Megan Bober leads a new set of Nebraska natives for Creighton
The Creighton volleyball team heads down the road for its annual matchup with the other Division I school in the state, the #6 Nebraska Cornhuskers. This is the first in-state matchup of the school year between these two schools. The good folks in Creighton’s Sports Information Office prepared a lot of great game notes to get you caught up on everything, but here are a few things of interest that White & Blue Review would like you to keep in mind for Tuesday’s 7:00 p.m. matchup.
Good ‘ol Nebraska
Megan Bober leads a new set of Nebraska natives for Creighton into this in-state matchup. All of the home state players from last season that were a part of this matchup graduated or are no longer with the team. Bober was on the bench with the Bluejays as a redshirt last season, so she knows the home state pride this game stirs amongst players and fans alike. Fellow freshmen Heather Thorson and Lisa Greisch round out the native Nebraskans on the Creighton roster. It is always great to see the fire in players’ eyes when they feel they have something to prove. Coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth knows the significance of this game as well, since she went to high school at Lincoln East.
TV Time
It is a bit disappointing that this game is not on television. Nebraska was on TV for its first two matches of the season at the Qwest Center last weekend, but the matchup with the other in-state team is not on TV? There should be something in place that all Creighton-Nebraska matchups in each sport are televised and can be seen across the state. NET public television, which can be seen statewide, does a great job of covering sports. As popular as volleyball is in the state of Nebraska, it is interesting that this contest is not on the tube, especially due to the limited seating in the Coliseum. I’m sure there are many others out there that would enjoy seeing the game on TV. Alas, it is limited to an online webcast fans can purchase for $9.95.
The Records
This matchup has a lot of records on the line. The Bluejays are 0-34 in matches involving teams that are in the top 25. Creighton is also 0-9 against Nebraska. But the Huskers have something a lot bigger riding on their minds – the chance to extend their home winning streak to an NCAA-record 88 matches. The Omaha World-Herald even ran an article in Monday’s paper making a big deal about this. They are currently tied with Penn State for the record. With this being the first home match for Nebraska this season, the young Bluejays will have to overcome a lot of excitement and history to pull off the upset.
The Chink in the Armor?
If Creighton ever was to make a statement and strike a blow against Nebraska in this one-sided volleyball rivalry, Tuesday night’s game is likely the best opportunity the Bluejays have had. The Huskers were demolished last Friday night against Michigan and it took five sets Saturday night to get past Minnesota. Never has a Creighton team squared off with a Nebraska squad ranked as low as #6 since the program restarted in 1994.
Confidence is critical in college athletics. How confident are the Huskers after a poor showing in their first match of the season and a tough second effort in their second contest? The Jays are no doubt building confidence after a sweep against Texas Tech and a hard-fought loss against Illinois, a top 10 team.
It will be up to the Bluejays to try and take advantage of the things that are falling into their favor. Coach Booth sees this match as a measuring stick to see where they are at. Fans see it as a great opportunity. If you can’t be at the game, you can listen to it on www.gocreighton.com or on 1290 AM KKAR in Omaha.
NOTES: It was reported by the OWH that Millard North junior Michelle Sicner has made a verbal commitment to join the Creighton volleyball team in 2011. She chose Creighton over the likes of Nebraska due to the Bluejays’ ability to offer her a scholarship. Nebraska was encouraging her to walk-on.