“A huge thank you to John Cook,” Dani Busboom Kelly had already mentioned that she wouldn’t be back at the Lincoln campus if it weren’t for the legendary former coach who entrusted her to lead the Nebraska Huskers’ volleyball program in his stead. John Cook, being the seasoned coach he is, knew exactly what he was doing when he called his old player back from Louisville to take over the charge for the squad. And now, it looks like Kelly is also determined to carry forward the legacy of her alma mater by expanding its volleyball family!

When Kelly got the call from the former Nebraska Huskers coach, she didn’t take much time to say yes to the proposal. But her homecoming to Lincoln was also a moment of monumental joy for her family as well. Now, the new head coach is looking to make sure that the players’ families are also made a part of the journey ahead.

Maisie Boesiger, a senior at Lincoln and a star libero in her own right, took to TikTok on June 16 to share her happiness over her sister Malorie’s latest milestone in life. Captioned, “I couldn’t be more proud,” the post shows the siblings sharing an emotional hug following Malorie making her commitment to the Nebraska Huskers’ class of 2027 official.

The accompanying video, coming with the note “Watching my little sister’s dreams come true,” shows a teary Maisie tightly wrapping her arms around her younger sister in what looks like their family home. Undoubtedly, a heartwarming scene. But was the Nebraska Huskers star that surprised to see Malorie following in her footsteps?

After all, Maisie’s sister, the 5’9 setter, is listed as the 14th-ranked prospect in the country as per PrepVolleyball. Nonetheless, the high schooler still couldn’t be more thrilled about what the future holds for her volleyball career. “Maisie just wanted me to go to a school where I’d be happy and feel like I was valued. When I committed there, she was definitely very happy and excited about that,” Malorie later recalled how her sister was over the moon to learn about her commitment to the Nebraska Huskers.

On Monday, the sisters even went for a photoshoot in front of the Devaney Center, the iconic venue the Nebraska Huskers volleyball team calls home. Surely, a great day for the folks over at Lincoln, and even the former Nebraska stars couldn’t keep calm. In the comment section of the TikTok post by Boesiger, former Nebraska player and NCAA icon Lexi Rodriguez wrote, “stoppp I’m crying,” underscoring her happiness at the newest member of the storied team.

But 2027 is still a long way to go. The focus, right now, would be on the 2025 season and the next year. Before leaving his office, Coach Cook had signed five stars: Campbell Flynn (2023 FIVB U19 World Championships gold medalist), Ryan Hunter (who has experience training at the USA Volleyball National Team Development Program), Keri Leimbach (winner of four state championships at Lincoln Lutheran High School), Manaia Ogbechie (2024 NORCECA Continental Championship gold medalist), and Teraya Sigler (2023 FIVB U19 World Championships gold medalist). It remains to be seen how these players collaborate with Kelly in their first stint with the Nebraska Huskers.

On top of that, the class of 2026 of the Nebraska Huskers also has a few names already. Keoni Williams, Gabby DiVita, and Jayden Robinson have already committed to the country’s second-best volleyball program. But while the Huskers are looking to future-proof their roster, their foes aren’t sitting idle either.

 The Nebraska Huskers aren’t the only ones beefing up their roster

Over the past few days, multiple volleyball programs from across the USA have announced their own new recruits and new commits. 6-foot-4 OH Allie Hudgins has already announced that she would be seen in Creighton’s jersey in 2027, while Michigan announced libero Cora Bicknese and setter Ellery DeBoer as their newest class of 2027 commits.

Furthermore, the country’s second-most successful volleyball team in the NCAAs, Penn State, also seems to be on the lookout to get themselves into the market to find their own new commits. Katie Schumacher-Cawley, PSU head coach, took to X on Sunday to announce that the program could soon have some major names as their commits for 2027.

With all these colleges hoping to make the most of the opportunity and thinking long-term, where do you think the Nebraska Huskers stand? Do you think Busboom Kelly is headed the right way? Or does she need to shake things up more vigorously? Tell us your thoughts below!