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Create a Player ProfileWelcome to Lincoln, Manaia Ogbechie!
Freshman Manaia Ogbechie has officially landed in Lincoln, and the 6-4 middle blocker is eager to etch her mark in the legacy of one of the nations top programs. While it can be incredibly overwhelming to make such a stark transition from the familiarity of high school to the vast unknowns of college, Manaia is embracing it with open arms. I asked her if this transitional period into this new chapter felt surreal, and whether it has really soaked in that she is a Husker Volleyball player yet. “It really has really started to soak in that I am finally here,” Manaia says. “Nebraska Athletics does an amazing job integrating new student athletes and really making it feel like we are taken care of.”
Currently, the players are volunteering and participating in help with the youth camps, which Manaia has said has been a valuable experience. “Getting to work camps these past couple of weeks has also helped connect me to the younger generations of volleyball players. It encourages me to remember why I am here.” Manaias roommate is another late-commitment freshman middle who just arrived on campus, Kenna Cogill. “The two of us are in the same situation as incoming freshman middles. Being able to have someone that relates to the same situations has been so helpful. We have definitely gotten a lot closer these past couple of weeks,” Manaia says. Speaking to the program culture as a whole, she says, “ the rest of the team has also been so welcoming.”
Manaia is the epitome of both athletic and academic excellence, and she is certainly mature and responsible enough to take on college life gracefully. Although she is just a freshman and Nebraska pretty much has its starting middle blockers set in Andi and Rebekah, Manaia is someone who will only continue to blossom and simultaneously better the team. When asked about her ultimate goal for the season – she was clear and simple, a National Championship. It’s a sentiment the rest of the team likely shares, and Manaia is willing to devote anything to bring a trophy home to Lincoln; I am willing to do my part, whatever it may be, to help the team get to that point.”