A coach's view from courtside

EDITOR'S NOTE: Jack Hamann, Garfield High School assistant volleyball coach, is an Emmy-award winning journalist and author of the book "On American Soil," who is in San Antonio for the Final Four. He offers his six keys to how the Huskies won:

Serve/serve receive: A good volleyball serve is not unlike a good baseball pitch: it either zips across the net like a fastball, drops hard like a sinker or moves wildly like a knuckleball. Like a great pitcher, a great server hits her spots. Washington's first service error wasn't until the start of Game 3. By then, Nebraska had six. The Huskies served at Nebraska's Sarah Pavan early and often, and the 6-foot-5 star could not handle the attention, particularly the dead-duck floaters that dropped at her feet. The Huskers tried to serve at tournament MVP Christal Morrison, but with little effect.

Defense and setting: Hitters can't hit unless setters get them the ball; setters can't set unless passers do the same. Washington's ball control was overwhelming; great passes allowed setter Courtney Thompson to set almost anywhere on the net. When Nebraska's towering blockers temporarily shut down the Huskies' outside hitters, Courtney fed quick, low sets to her middle blockers, opposite (right-side) hitters and back row hitters. Nebraska blockers simply did not have the time to get into position.

Blocking: Washington's front-row players run a choreographed scheme called "swing blocking." On a stage they'd look like dancers, tracing precise footsteps and arm movements in near-perfect unison. Nebraska's hitters seemed surprised by how often the Huskies got a hand on the ball, and reluctantly moved away from their power game, often hitting wide or long.

Hit 'em where they ain't: Both teams feature players who can pound the ball like it's shot from a cannon. The Huskies, however, were also able to hit around or through blocks. Most elite players also have a change-up in their arsenal, able to "sell" what looks like a powerful hit, then delivering a soft tip that drops untouched to the court. UW's tips were far more convincing. In addition, Washington's back-row defensive players stayed in position, getting a hand under most of Nebraska's soft shots.

Stick to the game plan: The Huskies didn't change their style just because their opponent was the top-ranked team in the country. The basics they learned the first day of practice in August were little different than their approach to the NCAA championship match. Other teams might have tried to adjust their offense to counter Nebraska's fearsome block. The Huskies simply challenged the Cornhuskers to stop them.

Intangibles: The stadium was a sea of Nebraska red, and it seemed to make several Nebraska stars nervous. As the Huskies rolled along, chants of "Go Big Red!" turned to pleas of "C'mon, girls, hit the ball!" The Huskers are used to watching opponents wilt under the onslaught of their All-American hitters, but the Huskies never showed fear or frustration. Instead, the Nebraska players seemed to grow weary of UW's relentless defense and were usually on the wrong end of long rallies.