‘Rally at the Coliseum’ a blended celebration of Nebraska volleyball’s past and present

LINCOLN — One by one, Nebraska volleyball players walked into the NU Coliseum to a roaring standing ovation.

For a few moments, the thunder echoed off the brick walls like so many matches from the program’s storied past. This wasn’t a key Big 12 contest in November or even a scrimmage. Never had these Huskers done anything on this hardwood court beyond working a few camps.

Yet there they were at 12:36 p.m. on a Wednesday, back in the 4,030-seat venue that bore witness to Big Red happenings from 1975 through 2012. Chants of “Husker Power!” and “Go Big Red!” again rang out from the birthplace of “Roof! Roof! Roof!”

Branded “Rally at the Coliseum” ‘— and with free aluminum water bottles handed out featuring the same label — the event stretched from late morning until an hour before the 7 p.m. first serve. Thousands of fans filtered through to make bead bracelets, create posters, buy T-shirts or simply soak in the atmosphere that included performances from Nebraska dancers and band members.

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Hundreds of handwritten messages clipped to a regulation volleyball net hung waiting for the Huskers from anyone with something to say. “Good luck, have fun and GBR!” read one. “You got this,” “I love watching you,” “The sky is the limit” and “All about women” filled other gaps between the nylon. One fan left her phone number on the back of the red paper square. Another simply wrote “Horns down.”

Former Nebraska setter Laury (Harmon) Riley — whose last year in 1975 was the program’s first recognized season — penned a note directly to freshman starting setter Bergen Reilly.

“I was the first setter in 1975,” Riley wrote. “Continue the great tradition! You are awesome!”

Emotions ratcheted up as Nebraska players delighted fans by going through full pregame introductions, complete with throwing miniature volleyballs into the masses. Coach John Cook twice paused to gather himself while addressing the crowd about its longstanding impact on the program — and reading a note from one fan about the impact of the team on her.

“I see a lot of people here who were probably here for a lot of those (Coliseum) matches,” Cook said.

Players posed for pictures with a few onlookers — one grade-school girl cried standing next to middle blocker Bekka Allick. Freshman hitter Harper Murray took smartphone pictures of messages on the net, including a few specifically for her.

Cook plugged his ears once or twice during especially loud cheers, perhaps muscle memory from more than a decade of coaching in the intimate setting. He saved his most demonstrative nod for a closing line from libero Lexi Rodriguez to those on hand about how far Husker volleyball has come.

Said Rodriguez: “It’s not possible without each and every one of you.”

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