You can take a Nebraskan away from the volleyball course, but you can’t take the volleyball out of the Nebraskan’s heart. With the 2025 season less than two weeks away from kicking off, Huskers fans can’t wait to see how things unfold. The anticipation is so high, it seems like Nebraska volleyball loyalists are keeping their eyes peeled for any developments along the way.

The Huskers haven’t won the national title since 2017. With Dani Busboom Kelly appointed as the new boss of the program after legendary coach John Cook’s retirement, fans of Nebraska volleyball justifiably don’t want to miss a beat. So much so that they’re willing to follow the preseason games with earnest enthusiasm, even when far away from the volleyball court.

On Saturday, the Huskers played the Red-White Scrimmage, an intrasquad game which saw the lineup being mixed up for every set. On the same day, the Korn Ferry Tour was having its fair share of the action at the Indian Creek Golf Club, almost 600 miles away from Lincoln, NE. However, despite the distance, volleyball fans kept their eyes out for the match that was being played at the John Cook Arena in the Bob Devaney Sports Center, as shared in an X post by Hurrdat Sports from August 10.

“Doesn’t matter where, Nebraskans will be watching volleyball,” read the caption of the post, while the brief video clip showed the Red-White Scrimmage being broadcast on TV as the golfers updated themselves with whatever happened at Nebraska volleyball’s unique preseason game. While not all eyes were on the TV, the fact that a collegiate women’s volleyball match was being telecast during a PGA-aspiring competition goes to show just how beloved the sport is in the state. And the fans did have a lot to take in.

The Red-White Scrimmage was technically the first time the 2025 squad was seen in action. While the Red team won the match 3-1, the Nebraska volleyball players donned both jerseys during the game, making it difficult to say for sure which side was the better one. Rebekah Allick led the night with 16 kills on .433 hitting with 5 blocks, while freshman Kenna Cogill also showed off her skills as a middle blocker, who bagged 10 kills and 5 blocks.

More newcomers, Allie Sczech, Virginia Adriano, and Manaia Ogbechie, all proved to be worthy additions to the team, as they posted several individual points during the match. Both setters, Bergen Reilley and freshman Campbell Flynn, performed well, and head coach Kelly was understandably all smiles. “I thought both Campbell and Bergen were solid and played great,” the Nebraska volleyball boss said after the game.

The No.1 recruit of the Class of 2025, Teraya Sigler, gave out a statement performance with 10 kills, 10 digs, and 22 service receptions, along with a couple of aces. Easy to understand why the fans were catching up on the volleyball action even while trying their luck at the ongoing golf competition. But this sort of craze is exactly what makes Nebraska such a hotspot for women’s volleyball.

Nebraska volleyball fans are in a league of their own

For the Huskers, watching their fans rally behind the team isn’t something new. After all, it was thanks to these dedicated followers who helped Nebraska set a world record in attendance in women’s sports in 2023. During a match between the Huskers and Omaha, 92,003 fans filled the Memorial Stadium, which broke the previous record of 91,648, set during a Women’s Champions League match between Barcelona and Wolfsburg.

Since then, women’s volleyball has witnessed incredible growth across the state and beyond. Many fans would even posit that the current popularity of the multiple pro volleyball leagues also has Nebraska volleyball to thank for the incredible success. Not only does the name “Nebraska” show up at every major volleyball attendance stats, but even the Huskers’ opponents have often benefited from playing against the Huskers. In November last year, Oregon set a new attendance record of 8,566 when Nebraska took on the Ducks at the Matthew Knight Arena.

The popularity of the sport is so acute that when the Volleyball Nations League struggled with filling stadiums during the third week of the tournament, held in Arlington, fans even urged the USA Volleyball to take notes from Nebraska to promote the event in better ways. At the Indian Creek Golf Club, it was apparent once again that volleyball fans in the state will show their love for the Huskers from wherever they are.

Do you think Kelly will be able to reciprocate such intense love from the fans in her maiden season as the Huskers’ head coach? Share your opinion in a comment!