If you are a volleyball fan, chances are, you are also an admirer of the Nebraska Huskers. Even if you are a loyalist of an opposing program, the Huskers’ domination on the court is something that simply warrants loud cheers. Despite not winning the NCAA D1 title since 2017, Nebraska remains one of the prime destinations for aspiring volleyball stars. But that wasn’t what prompted Allie Sczech‘s leap of faith.
Sczech is already a popular name within the country’s volleyball circuit. Playing as the opposite hitter for Baylor for four years, the 6’4″ Texas native has cemented her reputation as a formidable athlete. But she has yet to win the coveted NCAA title. Naturally, when Allie announced her transfer to Nebraska in May, fans justifiably thought she wanted a better shot at winning the national championship in her final collegiate year. But even that wasn’t it.
The Nebarska senior recently spilled the beans on why she decided to head to the Cornhusker State in a recent episode of The Newcomers Podcast. There, she revealed that, for her, it wasn’t just the hopes of winning silverware. Instead, it was what Nebraska offered for her academic growth that ushered her to her new camp. “The big thing for me was like a graduate program. I got my undergrad in broadcast journalism and corporate com, and so I wanted to find something I felt like was going to expand that horizon for me as far as broadcasting,” the 3x Academic All-Big 12 First Team honoree came clean.
“I was looking for programs, and I honestly looked up on the internet. Best broadcast programs in the country for grad students. And so I found Nebraska and I was like, Well, that’s pretty cool,” grinned Allie, who evidently loves studying as hard as she loves playing volleyball. But her movement didn’t go unnoticed by the Huskers coach, Dani Busboom Kelly, and her team.
Credit – Instagram/Allie Sczech
“When I got in the portal coach reached out to me, and I was like, ‘Wow, this is awesome.’ And honestly, after one call with Jaylen, I was like, ‘Wow. Really want to be a Husker.’ Because it kind of had both,” Sczech said about how the conversation with Nebraska’s assistant coach helped her to make he decision final. “…school had both for me in a sense of like great volleyball great people, but also had the master’s program. So it was like the best of both worlds,” Allie stated on why zeroing in on Nebraska was a no-brainer.
However, while Allie’s reasons to join the Huskers had more to them than just the prospect of joining a good volleyball team, she will undoubtedly be a fine addition to the Nebraska roster. In her freshman year, Sczech made it to the All-Big 12 Rookie Team and the All-Big 12 Second Team, thanks to her impressive stats. With an average of 2.11 kills per set on .263 hitting with 105 total blocks, her numbers were the second highest in the Baylor team that year.
She averaged 2.25 kills per set in her sophomore year, and her 81 blocks ranked third on the team. In the season before transferring to Nebraska, Sczech posted a 2.44 average kills per set, .273 hitting percentage, 80 digs, and 72 blocks to earn yet another All-Big 12 Second Team honor. Goes without saying, Dani Busboom Kelly will be looking forward to seeing how Allie’s skills flourish in her final NCAA season.
But the newest Nebraska star will also have a strong bunch of teammates to help her out.
A short but beneficial collaboration could be in order for the Nebraska senior
In January this year, John Cook sent ripples through the country’s volleyball community. After twenty-five years as the head coach, the 4x NCAA title-winning coach announced his desire to finally step down from his role. However, before he left the job, Coach Cook signed his last five athletes to represent the Huskers for the 2025 season.
Credits: X/WOWT6News
Setter Campbell Flynn, opposite hitter Ryan Hunter, libero Keri Leimbach, middle blocker Manaia Ogbechie, and outside hitter Teraya Sigler all showed signs of greatness that the veteran coach didn’t overlook. While Cook didn’t get to test his 2024 signees on the court, he still managed to break the ice and ease the athletes into their Nebraska shoes in the short time they spent together.
Moreover, while seeing Cook leave was a hard pill to swallow, Nebraska fans knew the program was in safe hands. DBK, the former coach of Louisville, who took the program all the way to the NCAA finals last year, was a former star who played under John and is a national champion with the Nebraska Huskers. With both Allie and Dani waiting to begin their journey in their new stripes, along with the five scintillating new rookies, how well do you foresee this joint venture panning out? Tell us your thoughts below!
The post New Nebraska Senior Reveals True Reason Behind Transfer to Volleyball Capital for Final Year appeared first on EssentiallySports.