On paper, Nebraska volleyball’s scrimmage with ex-Huskers like Jordan Larson, Ally Batenhorst, Kelly (Hunter) Natter, and others was the perfect warmup ahead of the AVCA First Serve Showcase. After all, the Huskers and the Panthers kick off the entire 2025 NCAA volleyball season on August 22. Yet, going beyond the stat sheets, the alumni scrimmage was more than just a practice match to narrow down the starting 7.

“It was great. I got a little bit teary-eyed just seeing all those alums come back,” said Nebraska volleyball’s head coach Dani Busboom Kelly. The former Louisville volleyball head coach had planned something similar with the Cardinals. So, finally watching that dream come true at her alma mater as the program’s head coach was an emotional moment. The alumni felt it too.

“I never thought I would be playing in Bob again. So it’s a really great opportunity to come back,” Ally Batenhorst said after the match. So being back at the Bob, playing alongside her old teammates in Big Red’s colors, felt surreal. It’s an experience she’d love to return to. “I think they should do this every year. It’s super cool, and it brings everyone together again,” Batenhorst said during the post-match press conference.

The former Husker, who transferred to USC for her senior year, felt overwhelmed by the welcome she got last season. Although the outside hitter wore a Spartan’s jersey and played against her former team, the fans treated Batenhorst like their own. This time it was no different, even though the alumni squad lost 3-1. “Just seeing former teammates, you get to experience what it’s like to be a Husker again,” Batenhorst added.

Fellow former Husker Gina Mancuso-Prososki shared Ally Batenhorst’s opinion. “I don’t think Nebraska can get enough volleyball, so I feel like this will hopefully repeat itself for many, many years,” Mancuso-Prososki said, supporting the 23-year-old’s request for the alumni match to become an annual fixture. But what about its objective on paper?

Did Ally Batenhorst & Co. help Dani Busboom Kelly?

While the former Omaha Supernova had a great time playing alongside Huskers legends, some of whom have coached her, how did the match help DBK? Dani Busboom Kelly used the Red-White scrimmage on August 9 and the Alumni Scrimmage on August 16 as the test bed for her starting lineups for the clash with Pitt Volleyball. So did the volleyball veterans help?

The answer is a resounding yes. While the Red-White Scrimmage helped Dani Busboom Kelly gauge the depth and readiness of the squad, the alumni game helped her narrow it down. “I think it really helped us figure out who we’re going to start and what realistic changes we can make. So, thank you. Big thank you to the alums…” DBK told the press, thanking Ally Batenhorst and the veterans.

The fact that the ex-Huskers pushed the current roster on every set despite practicing for 30 minutes ahead of the match. However, the coach is still on the fence about which seven players she should send to the court against Pittsburgh on August 22. “It’s a little unsettling to not be 100% certain you are making the right (lineup) decisions as a coach,” DBK told Huskers Radio.

But that’s more of the dilemma within the coach rather than any fault of the alumni match. Ally Batenhorst and her fellow ex-Huskers gave DBK exactly what she needed. And after the success and fanfare this one attracted, with fans buying every last ticket to the game, there’s a good chance the alumni scrimmage could become an annual fixture.