Brent Wagner – Aug 24, 2024 – Lincoln Journal Star

The 2024 Nebraska volleyball team poses for a photo earlier this month at the Devaney Sports Center.Nebraska Athletics

The NCAA runner-ups and Big Ten champions are back for another season. Here’s a player-by-player look at John Cook’s 2024 team.

2 Bergen Reilly

Setter; 6-1; So.

Hometown: Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

She’s the latest in a growing list of Huskers to get to play a match against her sister — Raegen Reilly is one of the setters for Illinois as a graduate transfer from South Dakota State. Bergen was the Big Ten setter of the year as a freshman.

5 Rebekah Allick

Middle blocker; 6-4; Jr.

Hometown: Lincoln (Waverly).

She led the Huskers in blocks last season with 158.

6 Laney Choboy

Defensive specialist; 5-3; So.

Hometown: Raleigh, North Carolina.

The Nebraska coaches know her value to the team, and others see her star value, too. At a Hy-Vee in Lincoln, there’s a large advertising display of the second-year defensive specialist.

7 Maisie Boesiger

Defensive specialist; 5-6; Jr.

Hometown: Firth (Norris).

Coach John Cook said she’s been one of the most-improved players from last season with her defense and serving.

8 Lexi Rodriguez

Libero; 5-5; Sr.

Hometown: Sterling, Illinois.

Already a three-time All-American, she could become just the third player in program history to be a four-time All-American (Sarah Pavan and Kadie Rolfzen).

9 Kennedi Orr

Setter; 6-0; Sr.

Hometown: Eagan, Minnesota.

Nebraska’s back-up setter and a serving sub last season, Orr served an ace in seven different matches in 2023.

10 Olivia Mauch

Defensive specialist; 5-6; Fr.

Hometown: Bennington.

There’s fierce competition in Nebraska’s back row — from both outside hitters hoping to stay in the match and other defensive specialists — but Mauch may get opportunities to do so as a freshman.

11 Leyla Blackwell

Middle blocker; 6-4; Sr.

Hometown: San Diego, California.

A graduate transfer from San Diego, she helped the Toreros make the NCAA Final Four for the first time as a junior in 2022. She ranked No. 6 in the country in blocking that season.

12 Taylor Landfair

Outside hitter; 6-5; Sr.

Hometown: Plainfield, Illinois.

Playing for Minnesota in 2022 she earned first-team All-American honors and was the Big Ten player of the year while averaging 4.91 points per set.

13 Merritt Beason

Right-side hitter; 6-4; Sr.

Hometown: Gardendale, Alabama.

She was both dominant and consistent during her first season at Nebraska while leading the Huskers to a Big Ten title and NCAA runner-up finish. In five matches she had 20 or more kills, and she had a .342 hitting percentage in those matches.

15 Andi Jackson

Middle blocker; 6-3; So.

Hometown: Brighton, Colorado.

She came via a recruiting tip from Nebraska All-American Christina Houghtelling, who works at Jackson’s club in Colorado. Jackson’s .399 hitting percentage last season was the best-ever by a Husker freshman.

21 Skyler Pierce

Outside hitter; 6-2; Fr.

Hometown: Lenexa, Kansas.

She was ranked as the No. 4-overall recruit and No. 1 outside hitter by PrepDig.com.

22 Lindsay Krause

Outside hitter; 6-4, Sr.

Hometown: Papillion (Omaha Skutt).

Before what ended up being a season-ending injury, Krause was one of the best players in the country last season.

27 Harper Murray

Outside hitter; 6-2; So.

Hometown: Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The Big Ten freshman of the year and a third-team All-American last season, Murray was one of just seven freshmen in the country to earn All-American honors last season.

Nebraska celebrates a kill by Taylor Landfair (second from left) during the second set of the Red-White scrimmage on Saturday at the Devaney Sports Center. KATY COWELL, Journal Star

My cmnt: In female volleyball the players must get together and hug and congratulate each other after every play whether it is successful or not. This is a peculiar aspect of this sport not seen anywhere else. Also head coach John Cook calls the women “guys” when they trounce other women and “girls” when other women trounce them.