'It's kind of a bittersweet match'

Rick Danzl/The News-Gazette Illinois' Beth Prince (8) hits past NebraskaMINNEAPOLIS — John Cook knows a thing or two about volleyball. The Nebraska coach has his team in a third national championship match in four years after Thursday's five-set win against Illinois, and the Cornhuskers will be playing for their fifth title since he took over the program in 2000.

So maybe it shouldn't be a surprise that Cook picked Illinois to finish second in the Big Ten behind Minnesota this season. That would be exactly where the Illini wound up this season even though the full coaches preseason poll had them in fifth.

"I'm not surprised," Cook said about what Illinois was able to accomplish in its second…