“The last two years, we had the same two captains with Merritt and Lexi,” Director of Operations Lindsay Peterson told Huskers Radio. Needless to say, the volleyball squad got into the “groove” of the leadership style Merritt Beason and Lexi Rodriguez brought to the table. Unfortunately, those two graduated, and unlike John Cook handing the reins to Dani Busboom Kelly, the void they left persisted.

DBK arranged for a vote in the summer to elect a new captain, and Bergen Reilly emerged as the favorite. “I said, ‘Whoever has four votes or more, they’re going to be a captain.’ And she’s the only one that had more than four votes,” Coach Kelly said on the Inside the Coaching Mind podcast in July. However, that was a stopgap solution that needed to change ahead of the 2025 season.

Thankfully, after working with Dani Busboom Kelly throughout the summer, three new Husker stars are ready to lead the team ahead of the AVCA First Serve. “Nebraska announced three captains for the 2025 season: – Senior middle blocker Rebekah Allick – Junior setter Bergen Reilly – Junior middle blocker Andi Jackson,” Huskers Illustrated’s Lincoln Arneal posted on X.

DBK had praised Bergen Reilly’s leadership while appearing on former Husker coach Terry Pettit’s podcast. “She’s been an awesome leader. I think she’s one of our most consistent players,” the 40-year-old said about Bergen Reilly. The other two earning that capacity isn’t really a surprise either, as they’ve impressed DBK throughout the summer with their performances.

Rebekah Allick emerged as the standout player in the Red-White Scrimmage, earning the ‘Lifter of the Year’ award in the process. “This preseason, she’s at another level. Her competitive spirit is where it needs to be,” Dani Busboom Kelly said about the senior. Similarly, Andi Jackson has also made a case for herself, being one of those players who are not afraid to experiment. That being said, DBK didn’t personally handpick this trio.

Dani Busboom Kelly let the team decide

While Merritt Beason and Lexi Rodriguez got the team to multiple semifinals and finals, the former Louisville coach saw things that needed to change. Last year, while watching the Huskers fall to Penn State after taking a commanding lead, DBK could see the lapse in leadership. During those tense moments when the Nittany Lions were making their comeback, the Huskers struggled.

So that was one thing Dani Busboom Kelly knew she had to rectify. Yet, throughout the summer, she only nudged the natural leaders of Nebraska Volleyball forward rather than hand-pick select candidates. DOP Lindsey Peterson confirmed it during her chat with Huskers Radio. Instead of pushing any player to become a leader, DBK just let the team decide after a preseason full of exhibition matches.

“We went through summer, we went through a couple weeks of preseason, and then, with a team vote, those three emerged at the top. It shows the work they’ve put in, the time, to make an impact on this team,” Peterson said while appearing on the podcast. Then again, the Jackson, Reilly, and Allick trio won’t be the only leaders on the court for Nebraska.

“We have a lot of players. They have experience. They’re just natural leaders. Maybe they lead in different ways, but they are leaders nonetheless,” said the DOP. Once again, this lines up with what Harper Murray said at the Big Ten Volleyball Media Days. While the trio may be the team’s official captains, the Huskers have no shortage of players who can step up when Dani Busboom Kelly’s team needs them.