Nebraska
Nebraska volleyball welcomes fans to Dani Busboom Kelly introduction event

Nebraska
How to Watch Nebraska Softball vs Southern Miss, Bethune-Cookman: Preview, Breakdown, Streaming

Nebraska softball started the 2025 season with a bang beating No. 6 Tennessee 7-1 at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Fla., Thursday night.
Junior Jordy Bahl not only returned from a season-ending ACL injury in 2024, but pitched a gem and hit her first-career collegiate home run.
Bahl scattered five hits in the circle while striking out seven across seven innings. At the plate, she was 1-for-3 with the homer and two runs batted in.
Sophomore third baseman Samantha Bland went 3-for-3 with two RBIs, while Tennessee’s starter, Karlyn Pickens, struck out 11 but ran into trouble in the fifth and was replaced in the sixth.
Jordy Bahl was key on both sides of the ball for Nebraska in the Huskers’ season-opening win over Tennessee, with a 2-run home run and a complete game win in the circle to her credit. pic.twitter.com/Fg7mtQiC3X
— Justin McLeod (@justfactsmaam) February 7, 2025
The Huskers play two on Friday against Southern Miss and Bethune-Cookman, here is everything you need to know before the first pitch.
How to Follow Along
Nebraska head coach Rhonda REVELLE after her team’s season-opening win over Tennessee at the NFCA Leadoff Classic. pic.twitter.com/jND8nYh3xy
— Justin McLeod (@justfactsmaam) February 7, 2025
Southern Miss Scout
The Golden Eagles’ roster is an even mix of experience and fresh talent, with 15 returners and 15 newcomers, including nine first-year players — the most for the program since 2014.
Southern Miss finished last season 22-29 (10-14 Sun Belt) and secured a spot in the conference tournament for the second straight year, marking the program’s first back-to-back appearances since 2012-2013.
Head Coach: Natalie Poole
Poole enters her third season as head coach of Southern Miss Softball, leading the Golden Eagles to consecutive conference tournament appearances for the first time since 2012-2013.
In 2024, she guided the team to its first home conference series win in the Sun Belt, its first conference series sweep, and a victory over No. 24 Texas State — the program’s first win against a ranked opponent since 2022.
Before joining Southern Miss, Poole spent 11 seasons as Memphis’ head coach, becoming the second head coach in that program’s history.
Prior to her tenure at Memphis, Poole spent time coaching at her alma mater McNeese State and Georgia Southern.
2024 Record: 22-29, 10-14 Sun Belt
All-Time Series: Nebraska won the only meeting between the two in 2003 by a score of 5-0.
Key Returners: Jana Lee, P/INF, Sr. | Natalie Taylor, OF, Sr. | Shelby Allen, OF, Jr. | Mikaila Fox, OF, Gr. | Kinsley Gordon, INF, Jr. | Maddie Weeks, INF, Sr.
Key Additions: Faith Kivett, INF/UT, Sr. | Sam Bodell, C, Sr. | Claire Ginder, INF, Gr. | Abigail Morgan, P, So. | Natalie Herrington, P, Jr. | Jolie Hays, P, Fr.
Key Departures: Hannah Borden, C
Two Golden Eagles received all-conference recognition last season, with returner Jana Lee earning Second Team All-Sun Belt honors and former graduate catcher Hannah Borden securing First Team All-Sun Belt and Third Team NFCA South Region accolades. Together, they totaled 100 hits, racking up 24 doubles, 23 home runs, and 77 RBIs.
Lee aims to build on a strong 2024 season, where she tallied a career-high 39 hits — third most on the team — while batting .320 with a .566 slugging percentage over 40 games. Her 15 home runs ranked fourth in the Sun Belt, and she also made an impact in the circle, appearing in 26 games and leading the pitching staff with nine wins and 40 strikeouts across 95 innings, including six conference victories.
Bethune-Cookman Scout
Bethune-Cookman finished the 2024 season with a 20-32 overall record but found success in SWAC play, posting a 16-8 conference mark. The Wildcats’ season came to an end in the SWAC Tournament with a 4-1 loss to Alabama State.
Head Coach: Laura Watten
Laura Watten, the winningest coach in Bethune-Cookman Athletics history, enters her 17th season at the helm of the Wildcats’ softball program. A three-time Coach of the Year across multiple conferences, she has guided numerous players to Player of the Year honors throughout her career.
In 2022, Watten led Bethune-Cookman to its first-ever SWAC Eastern Division title during the program’s debut season in the conference, following more than 30 years in the MEAC.
Heading into the 2024 season, she holds a 32-16 record in SWAC play and an all-time head coaching record of 785-706, including a 494-443 mark with the Wildcats. She is just six wins away from reaching 500 victories with Bethune-Cookman.
2024 Record: 20-32, 16-8 SWAC
All-Time Series: Nebraska leads the series 1-0.
Key Returners: Haylne Gonzalez, P/INF, Sr. | Jessica Alaan, INF/UT, So. | Thais Uyema, C/INF, Gr. | Briana Velazquez INF/ UT, R-Sr.
Key Additions: Emma Bradley-Tse, OF, Jr. | Molly Blackwood, INF, Fr.
Key Departures: Ciera Clark, 1B
Senior pitcher Halyne Gonzalez earned a spot on the SWAC Preseason First Team, while Jessica Alaan, Thais Uyema, and Briana Velazquez were named to the Preseason All-SWAC Second Team. Bethune-Cookman adds five newcomers to the 2025 roster, including four freshmen and one junior transfer.
The Wildcats return eight starters from last season’s lineup, along with seven additional letter-winners from a squad that finished third in the SWAC East. Velazquez, last year’s starting shortstop, posted a .325 batting average and hit one of the team’s three home runs. Kendall Macauley accounted for another, while Alaan led the team with 27 RBIs, finishing with 43 hits and a .287 batting average.
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Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.
Nebraska
Second Quarter Dooms Huskers, Nebraska Women’s Basketball Falls to Michigan

The Huskers just didn’t have enough Thursday evening.
Nebraska women’s basketball lost to Michigan, 78-60. The Huskers and Wolverines now have matching records of 17-6 on the year and 7-5 in the Big Ten Conference.
Nebraska trailed by just one point in the final minute of the first quarter, but Michigan notched an and-1 with 19 seconds left. The Wolverines kept that momentum going in the second quarter with an 18-0 run as the Huskers failed to score for nearly six minutes of game time.
Michigan won the second quarter 24-7 to take a 42-21 lead into halftime.
NU answered in the third quarter with a 7-0 run right away. The Huskers continued to cut into the lead, eventually closing the gap to 10 points.
But it was too little, too late for the Big Red. Michigan extended the lead back to 16 at the end of the quarter and to more than 20 for most of the final frame.
The Huskers shot 37.3% for the game, including 3-of-15 from 3. The Wolverines made 46.7% of their shots, including 9-of-21 from deep.
Alexis Markowski notched her 48th-career double-double with game-highs of 21 points and 11 rebounds. Britt Prince added 10 points.
Nebraska stays home Monday to host Iowa. Tip from Pinnacle Bank Arena is set for 7 p.m. CST on the Big Ten Network.
Box score | Gallery
MORE: Jordy Bahl Blasts Homer, Gets Win in Nebraska Softball’s Season Opener Over No. 6 Tennessee
MORE: Husker Football: The Spring Game Goes Bye-Bye
MORE: WATCH: Cinematic Recap of Nebrasketball’s Comeback Win at Washington
MORE: Gallery: Dani Busboom Kelly’s Welcome Home
MORE: WATCH: Nebraska Volleyball Coach Dani Busboom Kelly’s Introductory Press Conference
Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.
Nebraska
Proposed cuts would harm rural health care • Nebraska Examiner

Nebraska hospitals have a North Star that guides them. Wherever a patient lives in Nebraska, they deserve access to quality care. We must work to ensure our health care providers do not have to choose between financial survival and delivering lifesaving care.
Unfortunately, congressional leadership in Washington has signaled that large cuts to health care services are currently being considered, including major cuts to the Medicaid program.
Medicaid is a major source of health care coverage for Nebraskans in rural areas. Nearly half of all Nebraskans enrolled in Medicaid live in rural counties. These cuts pose severe threats to Nebraska patients and hospitals, particularly in rural communities.
Rural communities need accessible health care to stay strong. Medicaid is essential for protecting hospitals and other critical services in rural Nebraska. Mental health, EMS, home health, hospice, long-term care for older patients and delivering babies for young families are just a few examples of the care delivered in Nebraska.
Medicaid crucial
In our rural hospitals, Medicaid pays for 26% of all emergency room visits, 33% of all births, 43% of all behavioral health services and 44% of all services provided to minor patients.
Rural hospitals are operating on razor-thin margins. The financial picture for Nebraska’s rural hospitals has not improved in recent years, and many are still struggling to operate in the black. In Nebraska, 54% of rural, independent critical access hospitals are operating at a loss. The average operating margin was only 1.4% for rural hospitals, well below a sustainable operating margin.
These tough financial conditions have forced more than 20% of Nebraska hospitals to reduce or eliminate services in the past two years – vital services like labor and delivery and behavioral health.
Federal health care cuts would harm rural hospitals in Nebraska that are already struggling to stay open. Rural hospitals and patients need meaningful support from lawmakers.
Razor-thin margins
Medicaid is crucial for providing health coverage to children and families in rural and small communities, ensuring access to essential health care. In fact, 55 of Nebraska’s rural counties surpass the state’s average Medicaid enrollment. If lawmakers want to do more than pay lip service to retaining labor and delivery care, behavioral health and senior care in Nebraska, they must protect programs like Medicaid.
We need Nebraskans to speak up and stop these cuts to health care that will dismantle the hospital safety net and destroy access to care in rural communities. Please act today! Visit ProtectRuralHealthCare.com to make your voice heard.
Jeremy Nordqust is president of the Nebraska Hospital Association. Nordquist served in the Nebraska Legislature from 2009 to 2015 and as a chief of staff in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2015 to 2020.
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