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By most programs' level of expectations, the Nebraska volleyball team had an extremely successful season. NU won 25 matches, including 10 against ranked foes. They claimed the outright Big Ten Championship, were ranked No. 1 in the coaches' poll for a week and stayed in the RPI Top 4 all season long.
Unfortunately, Nebraska isn't most programs, and its loss at home to Kansas State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament left a bitter taste in the mouths of many, including the Husker players and coaching staff.
Coach John Cook went out of his way to praise his team for the work it put in on the season after Friday night's loss.
"As I told the girls, we still had a heck of a season," he said. "We accomplished all of our goals but one, which is to win a national championship. Only one team is going to do that. Sports teaches us some great lessons and we got taught some good lessons."
Still, the fact remains that the Huskers failed to reach the top 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1993 and were one of only two of the eight Big Ten Tournament teams (Michigan State lost to No. 1 Texas) to fall in the first two rounds of the tournament.
Kansas State was to blame for that, shocking NU with play that everyone interviewed said far exceeded what the team was capable of in 2010, when NU swept the Wildcats twice. While many of the players were devastated by the loss, none felt any anger at KSU.
On the contrary, the Wildcats may have even picked up a couple of fans.
"Oh, totally (cheering) for them," Brigette Root said. "If they worked that hard and they can beat us, then I want them to do the best they can. I wish them the best of luck, and they're a great team and they deserve to go far."
While the 2011 season may well be remembered by fans mostly for the Kansas State loss, the players will remember it for all of the good things.
They'll remember being handed the Big Ten Championship trophy before the Northwestern match, Jordan Wilberger's awesome performance on senior night against Wisconsin and hitting .600 in the final set of a win over then No. 1 Illinois. Or maybe instead they'll think of the fifth-set victory over Penn State or Brigette Root's calming influence in two home wins over the Michigan schools or sweeping a great Iowa State squad in front of over 10,000 fans at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
But, there were undoubtedly some unpleasant moments from the season as well. The team struggled against New Mexico State in a way Cook called "as bad as I've ever seen them play" weeks later. They lost the next week to Colorado State, currently unranked and eliminated from the NCAA Tournament. They were beaten easily in road matches against Penn State and Purdue and were upset by Northwestern.
Injuries shortened the seasons of Allison McNeal and Taylor Simpson, and down the stretch, NU lost four of its final 11 matches after winning the previous 16 in a row. And that's not even mentioning the Lauren Cook situation.
Despite all of the trials and tribulations, Root enjoyed the season, both on the court and off it, where she was co-captain with Wilberger.
"It was great. If I could do it all over again, there's no one I'd rather (co-captain) with," she said. "I thought there was a great relationship between us and the players and the coaches. It was a great year — I wouldn't trade it for anything."
So, next season brings back a talented Nebraska side. While former All-American middle blocker Brooke Delano graduates along with Wilberger and Root, the team returns three first team All-Big Ten performers in Lauren Cook, Gina Mancuso and Hannah Werth, second team All-Big Ten Morgan Broekhuis plus defensive stalwarts in Paige Hubl, Hayley Thramer and Lara Dykstra and add another top-ranked recruiting class, led by Elkhorn South star Lauren Sieckmann.
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