Nebraska volleyball player Rebekah Allick recently spoke about what it meant to see her teammate Ryan Hunter embrace her mother, Kim Hunter, during the team’s Pink Out Night. The Huskers paid tribute to women who have fought or are still fighting breast cancer, honoring them as ‘honorary captains.’
The team faced Northwestern that evening and earned a 3-0 (25-17, 25-13, 25-17) win, their 10th consecutive sweep of the season.
What Did Rebekah Allick Say About Nebraska Volleyball Teammate’s Moment With Her Mother?
Allick, who has been one of the captains of the Huskers this year alongside Andi Jackson and Bergen Reilly, opened up about the emotional impact of the team’s Pink Out Night tribute during a post-match press conference following their victory against Northwestern.
“Girls were crying,” she said. “I’ll tell you that. I was consoling some people on the end line. It was very cool. I think a lot of what Terra [Teraya Sigler] just said is that it’s bigger than sport. Yeah, it’s really fun. It’s a nice escape. It creates opportunity.”
“But at the end of the day, it brings people together. For sure, it was really cool. I honestly can’t imagine it any other way, and I’m so grateful my mom has been healthy all of her years. Just a shout-out to Ryan and her family,” Allick added.
Hunter was one of the top recruits for Nebraska last season. According to former Huskers head coach John Cook, what made Hunter stand out as an athlete was her athleticism, competitive mindset, versatility, and dedication. Despite suffering an injury at a club tournament, the freshman bounced back and has appeared in a few games for Nebraska this season.
Meanwhile, this will be Allick’s final year as a part of the Huskers team. Some of her top honors include being named to the AVCA All-Region Team in 2022 and 2023 and the Big Ten All-Freshman Team in 2022, among others.
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Allick Reflects on Huskers’ High Competitive Standards Despite Not Being at Their Best
Allick shared that the Huskers have been approaching every match as a national championship following their loss to Penn State in the 2024 Volleyball Nationals semifinals. She added that practice matches mirror real match intensity, showing how seriously the team takes training and how frustrating it can be when hard work doesn’t fully show in games.
In the same interview, she said, “We’ve pushed ourselves since January. December 21st is playing in all of our heads. It has always been that John used to, and then Dani [Busboom Kelly], they’re always thinking about, okay, every match is a national championship..And so when we go to practices, we go at sixes, and it feels like a freaking Saturday night match when we play sixes.”
However, Allick went on to express her pride in the team for always pushing themselves and showing passion and accountability, reflecting their strong competitive culture and hunger for more. The Huskers are currently riding a 20-match winning streak this season and remain unbeaten.
