‘There’s a reason why our sport is indoor:’ DBK after Nebraska’s suspended match at Wrigley Field

CHICAGO, Ill. (WOWT) - Following the suspension of Nebraska volleyball’s highly anticipated outdoor match at Wrigley Field on Sunday night, head coach Dani Busboom Kelly made her stance clear on the future of open-air collegiate matches.

“This was amazing. I applaud the effort,” Busboom Kelly said. “But there’s a reason why our sport is indoor.”

Busboom Kelly’s remarks came after humidity forced officials to halt the matchup against Missouri during the first set, with the top-ranked Cornhuskers leading 11-7. Condensation on the court—constructed over the Cubs’ outfield—caused players to slip from the very beginning, cutting the contest short after just 18 points.

The head coach emphasized that student-athlete safety must come first, noting that the risk of injury was simply too high to continue.

“You don’t want to see any injury or put any athlete in a spot for injury,” Busboom Kelly said. “You saw us clean the court, tried to go again. And it felt like it was just going to keep building up, that humidity.”

Though temperatures hovered in the comfortable 70s, Chicago’s humidity pushed past 75 percent on Sunday evening. The moisture quickly accumulated on the court, creating slick spots that posed an immediate threat to player safety.

The match was delayed twice as both teams scrambled to make the court playable. Players and coaches from both programs dropped to all fours and swabbed the deck with towels, while personnel used leaf blowers, industrial fans, and even tore up court decals in an effort to improve traction.

Ultimately, the environmental conditions proved insurmountable, laying bare the inherent hazards of taking an indoor sport outside.

More than 40,000 fans packed the iconic confines of Wrigley Field to see the “Big Red” in action. The crowd remained energized during the delays, even participating in a stadium-wide singalong and watching a lighthearted dance-off between the Nebraska and Missouri squads.

Following the official announcement of the suspension, the Huskers’ senior class addressed the disappointed but supportive crowd.

“It was on its way to being a very epic moment for our sport,” Busboom Kelly said. “Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate.”

Busboom Kelly suggested that the safety hazards seen at Wrigley Field should discourage future outdoor attempts.

“There’s a lot of amazing indoor arenas or football fields indoor or baseball fields that have domes,” Busboom Kelly said. “I think there’s some opportunities to do some incredible things for volleyball. I do not think outdoor is what we should be doing.”

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