!!Maxed Out!!
Let me tell you why I'm so damn proud to be a Husker volleyball fan.
Sure, losing SUCKS! Personally, my stomach hasn't been right since yesterday afternoon. There is no poetic way to dress up a pivotal loss. Watching the match end with our Huskers not heading to the Final Four felt like getting smacked in the face with a rogue volleyball. Completely unexpected, painful, and a little disorienting. I'm honestly still trying to wrap my head around this loss. With the momentum and magic they showed all season, I think we were all ready to ride the red wave straight through the championship.
Yet, here we are. The season is over for us.
However, if you think I'm hanging my head about this, you're out of your mind.
This Husker volleyball team gave us EVERYTHING this season. Every serve, every dive, every swing, every gritty, fight-for-every-point rally. They played through injury, illness, exhaustion - sometimes all at once - and they still showed up like the powerhouse program we know and love. They continuously showed up with the kind of poise and toughness most of us can only aspire to on our very best day.
That match was BRUTAL! It was unbelievably heartbreaking. But...it was also beautiful. They didn't go quietly. They didn't crumble under pressure. Instead, they fought to the absolute last point like a team that knows who they are and what they're capable of doing. They are, without question, an elite bunch.
Coach DBK summed it up perfectly: "We maxed out."
That line is going to live rent-free in my brain for a long time, guaranteed. I mean...isn't that the goal? Not only in sports, but in anything worth doing? Isn't the goal to push yourself to the edge of your ability, to wring every drop of energy, focus, and heart out of yourself and know, deep down, you left it all on the floor?
That is admirable. More so, it's a blueprint for true greatness.
These players aren't only phenomenal athletes (though, obviously - have you seen them play!?). They're world-class humans. The way they support one another, lift each other up, and play FOR each other is a masterclass in team culture. They smile, cry, huddle, and FIGHT for the team. They know championships are amazing, but character is what lasts.
Let's not forget, many of them are just getting started. We will miss our seniors like crazy - they're leaving behind an incredible legacy - but the fire in this program isn't going out. If anything, it's burning hotter.
I am so unbelievably proud to be a fan of this team. I say that not because they were expected to win it all. I say that because they could have, almost did, and still walked off the court with integrity, courage, and unshakable Husker pride.
Next season is going to be another one for the history books.
Until then - thank you, Husker Ladies! You maxed out. And in doing so, you raised the bar for all of us.
We love you! GO BIG RED!!!!! 
