The 23 Big Ten Conference champions, the Nebraska Volleyball Women’s team, have started the season on a high note. After ending a season with their fourth Big 10 title, the Huskers have dropped only one game so far. Currently riding an eight-match win streak, last year’s NCAA Division I Runner-ups are looking for their sixth NCAA title this year.

Headed by long-time coach John Cook, the Huskers’ 11th and latest win came yesterday, September 27, against UCLA. However, with over half of the season left to go, here’s everything you need to know about one of the 2025 NCAA national title favorites.

The winning history of the Nebraska Volleyball Women’s team

The women’s volleyball team at Nebraska University started as a necessity rather than a passion project. In 1972, Title IX of the federal law mandated colleges to provide equal opportunities for women in sports. So, while an ‘extramural’ women’s team played for NU since 1967, the official Nebraska volleyball program for women started in 1975.

In what may sound like a bizarre move, the university appointed its swimming coach, Pat Sullivan, as the Huskers’ head coach. However, Sullivan proved his versatility, leading the Nebraska Huskers to a 34-8 season. However, the Nebraska Volleyball Women’s team showed their true form in 1976.

The women’s team ended the season with a flawless 23-0 record, and it was only upward from there. With Terry Pettit replacing the former swimming coach in 1977, the Huskers began an era as the dominant force in conference tournaments. However, one cannot talk about the team’s legacy without mentioning the iconic venues they called home throughout the decades.

All about the Huskers’ home venue, records, and achievement

The women of the Nebraska volleyball found a stadium to call their home from the get-go, and it was the Nebraska Coliseum. Known for its unique, classic architecture, the facility on the UNL Nebraska campus acted as the home ground for the men and women from March 1976 to 2013. Surprisingly, the venue itself has played a huge role in the success of the Nebraska Huskers.

One of the few facilities in the entire nation designed exclusively for volleyball. However, the volleyball team had to move to a new home in 2013 after Devaney Center underwent a $20 million renovation that same year. Now the hometown heroines call Devaney Center their home.

The sports complex that hosts home games for the Huskers houses 7,907 people for a single match. However, Devaney Center can increase its capacity to 8,500 when it allows fans to buy standing tickets. Devaney Center even has architectural elements—the ceiling trusses—that reference the Nebraska Volleyball Women’s team’s previous home.

However, if coach John Cook is to be believed, the team may find themselves playing at another venue in 2025. In August, Cook revealed that he had a conversation with the Nebraska Athletic Department and the NCAA about hosting non-conference games at Pinnacle Bank Arena. “There’s a lot of pressure for us to go there… I had to bet money right now; I would say ‘yes’,” the coach told Sports Illustrated.

The Nebraska Volleyball women’s team created history on August 30, 2023. That day, 92,003 people gathered at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln to watch the game between the Huskers and Omaha. “Husker Nation, you’ve done it. The WORLD RECORD for a Women’s Sporting Event lives in Lincoln,” the official social media handle of the team posted on Instagram.

The Nebraska Volleyball Women’s team didn’t disappoint their fans on that historic day, whipping the floor with opponents in a 3-0 clean sweep. So, it’s possible that Cook plans to play games at Pinnacle Bank Arena simply because of its increased capacity. With the rising popularity of the red-clad squad and women’s volleyball, Devaney Center may become too small in the near future.

Talking about records, let’s look at some of the biggest achievements that have built Nebraska’s rich legacy. Besides winning the NCAA title five times, the Nebraska volleyball women’s team’s biggest achievements lie in the conference tournaments. The Lady Huskers won the now-defunct Big 8 conference consecutively from 1976 to 1986.

While their streak ended in 1986, the Huskers won the conference title six more times. They’ve also won the Big 10 conference four times, including last year in 2023. So, this year the Huskers are not only looking to win their sixth NCAA championship but defend their Big 10 title.

Know the current coach and roster of the Nebraska volleyball women’s team

What makes the 2024 Husker’s roster unique is its balance of seasoned seniors and fresh talent. This ensures the team has experienced players to fall back on. However, it also bodes well for the future, as these talented freshmen and sophomore athletes will replace the experienced seniors in the coming seasons. Here’s a rundown of the quick facts:

• No. 2, Bergen Reilly. Sophomore from Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
  Position: Setter
• No. 5, Rebekah Allick. Junior from Lincoln, Nebraska.
  Position: Middle Blocker
• No. 6, Laney Choboy Sophomore from Raleigh, North Carolina.
  Position -DS/Libero
• No. 7, Maisie Boesiger. Junior from Firth, Nebraska.
  Position: DS/Libero
• No. 8, Lexi Rodriguez. Senior from Sterling, Illinois.
  Position: DS/Libero
• No. 9, Kennedi Orr. Senior from Eagan, Minnesota.
  Position: Setter
• No. 10, Olivia Mauch. Freshman from Bennington, Nebraska.
  Position: DS/Libero
• No. 11, Leyla Blackwell. Senior from San Diego, California.
  Position: Middle Blocker
• No. 12, Taylor Landfair. Senior from Plainfield, Illinois.
  Position: Outside Hitter
• No. 13, Merritt Beason. Senior from Gardendale, Alabama.
  Position: Outside Hitter
• No. 15, Andi Jackson. Sophomore from Brighton, Colorado.
  Position: Middle Blocker
• No. 21, Skyler Pierce. Freshman from Lenexa, Kansas.
  Position: Outside Hitter
• No. 22, Lindsay Krause. Senior from Papillion, Nebraska.
  Position: Outside Hitter
• No. 27, Harper Murray. Sophomore from Ann Arbor, Michigan.
  Position: Outside Hitter

Now let’s take a look at the man who has made it happen for NU for nearly two and a half decades. John Cook, the former head of the Wisconsin Badgers, succeeded Terry Pettit in 2000. The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Hall of Famer coached the team from 1977 to 1999. For over two decades, Cook has proven himself a worthy successor of the Nebraska Athletic Hall of Fame Inductee.

Throughout his time as coach, Cook has instilled a simple philosophy for the women of Nebraska volleyball: Dream big. However, they haven’t just dreamed but turned those dreams into reality in many ways under John Cook. During his time as coach, Cook has continued to receive several personal accolades alongside the Nebraska Huskers. Here’s a list of the legendary coaches biggest career highlights:

• The Nebraska Volleyball Women’s team coach has ended 21 seasons ranked as a Top-10 coach in the NCAA.
• John Cook is the NCAA’s sixth-most successful coach.
• Cooked joined Terry Pettit in the AVCA Hall of Fame in 2017.
• Earned USA Volleyball All-Time Great Coach Award in 2008.
• Won the AVCA Division I National Coach of the Year title three times. (2000, 2005, 2023)
• Earned the AVCA Division I Region Coach of the Year six times. (1997, 2000, 2005, 2008, 2016, 2023)
• Cook was named Big 12 Coach of the Year four times. (2001, 2005, 2008, 2010)
• Became Big Ten Coach of the Year four times. (1997, 2016, 2017, 2023)

While the Nebraska volleyball women’s team has had a great start to the year, a lot can happen for the rest of the season. Will the Huskers win both the NCAA and Big 10 titles this season? Tell us what you think in the comments.