A staggering 43,067 fans absolutely packed Wrigley Field on Sunday night, not for the Cubs, but for a historic volleyball doubleheader! It marked the first time volleyball had ever graced the iconic 112-year-old Friendly Confines, capping off the Big Ten/SEC Volleyball Challenge Week with a bang. This wasn’t just a casual exhibition; No. 3 Kentucky clashed with No. 13 Penn State in the opener, followed by No. 1 Nebraska taking on Missouri, all broadcast live in prime time on FOX, even giving “The Simpsons” a rare Sunday night off.
Legacy Players Made Their Mark Under The Lights
The opener saw some serious talent hit the court, especially for No. 13 Penn State. Their roster boasts six players who are daughters of former pro athletes, which is just wild to think about! You had Alexis Ewing, whose dad is none other than NBA Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing. Then there’s Finley Krystkowiak, daughter of Larry Krystkowiak, who played nine seasons in the NBA. And sophomore Gabrielle Nichols is the daughter of Demetris Nichols, a former NBA player for the Cavaliers, Bulls, and Knicks. The athletic lineage doesn’t stop there: redshirt junior Caroline Jurevicius and sophomore Ava Jurevicius are the daughters of Joe Jurevicius, a wide receiver who spent 10 seasons in the NFL and even won Super Bowl XXXVII with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
And get this, senior opposite hitter Kennedy Martin? Yeah, she’s the daughter of former NFL receiver Ruvell Martin, a guy who played seven seasons in the league, including some time right here with our very own Seattle Seahawks! How cool is that for a little Emerald City connection to a truly historic night?
Wildcats Dominate, Cornhuskers Make An Entrance, and a Record Crowd
Kentucky’s All-American outside hitter Brooklyn DeLeye, the 2024 SEC Player of the Year, absolutely went off, pacing the Wildcats with 21 kills in their 3-1 win over Penn State. Meanwhile, Penn State head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley was back on home turf, a true Chicagoland legend who led Mother McAuley to a state volleyball title and is a member of the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame.
The atmosphere at Wrigley was electric. The Cornhuskers entered the arena like rock stars before their match, and the sheer volume of fans was incredible. That 43,067 crowd was the second-largest attendance in Wrigley Field’s entire history! It was a sea of Nebraska red, reminding everyone of the 92,003 fans they drew three years ago for an outdoor match at Memorial Stadium, setting a record for the largest crowd ever to watch a women’s sporting event in the United States. Even with a slight hiccup as condensation started to become a problem on the court during the Nebraska-Mizzou match, this was a night that showed exactly how big women’s college volleyball can get. What a moment for the sport!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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