This weekend’s Nebraska-Penn State volleyball matches at the Bob Devaney Sports Center have been canceled, the program announced Tuesday. It won’t be rescheduled
The decision was mutually agreed upon “out of an abundance of caution” surrounding the health and safety of the student-athletes, coaches and staff relating to COVID-19. Penn State had to cancel matches against Wisconsin on March 26 and March 27 because of virus problems within its program; this is believed to be an extension of that situation.
It’s a tough blow for Nebraska, which finishes the regular season 14-2 and ranked No. 4 in the AVCA Poll. The Huskers had won four straight matches against Iowa and Michigan heading into the weekend, with sweeps in three of those four. The Thursday and Friday matches against Penn State were expected to be the first opportunity for Husker fans to watch in-person at the Devaney Center this season.
“It’d be fun to play Penn State, they’re always a fun match to play and we get to play in front of fans, so that would be really special for our team,” Coach John Cook said after last Friday’s win over Michigan, when the status of this week’s series was still unclear.
Instead, Nebraska will turn its attention to the NCAA Tournament, which begins April 14 at the CHI Health Center in Omaha. The first round will be played April 14, with the second round played April 15. After a two-day break, the regional semifinals and finals will be played on April 18-19. The NCAA Semifinals are set for Thursday, April 22, and the NCAA Championship will be on Saturday, April 24.
The Division I Women’s Volleyball Selection Show is on Sunday, April 4 at 3 p.m. (CT) on ESPNU, where the field of 48 teams will be announced.