“College coaches specifically seek out programs within Nebraska because they know there is a strong volleyball culture within the high schools and club systems,” said Nebraska Juniors Recruiting Coordinator, Ryan Coomes. “They know the girls get to see high-level volleyball growing up because Nebraska volleyball has high exposure. They know the kids have high volleyball knowledge and IQ and are trained with some of the best coaches in the country.”

Coomes, who is in his third season with Nebraska Juniors, is one of those coaches. He brings six years of experience being with NU head coach John Cook and the Husker Volleyball program.

“I was with the Huskers from 2013 to 2018. I was a practice player for two years, a grad assistant for two, and a volunteer assistant in my last two seasons,” Coomes said. “I learned how things were done, how regimented a top program should be, but also how to learn things fast on the fly. So, it prepared me to do work with a club like Nebraska Juniors.”

Coomes and the other coaches at Nebraska Juniors have gained a national reputation for not only preparing their players for the college game but also developing skill sets that make them attractive at certain college levels.

“We get calls from college coaches asking if certain girls would be a good fit for their school, program and competition level,” Coomes said. “We have good relationships with schools at all levels and talk to them about where a particular player fits on the team and having a good read where kids fit in terms of colleges like D1, D2, D3 and NAIA.”

With that connection between college coaches and Nebraska Juniors, it’s no wonder girls from around the state of Nebraska want to be a part of the club.

“If you want to play at the next level, we feel we are going to train and prepare you the best. It is the best training you can get at any club. We have a lot of Husker grad assistant coaches like Ryan, so they are used to high-level volleyball.” LeGrand said. “If we get calls from girls who are interested in Nebraska Juniors, we will come out to watch them at high school games, because we don’t want to judge them on the two hours we see them on a tryout day. At Nebraska Juniors, we are not just worried about wins and losses, we are worried about getting better.”