NEB VB: Huskers Begin NCAA Tournament at Home Against LIU
PREVIEW
• The top-ranked Nebraska volleyball team was selected as the No. 1 overall seed for the 2025 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship and will host the first and second rounds at John Cook Arena at the Bob Devaney Sports Center this Friday and Saturday.
• The Huskers, who are making their 44th straight NCAA Tournament appearance and hosting the first round for the 40th time, will open the tournament on Friday against Long Island University (20-8), champions of the Northeast Conference.
• The 4:30 p.m. match will feature San Diego (25-4) of the West Coast Conference and Kansas State (17-9) of the Big 12. Nebraska and LIU will begin 30 minutes after the conclusion of the 4:30 p.m. match.
• Friday’s winners will meet in the second round on Saturday at 7 p.m.
• All first and second round matches will be streamed on ESPN+.
• Huskers Radio Network will broadcast all the action on their volleyball affiliate stations, on Huskers.com and on the Huskers App. John Baylor and Lauren Cook West will be on the call.
ABOUT THE HUSKERS
• Nebraska (30-0) finished the regular season unbeaten for the third time in school history (1994 and 2000), dropping only seven sets overall and one in Big Ten play.
• The Huskers won their 37th all-time conference title and third straight Big Ten title with a perfect 20-0 record in conference play. It was the Huskers’ first unbeaten conference season since 2004 in the Big 12.
• Nebraska’s 30 straight wins is the fourth longest win streak in school history. The Huskers also hold a nation-leading home court win streak of 60 matches, the third-longest home win streak in program history. Nebraska has won 26 consecutive NCAA Tournament matches played in the Devaney Center, a school record.
• Nebraska has now won 37 conference titles all-time, including six in the Big Ten (2011, 2016, 2017, 2023, 2024, 2025).
• The Huskers have won three straight conference titles for the first time since 2004-08.
• Dani Busboom Kelly became the first volleyball coach in Big Ten history to win the conference title in the first year as head coach at the school. John Cook won a Big Ten title at Nebraska in his first year in the conference in 2011, but it was his 12th season as head coach at Nebraska at the time.
• Nebraska has had win streaks of 25 or more matches in three straight seasons: 27 in 2023, 25 in 2024 and now 30 in 2025.
• Nebraska has hit over .400 seven times this season. The only other Husker team in the rally scoring era to go over .400 more times in a season is the 2005 team (eight times).
• Nebraska is 86-0 this season in sets when reaching the red zone (20 points) first.
• NU’s offense ranks first nationally with a .352 hitting percentage. The Huskers haven’t hit better than .300 in a season since 2007 (.327). The school record for hitting percentage in a season is .331 in 1986.
• The Huskers rank first nationally in opponent hitting percentage at .125. NU led the nation in opponent hitting percentage in 2022 and 2023 and was sixth in 2024.
• The gap between Nebraska’s hitting percentage and opponent hitting percentage is .227, by far the best in the nation. The next closest is American (.161) and Pittsburgh (.143).
• Nebraska ranks fourth nationally in kills per set at 14.70.
• The Huskers are seventh nationally in assists per set at 13.45
• Nebraska ranks 16th nationally with 2.73 blocks per set.
• Over the last five seasons (2021-25), Dani Busboom Kelly has a 150-15 record for a .909 winning percentage, which is the best by any Division I head coach in that span.
• Nebraska swept 15 matches in a row and won 48 sets in a row from late September through mid-November. Both were the longest such streaks since the 2007 team swept 17 matches in a row and won 53 sets in a row.
• Nebraska played 24 sets in the month of October and went 24-0. In only two sets did an opponent reach 20 points (at Purdue - 23 in set one, and at Michigan State - 20 in set three).
• Nebraska’s non-conference schedule included matches against three top-10 teams and five ranked teams. The Huskers went 3-0 against top-10 teams and 5-0 against ranked teams. Overall, NU is 12-0 against ranked teams this season.
ROTATION RUNDOWN
• Junior setter Bergen Reilly orchestrates the balanced Husker attack with 10.31 assists per set and is an AVCA Player of the Year Semifinalist. Reilly was named Big Ten Player of the Year and Big Ten Setter of the Year, as well as All-Big Ten First Team for the third time.
• Behind Reilly’s setting, the Huskers are on pace for a single-season school record with a .352 team hitting percentage, which ranks first nationally and is the best hitting percentage by a Big Ten team since 2009 Penn State.
• Reilly has set Nebraska to a .400 or better hitting percentage seven times this season. Only the 2005 Huskers had more matches over .400 (eight times).
• A standout defensive player, Reilly is a huge reason the Huskers rank first nationally in opponent hitting percentage (.125). She is second on the team in digs (2.73 per set) and has 59 blocks.
• Reilly has double-doubles in all five of the Husker matches that have gone longer than three sets, and she has three double-doubles in sweeps. She also has 65 kills on a .400 attack percentage and has 14 aces.
• Of Reilly’s top five attacking options, all five average at least 2.06 kills per set, and all five are having career-best years hitting at least .287 or better. Four of the five have hitting percentages over .300.
• A two-time Big Ten Setter of the Year and AVCA All-American, Reilly has been named Big Ten Setter of the Week four times this season and 13 times in her career.
• Reilly ranks No. 3 in school history in career assists in the rally scoring era with 3,562.
• Reilly’s career assists per set average of 10.66 ranks No. 4 among active Division I players and No. 2 in school history in the rally scoring era.
• Outside hitter Harper Murray is having a sensational junior season. The two-time AVCA All-American leads the balanced Huskers with career highs of 3.55 kills per set and a .304 hitting percentage. She earned All-Big Ten First Team honors for the third time.
• Murray averages 2.15 digs per set and has a team-high 28 aces along with 56 blocks for a team-leading 4.21 points per set, and she is an AVCA Player of the Year Semifinalist.
• One of the best passers in the nation at her position, Murray has 348 reception attempts on the season and is passing 2.50.
• A Big Ten Player of the Week honoree this season, Murray has 1,132 career kills, which ranks 21st in school history. She needs 18 more to move into the top 20 all-time at NU.
• Murray is seventh in school history in the rally scoring era in career aces with 103.
• Junior middle blocker Andi Jackson is averaging 2.75 kills per set on .471 hitting with 1.13 blocks per set and is an AVCA Player of the Year Semifinalist. Jackson was chosen to the All-Big Ten First Team for the second straight year.
• Jackson’s hitting percentage leads the nation and ranks as the second-best single-season hitting percentage in school history behind Tracy Stalls (.473 in 2007).
• In conference-only matches, Jackson hit .559 to break the Big Ten record for hitting percentage in conference-only matches in a season, which was .541 by Arielle Wilson from Penn State in 2008.
• The reigning AVCA All-American has a career hitting percentage of .437, which is the No. 1 mark in school history and the No. 1 mark among active Division I players.
• Jackson earned Big Ten Player of the Week, Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week and AVCA First Serve Match MVP honors this season.
• Senior middle blocker Rebekah Allick is having the best season of her standout career with 2.52 kills per set on .431 hitting with a team-high 1.33 blocks per set. She earned All-Big Ten First Team accolades for the first time.
• Allick’s blocks per set and hitting percentage rank third in the Big Ten, and the latter ranks 11th nationally.
• Allick’s .431 hitting percentage ranks as the No. 6 single-season mark in school history.
• Allick ranks No. 5 in career blocks at Nebraska in the rally scoring era with 531, which also ranks No. 4 among active Division I players.
• Allick has been named AVCA National Player of the Week, a two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, and to the AVCA All-First Serve Team.
• Allick was on the AVCA Player of the Year Watch List at the midway point of the season.
• Senior outside hitter Taylor Landfair averages 2.06 kills per set and is hitting a career-best .320 and was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team.
• In Big Ten play, Landfair’s numbers are even better at 2.08 kills per set with a .355 hitting percentage.
• Landfair has 1,517 career kills, which ranks 19th among active Division I players.
• A 2022 AVCA All-American, Landfair has played in 149 career matches, the most by any active DI player.
• Junior libero Laney Choboy leads the Huskers in digs at 2.74 per set and was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team.
• Choboy was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 10 after a career-high 20 digs against Illinois and 15 digs at Minnesota.
• Choboy was also on the AVCA All-First Serve Team in August after 16 digs against Pittsburgh.
• Freshman opposite hitter Virginia Adriano was chosen to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team, averaging 2.21 kills per set with a .287 hitting percentage in her first season playing volleyball in America.
• Adriano also contributes 0.62 blocks per set and has 13 service aces on the year.
• In Big Ten play, Adriano came on strong with 2.34 kills per set on .318 hitting.
• Adriano was a two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week.
• Sophomore libero Olivia Mauch ranks third on the team in digs per set at 2.47 and is tied for second with 16 aces with 335 serve attempts, second most on the team.
• Mauch recorded a career-high 16 digs with seven set assists and one ace in a 3-2 win at No. 18 Creighton.
• Mauch leads Nebraska’s back row in passing at 2.77.
SCOUTING LIU
• LIU (20-8, 15-1 NEC) won the NEC Tournament title, 3-1 over St. Francis, to punch its ticket to the NCAA Tournament.
• Sara van Gisteren leads the Sharks with 3.92 kills per set and ranks 20th nationally with 52 aces on the year.
• Yasmeen Muhammad (2.23 kills per set) ranks third in the nation with a .453 hitting percentage.
• Karly Klaer (10.06 assists per set) was the NEC Setter of the Year, and Miabella Musignac (4.01 digs per set) was the NEC Defensive Player of the Year.
SCOUTING San Diego
• San Diego (25-4, 18-0 WCC) has won 18 matches in a row, the sixth-longest win streak in the nation.
• Nemo Beach leads the Toreros with 3.99 kills per set and has served 36 aces.
• Isabel Clark adds 3.22 kills per set.
• Setter Kylie Munday puts up 9.98 assists per set.
• Libero Olivia Bennett contributes 3.76 digs per set.
SCOUTING KANSAS STATE
• Kansas State (17-9, 10-8 Big 12) is back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021.
• Lincoln native Shaylee Myers ranks ninth nationally with 4.76 kills per set, which led the Big 12.
• Aniya Clinton adds 3.69 kills per set, and Avery Stones chips in 2.71 kills per set.
• Setter Ava LeGrand paces the attack with 10.15 assists per set, and libero Symone Sims provides 4.08 digs per set.
SERIES HISTORY
• Nebraska will be playing LIU for the second time ever. The teams met in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Lincoln in 2023 - a 25-13, 25-16, 25-22 Husker win.
• Nebraska is 6-0 against San Diego. The last meeting was a 3-2 Husker win in 2019 in San Diego. NU is 3-0 against the Toreros all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
• Nebraska is 83-4 against Kansas State. The last meeting was Sept. 3, 2023 - a Husker sweep. The teams are 1-1 head-to-head in NCAA Tournament matches. The last time they met in the NCAA Tournament was Dec. 2, 2011 when the Wildcats upset the Huskers in five sets in a second round match in Lincoln.
HUSKERS HAUL IN BIG TEN POSTSEASON HONORS
• After completing the Big Ten’s first 20-0 campaign since 2009, the Nebraska volleyball program was well represented in the Big Ten Volleyball Postseason Honors announced on Tuesday.
• Junior setter Bergen Reilly was named the Big Ten Player of the Year and Big Ten Setter of the Year. Head Coach Dani Busboom Kelly was voted Big Ten Coach of the Year by both the coaches and media.
• Reilly was joined on the All-Big Ten First Team by Rebekah Allick, Andi Jackson and Harper Murray. Jackson, Murray and Reilly were three of nine unanimous selections.
• Laney Choboy and Taylor Landfair were selected to the All-Big Ten Second Team. Virginia Adriano was named to the All-Freshman Team, and Maisie Boesiger earned a Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
• Reilly became the first setter to win Big Ten Player of the Year since Samantha Seliger-Swenson in 2018. She is Nebraska’s second-ever Big Ten Player of the Year (Kelsey Robinson, 2013) and the first Husker setter to earn conference player of the year since Greichaly Cepero in 2002. Reilly also became the second player in Big Ten history to be named Big Ten Setter of the Year three times (Sydney Hilley, Wisconsin).
• In her first year as head coach at Nebraska, Busboom Kelly has made history with a 30-0 regular-season record and 20-0 mark in Big Ten play. She was voted Big Ten Coach of the Year after becoming the first coach to win a Big Ten volleyball conference title in the first year as head coach at the school. Busboom Kelly has won four conference coach of the year honors in the last six years, as she was a three-time ACC Coach of the Year at Louisville (2020, 2021, 2022). Busboom Kelly has had two undefeated regular seasons in her nine-year coaching career (2021 at Louisville).
• Reilly and Murray are three-time All-Big Ten First Team selections. Jackson earned her third career All-Big Ten honor and second selection to the first team. Allick earned her third career All-Big Ten honor, but her first selection to the first team.
• Landfair is a four-time All-Big Ten honoree, while Choboy was named All-Big Ten for the first time in her career.
HOME SWEET HOME
• Nebraska has won 60 home matches in a row dating back to Dec. 1, 2022, which is the longest active streak in the nation. It is the sixth-longest streak in NCAA history.
• The Huskers’ home court win streak is its longest since moving into the Devaney Center in 2013, and it’s the third-longest home court win streak in program history.
• Nebraska’s longest all-time home win streak was 90 matches from 2004-09. Nebraska’s second-longest home win streak is 63 matches from 1999-2002.
• Penn State holds the all-time record of 94 from 2006-10.
• The Huskers went 22-0 at home in 2024, a school record for home wins in a season.
• Nebraska has won 26 consecutive NCAA Tournament matches played in the Devaney Center, a school record.
THREE HUSKERS ARE AVCA POTY SEMIFINALISTS
• Three Huskers are among the remaining 14 players eligible to be named AVCA Player of the Year. Andi Jackson, Harper Murray and Bergen Reilly were all named semifinalists.
• Jackson, a middle blocker, and Reilly, a setter, are the only players at their respective positions still in contention.
• Finalists will be announced on Dec. 15, and the Player of the Year Award will be presented in Kansas City at the AVCA Awards Banquet on Friday, Dec. 19.
BIG RED WINS BIG TEN DISCOVER CHALLENGE
• The Nebraska volleyball team collected the first-ever Big Ten Discover Challenge trophy in the month of October.
• Five selected matches for each Big Ten team played on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays in October counted toward the challenge standings.
• Nebraska and Purdue both went 5-0, but the Huskers won the tiebreaker with a perfect 15-0 record in sets.
BUSBOOM KELLY DEBUTS AS NEW HEAD COACH
• Nebraska native Dani Busboom Kelly was named the fourth head coach in program history on Jan. 29, 2025 by Nebraska Director of Athletics Troy Dannen. Busboom Kelly succeeds her former coach and mentor, John Cook, who announced his retirement following the 2024 season after 25 seasons as Nebraska’s head volleyball coach.
• A Husker national champion player and assistant coach, Busboom Kelly spent eight years (2017-24) building Louisville into a national power. The Cardinals reached two NCAA Championship matches, three NCAA Semifinals, five regional finals and won four ACC titles.
• Busboom Kelly compiled a 203-44 (.822) record in her eight seasons at Louisville, including a 120-15 (.889) mark from 2021-24, which was the second-best winning percentage in the country during that span. In 2024, the Cardinals reached the NCAA Championship match for the second time in three seasons.
• Busboom Kelly was the starting libero on Nebraska’s 2006 national championship team, and she was an assistant coach when the Huskers won the 2015 national championship in Omaha. She took the helm at Louisville late in 2016 after being named AVCA National Assistant Coach of the Year in her final season as a Husker assistant, and she guided the Cardinals to heights the program had never experienced.
HUSKERS WELCOME EIGHT NEWCOMERS
• Eight of the 17 players on the 2025 roster are newcomers.
• Senior opposite hitter Allie Sczech is the lone transfer the Huskers brought in for 2025. Sczech was a two-time All-Big 12 Second Team performer at Baylor, averaging 2.44 kills per set with a .273 hitting percentage in 2024. Sczech posted a career-high 21 kills and hit .463 in Baylor’s NCAA Tournament second round defeat to Dayton last year. She totaled 754 kills in three seasons at Baylor.
• In addition to Sczech, seven freshmen have joined the fold. Campbell Flynn (6-3, Setter), Ryan Hunter (6-2, Opposite Hitter), Keri Leimbach (5-4, Libero) and Teraya Sigler (6-3, Outside Hitter) all enrolled at Nebraska in January. Virginia Adriano (6-5, Opposite Hitter), Kenna Cogill (6-4, Middle Blocker) and Manaia Ogbechie (6-3, Middle Blocker) joined the Huskers in June.
REGENTS APPROVE NAMING OF JOHN COOK ARENA
• The home of Nebraska Volleyball will now officially bear the name of one of the legendary coaches in the history of the sport, as the University of Nebraska Board of Regents approved the naming of John Cook Arena at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
• Cook retired in January following a remarkable 25-year run as the Huskers’ head coach. He guided the Huskers to four national championships, 12 NCAA Semifinal appearances and 14 conference championships. Cook achieved a career record of 883-176 (.834), the fifth-best winning percentage all-time for a Division I volleyball coach. His record of 722-103 at Nebraska was the best winning percentage (.875) for any DI program from 2000-24.
• In addition to the naming of John Cook Arena at the Bob Devaney Sports Center, the project also includes a bronze statue honoring Cook on the north side of the Devaney Sports Center. Nationally recognized sculpture artist and Nebraska native George Lundeen was commissioned to produce the life-size tribute to Cook and his career.
• The court inside John Cook Arena will continue to hold the name of Terry Pettit Court to recognize Cook’s predecessor and fellow Hall of Famer. Additionally, the full athletics complex will continue to be named the Bob Devaney Sports Center in honor of Nebraska Hall of Fame football coach and long-time athletic director Bob Devaney.
Landfair, Sczech Selected in MLV Draft
• Nebraska volleyball seniors Taylor Landfair and Allie Sczech were selected in the 2025 Major League Volleyball Draft on Nov. 24.
• Landfair was the No. 28 overall pick by the Indy Ignite. One pick later at No. 29, Sczech was selected by the Omaha Supernovas.
HUSKERS SET FOR 23 TV BROADCASTS
• Nebraska volleyball airs on television 23 times this season. The Huskers have 18 national TV appearances on Big Ten Network, FOX, FS1, ABC and ESPN.
• Additionally, Nebraska Public Media was granted the rights to televise the Red-White Scrimmage (Aug. 9), the Alumni Match (Aug. 16), and three regular-season home matches: Grand Canyon (Sept. 13), Maryland (Sept. 27) and Northwestern (Oct. 24).
• All matches that are televised on Nebraska Public Media are also streamed on B1G+. All home matches and Big Ten road matches not selected for TV are streamed on B1G+.
• NU’s match at Lipscomb is available on ESPN+.
FOUR HUSKERS NAMED PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN
• Four student-athletes from the Nebraska volleyball team were named to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team after a vote by the league’s 18 head coaches.
• Juniors Andi Jackson, Harper Murray and Bergen Reilly were three of just five unanimous selections to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team. They were joined on the 20-player team by senior Rebekah Allick.
• The coaches picked Nebraska as the top team in the preseason poll. The Huskers won their fifth Big Ten title in 2024 with a 19-1 conference record to share the crown with Penn State. Nebraska finished the season at 33-3 and reached the NCAA Semifinals. Penn State, Wisconsin, Minnesota and UCLA rounded out the top five.
• Jackson, a junior middle blocker, had a breakout year in 2024, earning AVCA All-America First Team and unanimous All-Big Ten First Team honors. Jackson averaged 2.62 kills per set with a .439 hitting percentage, which ranked sixth in the nation and fourth in school history. She also put up 1.18 blocks per set.
• Murray, a junior outside hitter, was an AVCA Second Team All-American last year after earning third-team honors as a freshman. Murray led the Huskers in 2024 with 3.40 kills per set and a team-high 39 service aces. She is a two-time All-Big Ten First Team selection. Murray was selected to the NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team last season and was the NCAA Lincoln Regional Most Outstanding Player.
• Reilly, a junior setter, is the first player in Big Ten history to win Big Ten Setter of the Year as both a freshman and sophomore, and she is coming off her second straight AVCA All-America Second Team honor. Reilly averaged 11.08 assists per set in 2024 while leading the Huskers to a .284 hitting percentage, their best since 2016.
• Allick, a senior middle blocker, recorded 1.82 kills per set in 2024 with a career-best .357 hitting percentage. She had a team-high 1.43 blocks per set, which ranked third among Big Ten players and 14th nationally. Allick ranks sixth in school history with 415 career blocks entering the 2025 season. She was an All-Big Ten Second Team selection in 2022 and 2023.
FLYNN NAMED GATORADE NATIONAL POTY
• Freshman Campbell Flynn was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year on Jan. 10.
• Flynn, a 6-3 setter from Oakland, Mich., was a two-time Gatorade Michigan Volleyball Player of the Year. She recorded 730 assists and 180 digs in her senior season for Mercy High School, leading the Marlins to a 31-3 record and the Division I regional semifinals in 2024. Flynn also compiled 131 kills, 52 blocks and 36 service aces while posting a .394 hitting percentage at net.
• Flynn was a member of the U.S. U21 Women’s National Team that won the gold medal at the NORCECA Championships in 2024 and was ranked as the nation’s No. 4 overall recruit and top setter recruit in the Class of 2025 by PrepDig.com. Flynn concluded her prep volleyball career, which included a state championship in 2023, with 1,973 assists and 737 kills. She also competed in the Under Armour All-America Game. Off the court, Flynn maintained a 3.94 GPA in the classroom.
• Flynn is the sixth Husker all-time to be named the Gatorade National Player of the Year. The others are Harper Murray (2022-23), Ally Batenhorst (2020-21), Lexi Sun (2016-17), Mikaela Foecke (2014-15) and Gina Mancuso (2008-09).
FLYNN, SIGLER EARN GATORADE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
• In addition to being named Gatorade National Player of the Year, Campbell Flynn was named the Gatorade Michigan Volleyball Player of the Year for the second straight year, while fellow Husker newcomer Teraya Sigler was named the Gatorade Arizona Volleyball Player of the Year for the second straight time.
• Sigler, a 6-2 outside hitter from Scottsdale, Ariz., led Horizon High School to a 25-5 record and a fourth straight Conference 5A state championship in 2024. Sigler amassed 619 kills and 354 digs, including 33 kills and 20 digs in the state championship match. She also had 65 service aces and 28 blocks while posting a .398 hitting percentage.
• Ranked as the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2025 by PrepDig.com, Sigler was a member of the U.S. U21 Women’s National Team that won the gold medal at the NORCECA Championships in 2024. She concluded her prep volleyball career with 1,951 kills and 1,128 digs and competed in the Under Armour All-America Game.
2024 SEASON IN REVIEW
• Nebraska finished the 2024 season 33-3 overall and advanced to the NCAA Semifinals for the second year in a row and seventh time in the last 10 years.
• Nebraska won its 36th all-time conference title and fifth Big Ten title with a 19-1 record in Big Ten play last season. The Huskers went back-to-back as Big Ten champions for the second time, also accomplishing that feat in 2016 and 2017.
• The Huskers’ 29 regular-season wins last year tied the 1983 school record for most wins in a regular season in the NCAA era.
• The Huskers’ 33 wins last season were tied for the most victories by a Husker team since the 2000 national championship team went 34-0.
• The Huskers ranked 11th nationally with a team hitting percentage of .284 in 2024.
• The Huskers ranked sixth nationally and first in the Big Ten in opponent hitting percentage at .143 last season. NU led the nation in opponent hitting percentage in 2022 and 2023.