By Cristian Perez

The University of Maryland volleyball team drew an extraordinary program-record 15,127 attendees against No. 1 Nebraska on Oct. 3. While the stands at Xfinity Center were filled with red, white and yellow, it felt like a second home for the Cornhuskers. 

There was much anticipation leading up to this match as the Terrapins entered with an 11-3 record facing a 15-0 undefeated Cornhuskers squad. As the Maryland chants popped up throughout the match, a wave of Cornhuskers supporters also made their presence known in College Park. 

While Maryland kept up their fight against the nation’s top-ranked team, the Cornhuskers held the match out of reach, claiming the first set 25-13. The second set was the closest, just not enough for Maryland with a 25-20 set loss. Nebraska kept the momentum, winning the final set 25-15 and sweeping the Terrapins. 

While the match did not go in Maryland’s favor, some fans believed that the large crowd was due to Nebraska being heavy favorites and typically dominating women’s volleyball. Maryland continued to battle against the Cornhuskers, and the home crowd protected its court, staying invested in the match until the final set. 

“I think the UMD fans weren’t overrun by Nebraska fans until near the end of the game,” said freshman Sahana Parikh. “It was clear UMD couldn’t really come back from their deficit.”

On the other end, some Maryland students who attended the match felt that Nebraska fans were the main cause of the 15,127 attendees.

“I felt like 80% of Xfinity Center was just Nebraska fans, if not more,” said freshman Evan Tucker. “They are a dominant team that always sells out stadiums and I would argue that the team affected was Maryland, who would also react for a larger live audience than usual.”

While sections of the arena were filled by Nebraska fans, Terrapin supporters suggest that the athletes continued to play in high spirits and fans continued the loudness of the student section known as the shell.

“I think the team’s performance wasn’t really hindered by the overwhelming number of Nebraska fans,” said Parikh. “UMD still played really well, but Nebraska was just a really strong team.” 

A loss against the No. 1-ranked team is not enough to diminish hope for Maryland and its fans, who will look to pack Xfinity Center once more when the Terrapins face UCLA on Oct. 9.

Featured Image: Fans cheering during the volleyball game at Xfinity Center at the University of Maryland on Oct. 3, 2026. Photo by Duncan Holditch.