1-on-1 with DP – 93.7 The Ticket KNTK - Magnitude of Husker Volleyball: September 12th, 2026, 11:00am

Episode Date: September 12, 2026

Magnitude of Husker Volleyball: September 12th, 2026, 11:00amAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It's time to go one-on-one with DP. Sponsored by the Downtown Lincoln Foundation on 93-7 the ticket. It is Saturday. Lincoln America. The skies are opening. That deserves and requires. Saturday boom was required. Greatly appreciated.

42464-568-5. Start on Hematex line. Appreciate you hanging out with us over the course of the day. And this is a long day. We'll be here live until 12 midnight or something. It's a full day. We'll be live. As a matter of fact, we'll have new programming for you,

even when the Huskers are playing. Folks have pre-recorded some stuff for you. We love you that much, that we give you some content for in-game, just as you're chumbling around. But it's a double game day in Lincoln, Nebraska. I don't want to miss the layout. because when I said game day, Tristan, what did you think of?

I honestly, I mean, it's Husker football game day, but it's just talking to Nick and especially after watching last night's match for Nebraska volleyball, that just comes into your head, I think, just naturally nowadays. And I think especially because we got Husker volleyball before we got Husker football, but it's a mix of both now. Here's my thing. The best women's, college volleyball team in the country.

Several of the best women's college volleyball players are here in Nebraska. And on any given night, there's one of eight or nine names that you could put as the best volleyball player in the country on that given night. Yep. On this team. And a team that has one loss in 18 months. Yep. The number one team in the country, the most profiled team in the country,

the most unique and authentic team in the country. There's no team, other team in college athletics, who has the unique branding, cache and power in their sport and in collegiate athletics as Nebraska volleyball. There's no football program in the country that is doing what Nebraska volleyball has done and is doing. Not one. Not one. I would like to ask, our listeners if there's any football, college football team in America who could sell out the biggest NFL stadium, period.

And I don't mean Texas playing at Jerry World. Because I still don't know that it sells out. I don't know if LSU going to the Superdome sells it out. I don't know. I could be wrong, and I'm open to the discussion. But is there a college basketball team who could sell out Jerry World? No. I mean, unless it's the national championship, but outside of that, no.

Is there a college baseball team who could sell out a major league part? No. When I say this as fully as I can say, that not even Penn State wrestling could sell out the arena where the Sixers play just because. And it's fascinating to me that we can all agree that the mothership of sports and most things, Nebraska, quite frankly, all things business, all things, etc. It's Nebraska football. It is the thing.

It is, as Reggie Jackson said, it is the straw that stirs the drink. But I woke up this morning knowing that it's home football day. But one of my skills and talents is the ability to be president and say, first things, first, first things. first. There is not a chance in the world that I would turn on a microphone in Lincoln, Nebraska today, and not lead with that we need to find the right words to talk about Nebraska volleyball. Juggernaut isn't big enough. It's not big enough. What word can we use

to fully describe the Nebraska volleyball experience, the vacuum, the energy, the pool, the amount of success, the amount, that is a great-looking van out there. That is a coach Tom Osborne. That's our guy. Coach Osborne and Andy Reed. That's exceptional. What's the...

Like, I don't know that there's ever been a college baseball program that is on the level and has done what Nebraska volleyball is doing. No. Like, to change the way business is being done. And that you could measure Nebraska football by Nebraska volleyball. I don't think that anybody intended that, that you would have to, in order to talk about Nebraska football, in full perspective, of what it can be, what it should be, what you want it to be, all those things that you have to stare at Nebraska volleyball in order to say it.

Because all the resources, revenue share, NIL, coaching, Danny Bustwell-Kelly is the coach of coaches now, just as John Cook was. And quite frankly, she did it on her own. Like she has her own merit. She took her own swings. Now, it goes to another level. the title this year. Then we're having different conversations.

But when I talk to other college volleyball coaches, Big Ten, ACC, SEC, SEC, they all talk about DBK. They all talk about, my goodness gracious, because they understand schematically what's required. From a manager, from a personal management standpoint, she has to be so high profile in how she handles the depth of talent that she has. The talent that she has and then the depth of the talent she has. Because I would say that there's maybe four programs in the country that wouldn't want her second team. Oh, for sure. For sure.

That there's like it's a short list. And that if you're in the Big Ten, yeah, every Big Ten of Coach to tell you, I love my players. I've got a great group. But, but that, that, that, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but there is some discussion on whether, and we have to legitimately consider if the second group for Nebraska isn't the second best team in the Big Ten or in the country. I mean, yeah, you could argue that's the top ten ranked team easily. Right. Right. Like, I, that's how, and that's, here's the thing that, talking to Penn State's head coach, that,

It may be the second group for Nebraska that determines if Nebraska wins the national title. Because they're the friction that determines the stone. As she said, they're the friction and the heat that will determine the diamond. That how they push that top group in practice, how they prepare themselves, be prepared, be ready for when they need to step up, when they need to have a moment, when they get, as a coach said to me, there's going to be a time this year when each of those players on the bench are called

in a critical moment to keep whatever Nebraska season is at that level, at that level. And they had better be there to respond. And that's remarkable because we can't say that about any other. No. crap. This is, I mean, you can say it about Penn State wrestling, but Penn State wrestling within its space is its own monster beast. But the interest and intrigue and following of Penn State wrestling is nowhere near the level of Nebraska volleyball. Because somebody pointed out and asked the question, if you put Nebraska volleyball on, let's

take one of the big four networks. And then you put Penn State wrestling on at the same time, that there is some real consideration about who draws more viewers. And I don't know the answer. I'm not sure it's not Nebraska volleyball. You're going to certainly know the bulk of the country is going to know more of the Nebraska volleyball players than it does the Penn State wrestlers. And the Penn State wrestlers are, I mean, you're going to have five national champions.

But the reality is the majority of the country are going to know more about Danny Bustum-Kelly and the Huskers than they will Penn State wrestling. And there's no other program. You could literally march Kurt Signetti and five of his Indiana national champions right down O Street. and then if you removed Cignetti and just made them unbranded, I'm not sure you know who those Hoosiers are. Those volleyball players are everywhere. Everywhere. They're everywhere.

And rightfully so. But it was fascinating because I just thought, wow, I had my buddy call me this morning from D.C. And he goes, man, Nebraska's doing the dang thing. You know, it's a big day. And in my head, I was like, and he's a football player. NFL play. And he's like, yeah, man, we'll see how they bounce back, man, Georgia Tech's 8 and 1.

And I went, wow, boy, I saw I can miss that one. I miss, I miss what you were talking about. He has two daughters who are high school volleyball players. and that's been the move is that former pro athletes their daughters are now the next chain of talent and they're being identified early and they're being instead of them being pushed to basketball they're being pushed to volleyball

and in listening to him talk about it and he says yeah he goes yeah jaylan reyes is special now this is This is the commander's ring of honor. And he goes, yeah, that J.L. Reyes is special. What, sir? Yeah. I mean, yeah.

But, sir. So I'm not sure what we would identify. I don't know. There isn't a good word. I mean, one that comes to mind for me is just pioneer. You don't see any other team in college athletics that's playing at Jerry's world, playing at Wrigley Field, and bringing all. of this attention. And when you think of volleyball, you say, hey, what team comes to mind when you

think of just volleyball across the entire country? It's Nebraska. I mean, think about this. And it is a great humbling. That Danny Busbub-Kelly and the Nebraska volleyball team played in Wrigley Field before the Huskers did. Husker baseball did. Yeah. Ouch. Has Nebraska football played at Jerry World? Have they played in the Cowboys Stadium? I don't think so. I don't think so. I don't think so. Brough! How amazing is that? How am I don't know.

Phil's on the text. I appreciate you. He said, all things you're saying about volleyball is great. Unfortunately, for all the stack count they have, they are not producing championships. And from everything I've ever gathered when it comes to sports, we measure teams and programs by championships. No, we don't. No, we Since when? Tristan, is Barry Sanders

Epic elite? Yeah, I mean, that's not a question. Yeah. Dan Marino. Yep. Like, you could look at Dan Marino. Here's the question for you. Would you rather be,

have Bernie Williams' career or be Mike Trout? I don't know how to, I mean, I'd like to be both of them. Right, but I mean, but that, right? They said football actually did play in Jersey. Yeah, they played in. Was it both two, uh, two big 12 championship games there. Two big, one against Texas and then one again, Oklahoma.

Yeah, we had, we had three Texas. This is why I asked. But yeah, I mean, would you in the career that you to be, would you like to be at some point the best player on the planet? Or would you rather be. a really good player on one of the best teams on the planet. I mean, I'd like to be on the best team. I don't need the, obviously you want to be, you know, the best of the best. But when you're on a team that has the best of the best right next to you at all times,

I think that's where you want to be. No, here's, here's another one that if you said, Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Chiefs, or Seattle, Seattle, C, Seahawks. As an organization, would you rather be the Seattle Seahawks or the Dallas Cowboys? Oh. Right. I like attention. Right.

That if you're doing business, because they're all doing business, there is a portion of the energy and resources that is strictly and specifically about winning championships. Yes. Yes. but 90 some percent, depending on the sport, of the games played and the people who play them, don't win championships. So it can't be about that. It can't be about that. Don't win championships but are competing for championships year in and year out.

Right. Like you're competing with yourself to be the best you can be because that's the thing you can control. You can control what you put into it. You can control what you put into it. but you cannot determine the result. So the result has so many things, other things going on that are you telling me that that, that, Dan Marino isn't a better quarterback than Eli Manning? I would never say that.

Are you telling me that the, the, the 80, the 83 redskins who lost to the Oakland Raiders in the Super Bowl isn't one of the best 20 teams in history. Oh, no, you can't. You can't. If you say that the 92 Redskins is the greatest team of all time, you have to have the discussion. There are things that have to fall in line for you to win championships. There's no other program in the country that would rather,

I had this conversation with Tony Harvey. Tony Herbert, legendary basketball player at the University of Utah, played pro in Europe all over the place. Has two daughters. One playing volleyball, Stanford, the other playing at Texas. And in the conversation is that Texas is pissed that Nebraska is getting all the

push. Texas is an A&M on fire. They're over here in the corner. Hey, why are they on national TV? We're the national champion. You got yours. You have the national championship. You won it. You earned it. But

they all would sell a piece of their soul to be what Nebraska volleyball is being right now. Now, there's a portion of Nebraska volleyball that would sell its soul for that championship. And they all

go together and they're all a part of it and they're all things to consider. But no other program in the country in its sport is where Nebraska volleyball is in women's volleyball. It's just, there's just, it's just not.

top of the line doing a thing that no other program can say that, again, the reach was Penn State wrestling. But we didn't say there's not a softball team, right? And the Huskers were close to that, right? They were close to that and they travel and they showed up, right? Nebraska fan base shows up that we understand that's what that is. The Rasco wrestling draws extremely well. The Rasca basketball.

but nobody in college sports is doing what Nebraska volleyball is doing. Championship or not? It goes to another level they win the championship. Fair. It's the ideal. It's perfection. But I'm not one of those people, and I'm okay with people who are,

but I'm not one of those people who say that the championship is the end-all, be all because then what do you say about every other Nebraska program who's never won a title or who aren't currently winning titles? That's just crazy to throw the baby out with a bathwater. No. Some of the programs that get close to the championship or a championship, the distance of where Nebraska men's basketball was to where they currently are, that journey is. remarkable. Now, there are those that would devalue it and go, yeah, but you lost Iowa twice.

Or you only made it to 316. And you forgot all the advancement, all the successes, all the lessons learned, all the improvement, all the work that was put in to do those things. Nebraska volleyball went undefeated in the Big Ten. It went undefeated in the Big Ten. I'm just saying. I'm just saying. And again, text line, I'm cool with the expectation and want that we have, we get a championship for this program. I would say the same thing about Nebraska wrestling.

I would say the same thing about Nebraska softball. There's Nebraska bowling. There are certain programs that are illegitimately contenders for the national title. They're programs. Because if we say that about the programs, the five or six programs that are contenders for national titles and don't succeed, then what do we say about everybody else? Be careful.

Be careful what you say. Because, yeah, it travels. More one-on-one. We'll be right back. Download our app by searching 93.7 a ticket in your app store. You're listening to One-on-One with DP. A 93-7 a ticket in the ticket. fm.com.