Storylines to Watch: Nebraska Volleyball Alumni Match
Nebraska volleyball’s dress rehearsal has arrived. The 2025 Huskers are going head-to-head with a team of Nebraska alumni.
The match starts at 6 p.m. CT on Saturday, Aug. 16 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Nebraska Public Media and B1G+ will broadcast the match.
Head coach Dani Busboom Kelly will roll out their first true starting lineup on Saturday. In the Red-White Scrimmage, they played eight different lineups in the four-set match.
Here are three storylines to watch during the alumni match:
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2025 Huskers have the organizational edge
The alumni team, coached by Renee Saunders, will practice 30 minutes before the match. The group highlighted by setter Kelly (Hunter) Natter, outside hitter Jordan Larson and many other great former Huskers.
Natter will have 30 minutes to establish an offense with her attackers. Luckily for the alumni, they’ve all played for head coach John Cook who has kept a similar system throughout his time at Nebraska. Natter played with Annika (Albrecht) Moulder, Lauren Stivrins and Kenzie Maloney. She coached Lindsay Krause, Ally Batenhorst and Leyla Blackwell.
Busboom Kelly is confident her team will have the edge when it comes to organization and chemistry. But the alumni are not strangers.
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More efficient offense
Nebraska’s setter battle could be closer than people think. Freshman Campbell Flynn is really pushing two-year returning starter Bergen Reilly. Their head coach is positive the Huskers have the best setter group in the country.
Reilly and Flynn struggled setting behind them during the Red-White Scrimmage. But keep in mind that Nebraska hadn’t even had a week of practice. The offense and chemistry with new attackers will develop as the season continues.
“The setters have a lot of work to do,” Busboom Kelly said. “We’re setting the middle great. I think our tempo needs to smoothen out a little bit, and we had to get a little bit more consistent behind to our right sides and our slides.”
Nebraska will have a starting setter on Saturday. Watch how she connects with all of her attackers. If the battle is close, it could come down to leadership and connect with the starting attackers.
Libero battle continues
Another exhibition brings a new opportunity to watch Nebraska’s two libero candidates battle it out. Junior Laney Choboy and sophomore Olivia Mauch were excellent in the Red-White Scrimmage.
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Choboy had 17 digs and Mauch added 16 digs. Both recorded five assists while Mauch served an ace. Busboom Kelly said Choboy, along with opposite hitter Virginia Adriano, has consistently been one of Nebraska’s best servers in practice. Mauch tallied 21 aces as a freshman.
The most important skill for a libero is passing. Notice how much the setter moves when Choboy and Mauch pass.
Busboom Kelly and her staff have to pick a starting libero for set one vs. the alumni. But I expect to see both defenders in an off-color jersey.
RELATED: Nebraska Alumni Match provides necessary test for 2025 Huskers
Which pin-hitters make an impact?
Nebraska has several attackers battling for two starting jobs. They have a chance to prove themselves again in the alumni match.
On the left pin, Harper Murray is sitting pretty as the Huskers’ six-rotation outside hitter. Senior Taylor Landfair, redshirt freshman Skyler Pierce and true freshman Teraya Sigler are neck-and-neck competing for the OH2 job. Landfair has an edge with talent. However, Sigler and Pierce are keeping the competitive extremely close.
“The line is so thin between our top outside and our fourth outside. It’s razor thin,” Busboom Kelly said.
On the opposite pin, Adriano and Baylor transfer Allie Sczech are the front runners. The two have nearly exactly the same stats in practice. But who can perform best when the pressure is on?
