“The opportunity to come home to Nebraska is more than a dream come true,” is what Dani Busboom Kelly said when she officially took the reins as the Huskers’ head coach back in January—and now, that dream’s about to meet game time. With the Big Ten’s 2025 volleyball schedule officially out in the wild, Dani’s first season is shaping up to be a wild ride. Nebraska’s got double dips with Michigan, Michigan State, and Penn State, and they’ll host squads like Illinois, Iowa, and Oregon right at home in Lincoln. Road trips? Oh yeah—Wisconsin, UCLA, and USC are on the horizon, so pack those bags and get ready for some serious time-zone hopping.
But with all that hype, there’s one curveball that’s got Dani raising an eyebrow—the NCAA’s new libero rule. With fan-favorite Lexi Rodriguez out of the mix, Dani’s leaning toward a one-libero system this season She’s not one to just toss in extra players because the rulebook allows it—this coach is all about what works best on the floor. A new era’s beginning in Husker Nation, and Dani’s steering it with brains, heart, and that trademark Nebraska grit.
In a video dropped by Hail Varsity on April 23, Nebraska’s new head coach Dani Busboom Kelly got real about that shiny new NCAA rule that lets teams roll out two liberos. And while the update’s got some coaches buzzing with ideas, Dani’s not jumping in just yet. She kept it one hundred and said, “I would always consider anything, but that would not be my choice. You know, if you have two great liberos or three, you’re going to find, I think, big roles. And I think that’s where it’s interesting.”
Dani continued, “What’s a bigger role? Is it a three-rotation DS or just serve receiving? I think that’s, as coaches, what you’re trying to figure out. But I think I’d prefer just to have the consistency of one libero, but always open to trying.” So yeah, she’s definitely not slamming the door shut, but you can tell Dani’s leaning into that classic keep-it-steady vibe. For her, it’s about the flow, the rhythm, the chemistry out there on the hardwood—and sometimes, too many puzzle pieces can just make the picture fuzzy.
With the NCAA volleyball rule change to allow two liberos to dress, Nebraska volleyball coach Dani Busboom Kelly says she still prefers a one-libero system.#Huskers | #GBR pic.twitter.com/4NBtLGgzj9
— Hail Varsity (@HailVarsity) April 23, 2025
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The post Dani Busboom Kelly Hesitant About NCAA’s New Libero Rule as Nebraska Prepares for Lexi Rodriguez’s Absence appeared first on EssentiallySports.