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The NCAA volleyball tournament gets underway Wednesday in Omaha as 48 teams pack into one venue to decide a college champion.
Usually, 64 teams are invited to the post-season tournament and play their way through regionals to get to the final four. This year, 48 teams are all in Omaha at the CHI Health Center, where all the matches will take place, some of them on the convention center floor. During a Zoom call on Wednesday, Head Coach John Cook said his team accepts things are different.
“So we have to temper our expectations for what a normal event here in Omaha would be like,” Cook said. “This is going to be much different and the set-up is going to be different. It’s essentially going to be like a club tournament.”
Cook and his players, and everyone else in the CHI Health Center bubble, will be tested for COVID-19 every day. The #5 seeded Huskers were 14-2 in the regular season, but last played March 26th.
“It’s definitely setting in that this is all real,” Senior middle blocker Lauren Strivrins said. “It’s kind of crazy seeing all the teams that are here and seeing people at testing and stuff and I think that also makes it very real, but definitely excited.”
The Huskers aren’t sure who they’ll play first, but take the court on Thursday.