The Huskers Are Making the Most of New Practice Location as They Gear Up for Exhibitions

As her senior year begins, Bergen Reilly is having flashbacks to her club days.

With the Devaney Center and its locker room under construction, Nebraska volleyball has moved its practice area to a corner of the Kinetic Sports Complex, which is also home to VC Nebraska, where Reilly served as a coach last year.

Reilly said she’s relied on a lesson she learned from former coach John Cook: the great ones adjust. The 6-foot-1 setter said the transition to practicing outside their normal routine has been seamless.

“It’s not Devaney, but a volleyball court’s a volleyball court,” Reilly said. “It almost feels a little more relaxing. We still come in, and we compete every day. The vibes in this gym make it a little bit different. It’s been fun.”

Construction in Devaney began in late February, with the locker room and the removal of seats in the end sections of the upper bowl. Following the high school boys basketball state tournament, the work expanded to the rest of John Cook Arena, where all the seats will be replaced and additional seating will be installed.

NU coach Dani Busboom Kelly said they’ve had to get used to the new facility. The coaches still have access to their offices in Devaney, but the space is a “dusty, loud mess right now,” so Busboom Kelly said they are opting to work from other places.

“I don’t think it’s bad to go through a little adversity and some changes and have to be out of our comfort zone for the spring,” she said. “It’s been working out really well, and I feel like we’re getting a lot of work done.”

Nebraska laid a Taraflex court on half of their practice area, which makes it feel more like home. However, the Huskers have lost their social hub without their locker room, where they would often hang out before and after practices. They still have access to a visitor’s locker room in Devaney, but they don’t use it that often.

The construction work inside John Cook Arena is already underway. Both end areas have the seats removed and the All-American names were taken down. It will really get going next week after state boys basketball tournament. The Nebraska locker room is also curtained off. pic.twitter.com/OKM2E8As3Y
— Lincoln Arneal (@Lincoln_VB) March 11, 2026

This spring, they come in for morning practice, put in their work and leave quickly, often to get to class and other obligations.

Spring is a good time to build relationships and get to know the new players on their roster. Reilly said without their social hub of the locker room, they’ve had to be more intentional to create opportunities to hang out. She said they plan to eat more meals together.

Despite the break from routine and the temporary practice setup, Reilly and her teammates were making the most of the new opportunities, knowing they are only temporary.

“It’s been good for us to have to go through that stuff,” she said. “We obviously know what the end goal is, too. We get a pretty cool locker room and 1,500 more seats, so we’re excited for that.”

Spring Sprint

Because of their beach season, Nebraska’s spring schedule is a bit truncated.

After the beach season wrapped up on March 21, NU took a few days off before getting back indoors for practice. From the first official practice until the final spring exhibition on April 25, the Huskers only have four and a half weeks.

Although the exhibitions are coming quickly, Busboom Kelly said they are ready for them. She said they aren’t focused on the outcomes but want to get everyone on the court, experience the environment and play against someone different.

“It’s sort of like a glorified practice,” Busboom Kelly said. “Not only do we get to play against an opponent, but in front of fans and have that added pressure and a different vibe. I think that’s what this team needs. And when we’re ready for things, we need to continue to push them and not hold them back.”

Nebraska volleyball players celebrate during a 4-0 win over South Dakota State at Ord High School on May 3, 2025. The Huskers will play three spring exhibitions this year. | Nebraska Athletics

Over the last several years under John Cook, Nebraska would play only one spring match, usually in a Nebraska town outside Lincoln. Last year, the Huskers played two spring matches under Busboom Kelly and are scheduled for three exhibitions this season.

“In previous years, spring could get kind of long as you’re just training day after day and not really training for something,” Reilly said. “We’re really excited we get to play some great teams. I think we’re all pretty pumped to get to go to three different places and play some good teams.”

As a result of the short window, Busboom Kelly integrated more skill instruction during the beach season to avoid months between indoor sessions. Busboom Kelly said their goals this spring are to hit harder and serve tougher.

The Huskers are also integrating three freshmen (Gabby DiVita, Jayden Robinson and Keoni Williams) into the roster. The goal of the spring is to get them up to speed on the drills and start building relationships with their teammates.

Another benefit this season is the ability to focus more on volleyball. Last year, the players, coaches and staff were all getting used to Busboom Kelly and vice versa. They know each other better, and Busboom Kelly said she can push them more now that they have a relationship.

“She definitely had some growing pains, and we did too. It’s a big change,” Reilly said. “She’s feeling a lot more comfortable, too, really coaching us hard, and I think that’s really good for us.”

Wrigley Tickets Go on Sale Thursday

Coming this September: Big Ten/SEC Volleyball Challenge Week!

Featuring a doubleheader at iconic Wrigley Field 😍

More info ➡️ https://t.co/02HY5lcJtT pic.twitter.com/q7nuxA8hso
— Big Ten Conference (@bigten) March 30, 2026

Presales for tickets for Nebraska’s match against Missouri at Wrigley Field are underway. The general public can purchase tickets on Thursday for the event, which also features Penn State playing Kentucky.

Bubsoom Kelly said she had nothing to do with arranging the match. The charge to set up the event at the Chicago Cubs’ home was primarily driven by the Big Ten Conference and was well underway before she arrived at Nebraska last year.

“It’ll be really unique and really fun and a big deal to play in one of the most historic and well-known sports venues in the world,” she said. “I’m a little skeptical of the weather, so we will see how that turns out in Chicago in September.”