Nebraska Volleyball head coach Dani Busboom Kelly heaped praise on Indy Ignite star Anna DeBeer, who forged a stellar comeback to the volleyball court after a severe ankle injury that put her 2024 NCAA campaign to an abrupt stop.
Kelly coached the Louisville team till the 2024 season, helping DeBeer become one of the program’s best-ever outside hitters.
Dani Busboom Kelly Commends Anna DeBeer’s Prominence in Volleyball
Kelly served as the Louisville head coach from 2017 to 2024. She had been a great anchor since her first year, leading the Cardinals to an ACC Championship in 2017 and their first-ever NCAA regional Finals in 2019. In 2020, she received multiple Coach of the Year honors and brought massive success the following year.
2021 was a monumental year for Louisville, going undefeated in the regular season and advancing to its first NCAA Final Four. During Kelly’s time in Louisville, she coached DeBeer, building one of the most successful coach-athlete bonds in the program’s history. Beyond the court, the duo continues to interact warmly and even show admiration for each other on social media.
DeBeer, who now plays with the professional Indy Ignite team in PVF, faced one of her toughest fates at the 2024 NCAA Tournament, when she hurt her ankle in the semifinal round and withdrew from the playoffs.
In Indy Ignite’s ‘Inside the Fire’ series, the first episode chronicles DeBeer’s comeback from a setback to the professional court, bringing the same passion that stood out for her in college. Kelly shared an excerpt of the episode and expressed gratitude for the years she spent with her mentee. She wrote:
“One of the best competitors I’ve ever been around…I still tear up about this moment..but I am beyond thankful for the 5 years I spent with Canna, debeer and continue to be so proud!”
DeBeer was a four-time AVCA All-American and was integral in helping the Cardinals to the 2024 NCAA Championship Finals with double-digit kills in several matches.
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Kelly joined the Nebraska Volleyball program in 2025 after former coach John Cook stepped down following 25 years at the helm. She entered a program boasting one of the top-tier rosters in the country and a team that last won the national title in 2017.
Before taking up her duties, her former mentee, DeBeer, hailed Kelly as the mentor who shaped her and helped make her the player she is today. She also called her “badass” and assured the Big Reds that the program would be in good hands. Previously, the outside hitter had highlighted that Kelly’s hard work took Louisville to great heights and that players never backed down from working hard for her.
