The Cardinals have marched straight into the Sweet 16! Yes, you heard that right. After an intense five-set showdown against Northern Iowa, the University of Louisville secured their spot in the NCAA Regional Semifinals. And what a thrilling battle it was! The match reached a historic climax with the teams posting the highest fifth-set score in school history (22-20), a testament to the relentless determination of both sides.

But in the end, as Coach Dani Busboom Kelly says, “The NCAA Tournament: survive and advance.” It’s the nature of the competition that only one could surge past and that luckily was her pupils, the Cardinals. However, that’s hardly new for Coach Busboom Kelly who has seen success with Louisville in every phase of her life. As a wife, as a to-be mother, and as a new mom too.

All about Dani Busboom Kelly and her husband, former Nebraska football player

Coach Dani Busboom Kelly took on her duty as a Louisville staffer in 2016, the year that turned the tide for the Cardinals. She had made this shift after being an assistant coach at Nebraska for five seasons, leading them to the NCAA regional finals in 4 and a title victory in 2015. But at Lousiville, she led an even more glorious path, having won multiple awards like the AVCA Coach of the Year in 2022, the AVCA East Region Coach of the Year in 2020, 2021, and 2022, and the Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year in 2020 and 2021.

Through it all, Dani Busboom Kelly had one person by her side, who is her husband, Lane Kelly. A former football player at Nebraska, Kelly has been married to her since 2010 and it was after 12 years of marital bliss that the couple welcomed their first child, Gregory “Boone” Kelly in 2022.  Thus, she’s seen wins throughout but is yet awaiting to etch history. And what is that you must wonder? Well, she’s looking to guide the Louisville Cardinals to a national championship trophy, something no female has ever done as a Division I women’s volleyball head coach.

You ask, can she? Well, here are all the reasons to believe and more that Coach Dani Busboom Kelly has what it takes to spearhead the side to success.

Major career highlights and achievements of Dani Busboom Kelly

Currently, the University of Louisville holds the top #1 seed and is marching toward the NCAA title with meteoric speed. While their chances look great this season, they had an equally impressive 2023 campaign when Coach Busboom Kelly led the Cardinals to their highest national ranking of the year at No. 2. They finished third overall, marking a significant improvement from the 2022 season, when the No. 2-ranked University of Louisville volleyball team advanced to its second consecutive Final Four appearance.

The first Final Four spot was filled by them in 2021, under coach Dani Busboom Kelly too, which was their then-best season in program history. Imagine, finishing  32-1 with 32 straight wins, which is nothing short of exceptional. And why wouldn’t it be? Coach Busboom Kelly has great experience working with coach John Cook when she was in Nebraska, as well as has had brilliant exposure as a player herself.

Indeed, as a volleyball player, Busboom Kelly had captained the Nebraska Huskers and when she called it a day, she was one of the only two players who ranked among the Big Red all-time leaders in both digs and assists. But can Dani Busboom Kelly’s pupils defeat John Cook’s Huskers this NCAA Volleyball Championships season, now that both are in the Sweet 16? What are your predictions? Let us know below!