Ahead of Wrigley, Chicago mayor catches Nebraska volleyball fever with record crowd

NFL owners. Olympians. WNBA Hall of Famers.

On Friday, it was politicians.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson was the latest to catch the Nebraska volleyball fever, attending the Huskers’ win over DePaul at Wintrust Arena.

Following the game, a 25-19, 25-13, 25-15 sweep, Johnson spent a handful of minutes speaking with Nebraska coach Dani Busboom Kelly. His daughter, Braedyn, spent time getting her Taylor Landfair Nebraska shirt signed by players, and then took pictures with Teraya Sigler and Kenna Cogill.

Johnson, speaking with The World-Herald, said he was unaware of the draw Nebraska volleyball gets when it travels around the country. He was in awe of the thousands of NU fans that made up the 8,000-plus crowd on Friday, and the thousands more that he knows are on their way for Sunday’s Wrigley Field match against Missouri.

After his first taste of Nebraska volleyball, Johnson said he is excited to follow more, and watch Chicago become the epicenter of the sport over the weekend.

“Chicago is a very strong sports town,” he said. “It is great for the city, but especially important for our sons and daughters to see these incredible student-athletes perform at the highest levels.

“Coming here and seeing all of the Nebraska fans traveling into our city, it is a great sight and very powerful for our city.”

Johnson said his daughter, a young volleyball player herself, was the one who warned him about the Sea of Red headed toward the Windy City.

The crowd at Wintrust Arena defied his own expectations. Like Nebraska fans seem to always do, they helped set a new attendance record, with 8,786 fans marking the largest crowd to watch a single match in the state of Illinois.

Johnson expects over 40,000 to show up Sunday at Wrigley Field, which will also feature a match between Penn State and Kentucky.

“This was the beauty about how influential the sport and game is to our young people,” Johnson said. “It has now brought me into a world of volleyball that I wasn’t familiar with. Understanding the influence of this incredibly powerful institution, and what it means for our young ladies and women, I am grateful it has certainly excited my daughter.”

As for this weekend, Johnson gave some Chicago advice to the traveling Nebraskans. Enjoy the Wrigleyville bars. Sample the restaurants. Check out the Museum Campus and the Obama Presidential Center.

Spend some money. And hopefully, in the not-too-distant future, they can come back and do it all over again.

“One of the best things about Chicago is we hold large-scale events very well,” Johnson said. “This is what we do, whether it is for conventions for (political) parties or Lollapalooza. To see thousands of fans pour in to see these women compete, it is a wonderful sight and glad Chicago can play host to a powerful weekend of women’s volleyball.”