Without intending to, Nebraska volleyball player Bergen Reilly expertly explained how exhausted Jordan Larson must be after the Nebraska assistant coach returned to practice Wednesday just a few days after playing in the gold-medal match at the Paris Olympics.
Reilly also put into perspective what an amazing resource the Nebraska players and coaches have with a living legend in the gym.
“Jordan has the experience, and hearing feedback from someone who has been through it at the highest stage — she was literally just there like four days ago — I think it just means a little more coming from her,” Reilly said.
The Huskers are 10 days into practice, and on Wednesday afternoon, the team welcomed Larson back to practice.
Larson on Tuesday night revealed she was a passenger of an Uber car that crashed into a pole in Paris. Larson suffered bruising or scarring to her right eye, while her teammate and fellow passenger Micha Hancock had a badly swollen and bruised eye.
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“All in all feeling pretty good,” Larson said on Instagram.
Cook said it was an uplifting feeling seeing Larson back at the Devaney Sports Center.
The U.S. team, which also included former Huskers Justine Wong-Orantes and Kelsey (Robinson) Cook, earned the silver medal after losing to Italy in the last match.
“She’s Jordan. She’s the governor,” Cook said. “They had an amazing run. I didn’t realize this, but this (Olympic squad) they never won a championship in any of the big tournaments. To get a silver medal was pretty impressive. I thought she played great against Italy. Italy was on fire — it reminded me a lot of our national championship match (against Texas). Sometimes teams get there and they’re really feeling it, and Italy was really feeling it.”
New practice format
Many years it’s a mad dash for the Huskers to get ready for the Red-White team scrimmage, and soon after that comes the first match. But all NCAA Division I teams are getting five more days of practice this season.
Nebraska has cut back on two-a-day practices but also had more time for strength and conditioning workouts.
Only once thus far has Nebraska had two-a-day practices.
“We’re getting great effort and high-level play in the afternoons because they’re fresh; they’re feeling good,” Cook said. “Sometimes in two-a-days you’re struggling to get through those and they’re hitting the wall.
“I would love to practice twice a day, but I think this is what’s best for our team. I really like it.”
Outside hitter is major strength
Nebraska has a great collection of talent at outside hitter: Lindsay Krause, Taylor Landfair, Harper Murray and Skyler Pierce.
Reilly fully grasped the talent and depth the Huskers have at outside hitter this season when practice began last week.
“We haven’t really seen our whole team together since spring, and even then we added Taylor and (middle blocker Leyla Blackwell), so we hadn’t seen Taylor yet,” Reilly said. “Coming in every single day, both sides everyone is competing and you never know who is going to win. There isn’t a better team and a worse team. Everyone is competing as hard as they can and it makes for a really good, competitive vibe in our gym.”
Landfair didn’t have normal spring practice like most of Nebraska’s players after leaving Minnesota’s team in December.
Landfair did start strength and conditioning workouts in Lincoln as soon as she could. Landfair is adjusting to Nebraska’s practices, Cook said.
“We got a lot of reps, and we go at a fast pace,” Cook said. “I just think for her sometimes she’s not used to that. I think it takes everybody a while to adjust to that.
“I think she really likes it. She gave a very impressive talk (Tuesday) night to our team about what her why is. Why she wants to play here, and why she wants to play volleyball.”
Krause was injured last season and was still working her way back in the spring. Now she’s ready to go.
“She’s looking better than I’ve ever seen her,” Reilly said.
Photos: Sights from Nebraska volleyball’s practice — Aug. 5
Nebraska’s Rebekah Allick hits a ball during a team practice, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, at the Devaney Sports Center.
JUSTIN WAN Journal Star
Nebraska’s Maisie Boesiger hits a ball during a team practice, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, at the Devaney Sports Center.
JUSTIN WAN Journal Star
Nebraska’s Leyla Blackwell hits a ball during a team practice, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, at the Devaney Sports Center.
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Nebraska assistant coach Jaylen Reyes talks during a team practice, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, at the Devaney Sports Center.
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Nebraska’s Leyla Blackwell hits a ball during a team practice, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, at the Devaney Sports Center.
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Nebraska’s Lexi Rodriguez hits a ball during a team practice, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, at the Devaney Sports Center.
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Nebraska’s Lexi Rodriguez gets ready to hit a ball during a team practice, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, at the Devaney Sports Center.
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Nebraska assistant coach Jaylen Reyes talks during a team practice, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, at the Devaney Sports Center.
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Nebraska’s Taylor Landfair (from left), Skyler Pierce and Merritt Beason look on during a practice on Aug. 5 at the Devaney Sports Center.
JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star file photo
Nebraska’s Skyler Pierce sets a ball during a team practice, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, at the Devaney Sports Center.
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Nebraska’s Rebekah Allick sets a ball during a team practice, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, at the Devaney Sports Center.
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Nebraska’s Andi Jackson sets a ball during practice on Monday at the Devaney Sports Center.
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Nebraska’s Olivia Mauch digs a ball during a team practice, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, at the Devaney Sports Center.
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Nebraska’s Harper Murray digs a ball during a team practice, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, at the Devaney Sports Center.
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Nebraska’s Taylor Landfair hits a ball during a team practice, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, at the Devaney Sports Center.
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Nebraska’s Taylor Landfair sets a ball during a team practice, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, at the Devaney Sports Center.
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Nebraska’s Harper Murray hits a ball during a team practice, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, at the Devaney Sports Center.
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Nebraska’s Merritt Beason digs a ball during a team practice, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, at the Devaney Sports Center.
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Nebraska’s Andi Jackson (left) talks with teammate Bergen Reilly during a team practice, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, at the Devaney Sports Center.
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Nebraska’s Bergen Reilly hits a ball next to teammate Andi Jackson during a team practice, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, at the Devaney Sports Center.
JUSTIN WAN Journal Star
Nebraska’s Merritt Beason (left) and Harper Murray share a laugh during a team practice, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, at the Devaney Sports Center.
JUSTIN WAN Journal Star
Reach the writer at 402-473-7435 or [email protected]. On Twitter @LJSSportsWagner.
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Publish date : 2024-08-14 14:10:00
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