Nebraska volleyball post-spring review: Defensive specialist

The defensive specialist position is one of the best and deepest positions for the Nebraska volleyball team.

While an overall defense is the reflection of all six players on the court — blockers, back-row players and the server — libero Lexi Rodriguez and Nebraska’s defensive specialists helped Nebraska have a top 5 defense nationally last season.

It all starts with Rodriguez, a two-time first-team All-American who is like a shutdown cornerback in football in the sense that opponents try to avoid going where she is.

Laney Choboy could be a libero for many teams, and that day will probably come at Nebraska. For now, Choboy has great value as a defensive specialist for the Huskers.

“I can’t say enough how important Laney Choboy is to this team,” Nebraska defensive coordinator Jaylen Reyes said last season. “The stuff she does, it doesn’t always show up on a stat sheet.”

Who’s here: Maisie Boesiger, Laney Choboy, Olivia Mauch, Lexi Rodriguez.

New arrivals: Bennington graduate Olivia Mauch joined the team in January.

Snapshot: Make sure to appreciate the final season of Rodriguez, the two-time Big Ten defensive player of the year who seems to vacuum up balls fired her way.

And while Nebraska is really strong at the defensive specialist position, Nebraska’s national championship loss against Texas showed this group can help take the Huskers to another level.

Texas dominated with its attacking and serving, topping the Huskers in kills 38-20 with a .264 hitting percentage.

The Longhorns also led in ace serves, 12-2, including a lengthy serving run in the second set that was crushing for the Huskers’ national championship hopes.

Nebraska’s six-rotation hitters were part of some of those struggles in serve-receive, but Nebraska’s defensive specialists may try to be more aggressive in serve-receive.

And while all of the players are back, freshman defensive specialist Mauch will make a case for some court time as a defensive specialist or serving specialist.

“We were thinking when we first recruited (Mauch) that we might redshirt her, just with Laney. But she’s too good,” coach John Cook said this spring.

Post-spring depth chart: 1. Rodriguez; 2. Choboy; 3. Mauch; 4. Boesiger.