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.
Lord Buckbeak: "Will you come into my parlor?," said the Spider to the Fly. 
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