“It was so much fun. I mean, I never thought I would be playing in Bob again,” Ally Batenhorst declared after the Alumni Scrimmage. In fact, it was something Batenhorst said before the game in her Instagram clip with Harper Murray as well. After leaving Nebraska for USC in her final year in college, the former Husker had truly missed playing in Big Red’s colors at John Cook Arena.

While she and the alumni lost 3-1 to the current NCAA roster, you couldn’t tell from the smile on the former Omaha Supernova’s face. Then again, this exhibition was more about getting back together again and all about that experience. “There were a lot of laughs It was kind of goofy playing against each other,” she added. However, she didn’t have good news for Nebraska’s opponents.

While Ally Batenhorst’s first alumni match against her former team was a fun event, the Huskers won’t take it easy on their NCAA opponents. After playing the likes of experienced players like Murray and newcomers like Manaia Ogbechie, the 23-year-old had one thing to say. “They look really great… They have a huge roster, so many talented girls. I think they’re really gonna kill it this year,” said the former PFV pro.

While it might take them a few games to pick things up, “once they start coming together, it’s gonna be really, really, tough for the other teams,” Batehnhorst told Hail Varsity’s Ana Bellinghausen. That statement was reflected in the Nebraska Huskers’ performance, who fell behind but picked up the slack on almost every set to win the game 3-1.

The Huskers also showed the depth of their squad, as other members of their team stood out compared to the Red-White Scrimmage on August 9. While seniors like Rebekah Allick, Bergen Reilly, and others took charge in the intra-squad scrimmage, multiple newcomers like Ogbechie, Teraya Sigler, and Virginia Adriano shone on the court against the alumni. However, it’s not like they were absolutely flawless.

Ally Batenhorst and the alumni didn’t go too easy

Head coach Dani Busboom Kelly also thoroughly enjoyed the scrimmage. “It was great. I got a little bit teary-eyed just seeing all those alums come back,” she said during the post-match presser. Yet, the coach who led the Louisville Cardinals to the 2024 NCAA finals also made every mental note she needed. DBK even thanked the alumni team for not making things easy.

You see, despite what the 3-1 scoreline suggests, the Huskers didn’t dominate their Olympian and pro volleyball counterparts. Instead, it was Ally Batenhorst and the ex-Huskers who took the early lead in three out of the four sets, including 8-2 leads in sets three and four. So, as the Huskers battled their way back to win those sets, Busboom Kelly saw the adjustments she needed to make.

“Pretty much everything we had hoped for. The alums played great; we got tested and felt some pressure, which was amazing going into next week,” the 40-year-old said. The coach also noticed the “different players” who stepped up to the challenge the alumni team threw at the Huskers. Coach Busboom Kelly believes that will help the Huskers ahead of facing Pittsburgh on August 22.

“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…” added Busboom Kelly. So it’s safe to say that the Huskers will work hard toward their goal of winning nationals and proving Ally Battenhorst right once the season starts.