Dani Busboom Kelly wanted to organize an alumni match during her time as Louisville volleyball’s head coach. While that match never materialized, it’s only fitting that the former Huskers setter and libero got her chance at Nebraska. “You can’t count out Olympians,” DBK said ahead of the Alumni match. The Huskers overcame the alumni squad in a 4-set, 3-1 victory, but it wasn’t easy.

The Huskers alumni gave the active squad a run for their money despite not having a single planned full practice session. The Olympians and volleyball pros like Ally Batenhorst, Lindsay Krause, Jordan Larson, and the team took big leads in three of the four sets. However, the Huskers battled back to win those sets, impressing everyone and putting DBK in a serious dilemma.

Following the game, when she was asked about the position that she feels is going to be the most difficult to choose starters for, Dani Busboom Kelly did not have a straight answer. “That’s a tough question,” said Coach Kelly while discussing starters. “You know, with the way Manaia played tonight, you’d think those middles got, you know, they’re clear, but she’s really good,” added the head coach.

However, the 40-year-old believes she’ll have the toughest time choosing among the outside hitters. “I would say outside, you know? I think all four of them have a different skill set and have different strengths and weaknesses, and I honestly think we’re going to need them all at different times of the season, depending on who we’re playing and what time of year it is,” DBK said during the post-match presser.

These four are the veterans Harper Murray and Taylor Landfair, and newcomers Skyler Pierce and Teraya Sigler. While DBK gave all four of her outside hitters a taste of the action on the court, Murray and Sigler stood out against the alumni. Murray finished with the second most kills (12) of the night, only behind Ally Batenhorst (13). Meanwhile, Sigler played a brilliant all-around game with 6 kills and 7 digs. Although watching her girls shine wasn’t the only memorable thing about the alumni game for DBK.

Dani Busboom Kelly’s emotional confession

The fact that the former assistant coach-turned-head coach was excited about the clash was apparent during the pre-game presser. After all, she wanted to do something like this for a long time, and it took a long time for all the alumni’s schedules to line up for the exhibition to become a reality. What’s more? DBK even got the exact number of sets she wanted to see.

“I’m secretly hoping for a four-setter,” Dani Busboom Kelly told the media ahead of the match. Despite her excitement, the Nebraska Huskers’ head coach didn’t anticipate feeling so emotional watching the match between the past and present of Nebraska clash on the court. “It was great. I got a little bit teary-eyed just seeing all those alums come back,” DBK confessed.

“I know they were excited to get the standing ovations and get that feeling back,” the 40-year-old said after the game. And she was right. The players in the alumni squad shared updates about the game on social media and even spoke about the unique experience after the match. Ally Bantenhorst had a tough time believing she was playing for Nebraska again.

“I never thought I would be playing in Bob again. So it’s a really great opportunity to come back and then see a bunch of old teammates,” Batenhorst said about her experience. So it’s safe to say the Alumni Scrimmage is exactly what the Huskers needed ahead of the AVCA First Serve Showcase.