To better understand what Nebraska volleyball coach John Cook thinks of redshirt freshman middle blocker Lauren Stivrins, you should know what he was considering doing last season.
The Huskers had two All-America middle blockers last season in Briana Holman and Amber Rolfzen, but Cook was thinking about playing Stivrins at middle blocker, who at the time was a true freshman.
Cook said all options were on the table. The Huskers could have moved Amber Rolfzen back to right-side hitter, and Kadie Rolfzen back to outside hitter, to get the 6-foot-4 Stivrins in the lineup.
But then Stivrins got sick, and had a few injuries that set her back, and Cook wasn’t going to experiment with the lineup once the Huskers started playing conference matches.
But once Stivrins was healthy she showed Cook she’d be ready for the 2017 season.
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“I thought she was as good as any of our other middles in the last month (of the 2016 season),†Cook said.
Stivrins is from Scottsdale, Arizona, but has ties to Lincoln. Her father, Alex, was on Lincoln East’s 1978 Class A state championship basketball team and played in college at Creighton and Colorado, and she has family that lives in Lincoln.
She was the No. 9-ranked player in the 2016 class by , and No. 3 at her position.
Stivrins did not play at all last season, allowing her to have four seasons when she could potentially be a starter.
Her first competitive action as a Husker came during the beach volleyball season, playing on the Huskers’ No. 3 pair with Kelly Hunter, when Stivrins showed off her athletic ability both hitting and blocking.
“I think she’s worked really hard and she has a chance to be great,†Cook said. “She had a great beach season. She did really well on the beach. For a middle, she’s a good volleyball player.â€
Stivrins said the beach season was good for her after sitting out last season.
“It was so much fun. It was nice to actually get to play,†Stivrins said. “It’s way more relaxed, and it was nice to get to meet our new coaches (Tyler Hildebrand and Kayla Banwarth). It was nice to meet them in a more casual environment, before we really got down to business on the court.â€
Not playing last season was difficult for Stivrins, especially while seeing her former club teammates having an impact as freshmen at the college level.
“The hardest part was seeing all my club teammates having their success and building up their programs, and I was just sitting on the sideline,†Stivrins said.
When Nebraska plays Colorado State on Saturday in Kearney, Stivrins will get to play against Katie Oleksak, who was her club teammate with the Arizona Storm. The setter was the Mountain West Conference freshman of the year in 2016.
Being with the Huskers for more than one year before she plays a regular match means Stivrins will have had more time to practice with Hunter, the Huskers’ starting setter, and learn Nebraska’s offense.
“No one wants to sit out, obviously, but it was nice to see the game, and obviously learn from the best,†Stivrins said. “I was going up against two All-Americans, so I was not mad at the position I was in. I just learned from it and made the most of it, I think.â€
Holman is back for her senior year, but Stivrins will have a great chance to be the second middle blocker this season. But she could also be pushed by incoming freshman Chesney McClellan, who was ranked as the No. 26 recruit in her class.
“Now Lauren has to find out how she competes,†Cook said. “Now the expectations are on her, and it’s a whole different ballgame.â€
Briefly
The Huskers also will hold an open practice at Kearney High School on Friday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. A short autograph session will follow.