Sports

Larger Roster Leads to More Competition for No. 1 Nebraska Volleyball

Published

5 months ago

August 9, 2025

While Dani Busboom Kelly has spoken about the importance of maintaining a lot of what made Nebraska volleyball so successful under John Cook, she also has her own way of doing things. One difference that was almost immediately apparent is the new Nebraska coach’s desire to carry a larger roster.

Cook carried 14 players in each of the last three seasons. During her eight-year tenure at Louisville, Busboom Kelly’s smallest roster was 16 players and her largest was 19, with the average at 17.4. That was before the House Settlement, which caps roster size at 18 but allows programs to offer up to that many scholarships.

When Busboom Kelly took over in Lincoln, she retained every player and commit and added two additional recruits of her own, pushing the roster to 17 for the 2025 season.

“It’s made it more competitive,” Busboom Kelly said. “It’s allowed us to not really hold back, because we don’t feel like we have to limit the middles, let’s say, or we have to watch out for somebody getting over-tired. We can really just structure practice how you want to structure it and know we have the breaks built in naturally, so we don’t have to really think about building in breaks or limiting a certain player or position. We can just run it exactly how we want to, and all those things that you worry as a coach for longevity of the season are just working out naturally.”

The larger roster is among several changes the players have had to adjust to during the transition from Cook to Busboom Kelly. Team unity has been a pivotal part of the team’s recent success, and the returners have put an emphasis on keeping everyone — including the eight newcomers — marching in the same direction.

“I think it gives us the ability to spread out a little more, and we can do two courts of things, whereas with 14 girls, we could only do one court, and a lot of people would be sitting out,” Bergen Reilly said. “That’s been really cool. We get to move around, people play different positions — it’s really expanding our range of things that we can do. I think it’s been really fun.

“It’s definitely a challenge culture-wise, just making sure that we’re all on the same page, and there are eight new people, so making sure that we’re all just going in with the same goal and the same mindset, and I think that fall camp has really helped us to get there culture-wise.”

Half of Nebraska’s newcomers — middle blockers Manaia Ogbechie and Kenna Cogill and opposite hitters Virginia Adriano and Allie Sczech — did not enroll early and go through the beach and indoor training seasons during the spring. Even so, Busboom Kelly said she hasn’t had to slow things down for them since official practices began.

“That’s a hats off to our upperclassmen that in open gyms they were showing them some of the drills and terminology, so we didn’t have to stop a lot,” Busboom Kelly said. “But also, the freshmen and Virginia, who’s sort of a freshman, are very talented, so they catch on really, really quickly. It’s been really nice to have that and not feel like you’re stopping every 10 minutes to explain a drill, or you’re changing practice because you have to explain a drill. So it’s been pretty seamless with those four.”

According to Reilly, another difference in Busboom Kelly’s approach is the amount of six-on-six the team plays in practice. The new head coach doesn’t believe in easing the team into practice; she wants them to hit the ground running.

“You want them to bring out the best in each other, and you want to prepare them for the battles of the season,” Busboom Kelly said. “If you’re not creating that in practice, how can you expect them to perform in matches?”

That approach has paid dividends so far, according to Busboom Kelly. Reilly said that despite the preseason No. 1 ranking, the Huskers are heading into the season with a chip on their shoulder after falling short of their ultimate goal the past two seasons, and that’s been evident in their gym.

“The way practices are, everything’s a competition, and whether it’s just a simple drill or an actual six-on-six drill, they take it very seriously,” Busboom Kelly said. “Also, the mindset in our morning practices — I feel like a lot of teams can go through the motions when that they know it’s going to be light and a lot of first contact, but this team has taken those maybe even more seriously than the afternoon practices. We did individuals [Tuesday], and I thought those were fantastic. Just the attention to detail, I think, is a sign of a very hungry team.”

While that elusive hump the Huskers haven’t been able to get over lies at the end of the season, the Huskers aren’t in any hurry to get there, and they aren’t looking ahead. Taylor Landfair said the team is focused on attacking every day with the same mindset and same high standards they had under Cook.

“I think we’re going to be really, really good this year, and I think that it’s only going to get better from here,” Landfair said. “We always come in with a super high intention of what we’re supposed to be doing, and then also really receptive to Dani’s feedback, and I don’t think that we’re really taking it for granted. And I think that honestly, if we keep going at this pace, we’re just going to keep getting better and better and better all the way through the end of the year.”

Fans will get their first look at the full 17-player roster at Saturday’s Red-White Scrimmage. Nebraska Public Media and Big Ten Plus will televise the match, which will last at least four sets. First serve at John Cook Arena inside the Bob Devaney Sports Center is set for 2:30 p.m. CT.

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Badgers news: Wisconsin starting outside hitter enters transfer portal

Published

14 minutes ago

December 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

In a bit of a shocker, the Wisconsin Badgers are losing starting outside hitter Una Vajagic to the transfer portal.

Vajagic, a redshirt sophomore in 2025, stepped into a bigger role after the team lost incoming transfer Grace Lopez to a season-ending injury in the offseason. A Serbian native, Vajagic had redshirted the 2024 season and had really grown throughout her first season with playing time, regularly recording double-digit kills for the team.

Vajagic averaged 2.79 kills per set, while hitting .279 for the Badgers this past season.

She now becomes Wisconsin’s biggest departure to the transfer portal, as she is the first starter to choose to head elsewhere from the Badgers’ Final Four team.

The other players to enter the transfer portal include freshman setter Addy Horner, sophomore outside hitter Trinity Shadd-Ceres, redshirt freshman middle blocker Tosia Serafinowska, and liberos Aniya Warren and Maile Chan.

Wisconsin’s outside hitter room looks much different for the 2025 season, currently, as it includes redshirt sophomore Grace Egan, freshman Madison Quest, and incoming freshmen Halle Thompson and Audrey Flanagan. The Badgers did get a recent commitment from UC Santa Barbara transfer Eva Travis, which we’ll have more on soon.

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Jenkins Signs Two Power Four Transfers to 2026 Class

Published

30 minutes ago

December 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

CHARLOTTE – Charlotte Volleyball Head Coach Benavia Jenkins has announced the signings of two power four conference transfers in Harper Hall (Setter) and Gia McGrew (Outside Hitter) on Tuesday (Dec. 23). Hall transfers to Charlotte from Oklahoma while McGrew comes by way of Iowa.

Hall is set to enter her third year of college volleyball, spending her freshman season at USCB where she registered seven double-doubles appearing in all 30 matches. She led the team with 649 assists, 245 digs, and averaged 5.74 assists per set. During her sophomore season at Oklahoma, Hall eclipsed the 1,000 career assist milestone with a season-high 31 assists coming in a win at Missouri.

A graduate of Highland Park High School in Texas, Hall was a three-year letter winner and three-time district champion. She was named Newcomer of the Year in her conference and earned First Team All-District honors. Throughout her high school career, she accumulated over 2,500 assists and was named the District Setter of the Year. Hall garnered Texas Girls Coaches Association All-State honors and played club volleyball for the nationally ranked TAV Black.

“I chose Charlotte because of the coaching staff, beautiful campus, and the great culture,” said Hall. “I’m excited to be a part of a team that is in a great position to pursue a championship.”

McGrew tallied 51 kills, 15 total blocks, and 12 digs in 13 matches played during her freshman season at Iowa. Her best performance came in a win over Maryland when she finished with five blocks. A graduate of Santa Fe High School, McGrew impressed as team MVP and first team all-conference in 2023, followed by serving as team captain in 2024 finishing her senior season with 322 kills. She helped lead her team to the Oklahoma 5A state championship in 2022.

On the AAU Circuit, McGrew was a 2024 Nationals Premier Division National Champion and MVP. In 2021, she was an invitee to the USA Volleyball National Team Development Program and was named to the USA Girls Junior National Championship All-Tournament Team.

“The family atmosphere within the program is special,” said McGrew. “Along with that, I chose Charlotte because of the amazing coaching staff and the beautiful location.”

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Penn State Women’s Volleyball Falls Out Of AVCA Polls

Published

46 minutes ago

December 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Penn State women’s volleyball has fallen out of the AVCA Polls for the first time since 1988, breaking a 565-week streak.

The Nittany Lions finished with 82 points in the poll, 25 behind No. 25 BYU. Their season ended with a record of 19-13, falling to Texas 0-3 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Penn State fell out of the polls for the first time since the final poll of 1988, breaking a streak of 565 straight weeks.

The Nittany Lions (19-13) finished with 82 points in the poll, 25 behind No. 25 BYU.

— Lincoln Arneal (@Lincoln_VB) December 22, 2025

Kennedy Martin led the Big Ten in points per set (6.22), kills per set (5.42), and tallied 634 kills and over 700 points. Her former Florida teammate, Alexis Stucky, will join her next season as the Nittany Lions’ setter.

Setter Addie Lyon, middle blockers Maggie Mendelson and Jordan Hopp, and libero Gillian Grimes graduate, and Coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley will look to fill their notable shoes in the upcoming season.

The program will look ahead toward its ninth national championship, hopeful to repeat its stellar 2024 season.

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Karlee is a freshman majoring in Broadcast Journalism. She is from Schuylkill Haven, PA. She loves all things sports and is a big Luka Doncic fan! You can follow her on Instagram and X @karleefeger or email her at [email protected]

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MEAC Announces Burgin as Bowler of the Week For Nov. 2-9

Published

1 hour ago

December 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Women’s Bowling | 12/23/2025 11:52:00 AM

GREENSBORO – The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) announced this week that North Carolina A&T junior bowler Savannah Burgin was the winner of the MEAC Bowler of the Week award for competition held November 2-9.

The tournament Burgin won her first-ever weekly award for was MEAC Meet #1, where Burgin helped the Aggies finish the meet at 5-2, claiming a share of first place. The North Carolina A&T bowling team’s bounce-back performance on Sunday at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Meet #1, hosted by Morgan State University at AMF Towson Lanes, should make February in Norfolk, Va., fascinating.

After going 2-2 on Saturday and falling behind the Delaware State and Coppin State teams, who went 4-0, the Aggies won all three of their Baker-format matches on Sunday to end the weekend at 5-2.

Now, the five-time defending MEAC champions will enter MEAC Meet #2, scheduled for February 21-22 in Norfolk, Va., tied for the conference lead with the Delaware State Hornets, the 23rd-ranked team in the nation. A&T will have the total pins advantage after a 6,564 total pinfall over the weekend, averaging 187.5 over 35 games played.

The UAB Blazers had the second-highest total pinfall at 6,276, followed by Morgan State at 6,084. A&T looked super impressive on Sunday, totaling 2,877 pins for an average of 191.8 over 15 games bowled.

Burgin finished first in average per frame (20.16) and Baker fill percentage, while also leading the field in overall fill percentage (80.6 percent). She ranked second in overall spare percentage at 74.2 percent. The Aggies will head into 2026, and the spring semester of the season ranked 13th in the latest National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) poll released on December 9.

The Aggies received 895 points, falling from seventh to 13th. Jacksonville State is the No. 1 ranked team in the country, followed by Vanderbilt, Arkansas State, Nebraska, and Louisiana Tech in the top 5. Burgin and the Aggies open the second half of the season at the Northeastern Classic hosted by Sacred Heart in New Castle, Del. The Aggies are 29-17 overall.

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Volleyball Announces Addition of Reese Dunkle to Roster

Published

1 hour ago

December 23, 2025

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CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Boston College volleyball head coach Jason Kennedy announced the addition of middle blocker Reese Dunkle, a transfer student from Stanford University, to the Eagles’ roster.

The Eagles previously announced a six-player recruiting class last month.

Reese Dunkle, Middle Blocker, Greenwood, Ind.

One year member of Stanford VB

A 2025 graduate of Center Grove High School in Greenwood, Ind.

Four-year letterwinner, captained her team as a junior and senior

Regional champions (2024)

Four-time Sectional champions (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)

Four-time County champions (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)

AVCA All-America honorable mention (2024)

AVCA All-Region (2024)

AVCA Best and Brightest (2024)

County Player of the Year (2024)

Indiana Girls Volleyball Player of the Year finalist (2024)

Two-time All-State (2023, 2024)

Three-time All-District (2022, 2023, 2024)

Three-time All-County (2022, 2023, 2024)

All-County honorable mention (2021)

Indiana Senior All-Star (2024)

Indiana Junior All-Star (2023)

Team MVP (2023)

First Team Academic All-State (2024)

Holds high school’s record for blocks (486)

Played club for Circle City

“Reese adds to a strong presence in the middle for us for the next several years,” says Kennedy. “She’s quick laterally and can close well to either pin and we’re excited to get her in the gym this spring and get to work.

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Kiki Granberry Signs with Volleyball Program

Published

2 hours ago

December 23, 2025

Your Sports Nation

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Veteran middle blocker Kiki Granberry, who has four years of college experience under her belt, will join the Indiana volleyball program for the 2026 season. Head coach Steve Aird made the signing official on Tuesday (Dec. 23) morning. Granberry will enroll for the spring semester in January.

“Our program is thrilled to add Kiki to the roster,” Aird said. “She brings a mix of experience and skill to the table, along with a personality that meshes so well with our team. Our goal is to continue to build on a fantastic season and adding a player of this caliber is a great step in that direction. We have a group that is physical, tough and proud to represent IU. I am positive that Kiki will have a tremendous impact on the group, compete like crazy and develop into a pro that will thrive at the next level.”

Granberry spent the last four seasons at Tennessee where she was one of the nation’s most efficient offensive forces. In her time on Rocky Top, Granberry was a career .376 hitter (509-134-997). During her junior campaign in 2024, she hit .455 with 189 kills and just 36 attacking errors and finished second in the country in hitting percentage.

The 6-foot-3 native of Florida will join a deep and talented collection of middle blockers in Bloomington. Current freshman middle blocker Victoria Gray hit .378 with 152 kills and 106 blocks in her debut season. Sophomore middle blocker Ella Boersema was the conference’s leading blocker (1.40 per set) before a season-ending injury in October. Collectively, IU’s four middle blockers for next year have a career hitting percentage of .366.

Granberry was one of Tennessee’s best blockers during her career in Knoxville. She recorded 314 blocks in four seasons including over 100 in each of her first two years. She had a career-high 11 blocks in a contest against Western Kentucky in 2024. Her career high in kills (14) came against Elon in 2022.

She will have one year of eligibility in 2026 after taking a medical redshirt last season. She played in just three matches in 2025 but finished her time in Knoxville as the second-most efficient hitter (.376) in program history. Granberry was a 2022 SEC All-Freshman Team member and a 2024 AVCA South All-Region Team selection.

Granberry will wear the 77 jersey for the Hoosiers, becoming the first player in program history to wear the number. She graduated from Tennessee with an undergraduate degree in Journalism and Electronic Media this December. She will join the Hoosiers for the beginning of spring practice in January.

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