Dani Busboom Kelly must be feeling quite like the King of Rohan right now. “So it begins,” said King Theoden when he stood firm to defend Helm’s Deep from the oncoming hordes of Mordor. For Busboom Kelly, it’s not much different. After taking over the Nebraska volleyball program as the head coach, DBK begins her official journey as the Huskers host the Pittsburgh Panthers at the Pinnacle Bank Arena for the AVCA First Serve Showcase. Thankfully, though, it seems that, like the aged king from the Tolkeinverse, the volleyball coach also has her soldiers standing fast by her side.

Harper Murray, the Huskers’ star opposite hitter, shared an emotional epic via her Instagram story on August 22. Captioned, “gbr,” the IG update shows the names the 6-foot-2 OH will be carrying at the first official NCAA season-opener. In a heartwarming tribute, Murray wrote Dani Busboom Kelly’s initials—DBK—on one of her finger tapes, while the others carried the usual nods.

Murray started wearing finger tapes last year when she saw teammate Skyler Pierce do the same. And ever since then, a few things have been a mainstay on them. On the ring finger of her left hand, she writes her jersey number 27, which is also associated with her father. Right next to it, on the pinky is where Lexi Rodriguez’s number 8 goes, as a reminder that she is always by her side. And while nothing goes on the thumb (yet), the index finger remains reserved for John Cook’s initials as a tribute to all that he has done for her. However, while Harper’s admiration of Cook and Rodriguez is well-documented, her decision to include Busboom Kelly’s name also goes on to show how the athlete is opening herself to the new management.

When Busboom Kelly arrived in Nebraska, Murray had already played two seasons under Cook, with whom she shared a deep bond. After the ex-Louisville coach’s appointment, Harper admitted that things were different, and she was slowly getting used to the changes. However, at the Big Ten Media Days a few weeks ago, Kelly and Murray were also seen sharing a special moment, as the new coach lauded the opposite hitter for her leadership role in the squad. What’s more? It did look like the new-forged alliance of Busboom Kelly and Murray is a hit.

At the Devaney Center, the Huskers trampled over the Panthers 3-1, with the opposite hitter picking up 15 kills, 6 digs, and posting a .278 hitting percentage. Junior Andi Jackson hauled up 10 kills and 8 blocks, while middle blocker Rebekah Allick posted 7 blocks and 9 kills. Safe to say, Murray & Co. are in good hands. However, it can’t be denied that today’s match was still an emotional whirlpool for Harper.

Dani Busboom Kelly ushers Murray and the Huskers into the new era

When Cook announced his decision to retire as the Huskers’ head coach, it was a shock, not just for the fans, but also for the stars who had played under his tutelage all those years. Murray was especially hit by the news. Coach Cook has been crucial in helping the opposite hitter navigate through some of the toughest times of her life, and seeing the former go was a hard pill to swallow. Even though Cook assured everyone that Busboom Kelly was the right person to take over the baton, Murray could hardly keep a lid on her emotions for having to part ways with the former boss of the program.

Thankfully, though, it does seem like Dani and Murray’s collab isn’t any worse off from not having Cook around, either. Just a few days ago, Busboom Kelly had confessed that she had a lot of choices on who to pair with Harper on the court. “Well, you know, Taylor Landfair is back. And Skylar Pierce is back. She redshirted last year. And then we have Teraya Siegler, who’s a freshman, who was here in the spring. So I’ve gotten to work with all three of them quite a bit,” Kelly told Terry Pettit last month. “… they’re very different in their skill set. But they’re all very talented. And, again, I think it’s going to be a difficult decision, and if today’s show was any sneak peek into the Huskers’ 2025 season, we’d say the fans have one less thing to worry about.

Then again, this is only the start to a long and winding road. Last year, Nebraska shared the B1G title with Penn State, but fell to the Nittany Lions at the NCAA national semis. Will this year be different with Kelly at the helm? The Huskers haven’t won the national title since 2017. Can the Nebraska alum lead the current batch of athletes to the NCAA silverware as the best tribute to the former coach? Tell us what you think below!