Bekka Allick graduated early and made the transition from Waverly High School student to Nebraska volleyball player in January.
And, with Nebraska’s middle blocker position in transition this spring, Allick hasn’t been standing on the sideline.
When Nebraska plays its spring exhibition match against Kansas on Saturday in Grand Island, Husker fans — both in person and on the first-ever TV broadcast of the volleyball spring match — should get to watch a lot of Allick.
After an offseason shuffle, Nebraska has had only two middle blockers for spring practice. Since the end of last season, Lauren Stivrins graduated, and Rylee Gray and Kalynn Meyer left the team. Kaitlyn Hord, an All-American transfer from Penn State, won’t arrive until the summer.
That means Allick and Kayla Caffey have had a lot of reps at middle blocker.
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Callie Schwarzenbach, who is transferring to Long Beach State for her super-senior season, is still practicing with the team while she finishes school at UNL. That helps the Huskers have enough players for a good practice, and helps Schwarzenbach get ready for her next team.
Caffey’s status for next season still isn’t finalized. The second-team All-American in 2021 decided soon after last season that she’d like to play a super-senior season for the Huskers. But she needed to get a waiver from the NCAA to be eligible because she’d be a rare seven-season college athlete, and that process can take time.
There has been dialogue between the NCAA and Nebraska’s compliance department, but Caffey and the Nebraska Athletic Department still haven’t finalized whether she’ll play in 2022, coach John Cook said Tuesday.
“It’s a very complicated decision and process,†Cook said.
If a decision hasn’t been made by Saturday, Caffey won’t play in the spring match. If that happens, Schwarzenbach would help out and play for Nebraska so the Huskers have two players at the middle blocker position.
Cook has been impressed with Allick while getting to coach her for the first time over the past month.
“For a freshman, she’s very vocal, and she has a great presence,†Cook said. “She competes really hard and she’s making huge progress. She still has her freshman days where she’s going to take somebody out blocking and knock some pin blocker out or she’ll do something freshmanlike. But she serves great, she can play defense, she’s a really good volleyball player.â€
Allick is the No. 6 ranked recruit nationally in her class, according to . She also has played with the United States junior national team.
“She’s learning the speed, and the blocking level and the physicality at this level,†Cook said. “She’s made some big improvement the last few weeks. I just love how she goes after it.â€
Cook expects setter Kennedi Orr to be able to play Saturday despite being limited some this spring due to a knee injury. During spring practice, Orr, Nicklin Hames and Anni Evans have each spent time playing setter for the top group.