The weekend scare for the Nebraska volleyball program turned out OK, as coach John Cook opened his Monday news conference with good news on setter Nicklin Hames.
“Nothing torn, nothing broken, so that’s good news,†Cook said.
Hames injured her ankle near the end of Nebraska’s scrimmage Saturday. She immediately was taken to the athletic training room and didn’t return to the bench. An X-ray that evening revealed no broken bones.
“It was a tough deal. But they’re young, so they heal fast,†Cook said.
Hames is a three-year starter who helped get the Huskers into the national championship match as a freshman.
Nebraska opens the season on Friday with a match against Tulsa at 11 a.m. Hames may not be ready to play this weekend.
“No, I don’t think she’ll play this week,†Cook said. “It just matters how fast the swelling gets out and how she can build her strength back up.â€
If Hames can’t play, there isn’t an easy decision for who comes next at the setter spot. Freshman setter Kennedi Orr was the No. 1 national recruit but had knee surgery last year and hasn’t been a full participant during the two weeks of practice, although she played in the scrimmage. Not to mention Nebraska will play three matches in a stretch of about 30 hours — the staff may not want Orr on her feet that much.
So Nebraska could play some combination that includes Orr, walk-on Anni Evans and Hames.
“I don’t know what we’re going to do,†Cook said. “We’ll see this week. We got to figure it out. It’s who is going to step up, or possibly run a (two-setter offense). We’re going to look at that.â€
Cook said Orr has been good during practice.
“She’s a little bit behind, but she’s really talented,†Cook said. “So she’s working her way into it because she hasn’t played in a year.â€
Huskers could go deep into bench: Cook isn’t certain what the starting lineup will be, and even when that happens, it’s probably just a starting point.
In the past, after deciding a starting lineup to begin the season, Cook has often stuck with that group for at least a few weeks, even if a player struggled. He wanted the players to settle into the job without being worried about getting taken out of the match.
This season, though, that philosophy may not apply with so many talented players on the roster, including six freshmen.
“I think we got a lot of people that can play, so we may want to tap into that,†Cook said. “Eventually we’ll have to get to a group, but I think early on I’m very open to exploring.â€
Cook’s other decisions will include how many of the hitters get subbed out in the back row. He likes to have a back-row attacking option, but Cook also feels like the Huskers have three elite defensive specialists with Lexi Rodriguez, Kenzie Knuckles and Keonilei Akana.
Into the seats: Nebraska changed up its player introductions before the scrimmage, with the players going up into the upper section of the seating. After the players were introduced, they chose a fan to give an autographed volleyball to.
Senior Lexi Sun said it was nice to do something different.
“It was really cool,†Sun said. “It was definitely a different perspective. I’ve never been up there during a game before. It was pretty awesome to be with the crowd and see the kids and see how excited they were.â€
Briefly
* Cook said that 100% of the team has received the COVID-19 vaccine.
* Monday was the first day of classes at UNL. Some years the Huskers don’t practice on the first day of school, but this year they did.
* Of Nebraska’s six freshmen, Lindsay Krause has been the best server, Cook said.
Photos: Husker volleyball team showcased in Red-White Scrimmage
The camp led by the fan-favorite All-Americans sold out in less than 24 hours this week: “I think the local stuff is the coolest part about (NIL).â€
Nebraska’s Nicklin Hames (1) is helped from the floor after a fourth-set injury at the Nebraska volleyball team's Red-White Scrimmage Saturday at the Devaney Sports Center.