AUSTIN, Texas — The popularity of college volleyball continues to grow in many parts of the country.
The NCAA Final Four has sold out a few times recently. TV ratings are on the rise, including 375,000 people watching Nebraska’s match two weeks ago against Wisconsin.
At the high school level, volleyball is the fastest-growing sport.
And now the college game reaches another milestone this week with a format change for the regional week of the tournament.
Previously, matches during the regional were played on back-to-back days on Friday and Saturday. Now there is one day between matches, with the matches on Thursday and Saturday.
That means volleyball will be joining the NCAA basketball tournament in having one day between games.
Nebraska coach John Cook said it's “huge for the sport.â€
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“We’re not asking basketball teams to play back-to-back,†said Cook on Thursday after Nebraska’s practice at Texas' historic Gregory Gym. “And then the other problem is somebody always has to go early the next day.â€
Cook has been pushing for this change for 20 years, and now it’s happened.
“Back in the mid-’90s when I was at Wisconsin, we finished at 12:30 at night and had to play at 1 o’clock the next day,†Cook said. “Talk about student-athlete welfare. That’s when I first started complaining about how we need to have a day in between. I heard for years, ‘Oh, it costs money (for one more day of hotel rooms).’ Well, I’m glad we’re finally there that we can treat these high-level athletes and give them a day in between. That’s the way it should be.â€
Nebraska joins Texas, Washington and Illinois in a regional that coaches agree must be one of the toughest regionals ever. Nebraska’s match against Illinois is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Thursday and will be broadcast on ESPNU.
There are four teams still alive in the tournament who have previously won a national championship — UCLA, Nebraska, Texas and Washington — and three of those teams are in the Austin Regional.
Texas coach Jerrit Elliot is also thrilled with the format change, recalling how Texas once had to play a regional final match less than 24 hours after a regional semifinal match.
“And it’s the most important match to get to a Final Four,†Elliot said.
“I commend the NCAA for making it happen,†Elliott added.
Washington coach Keegan Cook said the previous format would have “never been acceptable in any other major sport.â€
“There is other little things on our checklist,†Keegan Cook said. “Things like regionalization, and things like seeding the entire tournament (instead of just the top 16). These things matter. These players have earned the right to have great athletic experiences.â€
Nebraska middle blocker Lauren Stivrins welcomes the change if the Huskers advance.
“I think it’s a step in the right direction, for sure,†Stivrins said.
Nebraska-Illinois Round 3: Nebraska has swept Illinois twice this season, most recently about one month ago.
But Nebraska is trying to approach this match separately.
“We kind of just talked about staying fresh and looking at them as if this is the first time playing them and not looking over them,†Nebraska defensive specialist Kenzie Knuckles said.
While Illinois is unranked with a 22-11 record, the Illini have solid wins against Purdue, Penn State and Kentucky.
“(Illinois) played great against Kentucky, so we’re going to get their 'A' game,†Cook said. “We got our hands full. It’s a new season, basically, and it doesn’t really matter what happened in the Big Ten.â€
From seventh place in the Big Ten to the Sweet 16: Illinois finished in seventh place in the Big Ten with a 12-8 record, but now finds itself in the NCAA Sweet 16.
That’s what can happen playing in a league that can beat you down, but also have you prepared for the postseason.
“Whether you’re the first-place team or the seven-place team you’re going to be in a position to do some damage once you get in the tournament,†Illinois coach Chris Tamas said.
Stivrins-Tamas connection: It’s pretty crazy to think about now with Tamas in his fifth season as Illinois coach, but he was the position coach for Nebraska’s Stivrins when she began her college career.
Now she’s a three-time All-American and one of the best players in program history. Stivrins was able to return this season for a fifth season of eligibility due to the COVID-19 eligibility exception.
Tamas coached the Husker middle blocker in 2016 when Stivrins was a freshman who ended up redshirting that season. He left for Illinois after the 2016 season.
“She’s a great player, and we knew that when we coached her during her redshirt year back in 2016,†Tamas said. “She’s continued to be a great player in the conference and these tournaments. We know we’re not going to be able to stop her, but we got to be able to contain her and not let her get too many kills.â€
During scouting and at matches, Tamas has watched Stivrins run the slide attack at a high level.
“She’s got a lot of experience doing it, for one, so she’s able to mix up her shots and she’s able to make good decisions when she does that,†Tamas said. “It’s fast, and she hits it from a high point.â€
Worth noting: Just three teams have reached the Sweet 16 each of the past nine seasons — Nebraska, Texas and Wisconsin. … No. 12 Washington enters Thursday’s match against No. 2 Texas on a 10-match winning streak. The Huskies have won 19 of their last 20 matches.
Worth quoting: “I’m just trying to figure out how to stay awake until 9 or 9:30 (Thursday) night,†said Cook, which is something fans back in Nebraska are also contemplating. “Most of our players go to bed early. So that will be a big challenge for us.â€