Nebraska Cornhuskers Women's Volleyball | |
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University | University of Nebraska-Lincoln |
Conference | Big Ten |
Location | Lincoln, NE |
Head coach | John Cook (16th year) |
Home arena | Bob Devaney Sports Center (Capacity: Approx 8,000) |
Nickname | Nebraska Cornhuskers |
Colors | Scarlet and Cream |
AIAW and NCAA Tournament Champions | |
1995, 2000, 2006, 2015 | |
AIAW and NCAA Tournament Runner Up | |
1986, 1989, 2005 | |
AIAW and NCAA Tournament Final Four | |
1986, 1989, 1990, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2015, 2016 | |
AIAW and NCAA Tournament Appearances | |
1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 | |
Conference Regular Season Champions | |
Big Eight 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995 Big 12 1996, 1998 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010 Big Ten 2011, 2016 |
The Nebraska women's volleyball team, founded in 1975, is one of the most decorated teams in the sport with more wins than any other program. The Cornhuskers have won four NCAA Women’s Volleyball National Championships and three Runner-Up finishes. Nebraska is one of only three programs not on the west coast to have won an NCAA Women's Volleyball National Championship. Since the induction of the CBS College Sports/AVCA National Poll in 1982, the Cornhuskers are one of only two programs in the country to be ranked in every poll and have produced 73 All-Americans. The volleyball program is one of the most popular spectator sports in the state as four of the largest crowds to ever watch a volleyball match were in the state of Nebraska.
Pat Sullivan was the first volleyball coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers volleyball team. She compiled an 83–21 record in the program's first two seasons of intercollegiate competition. Sullivan’s first season as head coach was shortly after the passing of Title IX by the United State’s Congress in 1972. In her first season, she led the team to a 34–8 record and an Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women Regional Final. One year later, the team won a Big Eight Championship with a record of 49–13.
Terry Pettit was Nebraska's second coach from 1977 to 1999 with an overall record of 694–148. Originally from Indiana, Pettit was an English teacher who specialized in poetry and volleyball coach in North Carolina at Louisburg College. Paul Sanderford, head coach of the women's basketball team at the junior college, noticed an ad for a head coaching position at Nebraska and told Pettit about the opportunity.
In his 23 years as head coach, Pettit helped build the program into a national power. He led the Cornhuskers to their first NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship. Under his guidance, the Cornhuskers appeared in 19 consecutive NCAA Tournaments including six semifinals and two second place finishes. As head coach, he led the team to Conference Championships in every year except 1977 and 1997. His list of honors includes AVCA Hall of Fame, USA Volleyball All-Time Great Coach Award, USOC National Coach of the Year, AVCA National Coach of the Year, AVCA Mideast Region Coach of the Year, and AVCA District Coach of the Year.
Under Pettit, The University of Nebraska-Lincoln became one of the first schools to offer scholarships for women’s athletics. In 1978 Terri Kanouse and Shandi Pettine were the first players to receive full-scholarships for volleyball. Pettit offered Kanouse a scholarship after watching the St. Paul, Indiana native show her skills at a camp in Crown Point, Indiana. Three years later, the University allowed Pettit to offer 12 scholarships to volleyball athletes. Pettit coached 18 All-Americans and 36 AVCA All-Americans, the highest number of any school in the nation.