Back in April, Nebraska volleyball and Kansas faced each other in an exhibition at the Devaney Center. On Friday night, they’ll meet again in the Sweet 16.
First-year Kansas coach Matt Ulmer wanted to challenge his new team with difficult exhibitions and preseason matches, visiting places like Pinnacle Bank Arena and the Sanford Pentagon for the AVCA First Serve, Wisconsin’s Kohl Center, Purdue’s Holloway Gymnasium and more. He didn’t anticipate his team would visit Lincoln again this season, but he wanted to prepare his Jayhawks for whatever the season threw at them.
Coach Dani Busboom Kelly said there really isn’t much the huskers can take from that exhibition because both teams have changed so much since then, but Ulmer sees an advantage for his side having experienced the Devaney Center atmosphere.
“I really do feel like they’re much more prepared for the shock and awe,” Ulmer said. “The first time I came here with Oregon, I remember it was like the first match of the season and it was the year we went to the Elite Eight, in 2018, and our setter served the ball into the net early on in the match because there was that much jitters from her not being in that situation. For us, hopefully we were able to get that piece of us out in the spring so now we can just go out there and go compete.”
There’s another reason that exhibition holds value: it’s impossible for other teams to replicate what the high-flying Andi Jackson — who is leading the country and is on pace to shatter the school record in hitting percentage — is able to do on the practice court.
“It’s hard to prepare for what Andi Jackson can do, so it’s nice that we’ve seen it,” Ulmer said. “Good, bad, indifferent — you’re aware of that, you know what that looks like. Just to be with the crowd, it was sold out in the spring. It’s not quite the same experience, but pretty good.”
While he highlighted Jackson specifically, everyone on Nebraska’s side of the net has his attention. His answer as to what he’s seen Nebraska do well on tape included just one word: everything.
“I really enjoy scouting,” Ulmer said. “I watch a lot of film on everybody. It’s a passion of mine. I watch them and it’s hard to get them uncomfortable, it really is, in every facet of the game. There isn’t like something you can necessarily pick apart. I feel like they have an answer for everything, which I think presents just an amazing challenge.”
Backing up that assertion alongside the 32-0 record and unanimous No. 1 ranking is the fact that Nebraska leads the country in both hitting (.353) and opponent hitting (.124). However, what stands out most to Busboom Kelly is how balanced the team’s offensive numbers are, and how effective reserves have been when she’s called their number. She’s most proud of the middle attack, which was a point of emphasis during the spring — starting with that first Kansas match — and carried over throughout the season. In addition to Jackson’s 2.79 kills per set on .483 hitting, Rebekah Allick is having a career year offensive at 2.53 kills per set on .437.
Beating Kansas this time around won’t be a simple task. The fourth-seeded Jayhawks arrive at Lincoln with a 24-10 record after defeating fifth-seeded Miami 3-1 in the second round. Kansas went 9-5 in the nonconference with four five-set losses to top-25 teams before finding its footing and earning a second-place finish in the Big 12 at 13-5.
“Matt always has great teams,” Busboom Kelly said. “They compete hard, they find ways to win. It might not be the same every single match. He’s found ways to make this team great, and I just have a lot of respect for him as a coach. I thought this Kansas team’s gotten better throughout the year, and they adjust really quick. So if they’re down in a game or they’re coming off a loss, they typically play much better and improve at a fast rate.”
Kansas’ top scorer, freshman opposite Jovana Zelenovic, had not yet joined the team when they faced each other in April. She’s averaging 2.88 kills per set on .284 hitting. She also happens to stand at 6-foot-7, providing a unique obstacle for Nebraska’s left sides.
“I think it makes it tough on the outsides,” Harper Murray said. “We’re really going to have to focus on swinging high. It’s never ideal; you don’t want to play against someone who’s that tall and big, but it’ll definitely give us a good chance to get better and find different ways to score, because you don’t see that every day. We’ve seen a lot about her. I know she wasn’t there in spring, so I’m excited to see what she can do tomorrow. I think it’ll just be good for us to see that and see something different. We played against Kennedy [Martin] before, but everyone’s different.”
Senior Rhian Swanson is the team’s top outside hitter, averaging 3.09 kills per set on .257 hitting. She terminated 15 times to lead the Jayhawks past Miami in the second round. Senior Katie Dalton took over as the team’s starting setter midseason. Senior libero Ryan White leads the defensive effort with just under four digs per set.
This weekend’s matches will be the final ones played inside John Cook Arena before renovations begin to expand seating to 10,000. The university released renderings and details of the reseating process planned for the 2026 season this week. The Huskers are grateful for the extra week at home before a potential departure for the Final Four.
“It’s super special,” Jackson said. “The Bob is such a special place, and I think every player who has ever played here can attest to that. The environment is so special, and everything that we have here and get to experience here is one of a kind. There is no place like Nebraska, and it’ll be really exciting to see what they do in the future. But while they’re renovating it, we’re really going to miss it.”
The regional also features No. 2 Louisville and No. 3 Texas A&M, with the Cardinals and Aggies set to start the action at 6 p.m. CT. Nebraska and Kansas will follow 30 minutes after the first match’s conclusion, with ESPN 2 televising them both. Busboom Kelly is hoping to see fans show out to create a great environment for both matches.
“We’re obviously really excited to be here,” Busboom Kelly said.” There are four really great teams in this region, and think it’s going to be just a super competitive weekend for volleyball, and exciting that it’s in Lincoln and our fans can see it, and now I’m crossing my fingers for a great turnout for the first match, and then that carries on into the second match.”
