“She was the absolute right person to be the head coach of Nebraska,” said Troy Dannen on the decision to hand over the reins of the Nebraska volleyball program to Dani Busboom Kelly after John Cook’s exit. From the sneak peek we’ve gotten into the Huskers’ form this preseason, it would seem like Athletic Director Dannen made the right call on the matter. But one Nebraska senior thinks it has been more than Kelly’s coaching skills which has helped the latter prove that she is indeed the “right person” for the job.

Rebekah Allick, unlike many of her colleagues, was actually happy about Busboom Kelly’s appointment. “I truly believe that we’re in really good hands,” she confessed back in February on the new head coach. Now, as the Huskers wait to embark on the 2025 season after two successful preparatory matches, the Nebraska senior once again highlighted how Dani has been able to ease the players into the new management.

Allick recently spoke with Ana Bellinghausen about the hopes for a national title under Dani Busboom Kelly’s leadership. In the YouTube upload from August 18 by Hail Varsity, the middle blocker could also be heard talking about how “seamless” it felt to step into the DBK era after having played four years under John Cook before that. “…she has been incredibly transparent. One of our first meetings with her was coaches’ changes…Just transparency has been the name of the game and I think that’s what has allowed a lot of us to buy in,” Allick said.

Allick also added that it was Busboom Kelly’s “consistency, transparency,” that has helped the squad to lock in on her vision and join hands to help end the NCAA draught that has been plaguing the program since 2017. However, the former head coach, John Cook, also ensured that her successor was seen as the incredible coach that she is. “I will add what John had to say about her before she got here. He acknowledged over the last eight years her success versus his,” Rebekah said, on how Coach Cook helped the players get ready for the journey ahead, with Kelly to lead the way.

And that’s when it struck Allick. “He acknowledged over the last eight years her success versus his, and I think that spoke volumes, um, that he was able to acknowledge that she was arguably more successful than our program in the last eight years, and which I didn’t even realize,” the middle blocker confessed on how she didn’t exactly given much thought about Busboom Kelly’s time with Louisville before John pointed it out to her and the rest of the players.

Well, to be honest, there aren’t many ways to look past what Dani achieved with the Cardinals as the program’s head coach. Busboom Kelly amassed a 203-44 (.822) record in her eight years as the Louisville boss. She also helped the team make two trips to the NCAA Championship match twice in three years, three NCAA Semifinals appearances, five to the regional finals, and bag four ACC titles. Her 120-15 record during the 2021-24 period is the second-best winning percentage in the country during that span.

And it looks like she’s here to use her talents to reinstate her alma mater to its former glory!

Dani Busboom Kelly might be able to fill Cook’s shoes with determination

John Cook’s departure was indeed a shock to every volleyball fan in the nation. For 25 years, the season coach toiled to make the Huskers’ volleyball program one of the most prestigious ones in the US collegiate scene. With four national titles to his name, along with mentoring five future Olympians, three AVCA National Players of the Year, 72 AVCA All-Americans, and 10 conference players of the year, Cook cemented himself as an all-time great. But it does look like Busboom Kelly is more than equipped to follow up on his legacy.

Under Kelly, the Huskers have so far played two preseason matches. The first one, the intrasquad Red-White Scrimmage, was an excellent exhibition of the new roster’s capabilities. On the other hand, the second one, the inaugural Alumni Match, had its own charms. Last Saturday, Jordan Larson, Ally Batenhorst, and several other ex-Nebraska stars returned to Lincoln to help Kelly’s girls get a taste of what it’s like to play against the best of the best, and Rebekah Allick & Co. came out with flying colors.

But seeing the alums stutter was understandably a sad sight for Busboom Kelly, who noted that she might want to get back to her own playing days next year. But before that, the 2025 season awaits! How do you think the Huskers will fare under the guidance of the 2006 NCAA champ? Can Allick and her teammates take a page out of Dani’s book and replicate her national triumph themselves this season? Tell us your thoughts!