John Cook is really enjoying watching the Nebraska volleyball team play this year.
And the former coach has got to do so a lot, either in his part-time job as TV analyst for volleyball matches on Big Ten Network and Nebraska Public Media, or because the No. 1-ranked Huskers are on TV for most matches.
“I love watching the Huskers,” Cook said on Thursday when the school unveiled a statue to honor him on the north side of the Devaney Sports Center. “I have to pace. I get so nervous. But I just love watching them on TV. I can’t explain it, but it’s just so exciting. Part of it is they’re really good. That part is really fun to watch. And all of the matches have been huge matches. They’re playing a great schedule.”
Cook is having fun working on TV. He’s on the call again on Saturday when the Huskers host Arizona for an 8 p.m. match on BTN.
“I’m kind of still living it, but in a fun way,” he said.
Saturday’s match is the final nonconference match for the Huskers before Big Ten play begins Wednesday against Michigan.
Arizona lost in four sets against UTEP on Tuesday to drop to 6-3.
Busboom Kelly proud of university
New Nebraska coach Dani Busboom Kelly says it’s great to see that the university has honored Cook with a statue and by naming the arena in his honor.
So many coaches, including Busboom Kelly, are now benefiting from the work Cook did to grow the sport.
“There’s a Bob Devaney statue and Tom Osborne statue and now John Cook,” Busboom Kelly said. “So putting him on the pedestal with two of the greatest football coaches ever, it’s a pretty big deal to have volleyball part of that.”
Now, just like Cook did following coach Terry Pettit, Busboom Kelly will work to continue to improve the program and elevate the sport.
“Hopefully, as a female coach and a woman, I can be the first woman to do many of these things,” she said. “It’s going to be the first volleyball coach to do anything because a lot has already been done by John.”
More record ratings on TV
Nebraska’s match against Creighton on Tuesday averaged 388,000 viewers on FS1, making it the most-watched college volleyball match in the network’s history.
More noteworthy is that the same matchup on the same network in 2022 averaged 246,000 viewers.
Reilly moves up all-time chart
Nebraska junior setter Bergen Reilly has moved up to No. 6 in school history in career assists in the rally scoring era, passing Rachel Holloway. Reilly has 2,882 assists.
Defense is also No. 1
Nebraska has maintained a solid defense under Busboom Kelly and assistant coaches Jaylen Reyes, Kelly Natter and Brennan Hager.
The Huskers rank first in the nation in opponent hitting percentage at .110. Nebraska led the nation in opponent hitting percentage in 2022 and 2023 and was sixth in 2024.
The Huskers’ offense ranks 13th with a .300 hitting percentage.
At Louisville
At Louisville, Buboom Kelly’s previous program has a 7-2 record and was ranked No. 3 to begin the week.
On Thursday, the Cardinals lost their rivalry match against No. 6 Kentucky — still a matchup of former Cook assistants with Craig Skinner at UK and Dan Meske at Louisville — in five sets.
Reach the writer at 402-473-7435 or bwagner@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSSportsWagner.
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Brent Wagner
Husker volleyball/women’s basketball reporter
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