The stage was set for a dramatic NCAA Division I women’s volleyball championship match on the floor of the Target Center in Minneapolis. The first contestant, Stanford, entered the match as the No. 1 seed in the tournament, not having lost since Aug. 31. The Cardinal's 2018 junior class won the title as freshman and lost in last year’s semifinals.

Across the net, Nebraska had won two of the last three championships, but wasn’t expected to make too much noise this year. The Huskers went 3-5 in the month of October, but then rallied in the second half of the season, riding a 13-match win streak into the final, including a come-from-behind five-set upset of tournament No. 3-seed Illinois in the semifinals.

If Nebraska won, it would mark the program’s third title in four years and sixth overall. A Stanford victory would be No. 8 and would break the tie with Penn State for most program titles.

A Kevin Hambly confetti shower followed by a heartfelt moment with his team. Congrats again to @StanfordWVB + @GoStanford! pic.twitter.com/NfEgNW5jFS

— AVCA (@AVCAVolleyball) December 16, 2018

As expected, drama ensued and the match had more twists, turns, deep dives and fast climbs than the roller coasters at the Mall of America.

In the first set, Nebraska led by as many as five points, before Stanford tied things up at 18 and required six set points to sneak away with the 28-26 victory. Nebraska then got the lead at 5-4 in the second set, only to lose it again at 10-11 and take it back four points later at 13-12 before surging to 25-22 and tying the match up 1-1. 

Stanford steamrolled Nebraska in the third, holding the Huskers to a .027 clip and hitting .238. As soon as the players took the court for set four, however, the tables had turned back in Nebraska’s favor. The Huskers raced to a 5-0 start and led by as many as 10 points midway through the set. Nothing seemed to be working for Stanford while Nebraska put up a .412 percentage on offense, including six kills on six swings from junior middle blocker Lauren Stivrins.

Both teams went early and often to their star outsides hitters (Mikaela Foecke for Nebraska and two-time National Player of the Year Kathryn Plummer for Stanford) in the tie-breaking fifth set, but it was Cardinal sophomore outside Meghan McClure’s bic attack out of middle back that won the match for Stanford 15-12.

The Stanford players rushed the court and tears of joy were already running down their faces when Nebraska head coach John Cook challenged the play, alleging that McClure had stepped on the 10-foot line, which would have meant she illegally attacked from the back row and the point would go in Nebraska’s favor.

Turns out, this time, in a match full of very consequential challenges and big swings of momentum, they got it right the first time. The play remained as called. Stanford could return to celebrating.

Enjoying the moment the only way we know how ?#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/NF4UfCeYhq

— Stanford Women's Volleyball (@StanfordWVB) December 16, 2018

McClure admitted that she was feeling the pressure toward the end of the match 

“I am a pretty stressed out person just in general, so dealing with five-setters does put some extra stress on me,” McClure admitted. “In the fifth set, after that fourth one, which was pretty rough, I told myself the team needs you more than the stress needs you right now. It is just one game, one game to 15, we do this all the time.”

Whichever way the challenge turned out, Stanford head coach Kevin Hambly would have found something to celebrate. 

“The thing about that point, we've been asking Meghan to hit the bic hard in transition like that all year and she finally did,” he said. “That's what I was excited about, she actually took a rip on it, especially in that big of a moment.”

Junior outside Plummer and junior libero Morgan Hentz earned the title of tournament co-MOPs. Hentz finished the match with an impressive 32 digs, while Plummer led her team with 19 kills on 59 attempts.

Had Nebraska won, no doubt senior Foecke would be celebrating her third national championship and third NCAA Tournament MOP honor. With 27 kills on 71 attempts, hitting .296, she set a new career high and led all players in the match, adding an ace, 11 digs and two blocks.

When asked about her individual performance in her final collegiate match, Foecke immediately dismissed the question. 

“Honestly, I don't really care about that,” she said. “I really wish the score was flipped in the fifth set. But obviously it wasn't good enough to win.”

“[Foecke’s] special,” Cook said. “She's learned and developed some incredible skills while at Nebraska, playing Nebraska volleyball, that will carry through her life to make her successful, be a great leader. She's going to be a veterinarian. She will be the best dang veterinarian in eastern Iowa probably. It's just been an honor to coach her for four years.”

Two freshman, Capri Davis of Nebraska and Holly Campbell of Stanford, also excelled in the national championship match, albeit in very different capacities. Davis played a limited role, occasionally subbing in for sophomore opposite Jazz Sweet. But each time she went in, setter Nicklin Hames wasn’t afraid to set her and she finished the match with five kills and just one error to hit .500. 

Campbell ranked second on the Stanford stat sheet with 15 kills and just one error to hit .483. 

All-Tournament Team
Kathryn Plummer – Co-MOP
Morgan Hentz – Co-MOP
Mikaela Foecke
Jacqueline Quade
Lauren Stivrins
Audriana Fitzmorris
Jenna Gray#NCAAVB pic.twitter.com/5qGAq3wPvL

— NCAA Volleyball (@NCAAVolleyball) December 16, 2018

“[Holly] wasn't a person that was scoring points,” Hambly said. “If you look at her numbers early in the season, she hit around .100 for the first 10 to 12 matches. She worked really hard, her and Jenna, to add shots, figure out how to play college volleyball. For her to be that clutch in this big of a moment speaks volumes about her hard work and also her heart. She's a special kid.”

With Stanford’s win marking a new NCAA record for championships won by a single program, the moment took on even more significance, and libero Hentz eloquently put into words what many Stanford players, former and current, must be feeling in this moment.

“It feels amazing to be a part of such a cool legacy of so many elite women, intelligent women,” she said, “and I feel so honored to wear the Stanford S on my shirt.”