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Nebraska Wins Inaugural Spikes Under the Lights Title

8/28/2026

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Summary

Nebraska Claims Title

Nebraska women's volleyball team won the inaugural Spikes Under the Lights tournament in Dallas, earning $150,000.
Nebraska defeated No. 11 SMU 21-12, 21-11 to claim the title.
Nebraska beat No. 17 Florida 21-19, 21-18 to reach the final.
Nebraska hit .339 overall while holding SMU to .068 hitting percentage.
Teraya Sigler posted seven kills and Harper Murray added six in the championship.

Summary

Volleyball Tournament Pays

The $1 million prize pool is the largest payout ever in women’s college sports.
The tournament provides each team a $200,000 appearance fee.
The event is the first women’s volleyball competition held at AT&T Stadium.
Matches use a best-of-three-set format inside the 100,000-seat stadium.
The event aired live on TNT and streamed through the ESPN App.

History

Historical Context

When Congress passed Title IX on June 23 1972, studies show women’s college athletic participation rose over 450% by the mid-2000s. Decades of growth led the NCAA to host the 2023 Spikes Under the Lights tournament at Dallas’s AT&T Stadium, where Nebraska’s Cornhuskers claimed the major inaugural title and a significant $150,000 prize.

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Nebraska Claims Title

Nebraska women's volleyball team won the inaugural Spikes Under the Lights tournament in Dallas, earning $150,000.
Nebraska defeated No. 11 SMU 21-12, 21-11 to claim the title.
Nebraska beat No. 17 Florida 21-19, 21-18 to reach the final.
Nebraska hit .339 overall while holding SMU to .068 hitting percentage.
Teraya Sigler posted seven kills and Harper Murray added six in the championship.

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