Offensive Analysis: Plays & Routes to Experiment With

Nebraska has always relied on a somewhat predictable offensive strategy, and seldom would run routes or throw in an unconventional attack. However, this spring season seems to be emblematic of a major shift in this regard; with Andi hitting out the back row, Harper running a two-ball up the middle, and an overall quicker tone. The setters seem to have more free range to take risks and reap the full fruits of their star attackers, and I hope that it's something that will only continue to be developed. As someone who takes great interest in the subtle nuances of the game and minute details that could result in big payoffs, I drew up a couple plays that I think could be really effective with this personnel group. 

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Isolating the Middle: Having two of the top middles in the country will not just be advantageous from an attacking standpoint, but they will open up opportunities for the other hitters as well. By establishing them early on as offensive threats, they can then be implemented as decoys to distract the opposing blockers. For example, if you’re an opposing middle and you see Andi Jackson running a back one (a low, quick attack right behind the setter) – you have to respect her as an attacker (cause we all know what happens when she gets an open net). If Andi is able to draw the middle and leave the pins deserted on the edges, it leaves a wide open net for a back-row attack – like Harper, Teraya, or Virginia – to come out of nowhere and hammer it home.  

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Front Slide/Shoot: We actually got to see Campbell and Andi run a front slide in the Ord match, and it was just as perfect as it was drawn up. This route is similar to a back slide off one foot, but it is placed purposefully in the gap between the left pin and the middle. If it’s a wide-open net, then it's a kill almost every time – but blockers will be quick to catch on after a couple plays. A way to possibly alleviate that would be by establishing another threat on the left pin for the attackers to be distracted by – like having the outside running a shoot (a fast, low set to the left pin). Because the front slide and shoot sets look so similar and head in the same direction, it won’t be until the last second that the blockers will know which attacker is hitting it – causing them to either be late on the close, or having to commit to one, leaving the other open. This could also be utilized similarly on the right side.

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Synchronized Attack: This is something that I have wished to see implemented more at the collegiate level, and while I don’t think it should be a regular route – it could be really effective to pull out on occasion. It should be utilized in a rotation where there are the most attackers possible, like when the middle is serving, so there are five viable attackers on the court. As the pass is coming to the setter, every single attacker will make their approach at the same time – entirely overwhelming the opponents defense and leaving it entirely as a guessing game. Like imagine being a blocker with Harper, Teraya, Andi, Rebekah, and Ryan/Virginia coming at you all at once – I would give up then and there. This attack should be used sparingly, as it can really only work on a high, perfect pass, but I think it’s something that could throw a major wrinkle into the offense.

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Of course, I’m not Dani Busboom-Kelly and I have no say in whether any of these strategies will be implemented, but I think they would provide a really unique and unorthodox offense that could entirely reinvent what we know as the typical Nebraska Volleyball style. With such a vast array of highly-capable and respected attackers, this could be the year that the offense is revolutionized.