(gentle music) (gentle music) - [Narrator] Every
Nebraska volleyball season begins with a pursuit to clinch a national
championship at season's end. (gentle music) Even though the 2023
season didn't conclude with a fairytale ending, the journey changed
the conversation, as well as the landscape
of women's sports. (gentle music) August 30th will always
be etched in time as the most unforgettable
event in volleyball history. (gentle music) (gentle music) - [Emily] The Memorial
Stadium match put not only Nebraska
volleyball on the map, but it put volleyball as a
women's sport on the map. - It's still hard to
put into words what that happened that night. I mean, it was almost
mystical in a way. - People in other countries
were watching volleyball in Nebraska Day saying that's the most amazing
volleyball thing that has ever
happened in the world. (gentle music) -[Lexi] Little kids that
see volleyball being played on this level will really
inspire them to keep wanting to stay in the sport and get to the next level to
be in opportunities like that. - [Announcer] Riley picks
out Murray on the back row. -[Harper] All the aspects
of the media stuff and the people,
everybody coming just to watch one volleyball match is so special for Nebraska and
for the sport of volleyball, and I think it's gonna continue
to help our sport grow. - It's awesome. That was so surreal for me
to see as a former player. I credit certainly
John Cook for building and growing the
sport in Lincoln, his program is tremendous. And I credit that community, I was blown away by that support
that those women received. That was tremendous. -[Ericka] That was such
a great start to the season because it
caught the attention of every fan base
across America. (gentle music) -[John] I think it
was a defining moment in the history of
women's sports. It has elevated the sport
of women's volleyball. It's created an interest and it's been not
just in Nebraska, it's been across the country. It was a magical moment that people still have
not forgotten about. (team talking) - [Narrator] With
four freshmen starting and no seniors on the team,
the Huskers rode a wave of momentum to win 27
consecutive matches. (crowd cheering) Winning the program's
fourth Big 10 title and locking down the number one
seed in the NCAA tournament. (team cheering) -[John] This group
has really blossomed and played their best
in the biggest moments. (crowd chanting) It's not anything
we're doing different, it's just the belief in the
relationships that they have and the trust that they have, and you know, it's a group of
people all working together to try to get it done. And like Lexi told
me the stadium night, you know, just try to
soak it all in Coach. So I'm just trying
to soak it all in. (crowd chatting) (upbeat music) - [Narrator] When
the Huskers advanced to the Final Four
in Tampa, Florida, Husker Nation answered the call and traveled by the thousands
to the Sunshine State. (upbeat music) - I think it's crazy
'cause you never understand how many fans until
you're all together. - I've never seen anything
like it except for in Lincoln. So it's essentially like
bringing Lincoln, Nebraska to Tampa, Florida, amazing. (pep band playing) -[Don] It's great, you
just say hi to everybody, you know, whether
you know 'em or not. Of course, most
people you don't. (crowd cheering) -[Amy] The game of
volleyball the way it's just becoming more popular. It's an up and coming sport and I just think it's great
for girls sports in general. (crowd cheering) -[Parry] We have a huge fan base and I'm so excited
for all the girls, but also growing up little girls and the volleyball players in
Nebraska and across the nation because it's a sport that
should be celebrated. (gentle music) - [Narrator] 1.7 million
viewers tuned into ABC for the national championship
between Texas and Nebraska, (upbeat music) marking the highest
television audience for a college volleyball
match in history. (upbeat music) -[Ericka] To be part of
such a historical moment for this sport is incredible. And when we're
all in it together and driving this positive
momentum forward, it's good for the sport, it's
good for all of our networks, but most importantly it
pays tribute to, you know, the athletes and the people
that are on the court every day working towards
something so great. (upbeat music) - [John] Once you get
people seeing it live, they fall in love with it. I think that stadium
magic had major exposure to a lot of people and I think we're seeing
the the fallout from that. -[Lexi] I just think that
day in Memorial Stadium, it kind of showed that
and showed the team we are and how much we love
playing together and ever since then, I feel
like it's just grown so much. (crowd cheering) - [Emily] The growth of the
sport has been insurmountable. It's been exponential. We haven't seen
something like this in a women's sport in
a really long time. (upbeat music) -[Katie] It's well deserved. I feel like a lot of people
have been late to the party because if you've been
around the sport, you know how great it is and you know
how incredible these women are. (stadium cheering) I think you'll look back to
this 2023 season for Nebraska and of course
starting the season with 92,000 fans in a football
stadium to watch you play and then to march your
way through the Big 10 and only lose one time, (upbeat music) and then make your set way to a national title
is pretty tremendous. And speaks to I
think the leadership of the team, the
talent of the team. But definitely the staff has
done right by these women. (upbeat music)