ive student-athletes will join the Nebraska volleyball program next fall, Head Coach John Cook announced on Wednesday, Nov. 9, the first day of the National Letter of Intent signing period.

Four of the five players in Nebraska’s 2017 class come from the Midwest, and four of the five received Under Armour All-America recognition or honorable mention this fall.

Malcolm native Hayley Densberger will join the Husker program, along with three players from neighboring states – Jazz Sweet (Tecumseh, Kansas), Samantha Slaughter (Harrisburg, South Dakota) and Anezka Szabo (Sioux Falls, South Dakota). Nebraska also signed Chesney McClellan from Maryville, Tennessee. Only one letterwinner in Nebraska volleyball’s history – Rachel Holloway – has come from Tennessee, though the Huskers have benefitted from two transfers from Tennessee recently in Kelsey Robinson and Mary Pollmiller.

“It’s a big recruiting class, but we’re graduating four seniors,” Cook said. “The upside potential for this class is huge. We’ve addressed positions that we need, which would be opposite the setter, middle blocker, defensive specialist and outside hitter. We feel like we got one at each position, and that was really important.

“All of these student-athletes are embracing the opportunity to play at Nebraska. They’re going to thrive off the expectations, the environment and the culture that we have and add to it. They understand what this program is about. I feel like we’re sitting on lots of potential through their development as they go through the Nebraska program.”

Sweet, a 6-3 hitter from Tecumseh, Kansas, is ranked the No. 12 overall prospect in the nation by PrepVolleyball.com and was named an Under Armour first-team All-American. A lefty with the natural ability to play right-side hitter, Sweet led Shawnee Heights to the Kansas 5A state title as a senior, posting 478 kills, 284 digs, 84 blocks and 41 aces on the season. She has received Kansas Volleyball Association Class 5A first-team all-state honors twice and also has been named the Topeka Capital-Journal city player of the year twice. Sweet played her club volleyball for Topeka Impact and is also a standout basketball player for the Thunderbirds, earning first-team all-state honors last year.