Nebraska volleyball set US women’s sports attendance record before 92,003 fans – in pictures

The University of Nebraska took aim at the global attendance record for a women’s sporting event last spring when it announced it would hold a daylong celebration of a sport that enjoys immense popularity in this midwest state of fewer than two million

The event began with an exhibition between in-state Division II powers Nebraska-Kearney and Wayne State

The Nebraska Cornhuskers huddle before their match against the Omaha Mavericks on Wednesday at Memorial Stadium

Memorial Stadium’s official capacity is just over 85,000 for football, but that number was higher for this event because there were seats and standing room on the field

There was a flyover during the national anthem and, minutes before first serve, coach John Cook led his Huskers into the stadium to the Tunnel Walk, the longtime tradition of the football team. Synchronized chants of ‘Go Big Red!’ were heard all around

Though 91,648 was widely acknowledged as the women’s sports attendance record, at least one match at the unofficial 1971 Women’s World Cup in Mexico City reportedly drew 110,000 people. However, the latter figure remains unconfirmed

Conditions were near perfect: 83F (28C), clear skies and a south wind listed at 4mph at court level with gusts

A fan dressed as the Mandalorian walks through the crowd before Wednesday’s match between Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Omaha Mavericks at Memorial Stadium

The American record attendance for a women’s sporting event had been 90,185 for the 1999 World Cup final between the United States and China at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California – the game where Brandi Chastain ripped off her shirt after scoring the decisive penalty shot for the US win

Nebraska setter Bergen Reilly (2) dives for the ball against Omaha during the first set of Wednesday’s match at Memorial Stadium. The Cornhuskers never trailed on their way to a 3-0 sweep: 25-14, 25-14, 25-13

Nebraska have sold out 306 consecutive regular-season matches. The Huskers have led the nation in attendance every season since 2013, and eight of the top nine crowds in NCAA volleyball history are matches that have involved Nebraska

The Cornhuskers have won five national championships in volleyball and their program is one of the few in Division I women’s sports that turns a profit: $1m last year, according to the athletic department CFO, Doug Ewald

There are 75 women from the state of Nebraska who are on Division I volleyball rosters this season. At 44 players per million in population, the state trails only Hawaii (67 per million) in Division I players produced per capita, according to the volleyball statistician and historian Rich Kern of RichKern.com