Players to watch during Nebraska volleyball’s Spring exhibition match
Nebraska volleyball is gearing up for its spring exhibition match against Wichita State on April 29. The match is at 2:00 p.m. CT at Central City’s Bison Dome. Nebraska Public Media will televise the game.
Tickets for the 2,000-attendance gym sold out in under an hour.
A lot has changed for Nebraska since they lost in the Sweet 16 to end their 2022 season. Five freshmen joined the program as early enrollees and junior opposite hitter Merritt Beason transferred in from Florida.
Here are players to watch during Nebraska volleyball’s exhibition match:
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OH Lindsay Krause
Junior outside hitter Lindsay Krause has bounced around for Nebraska over her first two seasons. In 2021, she started on the right side and was a Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection. Last season, she bounced around from the left and right pin. She played the majority of her time on the right.
Hopefully, the switching positions will be in the past for Krause. With the addition of opposite Merritt Beason, Head Coach John Cook promised Krause she would play on the left pin.
The 6-foot-4 hitter played on the left side while at Omaha (Neb.) Skutt High School. She believes the left is her natural position.
Setters Kennedi Orr and Bergen Reilly
Nebraska’s setters have been one of the biggest storylines, starting the last off-season. Junior setter Kennedi Orr was given the keys to the Huskers’ offense to start the 2022 season. However, her inconsistency forced Cook to go to a 6-2.
Orr had a big off-season. She didn’t participate in beach volleyball and trained one-on-one with Cook and assistant coach Kelly Hunter. Cook said she made “major” strides.
“We trained the heck out of her,” Cook said. “We worked really hard and she worked really hard.”
Orr went with Nebraska on its beach volleyball trip to Hawaii. She trained with Cook and Hunter almost daily while on the trip.
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Freshman Bergen Reilly will push Orr to play her best. Reilly is a very talented and experienced setter that will not back down from the competition.
One setter will likely play the majority of the time on Saturday. Keep a close eye on her and how the hitters connect with the setter.
OPP Merritt Beason
Nebraska fans will get their first glimpse of Florida transfer Merritt Beason in a Huskers uniform.
Beason has basically secured the Huskers’ starting opposite position. The junior was named one of Florida’s team captains as a sophomore in 2022. Her leadership skills and composure have been evident during her first months as a Husker.
She has a huge arm, a great serve and really good blocking skills that are improving. In fact, Beason said she has seen improvement in every area of her game since being at Nebraska. The 2021 All-SEC selection will make a huge impact for Nebraska this upcoming season.
DS Laney Choboy
Everyone in the country knows what libero Lexi Rodriguez is capable of and she has shown it over and over. Rodriguez, a 2022 captain, has a very tight grip on her libero jersey.
However, Nebraska is on the lookout for a defensive specialist who can make a huge impact in the back row and at the service line. Freshman Laney Choboy could be that player.
The 5-foot-3 DS was ranked No. 5 overall and the No. 1 libero in the 2023 class by PrepVolleyball.com. She was the last addition to Nebraska’s class as she was previously committed to Minnesota.
With the loss of Kenzie Knuckles, there are huge shoes to fill in the back row. Sophomore Maisie Boesiger also proved herself as an asset at the service line in 2022.
OH Harper Murray
Last but certainly not least is freshman outside hitter Harper Murray. The 6-foot-2 athlete was the No. 2 overall prospect by PrepVolleyball.com in the class of 2023.
She has a difficult battle ahead of herself for playing time on the left pin. Krause and junior Ally Batenhorst both have lots of experience and talent. Sophomore Hayden Kubik had a big game against Creighton and will an option on the left too.
However, Murray is very explosive and athletic. She will push Batenhorst and Krause hard during this off-season. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if she earned a starting position at some point in the season.
She will likely get a good dose of playing time on Saturday. I would tell you to keep an eye on her, but she is an athlete that will make sure she is seen.
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