Connect with us

Sports

The Dani Busboom Kelly Era Begins With a 4-0 Win Over Kansas

The official start of the Dani Busboom Kelly era won’t come for four more months, but there was plenty to take in on Saturday when Nebraska welcomed Kansas to the Bob Devaney Sports Center. In their first ever Volleyball Late, a new postgame show, Jeff Sheldon and Lincoln Arneal of the Volleyball State podcast gave […]

Published

2 months ago

on


The official start of the Dani Busboom Kelly era won’t come for four more months, but there was plenty to take in on Saturday when Nebraska welcomed Kansas to the Bob Devaney Sports Center. In their first ever Volleyball Late, a new postgame show, Jeff Sheldon and Lincoln Arneal of the Volleyball State podcast gave their thoughts on Nebraska’s 4-0 win, talking about the players, stylistic changes, and more.

Below is an lightly-edited transcript of their postgame podcast.

Overall impressions from the first match under DBK

Jeff: Overall impressions right now? It seems like the freshmen were kind of the big story tonight.

Lincoln: I think the big story was this is Dani Busboom Kelly’s first match and talking to Rebecca Allick and Andi Jackson; both said this was the first match for them too. A lot of the same players, a lot of the same assistant coaches too, but they had nerves coming out there too. And maybe you saw it with a bunch of missed serves and a shank serve received to start the match. Not a strength early in game one.

But I think they settled in and Nebraska looked dominant. They beat Kansas 4-0. They played four sets. You can do that in an exhibition and made the stats a little bit messy, but I thought Nebraska looked good. Besides a few nerves early, Nebraska looked good. They looked like they weren’t in mid-season form, but they looked like they really had the signs of success.

Jeff: Yeah, absolutely. And the players that really stole the show, I thought, were Nebraska’s freshmen. Ryan Hunter was maybe the least heralded member of this recruiting class coming in, really through no fault of her own. She came in with that injury she suffered in high school. And you know, I always saw the stats through the first three sets, but I see she ended up with 11 kills. Nine on her first 11 swings through the first three sets. Ryan Hunter, welcome to Nebraska.

Lincoln: She didn’t have an error hitting error until the fourth set. She also didn’t play beach season too. So, she was with the team, traveled when they went to Hawaii and California, but really was only physically cleared to play in December and really kind of started her road to recovery from that knee injury over the last couple of months. I don’t know if it was just a left-hander at opposite, but she looked good. Like she had one kill. I think it was in the third or fourth set too, where she kind of sliced between a triple block that just looked veteran savvy and looked really good.

Were there any noticeable differences under DBK?

Jeff: Matt in the I-80 Club Discord asked if we saw a noticeable style difference because he said they look like they’re willing to try to set up some big swings. I noticed some different routes. I’m sure you did too. You know, they’re running Harper Murray inside instead of just setting her on the pin; some combo routes. This is kind of some stuff I thought that they might see judging on what Louisville looked like last year. What did you see kind of from the offensive scheme standpoint?

Lincoln: Well, I don’t know if it’s a schematic to me, but it’s more intention. They went to the middle blockers a lot more. The match was close. I think it was 19-18 in the first set and Nebraska went to the middle blockers. They went to Allick twice, and they finally got her a kill. And next three kills were all quick sets to middle block. And that’s what they think about speeding up that offense to run a little bit faster and I think the middle’s really benefited from that.

Jeff: I want to spend some time talking about the middles in a little bit and certainly give Andi Jackson her flowers, because oh my god did she bruise the floor a few times, and did something I don’t know I’ve ever seen a college middle blocker do, but we’re talking about the freshmen right now.

Let’s talk about Campbell Flynn for just a little bit. She set the final two sets of the match; set them to .395 hitting in game three. I was really impressed by her. Very smooth, good hands. The tempo was good. I think she missed on a couple locations, right? She’s a freshman and the passing wasn’t always great. But Campbell Flynn showed she’s ready to play at this level.

Teraya Sigler (11) and Campbell Flynn (4) celebrate an Andi Jackson kill.

Teraya Sigler (11) and Campbell Flynn (4) celebrate an Andi Jackson kill. / Amarillo Mullen

Lincoln: Yeah, I thought that was maybe one of more surprising things and maybe attribute that to nerves is Bergen Reilly struggled with her set location. But Flynn really came in and she didn’t get a kill on either of her attacks, but you get a lefty up there. These aren’t these gentle dump attacks for the middle; they’re power swings.

Harrper Murray

Jeff: Another returning player I want to keep my eye on tonight; Harper Murray. Started a little bit slower offensively, just had one kill in game one, picked it up as the match went along. But how about that jump serve, huh? We haven’t seen that yet!

Lincoln: No, I think that was really exciting too. They talked about the potential that she has to do that too. And she also mixed it up because she did the jump float, which she did last year too, she switched to that in the second set. She can really kind of yo-yo the defense and mix in that float serve with the jump top spin serve. It’s really going to give defense a headache too. She went back, first one she ripped off for an ace too. Nebraska hasn’t had a jump server in the number of years. I think John Cook’s talked about wanting to save legs.

Harper Murray (27) tips the ball over the net.

Harper Murray (27) tips the ball over the net. / Amarillo Mullen

Jeff: Yeah, it’s another kind of full swing. So if you get late in a match and Harper’s taken 45 swings in the flow of play, and then she’s going to go back there and try to rip eight jump serves, you can save your body a little bit. But it can be such a weapon, right? Maybe this is what we’re seeing a little bit of the philosophy change between Dani Busbom Kelly and John Cook is like, let’s just let it rip, right? Let’s use every tool we have at our disposal and it’ll get us another point or two. 

Watch the entire postgame show below!

Looking for more from Volleyball State, including bonus podcasts, newsletters, and ways to connect directly with Jeff and Lincoln? Consider becoming a subscriber of the Volleyball State tier today, apart of the I-80 Club! Do so at patreon.com/i80club.

Volleyball State tier

Volleyball State subscriber features. / I-80 Club

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.



Link

8
Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sports

Local prep summer league gets underway with new home at Wyandotte Roosevelt – The News Herald

WYANDOTTE — When it comes to prep sports, volleyball may be about as active as any during the summer months, if not more. In addition to the very many club level commitments, there are also high school summer leagues taking place. One of the prominent ones locally made its annual return with a new home […]

Published

49 seconds ago

on

June 26, 2025

By


WYANDOTTE — When it comes to prep sports, volleyball may be about as active as any during the summer months, if not more.



Link

0
Continue Reading

Sports

Arizona State introduces plans for a new track and field stadium

Graham Rossini on Arizona State’s continued investment in track & field Rossini said work is underway to rebuild the “track and field infrastructure” at ASU. The current track and field stadium is unsuitable for competitive use and hasn’t hosted a home meet in years. While other universities have cut track and field programs, ASU remains […]

Published

16 minutes ago

on

June 26, 2025

By


play

  • The current track and field stadium is unsuitable for competitive use and hasn’t hosted a home meet in years.
  • While other universities have cut track and field programs, ASU remains committed to all 26 of its sports.

While Olympic sports at the NCAA level across the country face upheaval following the approval of the House settlement bringing revenue sharing and roster limits, Arizona State appears headed in the opposite direction.

ASU is doubling down on its commitment to Olympic sports with an investment in a new stadium for the track and field team, according to ASU’s athletic director, Graham Rossini.

“Track and field is definitely a sport that has been affected by the House settlement and what the roster caps look like, and how cross-country can fit into the track and field number,” Rossini told The Arizona Republic on Thursday, June 26.

“We’ve also got the reality that we need a track and field facility. So we’re hard at work with our coaches, the rest of the institution, figuring out solutions that will allow us to really rebuild the track and field infrastructure at ASU.”

Right now, Arizona State’s track and field team practices at Sun Angel Stadium just off Rural Road, next to Mullett Arena. Part of Mullett Arena extends almost to the track at ASU, meaning some of the outside lanes near the 100-meter start are uncomfortably close to the exterior of the building. 

“It’s no secret that our current stadium is not suitable for competitive use,” Rossini said. “We can use it every day to work out and get better. But we haven’t had a home meet on campus in several years now.

“We’re hard at work, with track and field being one of the capital projects that we are going to be able to green light, hopefully in the near future.”

Rossini declined to give The Republic an exact timeline, but repeated “nearish future.”

As for the location, the stadium would be moved.

“It would not get rebuilt in its current spot,” Rossini said. “That land has been earmarked as part of the Novus Innovation Corridor. As we rebuild a new track facility, we will find a different location on campus.”

No location was given, but there is a plot of land nearby available for ASU to use – Karsten Golf Course, east of Rural Road, has been closed since 2019.

Rossini said the ASU tennis stadium also would be moved.

“The track and field and tennis facilities are something we are talking a lot about and identifying a future state for them to make sure those sports can continue to recruit and compete at a high level,” Rossini said.

While many Olympic sports, such as swimming, diving and volleyball, have seen trickle-down effects of the House settlement, there may not be a sport more affected by the settlement than track and field. The roster limits imposed include the cross-country team. This essentially means two different team sports have to fit under a roster cap.

On June 17, Washington State announced that it was cutting all field events and some sprint, hurdle and jump events from its track and field program to solely focus on the distance events. 

Does ASU have any plans for something similar?

“We have not gone in-depth on that, they just wrapped up their season about a week and a half ago,” Rossini said. “We haven’t had the chance to do our year-end conversation in terms of what are some of the disciplines that we really want to isolate. 

“We are known as a great sprinter school. That’s what coach (Dion) Miller’s background is. If you look at our heritage in the sport, we’ve had great success with sprints and some of the team relays. I can’t speak to specifics of how it’s going to look in the fall, as we just wound down the season. But again, we want to do everything we can to make track and field compete at a high level.”

The commitment from Rossini affirms the position he took on May 6 when he said the school was investing in all of its Olympic sports.

Arizona State is trying to position itself as an outlier in a post-House settlement era.

“When I took the job, President (Michael) Crow said all 26 sports are important,” Rossini said. “Football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball need to take a big jump as soon they can. We’re on our way there. But our Olympic sports are where a lot of our legacy and our heritage come from.”

As of now, Rossini said that no cuts to Olympic sports programs at ASU are planned.

“Our plan is 26 sports moving forward,” he said. “We’re going to do everything in our power to resource them, to maintain that. It’s the most sports in the Big 12 by a wide margin. … We have not had any conversations about cutting sports to navigate what’s coming at us.”

Since the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, Arizona State athletes have won 66 medals, most recently put in the spotlight by swimmer Léon Marchand’s four individual golds in Paris this past summer.

Logan Stanley is a sports reporter with The Arizona Republic who primarily focuses on high school, college and Olympic sports. To suggest ideas for human-interest stories and other news, reach out to Stanley at logan.stanley@gannett.com or 707-293-7650. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @LSscribe.





Link

0
Continue Reading

Sports

Olivia Babcock Named an ESPYS Nominee for Best College Athlete in Women’s Sports

PITTSBURGH – Olivia Babcock was tabbed an ESPY nominee for best college athlete in women’s sports, announced on Thursday. She is one of four recipients in the category including JuJu Watkins (University of Southern California, basketball), Kate Faasse (University of North Carolina, women’s soccer) and Gretchen Walsh (University of Virginia, swimming). She is the first […]

Published

17 minutes ago

on

June 26, 2025

By


PITTSBURGH – Olivia Babcock was tabbed an ESPY nominee for best college athlete in women’s sports, announced on Thursday. She is one of four recipients in the category including JuJu Watkins (University of Southern California, basketball), Kate Faasse (University of North Carolina, women’s soccer) and Gretchen Walsh (University of Virginia, swimming). She is the first Pitt female athlete in history to receive a nomination.

Hosted by Shane Gillis, The 2025 ESPYS will air live from The Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Wednesday, July 16, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and will stream live on ESPN+. The ESPYS will also be available to stream on-demand the next day on Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. The star-studded ceremony will relive the best moments of the year, honor leading athletes and performances, and bring together the sports industry’s fan favorites and biggest stars. 

Top celebrities from sports and entertainment will gather to recognize nominees and honor winners in categories such as “Best Athlete – Men’s Sports,” “Best Athlete – Women’s Sports,” “Best Breakthrough Athlete,” “Best Record Breaking Performance,” “Best Championship Performance,” and “Best Comeback Athlete.”

Per tradition, The 2025 ESPYS will also showcase the achievements of inspiring and courageous athletes who embody the spirit of The ESPYS through three pillar awards – the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, and The Pat Tillman Award for Service. Honorees for each of these awards will be announced in the coming weeks. The show supports ESPN’s ongoing commitment to The V Foundation for Cancer Research, launched in 1993 by ESPN in partnership with the late Jim Valvano.

Babcock is tabbed an ESPY nominee after winning the Honda Award for volleyball and being named an AAU Sullivan Award Semifinalist and the AVCA National Player of the Year. 

She led the Pitt offense and averaged 5.94 points per set, 4.72 kills per set, 1.82 digs per set and 0.62 aces per set. Babcock won two AVCA National Player of the Week and three ACC Offensive Player of the Week awards last season. 

ESPYS Release



Link

0
Continue Reading

Sports

Five Named to CSC Academic All-District Women’s Track/Cross Country Team

Story Links BALTIMORE, MD – Johns Hopkins placed five individuals on the 2025 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Women’s Track and Cross Country Team it was recently announced.    Nominees must be at least a sophomore academically and athletically, have at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA and be a […]

Published

36 minutes ago

on

June 26, 2025

By


BALTIMORE, MD – Johns Hopkins placed five individuals on the 2025 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Women’s Track and Cross Country Team it was recently announced. 
 
Nominees must be at least a sophomore academically and athletically, have at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA and be a starter or significant reserve.  First, Second and Third Team Academic All-America Women’s Track and Cross Country Teams will be announced on July 15.
 

Including the five selections this season, the Johns Hopkins women’s cross country/track & field teams have now produced 56 Academic All-District selections since 2003.  Three Blue Jays – Sara Bartlett, Annie Huang and Mackenzie Setton are making their second consecutive appearance on the team.
 
Johns Hopkins’ 2025 CSC Academic All-District Selections
Sara Bartlett (Sr.)
Major:  Public Health
• 8x Centennial Conference medalist with 2 gold and 6 silver
• All-American in the triple jump 3x (indoor-1, outdoor-2) with one 1st team and two 2nd team finishes
• 2025 Centennial Conference Indoor Champion in the Long Jump and Triple Jump
• 11 top-five finishes at Centennial Championships in career
• Rhodes Scholar Finalist
 
Annie Huang (Gr.)
Major: Molecular & Cellular Biology (UG), Biotechnology (G)

• 5 career 1st Team All-American at NCAA Indoor & Outdoor Championships
• 9x NCAA Qualifier with top-13 finishes in all 9 events

• 6x Centennial Conference Champion (individual & relay) and 7x medalist (top-3 finisher)
• Holds the 2nd-best time in school history in indoor 800 (2:09.33) and outdoor 800 (2:07.48)
• 2025 Centennial Conference Indoor Track Athlete of the Year
• 5x Centennial Conference Champion in 2024-25:  Indoor:  400-meter, 4×400, DMR. Outdoor:  1500, 4×40
 
Lianne Saussy (Jr.)
Major: Molecular & Cellular Biology
• Member of fourth-place DMR team at the 2025 NCAA Indoor Track Championships
• 11x medalist at Centennial Championships with 8 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze
• Seven top-4 finishes at Centennial Championships in 2024-25:  Indoor:  DMR (1st), 4×400 (1st), 400-meter (4th), 200-meter (4th).  Outdoor:  400 Hurdles (3rd), 4×100 (1st), 4×400 (1st)
• Member of 4×400 and 4×800 indoor relay teams and 4×100 and 4×400 relay teams that hold JHU records
 
Harrinee Senthilkumar (Sr.)
Major: Neuroscience
• 12x Centennial Conference medalist with 8 gold, 1 silver, 3 bronze
• 3x NCAA Qualifier
• 2025 Centennial Conference Champion in the Indoor Mile and third place in the Outdoor 1500
• Member of JHU-record-holding 4×800 relay teams (outdoor and indoor) and DMR team (indoor)
• Six-time Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll selection
 
Mackenzie Setton (Jr.)
Major:  Molecular & Cellular Biology
• Earned Second Team All-America honors in the Mile with a 14th-place at the 2025 NCAA Indoor Track Championships
• Member of the 4x800m relay team that set a Division III national record at the 2025 Penn Relays
• Six-time medalist at the Centennial Championships with one gold, three silver and two bronze
• Member of First Team All-America DMR team at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Track Championships
 

– 30 –

 



Link

0
Continue Reading

Sports

Pitt volleyball star Olivia Babcock nominated for best female college athlete ESPY

MENU ACCOUNT SECTIONS OTHER CLASSIFIEDS CONTACT US / FAQ Link 0

Published

37 minutes ago

on

June 26, 2025

By






 Link

0
Continue Reading

Sports

ASUN-UAC TO CREATE STRATEGIC ALLIANCE IN 2026

Story Links CONWAY, Ark. _  The Atlantic Sun Conference announced today a groundbreaking strategic alliance creating a consortium of two conferences (Atlantic Sun and United Athletic Conference), bringing together three Texas universities which are currently part of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) with the five football-playing ASUN schools to create an all-sports […]

Published

41 minutes ago

on

June 26, 2025

By


CONWAY, Ark. _  The Atlantic Sun Conference announced today a groundbreaking strategic alliance creating a consortium of two conferences (Atlantic Sun and United Athletic Conference), bringing together three Texas universities which are currently part of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) with the five football-playing ASUN schools to create an all-sports United Athletic Conference beginning July 1, 2026.

The WAC announced Wednesday that Southern Utah and Utah Tech will be leaving the conference to join the Big Sky Conference, effective July 1, 2026, leaving UT Arlington, Abilene Christian and Tarleton State as the only three full members of the WAC. ACU and Tarleton State were already competing in the football-only incarnation of the UAC.

The new alliance is expected to strengthen and improve operational efficiency across both conferences and across the university campuses. It will create new growth opportunities across the southeast, and position both conferences for continued success in the future. The consortium will be led by current ASUN Commissioner Jeff Bacon, who will serve as its Executive Director, providing experienced leadership for this new venture. Current WAC Commissioner, Rebekah Ray, will assume a leadership role within the consortium.

“The landscape of collegiate athletics has changed rapidly in recent years, and this strategic alliance creates innovative opportunities for collaboration and increased efficiencies for all of the institutions involved,” said Matt Whiting, UCA director of athletics. “I am excited for what this means for the University of Central Arkansas and our Athletics Department as we enter a new era of college athletics.”

“As we navigate the changing world of collegiate athletics, I am excited about the opportunities presented in this strategic alliance and further strengthening our partnership and future with our current United Athletic Conference peers,” said UCA President Dr. Houston Davis. “This alliance positions the University of Central Arkansas well geographically, creating greater experiences for our student-athletes and fans.”

In 2026, the WAC will rebrand to the United Athletic Conference (UAC), which is the brand currently used to recognize the ASUN-WAC Football Alliance. This rebrand will better recognize the new membership composition of the Conference with all seven (7) UAC football-playing members housed within one conference, and the shift in geographic footprint.

The UAC will welcome new members Austin Peay State University, the University of Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky University, the University of North Alabama and the University of West Georgia. The addition of five football-playing members (identified above) will bring total UAC membership to 8 members, including 7 football-playing members along with UT Arlington.

Remaining ASUN membership will include Bellarmine University; Florida Gulf Coast University; Jacksonville University; Lipscomb University; the University of North Florida; Queens University of Charlotte, and Stetson University.

 

Both the ASUN and the UAC will continue to operate separate championships as independent conferences. Championship formats and locations will be determined at a later date for sports that are not already contracted. The ASUN basketball tournament will remain in Jacksonville, Fla., and the UAC basketball tournament location is to be determined.

The UAC and the ASUN will remain independent conferences, each with their own automatic qualifiers (AQ’s) for NCAA postseason play. Both conferences will also continue to meet the NCAA sport sponsorship and membership standards.  Membership will continue to be a top priority for both conferences. Through the President’s leadership the Consortium will evaluate potential opportunities for growth and best alignment of Institutions.

Sport sponsorship for the conferences will be as follows: 

ASUN:

• Men’s Sports: Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Lacrosse, Soccer, Swim & Dive and Indoor/Outdoor Track & Field

• Women’s Sports: Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Cross Country, Golf, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball, Swim & Dive, Tennis, Indoor/Outdoor Track & Field and Volleyball

UAC:

• Men’s Sports: Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Football, Tennis and Indoor/Outdoor Track & Field

• Women’s Sports: Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Indoor/Outdoor Track & Field and Volleyball

“As many in the media and the public have mentioned, and as many other Division I conferences have discussed, the Division I Conference membership landscape at our level has become unsustainable and confusing,” the ASUN said. “We now have conferences that stretch from coast to coast, and conference membership often consists of a mix of football and non-football playing member institutions, public and private institutions, or institutions whose geography does not align well. 

“In addition, conferences and institutions are looking for ways to reduce or streamline expenses, unlock new revenue streams, forge scheduling alliances, and prepare for the modern world of intercollegiate athletics.

“Through the formation of a consortium, this alliance allows two similarly situated conferences to partner together to resolve many of these challenges at once: better aligning our membership; reducing expenses; collectively leveraging assets such as media rights; providing members of both conferences games

and home games in multiple sports; and situating both conferences for streamlined decision making.”

“This is not a merger, but a forward-thinking alliance. We are proactively building a modern structure for intercollegiate athletics that benefits everyone involved. This alliance provides great leverage for two conferences and long-term stability amongst like-minded and similarly situated institutions.”

ASUN RELEASE 

 



Link

0
Continue Reading

Most Viewed Posts

Trending