The weekend weather in eastern Nebraska has been brutal. Blizzard-like conditions have made traveling a new Olympic sport. Man, has it been cold!
How cold was it?
To quote Johnny Carson, "It was so cold that the Statue of Liberty lady had to hold the torch up her dress."
No problem. Husker fans can keep warm this winter knowing they are about to experience a rebirth of several of their favorite Husker sports programs.
Let's take a look at some of them.
Volleyball (Head coach John Cook)
After Nebraska lost to Texas in the national championship match last month, John Cook's volleyball team saw four players transfer out of the program. Gone are Ally Batenhorst, Caroline Jurevicius, Hayden Kubik and Maggie Mendelson.
Not to worry. Joining the Huskers are two high school players and two transfer players. The high school players are Olvia Mauch, 5-6 Libero from Bennington, NE, and Skyler Pierce, a 6-2 OH from Lenexa, Kansas. Mauch is the Nebraska Gatorade Player of the Year. Pierce is the No. 4 overall player nationally in this year's signing class.
The two transfers are Leyla Blackwell (San Diego) and Taylor Landfair (Minnesota). Landfair was All-Big Ten in '22.
What makes Nebraska's chances for another NC run are the Fab Five players already on the Husker roster: Merritt Beason, Harper Murray, Laney Choboy, Andi Jackson and Bergen Reilly make up a group of some of the best-ever Husker volleyball players. The only non-freshman in that group is Beason. All five return this fall. In '23 all the Fab Five and the rest of the Husker roster managed to do was beat Wisconsin, win the B1G regular season championship, lose only one regular season match and play for the national championship last month in Florida.
Tough act to follow? Yes, but these women are more than up to making another strong run in '24 for national championship.
Softball (Rhonda Revelle)
Coach Revelle joins Amy Williams and Matt Rhule in landing a generational player to their rosters.
Pitcher Jordy Bahl (a native of Papilion (NE) transferred from Oklahoma to Nebraska during the offseason. Last year with the Sooners, her pitching record was 22-1 and 147.1 innings pitched. She also had 192 strikeouts and gave up only 37 walks. She's a threat at the plate, too. Last year she batted a cool .406.
During her two years at Oklahoma, the Sooners won two national championships. The Husker softball season opener is Feb. 8 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Women's basketball (Amy Williams)
Coach Williams and her basketball team got an early Christmas present when Elkhorn North guard Britt Prince signed with the Huskers. She's a generational player who will have an immediate impact. When you think of Prince, think of Husker QB great Dylan Raiola. Yes, I believe she's that good.
Football (Matt Rhule)
Speaking of Dylan Raiola, he's another generational player. With the addition of Raiola and four-star QB Danny Kaelin, Nebraska has instantly become a much better football team. Consider this: of Nebraska's 31 turnovers last season, 24 were by QBs. Cut that total in half and the Huskers might have won seven or eight games or more last year. Reduce the turnovers even more and, well, let your imagination run with it.
Men's basketball (Fred Hoiberg)
Unfortunately for Nebraska, Coach Hoiberg hasn't signed any generational players. Not to worry. You have to walk before you can run. This year's roster has the potential to get Hoiberg his first winning season at Nebraska.
Of course every Husker fan is hoping for an appearance in "The Big Dance." They know that NU is the only Power Five team without at least one NCAA tournament win in its resume. Wouldn't it be sweet if Nebraska could end the drought this year? Yes, we can all dream, can't we?
Baseball (Will Bolt)
I don't have a feel about how Coach Will Bolt's team might fare this spring. Of course I'll keep rooting. In the meantime, we can all dream of Nebraska playing baseball in Omaha in June.
How 'Bout Them Huskers
In this week's episode, Will and I review the 2023 Husker football season and give our thoughts on the six new transfer players. We also opine about the Husker volleyball transfers and new signees. Husker men's basketball also gets our attention after last week's roller-coaster performances. Nebraska lost at Wisconsin (88-72), beat Purdue at home (88-72) and got embarrassed at Iowa (94-76).
