More than 40,000 college volleyball fans left Chicago’s Wrigley Field Sunday night without getting to watch the Nebraska-Missouri match due to weather delays, but it was still a win with players doing their best to keep the crowd entertained — with a dance competition.
The NCAA hosted two women’s volleyball matches at the iconic baseball field on Sunday night. The first one, between the University of Kentucky and Penn State University, went off with no problems.
But once night fell for the University of Nebraska and University of Missouri game, the outdoor court became hazardous due to the humid conditions. Players for both teams were seen slipping and sliding while trying to make their plays.
The match was delayed as crews tried to dry the court off and players even joined in with towels at one point to help speed the process up. According to the NCAA website, the logo at the center of the court was also ripped off to help improve court traction.
Players from both teams wanted to keep the energy up in the face of the delays. In the spirit of competition, the two teams started a dance battle while everyone waited.
There were 43,067 people in the stands Sunday night. It’s the second-most attended women’s volleyball event in the league’s history, according to the NCAA. More than 92,000 people attended the 2023 match at Memorial Stadium in Nebraska.
Despite best efforts to get the match back on track, the court still wasn’t dry enough, and a decision was made to suspend the match due to the court surface issues.
The University of Nebraska said in a statement that it was not possible to reschedule at Wrigley Field.
A post to the team’s Facebook page thanked the Cornhuskers fans for an unforgettable night in spite of it all.
“There are truly no greater fans in college volleyball and we thank you for always coming along for the ride!” the post said. “None of this would be possible without you!”
It was an emotional moment for the players. Multiple seniors from Nebraska’s team apologized to their fans, who were the majority in the stands, after the decision was announced.
“We wanted to give you guys our all and we didn’t do that tonight,” said Bergen Reilly, a setter for Nebraska.
After the emotional speeches, Nebraska’s Andi Jackson took over the microphone and started to sing Kelly Clarkson’s “Since You Been Gone.” She then ran over to the Missouri players to have them join in.
Jackson waved over the teammates as both schools players huddled around the mic to sing some of the song a cappella for the crowd before they went home.
