Inside Nebraska Volleyball’s Undefeated Season with Dani Busboom Kelly

Summary

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Podcast Summary

Welcome to the Party

Host: Treat Media
Episode: Inside Nebraska Volleyball’s Undefeated Season with Dani Busboom Kelly
Air Date: November 11, 2025
Guests: Dani Busboom Kelly (Nebraska Volleyball Head Coach), Billie Jean King (special call-in)

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into Nebraska Volleyball’s astonishing undefeated season and culture under new head coach Dani Busboom Kelly. Host Julie Foudy, Abby Wambach, and Billie Jean King explore Dani’s coaching philosophy, the meaning of volleyball in Nebraska, collaboration and joy in coaching, and the historic surge in women’s sports. The hosts also touch on recent women’s sports headlines and share favorite college memories.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Nebraska Volleyball’s Insane Undefeated Run

• Context: Nebraska Volleyball is 24-0, with an unbroken record in the Big Ten and hasn’t dropped a set since September.
• Main Question: How did coach Dani Busboom Kelly see this season unfolding? Did she ever expect perfection?
• Dani’s Reflection:
  • “Definitely not to be undefeated. I had high expectations for this team, that we'd be in the hunt to win a national championship, but it’s far exceeded expectations.” (33:32)
  • Credits the team’s maturity and hunger for success as critical drivers.

2. Taking Over for a Legend

• Dani replaced John Cook, a coaching icon with four NCAA titles over 25 years.
• Dani’s approach:
  • Embraces legacy but brings her own collaborative, player-empowering style.
  • “So many of the qualities he [Cook] has as a coach are what coaches around the country try to replicate… but I also want to make it my own.” (34:44)
  • Open communication and trust are central; Dani values honest feedback, player leadership, and shared ownership.

3. Coaching Philosophy: Whole-Person Approach & Collaboration

• Modern Leadership:
  • “I want all of our athletes to have the full experience, not just the volleyball experience.” (36:58)
  • Encourages players to pursue joy and fulfillment beyond the sport—presses for balance, individuality, and fun.
  • “You have to be vulnerable and you have to know your weaknesses or you’re never going to survive.” (39:46)
• Productivity Walks:
  • Dani and her staff regularly walk and talk to foster collaboration.
  • Empowers assistant coaches to play to their strengths, models the teamwork she wants from players.

4. The Nebraska Volleyball Phenomenon

• Statewide and National Obsession:
  • Decades of sold-out games, national viewership, and landmark events such as the recent Volleyball Day with 92,000+ in attendance (a women’s sports attendance world record).
  • “It's been sold out for decades...but nationally, the reach that Nebraska has now is mind-boggling.” (43:26)
  • Dani sees their success inspiring the growth of women’s athletics everywhere – “build, build, build, build.” (44:56)
• Pressure vs. Joy:
  • Dani acknowledges the pressure but chooses to focus on the privilege and fun, not letting fear dictate her coaching.
  • She trusts her players while avoiding obsession with records: “It's not about going undefeated. It's about maxing out at the end of the season.” (67:15)

5. NIL, Social Media, and Visibility

• Name/Image/Likeness (NIL): Nebraska’s popularity helps drive sponsorship, NIL deals, and more support for athletes.
• Social Media:
  • Players are encouraged to express themselves. Dani occasionally joins in their TikToks—except dancing!
  • “They're funny and they do a great job…these young girls are watching them on TikTok and they want to come to the games and they become huge fans.” (47:05)
• Women Athletes as NIL Winners:
  • “Women crush social media...you get to know them in a different way...” (47:22)

6. Legacy & the Birth of a Culture

• Billie Jean King joins to celebrate Nebraska volleyball’s purposeful culture:
  • “Volleyball’s one of the top two sports in high school for girls...it’s never about women’s sports, it’s always about guys or something else, and it's so great [to see]...” (53:46)
  • Dani credits Nebraska’s original coach Terry Pettit for building foundation by literally knocking on doors to sell tickets.
  • “Nebraska's just had the leaders in place that are always pushing, not just for Nebraska, but for the sport.” (56:50)

7. Role Clarity, Risk, and Team Emphasis

• Current Season Mantra:
  • “We want a banner, not a name.” – Focus is on team achievement rather than individual accolades. (54:59)
  • Dani’s emphasis changes: being transparent about risk and lineup alterations, and communicating that everyone’s role matters.
  • “We're literally talking about [role clarity] every single day…” (54:59)

8. Memorable Traditions & Anecdotes

• Little Red Pickup Truck:
  • Weekly, a symbolic red pickup (now a name on the board) goes to the teammate who ‘picked up’ others that week. Builds culture and connection. (62:07)
• Cowboy Hat Shopping & Concerts:
  • Coach encourages off-court fun—players went hat-shopping in Nashville and attended concerts, with Dani’s blessing.
• Honest Ask Pays Off:
  • As a player, Dani successfully asked coach Cook for a day off so the team could go to a football game—honesty worked!

9. Running the Show and Being a Mom

• Motherhood’s Perspective:
  • Dani balances leading a D1 program with raising two boys under four. She credits motherhood with giving her “perspective” and keeping her grounded. (61:16)

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Notable Quotes

• “You have to be vulnerable and you have to know your weaknesses or you’re never going to survive.”
  — Dani Busboom Kelly, [39:46]

• “We want a banner, not a name.”
  — Dani Busboom Kelly, [54:59]

• “Sometimes you take it for granted winning at Nebraska because it's just such a high expectation.”
  — Dani Busboom Kelly, [31:30]

• “It's always good to tell the truth. Good things happen when you speak the truth.”
  — Julie Foudy, [60:59]

• “It's not about going undefeated. It's about maxing out at the end of the season.”
  — Dani Busboom Kelly, [67:15]

• “…You want all of our athletes to have the full experience, not just the volleyball experience.”
  — Dani Busboom Kelly, [36:58]

• “If we're collaborating, they're more likely to collaborate. If we're pumping each other up as a staff, they'll do that too. Starts at the top, for sure.”
  — Dani Busboom Kelly, [41:22]

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Important Timestamps

• 29:00 — Introduction to Dani Busboom Kelly and her journey to Nebraska
• 33:32 — Dani reflects on expectations for her first season and how the team exceeded them
• 34:44 — On taking over after John Cook & building her own legacy
• 36:58 — Embracing whole-person coaching and player individuality
• 39:46 — Productivity walks, staff collaboration, and vulnerability in leadership
• 43:26 — The magnitude of Nebraska’s volleyball fan obsession and its national impact
• 44:56 — Pushing the sport forward, role of media and visibility, building across the country
• 47:05 — Player-driven social media and NIL opportunities
• 53:46 — Billie Jean King lauds Nebraska as a women’s sports leader
• 54:59 — Dani’s team philosophy for 2025: “A banner, not a name.”
• 56:50 — Nebraska volleyball’s foundational leaders and their “what’s next” vision
• 62:07 — The little red pickup truck tradition explained
• 61:16 — Balancing motherhood with college coaching
• 67:15 — Why the program doesn’t obsess over going undefeated

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Standout Moments

• Billie Jean King Surprise Call: Dani is genuinely star-struck and shares her anticipation of wearing a Roots of the Fight Billie Jean King hat. (53:01)
• Honest Player-Coach Exchange: Dani recalls nervously asking for a day off as a player so the team could go to a football game, and coach Cook’s unexpected ‘yes.’ (59:53)
• The Peloton Race: Abby and Julie’s fierce minute-to-win-it treadmill challenge adds fun rivalry (64:03–66:33).

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Final Thoughts

Through humor, camaraderie, and thoughtful questions, the hosts and Dani Busboom Kelly illuminate not just how Nebraska Volleyball wins but why—grounded in culture, collaboration, and letting athletes flourish as people. The episode is a masterclass in modern coaching, tradition-building, and embracing joy and risk in women’s sports at every level.

Perfect For: Fans of collegiate volleyball, aspiring coaches, sports leaders, and anyone interested in how intentional leadership shapes record-breaking teams and movements.

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Transcript

[A]

If I could, I would, like, hug you through the screen.

[B]

You know, sometimes you take it for granted winning at Nebraska because it's just such a high expectation. As a coach. You have to be vulnerable and you have to know your weaknesses or you're never going to survive.

[A]

Underdogs, my ass.

[B]

We can't win everything all the time.

[A]

Maybe you can.

[B]

Right now, you are build, build, build, build. And the more eyes we can get on, the more people jump on board.

[A]

Attention.

[C]

The party is about.

[A]

Welcome to the party. What up, party people? I'm Julie Foudy.

[C]

And I'm Abby Wambach.

[A]

Abigail.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

How was your weekend? I haven't seen you in, like, two days.

[C]

It was good. I haven't seen you in. In so long, it feels like.

[D]

I know.

[C]

But, you know, I'm so grateful because we just got word that the Supreme Court denied the request to revisit same sex sex marriage. And so for me and my little gay family, I feel very excited about that.

[A]

I've been like, slow clap for the Supreme Court, which I don't know if I've ever done lately.

[C]

Yes. Yeah, exactly. So that was a big. A big win for us.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

What about you?

[C]

How was your weekend?

[B]

Yay.

[A]

My weekend was filled with high school football. Declan did not play yet because he's still injured. And being home, which is, like, so nice, I love when I can just, like, putz around my little succulents and clean the backyard.

[C]

You have succulents, huh?

[A]

I have so many succulents. I'll show you. I'll show you pictures of my succulents. That's like my therapy. I just, like, pull the dead heads off the succulents. I'm so. Such an old lady. How old does that sound?

[C]

I love that. I can't keep. I can't keep anything alive.

[A]

Well, that's why. That's why I did that because, like, when I was traveling, it's too hard to keep plants. I mean, you have drippers and all of that, but it's like, it's hard to keep them alive. And these things, these succulents. It's like you're underwater scuba diving, and it's this beautiful coral reef. That's what it looks like with all these little colors and it's so fun.

[C]

Amazing.

[A]

Okay. I'm also pumped because, party people, we have not one, but two live events coming up in November.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

The party is hitting the road. That's right. We'll be live during NWSL championship weekend in San Jose celebrating the biggest weekend in women's soccer. All thanks to our friends at Ally. Of course, our friends at Ally are building. Listen to this. A one of a kind fan experience at championship weekend. So that's November 21st and 22nd in San Jose, and we'll be there at the Ally House. So on Friday, November 21, you can join us to get the party started for the weekend as we're going to host a live taping of welcome to the Party. And hopefully we're surrounded by fans and players and big championship energy, of course. And we're going to be doing all the things we love. We'll be talking soccer, we'll be talking stories, we'll be laughing, we'll be connecting. So you'll get access to the live podcast. You get access to meet and greets with NWSL players at the Ally House. And exclusive access. I did not know this. To special merch collaborations with Domo Wells and much more. It's the ultimate pregame celebration of women's sports. You can actually RSVP at the link in the description to be part of that live audience. And it's happening at the Guild House. The Guild House in San Jose. So come hang with us and celebrate women's soccer. And as always, thank you to our wonderful partner Ally for putting this on. Ally, do it right.

[C]

That's right. They do it right. And they're doing it right.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And then also thanks to our friends at Ally, of course, we're hanging out again at WatchMe. This is our second one at WatchMe. It's the sports Bar in Long beach, and that one is Sunday, November 16th. Mark your calendars, bring your beach chairs, hang in the courtyard with us. It's the semifinals of the NWSL playoffs. Game kicks at noon Pacific, so we'll do a Q and a at about 11:30 with none other than. Drumroll, please. Angel City player Savvy King in the house.

[C]

I'm so excited to see her.

[A]

Yeah, me too. And to chat. And there's a huge courtyard right outside the bar where we put this big screen up. So come hang with us. Bring your. Bring your beach chair. And as always, we couldn't do this without our dream, literally. Dream team sponsor, Ally Financial. Okay, coming up is the incredible Nebraska women's volleyball head coach, Danny Busboom Kelly. Let's get this party started with the highlights and headlines you'll want to celebrate this week in women's sports. Our party starter is brought to you by Ally the Bank. That's your Ally. Okay, party people. It's NWSL playoff time.

[C]

Big weekend.

[A]

It was nutty this weekend.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

First round of quarterfinals was on Friday night. Orlando beat Seattle 2 nil. And ABS can we saw it?

[C]

It was crazy.

[A]

Talk about solid. The MARTA run, it was. It was like almost box to box. She picks up the ball way back in her defensive third, goes about 75 yards solo on her own. Beats the three players to do it. This woman is 39 years old, by the way.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

That's not ageism. That's just reality. Like, that is a run that. That even young kids can't make, right? And at 39, she's. She just keeps going. She gets into her penalty box, into her own attacking box. 75 yards later, draws the penalty kick. And instead of taking the pk, what she does is she hands the ball to her teammate and fellow Brazilian Luana, who party people had been battling Hodgkin's lymphoma and recently returned to the field. So Luana steps up and mind you, this is her first goal since her cancer recovery. She scores the penalty kick and secures the win for her team.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Amazing.

[C]

We gotta put. We gotta put this in the show notes, the. The video of this. Yeah, it's the mo. It's so touching when you know the backstory, like, good job, marta. Not only for like doing the whole amazing long run to. To. To get the pen, but then to pass off the pen. Come on. This is what sports are for, man. I swear.

[A]

Yeah, I know. It was so good. Okay. In the next quarterfinal, Washington Spirit beat Racing Louisville. Mind you, as we said in a party starter prior, this is the first time Racing Louisville had made it in to the postseason. They had just missed it the last four seasons. So Washington Spirit beat Louisville, but they needed to go to penalty kicks to do so. And Washington goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury was the hero, saving two of Racing Louisville's four penalty kicks. Spirit converted all three of their own, winning 31 on penalties after it coming off a 11 draw after extra time. And they advance onto the semifinals. The third quarterfinal game was on Sunday. Number one seed Kansas City versus number eight seed Gotham fc. It was at Kansas City. Kansas City, by the way, hadn't lost at home since. What? They hadn't lost there all this season. I think it was like last July. So prior season was the last time they lost at home. They're hosting huge upset. The number 8 seed Gotham knocking off Kansas City 21 in extra time by a goal from Katie Stengel. The KC Current was the runaway top team in the league all season. As we know. And we also know they rarely lose at home. As we just said, it did not help that they did not have Tem w the league's top top goal scorer. She's out for injury, but a deserved win for Gotham. They played really well. Or I think Jaden Shaw said it even better. Underdogs, my ass.

[D]

So good.

[C]

I love that quote so much. I love that, like, good job, Jaden. Well done.

[A]

Underdogs, my ass.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Fourth quarterfinal game was in Portland. They were taking on San Diego. Portland, also in extra time, beat San Diego 10 off a goal from Ryland Turner in the 94th minute. Great. Olivia Moultrie assist on that one. By the way. My daughter Izzy was there with some of her University of Oregon teammates. And the cutting edge reporting I got from her was super fun. Lots and lots of fans. This is what happens when you have an 18 year old. I was like, okay, like, explain like the atmosphere. What was it like? Super fun, Lots and lots of fans.

[C]

Okay, that's so funny. That's a cautionary tale for any teenage parent. Just know that it's going to be way less than you hope for.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So now to the semis we go Washington Spirit. We will host Portland Thorns in that first semifinal on Saturday, November 15th at 9am Pacific Noon Eastern on CBS. And for our Watch with Us party at WatchMe Sports Bar Orlando Pride. That's a good game. We'll host Gotham FC in the other semifinal on Sunday, November 16th at noon Pacific 3 Eastern on ABC. And it's worth noting, abs these four teams all were the last four champions.

[C]

Wow. What a good note.

[A]

One additional note. With breaking NWSL news, NWSL is awarding its 17th franchise to Atlanta, which will join the league for a record expansion fee of $165 million. That's up from the 110 million that Denver Summit paid less than a year ago. The team will be owned by Arthur Blanks, AMB Sports and Entertainment, which also owns, of course, the NFL, Atlanta Falcons and MLS's Atlanta United.

[C]

All right, Jules, it's now my turn. You've just been. You've just been going. We had a lot of NWSL stuff to talk about, so thank you. Just want to say that Juju Watkins, I don't know if you know this. Uh, she is the USC women's basketball player in the ncaa. She becomes the first college player to be a part owner of a pro team for the NWSL Boston Legacy.

[D]

Yes.

[A]

That's amazing. It's first college player.

[C]

It's so awesome. And I feel. I. I just feel like women's sports is coming a far away when. When. When college players are stepping into the ownership table. Ownership tables. Yeah.

[B]

It's amazing, huh?

[A]

Love it. All right, ABS first, before you go to NC. NCAA women's soccer, a little tennis. WTA finals in Saudi Arabia. Elena Rubakana defeated Arena Sabalenka 6376 to take home the Billie Jean King trophy and $5.23 million, the largest single event payout in women's tennis history. Not a bad way to cap off the season, I'd say.

[C]

Not bad at all. Okay, so let's move on to NCAA Women's soccer jewels. This one's bigger than any game. Okay. The Washington Huskies won the Big Ten championship in a shootout over Michigan State, but they did it for their goalkeeper, Mia Hammond, who passed away just days earlier after battling cancer. They wore her name on the shirts underneath their jerseys and on armbands, and no doubt in all of their hearts. And when they lifted the trophy, this is just. It's so beautiful and emotional. Through the tears, through the cheers and. And yelled, this is for Mia. It was an incredible. It was powerful, this moment. And it reminded me of how much sports can help us come together and help us heal. Washington will try to keep their run going and keep honoring Mia as they join 63 other teams headed to the NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament. The brackets drop Monday with 30 conference championships earning automatic bids and 34 at large selections chosen by the NCAA committee. We will be tracking the excitement over the next few weeks and bringing it straight to you, the party people. And let's not forget that some. That there's some great soccer being played all across NCAA divisions. Okay, we've got to give a shout out to Jules. I don't know if you saw this. To Division 2's Angelo State. They kicked off their Lone Star Conference tournament yesterday, but we have to revisit the final game of the regular season. I don't know if you saw this.

[A]

I saw this on Instagram when the.

[C]

Rams scored one of the most incredible goals I've seen in a long time. And it reminded me a lot of Alex Morgan, the way that this player, Emily Thames, she's a junior midfielder from Wemberly, Texas. And party people, you've got to check this out. This goal, this player, she just, like, gets in and is battling for the ball with this defender. She gets knocked down and is.

[A]

She gets it gets up and then.

[C]

Kind of gets knocked down again.

[A]

She gets up.

[C]

Actually, I don't think she gets back up. I think she just, like, sideswipes you kind of crawling. Yeah. Yeah. It was incredible. Watch that. We got to put this in the show notes. You guys got to watch this goal. It's so good. All right, you guys, that is your party starter. And thanks to Ally for sponsoring this segment. And as we know, Ally is more than a bank. And their do it right approach helps customers unlock their economic potential and guide their efforts. As a leading sponsor in women's sports, just like us, Ally believes that when women in sports win, we all have a reason to parte. Ally, bank member, fdic.

[A]

Okay, Abs, with all that NCAA soccer talk, it brings back all these great college memories. Actually, it makes me want to run it back. What do you think? You know what that means?

[C]

Yes.

[A]

Get your shoes on, sister. Get your shoes on. Get motivated to get those shoes on. You want to go get back on that tread. I want to get back on that tread. We're heading back.

[C]

Talk, talk, talk.

[A]

Oh, we're going to run it back. We are heading downstairs to our Peloton Cross training Tread plus, powered by Peloton iq. Let's go.

[C]

See you there. Jules.

[D]

Jules.

[E]

Let's go, Abby. Let's go, Abby. I love this so much. I love this so much. Why don't we do this every damn episode? We get our exercise in as we do our run it Back segment. Brought to you by Peloton Cross training Tread Plus. There should be that music every time.

[D]

Okay, Jules. Okay. So have you been training since your last go around at this.

[E]

Oh, yes, Just a little bit.

[A]

Of course I have.

[E]

And you know what I noticed?

[D]

It's that bk.

[E]

It's Kinger. Kinger. I can swivel my screen to Kinger and be like Kinger.

[D]

What do you think last time that we know.

[E]

I know. Look at her, King. Or can't be on it. So she's. She's with us in spirit. All right, Abs.

[D]

Yeah.

[E]

Hey, King, here. You were lucky enough to win an NCAA title. I was not. Your freshman year of college, so you get to run it back first, baby. Run it back. Tell us about that.

[D]

All right. Okay. So the decision between Florida, UNC and ucla. I had a lot of options. I was really nervous because I didn't know if I wanted to be a part of a dynasty or be a part of a program that I was going to help build. I decided, of course, then to go to the University of Florida. There was a ton of seniors on the team. I felt like we really had a chance to like, beat unc. So.

[E]

Oh, when I got there, that's not an easy feat.

[D]

We're having an incredible season. We haven't lost. Yeah. In October, we face UNC at home. They unfortunately beat us, which gave me a lot of questions around. Did I make the right choice? Now fast forward to the playoffs, to the NCAA tournament. We kind of breeze through the tournament. We find ourselves in the Final Four. Who do we play in the final, Jules? Who do we play in the final, Jules? Who do you think?

[E]

Tar Heels, Chapel, Thrill.

[D]

We play unc. And, you know, it's crazy because it's first. The first six minutes of the game. We got our. Our real first opportunity to score on a free kick. And Daniel Fotopoulos buries it, buries the free kick. We go nuts. We go nuts. But then when we go back to. For kickoff, we kind of all look at each other and we're like, holy shit. We have 84 minutes left to hold on to this lead. How are we going to do this?

[E]

And we were just like, that's a long time.

[D]

Park the bus. Heather Mitts was on our back line. We parked the bus.

[E]

I forgot you had Heather mitts, too. Yes, Right on.

[D]

Our goalkeeper, Meredith Flaherty, she was incredible. She stood on her head, she saved things that should. Should have absolutely been goals. We go on to win, which for anybody out there who's wondering if some of the decisions that they make, they look back or they wonder if they made the right decision and they. You might have some early days evidence that it was the wrong decision. Right. If you know in your gut, just trust yourself. Like, we have to remember that sometimes it's not always going to be perfect right away, and we have to get through some stuff. So it was my glorious shining moment. I had never been happier in my entire life to beat UNC in the finals in Greensboro. So it was in North Carolina, this final.

[E]

That's awesome. That's so rad. And let me. Let me tell you what a rare feat that is because UNC has won, by today's standards, 23 national titles.

[A]

23.

[E]

I mean, it's crazy how hard. And back in that, in our day, how hard they were to beat. That's. That's incredible. Your freshman year.

[D]

What about you, Jules?

[B]

What's your story?

[E]

My. My running back story is not quite as exciting in terms of national titles because I never won one of those. But similar to you, I had the big decision to make because I was on the national team. Mia Hamm and Christine Lilly were both going to North Carolina. They were my class, my age, my buddies, my pals. And everyone was like, come on, you're going to UNC too. Full ride. Here you go. Back in those days, there weren't a ton of full rides. For some reason, I had always wanted to go to Stanford as a child. I think a teacher had been talking about it, and I just love the idea of academics and athletics and the combo of both being great. And so Stanford wasn't offering any scholarships. But my dear friend from forever who you've met, Abby. Heather. Heather was there, who we'd grown up together playing, and I just loved it. I loved the school. I loved everything. So I ended up turning down a full ride to UNC and deciding, like, you know what, Sell off the other three siblings and the cars and everything else. Mom and dad, we're going to Stanford. Um, and. And we obviously were in a, you know, the formative years of the program and we would make it to playoffs, but we didn't do that. Great. But to this day, and I mind you, I think I would have been happy at both places, of course. But to this day, to your point, like, you get into this situation where you're like, am I going to regret this? Like, is this going to impact me on the national team? Is this going to. This is going to hurt. It's going to help. And I just went with my gut of like, no, this feels right and you're going to be fine. And so.

[D]

Well, because wasn't Anson the coach for. For both UNC and the full team? Oh, my God, that.

[E]

Yeah, Anson. You know, Anson puts on the full press. He was like, calling every day, you know, And I loved. I loved Anson so much, too. So it was a really hard decision.

[A]

But.

[E]

But he literally was like, you know that there's not this huge abyss when you leave California that you fall into. There are places outside of California. I was like, I do know that. I do know that coach. So to, like, literally every year he'd be like, hey, after they'd win, they won four national titles, by the way, the four years I would have been there. And he'd be like, hey, how are those loans treating you? And I would just laugh so hard. Is that right?

[D]

You were, you were like the beginning of starting the program. And that program has been so dominant over the last however many 20 years. And I think it's because, like, you established it as a place that people should go, not just for academics, but also if you're like a high level academic person for soccer, too. Awesome.

[E]

And I just like the idea, similar to you, of, like, let's. Let's, like, trailblaze a new path. Like, yes, the easy decision would have been to go to unc, but, like, let's start something fresh and new and build something. And that always is my personality of let's do this in the chaos. Let's do it.

[D]

I mean, that's rings.

[E]

Maybe no titles, no rings, but I didn't regret a minute of it.

[D]

Yeah, Never regret a minute of it, for sure. And guess what else I'm never going to regret? Being on this peloton cross training tread.

[E]

Plus the IQ of when you swivel it and then you get off it and you're doing your classes, and then it's like watching you and you're like, oh, my butt is not low enough because it's telling me it's not.

[C]

It's not.

[E]

Oh, drop it down. And it's like, I cannot go further. It's crazy how it does that.

[D]

We're always. We're always searching for the check. We're always searching for the check.

[C]

Smart.

[D]

Yeah.

[E]

I need the green check. And it counts. Like, if you're doing jumping jacks, it's counting it. It's like tracking you all the time. It's so fabulous. I love it so much.

[D]

Perfect.

[E]

Okay. Okay, it's pretty clear. We love the Peloton tread. Plus, we also love.

[D]

Yes, we do.

[E]

Talking about our glory days. But we got to move on because we've got Danny Bus.

[D]

Boom.

[A]

Kelly in the house.

[B]

I mean, I cannot wait.

[E]

Whose glory days are happening right now?

[D]

Abby.

[E]

She is Nebraska's women's volleyball head coach, and as some of you may or may not know, they are number one in the nation. They're undefeated. Of course they are. And they haven't even dropped a damn set in the Big Ten. Keep moving. Keep walking or don't move. And sit down and listen to this woman, because Danny is driving one of the historic greatest programs in the country.

[A]

And you're going to be.

[E]

Want it. You want to be here to listen to it.

[C]

Okay, so, Jules, you know that feeling when somebody just really gets you and, like, pushes you when you need it and steadies you when you're doubting yourself and then helps you also see a path ahead? Clearly.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

That is what, for me, a great coach does. And I think that's exactly what Strawberry Me is built for. It's a career coaching. It's career coaching made simple and personal. Right. So you'll get matched with, like, a certified coach. Who helps you map out your goals and tackle what's been holding you back in some way and actually helps you make progress one conversation at a time. And now, you know, no one figured out this future. No one's figuring things out alone. But with the right coach, with the right people in your corner, you can shape it with confidence. And your career isn't just about where you work or it's or, you know, what necessarily you're spending your time doing. It's about who you're becoming. And Strawberry helps you get there. So when wherever you might be aiming, wherever you might be listening, you can do it with Strawberry Me. If you're ready to get unstuck, visit Strawberry Me. Slash. Welcome to the Party. To claim a special offer and get started today. That's Strawberry Me. Welcome to the party. Stop settling. Start building the career and the life you actually want. This episode of welcome to the Party is brought to you by Ally Financial. We love that Ally is more than just a bank. They've got this do it right approach that shows up everywhere.

[A]

That's right, because Ally actually helps customers unlock their economic potential, all while powering the growth of athletes, fandom, and leagues across women's sports. And as we know, it's been anchored by a historic commitment to increasing visibility by, get this. Spending equally on men's and women's sports media. Ally truly does it right. And they've had official partnerships across the nwsl, wnba, usga, unrivaled and. Drumroll, please. Beyond that. Now, that includes this podcast, too. So welcome to the party, Ally.

[C]

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[A]

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[C]

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[A]

Okay, party people. And now to the partiest part of our party. Today we've got the woman leading the number one NCAA volleyball team in the country. And you know who that is. That is Nebraska. Yes. The Huskers are undefeated at 24. 0. And get this. They haven't dropped a set since September 16th. And at the helm in her first year is head coach Danny Busboom Kelly, who took over the program from legendary coach John Cook. And John Cook, by the way, had won four NCAA titles and he'd been Nebraska's head coach for 25 years. Danny grew up on a farm in Nebraska, was a three sport state champ. I don't even know how that's possible in high school. And a Husker All American who won an NCAA title with Cook as both a player and an assistant coach for him. And then from there, she won. She went on to be head coach at Louisville, where she commanded one of the greatest turnarounds in college volleyball history. She took over that Louisville team coming off a losing season and led them to three Final Fours, Abby, two national championship matches and four ACC titles. She was of course named coach of the Year, National Coach of the year in 2021. Now she's back at her alma mater, leading one of the most electric programs in all of sports. They play in front of sold out crowds every single game. Because in Nebraska, volleyball isn't just a sport, it's a damn way of life. And it's a full blown phenomenon. And Danny, by the way, is doing all of this while raising two young boys. Boone is three and a half years old and Jet is almost only six month old. Come on. Danny deserves the biggest damn party ever. Danny Busboom Kelly, welcome to the party.

[C]

Welcome to the party, Danny.

[A]

Come on.

[C]

Come on. As you can see, we're ridiculous, but we are the biggest fans of you, Danny. Thank you for showing up for us today. Your bio reads incredible. Does it feel incredible to listen to it.

[B]

Sometimes?

[C]

I don't know.

[B]

Not really. Because I've always been like, this is sports. You know, we're not like, it's a game and it's just, I don't know, sports to me, just don't feel like a job.

[A]

Come on, listen to that bio. That's crazy. Abby and I, like, want a chest bump after it. We're like, come on.

[B]

I know the stuff. Is certainly very proud of my eight years there and that program and what we were able to accomplish, but. And growing up in Nebraska, it's. Volleyball's always great. It just seems like whoever is here would, would be doing well and we, we'd be winning matches.

[A]

So I don't know about that.

[B]

You know, sometimes you take it for granted, winning at Nebraska because it's just such a high expectation.

[A]

Yeah, well, you know what they say, right? Never change, jobs change where you live and have a baby in the same year, and clearly that has not slowed you down.

[B]

Well, you know, that's not all. That wasn't all planned at the same time, so. But, man, being a mom is something that I underrated my entire life till I actually became a mom, I was always like, I don't know if I want kids or. You know, my career is really important to me, and I love coaching, and I don't know if I want the distractions. And then when we had our first son, I was like, okay, I get what the hype is with being a mom.

[A]

It's a lot, though. Let's not. Let's be clear. When you were doing your press conference last week and Boone, like, crawled up.

[B]

Into your arms, I was like, oh, I know. And he's just getting to the point. We can kind of take him on some, you know, travel trips. So he's. He's fun and he loves being around the team. He loves the players. So that's always so cute.

[C]

He's got a bunch of aunties that are just looking after him, and it's probably like. It's like free daycare whenever you bring him around. It's incredible.

[B]

Our players are always like, we'll come babysit. I'm like, well, you know, I don't. I don't know if I trust you guys quite.

[A]

Yeah, right.

[B]

You can babysit on the court when.

[C]

You know I'm very close.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Do you trust your players enough to go on a date night with Lane and actually take a date night?

[C]

No.

[A]

Maybe not.

[B]

Maybe not yet.

[A]

Not yet.

[C]

Okay, Danny, let's get into it because we have a lot to talk about your first year. We need to understand what were your expectations for this first year as a head coach. Like, meaning, did you have yourself at undefeated 24 games in and not have dropped a single set in the Big Ten this year? Like, did you think that that. Was that a goal of yours?

[B]

Definitely not to be undefeated. You know, I had high expectations for this team, like, that we would be in the hunt to win a national championship, but I didn't know exactly what that journey would look like and the day to day. So I do feel like it's far exceeded expectations. But I also think this team is just so mature and they're so hungry and that it makes our jobs as coaches a little bit easier because the team takes care of a lot of things on their own. So I was, of course, expecting us to be great, but certainly not undefeated and certainly not. Not dropping a Set in the Big Ten so far. And every game, I'm looking over my assistant coach like, this is the game. This team's definitely going to beat us. A set. Like, then we play great. So they continue to just exceed our expectations.

[A]

How is it because you came in for a legendary coach in Jungkook, how do you. How do you balance that? Because he had such a successful program, you played under him, you coached under him. But how do you put also that stamp of like, but I also want to make it my own, right? Like, what's that balance like? Because that has to be difficult as well.

[B]

It is difficult. I think John, so many of the qualities that he has as a coach are what coaches around the country they try to replicate, you know, and I'm. I'm not any different. And he was a mentor for me. And the way I train is certainly, you know, I took from John. But I will say, some of the way I can put a stamp on it on my own is just my personality and the way that I communicate to the team and the way we're really collaborative group. I'm huge on that as so I really trust my players to give me honest feedback when it comes to taking days off or the team needs more of this or less of this, and it never has to be my way or the highway. And I think our team has really, like, grasped that. They love the collaboration and they love the ownership. And John was so good for so long. Like, he had his way, he had his plan, and there wasn't a lot of deviating from that. So I think this team.

[E]

I don't.

[B]

Know, kind of the. The surprises or, oh, we can't ask for that, and, oh, you know, we will take some ownership of them, but then sometimes it's a little too much, right? You're like, okay, right? No, we're not going to do that. At least I feel comfortable asking.

[C]

Yeah, Well, I think that that's one of the things I value the most about the way I've learned the way you've been coaching, because it's a modernized version of what I think the best way of coaching in terms of having it be about the whole person. To me, when I first was coached by Pia Sundhage, she was a coach back in 2008-2012. She allowed me to step into my, like, whole personhood and into my whole humanity. What about that? Like, where did you learn that? Was that from. From growing up? Like, why is it important to you as a leader of this team to run it? Want to like, individualize the approach with every athlete and to coach the fullness of who they are, not just the robotic athletic part.

[B]

I just think, you know, being in a program like Nebraska as a player really shapes, I think, a lot. And that's where I learned like this. This is so important to a lot of people, not just people at the university, but I want all of our athletes to have the full experience, not just the volleyball experience. And I think I got, like, so such a volleyball experience. Then I went away to Tennessee and to Louisville and realized there's so many amazing places that can really shape who you are. And I just didn't want that to get lost in my coaching or at a place like Nebraska that. Where volleyball is so serious. And this is, of course, why people come here, why players want to be a part of this program is the volleyball piece. But there's so much more to it. I just think that playing here really, you know, made me realize the things I want to do and with volleyball wise, but that I could really attack a lot of the missing pieces if I could.

[A]

I would, like, hug you through this screen right now, because that is, like, I wish we could clone you as well. Like, that is the piece that I think is the element that's missing in so many coaches. Well, I mean, there's a lot of coaches that have the X's and O's and they're great tactically and all those things. But that piece of, like, you know what? There's also joy you should be finding outside of the sport. I mean, when you were at a press conference and I was listening to it, and you found out that your coach, that some of the players had gone to the Tate McCrae concert the night before the game, right? And you were like, oh, okay, that's fine. And they were basically in the press conference going, are you fine with that? Because it's like the night before a game. And you were like, yeah, they'll be fine. I trust them. Like, they know, like. And I love that because it's like, hey, yeah, you can have a life outside of sports. You can find joy outside of sports. I heard you even take them, like, cowboy hat shopping. Is that true?

[B]

Well, we were going to Nashville and somebody, like, a local company was like, we'll come and design hats for everybody. And I was like, I'm in for that, so let's get them for everybody. And then they've been wearing them for concerts, which has been great.

[C]

I think one of the things I was reading about, which I want to talk A little bit about is the idea of this leadership with collaboration, so with. With your staff. You know, I know a lot of coaches really keep their tactics and their methods kind of close to their chest, but you're very different. You go on. On these walks with your staff. Can you tell us a little bit about those walks and why and how you are so open to input from your staff?

[B]

Yeah, well, that started at Louisville with my assistants there, and we always call them, like, productivity walks. And so there was a walking path right outside of our offices, so it was really convenient. So we started doing it, you know, all the time. And, you know, when I took the job at Louisville, my number one goal was to hire, like, a great number two or somebody that could balance my strengths and weaknesses and would be different, but still have the same ideas about morals and values and how we want to communicate. And I just think as a coach, you have to be vulnerable and you have to know your weaknesses or you're never going to survive. And that's okay, you know. And so coming to Nebraska, which was great, just having all the staff stay from John, who I knew fairly well, and what was awesome is they were kind of similar to the staff I had at Louisville, so there wasn't a lot of changes for me. It was like, you know, Jalen, whose assistant here is like the defensive coach. That's more my weakness. And then Kelly Hunter, who I coached at Nebraska as an assistant, we're super similar, but she can, you know, really have a great handle on the offense. So it just seemed like a great fit. And I just know I can't do it all. And so I don't know why coaches try to stifle people around them instead of, like, letting them use their strengths.

[A]

Right. Empowering them. Right. To help them do more. And then the. The players see that as well, that. That piece of the collaboration.

[B]

Yeah, we always talked about that. It's like we want to model every day what we want our players to. To be. So if we're collaborating, they're more likely to collaborate. If we're pumping each other up as a staff, they'll do that, too.

[A]

So.

[B]

Starts at the top, for sure. Yeah.

[A]

If they see you're having fun and liking each other, they're going to have fun and like each other, right? Yeah. It's so good. It's so smart. I love it so much. What is it like for those of our listeners who maybe don't understand the. The obsession of the state with volleyball? Actually, it's not even just Nebraska. I have Neighbors literally down the street and where I walk my dog and they hang their Nebraska flag, they fly out to games still like, they are all in. This is in California, by the way. So it's not just a statewide obsession. It's beyond that. But I mean beyond having like two decades of sold out games for our party people. I mean, they also two years ago had more than 92,000 people pack their Memorial stadium for what they called Volleyball day in Nebraska, setting a world record for the most attended women's sporting event ever. So tell us about that excitement in terms of, is it pressure? Is it something that's just so intense and so fun that you thrive under it? Like, how do you manage that with the players?

[B]

You know, honestly, coming back here, that was one of the bigger, I guess, surprises that people are like, what surprised you the most? And you know, being in this program for so long and going away for eight years and just the fact how much it's grown is like mind boggling. It's been sold out for decades. You know, it's been this huge program in the state of Nebraska. Hard to get a ticket, but nationally, I'm just shocked by the reach that Nebraska has now. And it was a stadium game, I think that got everybody, you know, noticed.

[A]

That was insane.

[B]

Nebraska, volleyball, women's sports. But just being able to piggyback off that for the next, these last two years, it's just wild going on the road and just the, the fans. And we don't talk about it as a team because it's like so obvious that it's added pressure. We don't really need to talk about it. But I have thought to myself, like, oh God, what's gonna happen if we lose the game? You know, all these fans are coming in. You feel like kind of putting on, you're there to put on a performance or like, like somebody going to a concert. Like, we have to perform well with sports. There's winning and like, we can't win everything all the time.

[A]

Maybe you can. Right now you are.

[B]

Like, I flew here from North Carolina and I saw you guys lose. It's like, I don't, I don't really want to experience those emails or conversations. So we don't talk about a lot as a team. I, I do feel like you kind of know what you're getting into when you commit to people. Nebraska.

[C]

Are there any other teams in the NCAA that gets the same kind of fanfare as Nebraska? Or is it, is it very one? Is it just this one team in, in the NCAA and Like, it feels like Nebraska's got to be bringing. The women's volleyball team is bringing in money because they're selling out all these games. How does that transfer in into NIL money or into the growth of women's volleyball globally?

[B]

Yeah, well, one thing that's great about volleyball coaches in general, not just me or Nebraska, is we are always like pushing the envelope and we will do things that maybe would put a win loss record at risk for the sport, for the betterment of the sport. And now that we're getting TV coverage, I think that's kind of why it's exploding, you know, and there's a long time where Nebraska and Texas didn't want to play each other in the non conference because it's just a huge rivalry. And, and, but like, we know that we have to start doing some of these things to build, build, build, build. And the more eyes we can get on on our sport, the more people jump on board. And you know, like for Nebraska, one thing that's amazing is we go to all these other places we sell out. Like USC's sold out, which I heard the Galen center has never been sold out.

[A]

That's so awesome.

[D]

Volleyball.

[B]

UCLA is almost sold out, you know, with Poly Pavilion, which is unbelievable. I did not. I have friends coming. I'm like, oh, you'll be able to buy tickets there. It's not going to sell out. It sold out. I'm like, oh, no.

[C]

Whoopsies.

[D]

Just kidding.

[B]

But, but like, if those people, like, if people from California like your neighbors, they go, okay, let's, let's go watch this match. And Mint might be their first game and they're like, oh, wow, this is great. Then hopefully they'll come back to another UCLA game or USC game and that's how we start building. But for nil, you know, volleyball is just kind of turning the corner where there's a lot of tournaments popping up, one game series there where these companies want to pay us to play so we can get money in our NIL budgets, which is, which is great. I just think they see the value. And honestly, social media has made volleyball really popular. I think our players are all over social media and they're funny and you know, they do a great job with it. And so then these young girls are watching them on TikTok and they want to come to the games and they become huge fans. And it's almost like the social media and the volleyball are like one on one. Yeah.

[A]

That's why I think women have done so well. Women athletes with Nil. Right. Because they crush social media. And it's so fun because you get to know them in a different way that in our era. My era. I shouldn't say our era, because Abby had social media. In the beginning of mine, there was no social media.

[C]

But Danny, you actually also. You jump in with the players Tiktoks, and you get in on that. I think that that's pretty awesome. Like, not many coaches would do that. That's really cool.

[B]

Yeah, Occasionally they'll convince me. I'm always like, I will not dance, but if you have a good one, I'll participate.

[A]

So no dancing. That's your. That's where you draw the line.

[B]

Nobody wants to see that.

[A]

We definitely want to see that. Come on.

[D]

No.

[B]

It's brutal. My husband always reminds me, like, you are just the worst dancer, so that's.

[A]

Why it's so perfect. Bad dancing is great dancing, and we have to show young kids that.

[C]

Jules. Okay. You know that feeling when you. You find something so fundamentally amazing, you immediately text five of your best friends about it?

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

That is exactly what happened when I put on Vor's dream knit performance joggers.

[A]

I know, I know.

[C]

I also am. Am donning this sweatshirt that I was just gonna pull.

[A]

It's on the bed right behind me. I was just gonna pull it over. I travel in it.

[C]

My children are like, I love that. Where's that from? And I'm like, it's Vori and it's mine. Hands off. Do not touch.

[A]

No, literally, I was wearing my Vuori big hoodie sweatshirt. I'm gonna pull it for you a second. Hold on. Stay.

[C]

Oh, my God.

[A]

Stay there, party people. This is worth it. I was wearing my big hooded sweatshirt. I can't put it on because I have my headphones in. But everyone was like, what is that? And I was like, not yours, it's mine.

[C]

It's Yori.

[A]

And they're like, of course it's Vuyori.

[C]

All of Yuri clothes are just unbelievably soft. Like, I can't even believe that these soft. These sweatshirts and these performance joggers are as soft as they are. And by the way, I've had some of these for four years. Still soft, folks. Um, and also, they still look like they're. I'm put together enough that I can even go outside and run errands or hop on a zoom or head to a workout without ever changing. I literally live in these performance joggers. Vori gets it. And we really want clothes that feel good and Move with us and also still look great because I just want to wear the same thing all day. I don't want to have to, like, change in and out of stuff. And I'm working out and I'm recording podcasts and I'm going for a walk and I'm doing things. I get to wear the Dream knit fabric all day long because it's lightweight, it's breathable. It's seriously the smoothest material that I've ever worn, y'.

[D]

All.

[C]

I'm not even kidding. The versatility is next level. I've worn them to coach, to travel, to lounge, to dinners. It's just like, I love Vori so, so much. They just work. Vori is an investment in your happiness. Okay? For our listeners, they are offering 20 off your first purchase. Get it? Get yourself some of the most comfortable and versatile clothing on the [e-mail] welcome to the party. That's V.com welcome to the party. Exclusions apply. Visit the website for full terms and conditions. Not only will you receive 20% off your first purchase, but enjoy free shipping on any US orders over 75 and free returns. Go to Vuori.com welcome to the party. And discover the versatility of Vuori. Clothing exclusions apply. Visit the website for full terms and conditions.

[A]

This is what I look like on the plane, FYI.

[C]

Okay, Jules, let's be honest. This time of year can totally throw us off our game. Between travel and holiday parties, routine kind of becomes more of a suggestion than a reality, which annoys me. I love a routine. That's why I love having ritual in my corner. Their essential multivitamin keeps me covered when my meals look a little more festive than balanced. And lately I've added their symbiotic plus, which is a 3 in 1 pre pro and post postbiotic that supports gut health and regularity. It's one mint.

[B]

Very important.

[C]

Let's just point out it's one mint scented capsule a day, which is incredible. And that's it. And I actually look forward to taking it. I've noticed I feel less bloated, my digestion feels more predictable, and I just feel better overall. And Jules, like everything from ritual, it's vegan friendly, free of GMOs and major allergens, and third party tested for heavy metals. It's clean, it's a high quality, and it works. So get your gut going, get your gut going.

[A]

Get your gut going.

[C]

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[A]

Danny, we actually have a huge fan that wanted to phone in and say hello. Ah, Billy Jean King.

[B]

This is awesome.

[F]

I get to meet Danny. Maybe if we met before. I'm so old now, I've probably met you.

[B]

No, we haven't met, but I'm a huge, huge fan and a huge fan. And just when I found out that you were part of this podcast, and no offense to.

[C]

None taken.

[A]

This happens a lot.

[E]

I have to do it.

[B]

I can't.

[E]

I can't believe Billy be wants to talk to me.

[F]

Just, you know, and volleyball's one of the top two sports in high school for girls, and so that's really important. But I just was looking at your record and I'm like, oh, my God, you're really good at digging. I remember that. You know, and assist and all that.

[A]

She's a libero. She's a rock star.

[F]

Do you know how hard it is? You go to a lot of these things? You never listen. You know, it's never about women's sports. It's always about guys or something else. And it's so great. Every time I go, I know I'm going to get my. My, you know, my injection of women's sports through the volleyball. And it's just. Oh, my God, it's just amazing.

[A]

Danny, tell Kinger what. What you. What you have you bought.

[B]

Well, I actually. I had already, like, planned on. Ordered this before I got invited on the podcast. I'm sad it didn't come in, but Roots of the Fight is a company that does a lot of Muhammad Ali stuff, like gear, and they have you in there. So I have a sweatshirt and a hat, and I was like, I hope it comes in. Before the podcast. I didn't make it in time, so I wanted to show up wearing this Billie Jean King hat.

[F]

Oh, it's been great to be with them, isn't it? And they have. Anyway, I'll sign your hat if we can. We'll get together somehow.

[B]

We'll figure it out.

[F]

But this is so exciting. Anyway, congratulations and keep going for it. I just was wondering, as a coach, is there one thing you found when you coach, you really have to emphasize the team you have right. Right now, dealing with them, because every team's got its own personality.

[B]

That's a pretty Easy answer for me for this team, because we're literally talking about it every single day as a staff is just role clarity, why we're making changes, what that means and making sure, like, the team is always number one. And this year, like, our little theme was we want a banner, not a name. You know, Nebraska is so. We have so many All Americans, academic all Americans. That's a big part of the culture here and the legacy. But that doesn't mean anything if we can't hang a banner at the end of the year. And so just with our talent and the changes we've made have been. I would just call it a little risky. We'll make subs or start other players who haven't started in a while, and it's just getting them to believe that their time will be called. We need everybody to make this deep run into December. I think that's been the main point of emphasis this whole year. And we're going to make some big changes again. And it's already, you know, end of November. And I've asked myself a couple times, am I crazy for changing this lineup? And I'm like, you know what? No, we're gonna go for it. And, you know, I just feel like in my gut, it's the right thing to do. So getting everybody on board with that and staying on board is. As a staff, we've really been emphasizing.

[F]

I can tell you're a great coach and a great leader just the way you talk. And also, I noticed you really talked about staying in the present, which I think is so important.

[B]

I don't know, so important. Otherwise you drive yourself crazy.

[F]

It's the only way you can win, really. Stay in the moment, be with the ball. Well, I don't know about volleyball, but in tennis, we always talk about be with the ball. And always it always dictating what has to happen. How did the culture become. How did it become what it is today? What started it? How did it become such a big deal at Nebraska?

[B]

Well, it started back with Terry Pettit, who was the longtime coach before John Cook. And he was going around and, you know, knocking on people's doors, getting them to commit to season tickets. And then people started coming to the games and realizing, like, how amazing this sport is, and, I don't know, the rest is history. But he was really a pioneer in our sport and just the exposure, so you got to give him pretty much all that credit. And then John Cook coming in and continuing it. And it was always amazing about John and still is. Is it's like, what's next? What's next? What's next? And we can do better. We can do more for volleyball, hence the stadium match. And so Nebraska's just had the leaders in place that are always pushing, not just for Nebraska, but for the sport.

[F]

Of volleyball, which, yeah, they're pushing to get people there. I used to watch it. I mean, I started watching it I don't know how many years ago. Decades ago on television. Go, God, they have this on all the time now. This is unbelievable. Such a culture. It's not just a team, it's a culture. It's fantastic. Anyway, congratulations.

[B]

Thank you. Thank you for coming on.

[A]

Yeah, thanks, Kinger, for phoning in.

[C]

Thank you so much, Kinger, for coming on. And I know you're busy and you're on the road right now, so we appreciate you popping in over the phone.

[A]

Okay, Danny, we have a segment we do at the end called Party Poppers. Party Poppers. We should sing it. Potty Poppers. Okay. And we're gonna do a new game within our Party Popper segment called Finish the sentence. Are you ready?

[B]

I'm ready.

[A]

Okay. John Cook came to your house for a recruiting visit, and you made sure he met.

[B]

My parents.

[C]

It has more to do with a farm and.

[B]

Oh, my gosh, a farmer. He always makes stuff up. I don't know what he would have said. Like, the cows. I don't know.

[A]

The pigs.

[C]

The pigs.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

We heard you that you introduced him to your pigs.

[D]

Maybe.

[B]

Maybe I showed him around the farm. I never had, like, a named pig, so. That's so funny, that thing he would say. But I did bring an assistant coach out once to ride in the combine because he's like, I need to ride in one of those, like, big lawnmowers. I'm like, like, the combine. The. We can't compare that to a lawnmower.

[A]

Can we add that to the list of things we want to do when we come out, too? That would be.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[C]

In the combine and.

[A]

All right, some pigs.

[C]

Here's your second party Popper. Your favorite untold Husker story is my.

[B]

Favorite untold Husker story.

[A]

Spill the tea.

[B]

This is supposed to be a minute to win it. I. Oh, my gosh. It has to be, like, when I was a player, there's so many good ones. I just think that, oh, this is a good one people probably don't know about. When I was a player, we were on a road trip, and a bunch of us wanted to go to the football game at Missouri. But in Order to go, we had to have, like, an extra day off. And so we were all colluding. How are we going to ask John for this day off? And it comes to fruition that I have to be the one to go ask him. So I'm asking him, like, hey, you know, we're just really, you know, tired and drained. Can we have this extra day off? And he's like, tell me the real reason. Well, we want to go to the football game at Missouri. And people at the time, John was pretty, like, strict, like I talked about in his ways. And he said, okay, sure. And I was like, what? And so I go back to the bus. I'm like, yes, football game. So that was. That was a really funny moment, just because it was shocking his response. And we had this whole thing built up in our minds.

[A]

See, kids, it's always good to tell the truth. Good things happen when you speak the truth.

[C]

It's true.

[B]

It's true.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

Raising two boys under four years old and coaching the Nebraska volleyball team is like.

[B]

Oh, it's, you know, it's a. A crazy whirlwind, but, man, so fun. It's just different every day and new challenges. But I don't think I would have this perspective if I didn't have my kids, you know, of being here for the first time following John and a team that's supposed to be great, but the kids just keep me super grounded.

[A]

This team is special because.

[B]

That'S hard. With one word, they're.

[A]

You get a whole sentence.

[B]

It can be their love for competing and, you know, their love for the sport.

[C]

Okay. It's good. The. The little red pickup truck tradition you started this year is about.

[B]

It's about you building culture and the.

[D]

The team.

[B]

Team that. That everybody's so important and that little things go a long ways.

[A]

Wait, so what is it?

[B]

Okay, so I heard. I honestly heard this. It's not my idea, and I heard it, but it was years ago, and we never did it at Louisville, but I always wanted to, so I was excited to do it this year. So basically, we. Every week, it's like we started with a captain, and you pass the truck to somebody who picked you up this week, like, who helped you get through the week or who.

[A]

And it's like a little. Like a little red truck you hold in your hand.

[B]

Yeah, well, so I got this truck in Nashville on our first trip and started it, and the truck has gone missing, so. But now we just put it on our board and we write somebody's name in the in the truck. So I don't know where they. You know, they're always switching the gym around. Somebody probably did not think it was that important, but it is. But now it's working out great to just have it on the board and change the name. Same thing. But we would keep the pickup truck by their, like, snack bowls for practice so they could remember, you know, that they did something great that week.

[A]

So.

[C]

Good. All right. Finally, because Julie and I are seriously still ridiculously competitive. Our rematch of minute to win it. This just so you know, it's a one minute flat road race. Um, essentially, who can run the farthest in one minute on the peloton? Cross training tread. Plus that that peloton sent us, which is incredible. You should actually get one. I don't know if you have one. It's incredible. So we need you to decide prior to this minute to win it. We're going to show it to you. Who do you think between Julie and I won?

[B]

I feel like you guys are setting me up. I was gonna say Abby, but I feel like I'll be surprised. It's like a trick question.

[A]

Why were you gonna say Abby?

[C]

Thank you. I appreciate that, Danny.

[A]

We were friends until then. Danny. She's like, I was gonna say Abby, but maybe I'll be surprised by Julie.

[C]

Okay, we gotta roll the clip.

[A]

I'm so nervous. I was. Why am I so nervous?

[E]

Okay, are you ready?

[A]

On the count of three, we're gonna go.

[E]

Three, two, one, start. Ready? Three, two, one, start dot.

[C]

Start.

[D]

Go.

[A]

Go, baby.

[D]

Go, baby.

[E]

Go, go, go, go, go, go, go.

[A]

I'm gonna be.

[E]

It takes a little bit to get going, but once it gets going, I'm gonna work on longer strides.

[A]

I should maybe not talk through the whole str. Why do I keep talking?

[E]

No, Julie, keep going higher. How do you want to.

[D]

Absolutely.

[E]

What's your time?

[D]

Good. 30 seconds. Right now?

[E]

Yeah, same.

[A]

I need to work on my arms. God damn it.

[E]

You got to bump it up longer strides. Look graceful, look graceful. Praise the butterfly.

[B]

This is so embarrassing.

[E]

Okay, last 10. Come on, baby. Come on, baby.

[C]

I started to suffer at the end. Look at the face.

[A]

Oh, my. I'm holding on. Okay.

[C]

Hey.

[A]

Okay, okay, now we. They give you. They stop it on the. And give you your 0.16.

[E]

I got 15.

[C]

Julie, what do you gotta wear for that?

[A]

What do you gotta.

[C]

You gotta put something on your head.

[A]

So, Danny, when you lose on this podcast.

[C]

There she is.

[A]

You have to put on the hat. And it's really. That's twice in a row. I've lost to her.

[C]

It's two times. And I'm just gonna say it.

[B]

I don't know if you're gonna ever.

[C]

Be able to actually beat me, she said. And it's not my style to gloat, but I'm gonna.

[A]

You know what I'm gonna do? You know what I'm gonna do? Because I might not beat you on the flat road, which is surprising to me, Danny. I was the midfielder. I was the runner. She's like the tall target nine, except that she's got these long, graceful strides that piss me off. Okay, Danny, thank you for joining us. Best of luck as you continue this 240 journey. Do you. Do you actually talk about being undefeated at all with the team, by the way? I wanted to ask that, but I didn't want.

[B]

No, not a lot, because, again, we know. We talk a lot about how, you know, it's just a matter of time before we get pushed and how are we going to respond and that. It's also, again, it's not about going undefeated. It's about maxing out at the end of the season what that. Whatever that looks like to us, so.

[A]

Yeah, exactly. It's not the outcome. It's not outcomes. Okay. And I. I really hope the three of us can get there. Meaning Abby, me and. And the King.

[D]

Are you guys.

[C]

It's fun.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

For the final four.

[B]

With the. The final four, it's just. It's. It's an event, you know, It's. It's great.

[A]

All right, well, we hope you make it to the final four. All the best. Thank you. Last thing we do on the podcast is we do a little party pose. Okay. So it can be whatever you want. On the count of three, your party pose. I think I'm gonna be, like, spiking a ball or something.

[C]

Does Huskers. Do you guys have, like a. Like a hand symbol?

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

No.

[A]

No, we don't. Oh, you don't, like, hook them horns, none of that stuff?

[B]

No, no horns, Nothing. No. We had L's at Lulu.

[C]

I'm gonna. You know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna blow on my hands. Because of your libero, which, I don't know. Are we saying that. Right. The libero was warming the other one's hands up when she was coming into the game.

[A]

Oh, that was Bergen, I think, right? Was warming up.

[B]

Yes. That was our setters warming each other's hands.

[A]

Yeah. That was so cute, that video. We're gonna put that in the show notes, too.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Oh, I love that. Yeah, we thought that was so cute when she was, like, before she came in, she was, like, rubbing her hands.

[B]

This is so cute.

[C]

All right, party. Pose it.

[A]

Okay. One, two, three.

[B]

I'm going hard.

[A]

Can you tell, or does that just look like I'm angry? That's. That's about where I have my hand when I spike the ball. I never reach. God. All right, Danny, you're awesome. Thanks, darling. Appreciate it. A. I love Danny. So fun. She's awesome.

[C]

She's great.

[B]

She really is.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And, you know, just talking to a winner, it's. Talking to a humble winner is one of my favorite things.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And that she understands, like, the importance of the whole athlete was huge. I also love that Kinger was able to pop in. That was cool. That was really cool. You could see how excited she was about that.

[C]

And it's so funny to me when some guests come on and they're like, you know, no offense, Abby and Julie, and we're like, none taken. We get it.

[A]

But I really want to see Billy, not you, too. We're like, yeah, I know. We get that every time.

[E]

Exactly.

[A]

And I also. Last thing, I hope they find the little red truck. Maybe we should send them a little red pickup truck. Fanny.

[C]

We could.

[A]

We're gonna find one.

[C]

Let's do. Let's figure out how to brand it. Welcome to the party.

[A]

Yeah, I'm gonna talk with my former ESPN producer who's so awesome, Jen Carson. She. She actually was the one who gave me that nugget. Like, ask her about her little red truck tradition. So maybe she. Because I think she was just there shooting some stuff with them. She did the amazing doc on. On ESPN on Nebraska. If you haven't seen it, go see it. It's about that game in 2023, which is the. The sellout of more than 90. What was it, 2,090, 2003. Yeah. And three people. But maybe we could see what it looks like. We'll send one.

[C]

That's fun.

[A]

Don't let's. Let's party, people. Don't tell Danny, okay? It's going to be a surprise.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. Also, don't forget to subscribe to the welcome to the party YouTube channel so you can actually see our ridiculous hats every day and my party pooper hat and click that little bell icon so you get updates when new episodes go live. And, Abby, if I take.

[C]

If you just take one minute and go and rate. Leave a comment. Subscribe to the Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcast. Spotify, wherever you get your podcast. Podcast. And Jules, I know you've been looking at the.

[A]

Yeah, the numbers.

[C]

Views in the comments. What are they saying?

[A]

Okay, so our goal was to get to a thousand reviews by. I said we could get there by Thanksgiving. You think it's more like a Christmas thing? You might be right. But I feel like we're going to get a late surge by the party people. We are at 718.

[C]

Oh, we're at least in the 7 hundreds. That's nice.

[A]

Yeah, we're in the 7 hundreds. We were in the 6 hundreds before. Okay. But look at the cute messages because we love these so much. Okay. Andrew D. 9 wrote the best party, Good vibes, great guest, fantastic mix of news and entertainment. Pure fun that makes it feel like you are best friends with Abby, Julie and bjk.

[C]

Oh, my gosh.

[B]

Isn't that so sweet?

[C]

I kind of feel that way too, about all they said.

[A]

Katie Rank Lev wrote fantastic insights as an athlete, a mom and a woman. I love the conversations and interviews and pre perspectives. You want more? Yes, we always want more. These three women are so knowledgeable, exciting, and they know the key to sports is to have fun. Another one. So dot much dot joy. That's exactly what we're going for. Thank you.

[C]

And also be sure to follow us on TikTok and Instagram @. Welcome to the party show. That's basically exactly where Julie, Billy and I are going to come straight to. To your feed. Also, we also just always need to shout out Kate Diaz for our theme music. We love you. We love our music. It like. It's like an, erm. What is it? An earworm? Is that what it's called?

[D]

An earworm?

[C]

And yeah, when I get in. Yeah, when I listen to it.

[F]

So good.

[A]

Welcome to the party. All right.

[C]

Usa.

[A]

Usa.

[E]

Usa.

[C]

Usa.

[D]

On three.

[A]

Put your paws in wherever.

[C]

Julie.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

I forgot to tell you this.

[A]

What?

[C]

I just did an interview for the 85ers. There's an 85ers podcast.

[A]

Oh, I'm doing that soon, too. Yeah.

[C]

And. And, and what they told me because I've only heard it from you because you were my source.

[A]

Now explain what the 85ers are.

[C]

Okay, so the 85ers is the first women's. The. The first women's national team to ever be in existence.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

And she kind of told me the whole story of how it started. And then they went to Italy to play in this little tournament.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And that is where.

[A]

Right.

[C]

The. The fans were screaming usa. Because they were cheering on because the team was playing. I didn't know that. I knew that. You said when. When the team went to Italy. I thought it was a time when you played, but you weren't on that team.

[A]

No, no. It was before me. I came on an 87. I'm an 87. Er.

[C]

Oh, my gosh.

[A]

And so we had it right, though. It was the Italians chanting.

[C]

You had it right. And Michelle Akers was on that team. Brandy tried out. I don't think she made it.

[A]

No, I think April Heinrichs is on that team. Maybe Tracy.

[C]

I think April was later. Yeah. No, she said that April couldn't play for some reason. You'll have to get that. You'll have to get that. Anyways, I just thought, oh, my gosh. Julie wasn't even on the team, so she heard it from the team that was on the team prior for a couple years.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

So cool.

[A]

We're getting it firsthand. Okay, count us in. All right, wherever you are, party people.

[C]

Put your paw in Ooza on three. 1, 2, 3. Welcome to the Party is an independent production brought to you by Treat Media. Treat Media makes art for humans who want to stay human. Silver Tribe is our production partner, and you can also watch our full conversations on the welcome to the party YouTube channel and follow us at welcome to the Party show on Instagram and TikTok.