It’s that time again—game faces on and good vibes rolling! Harper Murray and her Nebraska crew are lacing up for another spring showdown, this time headed to the heart of Ord. Yep, the Huskers are hitting the road for a feel-good face-off against South Dakota State on Saturday, May 3 at 2 p.m., right at Ord High School. And no worries if you can’t snag a seat courtside—Nebraska Public Media’s got you covered statewide, with streaming on B1G+ and all the action blasting through select Huskers Radio Network stations and the official Huskers App. We love a match with options.

Nebraska’s been taking spring matches on tour since 2007, making volleyball magic in towns like Grand Island, Wayne, and McCook. Now with two spring games lined up—including that big home matchup against Kansas on April 26 at the newly rebranded John Cook Arena—it’s go time. And while all eyes are on the court, Harper Murray’s got thoughts too. She’s keeping it real about the name change as the team preps for game day, saying what fans might be thinking while fully locked in for a whole lotta Huskers energy.

Lincoln Arneal hit up X on April 22 with a little gem straight from Nebraska’s court queen, Harper Murray. He posted, “Harper Murray said she was looking forward to playing in The Bob again this weekend.” And of course, with all the buzz around its shiny new name—the John Cook Arena—you know someone had to ask the real question. So Lincoln goes, “I asked her if she played to start calling it The John in honor of its new name as the John Cook Arena?” Her answer? Classic. “I don’t think we’re gonna call it The John. That sounds really weird,” she said. Straight-up honest, no filter.

Harper’s clearly all in for repping Nebraska and making magic on that court, but when it comes to the nickname vibes? She’s keeping it old-school. “The Bob” might’ve gotten a glow-up, but to the squad? It’s still home sweet hardwood.

Earlier this month, Nebraska Volleyball’s home court got a shiny new badge of honor— John Cook Arena. The Board of Regents gave the green light to celebrate the legendary coach who didn’t just build a dynasty—he was the dynasty. After 25 epic seasons, 4 national titles, 12 Final Fours, and 14 conference crowns, Cook walked away with a jaw-dropping 883 career wins. And let’s be real—his .875 win rate at Nebraska? Absolutely bonkers.

But Cook’s magic wasn’t just in the wins column—it was in the crowd too. Since 2013, when the squad made Devaney their home base, they’ve led the entire nation in attendance. Like, every single season. And now? A bronze statue’s in the works, too. A full-on tribute crafted by Nebraska’s own George Lundeen. So while Harper Murray and her crew step into spring season with a new coach beside them, the vibes of John Cook’s legacy still echo loud in every serve and spike.

Harper Murray and co gear up for the new game with a new coach!

The Dani Busboom Kelly era is officially warming up, and guess what? Game time’s almost here. Nebraska’s fourth-ever volleyball head coach met the media on Tuesday, looking calm, confident, and totally in her element ahead of the Husker Games showdown with Kansas. It’s been nearly three months since she took the reins from the legendary John Cook, and she’s already putting her own stamp on things—with a whole lot of Cook-inspired touches still in play. “I feel like it’s been a great transition and pretty smooth,” she said. “Everybody’s been excited and open. It wasn’t reinventing the wheel here and doing a bunch of different things. A lot of what I believe comes from what John was doing.”

On the player side, Harper Murray and Bergen Reilly dropped by to share some behind-the-scenes tea. And yup, they’re feeling the shift. “We knew it was going to be a work in progress,” Harper admitted. “Coach and Dani are very different. Their styles of coaching and styles of play are a little different.” Think of it like remixing a classic track—you still recognize the beat, but it hits differently now. There’s been a shuffle in the coaching duties too: Busboom Kelly’s taking over the setters, Kelly (Hunter) Natter’s working with liberos and defensive specialists, Jaylen Reyes is vibing with the pin hitters, and Brennan Hagar is rocking it with the middle blockers. Each coach now has a go-to role, but the energy? Fully team-wide. “We’re all coaching everything,” Busboom Kelly explained. “It’s more of a point person… everybody’s involved with everybody.”

And even though Saturday’s spring game wasn’t on the original agenda, Busboom Kelly made it happen—and made sure it happens at home. “This wasn’t on the schedule or planned to have a spring game in Devaney,” she said. “But it was really important for me to get one under my belt with this team and with this staff.” Her debut as Nebraska’s volleyball head coach? Set right inside the newly christened John Cook Arena, which makes this match feel extra special. And yep—Busboom Kelly’s “fired up” to kick things off under the Devaney lights.