LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The post-mortem after a season-ending NCAA Tournament loss, more often than not, looks and sounds the exact same way. It doesn't matter the sport.
The program. The players. The sights and sounds revolve around reflection and legacy, and that was no different inside Nebraska's locker room following Thursday night's shocking five-set loss to Penn State in the Final Four at the KFC Yum! Center.
In one corner, a group of Huskers consoled each other, knowing this was the last time this Nebraska volleyball team would ever compete with each other. The others sat at their locker chairs answering questions from the media, without a dry eye in the room. There may never be a Nebraska volleyball team, or a group of seniors, that leave an impact on the Husker program and the sport as a whole like they did.
"They've been to three Final Fours," Nebraska head coach John Cook said following the loss. "They've played for two National Championships. They pretty much have inspired a generation of volleyball young players, a generation of fans that have really come to love volleyball and follow this team.
" They broke attendance records in just about every road arena they played in. They changed the way certain positions on the court were viewed and filled a football stadium for a volleyball match. Yet, this group's legacy may always feel complicated because of its unfinished and incomplete end.
This group of Huskers never won a national championship, putting the final bow on t.
