A new era is about to begin for Nebraska volleyball. The top-ranked Huskers will head into the season with a new coach leading the way in Dani Busboom Kelly, but the expectations have not changed.
To get you ready for the 2025 campaign, we’re running through the expanded roster and breaking down all the key players, starting with the defensive specialists, a group that features one of the most competitive position battles on the team.
Roster
>> Laney Choboy: Junior, 5’3”, Raleigh, N.C.
>> Olivia Mauch: Sophomore, 5’6”, Bennington, Neb.
>> Keri Leimbach: Freshman, 5’4”, Lincoln, Neb.
>> Maisie Boesiger: Senior, 5’6”, Firth, Neb.
Breakdown
There’s been competition at every position for Nebraska this offseason, but the one that’s drawn the most attention is likely the battle to see who succeeds Lexi Rodriguez as Nebraska’s libero.
Laney Choboy passes the ball against the White team during the Red-White Scrimmage on Aug. 9. Photo by John S. Peterson.
While NCAA rules now allow multiple players to don the libero jersey in the same game and rotate for each other, Dani Busboom Kelly has said she prefers the consistency of a single player in that role, and according to the players and coaches, that battle has been a toss-up all offseason.
Junior Laney Choboy spent the past two seasons in a defensive specialist role playing alongside Rodriguez. She averaged 1.82 digs per set as a freshman and 1.53 as a sophomore last year, totaling 73 assists with 14 aces across 70 career matches. Choboy’s reel of highlight defensive plays would be extensive, and she’s steadily improved her passing over the past two seasons.
After the Alumni Match, Busboom Kelly praised Choboy among others for the way she elevated her play in pressure moments
“I thought Laney, sometimes her play is not super, super smooth, but her presence just helps us a ton,” Busboom Kelly said.
Olivia Mauch, the 2023 Nebraska Gatorade Player of the Year out of Bennington, made an immediate impact as a defensive specialist last year as well. She played in all 36 matches and averaged 1.61 digs per set with 21 services aces and 13 assists. Mauch graded out as the top returning player in serve receive according to VolleyMetrics and also made strides in her defensive play as she settled in throughout the season.
Olivia Mauch dives to dig the ball with Andi Jackson against the Kansas Jayhawks in an exhibition on April 26. Photo by John S. Peterson.
Both players put on a show during the Red-White Scrimmage. Choboy totaled 17 digs and five assists for the victorious Red squad while Mauch finished with 16 assists, five digs and one ace for the White team.
“I thought they both played great, really good,” Busboom Kelly said after the scrimmage. “Passed well, dug a lot of balls. They were very solid … They’re both neck-and-neck every day, so you can probably flip a coin. It’s going to be a lot about who can command the court and who makes the little plays look easy.”
Former head coach John Cook served as color commentator during the team’s spring exhibition against Kansas, and during the broadcast he said Busboom Kelly told him the libero decision would likely come down to personality and which of them fits what the team needs most.
“They both go about it their own way,” Harper Murray said after the exhibition. “I think Liv is a little bit more like Lexi as a person, a little bit more quiet and reserved, but they both have their own way about it, and it’s special, no matter how they’re going to do it.”
The stream of talented defensive specialists to come through Lincoln doesn’t appear to be slowing down any time soon with Keri Leimbach, a four-time state champion at Lincoln Lutheran, joining the program in the spring.
Keri Leimbach serves the ball against the Kansas. Photo by John S. Peterson.
She averaged 6.0 digs per set and served 54 aces as a senior, finishing her high school career with 2,063 digs. Leimbach could push for immediate playing time much like Mauch did last year, depending on how many of Nebraska’s pins play six rotations. Nebraska’s former head coach, John Cook, had high praise for Leimbach back in the spring when he served as color commentator for Big Ten Network during the program’s exhibition against Kansas.
“Keri’s been really solid,” Busboom Kelly said. “She’s got a great serve, and she’s really confident at the libero position, especially with being a freshman and having two great liberos in front of her in Liv and Laney. She just goes in there and she doesn’t miss a beat.”
Maisie Boesiger, the walk-on out of Norris, is heading into her senior year and will continue to provide depth at defensive specialist. She’s appeared in 90 sets across 50 matches, primarily as a serving specialist, and has totaled 36 digs, six aces and six assists.
