KORTH: Continuing to overcome adversity will help bring NU volleyball national title

The Big Ten put eight teams into the NCAA tournament for volleyball this season, and that's one more than the Pac-12.

The difference: Nebraska.

By adding NU, the Big Ten placed itself as the premier volleyball conference in the nation.

Every week when reporters asked for anything unique, just anything about Purdue's Big Ten Player of the year Ariel Turner or Penn State's eight straight conference titles or Illinois undefeated run, the answer was always the same.

Every week is tough in the Big Ten.

And the Huskers came through it all with a 17-3 conference record and the first Big Ten conference championship in the history of Husker athletics.  For the first time in program history the squad also got used to a back-to-back match format in the regular season.

The Huskers played Friday nights then turned around quickly with a Saturday game six times during Big Ten play.

And after all that, Nebraska earned its No. 2 overall seed in the tournament.

Plus this is a team that performed well through adversity.

Senior middle blocker Brooke Delano, a former All-American, saw limited time at the beginning of the year because of a shoulder injury, yet through the month of October the Huskers were 18-2.

NU had to turn to backup setter and former walk-on Bridgette Root while Lauren Cook served her highly publicized two-game suspension. And the Huskers handily beat Michigan and Michigan State with Cook on the bench.

But the most telling stat is this: Nebraska has dropped the first set in 13 matches this season. In those matches the Huskers are 10-3.

And NU received some adversity directly from the NCAA tournament selection committee.

Nebraska was placed in the Honolulu regional, but it's going to be tough for fans to travel and support the Huskers that play well in front of a home crowd. After all, NU is undefeated at home.

So based on that it won't be tough for the Huskers to advance to the Sweet 16 in Honolulu.

All they have to do is beat Jackson State on Thursday and turn around and beat most likely Kansas State, but maybe Wichita State, on Friday both at the NU Coliseum.

And the Huskers have always performed well at home against opponents like the Tigers, Shockers and Wildcats.

But a Sweet 16 trip is expected, and chances are that based on Nebraska's No. 2 overall seed in the tourney they should meet up with Texas in the title game.

After a year of going to the Coliseum and getting to know fans I know expectations are high. Every one of the 4,030 fans that make the trips from cities across the state wants the Huskers to bring back their first national title since 2006, and you can bet they'll travel to San Antonio, Texas for the Final Four.

And even though NU might have to beat some of the top teams in the nation, No. 1 Southern California, No. 3 Hawaii and No. 10 California, it can do it.

Nebraska can come through the adversity for itself and a dedicated fan base and for the first time since 2006 bring a national title back to Lincoln.

robbykorth@dailynebraskan.com