Even on the Road, Fans Flock to Watch Husker Matches

Nebraska has made a habit of setting records on the road as fans turn out all over the country. Plus, having depth, Bergen Reilly's play, team blocking, and a new court is coming.

Creighton and Nebraska set a new attendance record with 17,675 fans at the CHI Health Center, the largest indoor crowd for a regular-season game. Many of those fans were rooting for the Huskers which is a common occurrence for road matches. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

They were waiting when the Nebraska volleyball team arrived at Rec Hall. They were also there when they boarded the buses after the match. 

Husker fans also flooded Jersey Mike’s Arena in New Jersey and set a Rutgers program record with a sold-out gym of 8,000. This is not a new phenomenon. Wherever Nebraska goes, fans follow. It’s how the program has been part of attendance records at almost two dozen venues, including Seattle, Tampa, East Lansing, Dallas, and Piscataway. 

Freshman outside hitter Teraya Sigler had heard about the fan support at Nebraska before she arrived in Lincoln. Still, she figured away matches were just parents and a few relatives until she saw the lines on the East Coast. 

“Truly, Husker nation is everywhere,” Sigler said. “Every time I see it, it gets me emotional, because this is an answered prayer to be where I am right now and to be a part of this team and get to play in front of all these people. I take those moments with just a heart of gratitude.”

Olivia Mauch, Maisie Boesiger, Laney Choboy and Keri Leimbach watch the Huskers warm up in front of a swath of Husker fans at Penn State. | Nebraska Athletics

Nebraska was part of the previous Rutgers record when it played in front of 6,757 fans in 2023. Freshman middle blocker Manaia Ogbechie earned her first Big Ten start on Saturday, and she was also amazed by the turnout. 

Even in front of 6,257 fans at Penn State, the Husker fans made their presence felt. It didn’t help that the Nittany Lion supporters had little to cheer about in a historic defeat on Friday. On social media, the Nebraska Volleyball account dubbed Rec Hall “Devaney East.”

“It was so loud,” Ogbechie said. “There’s so much support from everybody, and honestly, it was amazing how much everyone cares about the sport and about our team.”

Good night from Devaney East. #GBR pic.twitter.com/iR0yhoYtsb

— Nebraska Volleyball (@HuskerVB) October 4, 2025

It’s not unusual for Nebraska to play in front of sold-out crowds at home, as the Huskers have sold out the NU Coliseum and the Devaney Center for all 344 matches since 2001. Also, 13 of the largest 14 crowds in NCAA volleyball history have included Nebraska. 

NU coach Dani Busboom Kelly is familiar with the support after playing for the Huskers and serving as an assistant coach. However, after eight years away at Louisville, she is still amazed at the crowds they draw on the road. 

She said the atmosphere at away matches can be almost as exciting as at home, since the fans rarely get to see the Huskers and are so excited and appreciative to see them in person. 

“Both places felt like mini-home games,” she said. “It surprised me how big this volleyball team’s reach is. This program is not in Nebraska anymore; it’s national and a little bit worldwide.”

Depth Helps

Of the top four teams in the preseason Big Ten poll, three have suffered personnel losses this year that could have an impact on their conference title hopes. 

Penn State lost setter Izzy Starck, who left the team in early September, and the Nittany Lions are 2-2 in league play. Minnesota has lost three players to season-ending injuries and could lose outside hitter Alex Acevedo for a while and perhaps the rest of the season. She suffered a knee injury after landing awkwardly against Northwestern on Sunday. 

In addition, Wisconsin setter Charlie Fuerbringer suffered a shoulder injury on Sunday against Michigan. The Badgers haven’t said how long she will be out, but she is currently being held out of practice and is wearing a sling. 

Last week during practice, Busboom Kelly said the team discussed how fortunate they are to be healthy so far this season. With a talented roster, NU has used several opportunities to build the team’s depth this season. 

Nebraska outside hitter Skyler Pierce receives a serve during the Red-White Scrimmage on Saturday. Pierce played the entire match against Rutgers and finished with six kills. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Against Rutgers, Ogbechie and Skyler Pierce played the entire match. Freshman setter Campbell Flynn and senior opposite Allie Sczech also got extended playing time. The mentality to mix up starts in practice, where the Huskers can see the high level their teammates are playing, so it’s not a surprise to them when those players get a chance to play in matches. 

Busboom Kelly said she is thankful for the Huskers’ depth to handle whatever comes their way this season. 

“We’ve had players that have played and played in some big moments, so that helps ease your mind as a coach,” she said. “You never want to see injuries happen to your own team or any other great players around the country. It’s just a bummer for the sport.”

Reilly Recognized

Bergen Reilly, left, and Rebekah Allick high five after Allick's kill. Reilly earned Big Ten setter of the week honors on Monday. | Amarillo Mullen

Bergen Reilly earned the Big Ten setter of the week honors on Monday, the second time she’s won the award this season and the 11th time in her career. 

The 6-foot-1 junior led the Huskers to a .437 hitting percentage against Penn State and a .390 hitting percentage against Rutgers. She amassed 41 assists in 4.5 sets on the week and added 10 digs, 5 blocks and 3 kills, while sitting out half of the Rutgers match.

For the season, the Huskers are hitting .327, which is 43 points higher than last season. 

Sigler complemented Reilly for helping them adapt to the college game and rack up kills. The freshman outside hitter started to develop her connection with her setter during the spring when they played beach volleyball together. She appreciates how Reilly is not afraid to have hard conversations with teammates about putting the work in and holding each other to a high standard. 

“She’s such a calm presence, but she’s so fierce and she’s so strong,” she said. “We have such fiery personalities on the team, which is great, but having some sort of calm is also good, especially in high-emotion situations.”

Manaia Ogbechie goes up for a solo block from a match earlier this season. She set a career-best with eight blocks against Rutgers on Sunday. | Amarillo Mullen

Block Party

Ogbechie set a new career-best with eight blocks against Rutgers. She said the pin hitters she sees in practice make it more difficult to block their attacks. So when match time comes, she’s ready for the challenge. She is averaging 1.462 blocks per set this season. 

Who is the most difficult teammate to block in practice? 

“Harper. She likes to jam it directly in my face,” Ogbechie said. 

It appears Nebraska Volleyball has installed a new taraflex court over the weekend that features the state outline.🏐🌽#Huskers host Washington next Friday.
(Note: Images are from a Tik Tok post I saw) pic.twitter.com/GRCRMAxQkv

— Chase Matteson (@ChaseMatteson) October 5, 2025

New Court Coming

Busboom Kelly confirmed that Nebraska will soon unveil a new TeraFlex court. She doesn’t know if it will be used this Friday for a home match against Washington because they haven’t practiced on it.

She said she had a hand in the design process. Her first choice of putting Herbie at center court was rejected, but the final design features an outline of Nebraska. Additionally, the outside edges of the court feature red stripes, intended to resemble rows of corn.

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