While the Nebraska Cornhuskers volleyball team has come close to the mountaintop the last few years, the head coach walked off into the sunset without winning another national championship. Now that Dani Busboom Kelly is in command, is it too much to think her first team might do what Cook's last two couldnt?
Volleyball insiders Jeff Sheldon and Lincoln Arneal recently discussed what the correct expectations for the Huskers are coming into the fall. While there's plenty of excitement around the football team, Busboom Kelly's squad has a ton of expectations. Getting back to the Final Four is just the first step for many fans. Among the topics they discussed is whether expectations can be dangerous for a first-year head coach, even one that's a veteran.
Dani Busboom Kelly faces Final-Four-or-bust stakes in debut season for the Nebraska Cornhuskers
"Pressure can produce diamonds, or it can break things into small pieces," Sheldon said of the Nebraska Cornhuskers volleyball team's latest iteration. "I think that all of these players that we're talking about, Harper Murray, Bergen Reilly, Rebekah Allick, they've been to the Final Four three of the last four years, or the last two years for this class specifically. They played for a national championship. They've been a swing away from playing for the national championship. They've kind of done everything except win the NCAA title."
"You know, one of the things I would be interested in finding out their true feelings on is like, [are] those expectations dangerous?" Sheldon continued.
"I think especially the journey is important as well," Arneal responded. "I mean, Dani's coming off a year where she was coaching at Louisville; Louisville hosted it this year. The Final Four is in Kansas City, which is different than having in Omaha, but Nebraska is the closest major power to Kansas City, too. So I don't know if just having the Final Four so close raises the stakes at all, or if it doesn't have an impact as well."
The bottom line is that the two analysts can't answer the question about whether the expectations are dangerous. The Nebraska Cornhuskers will need to answer it with their play. That play could indeed end with a National Title, if they play it right.