Nebraska Cornhuskers receive warm welcome in Tampa ahead of NCAA Volleyball Championship 2023 semifinals
The Nebraska Cornhuskers have advanced to the semifinals of the 2023 NCAA Volleyball Championship after having a victorious streak in the first, second, and regional rounds.
The Cornhuskers will face the Pittsburgh Panthers in the first semifinal scheduled to be held at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, on December 14, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. EST.
The Cornhuskers have lifted the championship trophy five times before. The Panthers, meanwhile, have never secured the national title. They will be making their third consecutive semifinal appearance.
The Cornhuskers are a heavy favorite for the win given the successful campaign so far. The team landed in Tampa ahead of the clash and received a warm welcome. The fans were seen cheering for the players as they stepped off the flight. They were greeted with unique necklaces by the fans.
The Nebraska Volleyball program took to social media to share the video of the reception and wrote:
"WHAT. A. WELCOME."
They even shared pictures of the welcome, expressing gratitude towards the fans.
"Talk about southern hospitality! Thank you Tampa for the warm welcome!"
The Cornhuskers have won four NCAA Volleyball Championships under coach John Cook - in 2000, 2006, 2015 and 2017. The first victory for the Huskers came in 1995 under coach Terry Pettit when they defeated the Texan Longhorns 3-1 in Amherst, Massachusetts.
The victory in the year 2000 came under Cook's first year as the coach. The Huskers defeated the Stanford Cardinal in the 2006 finals, the Texas Longhorns in 2015 and the Florida Gators in 2017 to lift the championship trophy.
The Huskers and Panthers went head-to-head against each other in the NCAA final four round in 2021, where the Huskers seized the victory.
Following the Cornhuskers vs Panthers clash, the fans will also witness the Texas Longhorns and Wisconsin Badgers clash at 9:30 p.m. EST. The semifinals will be broadcast live on ESPN and Fubo.
A look at Nebraska Cornhuskers' victorious run so far at the NCAA Volleyball Championship
The Nebraska Cornhuskers have enjoyed a winning streak so far. They had defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks with a scoreline of 3-1 in the Elite Eight match.
The Huskers dominated the Missouri Tigers and Georgia Tech in the regionals with a scoreline of 3-0 against both teams. Nebraska even defeated the LIU (Long Island University) women's volleyball team in the first round with a commanding scoreline of 3-0.