Nebraska Volleyball Coach John Cook, Players Speak After Sweeping Wisconsin in

Nebraska volleyball coach John Cook, libero Lexi Rodriguez, and outside hitter Harper Murray met with the media after the Huskers swept Wisconsin Sunday afternoon at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. NU is now off to Louisville for the NCAA Semifinals Thursday with the championship on Sunday.

Watch the full postgame appearance above. Keep scrolling to read quotes provided by Nebraska Athletics.

Cook Opening Statement 

“First of all, I think this is one of the hardest regional finals we have ever had because of Wisconsin. They are a phenomenal team, they’ve got great players, they are very well coached. We had to play our very best match of the year to win this match today. So much respect for the Badgers and I asked our team, I told them that we were going to have to really max it out today and they responded and did a great job. Even though a few times it wasn’t going really well, they just stayed with it and found ways to win. The other thing is, I asked our crowd to will us, and I’m not sure I have heard the Devaney this loud for this long every point, so thanks to our crowd they were unbelievable today. 

Cook on fans traveling to Louisville 

“I think everyone had already booked tickets because I heard from everybody ‘I’ve got my tickets so see you in Louisville.’ I don’t think anyone new is going, I think they already did that a long time ago, I mean it is sold out. One of our themes for this year is race for the roses it’s on our poster, it’s on our shirts and our goal is to get back to Louisville for the third time. We’ve already been there twice.” 

Cook on Taylor Landfair’s match today

“Well, she was matched up on Anna (Smrek) and Charlie (Fuerbringer) but yesterday in practice I tried to instill in her mind that she was going to have to go high and hard and she did that today, she got some big kills for us on some tough sets, so really happy for her because she hasn’t been to a final four yet, she’s done a lot so I’m sure this is a big moment for her.”

Cook on the defense

“The effort on both sides was incredible. Both teams were laying out, making unreal plays. I blow the whistle in practice when I think the ball is down. I would have blown the whistle several times today thinking the ball was down. Next thing you know, it’s up. When they have hitters like that, you have to dig balls, because you’re not going to block those guys all the time. Our pursuit – Harper (Murray) went into the crowd a couple times, I wanted to challenge that one. I don’t get that rule. Our team had tremendous effort on defense today.”

Cook on this ending for the senior class at Devaney

“Merritt (Beason) is undefeated here. There was a lot of pressure on us. This is the third time we were playing these guys, we’re the ones that are at home and should win. Our seniors helped run this team and lead this team and they did a heck of a job. I already told both Lexi (Rodriguez) and Merritt that this is their team and they willed them to a win.”

Cook on how the team matched up against Wisconsin this year

“On paper it’s hard to match up with them but Harper (Murray) basically for nine games was blocking Anna (Smrek) for nine games, three rotations for nine games, because we had the same matchups. You can look at the size difference. She got her kills, but Harper touched her a couple of times, got a block. They are a great serving team. We are a great passing team. You saw how they started off. They broke us down right away. Then we settled down and passed them really well. I thought our serving started stressing them. They are also a very good passing team, but we started breaking them down as the match went on. But it’s heavy weights. This is a slugfest, long rallies. It’s hard to put the ball away. You got this big block you’re dealing with all the time. It’s a heavyweight fight. It was like (Muhammad) Ali vs. (Joe) Frazier  Round Three.”

Cook on Louisville and Dani Busboom Kelly making the Final Four at home  

“They were almost eliminated last week and they played unreal yesterday. We’ve done that a couple times, there’s so much pressure when you’re hosting. It can be suffocating. It is really hard, even though you’re hosting, knowing everybody expects you to get there. She’s done a heck of a job with that team and they played phenomenal yesterday.”

Cook on if there’s a preference for Thursday’s opponent

“No. Nope. We’re going to celebrate today and worry about that tomorrow.”

Cook on if he’s going to celebrate by watching the game tonight

“I don’t know, maybe. Yellowstone is on. It’s the season finale. I’m going to see if Tom Shatel is a prophet because he told me how it was going to end.”

Cook on Laney (Choboy) diving into him

“I was ready because I knew she was going, I was going to take the hit and not let her hit, because it was right there in the corner of the scores table, so I’m like I’m not letting her hit this thing. I took the hit, I was ready.” 

Cook on Kennedi Orr

“I want to echo that there is a great story with Kennedi and her role. She’s been here and she’s found a way to help this team win. She came in today and I know we scored the most points in her rotation. That’s a great story and that’s why we call her a game changer.”

Cook on the expectation to get to the final four and his feeling

“This one is excitement because I know how good Wisconsin is. This is a really tough matchup, seed-wise, and it’s to go to the Final Four. They’ve been there how many times? The last 7 out of 10? Last 10 years? I don’t know, some crazy number. Like I said, these are two heavyweights and two teams that deserve and are good enough to be in the Final Four.”

Murray on getting the MVP of the region

“It means a lot, but I think I owe it all to my teammates and the coaches, because I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for them. I’m just really thankful that I’m involved in a program like this and I don’t know where I would be without this whole staff and our whole team. It means a lot, but I wouldn’t be here without them.”

Murray on the goal of getting to Louisville 

“The expectation here is to make it to a National Championship. With that comes a lot of pressure, but at the same time we like to tell each other that we are playing for each other. I think that’s what keeps us balanced and calm because we’re always going to have pressure when you play in a program like this, but I think it’s about just playing for each other and not listening to outside noise because it’s an expectation here and we know that but it’s still a lot of pressure. Just staying focused on us and not what’s around us.”  

Murray on what the team’s game changer was today

“At first, I think we weren’t serving them tough enough. Throughout the second and third sets, we got into that more. I also think at some points, we could have cleaned it up a little bit. I want to give credit to Kennedi (Orr). Coach gave her credit in the locker room. She comes in and she does her job perfectly. I think we really feed off of her energy and her presence, so I want to give a lot of credit to her for that. Other than that, I think serving was a big factor.”

Rodriguez on the feeling of taking a large lead in the second set

“It’s kind of just a flow state. Everything is kind of going our way. After that first set was back and forth, a close two-point game that we had to battle out, I knew going into the second set that we were going to come out with a lot more urgency, which is exactly what we did. We were just on a roll. It was awesome.”

Rodriguez on the last lap around Devaney

“It was definitely emotional. It definitely doesn’t feel real that that was my last game in Devaney. Like you said, there’s no better way to go out. It was giving a little bit of appreciation for the Devaney Center and for all the fans for helping us get to this point and helping us get to the next stage. That’s one of my favorite parts of the whole year, is getting to go around and celebrate with all of them.”

Rodriguez on the goal of getting to Louisville 

“From the beginning of the year it was definitely something we had to kind of challenge ourselves with and finding a way to let go of last year and let go of all the pressures and just have a clean slate. Obviously we’ve had a goal to get back to the Final Four. We achieved that goal but the job’s not done. I think just having that same mentality of the next point, the next match, taking what’s right in front of us and just going with that will help us a lot.”