Dream Team Camp: Setter Invitees

In the final week leading up the annual Dream Team Camp, I will be breaking down each position pool of the Huskers’ next generational talents. This camp has been integral in many players recruiting journeys, who fell in love with the team culture and campus as a whole. This is a year of innovation – in the midst of a major coaching transition, it is a question of whether Busboom-Kelly will choose to maintain old traditions or embed her own unique legacy within the program. I have no doubt that this year will win over plenty of recruits – just like it did the year prior with Shaye Witherspoon and the year prior to that with Ryan Hunter. Even just a mere taste of what it feels like to be a Nebraska Volleyball player is enough to have them coming back for more, an innate urge to chase that adrenaline rush and fulfillment. This year, if anything, there is an abundance of talent – and while the coaching staff may have remained conservative in their pursuit in prior years – the newly increased scholarship opens up some leeway for teams to cultivate depth and take more recruiting risks. The invitees  give a unique insight into who the coaches are actively pursuing and scoping out to be a part of their squad. Today, we start off with breaking down the setters (following the every-other-year pattern)– two young prospects whose hands will be entrusted with the new and revolutionized Nebraska Volleyball offense. 

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‘28 Taimane Ainu’u: In the pantheon of burgeoning young setters, Ainu’u is leading the charge for the next generation. A 6 foot setter/opposite out of Kapolei, Hawaii, she is a natural leader on the court who leads a dynamic and diverse offense. She can sling the ball effortlessly from pin to pin, adjusting to each hitter's individual reaches and capabilities; drawing out the most of their potential. Ainu’u has such a good feel for the game and knows whether to facilitate or go against the flow, to push a quick shoot or to throw up a high four ball. More often than not, her choices wind up with her hitters in a one-on-one scenario – or even completely beating the block all together. With an offense defined by its precise nature and disposition, both her game and composure are matured far beyond her years. In her recent performance in the Pan American Cup, She ran an unpredictable and dominant offense, convincingly earning the title Best Setter in the tournament and leading USA to Gold in the process. It’s clear that the Nebraska coaching staff highly desires Taimane and for good reason– the Huskers would certainly be in very, very good hands with her. Regardless, Taimane Ainu’u will be a name you will be hearing a lot in future years as she inevitably attaches more accolades and victories to her resume; lets just hope we will get to see her do it in scarlet and cream. 

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‘30 Brady Collins: I probably made the same face you did when you saw 2030 next to her name, shocked at the fact that a 12-13 has already caught the eyes of the country's top programs. However, once you watch her play you will more than understand – a 5-11 setter out of North Carolina, Collins is playing at a level matured well beyond her years, and looks like a seasoned veteran out on the court. It doesn’t matter what the pass looks like, she will find a way to convert it into a hittable ball – curated specifically to the hitter's unique needs. She ran a firecracker of an offense for her Triangle 14 Black team, claiming victory in their age division at MAPL Raleigh, and finishing 5th at the Big South Qualifier – earning a bid for nationals. It isn’t just her setting that makes her so good, but her quick reflexes and ball control allow her to pick up digs that not many setters can. She’s also not afraid to take the ball over on two, throwing in a dump to the back corner – completely catching the opposing defense off -guard. Brady has extended her athletic prowess beyond just the sport court, and is an avid beach volleyball player as well. The nature of her all-around game makes her excellent in the sand, winning the 14U bracket of the Sinjin Beach tournament alongside another fellow invitee, Francesca Sales. With the assumption that Ainu’u is the main target for the next recruiting cycle, it would make sense to bring in Collins two years later to train under her, and inevitably, take over the reins. 

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