“It feels like home here,” said an emotional Ally Batenhorst when she returned to play at the “Bob” following her move to USC in her final collegiate season. Her adoration for her former camp was unsurprising, given all the memories and emphatic moments she had with her ex-teammates. However, she’s also had plenty of heartbreaking things that forged an everlasting bond between Batenhorst and the likes of Harper Murray.

Ally and several other Husker alums returned to the Lincoln campus to take on Murray & Co. in the inaugural Alumni Match on Saturday. While the reunion of the former teammates was sweet, the ex-Nebraska opposite hitter also couldn’t forget how she and Harper experienced one of their toughest on-court moments together.

In an Instagram post from August 16, Batenhorst and Murray could be heard reminiscing about their 2023 NCAA Championship Final loss to Texas. “I feel like I’m literally back in college right now. Getting ready for a game day in Devaney. I never thought I would play in Devaney again,” said a grinning Batenhorst as Murray, her opponent for the night, helped the former with her hairdo. Right after that, Batenhorst displayed the special souvenir she brought for the match.

“I brought my red hair tie. This is the one we wore in the natty,” Ally showed the red ribbon she used at the 2023 NCAA Final match, which Murray was quick to label as “Bad juju“. “I should have burned it. I literally still have the TikTok of our ‘get ready with me’ for the championship. We never posted it,” said Batenhorst, while Murray added, “We were so hyped. It was so inspiring, too. It was the way that because we were so convinced we were going to win.” The current team member admitted that the loss made sure that she and Batenhorst were “trauma bonded for life.”

However, Batenhorst also noted that Murray could be the one to finally lead the Huskers to the national title and bring an end to the NCAA draught that has been plaguing Nebraska since 2017. “Hopefully,” grinned Harper. But if the Alumni Match was anything to go by, Dani Busboom Kelly’s squad just might have a better shot at winning the national silverware this season.

“Even though some of these players haven’t played in the last month, they just got off playing pro seasons and were playing at a really high level. So I’m expecting them to be pretty good on the other side,” the head coach Dani Busboom Kelly noted her caution ahead of Saturday’s match.. However, Murray and the rest of the current players proved that DBK’s worries were unfounded.

Murray led the Huskers with 12 kills with a .476 hitting percentage to help the current team trounce the alums in 4 sets (25-21, 25-14, 17-25, 25-22) at the Devaney Sports Center. The opposite hitter also posted a number of decisive swings in a highly contested fourth set. On the other hand, Batenhorst led the alums with 13 kills.

No wonder the Huskers are ranked No. 1 in the preseason polls! But while Saturday saw DBK’s squad registering a triumphant victory, the challenge is only starting, and Nebraska will need to pull up its socks for the road ahead.

Brighter days to finally arrive for Harper Murray?

With the 2025 volleyball season just around the corner, Coach Kelly needs to brush up on the rough edges, and fast. Last month, however, she did admit that she has a lot of options to choose from in order to build the best squad to win the national title. During a discussion with former Nebraska head coach Terry Pettit, DBK underscored how she has a number of players to pair with Murray. “Well, you know, Taylor Landfair is back. And Skylar Pierce is back. She redshirted last year. And then we have Teraya Siegler, who’s a freshman, who was here in the spring. But they’re all very talented. And, again, I think it’s going to be a difficult decision,” Dani told the national championship-winning coach. But while the coach is waiting to lead her alma mater to greatness, she will also be depending heavily on Murray’s presence in the roster.

At last month’s B1G Volleyball Media Days, Kelly underscored why Harper can be a game-changing factor for the Huskers this season. “I think Harper really embodies a lot of what this team is hoping to accomplish… I just thought she has done the work, and is a great spokesperson for our program,” said Kelly, as Murray, sitting next to her, couldn’t stop grinning.

Then again, there is a lot depending on this season. After the Huskers lost the 2023 Final match, Murray made a boastful claim that the program would win the next three championships. While that comment did bring about a torrent of sneers and jeers at the star, she remained steadfast in her objective and even played a crucial role in the Huskers’ trip to the NCAA semifinals last season. But now, with the new coach to spearhead the charge, Murray can finally accomplish her goal. And she looks better and readier than ever!