25 years of dynastic influence won’t simply vanish overnight, not that Dani Busboom Kelly would want it that way. After all, she was part of one of the glory runs under John Cook’s leadership. Now that the student becomes the master, Kelly knows she has some big shoes to fill. But her teacher had faith. And Kelly really looks to be a chip off the old block. She’s out there sending subtle nods that her girls are coming for titles and nothing less.

Well, the new season is almost here. Nebraska has its first game on August 9 in an Exhibition Red-White Scrimmage at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Nebraska. The season officially gets underway on August 22 at the AVCA First Serve against Pittsburgh. How is the team looking? Well, we got some insights from the head coach herself in her interview with Kevin Sjuts, the Sports Director of 10/11 News.

A snippet of it was shared by Sjuts on his X account on July 31. And it’s exactly what the Nebraska fans would want to focus on. When asked about her team, Dani Busboom Kelly (DBK) didn’t need to hesitate. “We’re pretty good.” And she added, “It will be a fun year to really watch, develop.” But DBK isn’t here for participation prizes. “I really think the team that’s out on the court on August will be much different than the team in December.”

Critical analysis? The former Louisville Cardinals coach already has the championship on her mind. And as a former Cornhusker, she will be looking to undo the shock of last season. The entire campaign was as dominant as it gets. They lost just 3 games over the course of the season. But those 2 that came against Penn State were a plot twist nobody saw coming. And nobody in Nebraska wants history to repeat itself.

Talking about the semi-final loss, Kelly had earlier told how it was a lack of leadership and fear creeping in that saw the shocking reverse sweep. A feeling of deja vu could have surely crippled the Huskers, as Penn State had already beaten Nebraska in the 2024 regular season. We can keep talking about that semi-final, but back in the present, it won’t make a difference. Except in strengthening the new coach’s resolve.

And she has some tinkering to do. Harper Murray may be set, but the position opposite her has some options. Taylor Landfair will be one of them. Along with Teraya Siegler and Skylar Pierce. The latter duo are pushing hard, as per the coach. “So they are both, in my opinion, on another level from what they were in May when, you know, we finished our spring season … They are two players that seem like they’re on a mission and they understand that there’s going to be some serious competition.”

We will see who gains the stronghold on the position when the Championships hit in December. But the bigger question is: how far is Nebraska going this time? And will it be the beginning of another dynasty? Well, in some aspects, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. But in some areas, Kelly is a welcome change.

Harper Murray sees the difference that Dani Busboom Kelly brings

Seeing Cook bring his time to a close has been more emotionally heart-wrenching for the outside hitter. After all, Murray had considered him her father figure, and he had helped her fight depression. But the 20-year-old has been warming up to Cook’s chosen disciple. In a postgame interview after beating SDSU, she had shared, “Practice plans were different, the way we run warm-ups and everything is different.”

But she is ready to roll. “We’re still adjusting, but we’re super excited for the fall.” Especially when Kelly has got her troops believing. “Dan said if this team sticks together, you guys will be unstoppable,” Harper said in the interview. As for the differences with her former coach, Harper agreed with her teammates on one thing. The team is more flexible, playing more freely after DBK’s arrival.

“Dani’s been able to bring that out of all of us. It’s been super fun. She’s open to more ideas. She’s very… she’s laid-back. I’ll put it that way,” Harper had said to HuskerOnline. In contrast to? Well, Harper described John Cook as “more of a routine type of guy” who stuck to his methods. Well, Cook’s 25 years were glory-laden and will remain an iconic chapter in the program’s history. Meanwhile, Dani Busboom Kelly is here to make her mark, like she did with the Cardinals.