USC Volleyball Star Ally Batenhorst Faces Former Team in Matchup Against Nebraska Huskers — Why Did She Leave?

On Sunday, Sept. 29, USC volleyball star Ally Batenhorst came face-to-face with her former teammates in a matchup against the Nebraska Huskers. The reunion was heartfelt, with an emotional Ally receiving thunderous applause all throughout the stadium. The tears only flowed harder — on Ally's part and the audience's — when Lexi Rodriguez, Kennedi Orr, and Harper Murray presented Ally with their starting lineup ball covered in sweet, handwritten messages.

Though Ally and USC weren't able to pull out the win, it's clear that she was still thrilled to be there. Following her touching reunion with her former teammates, with whom Ally still seems to be incredibly close, fans are questioning why she ever left Nebraska in the first place?

So, why did she decide to leave the Huskers?

In early January 2024, after three successful seasons, Ally made the difficult decision to transfer to USC from the Huskers just before graduating from Nebraska. In an interview with the New York Times, she shared that she was incredibly apprehensive to inform her coach at the time, John Cook, of the decision: "I was nervous. ... The situation was unique. But you never know."

"I went into this phone call fully expecting that I might need to figure out training on my own,” Batenhorst said. However, there was no reason to worry. In fact, Coach Cook even invited Ally to continue training with the Huskers in the spring before her departure.

“We have a saying here,” he said. “'Once a Husker, always a Husker.' We try to live by that."

As for her reasoning, it seems that the burgeoning volleyball star just wanted to try something new, so she submitted forms to enter the transfer portal with just one semester left before graduation.

On Jan. 27, she announced her intent to transfer to USC via X (formerly Twitter): "Beyond excited to announce my commitment to continue my academic and volleyball career at the University of Southern California," she shared. "Thank you to everyone for all of the endless support. Can’t wait for this new chapter of my life."

Following her graduation from Nebraska in the spring, she continued her college education at USC starting in the fall, studying digital media.

And though she's now part of a new program, her roots as a Husker have not gone away, and she continues to be considered a member of the Husker family.

In her Instagram posts about her Nebraska homecoming, several current members of the Huskers showed love for their former teammate, flooding her comments with sweet messages and support.

"You’re my favorite person on the planet," wrote No. 27 Harper Murray. No. 2 Bergen Reilly said, "You’re always welcome back." Several other players, like Maisie Boesiger, Merritt Beason, and more, also expressed support for Ally.

In the New York Times, Bergen Reilly spoke to this overflowing of love: "Once you’re a part of the Nebraska team, you’re a part of Nebraska. They’re not just going to push her out the door and forget about her."