knee injury – the camouflage jacket she wore in 2008 for inspiration made a reappearance. Cook said his team wanted to bring it back in honor of their co-captain.

According to Cook, Cooper's experience will be a necessity on the court this time around in the NCAA tournament.

"The biggest thing she can do is go in with the confidence," Cook said. "To know it's the postseason now, what she's got to do, and to let those younger players see that."

With her leadership, the Cornhuskers have reemerged from a tumultuous season's beginning on the wings of a simple phrase: "November to remember."

The Huskers went undefeated in the final month of the regular season. Their momentum will have to carry into December and into what Cook hopes will be another magical run through the Qwest Center in Omaha.

"When we peak, I don't know," Cook said. "This team has dug itself out of a big hole. They have conquered many of the issues that were creating doubts for us and causing us to lose matches."

NU will get to play in the comfort of their own Coliseum this Friday in a first-round regional match against Coastal Carolina. With a win, NU will face the winner of the Washington State-Northern Iowa match at 5 p.m. on Saturday.

"I think that is something that is a reward for the support our fans show and the hard work of our team and our program," Cook said.

davehoufek@dailynebraskan.com