Amidst Fan Excitement, Will Nebraska Huskers Volleyball Really Benefit From the Arrival of Taylor Landfair?

The fan camp of Nebraska Huskers Volleyball has been buzzing with a lot of joy over the past few days. The reason for this elation is the latest recruit of Nebraska, Taylor Landfair. The outside hitter recently committed to Nebraska via trade and will be joining the Huskers from Minnesota.

Many laud this transfer news and hail Landfair as the harbinger of offensive depth for the Nebraska Huskers in 2024. Although the outside hitter does bring a lot of potential to the table, will she be able to convert it into concrete output for Nebraska? Will the Huskers receive the gains they hope for from the transferred player?

The stacked roster of the Nebraska Huskers for the upcoming season

Out of all the matches their team played in 2023, Nebraska Huskers fans most vividly remember the NCAA finals against Texas. The Husker Nation was used to seeing their team come back from almost any situation. But when they saw their team lose, everyone cheered for Nebraska and knew that their team would come back stronger next season.

The Nebraska Huskers do need to work on their offense. However, we must also factor that this team lost just two matches in the entire season, successfully butted heads, and emerged victorious 33 times. This was achieved by a team that had freshmen as its starters.

What many forget while analyzing the Nebraska Huskers is the fact that these freshmen will be sophomores in 2024. Hence, all of them will receive a massive spurt in match sense, as well as their fundamental court skills. This will also be true for more experienced players like Lexi Rodriguez and Merritt Beason, who already know how to mold their battle experience.

The players will also have more cohesive teamwork in the next season, as the rhythm has already been established for the team. No player will be exiting the team due to collegiate eligibility reasons either. The big question now is, where does Taylor Landfair stand amid all this? 

Will Taylor Landfair be able to become a starter for the Nebraska Huskers?

The outside hitter position will see a boom for Nebraska in 2024. Harper Murray emerged as a rare gem for the Nebraska Huskers in 2023, and she quickly solidified herself as a starter in the team. Murray scored 391 kills and averaged 3.231 kills per set. She also secured 251 digs and 59 blocks. This earned Murray the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and the AVCA North Region Freshman of the Year.

Nebraska Huskers captain Merritt Beason also shined brightly in 2023, scoring 455 kills with an average of 3.760 per set. She also contributed to the defense with 248 digs and 100 blocks. Moreover, Beason was named the AVCA North Region Player of the Year and also received All-American honors in 2023. 

While this is good news for the Nebraska Huskers, it will make it hard for Taylor Landfair to land a starting position. Moreover, the team also has star outside hitter Lindsay Krause, who couldn’t perform as much due to injuries. 

Landfair was already aware of the competition she would be facing at Nebraska and looked forward to joining because of the team’s competitiveness. But she has another problem working against her. Something which will significantly hurt her odds of not just starting, but nourishing herself as well as the team.

The training camp juxtaposition

The most crucial time for the Nebraska Huskers after their 2023 season is the off-season training camp. John Cook will look to make the most out of this session and work on both the strengths and weaknesses of his team. While the Huskers will improve as a whole during this time, Taylor Landfair may not do the same.

Taylor Landfair will be staying at the University of Minnesota till May due to academics before coming to Nebraska. This shaves away a lot of time from the off-season training schedule for her. Moreover, while Landfair will join the Nebraska Huskers late, another recruit is making her way sooner than expected.

Skyler Pierce committed to the Nebraska Huskers in July 2022. The new freshman is planning to graduate early from high school to join the Huskers for training as soon as possible. Pierce recently earned the MVP title at the Next All-America volleyball match held on 2 January. She plays the outside hitter position and boasts several national honors on her resume. Compared to this, Taylor Landfair will have a late start, which complicates things for everyone.

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While she is bound to take time adjusting to the team, the team will also have to adjust accordingly in the middle of the training camp. Landfair will also have to work extra hard to be on par with the others after her lackluster 2023 season. The situation isn’t completely grim for Landfair, and she can always count on John Cook to bring out the best in her. But, will she be able to improve in time and deliver on the expectations of Nebraska Huskers fans?

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