 "Photo: Vanessa Skocz")
After an impressive opening week, the Nebraska volleyball team is focused on their humility as they continue Big 12 Conference play.
The Cornhuskers will begin 11 weeks of round robin play against conference foes tonight at the NU Coliseum against the Kansas Jayhawks.
Kansas is the first unranked team the Huskers will face since they downed LSU and New Mexico State at the Ameritas Player's Challenge two weeks ago.
However, the 7-4 Jayhawks are coming off an impressive five set win against Iowa Sate. Sophomore outside hitter Jenna Kaiser returned to the team to help power KU to the win.
During Tuesday's press conference, NU Coach John Cook wore a Nebraska football shirt and explained this weekend's game is a marquee match up for the football team against Virginia Tech.
Tonight's game is arguably a marquee match for the volleyball team as well, since it will test whether the team can stay focused against a team that isn't as powerful as some of the others Nebraska has faced this year.
This week's football and volleyball games will be ones that establish both teams' identities, Cook said.
"As a coach, you're looking for a match, a win, so that (the team can) build confidence," Cook said.
"We had so many question marks (in the beginning of the season), so the first weekend identified us as we can play. We're pretty good."
In order to keep the team modest, Cook brought a mirror to practice on Sunday and had his players look into it.
"I said, 'You guys start looking in the mirror and see how good you look and how good you feel and you think you're hot stuff, and then we're going to forget how to compete,'" Cook said.
"We're in a position (where) maybe we think we've arrived and as a coach I can't let them do that."
It's a message Cook's preached since the beginning of the year to his players.
Granted, the team has had a plethora of early-season success, as they upset Stanford and demolished Kansas State and Texas.
Cook said the team will struggle if they forget how to compete.
He explained last year's team was able to rely on its talent if they were having an off game. This year, they can't.
On paper it may look as if the Huskers have performed flawlessly during their previous matches, but as the team continues to watch game film, they find areas to improve on.
Cook said he found several technical aspects the team can work on after he watched the Texas game, including NU's out-of-system plays, where NU continually beat UT.
Cook isn't harsh or mean when relaying the message to his players. He's just honest.
"That's the trap that we can fall into," Cook said. "The difference with where this team is, they have to continue to play the way they've been playing to be successful."
That message has been a prevalent theme in practice this week as the young squad prepares to face Kansas.
Senior Jordan Larson expressed similar sentiments as her coach.
"We had a great start, but I think we can't be too proud of what we've done," Larson said. "It's still a long ways to the end of the season."
Larson said it has been hard to wrap her mind about what the young team has accomplished this season.
Even with the success the team has had, Larson is not worried about the team being weathered by the tough conference schedule.
Cook and Larson both knew the sophomore class was going to have to step up and have an impact on the floor.
In 2007, Kayla Banwarth, Lindsey Licht and Tara Mueller combined for 11 starts. Banwarth notched the most starts with 10.
"Most of them were here last year, so they know how long (the season is)," Larson said. "Playing (in the game) is different because you have a new opponent (each week) and it's so much different when there are rivalries."
Cook, on the other hand, is worried, explaining that school and a rough travel and game schedule can wear on the team.
"This is where the consistency is what you're looking for in your team. Can they play great every night out or play hard every night out?" Cook said. "It takes a lot of mental energy to do that, a lot of focus, (and) they gotta be able to play without interference."
nickfilipowski@dailynebraskan.com
Be the first to comment on this article!