“I’m so BEYOND excited to announce my verbal commitment to play volleyball at the University of Nebraska!! This is a dream come true,” wrote Nebraska volleyball freshman Teraya Sigler. One of the top volleyball recruits in the entire nation, Sigler wrote those words two years ago on June 20, 2023. Now, as she prepares to make her NCAA debut in the upcoming 2025 season, the volleyball star revealed how the sport was never her first preference.

While joining Big Red may have become a dream after she started excelling in volleyball, it “wasn’t cool at first,” as Huskers Radio Network Podcast host Jessica Coody put it. Although that made Sigler giggle, she explained that growing up as a multisport athlete, the rookie’s first love was gymnastics. In fact, the outside hitter had big dreams, and that’s where Simone Biles came in.

The former Gatorade Arizona Player of the Year started gymnastics at a young age, and like countless others, Biles became her inspiration. As she progresses through the levels, the Nebraska volleyball rookie has her sights set on Olympic and World Championship gymnastics glory. “I wanted to be just like Simone Biles,” she told Jessica Coody. Unfortunately, there was a catch.

While Teraya Sigler’s dreams knew no bounds, her genetics handed her a different verdict. “When I was like, I think I want to say eight. They wouldn’t move me up because I was so tall… I was heartbroken. I was like I’m going to be the next Simone Biles and then or Gabby Douglas,” the Huskers freshman said on the Nebraska Huskers YouTube channel.

Today, the former Horizon High School outside hitter stands at 6’3”, a stark contrast to Biles’ 4’8” stature. And so the Nebraska volleyball rookie’s gymnastics dreams were shattered in an instant. However, that didn’t break the Scottsdale native’s spirit. After all, she was spoiled for choice when it came to pursuing a career in competitive sports.

The Nebraska Volleyball rookie’s mother played a big role

Teraya Sigler revealed that she had no shortage of options when choosing a sport after gymnastics. “I always knew that in whatever sport I wanted to play, I wanted to go play in college. I wanted to see how far I could take it,” Sigler said during her podcast appearance. So, just how many sports did the 2023 FIVB U19 World Champion play?

“I was a gymnast. I played tennis, softball, baseball, pretty much everything,” she added. However, the 18-year-old had a special connection to volleyball, and that came through her mother, but she didn’t consider volleyball initially. The Nebraska volleyball revealed that while her mother played volleyball, she didn’t think the sport was ‘cool’. Hence, Jessica Cody’s question.

However, that changed as the athlete grew up and her gymnastics dreams faded. “I was like, she’s so cool, so I want to play volleyball,” confessed the college freshman. Thankfully, after a snit at swimming, the volleyball star from Arizona chose volleyball as her primary sport. So, while Sigler’s mother played a role in her developing a love for volleyball, the Nebraska fandom drew her to the Huskers.

“When I was 10 years old, they were the first match I watched on television… You know? The crowd. You can feel it through the screen how much people love watching volleyball,” she said about watching the Huskers in action back in January. So when Coach John Cook approached the then-No. 1 recruit, it was an easy yes. Now the Nebraska volleyball rookie can’t wait to play for Big Red in August.