Husker Volleyball Radio Voice John Baylor Named Nebraska Sportscaster of the Year

John Baylor may need a new catchphrase to celebrate his own honor.

Baylor, the longtime play-by-play voice for Nebraska volleyball, was honored Monday as the state's Sportscaster of the Year award winner from the National Sports Media Association for his work with the Husker Radio Network and Playfly Sports. It is Baylor's first award from the NSMA, and the second for the Huskers Radio Network in back-to-back years, as Greg Sharpe earned the honor in 2025.

Baylor has been the lead radio voice for Nebraska volleyball since 1994, announcing all five of Nebraska's national championships through his 32 seasons on the air. He is regularly joined by color analyst and former Husker All-American Lauren Cook West during the broadcasts.

@_JohnBaylor on the T-shirt gun pic.twitter.com/xSeytUPl0d
— Mitchell Brandt (@Mitch_on_Sports) May 4, 2024

Baylor spent his childhood in Nebraska before moving to the East Coast and attending high school in Massachusetts. The Stanford grad picked up radio announcing after a brief stint with the Cardinals' baseball program, then later arrived in Lincoln in 1994 to begin radio broadcasts for Husker volleyball.

“I got a box seat to the greatest show on taraflex,” Baylor said to KLKN in August 2025. “It’s just a privilege, it brings so much joy to so many people.”

Baylor has experienced calling Nebraska volleyball from local arenas in Lincoln, such as the Bob Devaney Sports Center, Pinnacle Bank Arena, and the Nebraska Coliseum. He travels with the team to nearly every road contest, including stops at the national semifinals and championship matches.

Former Nebraska volleyball coach John Cook joins Husker volleyball play-by-play host John Baylor at a Husker pre-season event in 2025. | NRG Media

Baylor joins Sharpe as recipients of the honor from the NSMA after Sharpe won the award in 2025 and previously in 2017. In 2007, Jim Rose won the honor as part of the Huskers Sports Network. The NSMA membership votes on the state and national sportscaster and sportswriter of the year awards, as well as Hall of Famers. Sharpe won the honor prior to his passing on Feb. 15, 2025, at the age of 61.

Baylor has become a fan favorite during his radio broadcasts with several notable play-by-play calls over his many seasons with Nebraska volleyball. Baylor's trademark "Kaboom!" call after a Husker kill has become a staple for the broadcaster and the program. The announcer has added other memorable moments, such as the final at the Texas Regional in 2021.

"Right side, (Lindsay) Krause for the match... she did it! They did it! Can you believe it?" Baylor said on the Huskers Radio Network on the final call of the match. "Call the grandkids! Nebraska beats Texas."

Here’s Terry Pettit, the former coach who brought John Cook to Nebraska, on the radio call at Memorial Stadium with John Baylor, in his 30th year of Nebraska volleyball play by play, and Lauren (Cook) West, the head coach’s daughter who was an All-American setter for the Huskers. pic.twitter.com/fAuOhguHgq
— Mitch Sherman (@mitchsherman) August 31, 2023

Baylor has also been a part of the marquee moments in Nebraska volleyball, including the historic Volleyball Day in Nebraska featuring 92,003 fans to watch the match between the Huskers and the Omaha Mavericks in August 2023. Along with broadcasting the Huskers' five national championships, Baylor has been the radio voice for Nebraska's four runner-up finishes, 15 semifinal appearances, 31 NCAA Tournament appearances, and 19 conference titles.

Along with being the play-by-play voice for Nebraska, Baylor has had experience broadcasting Nebraska baseball and Lincoln Saltdogs baseball. He is a founding member of the National Test Prep Association, running On To College, an in-person and online prep course for the ACT and SAT tests for high school students.

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