“I had no idea we had this many Nebraska fans in Oregon,” said former Nebraska volleyball head coach John Cook last November. The Huskers swept the Ducks 3-0 at the Matthew Knight Arena in front of 8,566 fans, and Cook was stunned to see how many of those were actually cheering for the visitors. And now, it looks like his successor, Dani Busboom Kelly, is set to enjoy her first season with the squad, with fans flying in from beyond the national borders to show their allegiance.

It’s no folklore that the Huskers have some of the most ardent fans in the country. But Busboom Kelly, who was appointed as the program’s new head coach in January after Coach Cook’s exit, probably didn’t imagine that fans are also located all over the American continents. Naturally, the Nebraska volleyball boss was pleasantly surprised to see the loyalists in the crowd as the team began its 2025 NCAA season.

The Huskers took on Stanford at the Pinnacle Bank Arena on Sunday for the AVCA First Serve Showcase. With a 3-0 sweep in pocket, Busboom Kelly was obviously feeling good. But, as per an Instagram post by Hurrdat Sports from August 25, the coach was heard noting her surprise about how some of the 15,734 fans came all the way from a whole different country to cheer for the Nebraska gals. “What Nebraska does obviously sets the bar, and this weekend showed that,” Dani said in the post-match presser, before revealing some incredible information.

“We’re becoming a worldwide brand. There was some girl, just today. And I was walking in, had her parents run up, ‘I came all the way from Columbia. The country, not Columbia, Missouri. The country of Columbia, just to see you guys this weekend’,” Busboom Kelly said, with a grin, about how the Huskers are attracting their fans from beyond the state borders.

Atleast all that travel didn’t go to waste. Instead, the Columbian fans were treated to some top-of-the-line volleyball action at the Pinnacle Bank Arena. Both seasoned and new Huskers put forth thrilling shows of their own. Freshman Teraya Sigler bagged an ace, while junior Laney Choboy and sophomore Olivia Mauch led the Huskers with 12 digs each. Senior Rebekah Allick posted 11 kills, five blocks, and hit .600 to be named the MVP of the match.

With the latest victory, Busboom Kelly’s girls are now 2-0 in the 2025 season (the Huskers defeated the Pittsburgh Panthers 3-1 on Friday in the first match of the AVCA First Serve), and are looking pretty comfortable in their shoes. But Dani can hardly feel complacent, for she has a tall climb right ahead.

Dani Busboom Kelly is on the edge of grabbing history by its neck

The new head coach of the Huskers has big shoes to fill. After all, she takes charge of the program after the legendary John Cook, who, over 25 years as the Nebraska volleyball boss, has won four NCAA trophies, along with mentoring countless AVCA All-Americans, Olympic champions, and more. But Busboom Kelly didn’t come to Lincoln without her own stacked resume, either.

Dani had a brief stint as the Hukers’ assistant coach previously, earning the AVCA National Assistant Coach of the Year award in 2016, before heading on to Louisville as the Cardinals’ head coach. In the last eight years as the program’s head coach, Busboom Kelly compiled a 203-44 (.822) record and took Louisville to the NCAA Championship match twice in the last three years. However, her work with her alma mater (the new head coach was a national champion with the Huskers in 2006) is only beginning.

Despite being one of the most popular volleyball programs in the country and beyond, Nebraska hasn’t won the NCAA title since 2017. Last year, Coach Cook urged the fans to rally behind the team to help them end the long dry spell. While the fans did do their part, the team had to exit the tournament in the regional semifinals after taking a beating from Penn State. But Dani would surely want to do something truly emphatic in her first year after taking the reins. And it looks like she’s on the right track, too.

The Huskers’ double win at the AVCA First Serve came just days after the coach spent some quality time with the roster, both the players and the coaching staff. Busboom Kelly & Co. was seen having a blast, perfecting their surfing skills and bonding as a team. But while the result of such team activities are showing their initial results, can those carry the Cornhuskers all the way to national glory? What do you reckon?