“We just had a super-long rally,” Cook said. “We’re exhausted, and I’m telling Jordan, ‘Don’t jump serve, don’t jump serve, just float it in,’ because I thought if she misses that thing, that just gives them all the momentum. And she just never even looked at me. She just walked back and grabbed the ball because she knew that’s what I was going to tell her.”

Larson’s jump serve dropped to the floor between Washington’s passers for an ace to clinch the win and send Nebraska to the final four in Omaha.

Learning the process of winning

While Larson’s accomplishments may serve as an aspiration for current players, Cook said another lesson Larson could impart to younger players is that success in college is a process of constant work no matter someone’s prep accolades.

Cook said Larson, who came to NU as one of the top recruits in the country, endured some rocky moments as a younger player before becoming an All-American.