← Middays With Matt
Middays With Matt
Nebraska Volleyball is #1 (Tues 8/11 - Seg 9)
00:20:37
Matt previews Nebraska Volleyball and runs through their schedule.
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Hey, we want to give a big shout out to one of our favorite listeners and and one of our our favorite guys who's been such a great supporter of 1620 the zone old Man Doug at Equitable Bank Never forget to email us at the Equitable Bank Zone inbox where they take baking personally. We're actually read some emails from the inbox in just a second but we want to let you know that we are going to be out there at the Equitable bank in Elkhorn who the are celebrating their 5th anniversary at their Elorn location and their 20th year in Omaha. It's going to be an Incredible event. Friday, August 14th, 2112 Pierce Street. It's next to the family fair, 201st and Pacific. They're going to have some putt putt going on over there from 10am to 4pm a bounce house from 11am to 4pm and a Churo truck from 11a 11:30am to 1:30pm and don't forget about the dunk tank also known as Dunk a Doug. From 1pm to 3pm we are asking for a donation of a non perishable food item or a personal care item to be able to dunk Old Man Doug. The items will be donated back into the Elkhorn community and Josh peterson, our guy JP from Unsportsman Iconic will be there from 11am to 1pm so stop by and say hi to Josh and to Doug. Bring a non perishable food item. Dunk Doug would also help the Elorn community. Congratulations once once again to Equitable. They take baking personally. They always pick up on the first ring. They're celebrating their fifth anniversary in Elkhorn and 20th anniversary in Omaha. Had a email from Sean. He wanted to remind me that the Vikings had gone ahead and named Kyler Murray as their starting quarterback. We did have an email from John who actually wanted to give you an odd news story but I, I we're not going to do that. I'm just going to read this story. I saw this earlier in the day. This is a new irrational fear. I have unlocked we talked about some of my irrational fears yesterday that had to do with, literally had to do with what I'm about to read you. I'm. I'm afraid of exotic animals being in places that they're not supposed to be in, okay. A zebra running on a street, a gorilla in a neighborhood, okay. Like I am not a fan of these. Whenever I see hey a, a truck spilled happened that was carrying a bunch of monkeys and they all spilled out and now they're ravaging a town like that freaks me out. Whenever we have a. This animal, this lion, this mountain lion escaped the zoo, you know that now they're out and about town. That freaks me out, okay. It's never happened to me before when I've been in an area like that. But if I were in an area and we happen to be next to one of the greatest zoos in the world. If there ever were to, you know, the fine people at Henry Dorley Zoo, if an animal were ever to somehow escape from there, which I doubt would ever happen because they actually know how to run that facility at a top of the line, you know, way. But let's say hypothetically miraculously that happened. I don't think I'd leave my house, okay? I don't think I would. I don't think I'd leave my apartment. I'd be, I'd be nice and cozied up. War on that. John sends us this article. Let me read you the headline. High School Football Player practices with Venomous Snake hiding inside Helmet before Coaches discovery. Thousands of high school football players across the country are taking the practice field preparing to kick off the 2026 season in the coming weeks. But one young man in Arkansas recently had a practice experience like any other. According to NBC KRA K A R K there was a two foot long snake hiding underneath the helmet's padding. While there are plenty of other high school football coaches would have immediately tossed the helmet to the woods or taken care of the snake themselves. Athletic director Kirk Horton called on animal services. There is a picture of said cottonmouth snake inside this high school football player's helmet. In which, I mean I don't, I, I have. So this is what they say. This is Bamell High School in Arkansas. The team split into position groups. During practice a player noticed there was movement inside the helmet. Obviously nothing is supposed to be moving inside a football helmet. But when he handed the helmet over to offensive coach, nobody could have predicted what was inside. Insanity New Irrational fear unlocked. I also that that's another irrational Fear, too. If you go down and sit on the john and there's like a snake in the toilet while you're going number two, that would. That's another irrational fear. Just any animals being in places that they really should not end up being in, we. We can just comment that as Matt's irrational fear. So great story set by John into the Equitable Bank Zone inbox. Don't forget, by the way. Friday, August 14th, by the Family Fair, 201st in Pacific. You can go and you can celebrate with Equitable Bank, 202. 201112 Pierce Street. The Celebrating their fifth year in Elkhorn Equitable bank is. Kenneth goes. When was the last time you put your hockey helmet on? Critters like, critters like taking home or taking home in the dumps. Here's the thing. I. I did put my hockey helmet on for the first time in quite a while last weekend. And I was concerned. I was like, wow, my head is grown. I. I don't know how I feel about that. Like, I tried putting it on like I was in high school, same size. It just wouldn't fit. So I gotta get a new helmet. I think it's like nine years old at this point. And I'm playing hockey against these high schoolers at Millard south, and I trust them, but I am a little afraid when I'm doing these drills, I might take one in the dome. So I gotta be a little bit. What's your helmet going for nowadays? Oh, my God. Great question, Jake. Janicec. I don't know. I will tell you this. There's a flow hockey over in Ralston by Dumpling Empire, by the Warhorse Casino. And so I went to eat at the Dumpling Empire, had a good meal, and I was walking back to my car and I saw the hockey shop there, and I was like, you know what? Let me go back. I think it might be. It's either flow hockey or pure hockey. I forget. But I walked into the hockey shop and I was just, like, curious. I was like, I want to see what these prices are. And, man, when I tell you you have to take out a home loan if you want your kid to start hockey, it is ridiculous. I mean, it is like, I literally looked, and I still have my pads from high school, and I'm lucky enough where I still fit in all of them. Maybe they're a little bit too big for me back in the day because I'm much bigger now, but they still are all good. But, you know, like, I'm looking at It. I'm like, dude, if I. If I was getting my kid into hockey, if I was getting skates, shin pads, shoulder pads, elbow pads, a new stick, a helmet, like a bag, tape, blades, sharpened skate covers. Like, if I was getting the whole shebang for them, and if I was getting them the, like, cheapest material, too. Like, I'm in this nice hockey shop, but, like, I was going on the low end for most of this stuff. Never go on the low end for a helmet, by the way, for all you. I think all the hockey parents out there know that. But, like, buy the most expensive helmet you want to protect your noggin. But, like, you. I. I was looking through, and they have a great job at that hockey shop. I think it's pure hockey. They give you all the different, like, what everything costs. I'm like, this is my rent. I'd be paying a month's rent. If I was getting my son or my daughter into hockey. It is ridiculous how much it costs. I was. I was looking at a stick and. And I was going through. I'm very particular. So I was grabbing sticks and I was like, I wouldn't use this one. I wouldn't buy that one. I wouldn't buy half those sticks that they have. I'm just. I'm very particular, and I grab one, I go, oh, my God. Like, this is it. Like, this is perfect. Strong, nice tack, right? Like, it doesn't have a. Some. Some now hockey sticks, they have like a triangle grip. I'm like, get that. Get the hell out of there. This was square, it was sturdy, little light. Felt a little flexy on the toe, which I liked. And. And I look at the price tag. It was $350. And I was like, I'm going to promptly put that back before I do something to this thing. And I'm on the hook. So, yeah, if you want to start your kid in hockey, there's a barrier for entry, and it's. And it has a lot to do with dollars and cents, and it's absolutely ridiculous. All right, let's get off the hockey talk. Let's get on the volleyball talk. People want to talk about Nebraska. Volleyball came out yesterday that they are the number one ranked team according to the ABCA rankings, able to do a nice little event with i80 over the weekend, the i80 Club. And Lincoln Arneel was speaking there. So I was able to hear Lincoln. You know, he's got the volleyball skate podcast, one of the best podcasts, not just in Nebraska, but literally in the country. When it comes to covering volleyball. And he had a great talk, you know, at that event and heard Lincoln say, you know, I expect Nebraska to be number one and Texas could be number two. That's probably what people expect. And so that's ended up with it being Nebraska the number one team of the country. Texas the number two team in the country. Nebraska is set to play Texas earlier in the year at the players ERA in Las Vegas at T Mobile Arena Aug. 30, where it will be the seventh time that Nebraska will play a will be in a number one versus number two matchup in their program's history. The first time they played they were in a number one versus number two matchup was against Stanford in 1995, where they ended up losing that match three to one. The last time that they played a number one versus number two matchup Was that very famous historical even game at the Divanity center between them and Wisconsin. I believe it's the first time in a decade they had been Wisconsin. I was at that game. It's the only Nebraska volleyball game I've ever been to. That was back in 2023. By the way, this info all brought to you by Caleb Henry. A great tweet that he tweeted out there. So shout out to Caleb I Caleb Henry on Twitter also congratulations. Caleb had a new kid, a new child. Atlas Alexander Henry, one hell of a name. So congratulations Caleb, but his great information. This will be the seventh time that Nebraska plays a is in a number one versus number two match in program history. Their first ten days of the volleyball season is absolutely bonkers for Nebraska volleyball. So they begin their year under the lights. Arlington, Texas AT&T Stadium and NIL event versus Florida. Then they go from Vegas or so they go from Arlington, Texas to. Then they go to Vegas to play UNLV in the Players Era showcase. They play UNLV on the 29th. They then play Texas, the number two team in the country, on the 30th. They then get two days off on the 31st and the first to then go to Brooking, South Dakota on September 2nd to play South Dakota State. They get one day in between before then they go to Chicago to play DePaul at the winch arena and then another day in between before September 6th versus Missouri at Wrigley Field. They won't play their first game at the Bob Devanny Sports center until September 10th when they take on New Mexico. And then they'll also play Baylor and their own kind of, you know, a tournament that they're holding there at the Bob. So their first. Let me do quick math here. 10 days of the season they are going to be playing in six matches in four different states. Texas, Nevada, South Dakota and Illinois. One of those games will be in a football stadium and another one of those games will be in a baseball field. We'll be at Wrigley Field, a national landmark. It's absolutely insane. Their start to their season. And I think it just goes to show you, like, obviously Nebraska is a national brand. They've been a national brand for a very long time, but their national branding has gone to another level and it really started with the Memorial Stadium game. They're having, you know, 93, 000 people there. It, it. Everyone knew like it had been building for a while. I mean obviously all the national championships that they've won and you know, you know, social media. And you saw more of people like recognizing how great Nebraska volleyball was, right. Over the last 10 years, like it wasn't as niche of a fact anymore. People were starting to be like, no, volleyball, Nebraska, volleyball in Nebraska, that had been a known thing, but it has skyrocket, skyrocketed. That national, not notoriety has taken, you know, things to another level since that Memorial Stadium game. And it's really culminated to this where they're gonna play in Jerry's world. They're gonna play at the T Mobile arena, they're going to play at Wrigley Field. They're going to be in Chicago. They are going to be the, the traveling volleyball circus, if you will, for the first 10 games of the season. Because that's how big of a brand they are. I love talking and it's the pro wrestling in me, right? I love talking about draws, right. I love talking about who's a draw, who's not a draw, who's someone you're interested, who's a team. That's interesting. What, what, what's the draw here? Nebraska volleyball hands down is the biggest draw in the sport, period. End of story. And they're proving that by having to play all these different games at these different venues and by the way, making a lot of money doing it, right? They're going to be at that spike, you know, under, under the light spikes event where. Or spikes under the lights event where they're going to have an opportunity to take home $400,000 in, you know, nil and stuff like that. Like this team is going to be one of the most nationally talked about and really nationally viewed volleyball programs maybe ever. You know, they, they are just in Every headlining event, they are the main event. And. And it just. It takes things to a completely different level. And I find this season so fascinating because you have that right, you have that national stage. You have that national spotlight. You are the team playing in the football stadium. You're the team playing at Wrigley Field. You're the team who's being invited, amongst the best could go to Vegas to play at the T Mobile center, which is becoming a very notable venue in America with all of the different UFC events they hold there. And, you know, the Vegas Golden Knights and their, you know, ascension into one of the more recognizable franchises in sport, you know, they are the draw, and that is a story within itself. But then you go beneath the surface, and this is a legacy defining season for one of the greatest recruiting classes that Nebraska volleyball has seen. And. And one of the best recruiting classes maybe the entire athletic programs has seen. With Bergen Riley, with Andy Jackson, Harper, Murray, Laney Choboy. All very unique. All do different things, right? You know, Harper's the outside hitter, Andy's the middle, Bergen's the setter, Laney's the defensive specialist. They all have their different personalities. They all have, you know, their different styles of play, and yet they've been together. And this group has. Has lost six games in three years. Smu, Penn State twice, Wisconsin, Texas, Texas A and M. The last three seasons, they have been eliminated by the team who has won the national championship. And you know, we're talking about a team that, like, they. They didn't lose a game with a Big Ten last season. Talking about a team that, in one of the more thrilling volleyball games, I think most people, you know, at least me, the most thrilling volleyball game I've ever seen against Texas A and M, the Elite Eight. They were that went away from being undefeated for an entire year to where they are now. And, you know, you have kind of that interesting element, right, which makes this season even more fascinating. The interesting element of the 5 for 5 eligibility rule, right? But Nebraska's got some great prospects that are in the pipeline that are ready to come up. And so you thought it was their last season. It may not be their last season. It adds another element to this entire thing. You know, for all intents and purposes, this is. This might be the last time they're all together, that this incredible senior class can come together and win a national championship. And it will be a legacy defining moment for them. Will this season finally be the year they get it done, or will they be the greatest that never was? Like, will they be the greatest team that never did the things that great teams do, which is win a national championship. And then you add the other layer of they are going to be in the spotlight the entire season. They will have more eyes on them than anyone else in the sport. Right? Any opportunity that Fox or FS1 or whomever is going to have to put them on the biggest stage, they will be there. So, I mean, they're gonna play a volleyball game on tnt. Like, like, that's, that's a big deal, man. And so this season, to me, it's, it's, it's more than just, hey, can they finally win a national championship? There's so much more than that. And if I'm being frank, it's great for Nebraska volleyball to have those storylines for people to be invested in that, for people to want to give their time and attention, eyeballs and money to see if they finally can accomplish the thing we all know or felt that they would eventually accomplish. But I mean, that it's great for Nebraska to have that. It's also great for the sport to have a team that has these, has this vested interest, that has these storylines, right? This is how you, you build your sport. You have a benchmark team, you have benchmark seasons, you have benchmark storylines, you have things that, that bring you in, right? And Nebraska volleyball is being given the opportunity to bring more people into the sport. And I think it's, it's a testament to the work, you know, the foundation that was sent, you know, set by Terry Pettit to what John Cook turned this volleyball program into and what Danny Buscom Kelly has continued to do in terms of the winning. Dan Buscomb. Kelly, in her first season as the Nebraska volleyball head coach, went undefeated in the big 10. Insane abs. Absolutely remarkable. It's just this season, I think it just brings so many interesting storylines and added elements. The fifth year eligibility, will they all come back next year? Well, some of them have to go the, you know, they're going to be in Vegas, they're going to be in Dallas. They're going to be like, that's a top man. It's a tough slate. Like, you know, I don't want to, I don't want to make, you know, historical proclamations, but I can't imagine there have been too many volleyball teams that are going to play on as many stages in so short time than Nebraska volleyball. I mean, that's a lot for. That's a ton of travel to do for, you know, just any team. Dallas to Vegas, because South Dakota which, by the way, what a, what an interesting contrast. Going from Vegas to South Dakota is absolutely insane. And then eventually they go into Chicago and playing two games there. So I'm, I'm fascinated by the season. I can't wait to keep up with it and see what happens with Nebraska volleyball. By the way, to add Creighton women's volleyball, number 13 team in the country. They're going to be playing a very tough non con as well. We'll talk about them throughout the year as well. A very, I'll just say this for quite a while. You know, the team that took Nebraska to the limit more than anyone else was the Creighton volleyball team. And I was at that game, the Chi Health center. And that was a absolute battle and Nebraska ended up winning it. But you know that head coach Brian Rosen has that at the top of his mind and his team, you know, they want to, they want to finish the job this year and it'd be be quite incredible if they were able to.
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All right.
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Let's hit a break here as we start to wrap up middays with Matt here on a Tuesday on the 1620 Zone radio network.
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