Last year, Dani Busboom Kelly made history by becoming part of the first all-female coach-led NCAA Volleyball Championship final. In fact, she came within touching distance of becoming the first female coach to win the NCAA volleyball title over Kate Schumacher-Cawley. Yet, the current Nebraska Huskers head coach’s trajectory could’ve been very different had Rhonda Revelle had her way.

And guess what? Even nearly two decades after Dani Busboom Kelly played and won the NCAA title under John Cook and then succeeded him as the Huskers’ head coach, Revelle still hasn’t given up on her quest. That became immediately apparent when DBK unearthed a forgotten relic from a box she’d lost long ago. “Found this in a long-lost box… Thank goodness I have some decor for my office!” wrote Kelly.

The object in question? A framed photograph of Nebraska softball coach Rhonda Revelle and pitching coach Lori Sipple. The frame even had both softball coaches’ signatures. “Good luck, Dani,” wrote Revelle, while Sipple wrote “Best wishes, Dani,” on the glass cover. Yet, while Dani Busboom Kelly was planning to decorate her office with the frame, Revelle had a different idea.

“Hey now @danib18  —we tried to recruit you then; still NOT too late—will hold a roster spot for that year of eligibility you have remaining,” wrote the Huskers softball coach while sharing the image on X. And as amusing as that offer may sound, it seems the veteran softball coach still can’t forget the potential she saw in the then-young student athlete. In fact, this isn’t her first offer.

Rhonda Revelle took mere days after Dani Busboom Kelly took charge of making the same offer. On February 2, Revelle said the same thing on a Huskers Online YouTube video. “Now that she is back in the Husker ’N’, I’m going to ask her if she’s got any eligibility left, cause she was quite a pitcher,” she said.

What’s even more surprising is that Busboom Kelly was ready to participate in a softball tournament in Colorado when John Cook stepped in and convinced her parents to let the volleyball talent stay for a camp. And the rest is history. Today, the 40-year-old is preparing to lead her own Nebraska squad in the 2025 NCAA volleyball season.

Dani Busboom Kelly’s big test is almost here, with a twist

The NCAA season is almost here, and fortunately for college volleyball fans, the season kicks off with a bang. On August 22, the 2025 NCAA season kicks off on Busboom Kelly and the Nebraska Huskers’ turf with the opening game of the AVCA First Serve Showcase. “Nebraska will kick off its season on Aug. 22 at 8 pm against Pittsburgh on FOX,” wrote Husker Illustrated’s Lincoln Arneal.

Nebraska is among the ten top-10 NCAA volleyball teams that will participate in the AVCA First Serve. While it’s the perfect ground for Dani Busboom Kelly to test her strategies out against college volleyball’s biggest names, it’ll also be her biggest test. In fact, Nebraska fans will expect even more for John Cook’s successor after the Huskers wiped the floor with Kansas during the Spring Games.

Thankfully, teams who compete in the First Serve Showcase get the opportunity to start practicing 22 days ahead of the official season kickoff. However, this year, the NCAA Division I Committee for Legislative Relief just eliminated that head start. Huskers reporter Lincoln Arneal reported on the blanket waiver that approved all teams to start practicing.

“Big change for teams a month before the season starts. Previously, only teams playing in the AVCA First Serve Showcase could start on July 31, but now all teams will have a longer runway before their first matches,” Arneal wrote while sharing the news on X. So it seems, despite Rhonda Revelle’s earnest requests, Dani Busboom Kelly’s only focus is to start the season on a winning note.