The Nebraska Cornhuskers are one of the premier teams in women’s volleyball, competing as part of NCAA Division 1, representing University of Nebraska-Lincoln. They set new records by smashing the previous world record for attendees for a women’s sporting event. Previously held by a soccer game in Barcelona, Spain, with 91,648 attendees, the college volleyball team surpassed that record with over 92,000 guests.

“We took a chance by playing in Memorial Stadium, and to go for the record and break it… I don’t think anybody could have envisioned that when this whole thing started,” said Nebraska Coach John Cook.

“It feels like a great accomplishment for this sport called volleyball played by women. It’s a state treasure. We proved it,” Cook said. 

Even with the massive crowd that came to the game, there was a very real chance that the world record wouldn’t have been noted due to the NCAA not tracking attendance for most sporting events. Despite this fact, Jeff Williams (associate director of media coordination and statistics) told The Associated Press that a crowd of 90,000+ were planning on showing up, getting the attention of both the press and the NCAA.

The accomplishments of the college volleyball team will be remembered for years to come, and as said by Troy Pfannenstiel (a fan from Omaha)

“This is a statement on Title IX, and having two daughters of my own, what Title IX has done for women’s sports is huge,” Pfannenstiel said.

This will hopefully not be the last instance of massive attendance for the sport.