Photo Essay: A Look Back At A Memorable Night Of Volleyball At Wrigley Field

WRIGLEY FIELD (Chicago) — Wrigley Field is, of course, known throughout the sports world as the home of the Chicago Cubs. But in the 112-year history of the Friendly Confines, the venue has also hosted myriad other sporting events, including women’s pro baseball (as depicted in “A League of Their Own”) and pro soccer, plus high school, college and pro football games. In addition to the Cubs, the Chicago Bears, Blackhawks, Sting and Red Stars have played there, not to mention the Harlem Globetrotters, Savanah Bananas and the legendary Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro League. There was also lacrosse, golf, wrestling, boxing, rodeo and even ski jumping. But never volleyball. Until Sunday night. To cap off Big Ten/SEC Volleyball Challenge Week, No. 3 Kentucky played No. 13 Penn State in the opener, followed by No. 1 Nebraska taking on Missouri. It was a night to remember. Sunday’s matchups were broadcast in prime time on FOX, with Connor Onion and Emily Ehman calling the action. Meanwhile, “The Simpsons” got a rare Sunday night off. The No. 13-ranked Nittany Lions feature six players who are daughters of former pro athletes. They include Alexis Ewing (above left), whose dad is NBA Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing, and Finley Krystkowiak (42), the daughter of Larry Krystkowiak, who played nine seasons in the NBA. The third daughter of a former NBA player is sophomore Gabrielle Nichols, whose dad Demetris Nichols played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks. Penn State redshirt junior Caroline Jurevicius and sophomore Ava Jurevicius are the daughters of Joe Jurevicius, who spent 10 seasons in the NFL as a wide receiver and won Super Bowl XXXVII with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Finally, senior opposite hitter Kennedy Martin is the daughter of former NFL receiver Ruvell Martin, who played a total of seven years for the Green Bay Packers, St. Louis Rams, Seattle Seahawks and Buffalo Bills. Kentucky is led by All-American outside hitter Brooklyn DeLeye, the 2024 SEC Player of the Year. DeLeye paced the Wildcats with 21 kills in UK’s 3-1 win over Penn State. Penn State head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley was back on home turf Sunday night. In high school, she led Mother McAuley, an all-girl Catholic school on Chicago’s south side, to a state volleyball title and also excelled in basketball. As a result, Schumacher-Cawley is a member of the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame. The iconic ballpark proved a beautiful setting for women’s college volleyball. Ahead of the nightcap, the Cornhuskers entered the arena like rock stars. A crowd of 43,067 packed into Wrigley Field, the second-largest attendance in the ballpark’s history. It was a sea of Nebraska red. Three years ago, the Cornhuskers drew 92,003 for an outdoor match at Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium to set a record for the largest crowd ever to watch a women’s sporting event in the United States. Not long into the Nebraska-Mizzou match, condensation of the court started to become a problem. Even the players helped out with towels. During a delay, the Tigers led the crowd in sing-alongs. The team’s motto this season is LFG, but it’s not exactly Tom Brady’s version of LFG. The Mizzou motto stands for Love, Family, Grit. Later, Nebraska opposite hitter Ryan Hunter (18) showed off her dance moves on the video boards, thrilling the crowd and her teammates. After just 18 points in the first set, officials postponed the match for player safety. In a touching address, Bergen Reilly (2), Nebraska’s star setter, thanked the fans for their support. But the night wasn’t officially over until Cornhuskers star Andi Jackson (15) grabbed the mic for an impromptu a cappella sing-along of Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone,” getting everyone involved, including the Missouri players. Quite a night.