What we learned from Nebraska volleyball coach John Cook after practice (2024)

Are you? Uh how are you trying to take advantage of the extra practices that everybody's getting this year? The way we're trying to take advantage of it is the, the first inclination for me to be would go to what we normally do this time of year, which is two *** days, two *** days, 12 days, two days, one off. That's our typical week because we have more time this year. I don't feel necessary to have to do that. So we're focused on, um, we've only practiced twice one day just because we want to get them used to having to do something in the morning because we're gonna have morning practices on the road when we play back to back or we go somewhere and we have to get up in the morning and practice. So we just want to get them acclimated to that. And so what we're doing is we're on one practice *** day and we're lifting every day that we go one practice. So, um we're just trying to, and lifting is not going in there lifting hard. We're just working on taking care of their bodies, activating muscles that get fatigue when they get in patterns and playing *** lot of volleyball. So it's almost like they go through *** recovery every morning in the weight room with Brian. And then we get, we're getting great effort and, and high level play in the afternoons because they're fresh, they're feeling good. And, um, sometimes in two days you're, you're struggling to get through those and they're, they're hitting the wall. So that's how we're taking advantage of it. And I would love to practice twice *** day. But I think this is what's best for our team. And, um, II, I really like it. Are you still able to implement all the drills, all the system you want to? Yeah. And, and what helps is, I mean, Taylor and Layla are still learning some of the drills, but, uh, everybody else knows the drills. So we just kind of bring them along. So, um, you know, it's not like we do *** whole lot of drills. So once they learn them, they got them. But, um, yeah, these guys, you know, *** lot of them played all summer. So they, they came in, I would say kind of more in playing shape than maybe *** normal summer with, with Andy. What did you, what do you see, or what did you hear about how she played with USA this summer? Well, I watched some of the matches. I mean, she's, she's now in her second year of college volleyball and she's catching up and, and starting to figure out, you know, how athletic she is and how she, how to use that to her advantage. So, she's just becoming *** better volleyball player and, and, and, you know, has more experience now instead of doubting that she can play, she knows she can play and be *** great player. And so we're seeing it out there. I mean, she, she does some pretty impressive stuff. What's the next step for her to level up for Andy? It's always blocking for middle blockers. Can you get better blocking? So, yeah, I would say again, she's in her second year so she's just way more calm composed. Knows what she needs to do. The, the thing about Bergen is, is, uh, when she makes *** mistake she just tells you before you even say anything. I mean, that's, that's pretty cool. It's almost like *** golfer. They're telling you on the swing. Oh, I, I didn't do that. Right. You know, that's, that's where she's at. That's really, uh, in tune with what she needs to do and, uh, we're trying to open things up for her and let her be *** little more free flowing. Um, and, and I think she's really good at that. Taylor didn't have *** normal spring, like *** lot of your players. How did she handle that? And how, you know, when you're working with her now, where is she at? With her skills and conditioning? Oh, I mean, she's right there. I just, I, you know, I think the hardest thing when you haven't played *** lot and again, she was at USA for *** while for the, you know, *** couple of weeks. I don't know how hard they train or how, you know, how intense it was. But, uh, we, we train as you guys know, we go *** lot of reps, we go at *** fast pace and I just think for her it's sometimes she's not used to that. And so I think it just takes everybody *** while to, to adjust to that, but I think she really likes it. I mean, she gave *** very impressive uh talk last night to her team about what, what her, why is why she wants to play here and why she wants to play volleyball. It was very, very impressive. Earlier in the spring, you were talking about rebuilding the culture, you guys were doing the links thing, all that stuff. Are there any new kind of traditions or things that you guys are doing for the culture right now? Yeah. So we got the chains hanging. I don't know if you saw them but the chains are hanging out there. Um So that's *** big theme. One of our other themes is uh we just, we gave him *** necklace that Kelly and Lindsay had made that have um some of our key terms on it. Um So like we feel with each other for each other. So each player, each week Taylor has it right now and she, next Monday she'll give it to another player just as *** reminder. Um, another thing is this is the 50 year anniversary of Nebraska Volleyball. This is the 50th team. So we're doing *** lot of stuff with our alumni and our players are doing presentations about the alumni that they talk to and what they learn from them. And it's, it, it, it's blown me away how good these things are, their powerpoints and it's, it blew me away. I'm sorry, they're not though. But having this team represent like kind of the 50 years of Nebraska volleyball, why are they kind of maybe the perfect group to embody that? Well, I, you know, um, I, I don't know if they're the perfect group but we have *** lot of, you know, I think one of the things with college athletes today is, it's about them. It's about how much money they can make. It's about how many followers they have. But the bottom line, it's always about Nebraska volleyball and we want to connect them with the past. And, you know, we got Lindsay who played 20 years ago, we've got Jordan who played 15 years ago, Kelly who played, you know, 67 years ago. And then we've got all these alumni around that are in Lincoln and so we're tapping into them. So, so again, we, we honor the past and they'll be, you know, we're having ***, I think over 100 alumni are coming back for the Red white game. So we're trying to do things to these guys to understand. Um, and I give them history lessons all the time because I used to be *** history, I was *** history major. So we talk about those things and I think it's important that they know that it always hasn't been this way. And so it's, but they all think that this has always been this way for 50 years. They, they don't realize they didn't have uniforms, they didn't have locker rooms, they didn't fly on jets, you know. Uh, so it's just really good to educate them and learn what is the talk amongst the law right now? Just tell us if you have, I have no idea. I don't go in there. So, I don't know. Uh, it depends who's talking properly, but they've been all business and practice in the gym. I know that Jordan, Jordan just got back today. She's *** little banged up. She had *** crazy Uber driver in France. So, but I don't know, it was like, I don't know, it was just the feeling seeing her walk in today was, I don't know, it was very uplifting. Bring her with her. She did not today, or at least I haven't seen it. I mean, she just literally got here when we met at 130. Um, and she, you know, she was, um, she must have got back yesterday and is here today. She wanted to take *** few days off and then I told her she wanted to take like two weeks off. I said Jordan, when I, when I was coaching in the Olympics in Barcelona, I flew from Barcelona and had tryouts at Wisconsin the next day. So why do you think you need two weeks off? She goes, ok, she was here. So, why, why do you think it was uplifting? Seeing her walking to, she's, she's Jordan, she's the governor. She's, she, she, you know, she did, they had an amazing run. Uh, you know, I didn't realize this but this quad, they never won *** championship in any of the big tournaments and, uh, to get *** silver medal, I think was pretty impressive and I, I thought she played great against Italy but, you know, Italy was on fire, um, reminded me *** lot of our national championship match. I mean, sometimes teams get there and they're really feeling it and Italy was really feeling it. Did you get *** good practice report last week? You had to miss on Monday? Yeah. Yeah, it was good. But, uh, last time I missed the practice was, uh, when my son was playing high school football. So I went to see *** couple of his games, Mr De match in *** practice. So, questions for coach, outside hitter and middle blocker specifically, you brought back two starters, you added highly, um, highly experienced regarded transfers for what does having that kind of experience depth do for your program throughout these preseason practices and into the season? Well, they, they're, they know what it takes. They, they gotta learn how we do things here and they're both really good learners and, uh, but it just takes time to adjust in and, uh, I still think there's some hesitation. They're not sure about things, but you know what, we're day eight or nine here. So, um, but those are players who have been in the wars and been in big matches and, and, uh, so it's hard to coach. All right, we're good. All right.