Although Nebraska’s volleyball team finished second in the national championship last season, it has been number one in the hearts of Nebraskans for decades. No place like Nebraska discusses the reasons for this and reports on the culmination of decades of effort: the Huskers’ record-breaking 2023 season, which does not feature a single senior on its roster.

To call the last season for Nebraska volleyball turbulent is an understatement, as the year began with a record-breaking exhibition match in front of over 92,000 fans and ended with a heartbreaking loss to Texas in the 2023 national championship. The documentary ends with an open question: How will this young Nebraska team, which has made history so many times, face the growing pressure from fans, media and the program itself, where it often feels like it has nowhere to go but down?

No place like Nebraska isn’t just about the Huskers’ prestige. Of course, Nebraska’s five national championships, record crowd sizes and historic rivalries with Wisconsin and Texas are highlighted, and the film covers the Huskers’ 2023 season chronologically, with wins and losses against Wisconsin and Texas as reference points. But the heart of the documentary is the people who make Nebraska volleyball the force it is today: the athletes, the athletic staff and the fans.

Four AVCA All-Americans from Nebraska represent the program as interviewees: Merritt Beason, Lexi Rodriguez, Harper Murray and Bergen Reilly. These women’s stories underscore the fact that today’s athletes are different than athletes of the past.

While other notable women’s programs have faced pressure to perform, the pressure athletes in programs like Nebraska Volleyball face today is simply different, thanks in large part to social media. No place like Nebraska pulls no punches when it comes to exposing the worst the internet has to offer, showing the extent of cyberbullying, online harassment, and even threats female athletes have to contend with on their journey to greatness. While libero Lexi Rodriguez paraphrases Billie Jean King’s famous quote, “Pressure is a privilege,” the type of pressure these female athletes face is still relatively new and can have damaging effects.

The story of outside hitter Harper Murray underscores the consequences of such pressure and the double standards often displayed toward female athletes online. After losing to Texas in last year’s national championship game, Murray’s comment that Nebraska would win three national championships in the next three years during the postgame press conference sparked outrage online.

Critics claimed Murray’s comments and tone were indicative of a bad attitude that her late father would be ashamed of. However, the film acknowledges that there would have been little to no controversy had a male athlete said the same thing. In doing so, the film delves into Murray’s vulnerable side that many athletes can probably relate to: Although Murray admits there are athletes who aren’t bothered by such comments, she admits she isn’t one of them – and the fact that women face increasing media criticism for their ambition is a frustrating reality.

By recounting her subsequent mental health and legal difficulties as a result of the loss and the online discussion, Murray destigmatizes an increasingly common problem among college athletes, who find themselves under the scrutiny of millions of strangers emboldened by online anonymity. And she underscores the fact that, at the end of the day, even the best athletes are human.

No place like Nebraska is notable for showcasing athletes’ personal side alongside their glorious athletic achievements and showing how coaches must also adapt to athletes’ changing expectations. Merritt Beason, who came from Florida, didn’t elaborate on why she transferred to Nebraska, but she recognized a growing trend among today’s college athletes: They increasingly want coaching staffs that see them as people rather than performers, something Beason said she only realized after she transferred to Nebraska.

The film shows that this was a shift that Nebraska volleyball head coach John Cook made in his coaching career as he evolved from an impersonal, “tough-as-nails” coach to a people-oriented coach who learned to understand the human side of the game. While old-school followers would call such a shift in coaching methodology gentle, it has worked in Cook’s favor both on and off the court since he took over the Huskers program in 2000.

Of course, Cook’s four national championships speak for themselves, as he proves that coaches don’t have to mistreat or overwork their athletes to get results. But perhaps even more impressive is that the branding that makes Nebraska volleyball the spectacle it is relies heavily on community outreach, including word of mouth and intensive media outreach to connect with fans. In other words, embracing the human side of the game is the secret sauce that makes Nebraska volleyball great.

No place like Nebraska also highlights the importance of the program’s fans and their love of Huskers volleyball. There is plenty of footage of fans lined up outside the Devaney Center waiting to get in. Some of them arrive as early as 4:00 a.m. in subzero temperatures for the afternoon and evening games. Others stay late for autograph signings and talk about what Nebraska volleyball means to them as Nebraskans and their daughters as athletes. And of course, the film opens with the incredible 92,000 fans who filled Memorial Stadium last August, paying tribute to the loyal fan base that has sold out Huskers games since the 1980s.

Although No place like Nebraska successfully highlights the star power and struggles of the Nebraska volleyball team and also offers a simple blueprint for successful branding in women’s sports: invest in female athletes both personally and professionally. While there are many uncertainties in Nebraska’s future as their youth and resilience will be tested again in the 2024 season, it is clear that the Huskers will continue to be a driving force in growing women’s sports and a major problem for their competitors.

“No Place Like Nebraska” premieres on Sunday, August 25 at 5:00 p.m. ET on ESPN and can then be streamed on ESPN+.