An NCAA-record 13,870 volleyball fans filled the Devaney Center on Sunday afternoon to watch a familiar face lead her top-10 team to victory.
But unfortunately for Husker fans, NU coach John Cook's daughter, a former Pius X High School standout, was playing for the other team.
Lauren Cook led No. 8 UCLA to a close win over her father's fifth-ranked Huskers, and the freshman setter was named the MVP of this weekend's Ameritas Players' Challenge tournament.
"She did a fantastic job. I knew she was going to play great," John Cook said. "Not only tonight, but you have to think about the other two matches, as well. You look at her stats; she's got great stats."
The younger Cook finished the weekend with 15 kills and only one error. She added 48 assists on Sunday in the five-set win, 18-25, 25-17, 25-22, 24-26 and 15-7.
Her stats were impressive, but UCLA coach Andy Banachowski said her poise in front of the largest regular-season crowd in NCAA history was more impressive.
"I thought Lauren did a great job of leading the team and always being in control out there," Banachowski said. "She certainly helped us establish a calmness on the court that enabled us to fight off the noise and the jitters we had."
Cook didn't let the crowd affect her. After all, she'd experienced a similar crowd in high school state tournament games.
"I don't really let jitters affect me," Cook said. "I just tried to keep everyone calm and help them do what they know what to do."
NU (7-2) defeated BYU Friday night 21-25, 25-21, 25-10, 25-21. The Huskers carried the energy from that win into Sunday to easily take the first set against the Bruins.
Nebraska held UCLA to a .069 hitting percentage in the first set while recording a .276 percentage themselves, but UCLA was able to suck the energy out of the building in the next two sets, winning comfortably in both.
Nebraska got the fans back on their feet in the fourth set with five blocks and 12 kills, led by Jordan Wilberger's five assisted blocks and Hannah Werth's six kills.
That momentum from a fourth set victory quickly faded, as UCLA (8-1) finished off NU in the fifth set with 10 kills and only one error.
"It was an up-and-down match for both teams, and UCLA got the up in the fifth game," John Cook said. "I was pretty disappointed in how we played."
He said the energy of the match didn't allow him to think about the fact his daughter was on the other side of the net. Lauren, though, had a different reaction.
"I loved it," she said. "It was totally like ‘Bring it on. Let's see what you got.'"
The daughter may be ahead 1-0 as far as college volleyball is concerned, but John Cook remains lighthearted about the situation.
"Ask her what her record is in the sand against me," Cook said. "She's way behind."
dougburger@dailynebraskan.com
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