Husker volleyball will showcase spring progress in Kansas exhibition

Husker Volleyball Head Coach John Cook and setter Anni Evans met with the media ahead of Nebraska’s exhibition match against Kansas on April 23. This was the first time media spoke with Cook this offseason as he had many updates.

The exhibition match is at the Heartland Event Center in Grand Island, starting at 5 p.m. and will be televised on Nebraska Public Media. Tickets are sold out.

Husker volleyball try to play matches around Nebraska to allow fans from across the state to watch Nebraska volleyball. However, it has been a few years since they were able to do so because of the pandemic.

Cook, who received a birthday cake from Maisie Boesiger for his birthday on Tuesday, said having 6,000 tickets selling out in eight minutes indicated how much volleyball means to the state.

The head coach said he is unsure if middle blocker Kayla Caffey will be available to play on Saturday due to her NCAA waiver submitted to return for her seventh year of college volleyball.

Cook said he has no news on her waiver and that it is very complicated.

However, middle blocker Callie Schwarzenbach has been practicing with NU and will be playing in the exhibition match. Schwarzenbach will then transfer to Long Beach State but since she was finishing her schooling and was still on a volleyball scholarship, she has been practicing with Nebraska, Cook said.

Freshman middle blocker Bekka Allick will get to showcase the progress she made this spring.

“She’s a really good competitor,” Cook said. “For a freshman, she’s very vocal. She has a great presence. She competes really hard and she’s making huge progress.”

Cook said she still does freshman-like things like “taking somebody out (while) blocking,” but he “loves how she goes after it.”

“She serves great. She can play defense,” he said. “She’s a really good volleyball player and she’s learning the speed and the blocking level and the physicality at this level. She’s made some big adjustments in the last few weeks.”

Another player to watch on Saturday is Nicklin Hames, who is returning for her fifth season but not as Nebraska’s starting setter.

“She’s doing a fantastic job. I’ve never seen her so happy,” Cook said after Tuesday’s practice. “She’s playing really, really well. She’s being a great leader and I think she’s excited about her fifth year. She talked to me today about when she could start being in coaching meetings. She’s getting excited about her future to go into coaching and getting her master’s program started.”

With Hames in a different role, junior setter Anni Evans’s role has also changed.

“I’ve grown,” the recent scholarship winner said. “I have (started) using my voice more seriously and trying to take a little bit more of a leadership role now being an upperclassman. So that’s been my goal this spring.”

Redshirt freshman setter Kennedi Orr, who is projected to be the Huskers’ starter in the fall, missed the back half of beach volleyball with an injury. Cook said she has been practicing but is a little behind.

Cook said he plans for everyone to play on Saturday, barring the decision with Caffey, so Husker fans will get a glimpse of Orr along with the three freshman.

As for the exhibition on Saturday, Cook said his first priority is to share Husker volleyball with a different part of the state.

“The fact that it’s sold out, we get a chance to play in front of a big crowd, we’re getting to play Kansas, which is great for us,” he said. “I think it’s just a good reward for the end of the spring to be able to go play a match.”

Cook said he and the players plan to sign many autographs after the match.

“It’s more of a celebration for volleyball in the state and for the Kansas players and our players to get to play in front of a big crowd.”