Last year at this time, former Nebraska Cornhuskers volleyball star Merritt Beason was wondering what the next step in her career would hold.
Now, she’s doing a bit of double duty, playing professional volleyball at a high level while also beginning to walk in her mentor’s shoes. Over the weekend, it was announced that Beason is officially starting her coaching career.
The former Nebraska Cornhuskers volleyball star, who became a leader of the team almost from the minute she transferred over from Florida, took a job as the head volleyball coach with her alma mater, Gardendale (Ala.) High School.
Ex-Nebraska Cornhuskers star officially kickstarts her coaching career
Beason’s success at Gardendale as a player almost certainly left her with happy memories. In 2020, she locked in a first-team all-state selection. Then the accolades kept rolling in—she was named a 2020 AVCA Under Armour Third-Team All-American and even snagged the title of a two-time AAU Academic All-American. A student of the game and of the books, Beason also graduated in the top 10 percent of her class with an advanced diploma.
She didn’t come to Nebraska out of high school, but eventually saw the error of her ways and transferred, quickly becoming one of the best players in John Cook’s final teams. After finishing up her Husker days, she was drafted into the Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF) with the Atlanta Vibe.
This past season, Beason was named a PVF All-Star thanks to ranking in the top 10 in the PVF with 95 kills, averaging 3.17 kills per set, and has tallied 108 total points at the time of her selection.
As she continues to play professional volleyball, the former Nebraska Cornhuskers star will also start teaching the next generation about how to do things the right way. Who knows, perhaps Gardendale can be a pipeline for new Husker coach Dani Busboom Kelly over the next few years.