Huskers To Face UNLV, Texas in Players Era Showcase in Vegas
The Nebraska volleyball program will play in the first-ever Players Era Volleyball Showcase in Las Vegas this August to officially begin the regular season.
The two-day event will be held on Saturday, Aug. 29 and Sunday, Aug. 30 at T-Mobile Arena. The Huskers will face UNLV on Aug. 29 and Texas on Aug. 30. Start times, TV and ticket information will be announced at a later date. TCU is also among the four teams in the event, and doubleheaders will be played both days.
“Playing in the first volleyball Players Era event is an exciting opportunity for our program," Head Coach Dani Busboom Kelly said. "Nebraska wants to be at the forefront of new events and opportunities for our players and our sport. Having the opportunity to face our long-standing rival, Texas, is the icing on the cake. Not only will Vegas be an amazing location to start our season, playing UNLV and Texas will set a tone from the beginning. We want to thank MGM and the Players Era for believing in volleyball and Nebraska to make this event possible.”
Nebraska and UNLV have never played in volleyball. The Huskers are 33-25 all-time against Texas. The teams haven't played since the 2023 NCAA Championship match in Tampa, Fla., which Texas won 3-0. The last meeting between Nebraska and Texas during the regular season was Aug. 27, 2016, a 3-0 Husker victory at the VERT Challenge in Eugene, Ore. At the time, the Huskers were ranked No. 1 and the Longhorns were ranked No. 2 in that rematch of the 2015 NCAA Championship.
Players Era, a subsidiary of EverWonder Studio, was founded in 2024 to create a more equitable model for college sports that centers around valuing the players and expanding global fandom through the creation of first-of-their-kind world-class events. Players Era debuted with the 2024 Players Era Festival, which delivered a week-long celebration of college basketball – featuring exciting games and groundbreaking NIL activities for participating teams. Continuing its rapid expansion, in 2025 the annual showcase evolved into an 18-team Players Era Men’s Championship and the inaugural Players Era Women’s Championship, with both tournaments featuring the eventual national championship winning team.