10 high Black volleyball gamers to look at in Division I

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Nebraska volleyball nonetheless delivers the extent of dominance it established many years in the past — it simply seems slightly totally different as of late.

The Cornhuskers claimed nationwide championships in 1995, 2000, 2006, 2015 and 2017 with principally white rosters — reflecting their state’s demographics and the game’s historic lack of variety on the NCAA Division I degree.

However, Black participation in Division I has held regular at 16% over the previous 4 years, the very best for the reason that NCAA launched its demographics dashboard in 2012. In 2025, the whole variety of Black girls’s volleyball gamers reached a excessive of 1,009.

Nebraska’s make-up has advanced with the game. Second-year Cornhuskers leader Dani Busboom Kelly has constructed on the various basis four-time nationwide champion leader John Cook laid throughout his later years earlier than retiring in January 2025.

Senior exterior hitter Harper Murray, one of many nation’s finest gamers, highlights a Nebraska crew that includes seven Black athletes on a 16-player roster that’s the overwhelming choose for No. 1 within the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) preseason ballot. Along with Murray, Nebraska’s Black gamers embody exterior hitters Skyler Pierce, Jayden Robinson and Teraya Sigler; center blockers Manaia Ogbechie and Keoni Williams; and reverse hitter Ryan Hunter.

Pierce stated she appreciates this system’s dedication to discovering elite gamers of all races.

“I’ve gotten here and as, like, the other classes have shown up, it’s really cool to see just more people of color getting the opportunity to go to Nebraska and being looked at,” she stated.

Nebraska is one in every of 4 groups set to compete for a $1 million prize pool at Spikes Under the Lights, a brand new occasion scheduled for Thursday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Nebraska will move No. 17 Florida, and No. 10 Penn State will face No. 11 SMU, with the winners assembly that evening for the top spot.

Each crew within the match options elite Black expertise. Murray, who’s 6-foot-2, was a first-team AVCA All-American final campaign. Penn State’s 6-6 Kennedy Martin has been a first-team All-American the previous two years. Florida’s Jordyn Byrd, a 6-4 redshirt junior, is a preseason All-Southeastern Conference choice. SMU’s 6-2 Favor Anyanwu is on the AVCA Player of the Year watch record.

Pierce stated that form of illustration is an encouraging a part of a much bigger development.

“It’s just really cool to see all these people who came from different backgrounds or different stories come together and have the same mission and goal,” she stated.

As faculty volleyball campaign will get underway, listed below are 10 of the highest Black gamers to look at in Division I this yr.

Favor Anyanwu’s .409 hitting share on 206 kills in a single campaign ranked second-highest in SMU historical past.Matthew Huang / Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Images

The Mustangs center blocker completed her sophomore campaign in 2025 fifth within the nation with 178 complete blocks, the second most in class historical past. Her .409 hitting share and 206 kills in a single campaign final yr ranked second-highest in class historical past, and she or he was an honorable point out All-American and an All-Atlantic Coast Conference second-team choice as she led SMU to its deepest postseason run ever.

Pittsburgh’s Olivia Babcock (proper) spikes the ball off Texas A&M’s Morgan Perkins (left) throughout a match on Dec. 18, 2025, at T-Mobile Arena in Kansas City, Mo.Scott Winters / Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Images

The 6-4 senior right-side hitter has the most effective résumés in girls’s faculty volleyball historical past. She is the two-time reigning AVCA National Player of the Year and has been an ESPYS nominee for finest faculty athlete in girls’s sports activities twice. She set Pitt’s program document with 646 kills final campaign and set the college’s single-game document with 45 whereas main the Panthers to a fifth consecutive nationwide semifinals.

The 6-2 senior reverse hitter spent her first two seasons at Oregon earlier than transferring to Arizona State, the place she was a first-team All-American, the Big 12 Player of the Year and a semifinalist for nationwide participant of the yr final campaign. She had 423 kills and a .363 hitting share, and she or he was additionally on the 2025 All-Big 12 Fall Academic Team.

Martin, a senior right-side hitter, began her profession at Florida and transferred to Penn State forward of final campaign. She was a nationwide participant of the yr semifinalist final campaign, recording 634 kills with a .319 hitting share en path to a nationwide semifinal look. She was a first-team All-American in 2024 and 2025 and a second-team choice in 2023. Her father is former NFL receiver Ruvell Martin.

Nebraska’s Harper Murray averaged 3.54 kills per set and had a .295 hitting share final campaign.Michael Hickey / Getty Images

Murray was a first-team All-American in 2025, a second-teamer in 2024 and a third-teamer in 2023, when she was Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Last campaign, she averaged 3.54 kills per set and had a .295 hitting share. She additionally produced 2.16 digs per set and had a team-high 34 ace serves because the Cornhuskers went 33-1 and reached the nationwide semifinals.

LSU’s Jurnee Robinson was an honorable point out All-American final campaign. Ava Duplechain / University Images by way of Getty Images

Robinson led the SEC with 4.84 kills per set and 5.34 factors per set in her junior campaign in 2025. The 6-1 exterior hitter was on the AVCA All-Central Region Team and convention participant of the week twice. She was named a first-team All-SEC choice in 2024 and 2025 and was an honorable point out All-American final campaign.

Texas volleyball participant Cari Spears spikes the ball throughout a match in opposition to Auburn on Nov. 12, 2025. Spears was a third-team All-American final campaign. University of Texas Athletics / University Images by way of Getty Images

The 6-3 exterior hitter burst onto the scene as a freshman final campaign to rank second on the Longhorns with 358 kills and assist the crew attain the regional ultimate. Spears, who was a third-team All-American final yr, was additionally named SEC Freshman of the Week 5 occasions and was the convention’s participant of the week twice.

Texas volleyball participant Torrey Stafford (middle) led the crew with 516 kills final campaign. University of Texas Athletics / University Images by way of Getty Images

Stafford is a two-time first-team All-American and a two-time participant of the yr semifinalist. The 6-2 senior exterior hitter led the Longhorns with 516 kills final campaign and added 261 digs and 52 blocks in her first yr with this system. She transferred from Pitt, the place she earned third-team All-America honors as a freshman.

Texas A&M’s Kyndal Stowers was named essentially the most excellent participant of the NCAA match final campaign. Jamie Schwaberow / NCAA Photos by way of Getty Images

Stowers, a 5-11 senior exterior hitter, was named essentially the most excellent participant of the NCAA match final campaign whereas serving to the Aggies conquer their first nationwide top spot. She was a second-team All-American final campaign as a redshirt sophomore, ending second on the crew with 385 kills.

North Carolina’s Jackie Taylor is the daughter of the late NFL star Sean Taylor.Alex Halloway / Getty Images

The 6-1 junior center blocker had 165 blocks final campaign, third most in program historical past. She began all 31 matches as a freshman in 2024 and was on the ACC All-Freshman crew. The daughter of late NFL star Sean Taylor proudly wears his No. 21 for the Tar Heels.

Cliff Brunt has been a sportswriter for the reason that ’90s, together with a run of greater than 20 years with The Associated Press. He is an Omaha North High Viking of Distinction who obtained Creighton University’s Alumni Merit Award in 2025.