A packed house saw Kentucky put away Penn State in the first match, but only saw a few points between Nebraska and Missouri before the game had to be suspended because of a slippery playing surface late into the evening.
A standing-room only crowd of more than 43,000 were packed into the famous bleachers and on the field surrounding the raised stage at second base. The players had to make early adjustments for a swirling breeze that caused a few mis-hits, and later for other players slipping on wet patches that brought out team staffers with towels to swipe the surface between almost every play.
Kentucky dominated the fourth and final set against Penn State, winning the set 25-15. The decisive kill was a bit of a homecoming for noted Chicago Cubs fan Georgia Watson, a Huntley, Illinois native. Watson had two of the final three UK kills.
With a 3-1 win in Wrigley, Kentucky has now defeated Penn State in consecutive years. Neither game was in Lexington as the Wildcats swept the Nittany Lions in State College in 2025.
Kentucky moved to 2-0 this week after previously winning a nonconference matchup with UCLA on Wednesday.
The second match between the Huskers and Tigers didn't get underway until well past 9 p.m., and the air in the stadium was decidedly cooler and more moist than at the daytime tipoff.
The coaches from Nebraska and Missouri met and decided to peel off the vinyl logos off the court to provide more grip, and everyone from team staffers to the players helped with even more towels.
But the first set only got to an 11-7 score when play was delayed, then suspended for the night.
Nebraska players Harper Murray, Laney Choboy, Andi Jackson and Bergen Reilly — with Reilly holding back tears — followed the PA announcement by getting on the microphone to apologize to the fans of a mostly Nebraska-filled crowd in Wrigley Field.
However, the tears didn't last long as Nebraska players then went on to sing with Missouri players. The karaoke-esque end followed a dance party during the delay as the Huskers and Tigers tried to keep spirits high.
It was a bittersweet end for the 43,067 total fans in attendance at Wrigley Field — a near record crowd for the historic baseball venue. The supporters of women's volleyball rank second in all-time Wrigley Field history behind 46,572 attendees in 1947 at a game that featured groundbreaking baseball star Jackie Robinson.
(Photos: NCAA.com)
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