Stanford women's volleyball apologizes for 'unacceptable' locker room drawing - SFGate

Stanford players celebrate the game winning kill against Nebraska in the fifth set of the championship match of the NCAA Div I Women's Volleyball Championships Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018, in Minneapolis.

Stanford players celebrate the game winning kill against Nebraska in the fifth set of the championship match of the NCAA Div I Women's Volleyball Championships Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018, in Minneapolis.
Photo: Andy Clayton-King, AP

Photo: Andy Clayton-King, AP

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Stanford players celebrate the game winning kill against Nebraska in the fifth set of the championship match of the NCAA Div I Women's Volleyball Championships Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018, in Minneapolis.

Photo: Andy Clayton-King, AP

Nebraska volleyball fans are expressing their disapproval after a photo of a white board drawing in the Stanford locker room showed the Stanford tree making a vulgar gesture at Herbie Husker.

The tree is also depicted pointing what appears to be a pistol at Herbie.

Locker room white board messages and drawings are often used to fire up players before big matches. And no match in college women's volleyball was bigger than the one Saturday night in Minneapolis. Stanford beat the Huskers 3 sets to 2 for its NCAA-record eighth national title.

But the drawing, which appears in the foreground of a photo of celebrating Stanford players, tarnished the victory.

Nebraska fans reacted negatively to a homicidal evergreen flashing obscenities.

"I think the middle finger is one thing, but the gun set the picture over the edge," fan Maggie Van told KETV 7 in Omaha.

Stanford apologizes to Nebraska volleyball for crude drawing in locker room https://t.co/Afwdfdp2Ak pic.twitter.com/YGfLicqSy9
— KETV NewsWatch 7 (@KETV) December 17, 2018

Bernard Muir, Stanford's athletic director, agreed. He released this statement:

"The image in the background of the picture is unacceptable and does not reflect the values of Stanford University. We have reached out to our colleagues at Nebraska to express our sincerest apologies to the university and its women's volleyball program."

The drawing was rendered by someone with talent, perhaps an art major. Herbie was especially well done, right down to his corn cob.

The match was a nail biter, with defending champion Nebraska pushing Stanford to the limit.

Kathryn Plummer finished with 19 kills and 10 digs, Morgan Hentz had a career-high 32 digs and freshman Holly Campbell added a career-high 15 kills for the Cardinal in the five-set victory over the Huskers, 28-26, 22-25, 25-16, 15-25, 15-12.

MORE: Klay Thompson gives legendary halftime interview

Stanford's players fell to the floor in a joyful celebration and made snow angels in the confetti that fell over the court.

In the locker room photo, two gleeful players are shown running with trophies in one hand and scissors in the other.

Running with scissors. Tsk, tsk.

Game information contributed by the Associated Press.

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Read Mike Moffitt's latest stories and send him news tips at mmoffitt@sfchronicle.com.

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