Volleyball State: The Latest on the Huskers with Nebraska Director of Operations Lindsay Peterson

On the latest Volleyball state, Lincoln Arneal and Jeff Sheldon talked with long-time Nebraska Director of Volleyball Operations Lindsay Peterson about how her job has changed over the years and adjusting from John Cook to Dani Busboom Kelly. Plus, updates on the surging Omaha Supernovas and the struggling LOVB Omaha.

They also spoke about Nebraska volleyball's spring indoor practice. Below is a lightly edited transcript of their discussion.

Jeff: We are now officially into the month of April, which means Nebraska's indoor spring season has started, even though we're not going to see the Huskers on the court till the end of the month. Nebraska, for the first time in like ten years, is going to play two spring exhibition matches. It starts April 26 against Kansas at the Devaney Center, as part of Nebraska's Husker games that's sort of replacing the spring football weekend. That's April 26.

And then the next Saturday, May 3, they're going to be playing South Dakota State out in Ord, Nebraska, home of the Chanticleers. And that sounds like it was set up through like John Cook's cowboy connections, maybe?

Lincoln: Like you said, the first time they've never done this in the Devaney Center era. The last year they played spring matches might have been earlier that year actually, because they lost to Creighton in the last ever volleyball match – it was an exhibition – volleyball match in the Coliseum. So, for the first time they're playing two spring matches.

But I think for this team, it's good to play two. One, because Dani Busboom Kelly gets to make her debut in Devaney in front of a little bit bigger audience. And like you said, I think to me, everything going on that weekend with the Husker games – there's no Husker football game – this to me is the crown jewel. This to me is the highlight of the weekend as well.

Nebraska Cornhuskers volleyball head coach Dani Busboom Kelly and former coach John Cook. — Jan 30, 2025; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers volleyball head coach Dani Busboom Kelly and former coach John Cook embrace while being recognized during a break in the first half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Pinnacle Bank Arena. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

And like you said, yeah, then Ord does the continuing of the Nebraska volleyball tour. So, there's a lot going on. We haven't had any availability yet with the volleyball team. They started indoor practices last week. So, we haven't had a chance to talk to them, see what's going on, but there's a lot of intrigue going on because it is a very transitional time.

And you're also changing a head coach as well too. I mean, we can talk about the biggest thing we're interested in seeing and kind of the plot lines to watch. Hopefully we get some media availability. So hopefully we'll get we'll get there eventually. There’s some things that we're kind of looking to see in both those matches and also just kind of through practices as well, too.

So, I guess the biggest question I have for the spring is who's going to play opposite in those two matches too? Because it's not like they can just do a trial run for the spring because there's two factors that weigh into this.

One, Ryan Hunter coming off of a knee surgery. She tore some ligaments in her knee almost a year ago now. She did not play beach season. So, they're still kind of taking the precautious approach to that, to make sure that she's back at full health too. And think the other factor with that too is Allie Sczech, is a graduate transfer from Baylor who plays opposite. She's an All-Big 12 level performer, but she's finishing her undergraduate degree at Baylor and won't join Nebraska till the spring.

So those are the two people who I think are the most obvious candidates to start this fall, but one's not here. One, I don't know what her health is, where she is. Ryan Hunter was cleared in December to start volleyball activity. I don't know what, but you have to play an opposite. So I don't know if she's going to be ready to play by the end of the month or if they're going to move one of their other left hands or whether it be Skyler Pierce or someone else.

Jeff: Yeah, I could see them moving Skyler Pierce, the redshirt freshmen over there, and giving her maybe an extended tryout in the spring. I think you probably will see Ryan Hunter, maybe not for more than two sets, if they want to still kind of limit her jumps. You could also put Taylor Landfair over there and give her a little bit more of an extended tryout on the right. I mean, this is a nice situation if you want to look for a silver lining in this and Sczech not being here until the summer, it gives Dani Busboom Kelly audition periods that she could check out who might also be effective over there on the right.

One of the other things I'm interested in seeing is Nebraska's outside hitters. I think we have a known quantity with Harper Murray, obviously, but outside of that, you know, who is going to be [Nebraska’s] go-to performer? I was I was talking with someone who follows the program pretty close a couple of weeks ago and they said, “you know, Nebraska is going to come into the season with two great players; Harper Murray and Andi Jackson, two proven great players.” Who's going to be the third or the fourth that steps up? And so that kind of starts now in front of a fresh set of eyes with Dani Busboom Kelly.

Left to right, Andi Jackson, Bergen Reilly, Harper Murray and Rebekah Allick talk to the media. — Left to right, Andi Jackson, Bergen Reilly, Harper Murray and Rebekah Allick talk to the media after Dani Busboom Kelly's introduction. | Amarillo Mullen

You know, Skyler Pierce is going to have her say over there on the left. So will the true freshman, Teraya Sigler, who arrived early in the spring, the number one recruit by a couple of services. So, Nebraska's definitely got some potential over there on the left side. It's going to be really interesting to see who fights it out over the spring and the summer on and who starts the AVCA showcase, because I think Harper Murray is definitely kind of penciled in at one spot, but then a couple other spots are up for grabs.

On this week's I-80 LIVE, Josh Peterson and Jack Mitchell discuss the recent Husker football discourse and if there's too much football talk.

Lincoln: What I'm most interested in, and you heard Lindsay [Peterson] talk about this a little bit of the leadership of the team too; Who’s going to step up and fill that void? I mean, Merritt Beason, Lexi Rodriguez are gone. They both served as captains for the last two years. Who's going to step up into that role? I have my kind of predictions too. I think just from voices you've heard within the program, strong personalities, and also the roles they play on the team. I think Bergen Reilly will be an important person to step up into that.

You may see other people like Rebekah Allick. I remember talking with her when she was a freshman, how being a captain at Nebraska was something she was really passionate about and was striving to do. Harper Murray, think has played a very important role over the past year in just kind of her personal growth and also set an example for the younger people on her team and just kind of what she's been able to do as far as finding her voice over the last few months.

So I think you could see a couple options there, but I think those to me are the most obvious ones.

Jeff: And I imagine you're not going to know who the captains are until the early fall, maybe once we're into fall practice just a bit. Although I've been wrong about this before, I do love the idea of when your setter is a captain. I think the person who handles the ball the most should be in a leadership position if it's kind of within their personality. I would love to see if Bergen Reilly, being a team captain, took kind of the responsibilities that she already has on the team.

Lincoln: Yeah. And also, she's on the court all six rotations too. If someone like your middle blocker or last year you saw Merritt Beason was only playing front row. There's times when you don't have any captains on the court too. And you get into a rut and the wrong rotation; you need one of those strong voices.

Watch the whole podcast below!

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