Steven M. Sipple: Coliseum integral part of Nebraska lore

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You enter through the front doors and are greeted by a statue of three volleyball players — one attacking, one digging, one setting.

Take a few steps ahead and you’ll see a national championship trophy or three in one glass-enclosed display. Take a few steps to the left and you’ll witness a wall with photos of Nebraska’s volleyball All-Americans. Stroll to your right and see a display of Big 12 championship trophies.

I should visit this museum, er, arena more often.

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The Nebraska Coliseum. (Heidi Hoffman)

The Nebraska Coliseum. (Heidi Hoffman)

Maybe you’re like me. Maybe you tend to take the NU Coliseum for granted. It makes no sense, but sometimes we treat our longtime and loyal friends that way.

Join me in pausing to stop and smell the roses — not to mention the sweat. One ardent Big Red fan noted in an e-mail that the NU Coliseum “looks and smells like a place where athletics are to be played.” Bingo.

The understated lady on Vine Street will be in her full glory Friday as fourth-ranked Nebraska begins NCAA Tournament play. With two victories this weekend, the Huskers would tie Penn State’s 8-year-old NCAA record of 87 consecutive home wins. During its streak, Big Red has won 76 straight at the Coliseum, four at the Devaney Sports Center and five “home” matches at Qwest Center Omaha, this year’s final four venue.

John Cook never takes the Coliseum for granted,  he said. In fact, the ninth-year Nebraska head coach pays her what might be the ultimate compliment. Yes, of course, the forever-sold-out Coliseum can put a charge into the home team at crucial times. Interestingly, the Coliseum also tends to bring out the best in opponents.

Now that’s a compliment.

“What I’ve noticed over the years, for a team like Liberty, this is going to be their final four,” said Cook, referring to Nebraska’s first-round opponent. “It’s a national championship match environment for them. This is as big as it gets for a team like Liberty up to this point in its season.

“The teams I’ve seen come in here, they play great, they play emotional, they’re fired up because of the crowd. I remember a couple years ago one of the teams was asking our players for autographs after a match. It’s that big for them.

“I mean, what more could you ask for if you’re playing for Liberty and you get to come in and play in this environment? They haven’t seen anything like this.”

That’s because such venues are going the way of typewriters. Not every sports fan appreciates the sensation of stepping back in time. The NU Coliseum is Wrigley Field. Fenway Park. Cameron Indoor Stadium at Duke. The seats come right down to the playing floor. The hallways are narrow and as clogged as John Daly’s arteries. But it seems nobody’s complaining, not even the visiting teams. Especially not the visiting teams.

Cook recalled the 2000 NCAA Tournament, long before the current 85-match streak began in 2004. Nebraska trailed South Carolina two sets to one and was starring at match point in the fourth. South Carolina’s setter seemingly was willing her team to an upset. Cook remembers thinking, “Oh man, our undefeated season’s over.”

Kim Behrends then reeled off a few nice serves, and the home crowd took it from there.

“That was the difference,” Cook said this week. “My ears were ringing for three days.”

Turns out Nebraska never was beaten that season, earning the second of its three national crowns.

“What I’ve noticed, with 25-point rally scoring now, I think emotion is even more of a factor,” Cook said.

 Nebraska’s fans understand when to turn up the volume. They’ve watched high-level volleyball for years — since 1975 in the Coliseum (except 1991, when the Coliseum was being renovated specifically for volleyball).

And, yes, this place is like a museum. From the chipped red paint on the hardwood bleachers to those super-cool, larger-than-life action photos of Huskers with retired jerseys — Karen Dahlgren, Lori Endicott, Janet Kruse, Cathy Noth, Allison Weston and Stephanie Thater — the place oozes history. 

You have to appreciate this current crop of resilient Huskers. They’re without injured starting middle blocker Kori Cooper. Her replacement, redshirt freshman Jordan Wilberger of Scottsbluff, is a good blocker, but can she raise her game offensively? Look for her to receive a steady diet of sets this weekend.

Cook’s grateful Wilberger can further develop her offense in the comforts of the Coliseum, in front of friends, in a safe zone of sorts. The players know a good number of the fans. There’s a personal connection.

“I think sometimes our players feel pressure if they’re not playing well — that they’re letting the crowd down,” Cook said.

There’s always pressure at NCAA time. It’s part of the fun. Part of the anxiety. This weekend, history shows Nebraska can count on an old friend to help push it through.

***

Huskers streaking toward history

Nebraska hasn’t lost at home since Sept. 10, 2004, when unranked Florida A&M shocked No. 2 NU on the opening night of the Arby’s Classic. The Huskers missed 15 serves.

Since that match, Nebraska has won 94 consecutive matches played in its home state. The breakdown:

NU Coliseum: 76-0 

Devaney Sports Center: 4-0

Qwest Center Omaha: 13-0 

North Platte High School: 1-0

While Nebraska seemingly owns Qwest Center Omaha, only five of the Huskers’ 13 wins there are considered “home-court” victories.

The others — two matches against Creighton, the final four in 2006, and 2007 and 2008 matches in the AVCA tournament — are recognized as either neutral-court or road matches. NU’s win in North Platte also doesn’t count toward its home-court record.

Thus, NU remains two shy of tying Penn State for the NCAA’s all-time longest home winning streak. The top 10:

87 Penn St., 1995-2000

85 Nebraska, 2004-present

74 N. Iowa, 1997-2004

63 Nebraska, 1999-2002

58 Florida, 1990-94

57 Long Beach St., 1996-99

56 Oral Roberts, 1993-99

55 Hawaii, 1986-89

53 Penn St., 2006-present

52 UCLA, 1987-91

There have been only a few matches where the official winning streak has even been jeopardized.

What we remember:

* Missouri, 2005: The 12th-ranked Tigers took the first two sets from No. 1 Nebraska, but in the end, the Huskers won set five 15-3.

* Missouri, 2007: With NU in a funk from losing at Texas, Mizzou, again, forced a fifth set but never threatened late.

* Texas, 2008: May not have looked like a close call on the scoreboard, but only because Nebraska played at such a high level.