Sports

The best recruiter on Nebraska’s campus? Try the assistant volleyball coach

Published

2 months ago

November 26, 2025

LINCOLN, Neb. — As a kid in Hawaii, Jaylen Reyes competed in club volleyball with a team of athletes straight out of the country club. In school, he befriended classmates from the Honolulu housing projects.

It is his superpower, Reyes said, the ability to connect. The way of life in his home state prepared Reyes for his career outside of it.

“In Hawaii, you have no choice,” he said. “You have so many cultures, you just learn how to interact with different people.”

Hired by Nebraska as an assistant in 2018 by then-coach John Cook, Reyes mixed his relational skills with a tireless work ethic to expand the recruiting reach of a program that won five national titles from 1995 to 2017.

At 33 years old, Reyes has emerged as the best recruiter on the Nebraska campus. His influence is all over the No. 1-ranked Huskers’ unbeaten season as they enter the final weekend of the regular season. Coaches in other sports at Nebraska so respect his acumen that they’ve tapped into Reyes’ recruiting expertise. No one else in the athletic department has assembled multiple top-ranked classes.

Reyes is such a known figure at Nebraska that he even hosts a weekly, hourlong radio show.

“He eats, sleeps and breathes recruiting,” said Cook, who retired after 25 seasons in January. “He wants to hoard players. Even when we were done recruiting, I’d be like, ‘Jaylen, we don’t have any more scholarships, we don’t need any more players.’

“And he was still recruiting. That’s why he’s great.”

A national championship has evaded Nebraska since Reyes arrived. Nebraska has played in four Final Fours in his seven seasons and lost twice in the championship match — against Texas in 2023 and Wisconsin in 2021.

Nebraska (28-0, 18-0 Big Ten) clinched a third consecutive conference title last week and will host Penn State and Ohio State on Friday and Saturday. A top seed in the NCAA Tournament awaits Sunday.

The Final Four this year will be played in Kansas City, Dec. 18 and 21. It’s ripe for a Nebraska takeover if the Huskers avoid an upset during the tournament’s first two weekends. Nebraska enters the postseason as a prohibitive favorite in large part because of the talent that Reyes stockpiled.

He recruited every player on the roster, which includes three of the 14 semifinalists for AVCA National Player of the Year and four returning All-Americans. Nebraska signed the No. 1-ranked recruiting classes in 2021 and 2023, and the No. 2 class last year.

Reyes signed a one-year deal at Nebraska after Dani Busboom Kelly returned to coach her alma mater, replacing Cook after leaving Louisville. Reyes could likely write his ticket as a head coach. He’s received opportunities, but he can afford to stay selective. His base salary of $170,000 exceeds the pay of some head coaches.

“There’s major turnover going on right now,” Cook said. “And he’s going to be at the top of those lists. But he’s got a few more things to continue to check off here. He’s not there yet, but he’s working toward it.”

A national championship next month would check a box. A big one.

Reyes’ dad, Tino, coached men’s volleyball for 17 years at the University of Hawaii as an assistant, then spent seven seasons as the head women’s coach at Hawaii Hilo. Even after Jaylen earned acclaim in the sport, first as a player at BYU and then for his role in building the Nebraska women’s program into a nationally recognized brand, he remained, at home in a volleyball hotbed, known most as Tino’s son.

Before his senior year of high school, Reyes figured he’d join his dad at Hawaii for college to play volleyball. But when Tino jumped islands to coach the women at Hilo, Reyes looked to the mainland.

Reyes knew he eventually wanted to coach. BYU appealed to him because it had produced the likes of Hugh McCutcheon and Kevin Hambly, great players who moved into coaching at the Team USA level and in the women’s collegiate game.

Reyes played libero on a Cougars team that lost in the NCAA title match in 2013. When he began his coaching career at BYU, Reyes saw others older than him in the men’s game being passed over for jobs coaching women.

Women’s volleyball offered better pay and more opportunities, so Reyes marked it as a goal. He never expected to hear from Nebraska.

Before his third year on staff at BYU — weeks after Cook’s team beat Florida in Kansas City to win the national championship — Reyes received a text out of the blue from the Nebraska coach.

Reyes was 25. Cook wanted a young coach who would stay in Lincoln. He had recently lost assistants in Busboom Kelly to Louisville, Chris Tamas to Illinois and Tyler Hildebrand to coach Olympians on the beach. Cook asked for a three-year commitment. Reyes offered him five.

“With him here, I knew it would help build our culture,” Cook said.

Cook was right. His players loved Reyes, whose recruiting talents had only begun to emerge.

“I’m still a firm believer that it’s about people,” Reyes said. “If you get to know them and let them get to know you, people still want to be around great people.”

Jaylen Reyes grew up as the son of a coach in Hawaii and played collegiately at BYU. (Courtesy of Nebraska)

Reyes leaned on his ability to connect.

“He’s that person who can push you when you need to be pushed but also support when you need that,” Nebraska libero Laney Choboy said, “And he could talk to anyone. He could talk to a wall if you asked him to.”

Reyes set a goal to clear hurdles that had slowed Nebraska’s push to bring the best talent to Lincoln. Reyes wanted top volleyball players and their families to see that the Huskers don’t play in a big arena next to a cornfield.

“I still hear about how Lincoln is not as diverse as Dallas or L.A.,” Reyes said. “And I’m not going to sit there and debate that. But since I got here, the diversity on our team has changed. We have kids from so many different backgrounds, whether it’s ethnicity or religion or where they come from.”

Undoubtedly, he’s opened doors for Nebraska to a wider range of athletes.

How?

“I’m literally a mix,” Reyes said. “My mom’s white. My dad’s Filipino and Hawaiian. Sometimes it’s hard to go somewhere and commit four years of your life when there’s not someone who looks like you or talks like you or understands you.”

Reyes set out to get ahead by identifying young players before they blew up as recruits. Cook didn’t want to travel to watch a ninth-grade club tournament. But Reyes did.

He coached in the Team USA program. He was aggressive with camp invites. When prospects accepted, rules allowed Nebraska coaches to interact with them on campus in Lincoln. The rest took care of itself.

“I think I’m a really good salesperson,” Reyes said. “I would also say, I’m selling the best product.”

Reyes plans to run his own program someday in the way that Cook designed Nebraska to operate. Over their years together, Cook talked often with Reyes about the requirements of a head coach.

Reyes sat on every word.

Cook’s coaching tree includes not just Busboom Kelly and Tamas in the Big Ten but Christy Johnson of Iowa State, Kentucky’s Craig Skinner, Dan Meske of Louisville and Dan Conners of UC Davis. Former collegiate head coaches Hildebrand (Long Beach State), Lee Maes (Virginia), Lizzy Stemke (Georgia) and Kayla Banwarth (Ole Miss) also worked for Cook.

“He would sit with me and say, ‘Jaylen, you coach out there and you do all that stuff really well. But how much of your job is actually in the gym?’” Reyes said. “I’m like, ‘Coach, probably 25 percent.’ And he goes, ‘It’s going to keep getting less and less. So if you want to be a successful head coach, you have to be able to do all the other things.’”

Reyes is chipping away. His experience in the only profitable collegiate volleyball program ought to earn Reyes points with an athletic director in a job interview, he said.

“We all know that he could be a head coach anytime he wanted,” Choboy said. “That’s just how good he is.”

He’s learned from Cook to adopt CEO qualities. And this year, Reyes is watching his new boss, who retained Reyes and fellow assistant Kelly (Hunter) Natter immediately after accepting the job.

“He’s been great for bridging the gap between John and myself,” Busboom Kelly said. “Having somebody that was here who can speak to both experiences, it’s huge. It’s big for me, too, trusting his eye. He’s been here for eight years and really understands everybody’s role.”

As an extension of his work in recruiting, Reyes said he meets players at a place that works for them. For instance, as a freshman two years ago, Choboy struggled to adjust.

“Jaylen was always my backbone,” she said. “We would go to film (sessions), and sometimes we wouldn’t even watch film. He would just ask how I was doing. And I’d sit there and cry in his office.”

Life in Lincoln for Reyes is good.

Reyes has set no deadline to advance in coaching. He’s comfortable at Nebraska but not content with the Huskers’ accomplishments. Neither are they. He’ll patrol the sideline this weekend from the head of the bench, relaying defensive instruction while Busboom Kelly runs the show.

Their push continues next month in the postseason for as long as this ride lasts. Because of what Reyes has helped build, the expectation is nothing short of eight more matches.

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Cryst, Pazanti Earn Big West Player Of The Week Honors In Collegiate Debuts

Published

2 hours ago

January 13, 2026

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LONG BEACH, Calif. — In their collegiate debuts, Jackson Cryst and Jake Pazanti made immediate impacts for Long Beach State men’s volleyball, earning Big West Player of the Week honors following a dominant opening weekend. The Beach opened the 2026 season with two straight-set victories, defeating Lindenwood and McKendree at the Pyramid, as Cryst was named Men’s Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week and Pazanti earned Long Beach State Freshman of the Week recognition.

Cryst anchored the Long Beach State defense in his first collegiate action, averaging 1.50 blocks per set and totaling nine blocks over the weekend. His presence at the net helped limit opponents to a combined .157 hitting percentage and contributed to the Beach averaging 3.33 blocks per set across the two matches. Cryst also added seven kills on .462 hitting, showing efficiency and composure on both sides of the net.

Pazanti also impressed in his collegiate debut, directing the Long Beach State offense with poise and balance. The freshman setter recorded 58 assists (9.67 per set) while guiding the Beach to a .351 team hitting percentage in the opening weekend.

In addition to his setting responsibilities, Pazanti contributed six kills on .750 hitting, 16 digs, five blocks, and two service aces, impacting the match in every phase during his first career starts.

Long Beach State men’s volleyball returns to action this week with a three-game road stretch through the Buckeye State to face Central State, George Mason and Ohio State as the Beach continue early-season competition following a successful opening weekend.

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Pride Collect Three GNAC Weekly Awards After Wesleyan Winter Invitational

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3 hours ago

January 13, 2026

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WESTON, Mass. — Hannah Griffin, Zoe Kirk, and Justin Thuotte each represented the Pride this week in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) weekly awards. Kirk earned her second Rookie of the Week honor of the season, while Griffin collected her first career Track Athlete of the Week award. Thuotte was named Field Athlete of the Week, marking his first honor of the season and the fifth weekly award of his career.

Zoe Kirk continued her strong rookie campaign with a pair of top-10 finishes. She placed third overall in the high jump with a mark of 1.50 meters, setting a new indoor program record and surpassing the previous mark of 1.46 held by teammate Grace Micklon. Kirk also finished ninth in the 60-meter hurdles, clocking a time of 9.93.

Hannah Griffin captured the top spot in the 800 meters with a time of 2:44.36, edging her nearest competitor by nearly one second.

Justin Thuotte delivered another standout performance at the Wesleyan Winter Invitational, winning the long jump with a mark of 6.70 meters to set a new indoor program record, besting his own previous mark of 6.65 from the last meet. He also placed third in the triple jump at 12.99 meters and rounded out his day with a 10th-place finish in the weight throw, posting a personal-best mark of 13.59 meters.

Regis track and field stays close to home this weekend, traveling to Brighton, Massachusetts, to compete at the Suffolk Ice Breaker at The Track at New Balance.

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Ella Parker to Join Milwaukee Volleyball as Newest Addition to Roster

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3 hours ago

January 13, 2026

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MILWAUKEE – Ella Parker has been announced as the newest addition to the Milwaukee volleyball roster, head coach Susie Johnson announced on Monday afternoon.

Parker will join the Panthers this spring after spending the last three semesters at St. John’s University in Queens, N.Y., where she was a member of the Red Storm for the past two seasons.

“We are excited to add Ella to our team this spring,” said Johnson. “Having played in the Big East Conference, she has match experience and will bring a lot to our program in the Horizon League. We’re excited that she not only can score points for us but defend as well.”

This past fall, Parker played in 16 matches for St. John’s and recorded 138 kills, along with 10 service aces, 26 digs, and 15 blocks. She posted a season-high 16 kills on Oct. 4 at UConn while hitting .361 and later recorded a season-best .692 hitting percentage with nine kills without an error against LeMoyne earlier in the year.

As a true freshman in 2024, Parker saw action in three matches before an injury ended her season.

Originally from Corrales, New Mexico, Parker was a three-year member of the Cougar volleyball team at Cibola High School in Albuquerque. During her prep career, she earned AVCA Girls High School All-Region honors as both a junior and a senior and was named to the All-American Watch List.

A multiple-time All-State, All-Region, All-Area, and All-Conference selection, Parker was also chosen for the New Mexico Red and Green All-Start Team. She set Cibola program records for both most kills in a season and most kills in a match.

Parker played club volleyball for Duke City Volleyball Academy and competed in beach volleyball with the Albuquerque Beach Volleyball Academy. Away from the court, she was also a competitive swimmer for more than 10 years.

Parker joins fellow transfer Kameron Stover, along with incoming freshmen Olivia Doerre, Emma Duffy, Kayla Landerud, and Hope Wagner as newcomers for the 2026 volleyball season.

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T&F trio earn GNAC honors

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3 hours ago

January 13, 2026

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PORTLAND, ORE. – The University of Alaska Anchorage had three Seawolves earn GNAC Athlete of the Week honors for indoor track and field.

Liv Heite was named the women’s track athlete of the week. Her top effort was a 60-meter hurdles time of 8.91 seconds, upping her name to third on the GNAC performance list this winter. Heite is the reigning GNAC silver medalist in the event from last season. She also ran 8.09 seconds in the 60 meters, 26.02 seconds in the 200 meters and ran a leg of a UAA 4×400 meter relay squad that posted 3:57.48 minutes to round out her productive weekend. Now in her third season at UAA, Heite is a four-time GNAC medalist earning silver in both the 2024 and 2025 100-meter hurdles (outdoor), silver in the 2025 60-meter hurdles (indoor), and silver in the 2025 400-meter hurdles (outdoor)

“Liv looks like she is ready to pick up where she left off,” said head coach Ryan McWilliams. “She started the season off faster than she did last year and ran consistently over the weekend. I think she is ready to take it to the next level.”

Sarah Dittman was named the women’s field athlete of the week. She kicked things off with a high jump mark of 4-11.75 feet (1.52 meters) and a long jump of 17-4.25 feet (5.29 meters), placing fifth in both events. Each of those marks slotted her fourth among GNAC competitors so far in the indoor season. Dittman also contributed on the track, running a 200 meters time of 26.79 seconds, a 60-meter hurdles time of 10.61 seconds and running a leg of UAA’s 4×400 meter relay unit that posted a time of 4:14.89 minutes.

“Sarah had an encouraging start to her college career,” said head coach Ryan McWilliams. “I am really looking forward to seeing where her growth and development over the course of this season is going to take her.”

Tyler Drake was named the men’s field athlete of the week. His weekend was highlighted by a third-place finish in the long jump, as he cleared 22-3 feet (6.78 meters). That stands as the second-best long jump by a GNAC athlete so far this season. On the track, he posted times of 23.55 seconds in the 200 meters and 8.36 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles.

“Tyler had himself a great start to his college career,” said head coach Ryan McWilliams. “He set personal bests in the hurdles and long jump and moved himself into the top-10 on UAA’s performance list. His long jump start is even more encouraging because of how obvious it is that he still has so much room to grow.”

UAA will compete at the UW Preview Jan. 16-17.

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Shank Named GNAC Setter of the Week After Facilitating Offense in Season Opener

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3 hours ago

January 12, 2026

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WESTON, Mass. — Evan Shank earned the first Setter of the Week honor of the 2026 season from the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) after leading Regis College to a 3–0 sweep of Elms on Saturday.

The junior directed the offense in the Pride’s straight-sets victory on January 9, recording 33 assists to average an impressive 11.0 assists per set. Making his debut in crimson and gold, Shank efficiently controlled the tempo throughout the match, guiding Regis to a dominant non-conference win.

Shank and the Pride will return to action on Wednesday, hosting Curry College for their 2026 home opener at 7 p.m.

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UC Davis Athletics Concludes Fall With Competitive Success, National Honors and Facilities Investment

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3 hours ago

January 12, 2026

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DAVIS, Calif. — UC Davis Athletics capped the Fall 2025 season with record-setting performances, national and conference honors, and postseason success across multiple programs. The season also marked the announcement of Aggie Ascent, a $265 million facilities plan designed to enhance the student-athlete and fan experience.

“Across multiple programs this fall, our teams competed at a high level, earned conference championships, advanced in postseason play, and achieved milestones that reflect the depth and consistency of our department,” said UC Davis Athletic Director Rocko DeLuca. “Those results are a direct credit to our student-athletes, coaches, and staff, who continue to raise the standard through their commitment, preparation, and belief in what we’re building here. As we celebrate those accomplishments, we’re focused on matching that competitive momentum with long-term investment in our facilities and resources to support our teams at the highest level of Division I athletics. I’m proud of what this group accomplished this fall and excited about where Aggie Athletics is headed.”

Aggie Ascent Announcement

This fall, UC Davis Athletics announced Aggie Ascent, a comprehensive facilities master plan. The $265 million, phased, gift-driven project prioritizes high-impact and revenue-generating facilities, beginning with a reimagined UC Davis Health Stadium featuring premium seating, suites, and a year-round hospitality space, alongside a new NCAA-compliant Woody Wilson Track and Field Complex and a Golf Training Center serving both Aggie programs and the surrounding community. Future phases include upgrades to baseball, soccer, and the University Credit Union Center, as well as a new softball stadium and redevelopment of south campus facilities.

Developed in partnership with ELS Architecture and Urban Design, the plan represents the university’s unified vision for athletics infrastructure, focused on enhancing the student-athlete experience, elevating the fan experience, and ensuring long-term sustainability. The project reflects UC Davis’ commitment to innovation and competitive excellence at the Division I level.

Championships and Postseason

UC Davis Athletics delivered a strong year highlighted by postseason appearances, conference championships, and historic milestones across multiple programs. Aggie football, gymnastics, and women’s golf each qualified for NCAA postseason competition, with several teams extending their seasons beyond conference play.

Conference success followed, as volleyball captured the Big West regular season title and men’s water polo claimed the Big West Conference championship, continuing the program’s tradition of postseason success.

Football, under second-year head coach Tim Plough, continued its national climb by advancing to the NCAA Quarterfinals for a second-straight year, while posting a top eight finish nationally in back-to-back seasons coming in at No. 8 following the most recent fall. Field hockey also marked a milestone year, hosting and competing in its first Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championship game.

Historic Wins and Notable Awards

UC Davis student-athletes earned significant national and conference recognition across multiple programs this year. Men’s water polo standout Thomas Kiesling was named a third-team ACWPC All-American after earning All-Big West First Team honors, placing him among the nation’s top collegiate players.

Field hockey collected major accolades, as Karly Redman earned MPSF Offensive Player of the Year honors, while freshman goalkeeper Addie Collingwood was named MPSF Freshman of the Year following an impactful debut season.

Football earned multiple postseason honors this season, highlighted by a handful of Aggies receiving All-America recognition from four different national organizations. Among those was first team All-American Jacob Psyk, making it three-straight seasons the Aggies have had at least one first team All-American.

Volleyball capped a strong season with multiple major awards. Jade Light was named Big West Player of the Year and earned American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American Honorable Mention, becoming the program’s first All-American since 1996. She was joined by Mia Starr, the Big West Setter of the Year, and Ximena Cordero Barr, who earned Libero of the Year honors. These accolades coincided with a record-setting season, as the Aggies posted the most conference wins in program history.

ABOUT UC DAVIS ATHLETICS:

UC Davis, the No. 2 ranked public university by the Wall Street Journal, is home to 40,000 undergraduate students and 12,000 employees. Ranked #1 in Agriculture and Forestry as well as #1 in Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis is located in a true California college town nestled between world-class destinations such as the San Francisco Bay Area, Napa Valley and Lake Tahoe. Over 650 Aggie student-athletes compete in 25 Division I varsity sports, with 16 sports transitioning to the Mountain West Conference beginning in 2026–27.