The No. 12 Oregon volleyball team hosted the No. 2 Nebraska Cornhuskers on Thursday, Nov. 7 and the Ducks got a taste of what it meant to be in the same conference as the perennial powerhouse. While the match didn't exactly go the Ducks' way, Oregon fans filled Matthew Knight Arena to the brim, setting a program attendance record of 8,566 people.
Everyone wanted their chance to see the Cornhuskers in action. One of the winningest college volleyball programs of all time, Nebraska has captured five national titles, most recently hanging a banner in 2017.
The Big Ten, in general, is a volleyball powerhouse conference. Between Nebraska and Penn State alone, the conference had 12 National Championships to its name. With UCLA joining, the count goes up to 16.
Wisconsin has gone to the championship game four times and the Badgers won the title in 2021, defeating none other than the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The Washington Huskies captured the title in 2005 and USC has four Championships of its own, including the first ever in 1981.
While Oregon lost in straight sets to the Cornhuskers, the Ducks were incredibly grateful for the support that their fans brought to MKA on Thursday.
"It's just awesome to know that people are willing to take time out of their day to watch us play and watch us do what we really love."
— Oregon Volleyball (@OregonVB) November 8, 2024
🗣️ Onye Ofoegbu, on the growth of fan support in women's volleyball#GoDucks x @UOWomeninFlight pic.twitter.com/cFZxBigD9n
Box score from Oregon volleyball vs. Nebraska
Team | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
Oregon | 12 | 24 | 18 |
Nebraska | 25 | 26 | 25 |
With the win, Nebraska moved to 23-1 overall for the season while the Ducks dropped down to 17-5 overall. The Pittsburgh Panthers are currently the No. 1 team in the nation with a 21-1 overall record. The Panthers defeated the Ducks (3-0) earlier this season in non-conference play.
Oregon visits the No. 14 Minnesota Gophers on Saturday, Nov. 9 for the Ducks' next Big Ten matchup. Minnesota is 16-7 overall and 9-4 in conference games.