Rebekah Allick's Spring Breakthroughs: Ft. Insight from Asst. Coach, Brennan Hagar

Over the past couple seasons, Rebekah Allick has become a trademark staple of Nebraska Volleyball. After a freshman year in which she says was simply “happy to be here,” a sophomore season where she strived to be an All-American, and a junior year that got too deep her head – two seasons of what she described as missed opportunities – she is going into her senior year with a ‘leave it all on the court’ mentality. This offseason, she has been working extra hard on developing as a player and making herself a more palpable offensive threat, which we certainly saw a glimpse of during the spring games. “I wanna kill balls and serve aces,” she says. “I need to be a threat for the sake of the team.”

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Interim Assistant Coach Brennan Hagar has been working intimately with Rebekah on fine-tuning certain aspects of her game, in which she says they made “a lot of breakthroughs.” The biggest revelation they came across was with her arm swing, and making sure she was more aware of her guide arm. “There were a good amount of balls where she was struggling to connect with the setters because her lead arm wasn’t allowing her to effectively track the ball all throughout her hitting window,” Brennan says. This minute change has paid dividends in various ways; making her a more terminal attacker – especially behind the setter, allowing herself to be less predictable, and attack a wider range of shots. 

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One of the most important aspects of a middles game is making sure you are up and available as much as possible, always making yourself an offensive option while also drawing the blockers. I asked Brennan what factors go into being better in transition in the collegiate game; “The biggest thing is efficiency in both footwork, eyework, and arm swing. The middle blocking position is hard enough as it is when it comes to attacking and being available in transition.” He praises Rebekah’s eyework as “near perfect, she is always looking for the right things” – something that pays off in her impressive read blocking. Brennan has tried to reframe her mindset for attacking to align with her strengths from a blocking standpoint, and says that she has committed herself to that. “Her vision attacking has led to a lot of success and growth for her this spring. It was really fun to watch that and I am so proud of the work that she has put in.”

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Brennan has been working with Rebekah as long as his time at Nebraska has been and he has seen her grow in new aspects of herself whether it is on or off the court. “Because this is her final season, I have seen more of a sense of urgency to get better at something each and every day. We have talked alot about what the team needs from her and how her presence and her being a senior can help instill confidence and bring out the best in her teammates.” While the loss of the two-year captains, Lexi and Merritt, has left many wondering who will step up as emotional leaders, Brennan says this new squad is “filled with natural born leaders or people who most would gravitate towards to lead them.” 

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Rebekah is certainly one of those people; loud in the huddle, carries her heart on her sleeve, and an energetic personality certainly facilitates the team in times of need. However, volleyball is a game of ebbs and flows, and sometimes different leadership styles must be implemented. “The biggest thing for Rebekah this spring was navigating how she can allow others to lead in different moments to help them grow as leaders,” says Brennan. “Listening to others and allowing for other voices to be heard is an underrated trait that the best leaders all have, and that has been a great strength for Rebekah this spring.”

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While Rebekah has been a critical piece of the team and a highly-respected defensive presence – (snubbed of All-American honors, in my opinion) – the past couple seasons, she is looking to elevate her game to another level and truly establish herself as an offensive threat. However, there is a distinct shift in her mindset this year; “in the past it’s always like ‘we’re gonna give our best’ – this is my last shot, unless NCAA passes any new rules. This is my life, I have given up so much for this program, and I have been obsessed with this game since I first found it. I just feel like this year is different, I realized what’s important.” She has one more chance, and Rebekah Allick wants to bring a Championship home to Lincoln. 

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