“I’m not going to be good at it. It’s not my thing,” Andi Jackson told her mother as she practically forced her daughter to attend volleyball tryouts. As absurd as it may sound, one of Nebraska volleyball’s biggest talents wanted nothing to do with volleyball as a kid. Jackson played several sports in school and volleyball was low on the list of the ones she liked.

The Lincoln Journal Star reported that Jackson delved into half a dozen sports in her childhood, with basketball and high jump being her priorities. Jumping high was part of both sports so you’d think volleyball would be a natural fit for Jackson. “It was my ultimate goal to play basketball at UNC,” said Jackson, and this passion guided her decisions.

“Never wanted to try volleyball. It just didn’t appeal to me. I was just like, ‘What? Girly. Who wants to play volleyball?'” recounted Andi Jackson as per the Lincoln Journal Star. And why would she? Jackson grew up with swimming, tennis, and basketball and even made it to the USATF Junior National Championships. Yet, the then-15-year-old Jackson didn’t have an inkling of the talent she possessed.

The Nebraska middle blocker didn’t turn heads with her service or blocking skills during the tryouts at The Diff. However, that would all change during the jumper test, as Jackson leveraged her high jump prowess to hit 9’8″ on the scale. A 15-year-old standing at 5’10” and reaching nearly 10 feet grabbed every eyeball inside the gym, including The Diff owner, coach Trisha Kroll.

“Oh my gosh. Who is that? Holy cow,” Kroll recalled thinking after watching Andi Jackson jump. This is how the middle blocker’s volleyball journey began. The athlete rapidly picked up the skills for the court during one-on-one lessons with the Diff’s owner. Kroll realized Jackson had begun outgrowing The Diff, and she put her in touch with the club’s lesson coach.

As one of the most decorated players to ever play for Nebraska, the Director of Coaching at The Diff Volleyball, Christina Hudson, had a waiting list for one-on-one lessons. Thanks to word from Kroll, Jackson didn’t need to wait, and Hudson soon understood why. “Are you looking at Nebraska?” said Hudson, quickly turning into a recruiter for her former team. However, Jackson wasn’t sure Nebraska would take her.

Andi Jackson didn’t think she was good enough to join Nebraska

Despite her talent, Jackson was once again unsure about taking the next step. “I was like, ‘Christina, no. What? They’re not gonna want me.’ I had zero confidence,” the U-19 Junior National  Team member recalled. When the coach said she could “text coach Cook” directly, Jackson didn’t express much excitement. “I’m just like laughing. I’m like, ‘Yeah, whatever,’” she confessed.

However, her attitude toward potentially joining the Huskers came from a place of nativity rather than indifference. While Andi Jackson didn’t realize just how renowned John Cook was, Hudson sent a video of the youngster to the coach. And just like Hudson and Kroll before her, Andi Jackson’s athleticism and power immediately impressed John Cook.

“Tell her we’re very interested.’ We just saw her athleticism and thought, ‘We can develop this.'” Cook replied to the former Husker. And just like that, Andi Jackson’s raw talent earned her a place at NU. In fact, the Huskers offered her a full-ride scholarship even after watching Jackson play in person. However, that didn’t mean the Jacksons were not in disbelief.

“I think my mom dropped dead at that moment. She couldn’t believe it,” revealed Andi Jackson. However, as things stand, it’s clear that Kroll, Huson, and Cook were all right about the Husker’s talent. Within two seasons, Jackson has won honors such as Big10 Freshman of the Week, made the AVCA All-Region Team, and is currently playing in her second NCAA Championship.

Her 2024 stats stand at 256 kills out of 436, giving her a whopping hit percentage of 0.445. Considering that she is not a dedicated outside hitter, these stats are already exceptional. However, Huskers assistant coach Jaylen Reyes believes Jackson can reach far greater heights. “I think she’ll be the best in the world one day,” Reyes said about Jackson. How far do you think Andi Jackson will go? Write your views in the comments.