The Nebraska volleyball team recently enjoyed a five-course beef meal organized by Anna Kobza, a digital creator and Ph.D. student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The event, which took place earlier this month, aimed to connect Husker Athletics with Nebraska beef production.

Kobza’s inspiration for this unique idea stemmed from her desire to bridge the gap between Husker Athletics and the state’s beef industry. She believed that Nebraska Volleyball Head Coach John Cook was an ideal point of contact due to his newfound interest in rodeo. Kobza reached out to Coach Cook via email, and he agreed to a meeting.

Coordinating the event, Kobza saw it as a valuable opportunity to engage with student-athletes while providing them with insights into beef production.

“Whether they know it, a lot of Husker volleyball fans are rural Nebraskans who are big supporters and contributors to Nebraska Athletics.”

Casa Bovina, a restaurant in Lincoln, played host to the event, with its chef preparing a five-course meal entirely centered around beef, including the dessert.

One of the standout courses featured a variety of steaks, each highlighting different production and processing techniques. This included a comparison between grain-finished and grass-finished steaks, offering the team members a firsthand experience of these methods.

“I was hoping that through this experience, perhaps our Nebraska beef producers could see that their home team enjoys their product.”