Reilly Shines in Hometown Exhibition During Sweep of Iowa State

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — For her final point on the court, Bergen Reilly went out with a bang.

The senior setter recorded an ace on the last rally of the second set to cap off a stellar performance for the Sioux Falls native. She finished with 17 assists, two kills and five digs.

Nebraska used two different lineups for the four-set match, with the Huskers winning each frame — 25-17, 25-16, 25-16, 26-24 — Saturday afternoon at the Sanford Pentagon.

“Aces always feel good,” Reilly said. “I’ve been trying out a little bit of a new serve, and that was the first time I've done it in a game. I did it a few times before then, but it was cool to see that work out.”

Reilly, who attended O’Gorman High School seven miles away from the Pentagon, was the main attraction in Nebraska’s first spring exhibition. She played in the arena before for high school and club tournaments, but never in front of a sold-out crowd. Almost all of the fans in attendance were rooting for Nebraska and their hometown product.

Whenever Reilly looked in the crowd of 3,372, she recognized familiar faces wherever she looked in the arena. Many of those people were also wearing Reilly merchandise, including her sister Raegan, who had on a “I ️ Bergen" shirt.

“It was really fun to have that atmosphere and get to experience that,” Reilly said. “I'm glad that we could bring a little bit of a show to the people of Sioux Falls.”

Bergen Reilly is introduced as a starter in her hometown. https://t.co/xRugwHzaEs pic.twitter.com/r4HEpie0r6
— Lincoln Arneal (@Lincoln_VB) April 11, 2026

Before the match, she received a loud ovation from the crowd when she was introduced in the starting lineup and was also part of a ceremonial donation to a local scholarship program.

Despite all the extra activities going on around the match, Reilly still needed to perform in the match. Reilly said she was a little nervous but leaned on her teammates to handle all the additional attention. Once they started playing, it became more manageable because she had only one thing to focus on.

Reilly played at the level that has earned her three All-American awards in her career. The Huskers posted a .471 hitting percentage in the two sets she ran the offense with just four hitting errors.

Outside hitter Skyler Pierce, who terminated on eight of her nine attacks in the first two sets, said she wanted to perform well to make Reilly’s homecoming a fun one.

”I think that instilled in us to make sure we did our job on and off the court, to make this a unique situation for Bergen and make sure it's special for her and to end up with a win,” Pierce said.

In addition to the match, the Reilly family hosted a team dinner on Friday night in Sioux Falls. While traditionally those are at the family’s house, their basement is being renovated, so the team had to gather at a different venue.

“It's always really important to me and to the culture of our program that when we're in hometowns, to go to our players’ houses or spend time with their families,” NU coach Dani Busboom Kelly said. “I think that just helps get to know each other way better. It was a nice night last night.”

Kicked off spring ball with a W! 🌸🧹 pic.twitter.com/lLO0sRoL7h
— Nebraska Volleyball (@HuskerVB) April 11, 2026

After the match, more than 50 people gathered with Reilly on the court for a supersized group photo. They would have continued showering Reilly with praise and memories until an arena employee cleared the floor to tear down the volleyball court.

Busboom Kelly said she was impressed with how Reilly handled the event and expectations. She said a lot of people from Sioux Falls make the trip to Lincoln to watch Reilly and the Huskers play, so it was nice to return the favor.

In her first year working with Reilly, Busboom Kelly said she has developed a strong connection with her setter. They talk frequently, and Reilly has a good pulse on the team and always gives Busboom Kelly honest answers.

“She's been somebody I can really trust, and we have a lot of conversations,” Busboom Kelly said. “That really helps as a new coach coming into a program, and it just bleeds into the rest of the team. For me, personally, she's meant a great deal, and without the way she is, I don't think we'd be sitting here after having one loss in a year and a half.”

The exhibition kicks off Reilly’s final year in the program, although she’s still in denial about that fact. Before the match, she received a text from her former coach, John Cook. He reminded Reilly that when he was recruiting her, she said she wanted to put Sioux Falls on the volleyball map.

Saturday’s exhibition was another step in that process. Tickets sold out in minutes, and the arena was full of volleyball fans cheering for strong play from both teams.

“I think it's really going in the right direction, and it makes me really happy to see,” Reilly said.