NU?s ?Destination Omaha? Launches Successfully

Huskers Top Pitt 3-1, Give Cook 600th Win

NCAA Tickets for December 17 and 19 Final Four

Huskers Open Season with Sweep of Tulsa

Efficient Huskers Roll Past Grand Canyon

 

Randy York’s N-Sider

Official Blog of the Huskers

If optimism is the essence of achievement and the foundation for hope, two Nebraska volleyball fans will be standing in their seats, clapping their hands and raising their arms in December when their beloved Huskers reach the NCAA Final Four Championships at Omaha’s CenturyLink Center.

“We think they’re going all the way. That’s why we ordered our Final Four tickets last January,” said Tim Maack, a Lincoln chiropractor who saw no reason why the fifth-ranked Huskers can’t reach that plateau after sweeping Tulsa Friday night and Grand Canyon Saturday afternoon, then beating Pittsburgh Saturday night, 3-1, giving John Cook his 600th career win.

The Maacks savored watching the successful launch of Destination Omaha, led by a head coach whose win total ranks sixth nationally. Omaha is a fitting goal for Cook, who embraces challenges that reflect his teams' two national championships, five NCAA Final Fours, 10 conference titles and 13 top-10 final rankings since 2000.

“We seemed cohesive and eager to be great. We definitely have the potential to make it to the Final Four in Omaha,” said Linda Maack, Tim’s wife and a longtime Lincoln preschool teacher.

Maacks Attended Games Before Season Ticket Sales Were B1G

The Maacks, pictured above, are hard-core, positively charged fans who started attending games in 1985. “We went before they even had season tickets,” Tim said. “For awhile, there was a punch card for the family season ticket. We started going because Jay Potter was an assistant coach and a patient of mine. With two daughters, he thought we might like volleyball.”

Loyalty is paramount in a family that has given volleyball a special place in their hearts for 30 years. “We've only missed about 10 games since we started coming in 1985,” Tim said. “There was never a problem with tickets we couldn’t use. In this state, everybody wants to see a match. It’s great entertainment. We’ve been Match Club members for most of those years. We also enjoy traveling to away games and have gone to several Final Four venues.”

Linda describes her fellow Husker fan base as knowledgeable and loyal. “We’ve had friends sitting around us for about 20 years,” she said. “Having daughters and now granddaughters, we’ve always seen our volleyball team as role models and great examples of good students, ethical behavior and great athleticism."

Both Hesitant to Leave Sights and Sounds of Fabled Coliseum

The ride was so entertaining and motivating, Linda was hesitant to leave the sights and sounds of the fabled Coliseum, the original home of the most passionate fans in volleyball. “The Coliseum was intimate for fans and intimidating to opponents,” she said. “We didn't think we'd like the Devaney, but the remodeling and seating is great!  We don't miss the bleacher seats and the seat backs. The administration wisely seated people in sections so that the groups that started going together stayed together.”

There is no doubt about which team is the Maacks’ all-time favorite – the 2006 national champions that rallied to beat Stanford in Omaha’s Quest Center, giving Cook a second NCAA title for his resume.

Agreement on Five Husker Legends Who Made the Program Great

Since the Huskers span three decades for this pair of die-hard fans, I ask for a joint decision on their collective all-time favorite volleyball student-athletes. They agreed on five and were willing to share something that required considerable deliberation.

The envelope, please…Nancy Metcalf, pictured below, Jordon Larson, Allison Weston, Christy Johnson and Greichaly Cepero…all-time favorites, and, I must admit, all great choices.

Bob Devaney Sports Center: The Best Volleyball Center in the World

For Nebraska volleyball, the only thing that matches the athleticism is the atmosphere. “We liked when the drum line played at the Coliseum,” Tim said. “The crowd sometimes would get so into the game, it took days to get the ringing out of our ears.”

Both agree that the highlight at the Devaney Center was the first game inside the remodeled, reinvigorated facility. It doubled the size of the crowds and quadrupled Nebraska’s national stature. “It's just the best volleyball venue in the world,” Tim said. “I call it spectator friendly, and we both love the new scoreboard hanging over the middle of the court.”

Tim calls Coach Cook intense and caring. “He always wants his team to do their best, and he's always complimentary,” Maack said.

Now that Nebraska is off the 2015 launching pad, let the journey and the Road to Omaha begin.

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