After two years at Florida, Merritt Beason almost fell out of love with volleyball altogether. But a transfer to Lincoln helped turn the tide. In just two years playing for the Huskers, Beason amassed several AVCA and All-American honors and once again reaffirmed her love for the sport. “These girls took me in at a time when, to be quite honest, I hated volleyball,” acknowledged the star in November last year. Obviously, Nebraska holds a special place for the celebrity opposite hitter, even when she’s finished her collegiate career. So much so that she can’t wait to see how Dani Busboom Kelly handles business in her new office.
In January, legendary coach John Cook announced his retirement plans, which were followed by the signing of Kelly, a Nebraska alum and the former Louisville head coach. Now, as DBK waits to make her first appearance in her new shoes, Beason will keep an eye on her progress from afar to see how her beloved alma mater grows under the new management. But the former Huskers athlete is sure that Kelly has all the necessary resources.
In an X post by the official Omaha Supernovas from August 10 shared what Beason had to say about Kelly’s strategy to form the perfect team heading into the 2025 NCAA season. When asked about her initial reaction to the new Huskers team, Beason replied without skipping a beat, “They’re stacked, so I’m excited to continue watching them, continue watching them grow.” However, the seasoned collegiate star knows that with so many talented athletes on the roster, Dani will have her work cut out trying to decide on her starting squad.
Considering the huge roster, the ex-Nebraska OH knows that the coach will have to do several permutations and combinations to find the perfect balance. “They have so much depth, so I have no idea who she’s going to decide to put out there because they’re all really, really good players,” Beason shared on what makes Kelly’s job so difficult as Nebraska’s head coach.
Team Reporter @AnaBellMedia catches up with newly signed Supernova Merritt Beason to talk about joining Omaha, Huskers volleyball, and more! pic.twitter.com/GrmEoC3EyY
— Omaha Supernovas (@OmahaSupernovas) August 10, 2025
Well, she isn’t wrong. At Saturday’s Red-White Scrimmage, a unique intrasquad match organized by the Big Red to showcase its new players to the fans, Beason made a surprise visit to the Devaney Sports Center. While she did have a gala time watching her former teammates in action and reforging their bond off the court, Beason also got to meet and watch the newcomers from close proximity for the first time. Naturally, she seems to think that Kelly could be spoilt for choice and get confused about who to play.
And the weekend match did prove that there’s some truth in Beason’s concern. From the No. 1 recruit of the Class of 2025, Teraya Sigler, and other newcomers, including Allie Sczech, Virginia Adriano, Manaia Ogbechie, Ryan Hunter, Campbell Flynn, and Kenna Cogill, to returning stars like Harper Murray, Rebekah Allick, Bergen Reilly, and Taylor Landfair, everyone played incredibly well with sublime prowess. For understandable reasons, it would look like Beason’s predictions do have some merit (pun intended).
But how is Kelly gearing up to cope with the whole situation?
Dani Busboom Kelly’s decision could be what Beason needs for her coaching career
DBK is no stranger to sharing space with talented volleyball athletes. She was a member of the Huskers squad, which won the national championship in 2006. For four years, she sharpened her skills under the watchful eye of John Cook, before becoming an assistant coach for the program and aiding Cook in making the Huskers bag the national title once again in 2015. Following being bestowed with the AVCA National Assistant Coach of the Year that season, Kelly took over Louisville as the head coach.
NCAA, College League, USA Womens Volleyball: Louisville vs Pittsburgh Dec 15, 2022 Omaha, Nebraska, US Louisville Cardinals head coach Dani Busboom Kelly watches action against the Pittsburg Panthers in the semi-final match at CHI Health Center. Omaha CHI Health Center Nebraska US, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xStevenxBranscombex 20221215_szo_bc7_0275
Under her tutelage, the Cardinals flourished. Two trips to the NCAA championship match in three years cemented her status as an elite coach. Naturally, Kelly had long before deciphered the trouble she could face before Beason even brought it up. Just last month, DBK confessed to former Nebraska coach Terry Pettit that she is having difficulties deciding on who will be her permanent starter or who she can skim through for the time being.
“They’re all very talented. And, again, I think it’s going to be a difficult decision,” Kelly told her successor on the subject of who she believes can pair up with Harper Murray for the upcoming season. From this statement alone, fans might conclude that Merritt doesn’t have anything to sleep over. But then again, Beason’s high hopes for Kelly might just be her subtle way of trying to get some pointers for her next venture.
Merritt, drafted by Atlanta Vibe as the No. 1 pick at the 2024 PVF draft, was recently traded to the Omaha Supernovas for her second pro season. On top of that, Beason has also accepted a coaching job at Gardendale High School, where she began her own volleyball journey. “The goal is to ultimately change the goal in Gardendale,” Beason told reporters after accepting the offer in June.
Could it be that Beason is looking at Dani Busboom Kelly to fine-tune her own coaching career? What do you reckon?
The post Merritt Beason Issues Concern Over Dani Busboom Kelly’s Pending Nebraska Volleyball Decision appeared first on EssentiallySports.
