“There’s no rhyme or reason to what these people are doing and why they leave,” said former Nebraska volleyball coach John Cook about how the transfer portal causes chaos. Thankfully, though, his successor, Dani Busboom Kelly, hasn’t had to deal with the drama yet. But the 39-year-old coach also understands why young players are constantly on the lookout for a better opportunity.

Taking over the reins from the legendary coach wasn’t an easy responsibility to shoulder. But so far, so good. Despite the leadership change, none of the Nebraska players transferred elsewhere. Instead, making Kelly beam broader, stars who had previously committed to other programs, surprised fans across the country by announcing their desire to play for the Huskers instead from the 2025-26 season. But the former Louisville coach knows such things are bound to happen, given the high competition level of collegiate volleyball.

Busboom Kelly recently talked to Out of System about her journey as the new Nebraska coach so far. In the YouTube upload from July 7, she also made her thoughts clear on why she doesn’t wish to vilify athletes for wanting to secure their future by entering the transfer portal. On being asked whether she thought it’s more difficult nowadays to retain players, given how the talent pool is booming and players often get less play time, Kelly said, “I definitely think it’s harder to keep them, and you see it all over the country that players are transferring because they want to play, and you can’t blame them.”

Further mentioning how she also wanted to play as much as possible during her own playing days, the coach went on, “…there’s a lot of outside factors in that too when you’re not on the court. There’s money involved, and so you can’t blame somebody, but I do think if you can have a great plan and stick with that plan, and then also, again, communicating that, it should help with some retention.”

However, being the seasoned coach Kelly is, she also knows that in reality, it’s almost impossible to say with certainty that no players would want to transfer from their current teams. But while Nebraska hadn’t had the misfortune to lose any of its emphatic athletes to the transfer portal, it’s not like they also have passed on the chance to benefit from the same.

In late January, the former head coach added Allie Sczech, a former Baylor star, to the Huskers’ roster. The opposite hitter still has one year left in her NCAA career and is expected to be one of the centerpieces in executing Busboom Kelly’s tactics on the volleyball court in the upcoming season. But she hasn’t been the only new face on the team.

Dai Busboom Kelly will have all the players she needs for the coming years

Before handing over the task of leading the program to a new era to Kelly, Coach Cook signed five athletes for the 2025-26 season. Setter Campbell Flynn, opposite hitter Ryan Hunter, libero Keri Leimbach, middle blocker Manaia Ogbechie, and outside hitter Teraya Sigler were all roped in by the far-sighted coach as a strategic move to ensure the Huskers continued their dominance in the country’s collegiate volleyball sphere. However, while their signings were crucial in maintaining the high standards, it was also a monumental moment for the players, many of whom had long dreamed of being part of the Lincoln volleyball community.

Furthermore, there have already been more commitments by rising stars that will keep Kelly breathing easy for at least two more years. Keoni Williams, Jayden Robinson, and Gabby DiVita are all highly ranked by PrepDig as some of the most notable stars-in-the-making, and all three athletes have already committed to the Huskers for the 2026 season.

As if these weren’t enough, Kelly herself isn’t one to sit idly and enjoy the benefits of her predecessor’s groundwork. Libero Maisie Boesiger, a senior at Lincoln, could hardly keep a lid on her emotions as her younger sister, Malorie, verbally committed to the program for the 2027 season. Suffices to say that Dani looks determined to continue the legacy that Coach Cook created for over 25 years as the head honcho of the Huskers’ volleyball program. So, with so many new recruits standing on the door to make their Nebraska debut, do you think Kelly will be less thoughtful in keeping her eyes peeled for the transfer portal activities, at least in the foreseeable future?

Let us know in a comment below!