Sheldon: 3 Quick Sideouts from Nebraska's 3-0 Win over Lipscomb

More like two thoughts and a question as NU flexed its depth, prepare for a big match vs Kentucky on Sunday.

Skyler Pierce and her teammates celebrate a Nebraska point against Lipscomb. | Nebraska Athletics

Nebraska flexed its depth

With 17 players, this has to be one of the biggest rosters in Nebraska program history. But the flip side of the Huskers’ talented, deep bench is how do you find opportunity to play everyone?

Playing time keeps everyone engaged. It’s great for morale. It incentivizes working hard in practice. And, in theory, it keeps eyes from wandering toward the transfer portal come December.

But volleyball is a difficult sport to find garbage time in. With a best three-of-five set format, the score resets to 0-0 throughout the match. You can’t do like in football or basketball and build a huge first-half lead, then turn the game over to your reserves with an insurmountable cushion.

Dani Busboom Kelly, however, committed to her back-ups early on and rode plenty of younger players in the second half of the match, trusting the talented but inexperienced portions of her roster to finish out the 3-0 win over Lipscomb.

Campbell Flynn played the second and third sets on Friday vs Lipscomb. | Amarillo Mullen

Freshman setter Campbell Flynn saw her most extensive playing time so far, setting the final two sets. NU hit .258 with Flynn setting over Games 2 and 3.

Two more freshmen stood out. We got the long-awaited debut of redshirt freshman outside hitter Skyler Pierce, who put away six kills against just one error on her 15 swings. Pierce, who earned MVP honors in the 2024 Under Armour All-American match, showed off a whip-fast arm and dynamic leaping ability.

I get the sense she’s going to, at least, make an impact off the bench this season if one of the Huskers’ starting outsides is struggling. You wonder if she’ll get more time - maybe a start - next weekend against Wright State or Cal in the Ameritas Players Challenge.

Freshman middle blocker Manaia Ogbechie also made her season debut with five kills on nine error-free swings. She also added a block.

It would be a very rare freshman to get noticed behind NU’s starting middles Andi Jackson and Rebekah Allick. But, Ogbechie’s performances in the Red-White scrimmage and alumni match showed glimpses of greatness. Ogbechie is going to be a fun player to watch over the next several seasons.

Nebraska volleyball middle blocker Manaia Ogbechie had five kills Friday at Lipscomb. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

The only Huskers who didn’t get in the match Friday were a trio of freshmen who may be headed for redshirts - opposite hitter Ryan Hunter, middle blocker Kenna Cogill, and defensive specialist Keri Leimbach.

Back row continues to shine

We mentioned on “Volleyball Late,” our postgame reaction show, that Nebraska has an embarrassment of riches at a number of positions. 

One of those is in the back row, where junior libero Laney Choboy and sophomore defensive specialist Olivia Mauch continue to smother opposing attacks.

Nebraska DS/Libero Laney Choboy collects a dig during the second set of the AVCA First Serve vs. Pittsburgh. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

The pair combined for 26 digs on Friday as the Huskers won the dig battle over Lipscomb 43-25.

Nebraska has out-dug its three opponents this season, 145-102, helping lead the Huskers to a +50 point differential.

Nebraska DS/Libero Olivia Mauch goes low for a dig during the third set of the first match of the AVCA First Serve vs. Pittsburgh. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Penn State and Texas - with Indiana transfer libero Ramsey Gary joining returning starter Emma Halter - may be the only teams in the country that can match Nebraska’s back row talent. 

The pair will get tested on Sunday against Kentucky. Speaking of….

Will Nebraska’s experience help vs Kentucky?

The Huskers will have played three matches already, including a pair against top-10 opponents, before Kentucky makes its season debut Saturday against this same Lipscomb team.

The Wildcats will match up with the Bison(s) at 2 p.m. Saturday, and if that match finishes around 4:00, then Kentucky will have about 19 hours before an 11 a.m. Sunday first serve against Nebraska.

Will the Huskers’ head start lead be an advantage against a Kentucky team that has lots of talent - especially at outside hitter - but little experience playing together?

The Wildcats return one of the nation’s best outside hitters - junior Brooklyn DeLeye - the reigning SEC player of the year. And with her, they added one of the country’s top transfers in Eva Hudson, whose departure from Purdue after last season set off a shocking exodus in West Lafayette that included fellow outside hitter Chloe Chicoine (now at Louisville).

Breaking news: Brooklyn DeLeye is still good at the volleyball game.

📺 SEC Network
💻 https://t.co/LUzaoSi72l
📊 https://t.co/6gGhrL8sSS#WeAreUK x @SEC pic.twitter.com/Zb4Xesqvtv

— Kentucky Volleyball (@KentuckyVB) October 3, 2024

Both current Kentucky outsides had big matches against Nebraska last season. DeLeye had 19 kills on 58 attacks in the 2024 season opener, which the Huskers won in four sets.

Hudson roasted Nebraska for 26 kills and hit .349 last year, but NU still (somehow) managed to find a way to hold off Purdue 17-15 in the fifth set. The Huskers escaped the Boilermakers despite being out-hit .311 to .242 and out-blocked 15 to 5.5.

Kentucky will be breaking in a new setter to distribute to DeLeye and Hudson, either redshirt sophomore Ava Sarafa or true freshman Kassie O’Brien. 

Nebraska Volleyball 2025 Schedule

• Aug. 9 Red 3, White 1
• Aug. 16 Nebraska 3, Alumni 1
• Aug. 22 Nebraska 3, Pittsburgh 1
• Aug. 24 Nebraska 3, Stanford 0
• Aug. 29 Nebraska 3, Lipscomb 0
• Aug. 31 vs. Kentucky (Broadway Block Party in Nashville) 11 a.m. ABC
• Sept. 5 vs. Wright State 7 p.m.
• Sept. 7 vs. California 1 p.m. BTN
• Sept. 12 vs. Utah 6 p.m. FS1
• Sept. 13 vs. Grand Canyon 6 p.m. NPM
• Sept. 16 at Creighton 6:30 p.m. FS1
• Sept. 20 vs. Arizona BTN
• Sept. 24 vs Michigan 6 p.m. BTN
• Sept. 27 vs. Maryland 3 p.m. NPM
• Oct. 3 at Penn State 7 p.m. FOX
• Oct. 4 at Rutgers
• Oct. 10 vs. Washington 8 p.m. BTN
• Oct. 12 at Purdue
• Oct. 17 at Michigan State
• Oct. 19 at Michigan 1 p.m.
• Oct. 24 vs. Northwestern NPM
• Oct. 25 vs. Michigan State 7:30 p.m. BTN
• Oct. 31 at Wisconsin 8 p.m. BTN
• Nov. 2 vs. Oregon 1 p.m. BTN
• Nov. 6 vs. Illinois 7 p.m. FS1
• Nov. 8 at Minnesota 2:30 p.m. NBC
• Nov. 14 at UCLA BTN
• Nov. 16 at USC 2 p.m. B1G+
• Nov. 20 vs. Iowa FS1
• Nov. 22 at Indiana
• Nov. 28 vs. Penn State 5:30 p.m. BTN
• Nov. 29 vs. Ohio State BTN

Home matches are bolded. All times central.

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