Nebraska Volleyball: Three Things to Watch for in Red-White Scrimmage

The Nebraska Huskers' pressure-packed 2024 season begins with the program's annual Red-White scrimmage Saturday at the Devaney Center.

Oct 21, 2023; Lincoln, NE, USA; A record crowd watches the match between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Wisconsin Badgers at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. / Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports

Nebraska Volleyball coach John Cook always reminisces that one of the few times he's seen program legend Jordan Larson get nervous was before her first Red-White Scrimmage. With 10 returners from last season's team that reached the national championship match, the nervousness shouldn't be as prevalent.

However, that doesn't erase how important Saturday will be in determining playing time for a roster that's stacked in every position. Here's what to look out for for Saturday's upcoming Red-White Scrimmage.

Aug 30, 2023; Lincoln, NE, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers outside hitter Harper Murray (27) attacks the ball against the Omaha Mavericks during the first set at Memorial Stadium. / Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports

Nailing Down the Pin Hitters

Ally Batenhorst packed her bags for USC and departed over the offseason prompting Cook to dip into the transfer portal and pull out 2022 Big Ten Player of the Year and 6-5 outside hitter Taylor Landfair from fellow Big Ten foe Minnesota.

Landfair is a three-time All-American and brings the accolades of one of the top hitters in the country. However, her production took a big downturn in the transition from Hugh McCutcheon to Keegan Cook, who the Gophers hired away from Washington. Her skillset as a hitter and blocker at 6-foot-5 should create plenty of mismatches up front, but her ability to terminate at an efficient rate will determine her fate.

Star sophomore Harper Murray has put her rocky offseason in the rearview mirror and looks to build off a freshman season that saw her win Big Ten Freshman of the Year and earn Third Team All-America honors from the AVCA. The Michgian native led the team in aces last season, but more consistency from the block and hitting efficiency will be points of emphasis.

Senior Lindsay Krause is back for her final go around in her home state uniform. The Omaha Skutt graduate had her season cut short with an ankle injury sustained during practice that made her miss the final 21 matches of the season. Before going down, Krause was hitting over .350 and looked the part of an All-American. An offseason to get healthy and refocus should pay dividends for the former No. 1 overall recruit who looks to put together her most complete season to date.

Highly-touted freshman outside hitter Skyler Pierce will also push for playing time, but it's same to assume that she'll end up last in the pecking order when everything is said and done. The No. 4 recuit mixes her shots well and the Kansas native showed that off in the sweep over Denver in April's spring match. If she wasn't attending Nebraska, she would end up being a day one starter.

Aug 30, 2023; Lincoln, NE, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers libero Lexi Rodriguez (8) during the first set against the Omaha Mavericks at Memorial Stadium. / Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports

Who Does Nebraska Stick in the Back Row?

Lexi Rodriguez will aim to secure her third Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year award this season and is firmly entrenched as the Huskers' starting libero after a trio of All-American seasons. Who fills in as a defensive specialist is another question.

Sophomore Laney Choboy would have been the starting libero for almost any other program in the country, but she'll have to wait another season to get her crack at it. That didn't stop her from balling out as a DS in 2023, averaging 1.82 digs per set and 14 aces in 34 matches played. However, freshman Olivia Mauch may push herself into some playing time this season. The Bennington native turned heads over the spring with her aggresive serve which resulted in an ace during the spring match sweep.

The dark horse may be walk-on Maisie Boesiger from small town Norris, Nebraska. Entering her junior year, Boesiger has recorded 30 career digs and a trio of aces in her first two seasons. A baker in her free time, Boesiger has caught the attention of Cook as being the most improved player on the Huskers' roster.

"She's No. 1 or 2 in passing every day. She's passing great. She's digging great," Cook said. "Last year I put her in when I needed her. Now, she's in everything. She's elevating every side she's on. I've been really impressed by her.'

Oct 21, 2023; Lincoln, NE, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers outside hitter Harper Murray (27) attacks against Wisconsin Badgers middle blocker Caroline Crawford (9) and middle blocker Anna Smrek (14) during the first set. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports / Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports

How Does Harper Murray Look After Her Offseason?

It's well-documented the struggles that Murray has dealt with over the offseason. More answers from Murray seem to be on the way in the form of ESPN's E:60 documentary on the Huskers which is set to debut on Sunday, Aug. 25. It's only natural to see how that will effect her on-court performance.

Murray was one of the better passing six-rotation outside hitters last season and Nebraska needs her to repeat that kind of performance to meet the sky-high expecatations entering the 2024 campaign. Depth will be the Huskers' ally this season, but Murray is instrumental in the ultimate success of this season. Saturday will give everyone a glimpse into the on-court progress of Murray, but it was Cook who shined some light on the off-court growht of the former No. 1 overall recruit.

"She's done much better, but there's still ups and downs with her. She's navigating through that. The biggest thing I've seen in Harper is she's really matured," Cook said. "In our conversations and how she's handled things. She's much more mature, where last year, she was a squirrelly freshman. I think she's been humbled and she's mature. She's done a lot of work. It's not perfect every day. Like all of them, they're struggling. I've seen Lexi and Merritt (Beason) both break down in the last two weeks. It isn't easy what we're doing. We push them.

"...We got to believe in these kids, because there's so much doubt and negativity out there. If I'm not believing in them, and my staff's not believing in them, who is? Times have changed a lot. As we say, the great ones adjust."

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