Nebraska
Texas-Nebraska Will Renew Rivalry in Nonconference Match This Fall
Nebraska and Texas are back.
The two college volleyball powers will meet on the volleyball court this fall, according to Nebraska coach Dani Busboom Kelly. While she teased the matchup, she didn’t reveal other details, such as when and where the match will be played during a luncheon sponsored by the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday afternoon.
The only hint Busboom Kelly gave about the location is it won’t be at the Huskers’ home venue.
“We’re bringing back the rivalry with Texas, so that’s going to be fun,” Busboom Kelly said. “It won’t be in Nebraska, so I hope to see some traveling.”
The Longhorns and NU last played in the national championship match in 2023, which UT won in straight sets. The Huskers lead the all-time series 33-25, but Texas owns a 7-3 advantage since NU left the Big 12 Conference in 2010.
Texas finished 26-4 last season and suffered a loss in the regional final on its home court to Wisconsin. The Longhorns return most of their starting lineup and just have to replace three-year starter libero Emma Halter and middle blocker Ayden Ames, who transferred to Creighton.
“They have almost everybody back, they’re going to be really good and really powerful,” Busboom Kelly said. It’ll be a really great test for us early to see where we’re at, and then win or lose, they’re going to teach us what we need to get better at going throughout the rest of the season.”
The match is yet another high-profile non-conference match for the Huskers in the non-conference. Nebraska is playing Missouri at Wrigley Field on Sept. 6, two days after it takes on DePaul in the first-ever volleyball match at WinTrust Arena. In addition, South Dakota State announced that it will be hosting the Huskers on Wednesday, September 2, at First Bank & Trust Arena in Brookings, S.D.
Busboom Kelly also teased another potential marquee match that featured an “exciting, unique field type experience,” but held off while the contract details are still being finalized for that event.
Swing Away
One of Busboom Kelly’s objectives this spring was to have the Huskers swing harder on attacks and serve tougher. After the match against Iowa State on Saturday, the early returns have been encouraging.
She said hitting harder is a combination of confidence, strength and technique. It’s also a little contagious.
“When a couple players raise their level, everybody else is like, ‘Well, I gotta raise mine,’” she said. “You get one or two players start hitting the ball harder, everybody else kind of follows suit. It’s tough to get a kill in our gym right now.”
As a team, Nebraska finished with a kill percentage of 48.6 for the match, which is a slight tick up from its rate of 47.7 percent for the 2025 season.
Busboom Kelly singled out sophomore outside hitter Teraya Sigler as someone who has made a step forward with their attack. She recorded eight kills on 14 attacks with zero attack errors.
“She came in hitting hard, and then she got a little banged up towards the end of the year, so we kind of forgot the pop that she had,” Busboom Kelly said. “It’s great to see her healthy and strong, and she really took advantage of the offseason. So she’s definitely hitting it harder.”
The Huskers also served tougher against the Cyclones. NU recorded four aces in the match, including line drives from Bergen Reilly and Andi Jackson.
Creighton next up on Friday
The Huskers will play their second spring exhibition when they take on Creighton Friday night at DJ Sokol Arena. CU announced on Wednesday that the 3,000-seat arena is officially sold out.
The Bluejays were hit hard by graduation as they lost All-Americans at setter, middle blocker and outside hitter (Annalea Maeder, Kiara Reinhardt and Ava Martin). As a result, CU hit the transfer portal where it picked up setter Katie Dalton from Kansas, Ayden Ames from Texas and outside hitter Trinity Shadd-Ceres from Wisconsin.
For the Huskers, Busboom Kelly would like to see more offense from the middle blockers. The Huskers force-fed the ball to Andi Jackson and Rebekah Allick at times last season and Bergen Reilly could have gone to her middle more often in the first exhibition. The four middle blockers (Jackson, Manaia Ogbechie, Kenna Cogill and Keoni Williams) combined for 13 kills on 32 attacks in the first exhibition.
In addition, she wants better production out of its front-row defense. NU recorded 11 blocks against Iowa State, but left some room for improvement.
“We had a lot of great touches, and we were in the right spot. Now it’s translating that into points,” she said.
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Nebraska
Extreme Heat Watches and Heat Advisories issued across Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota
A widespread period of dangerous heat is expected to affect large portions of the central United States through next week into the July 4 weekend.
National Weather Service offices across the country have issued Heat Advisories and Extreme Heat Watches covering parts of Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota.
Heat indices of over 38°C (100°F) across many locations, while several areas could experience peak values between 41 and 43°C (105 and 110°F).
Kansas
Heat Advisories are in effect from 13:00 CDT Sunday, June 28, until 21:00 CDT Wednesday, July 1, across central, east-central, south-central, and southeast Kansas, where heat index values of 38 to 41°C (100 to 105°F) are forecast.
An Extreme Heat Watch covers north-central, northeast, and east-central Kansas from Sunday afternoon through Tuesday evening, June 30, with peak heat index values potentially reaching 42°C (108°F). Eastern Kansas, including areas near the Missouri border, is also included in a broader Extreme Heat Watch covering adjacent portions of Missouri through Tuesday evening.
Illinois and Missouri
Heat Advisories cover broad areas of southern, central, and western Illinois together with central, eastern, northeastern, southeastern, and western Missouri from Sunday afternoon through Thursday night, where daily heat index values above 38°C (100°F) are expected. These advisories will be effective between 12:00 and 13:00 CDT on Sunday, June 28, and remain in effect until either 20:00 CDT or 00:00 CDT Friday, July 3, depending on the forecast area.
Meanwhile, an Extreme Heat Watch is in effect for the St. Louis metropolitan region—including Madison, Monroe, and St. Clair counties in Illinois and Jefferson, St. Charles, St. Louis County, and St. Louis City in Missouri—from Sunday afternoon, June 28, through Thursday evening, July 2, where heat index values of 41 to 43°C (105 to 110°F) are possible. Additional Extreme Heat Watches cover northeast Missouri and portions of western Illinois from Sunday afternoon through Tuesday evening, June 30.
Iowa
Heat Advisories begin at 13:00 CDT Sunday, June 28, across northwest, west-central, and southwest Iowa. Depending on location, the advisories remain in effect until either 21:00 CDT Monday, June 29, or 21:00 CDT Tuesday, June 30, with forecast heat index values generally ranging from 39 to 41°C (103 to 105°F).
Much of Iowa is also under an Extreme Heat Watch from Sunday afternoon through Tuesday evening, June 30, while southwest Iowa is included in a separate watch for the Omaha metropolitan area, where heat index values may approach 42°C (108°F).
Nebraska and South Dakota
Heat Advisories will start going into effect at 13:00 CDT Sunday, June 28, across Nebraska. Advisories for eastern and southeastern Nebraska remain in effect until 21:00 CDT Tuesday, June 30, while Cedar and Knox counties in northeast Nebraska are under a shorter-duration advisory until 21:00 CDT Sunday.
In southeast South Dakota, most advisories remain in effect from 13:00 CDT Sunday until 21:00 CDT Monday, although Bon Homme, Hanson, Hutchinson, and McCook counties are under a one-day advisory ending at 21:00 CDT Sunday.
Heat index values are expected to reach 39 to 41°C (103 to 105°F). Douglas and Sarpy counties in Nebraska, together with adjacent counties in southwest Iowa, are also under an Extreme Heat Watch from Sunday afternoon through Tuesday evening, June 30, where heat index values may reach 42°C (108°F).
The National Weather Service warns that prolonged exposure to these conditions can significantly increase the risk of heat-related illnesses, particularly during the afternoon and early evening when apparent temperatures are highest. Several forecast areas are also expected to experience unusually warm overnight conditions that will limit overnight cooling and increase cumulative heat stress over successive days.
Residents across affected areas are urged to remain hydrated, limit strenuous outdoor activity during the hottest part of the day, seek air-conditioned environments whenever possible, and continue monitoring official forecasts for additional advisories, watches, or warnings.
References:
1 Extreme Heat Watch – NWS – June 27, 2026
2 Heat Advisory – NWS – June 27, 2026
Nebraska quarterback commit Trae Taylor has won the Elite 11 MVP after strong performances at the Elite 11 Finals last month and The Opening Finals this week in Beaverton, Oregon.
Taylor was named one of the Elite 11 following the Elite 11 Finals last month, earning an invitation to return for The Opening Finals this week to continue competing for the Elite 11 MVP.
Following two days of competition, Taylor has been named Elite 11 MVP joining a prestigious group. Over the last decade, the likes of Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Fields, CJ Stroud, Caleb Williams, Cade Klubnik, Julian Sayin, Keelon Russell and Dia Bell are among the quarterbacks that have earned Elite 11 MVP honors.
Now officially the Elite 11 MVP, Taylor is well-positioned to climb in the next 2027 Rivals300 rankings update. He’s had a strong offseason overall, building off a junior season in which he threw for 3,571 yards and 38 touchdowns to just three interceptions, completing a stunning 81.7% of his pass attempts. He added another 633 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground, leading Mundelein (Ill.) Carmel Catholic to an 8-3 record. He’s transferred down to Omaha (Neb.) Millard South for his senior season and is already impressing with the Patriots. Earlier this month, Taylor led Millard South to the NebPreps 7v7 State Championship over Omaha (Neb.) Westside.
Here’s what Charles Power, On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings, wrote about Taylor coming out of the Elite 11 Finals
Trae Taylor had an excellent performance at the Elite 11 Finals from start to finish, stringing together three very strong showings throughout the weekend. The Nebraska commit was the Rivals MVP of day one, flashing a big-time arm, showing the ability to drive the football to all levels of the field during drill work. He continued to show that plus arm talent during his pro day and was aggressive downfield, targeting high-level throws. He capped off the weekend with a seven-touchdown performance in the 7-on-7 period, making a litany of high-difficulty throws. He attacked the seam, was super aggressive hunting huge downfield completions. The ability to attack all levels with his arm strength, combined with a big-play mentality. Taylor was quick through his progressions and looked very comfortable in the 7-n-7 setting, which isn’t a huge surprise given his experience. The confidence and command was impressive. We also thought Taylor looked comfortable working under center. This is an exclamation on a strong offseason for Taylor, which has seen him make encouraging improvements to his overall game. We’re eager to see what he does as a senior this season at Millard South in Nebraska.
LINCOLN, Neb. (WOWT) – On this day 154 years ago, the University of Nebraska held its first commencement ceremony — without any graduates.
The university was founded three years before the ceremony.
In place of diplomas, the university presented an honorary doctorate to the Rev. Bishop Clarkson of Omaha.
It wasn’t until the following year that the first students graduated from the university.
By the end of the 1870s, graduation had become a week of celebrations.
MORE LOCAL HISTORY
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