LINCOLN — Right as UCLA's Andy Banachowski and Lauren Cook exited the postmatch interview room Sunday, Nebraska's John Cook walked in.

As the parties brushed by one another in the hallway, the older Cook offered his colleague a quick bit of tongue-in-cheek coaching advice:

“Don't let it get to her head,” Cook told Banachowski.

Much to the disappointment of the regular-season NCAA-record crowd of 13,870 that packed the Devaney Center, the first Cook vs. Cook volleyball showdown went the Bruins' way. Freshman setter Lauren Cook, daughter of the Huskers' head coach, led eighth-ranked UCLA to a hard-fought 18-25, 25-17, 25-22, 24-26, 15-7 win over No. 5 Nebraska to close out NU's Players Challenge tournament.

The victory snapped the Huskers' NCAA-record 90-match home winning streak, and marked their first loss at the Devaney Center since 1997. The Bruins became the first team in five seasons — since Florida A&M won in Lincoln Sept. 10, 2004 — to hand the Huskers an official home loss.

After the match, Lauren Cook was asked whether the win was in any way bittersweet. Nope, she replied, only sweet.

“I loved it — it was totally like, ‘Bring it on, let's see what you've got,'” the Lincoln Pius X graduate said about facing her father. “He knows everything I can do. He taught me everything.”

Before his daughter returns to Los Angeles, NU's coach joked that he'll tell her the countdown already is on for next year, when UCLA returns to Lincoln for another early-season tournament.

But the more pressing concern for John Cook will be getting his Huskers ready for what's sure to be a grueling run through the Big 12 gauntlet. Nebraska opens conference play on Wednesday with a home match against Texas Tech.

“Missing serves at key times, not passing well — it's all those little things that make great teams, and we're not a great team yet,” said John Cook. “That's why I said it's going to be a roller-coaster ride until we can figure out how to be a great team.”

On Sunday, the Huskers didn't look as lost as they did during their season-opening, three-set defeat against No. 7 Michigan. Still, John Cook has to be a little bit alarmed by the way the Bruins dominated the fifth set.

Both UCLA and Nebraska are relying on a number of inexperienced players at key positions this year. But when it came down to crunch time, when the match was up for grabs and the noise level was at its loudest, it was Lauren Cook and the Bruins who never blinked.

“Our kids did a great job of hanging in there after losing that first game the way we did,” Banachowski said. “and just coming back and being able to win in this kind of setting.”

Nebraska stormed to a 10-3 lead to open the match and easily won the first set. From that point, the Bruins found a groove and began to dig up almost everything NU hit their way. The Huskers survived a nail-biting fourth set, but it was all UCLA in the finale.

In that decisive set, the Bruins outhit the Huskers .391-.042, scored on five of the first seven rallies and used a 6-1 run to go up 13-7.

UCLA finished with 80 digs in the match, and Nebraska gave away nine points on service errors.

“I don't know if I'd say this was a step backward, but I think like the Michigan match there was at times a lack of trust on our part,” said NU junior Tara Mueller, who finished with 13 digs and 17 kills on .174 hitting. “Just that little bit of doubt will get you.”

Lainey Gera, UCLA's libero, had 25 digs to help hold NU to .179 hitting, while Kaitlin Sather turned in 13 kills and 16 digs. Lauren Cook had five kills, 48 assists and 15 digs. Cook was named the weekend's MVP, while both Gera and Sather made the all-tournament team.

From Nebraska, setter Sydney Anderson (44 assists, 12 digs) and Brooke Delano (10 kills, four blocks) also made the honor roll. Hannah Werth had 14 kills and 23 digs, both season-highs for the freshman outside hitter.

“It would've been nice to win this one tonight, but it was a good five-game battle,” John Cook said. “I think we have a great opportunity to really learn from this. And we better learn from it, because we're going to be in some tough environments on the road in the Big 12.”

• Box Score

Contact the writer:

444-1207, chad.purcell@owh.com

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