GO BIG RED: Insights into the Husker’s Incredible Season and What’s to Come

By Virginia H. '27

If you’ve heard of one team this college volleyball season, chances are it’s the Nebraska Huskers. With an undefeated 20-0 record in the Big Ten Conference and a perfect 30-0 overall record, the Huskers have dominated their regular season and earned themselves the No. 1 overall seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. 

So what has allowed the team to dominate all season long? One of the most impactful changes to Nebraska this year is actually their new coach, Dani Busboom Kelly (DBK), following the retirement of John Cook, who had coached the team since 2000. DBK had been an assistant coach from 2012-2016 for the Huskers, but this is her debut season as head coach. Since 2016, she has gone on to become a widely-recognized coach in the college volleyball world, earning herself AVCA National Coach of the Year in 2021 as well as other regional titles. Kelly actually played for Nebraska for all 4 years of her college career, and she credits some of her success this season with her experience as a player. Additionally both players and Kelly herself have attributed their outstanding performance to their strong coach-player relationship. In her first interview as a head coach, Kelly said the player support and connection was immediate: 

“For [the players] to lose someone like John and immediately be able to turn their focus to what’s next and what can we do to support Dani, it was huge to hear that and just another sign that this was a great move and at the right time.” 

In addition to incredible coaching, the team itself is full of massive talent. Their setter Bergen Reilly has swept the title for Big Ten Setter of the Year since she was a freshman. This year, she took home the title for Big Ten Player of the Year as well. Reilly’s sets have allowed Nebraska’s hitters to set records this season. Just last week, middle blocker Andi Jackson set a new Big Ten record for hitting percentage in conference play, with an outstanding .559. Outside hitter

Harper Murray has been a clear frontrunner this season as well, leading the team with an average 3.4 kills per set and 28 aces this season. In the back row, there was initially some debate on who would be in the libero jersey for the Huskers this season, with both junior Laney Choboy and sophomore Olivia Mauch as favorites for the spot. As the season has progressed however, DBK has utilized both of the girls and split playing time between them fairly equally. She says that “in [her] mind, [Laney and Liv] are both starters. We need both of them as bad as the other.” By switching between Choboy and Mauch as libero based on opponent, DBK match-specifically strengthens the back row depending on what the team needs. This has proved crucial to their success against big opponents like Kentucky. 

So what’s in store for the Huskers now that regular season is over? Last week marked the beginning of the NCAA Division I Tournament. Nebraska quickly swept both Long Island University and Kansas State in the first two rounds and advanced to the top sixteen. They are set to play Kansas this Friday the 12th, which they are (knock on wood) favored to win. If they do beat Kansas, they will advance to play either Texas A&M or Louisville, both top-ranked teams. The semifinals are coming up on the 18th and the finals on the 21st. GO BIG RED.