Close but no cigar has been the storyline for the Nebraska volleyball program in recent years. Despite having the best talent in the entire sport, the Cornhuskers have come up just short time after time, oftentimes in gut-wrenching fashion.
Nebraska is hoping to turn the tide this year, especially with it being so many key players' senior years. Andi Jackson, Laney Choboy, Harper Murray, and Bergen Reilly will all be graduating from Nebraska and the volleyball program when the season comes to a close and it's time for this group to accomplish something the program hasn't been able to do in nearly a decade. That's win a National Championship.
At this point, it feels difficult to imagine that this team could do anything better than the way they've been doing it in recent years. After all, Dani Busboom Kelly has lost just one match since taking over as the Huskers' head coach last year but the one they lost was a heartbreaker, coming in the Elite Eight against Texas A&M, who went on to win the whole darn thing.
If Nebraska wants to finally be on top of the volleyball mountain when the season ends, they have to up the ante in every department. Fortunately, an area they could stand to improve in from last year has been a major factor in their 19-9 start. That is from the service line. Nebraska has been more aggressive when serving this season and it's showing.
Why more aggressive serving is both a good thing and a bad thing
According to Randy Silver of NTV, "the biggest difference" with this year's Huskers squad is from what they've been able to do at the service line. That aggression they've been working on has benefitted them in a big way in their 19-0 start to the season.
"The biggest difference has come from the service line. Nebraska is averaging 6.1 aces per match in 2026, up from 4.1 in 2025. The team has recorded 116 aces through 19 matches, compared with 76 in the same stretch last season."
This is obviously splendid news because when a team can take advantage from the service line, they typically can control the match. To see the ace numbers up by that much just goes to show the work this team is doing when serving the ball and it's not a small increase either.
Choboy leads the team in aces with 21, followed by Jackson, Olivia Mauch, and Murray with 18. Reilly rounds out the top five with 13 aces under her belt. A season ago, Murray ended up leading the team in aces with 33 in 100 sets played. Mauch was the next closest with 20. Choboy was toward the bottom with 12.
To see that Choboy has blown past her aces number from a season ago this early on, is a sign that the aggressive serving is working and it's working in a crucial way.
There is a catch though. While aggressive serving can lead to more aces, which the Cornhuskers are seeing firsthand, it can also lead to more service errors. Unfortunately, Nebraska is seeing more of those as well. Silver noted, "The Huskers average 7.1 service errors per match, up from 6.5 a year ago."
Jackson, Murray, and Choboy are the top three in service errors on the team but that's going to happen when they're dialing up more pressure from the line. Sometimes those tricky serves are going to come back to bite them. The key is making them count in the big moments.
Nebraska needs to continue being aggressive from the service line
Some might see the increased service errors from a season ago and worry. That mentality makes sense but, truthfully, the increase in aces makes the aggression worth it. Being able to frustrate teams with aces can be a massive advantage, especially when tournament play begins and the opponents get tougher and the lights get brighter.
Sure, Nebraska is going to have service errors. All teams do. But getting those key aces in the big moments of the match can be what ultimately turns the tide in Nebraska's favor. The hope is that this is what can finally put this group over the top and propel them to a national championship.
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