Nebraska Head Coach John Cook Celebration On Field Presentation Volleyball vs Michigan Nebraska Women's Volleyball Lincoln, Nebraska Game Start Time: 7 PM Game Date November 26, 2016 Photo by Stephanie Carpenter/NU Communications
The Nebraska Athletic Department announced its 2026 Athletic Hall of Fame class, including six former Cornhuskers and former volleyball coach John Cook.
The 2026 class includes: Matt Hopper (baseball, 2000-03); Cassandra Leuthold (bowling, 2007-10); Dean Steinkuhler (football, 1979-83); Taylor Edwards (softball, 2011-14); Amber Holmquist (volleyball, 1999-2002); Ineta Radevica (women’s track and field, 2003-04); and John Cook (volleyball head coach, 2000-24).
The class will be honored on Friday, Oct. 2 in a ceremony before being recognized Oct. 3 during the Nebraska/Maryland football game.
2026 Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame Class Bios
Matt Hopper, Baseball (2000-03), Golden, Colorado
A three-time All-American, Matt Hopper put up historic offensive numbers during his four-year Husker career from 2000 to 2003. Hopper started 247 games and posted a .350 career batting average with 338 hits, 55 doubles, 64 home runs, 271 RBIs and 246 runs scored. He ended his career with Nebraska and Big 12 records for career hits, home runs, RBIs and runs scored. Hopper burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2000, when he was a third-team All-American and the Big 12 Freshman of the Year. Hopper was a first-team All-American in 2001 when the Huskers made the College World Series for the first time in school history. After he helped the Huskers to a second straight trip to the CWS in 2002, Hopper ended his career as the 2003 Big 12 Player of the Year and a second-team All-American. During Hopper’s career, Nebraska won 195 games, captured two Big 12 regular-season championships and two Big 12 Tournament titles and advanced to the College World Series twice. Hopper earned his degree in business administration from the University of Nebraska in 2003.
Cassandra Leuthold, Bowling (2006-10), Black Hawk, South Dakota
Cassandra Leuthold posted one of the most distinguished bowling careers in Nebraska and NCAA history during her four-year career from 2006 to 2010. Individually, Leuthold was an All-American in each of her four seasons. She was the National Collegiate Rookie of the Year and a second-team All-American in 2007. Leuthold was a first-team All-American in both 2008 and 2009, and she was the NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player in 2009 as Nebraska captured the national championship. Leuthold ended her career as the 2010 National Collegiate Bowler of the Year while earning her third consecutive first-team All-America honor. In her four seasons, Leuthold won 11 individual titles and helped Nebraska to one NCAA championship, one runner-up finish and one third-place finish. Leuthold earned her degree in nutrition, exercise & health science from the University of Nebraska in 2010.
Dean Steinkuhler, Football (1979-83), Burr, Nebraska
A standout offensive lineman at Nebraska, Dean Steinkuhler was a major award winner, a first-team All-American, an All-Century Team selection and a first-round NFL Draft pick. As a senior in 1983, Steinkuhler won the Outland Trophy, awarded annually to the top lineman in the country, and the Lombardi Award, given to the nation’s most outstanding interior player. He was just the sixth player in NCAA history to win both awards in the same season. In his two seasons as a starter on the offensive line (1982, 1983), Steinkuhler helped the Huskers to a 24-2 record, two Big Eight titles and a No. 3 final ranking in 1982 and No. 2 in 1983. Following his Husker career, Steinkuhler was the No. 2 overall pick in the 1984 NFL Draft, tying for the distinction of the highest-drafted offensive or defensive lineman in school history. In 1999, the Walter Camp Football Foundation named Steinkuhler to its All-Century Team. Steinkuhler was one of six offensive guards and 15 offensive linemen named to the All-Century team. His No. 71 jersey was retired in 1983, when Steinkuhler became just the sixth Husker to have his jersey retired.
Taylor Edwards, Softball (2011-14), Murrieta, California
Taylor Edwards rewrote the Nebraska softball offensive record book during her four standout seasons as a Husker from 2011 to 2014. A two-time All-American, Edwards started 231 games in her career and hit .327 with 220 hits, 41 doubles, 54 home runs and 202 RBIs. She ended her career with 17 all-time Nebraska records and a share of two NCAA records. Edwards earned third-team All-America honors as a freshman in 2011, becoming the first catcher to earn All-America recognition in program history. She was also one of 25 finalists for the 2011 USA Softball Player of the Year Award. In 2013, Edwards helped the Huskers to Oklahoma City, where she was a member of the Women’s College World Series All-Tournament team. As a senior in 2014, Edwards was a first-team All-American and the NFCA Division I Catcher of the Year, and she helped Nebraska to its first Big Ten regular-season title. Following her Husker career, Edwards played professionally and for the United States National Team and was an alternate for the 2020 Olympics. Her No. 12 jersey was retired in 2024. Edwards earned her degree in sociology from the University of Nebraska in 2015.
Amber Holmquist, Volleyball (1999-2002), Houston, Texas
Amber Holmquist was a national champion, an All-American, an Academic All-American and a conference player of the year during her decorated Nebraska career from 1999 to 2002. Holmquist totaled 1,122 kills on a .396 career hitting percentage while producing 728 career blocks. Holmquist ended her career as Nebraska’s all-time blocks leader among her nearly 20 school records and eight Big 12 records. In 2000, Holmquist led the nation in blocks and ranked fourth nationally in hitting percentage en route to second-team All-America accolades. Her play helped the Huskers to a 34-0 record and a national championship. Holmquist earned first-team All-America accolades in both 2001 and 2002, ranking second nationally in blocks in 2001 and third in 2002. As a senior, she shared the 2002 Big 12 Player of the Year award with two of her senior teammates. Holmquist was also named a second-team Academic All-American as a senior. In addition to helping the Huskers to the program’s second national championship, Nebraska won the Big 12 title every year of Holmquist’s career while boasting a 123-10 overall record and a 77-3 mark in conference play. Holmquist earned her degree in communication studies from the University of Nebraska in 2003.
Ineta Radevica, Women’s Track & Field (2003-04), Kraslava, Latvia
Ineta Radevica made the most of her two seasons as a Husker, winning three individual national championships, eight conference titles and earning eight All-America honors. Radevica was the Big 12 indoor and outdoor champion in both the triple jump and long jump in each of her two seasons at Nebraska (2003, 2004). In her first season at Nebraska in 2003, Radevica was an NCAA Indoor All-American in both the triple jump and long jump, finishing in the top five in both events. At the 2003 NCAA Outdoor Championships, Radevica won the triple jump and finished fourth in the long jump. The next season Radevica won both the NCAA indoor and outdoor triple jump titles while finishing third in the long jump at the indoor championships and fourth at the outdoor championships. Despite competing only two seasons, Radevica ended her career as Nebraska’s third-leading point scorer all-time at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Following her time at Nebraska, Radevica went on to be a three-time Olympian who just missed the podium at the 2012 Olympics, finishing fourth in the long jump. Radevica earned her degree in economics from the University of Nebraska in 2005.
John Cook, Volleyball Head Coach (2000-24)
John Cook had a remarkably successful 25-year tenure as the head coach of Nebraska volleyball from 2000 to 2024. Cook guided the Huskers to four national championships, 14 conference titles, 12 NCAA Semifinals appearances and eight trips to the NCAA Final. He posted an incredible 722-103 record at Nebraska, winning nearly 88 percent of his matches as the Huskers’ head coach. With Cook at the helm, Nebraska produced numerous individual honors, including five Olympians, three AVCA Division I National Players of the Year, 72 All-Americans, three Academic All-Americans of the Year, 25 Academic All-Americans and 10 conference players of the year. Cook himself was a three-time AVCA National Coach of the Year and was a seven-time conference coach of the year. In addition to the victories and titles, Cook spurred Nebraska volleyball’s rise to national prominence. The Huskers’ NCAA record sellout streak began during Cook’s second season and continued through the remainder of his career. The growth of Nebraska volleyball was on display for the world to see on Aug. 30, 2023, when 92,003 fans packed Memorial Stadium to watch Nebraska defeat Omaha in front of the largest crowd to ever attend a women’s sporting event. Prior to his 25 years as Nebraska’s head coach, Cook served as a Husker assistant coach from 1988 to 1990 and as the Huskers’ associate head coach in 1999.