Never Say Never: The Half of Busboom Kelly's Wrigley Answer Nobody Ran

Husker fans, when the Wrigley Field court turned slick and the match against Missouri got suspended, Dani Busboom Kelly said something about outdoor volleyball that went a long way. On Tuesday she pointed out that she also said something else, and that part did not travel at all.

So here it is, on the record, in her words.

“I also said never say never, so I want to repeat that — which wasn’t really reported. But I did say never say never.”

What she actually thinks

Asked whether she had taken pushback from other coaches or thanks from them, she said both. Then she laid out the position properly, and it is more carefully drawn than a headline can hold.

“I think there’s a time and a place. I think it’s tough when these games count for so much, where it affects RPI and NCAA seeding at the end of the year, and outdoor games do affect a lot of the play. But you know — never say never.”

And then, unprompted:

“I think it’s awesome for our sport. The Wrigley event, it really was unbelievable. You look at it on TV — just amazing. I just think we have to be careful when we do them, and why we’re doing those games.”

That is not a coach against outdoor volleyball. That is a coach asking why a match that swings an at-large bid should be the one played on a surface nobody can control — while saying in the same breath that the event itself was spectacular.

Her players are not conflicted about it at all

Olivia Mauch, a junior libero out of Bennington, has already named the whole experience.

“I made a joke to Jordan Larson yesterday. Like, have you ever heard of Disney on Ice? We were like Huskers on Ice. But I think the whole Wrigley Field was just amazing to play in. It was so cool.”

And on the crowd that stayed through a suspended match to sing along with Missouri:

“I feel like it was a great representation of Husker fans doing what Husker fans do well.”

Manaia Ogbechie watched the dance-off from the court, which is a better seat than anyone reading this had.

“Personally, I was very distracted. Our teammates were having a dance-off at the time, so I was laughing. But when I wasn’t doing that, just looking around at the bright lights, all the Husker fans and people dancing in the stands — everybody felt so united. Surreal. It’s beautiful.”

Asked whether the turnout across Dallas, Las Vegas and Chicago had surprised her, Ogbechie did not blink: “Not at all. Husker fans have exceeded my expectations so many times that I’m used to it at this point.”

The match itself is still in limbo

There is no update on whether Nebraska and Missouri ever finish it. Busboom Kelly says administrators are looking into when it could possibly happen, and that is as far as it goes.

Asked whether she would want a replacement fixture if it cannot be salvaged, she pushed back on the premise:

“We didn’t finish the game, but we were there. We were out there for two and a half hours. It wasn’t like nothing happened and we didn’t step on the court and have this experience. And we played a few points to see what that was like.”

She does not expect it to carry into next season. “I doubt we’ll go past this year if we can’t figure out this year.”

Home, finally

Three matches in three days at a remodelled Devaney — New Mexico, Baylor and Georgia Tech, with Baylor ranked in the top 20 and Busboom Kelly warning that all three “are going to challenge us in ways we haven’t been challenged yet.”

She is treating the weekend as a rehearsal: “It really is a great test for the Big Ten Tournament. It’s very unique to have three games in three days.”

And after two weeks of hotels, the building itself is the story. Chairback seats for everybody, new lights, a new sound system, a rebuilt locker room and a team room where players and coaches can sit and watch a football game together. Also massage chairs, and red light therapy beds.

“Well, I will be in one of those for sure.”

Husker Nation, they have been paraded around half the country for two weeks. Give them a loud building.