Prosper’s Ayden Ames heads to Nebraska to watch her future team make history
Nebraska #Nebraska
A new attendance record for women’s sports could be set Wednesday night. Prosper’s Ayden Ames decided she couldn’t miss out.
When fourth-ranked Nebraska takes on Omaha in Lincoln’s Memorial Stadium to headline the state’s “Volleyball Day” celebration, attendance could surpass the 91,648 people who watched Barcelona beat Real Madrid in a UEFA Champions League soccer match in 2022.
When tickets went on sale in late April, more than 82,000 were sold in three days. Ames, however, said her family made a last-minute decision to attend, catching a flight to Lincoln Wednesday morning.
A 6-4 senior and the 10th best player in the nation, per PrepVolleyball, Ames committed to the Cornhuskers last summer. She said the rest of her recruiting class, as well as several 2025 commits, will also be on hand for the “once in a lifetime” moment for their sport.
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“Hopefully, we’ll be able to do it again in the future,” Ames said. “But for now, this is crazy history.”
It’s already been a whirlwind few weeks for Ames, one of four Dallas-area standouts who won a gold medal for team USA at the U19 World Championship in Croatia and Hungary earlier this month.
“I’m just so lucky to have experienced that at such a young age,” Ames said. … “My drive to be in the Olympics one day just got 100-times stronger.”
Ames is also busy taking online classes so she can graduate early and join the Cornhuskers in January. Next fall, the all-area hitter will be playing at Bob Devaney Sports Center, which has a capacity of over 8,300 and has sold out for over 300 consecutive games.
First, however, there’s “unfinished business.” Prosper fell to Keller last season in the Class 6A Region I final, three matches from a title. With Ames back after missing the start of the season while at the World Championships, Prosper (19-6) moved up to No. 4 in the Morning News’ most recent 6A rankings.
On Wednesday, however, Ames gets the chance to tailgate, watch two college volleyball games and take in a concert from country star Scotty McCreery.
For now, she’s happy to witness history for volleyball — and women’s sports. Soon, she might help make it.
On Twitter: @MckennaGregjed
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