“This has not been an easy choice,” said Penn State volleyball’s Izzy Starck when she announced her decision to skip the 2025 season to focus on her mental health. While the sophomore’s unfortunate resolve could perennially hurt the Nittany Lions’ chances of defending the NCAA title this year, it could be welcome news for Nebraska. And yet, the Huskers’ head coach, Dani Busboom Kelly, thinks Starck’s move away from the volleyball court underscores deeper problems.

In a post on X from September 9 by Hurrdat Sports, DBK could be heard sharing her thoughts on how the high demands of college sports might have prompted the Penn State athlete’s tough call. Calling the entire fiasco “sad,” Busboom Kelly said, “I just think that college sports are such a big deal now, especially with media, social media, these players are put on pedestals; at the end of the day, they’re college students. They’re working to get their degrees,” noting how, despite their popularity, the stars are essentially just varsity students, still learning the ways of the world. 

“Meeting new people, they’re living away from home for the first time. So it’s a lot, and then on top of that, to be such a public figure in their sports, it’s really, really hard,” Busboom Kelly further draws attention to how college student-athletes face new challenges every day. Jokingly, reminding how she didn’t have to face the social media music during her playing days, the Huskers’ boss had to admit, “And the way the players handle it, you know, is pretty phenomenal when you think about it from all sports.” 

However, while she kept pointing out how mental health can become a heavy burden to bear, Busboom Kelly also lauded the Nebraska authorities to be mindful of the athletes’ needs. “Just grateful that Nebraska is an athletic department that understands this and puts the resources in place to support and try to stay ahead of, you know, mental health and ahead of some of these things,” she said, while praying that no player on her roster would need to drop out for similar issues like Starck’s.

Busboom Kelly’s skeptical thoughts aren’t unfounded. NCAA events are one of the most-watched and followed things by the US’s sports fans. However, that heightened attention also comes with its own demands. From playing tightly-packed seasons to having to travel across the nation for back-to-back matches, the athletes have to deal with a lot. The results of such things were highlighted recently, once again, when Minnesota’s Mckenna Wucherer announced that she would step down from her Gophers duties for the 2025 season to tend to her back injury.

However, while DBK believes that Starck’s case should draw attention to how college sports adversely affect the young Turks, right now, it would seem like a reason for a bigger headache for Penn State.

Boon in disguise for Dani Busboom Kelly?

Last year, the Huskers and the Nittany Lions shared the Big Ten title. Penn State went on to win the national title, making Katie Schumacher-Cawley the first-ever female volleyball coach to lift the NCAA relic. However, this season, the defending champions have been wobbly at best. While the reigning national champs post a 4-3 record, their defeats have cast a dark cloud over the hopes of retaining the silverware in Pennsylvania. And that’s where Busboom Kelly would hope to capitalize on.

After eight seasons with Louisville, the Nebraska alum returned to Lincoln to take over the volleyball program from ex-head coach John Cook. So far, Busboom Kelly’s coaching wisdom has shone with austerity as the Huskers currently boast a flawless 6-0 record. However, considering that the Cornhuskers haven’t won the NCAA title since 2017, Dani will have to be extra cautious if she hopes to end the long dry spell. But things do look good, without any doubt.

Will Busboom Kelly, despite her sympathies for Starck, find something to smile about in her maiden season with her alma mater at Penn State’s cost? We’ll have to keep an eye out to see!