Nebraska and Kansas Meet Again After Spring Exhibition, This Time With Different Looks

Eight months ago, Nebraska won all four sets against Kansas during a spring exhibition in front of a sold-out crowd at the Devaney Center.

Now, as the teams meet agains Friday night in the Regional Semifinal, the tape from that match won’t be of much use to either team as they prepare for the rematch.

NU coach Dani Busboom Kelly said there is little carryover from the scouting report for the Huskers.

“They didn’t have half their team, and both teams are much different,” she said. “I don’t think there’s really much to learn from that game.”

The top overall-seeded Huskers will face No. 4 KU in the second match of the evening. No. 2 Louisville and No. 3 Texas A&M start the evening at 6 p.m., with the second match 30 minutes after the conclusion of the opener.

The exhibition match served as the first public match for Busboom Kelly at Nebraska, and she experimented with the lineup. Middle blockers Rebekah Allick and Andi Jackson played all four sets, but the pin hitters changed each set and the two setters split the match. Since then, the Huskers added both of their opposite hitters in Virginia Adriano and Allie Sczech.

Nebraska outside hitter Harper Murray attacks against LIU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Kansas coach Matt Ulmer said it is hard to find a way to get the Huskers "uncomfortable." | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Kansas coach Matt Ulmer has watched lots of film of the Huskers playing this fall and said finding ways to get the better of NU presents an “amazing challenge.” Even against some of the better teams he’s faced in the past, like the title-winning Stanford teams, he can usually find a few rotations where there are weaknesses.

However, he said the Huskers are solid and have few weaknesses.

“It's hard to find a way to get them uncomfortable. It is really in every facet of the game; there isn't something you can necessarily pick apart. I feel like they have an answer for everything,” Ulmer said. It's fun to see what they go up against and try to piece it together.”

The Jayhawks’ roster also looks quite different, as five players who started at least 10 matches for them this season didn’t appear in the spring match, including two who earned all-Big 12 Conference honors.

The biggest absence was freshman opposite Jovana Zelenovic, a first-team all-league member who spent the summer playing in the Volleyball Nations League with Serbia. The 6-foot-7 freshman is averaging 2.88 kills per set with a .284 hitting percentage.

Senior setter Katie Dalton didn’t play as she was still recovering from an injury that caused her to redshirt for the 2024 season. The second-team Big 12 honoree said KU has grown immensely since the spring.

“We came in here, and what (Ulmer) talked about before is just go get in a fight,” Dalton said. “Today we were talking about, you know, we’ve been preparing for this moment all year, and I think we’ve just had a lot of growth, especially with new coaching staff coming in and new players, and I think we have played really well together, especially at the end of the season, and that’s what you hope for.”

Kansas setter Katie Dalton dives for a dig against Penn State during the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Dalton didn't play in the spring exhibition against Nebraska in the spring, but took over the starting setter job this fall. | Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Besides the lineup differences, the Jayhawks will also benefit from playing inside the Devaney Center. They got a taste of the environment and will not be intimidated by the atmosphere.

Ulmer shared a story about the first time he brought a team into Lincoln, he had a player serve a ball into the middle of the net because she was so nervous. While he didn’t know that it would be helpful come tournament time, Ulmer said he was trying to get his new team some experience in a sold-out arena.

“It just so happened that the experience is really important for right now, with where we’re at. I really do feel like they’re much more prepared from the shock and awe,” Ulmer said. “Hopefully we’re able to get that piece of us out in the spring, and so now we can just go out there and go compete.”

Harper Murray said playing the regional matches at home is a big boost to them for the third straight year. While a trip back to the national semifinals is the goal, they are focused on taking care of business against Kansas.

“We’re lucky that we’ve been able to host the past few years, because I don’t think people understand how much of an advantage it is, especially in a gym like ours,” Murray said. “We’re grateful that we get to be here, and every week it gets harder and harder, and we understand that it’s getting closer to the national championship and it’s going to get harder every week.”

Nebraska volleyball coach Dani Busboom Kelly at practice ahead of the 2025 season. She reunited with her former colleagues at Louisville on Wednesday in advance of the regionals semifinals. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Runza Reunion

With Busboom Kelly’s former team in town, she took the opportunity to reconnect with some of her former staff members that she worked with during her eight seasons with the Cardinals.

She left the destination up to Dan Meske, who was a graduate manager, volunteer coach and assistant coach at Nebraska from 2007-2014. Meske, the current Louisville head coach, chose Runza.

“We had a nice chat at Runza on West O,” Busboom Kelly said. “It’s great to see those guys again. I spent 8 years with them. I was cracking up when we closed it down.”

Louisville Cardinals head coach Dan Meske and middle blocker Cara Cresse address members of the media. — Louisville Cardinals head coach Dan Meske and middle blocker Cara Cresse address members of the media during the post game press conference at L&N Federal Credit Union Arena after sweeping Loyola Chicago. | Chris Carter-Imagn Images

Not Looking Ahead

Dan Meske wasn’t about to take the bait.

When asked about his initial thoughts on being placed in Nebraska’s region, the Louisville coach said he was focused on their first-round opponent, Loyola Chicago, and the two teams the Cardinals could play in the second round: Marquette and Western Kentucky.

“Win a match, move on, survive and advance,” he said.

Senior middle blocker Cara Cresse said she expected to be in the same region as the Huskers and her former coach.

“The NCAA likes a good story, so I feel like we kind of knew it would happen,” she said. “Once we found out, we’re pretty excited. We’re ready to be here, and like Dan said, ready to just knock out the teams in front of us.”

Texas A&M head coach Jamie Morrison has led the Aggies to the NCAA Tournament in all of his first three seasons. | Texas A&M Athletics

We Belong

Texas A&M is back in a regional semifinal for the second straight year. The Aggies lost to Wisconsin in a thrilling five-set match, falling 15-13 in the final frame.

While the setback hurt in the moment, it set them up for success in 2025. A&M coach Jamie Morrison said he wasn’t disappointed in the performance, but instead gave everything they had. TAMU learned that they are good enough to compete with the top teams in the country and played with more confidence this season.

The Aggies also have plenty of experience as their roster features nine seniors, including national player of the year semifinalist Logan Lednicky. After dropping a match earlier this season, Texas A&M returned to the Sweet 16 for the first back-to-back regional semifinals in program history.

Morrison said last year’s loss to the Badgers helped them play better in the big moments.

“In the middle of that Wisconsin match, we figured out that we belong,” Morrison said. “That stayed true this entire season as we’ve stepped out, there’s been moments where there could have been doubt creeping in, even against TCU, but there’s a lot of confidence when we get into those moments that we’re good enough to get out of them… We’re hoping to take this one step further at least this weekend.”

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