“We got a lot of firepower, so we need to work on that so we can get everybody to the ball,” Dani Busboom Kelly said after the Red-White Scrimmage. As fans cheered for the Huskers inside a sold-out John Cook Arena, DBK was busy taking notes of what was going right and what needed to change. “You know? I do think we are a very good serve and pass team,” DBK told the press.

However, the Nebraska volleyball head coach explained that they still need to work on it ahead of the AVCA First Serve. “I thought that showed a little bit today,” the 40-year-old explained after watching the Huskers’ setters fumble occasionally because of the nerves. Yet, that’s not all she noticed about the Huskers’ play, and she saw plenty of good in how they played.

“Our middles hit for really high percentages, all four of them, and we got them the ball quite a bit. So that was great, and that was, I think, what fans noticed the most in the spring; we continued that over,” Dani Busboom Kelly told the media. The stats backed it up as newcomer Kenna Cogill notched 10 kills on a .421 hitting percentage, which was higher than some of her seniors.

All-American Andi Jackson notched 7 kills with a .385 hitting percentage, while another freshman, Manaia Ogbechie, scored 4 kills and 6 blocks. However, Rebekah Allick stole the show with 16 kills (.433 hitting %) and five blocks, earning the Lifter of the Year award. She also praised the setter. “You know? Setters can get really tentative when they’re nervous, and these setters didn’t,” DBK said in the HuskerOnline clip.

Despite those periodic mishaps, she liked how the setter approached the game. “I thought that’s a great sign of confidence and trust in their teammates. I think our defense is very good, but we were taking risks,” and that’s a good thing said Dani Busboom Kelly. “We’re challenging our team to ‘rip it, not tip it,'” added DBK, and to do that, they need to take some risks. What’s more? The fans only saw a teaser of what’s to come.

Dani Busboom Kelly and the Huskers have new tricks

Bergen Reilly had already talked about how DBK has pushed the players to make subtle changes to their game. These little things added up, and by the time the spring games against Illinois and Kansas rolled around, the Huskers were already trying out new things. The biggest surprise came when they pulled out the D-ball attack with Andi Jackson playing offense against Kansas.

Similarly, Bergen Reilly dropped hints about what they’ve been up to for the last six months. “Yeah, it’s been a fun process. Getting it down was a little challenging at the beginning because I hadn’t set like that in a while,” the setter said ahead of the Red-White Scrimmage. “It’s really fun when you do see those connections start to form with the hitters,” Reilly said about the passing.

“And it is really fast. Even if our block knows it’s coming, it’s hard to stop. I’m excited for everyone to get to see,” Reilly added, and that’s what the fans saw during the scrimmage. However, this is only the beginning, as DBK plans to refine these plays and pull off more things no one expects the Huskers to do. What’s more? This approach has trickled down to the individual level too.

During the Big Ten Volleyball Media Days, outside hitter Harper Murray hinted at a new serve she’s been working on behind the scenes. When asked if the fans could expect to see her new serve, Murray replied, “potentially.” So it’s safe to say that the Dani Busboom Kelly & Co. have a lot more in store for the regular season.