Crowds gather at Lincoln bars for ‘battle’ between Nebraska and Creighton volleyball

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Fans flocked to sports bars across Lincoln on Tuesday to watch the Nebraska volleyball team take on Creighton.

The general manager of the Red Zone Sports Bar and Grill said even on a weeknight, he’s never surprised when there’s plenty of people who make the trip out.

Scott Rowland said the support for the team grows stronger every year.

“The impact has been pretty positive for us,” he said. “We can always count on a good crowd for the volleyball team because of their success. It makes it more interesting to watch, I believe.”

SEE ALSO: No. 1 Nebraska outlasts No. 18 Creighton in front of record-setting crowd

Fans said it’s the group atmosphere that makes it fun.

“My wife and I really like going out and watching the volleyball games and everything because of the crowds,” Brad Aksamit said. “Everybody gets so into it. It just makes it so exciting.”

One man said he was especially wanting to watch this match because of who the Huskers were playing.

“You know, it’s an in-state rival, and they both are good,” Bill Shandera said. “Nebraska is obviously No. 1, and Creighton is usually ranked in the top 20, so we know it’s going to be a battle.”

With the popularity of the sport, Rowland said Red Zone is just as busy on volleyball game days as it is for football games — if not more.

“Nebraska is a pretty passionate and faithful fan base,” he said.

And the fans seem to agree that the momentum is shifting in a positive way for the volleyball team.

“It’s bringing in a lot of people, and it’s so popular right now,” Aksamit said. “It’s almost as popular as football, I think.”