Hello, Husker Volleyball fans, I know you are all excited for Nebraska Volleyball Season 2026, which is going to start on 16 August 2026, with the match between Red-White scrimmage. I’m Kamal khan The countdown is down to under 30 days before Husker volleyball takes the court inside AT&T Stadium for Spikes Under the Lights, with the Red-White Scrimmage coming up on August 16th and the team gearing up for a brand new season. I had a chance to chat with a few players as a part of the team’s internal media day. One of the best classes in program history is headed into year four with a potential for a fifth year, though no decisions are ready to be announced on that just yet. Today, we’re hearing from three of the best in the game, all three on the AVCA preseason player of the year watch list: Bergen Riley, Harper Murray, and Andi Jackson.
We start with the senior setter. I’m here with Bergen Riley on internal media day. You’re doing all the photo shoots and intro video shoots—do you enjoy this kind of stuff? She said yeah, it’s fun to get dressed up a little bit, even though they’re still in their uniforms, and it’s really good bonding time for all of them to hang out and see the vision for this year. When asked how the summer has been, especially with some big things happening like her engagement, Bergen said it’s been awesome, super busy with great camps, and even though they’ve been displaced because the Devaney Center is under construction, it’s been really productive with them getting stronger and having productive open gyms. When asked about wedding planning, she said it’s been good and fun so far, though she knows it will get stressful, but she’s hiring a planner to take away that stress. I asked what it was like for her going back to the basketball season to watch her fiancé Kale and the men’s basketball team, especially with the season they had and winning their first NCAA tournament game. She said it was so special and the most fun she’s ever had in her life watching them, and it was cool to see how their chemistry showed on the court—they had such a great team player-wise and person-wise, and it was an easy team to root for. She was in Oklahoma City for the Vanderbilt game and said it was nuts; everywhere you went there were Nebraska fans, and it was really cool to see how basketball is growing for them too.
When we turned back to her volleyball career, I asked how she approaches what could be her last season going into year four. She said every year there’s something to prove, especially with how the last three years have ended, and they’re taking it game by game, excited for the fun games at the beginning of the year, playing in football and baseball stadiums to help grow volleyball and women’s sports. On a personal level, she’s working on leadership and little things like defense, blocking, and serving, really dialing in her serve to use it as a weapon instead of just getting it in. With the newcomers, she said it helps that the freshmen came in January, giving them an extra five months together, and since they didn’t have anyone new come in this summer, they’ve had eight months together already and feel like it’s not even a new team anymore. On her leadership growth, she said she’s become more vocal, understanding that she doesn’t have to be the loudest person to be a leader, and she’s grown in having the confidence to say things when needed. When asked about the excitement of playing in big stadiums and not overlooking preseason, she said it’s hard not to think about it, but it’s motivating, knowing they start off strong against great teams in Dallas and Vegas, and the non-conference isn’t going to be hand-me games—they have to work for them. She admitted she hasn’t fully pictured what playing in Jerry World and Wrigley Field will be like, but it’s cool to see the growth of volleyball over the last few years and be a small part of it. She emphasized they need to take it day by day and respect every opponent because they’ll get everyone’s best.
Next, it’s been quite the summer for Harper Murray with opportunities to be a part of some of the biggest stages in sports. She’s built one of the biggest brands in college sports and says she knows volleyball is what she has to thank. I asked how her summer has been with all the different opportunities. She said it’s been fun, living out of a suitcase, but she loves traveling and filling her bucket that way, getting to go to events and meet new people. It’s cool to travel and then come back to Nebraska to reset her brain, though traveling can be stressful and she’s gotten really bad at unpacking. Her favorite opportunity was the World Cup, specifically the finals, and then the SBS after that was really fun. Seeing the WNBA All-Star weekend was also fun, especially since a lot of those players are good friends of hers, and she loved seeing how they manage everything and wished volleyball did something like that in the pro league. From the World Cup experience, she became more appreciative of other countries’ cultures and learned a lot about soccer and different cultures, feeling more educated and appreciative. On her partnership with Adidas, she said they’re part of the reason she’s had so many opportunities, they do everything to keep her happy, and having Nebraska as an Adidas school makes it even easier.
When asked how it feels going into year four, she said she doesn’t know if it necessarily feels different, but little moments like taking the team photo for the fourth time hit them and make them realize this could be their last. She’s enjoyed experiencing the younger girls and remembering being in their shoes. About being a leader, she said the incoming players have made it easy, especially Gabby who she’s known since she was 12 from club volleyball. She’s built relationships through Dream Team camp where she was placed with recruits her first two years, and that’s where the relationships start. On balancing expectations, she said she’s had trial and error with the correct mindset after losses, but every year she’s learned something new and a better way to handle losses, with maturity playing a big part. She’s noticed the younger girls already have a good understanding that there’s more to them than just volleyball, which will help them in the future. Personally, she wants to go out with Bergen, Andi, and Laney and make it their best year, having fun and playing free. She acknowledged it will be hard to balance with all the exciting early season events, but it’ll be a good challenge. On her mindset shift and confidence, she said it comes with experience and maturity, and John Cook used to tell her that volleyball doesn’t know your age, which has helped her implement that thought process in the moment. Balancing being one of the best with everything outside of volleyball isn’t easy, but she’s grateful, and her mom reminds her to work her butt off when she gets back because she wouldn’t have any of it without volleyball. She’s excited about the group and learning new things about her teammates every day, and while it’ll take trial and error, what matters is how they move through that and find what works best for them.
Finally, we have two-time All-American and reigning AVCA Middle Blocker of the Year Andi Jackson, who came off a record-breaking season in 2025 and is heading into her fourth season not concerned with stats and records, but rather being the best teammate and leader she can be. I asked how it feels going through media day in year four. She said it’s so exciting and she can’t believe it’s senior year, having been doing it with Harper, Bergen, and Laney for four years now—it’s very bittersweet, but they’re super excited. When asked what it’s like having four people so close who’ve been through it all together, she said it’s so special and something she’ll never take for granted, noting how competitive and like-minded they are on the court. She doesn’t think you’ve ever seen something like their class, and from freshman year their drive to win was so great. They’ve been through thick and thin together and are her three best friends. On whether she still wants to win as badly as when she was a freshman, she said absolutely, the drive never stops and grows more with training year-round. She’s learned to manage it and mature mentally and physically, enjoying volleyball for more than just wins and losses.
On her leadership role, she said she really enjoys getting to be a captain alongside Bergen, but on their team they talk about being player-led, so even freshmen are leaders and can speak up if they need to. She’s grateful the girls can look to her for questions or guidance, but they try to make everyone on the same playing field when it comes to respect and culture. When asked why being player-led sets a team apart, she said it shows especially in bad moments when the team can pull themselves out of it without having to rely on the coach. It’s faster, creates stronger ties, and helps players mature and have hard, uncomfortable conversations with teammates that come from a place of love. On how she can be even better this season after her record-breaking year, she said she just wants to have fun and soak up her senior season, being the best version of herself for her team and representing Nebraska well.
When asked about the middle blocker room with Manaiah, Kenna, and the others, she said she’s very excited—they’re amazing players and people who have so much fun together in their small group they call “Space and Vision,” with shirts and everything. Their coach Brennan is supportive, and they all truly want the best for each other regardless of who’s playing. On embracing alumni like Amber Homequist, she said it’s super important to recognize the trailblazers who came before them and lay the foundation, and she’s grateful she can talk to alumni and get advice from someone who truly understands playing volleyball at a high level at Nebraska. About her connection with Bergen, she said she’s so grateful—not only is Bergen a great setter with a high volleyball IQ, but off the court they’ve grown to be super close friends, having trained together with the national team in May. Their relationship is so good that they can communicate instantly about adjustments without it being criticism, and she’s excited to showcase that in their senior year. With coach Danny Busman Kelly’s system, she said they’re very comfortable and confident after having a season under their belt together, and they trust Danny and the systems she wants to run. On handling the expectations of the program, she said they like to say “pressure is a privilege,” something Coach Cook taught them. It can be stressful, but they flip the narrative to be grateful for the privilege of playing at Nebraska and being held to such a high standard. They remind themselves they’re team first and won’t get sucked into the hype, staying in their little bubble and doing what they do best—playing awesome volleyball and having fun on the court.
