Nebraska Volleyball Coach John Cook is known to be a tough man who does not stop from criticizing his team for mistakes even after a win. That tough guy is falling short of words. On the other hand, his star libero Lexi Rodriguez does not want her stint with the Huskers to end. What do you make out, taking these two together?

If you are still scrambling, let’s say the No. 2 Huskers are bidding goodbye to its five seniors. They will honor them on Saturday night following their rematch against No. 6 Wisconsin. In Huskers’ last home match where they get a chance to eliminate the Badgers from the Conference race, they will also give their flowers to Rodriguez, outside hitter Lindsay Krause, setter Kennedi Orr, opposite hitter Merritt Beason, and middle blocker Leyla Blackwell. After Nebraska swept Iowa on Wednesday, Cook took a moment to sit down for a press conference, where the air was thick with emotion. A journalist asked him, “What’s Saturday going to mean to you with this senior class celebrating Senior Day?” 

With a quiet pause and a reflective look, Cook answered in the press conference, “I’m trying not to think about it. It’s an awesome group, awesome seniors, but I don’t know… I just—I’m not thinking about it. We’re thinking about playing a great match and winning the next nine matches.” His words, though measured, carried the weight of someone who knows how much this senior class has given. That is exactly what came out in his next comment.

“Some of some of these seniors, Lindsay especially, Lexi, Kennedy have been here forever because they committed so early, so they feel like they’ve been a part of the program. So what’s going to be weird is, feels like they’ve been here for seven years and um all great students, great people, and great players and so I don’t know it’s like I said, I’m trying not to think about it,” the coach seemed to go back to his hard shell.

Over the past four years, Nebraska has amassed a record of 112-17, including a pair of national runner-up finishes. They also won the Big Ten championship last season and are currently in first place with three matches remaining. In another heartfelt exchange, a journalist turned to Lexi and asked, “Lexi, John said that he doesn’t even want to think about Saturday in terms of Senior Day. How do you think about it, and getting to celebrate that?” Lexi’s reply was laced with bittersweet honesty.

“It’s definitely something that’s bittersweet. I obviously don’t want my time here to end, but I think it’s a time for all five of us to kind of celebrate everything that we’ve been able to accomplish. We’ve all had very different journeys and very different stories, but I think it’s cool to just reflect and celebrate. And then, it also just gives you a different type of motivation going into the last few weeks of the season,” she said. But amid the emotional roller coaster, none of them are losing track ahead of hosting the Badgers.

The last time Nebraska hosted Wisconsin at the Bob Devaney Sports Center, it resulted in one of the best regular-season matches ever. Last October, the Huskers prevailed over UW 15-13 in the fifth set to snap a 10-match losing streak to the Badgers. In their away match against the Badgers on November 1, the Huskers scored their first win in Madison since 2013, sweeping them. But Cook being Cook, said none of those results matter this time around. “The game has no memory, so we shouldn’t have a memory, either,” Cook said.

However, NU can surely learn from their previous match against the Badgers. Cook said setter Bergen Reilly made good decisions with her distribution and put her hitters in a position to win battles against the Badgers’ big block. Lexi Rodriguez, on the other hand, said NU was proud of the accomplishment because the UW Field House is a tough place to play. NU executed its game plan and played solid defense. However, Badgers are also expected to come all the guns blazing this time.

The Badgers have been hot since they fell to Nebraska, winning their last six matches, including a five-set victory over No. 16 Minnesota on Wednesday. The Huskers enter the match with a one-game lead over Penn State and are two games in front of Wisconsin. While the conference race won’t be determined by the result of the match, the Huskers could derail UW from the contention and put themselves in a good position for the final week of the season.

For the Badgers, it is a do-or-die situation. To have a shot at a conference crown, they need to win on Saturday and have the Huskers lose to Penn State next week. They would also need PSU to lose to either Washington or Rutgers. Meanwhile, Nebraska swept Iowa (10-19, 4-13 B1G) in a commanding 25-9, 25-16, 25-17 victory on Wednesday. With this win, No. 2 Nebraska (27-1, 17-0 B1G) remains undefeated in Big Ten play and flawless against Iowa, leading their all-time series 40-0. But as one chapter comes closer to its end, a new wave of talent is set to join the Nebraska Volleyball family next season.

Nebraska Volleyball’s fresh faces

On November 13, the Nebraska Volleyball team announced the signing of five promising recruits for the 2025 season. Joining the Big Red are setter Campbell Flynn, opposite hitter Ryan Hunter, libero Keri Leimbach, middle blocker Manaia Ogbechie, and outside hitter Teraya Sigler. These young stars, ranked high in the PrepVolleyball standings, bring a wealth of talent and passion, ready to add new energy to Nebraska’s already powerful squad. From Michigan to Arizona, these recruits come with impressive credentials that have earned them a spot among the nation’s best.

Campbell Flynn, a Michigan native, comes with international experience, having helped the U.S. Girls U19 squad win the 2023 FIVB World Championship in Croatia. Meanwhile, Teraya Sigler, known for her leadership and on-court presence, adds another layer of talent.

Ryan Hunter, a dynamic competitor, brings her powerful swings and a hunger to perform in big moments. And then there’s Keri Leimbach, a Nebraska native with incredible defensive skills, poised to follow in the footsteps of the legendary Lexi Rodriguez. Finally, Manaia Ogbechie, a formidable 6’3″ middle blocker, has already made a name for herself with the U.S. Girls U19 team, showcasing both skill and grit.

John Cook is buzzing with excitement about the new class, promising they will be ready to compete from day one. “I’m really excited about that group,” he said, clearly confident that these recruits will fit seamlessly into the Huskers’ legacy. With such a talented group coming in, Nebraska volleyball fans have plenty to look forward to in the 2025 season.