After breaking another attendance record on Wednesday in South Dakota, Nebraska will be part of the first volleyball match at WinTrust Arena in Chicago.
Sylvie Zgonc sat at a table as the post-match press conference began and couldn’t stop smiling.
“That was so fun,” the South Dakota State outside hitter said. “That was an unreal atmosphere, and man, I love being a Jackrabbit.”
A media member asked whether it mattered that SDSU had lost in straight sets to No. 1 Nebraska and didn’t score more than 20 points in any set.
It did not. She was going to enjoy the high of the experience.
“To play in front of 5,000 people in our home gym with the community of Brookings was just insane,” she said. “This was so special for the state of South Dakota, for volleyball in South Dakota and the state. That was an unreal experience.”
While Nebraska might be used to playing in front of sold-out crowds wherever they go, their opponents get to enjoy an electric atmosphere in their home gym when the Huskers come to town. Usually, the majority of the large crowds wear red, but the bulk of the 5,113 fans inside First Bank & Trust Arena were SDSU fans.
Nebraska will help set another school attendance record on Friday night when they play against DePaul at the 10,387-seat WinTrust Arena. The Blue Demons are also trying to break the record for attendance of a volleyball match in Illinois, which the Illini set with 7,632 fans against Minnesota in 2009.
The match is the first-ever for the volleyball team at WinTrust, which is home to the men’s and women’s basketball teams, as well as the Chicago Sky of the WNBA. First serve is set for 5 p.m., with the match airing on FS1.
DePaul coach Marie Zidek is glad they are entering the match against NU with a 4-0 record after beating Portland State on Wednesday. Having an undefeated record gives them more confidence and will help them enjoy their moment on the big stage even more.
The Blue Demons are trying to keep it as normal as possible, but they know that it is a special occasion when the top-ranked team comes to town and they play in front of a nearly-sold out crowd. Zidek said it’s taken everyone from the staff and team to the administration, marketing team and communications team.
“To finally have it here, I don't know. It feels a little bit like an out-of-body experience right now,” Zidek said Thursday while standing in WinTrust. “I have to pinch myself. It feels good to be finally here and in the building.”
Playing in WinTrust will be a completely different experience than their usual home at McGrath-Phillips Arena, which only has one side of seats with a capacity of 3,000. In addition, DePaul is rolling out their first-ever TaraFlex for the match. Zidek said they will have to adjust their style in the bigger venue to allow for more ball control and extended rallies.
Senior libero Nora Mannion said she will try to take in the moment, but also know that she still has to play at a high level to keep up with the Huskers.
“Obviously, we're making history for our program, and that's huge for us. But there is a game that's going to be played, and we need to lock in and be focused on that,” she said. “So it's kind of balancing that. Once the first serve goes off, we're locked in and ready to go and ready to take on the matchup.”
For South Dakota State, they tried to remain even-keeled before their match with the Huskers. The scouting report only referred to the contest as “Opponent #4” and focused on staying disciplined and structured. The Jacks have several more big nonconference matches upcoming at Kansas and then against Minnesota and Washington in Sioux Falls.
SDSU coach Dan Georgalas also kept a souvenir box score from the last time the two teams played to put it all in perspective. During a spring 2025 exhibition in Ord, the Jacks jumped out to an 8-2 lead and forced the newly hired NU coach Dani Busboom Kelly to call timeout.
“We've been talking about how they're human. They're 18- to 22-year-old student athletes like we have on our side of the net too,” he said. “So that was my proof to our group before the match that we could play with them, and I couldn't be happier with our encore performance.”
DePaul also knows it will be a tall task to knock off the Huskers, but they are relishing their opportunity.
“It's truly incredible,” sophomore outside hitter Kendall Timme said. “We've had this circled on our calendars for a long time. To be able to experience it with our team, our coaches — we've been working so hard, and now we get to showcase it on national television — it’s just a great opportunity for us in our program.”
Chicago will be the hub of the volleyball world for the next few days. In addition to the match on Friday, the AVP will host its AVP League Championships at Oak Street Beach on the north side of the Loop. Also on Sunday, the iconic Wrigley Field will host two matches: Kentucky vs Penn State and Nebraska vs Missouri. In addition, DePaul will host No. 13 Penn State at McGrath-Phillips Arena on Monday.
Zidek said she plans to take the DePaul team to both matches Sunday evening.
“I'm from the South Side of Chicago, so it's a Chicago gal's dream,” she said. “To be able to open up our doors to the community and to the city is a phenomenal experience.”
