Is Nebraska the State of Volleyball?

 Since HSGN was launched in 2016, the blog has focused primarily on Minnesota sports.  But today, with the University of Minnesota volleyball team wrapping up a weekend series against the Nebraska Cornhuskers, it's intriguing to find out that volleyball is very popular in Nebraska.  

So here's why Nebraska can be known as The State of Volleyball.  

On the high school level, Minnesota has three classes and will expand to four in the next school year.  Nebraska has six classes, including a class that has the smallest enrollments, such as the Giltner Hornets, with an enrollment of 19.  Their state tournament is played in the capitol city of Lincoln, including the Pinnacle Bank Arena and the Devaney Sports Center.  Five Lincoln high schools also serve as sites in quarterfinal play.  They are Northeast, East, North Star, Southeast and Southeast.  Friday and Saturday have six matches, beginning at 9 AM.  

Unlike Minnesota, the Nebraska state tournament's six championship games are televised live on Nebraska Educational Television.  Fans from outside the Cornhusker State can watch the games on the network's website.  

As for the collegiate level, the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers are extremely popular and successful.  Since 2001, all home matches at the Devaney Sports Center have been sold out.  But it doesn't mean fans who don't have a ticket aren't shut out.  Every Husker match is aired on a statewide radio network consisting of 29 affiliates.  The Big Ten Network and ESPN also carry their matches.  On the court, Nebraska has been a frequent visitor to the NCAA tournament, continuing a streak that has lasted since 1981.  

But wait, there's more.  Omaha will be the site of this season's NCAA Division I Volleyball Tournament, which will be played April 13-24.  Due to COVID 19, the entire tournament will be played in Nebraska's largest city with possible other venues yet to be determined.  The primary site is the CHI Health Center Arena.  The tournament will also return to Omaha in 2022.  In 2015, 17,561 fans packed the downtown venue for the NCAA final between Nebraska and Texas.  

So there's HSGN's claim that Nebraska is the State of Volleyball.  It also shows in comparison to Minnesota and hockey.  There's plenty of action left to come in both states.