New Graduates Give Volleyball Players B1G Cheers!

Nebraska Wins Fourth National Volleyball Title

Celebration: Sunday 1 p.m., Devaney Center

Randy York N-Sider

Official Blog of the Huskers

Nebraska recognized 35 student-athletes at a Saturday afternoon graduation reception inside Memorial Stadium, and perhaps the loudest cheer of the day honored two Husker volleyball players who were unable to attend the event.

Cecilia Hall (Linkoping, Sweden) and Alicia Ostrander (Gordon, Neb.) may have missed a memorable milestone at Lincoln’s Pinnacle Bank Arena, but they had a compelling reason for their absence – the Huskers played for a national title less than five hours after the graduation reception ended. 

Somehow, the loss of one experience presented an opportunity for another. Shortly after Nebraska swept Texas in the NCAA National Volleyball Championship before a record crowd of 17,551 at Omaha's CenturyLink Center, Husker Athletics announced a celebration Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Husker fans who watched the title match on TV and/or listened on radio will honor Nebraska's fourth national volleyball championship in program history, trailing only Penn State (seven) and Stanford (six) on the NCAA all-time chart.

Leblanc: Do Not Underestimate the Importance and Power of the Journey

Dennis Leblanc, Nebraska’s Executive Associate Athletic Director for Academics, said the winter graduation class represented cities and towns stretching from Placerville, Calif., to Minot, N.D. and from Edwardsville, Ill., to Hillsborough, N.J. They came from places named Waterloo, Spring Hill, Wood River, West Point, Longmeadow and Surprise, all to get an outstanding education and to compete in athletics at the highest level as well as serve the community.

The 35 graduates have contributed to the tradition of Nebraska being the national leader in academic success. Even though the education they’ve earned is very important, “do not underestimate the importance and power of the journey you went through as a Nebraska student-athlete,” Leblanc said.

In addition to regional and national travel, daily academic assignments and tests, Nebraska student-athletics embrace a culture that goes beyond their own needs to brighten the day for those in need, young and old. “Through your student-athlete experience, you’ve gained the confidence, will power, dedication and many other transferable skills to take you out into the world and make a difference,” Leblanc told the graduates.

“Remember, you are not just a college graduate, you are a Nebraska student-athlete graduate,” Leblanc said. “I know for a fact that there is not a group of individuals who impacted the University of Nebraska and the community more than this group. Whether it’s on the court, track, mat, field or in the gym, in the community or in the classroom, you made us proud. Nebraska is a better place because of you.”

Omaha native and soccer student-athlete Mayme Conroy received her diploma at PBA Saturday in Lincoln.

Zimmer: You Will Forever Be Connected to This Great State and University

Keith Zimmer, Nebraska’s Senior Associate Athletic Director for Life Skills, reinforced Leblanc’s remarks with a two-word theme he calls Nebraska Matters. “As a proud Nebraska graduate, Nebraska matters because you will forever be connected to this great state, incredible University and tradition-rich athletics department,” Zimmer said.

“Nebraska matters because as a letterwinner alumni, this is your University and we look forward to your continued engagement and connection to athletics as a member of the N-Club,” Zimmer said. “Please keep your contact information current on Huskers.com so that you get the latest on upcoming events and opportunities.

“Nebraska matters because of the skill set you developed during your time here and how your many transferable athletic skills – work-ethic, accountability, competitiveness, determination, teamwork, persistence, confidence and many others – will set you apart and allow you to become the very best in your future endeavors.

Nebraska Matters Because of Its Lifetime Pledge to Help You in the Real World

“Nebraska matters because of the commitment we have made to you, leading up to this day and the continued commitment, investment and support we offer well into the future with the likes of our new Post Eligibility Opportunity program and simply our lifetime pledge to help foster your adjustment and transition into the real world and your chosen career.

“Lastly,” Zimmer said, “Nebraska matters, because of the people.  We care about you.”

Nebraska Director of Athletics Shawn Eichorst called Saturday’s graduation/reception the culmination of a lot of dedication, caring, friendship building and hard work. “Our student-athletes have achieved the highest honor here at Nebraska,” he said. “There’s none better than graduation. At Nebraska, we have 6,000 letterwinners who have graduated, and that puts all of you among the extremely elite.”

Headley, Smejkal Share Thoughts about Why There's No Place Like Nebraska

Two student-athletes – Nebraska baseball infielder Blake Headley (pictured above) and Husker women’s golfer Morgan Smejkal – addressed fellow graduates and their families.

Headley focused on his love for Nebraska and referenced his coach, Darin Erstad, as a role model that reflects why there’s no place like Nebraska. “I’m excited about receiving my diploma and having a degree from UNL,” he told me. “That diploma opens many doors and provides multiple opportunities for successful careers.” 

As much as he values his diploma, Headley has hopes to continue his career as a professional baseball player. “I want to keep living my lifelong dream of making it to the major leagues for as long as I can,” he said. “After baseball, I’d like to get into medical equipment sales.”

The Omaha native said his four-year stint as a Husker was “incredible”. “The greatest thing I’ve gathered from Nebraska is a quality,” he said. “I’ve learned that in order to succeed in sports, or life, you have to have a relentless work ethic. Nothing will be handed to you in your pursuit for success. You have to earn everything you want.”

He made Nebraska the theme of his remarks because “it’s an incredible place that brings people in from all over the world and makes them want to stay once they’re done with school,” he said. “Coach Erstad is a classic example of that.” 

Smejkal: Believe in Yourself First, Then Find Someone Who Believes in You

Smejkal (pictured above) said Nebraska Athletics focuses on striving for excellence. “One of the main reasons I decided to attend UNL was wanting to live up to expectation,” she said. “It’s exciting to meet the standard and accomplish one of my main goals in life – to graduate from college. I’m proud to say I’m an alumni of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.” 

Now a graduate, “I’m fortunate to have another semester of eligibility left, so I will be competing for the golf team and going to school as a post baccalaureate for the spring semester,” Smejkal said. “I’ll be searching to find a job related to my majors in Marketing and Management.” 

Her parents, four grandparents and brother heard Smejkal’s speech that featured one message she wanted to leave with graduating seniors. “Believe in yourself first,” she said, “but also find someone who believes in you.”

The highlight was sharing her four-year experience as TeamMate mentor for a girl who was in third grade when she met her. “Her main goal was to get in and out of school as quickly as possible,” Smejkal recalled. “I saw she had the potential to be a much better student. I just had to get her to see it, too. I had to show her the way and show her that she can.”

With twin beliefs, “she is now getting good grades,” Smejkal said. “She wants to tell me about it when we meet. She brings a test or a quiz she did well on to show me. She also shows up to school on time and tried out for the school play and ended up earning one of the lead roles.”  

Smejkal remembers her first week as a freshman and how upperclassmen made her feel so welcome. “I felt like I was part of a family and that made my adjustment to college life so much easier,” she said. “I wanted my experience to become all incoming freshmen's experience. I want them to know that Nebraska is home and they will enjoy their time here.”

35 December 2015 Nebraska Student-Athlete Graduates

Samantha Areman (Soccer) - Firth, Neb. - Marketing
*Moses (Ayegba) Abraham (Men’s Basketball) - Kano, Nigeria - Applied Science
Tyson Broekemeier (Football) - Aurora, Neb. - Business Administration
Sam Burtch (Football) - Murdock, Neb. - Communication Studies
Jourden Casey (Soccer) - Omaha, Neb. - Advertising & Public Relations
Byerson Cockrell (Football) - Columbus, Miss. - Sociology
Mayme Conroy (Soccer) - Omaha, Neb. - Child, Youth & Family Studies
Austin Darby (Baseball) - Colorado Springs, Colo. - Nutrition, Exercise & Health Science
Daniel Davie (Football) - Beatrice, Neb. - Criminology & Criminal Justice
Ross Dickson (Men’s Golf) - London, England - Advertising & Public Relations
Ellie Ewere (Women’s Track & Field) - Hillsborough, N.J. - History
Jack Gangwish (Football) - Wood River, Neb. - Agricultural Economics
Cecilia Hall (Volleyball) - Linkoping, Sweden - Biochemistry
Kelsey Hansen (Rifle) - Minot, N.D. - Biological Sciences
London Hawk (Men’s Track & Field) - South Holland, Ill. - Child, Youth & Family Studies
Blake Headley (Baseball) - Omaha, Neb. - Criminology & Criminal Justice
Joe Keels (Football) - Kenosha, Wis. - Sociology
Kyle Kubat (Baseball) - Waterloo, Neb. - Nutrition Science
Natalie Morris (Swimming & Diving) - Lenexa, Kan. - Elementary & Special Education K-6
Alicia Ostrander (Volleyball) - Gordon, Neb. - Political Science
Michael Pritchard (Baseball) - Omaha, Neb. - Criminology & Criminal Justice
Ryne Reeves (Football) - Crete, Neb. - Economics
Anthony Ridder (Football) - West Point, Neb. - Psychology
Josh Roeder (Baseball) - Plano, Texas - Management
Ari Romero (Soccer) - Surprise, Ariz. - Business Administration
Tristen Sharp (Women’s Track & Field) - South Sioux City, Neb. - Special Education 7-12
Chance Sinclair (Baseball) - Spring Hill, Kan. - Business Administration
Morgan Smejkal (Women’s Golf) - Columbus, Neb. - Management/Marketing
Cassidy Stelzmiller (Women’s Golf) - Placerville, Calif. - Accounting
Desire’ Stephens (Women’s Gymnastics) - Omaha, Neb. - Advertising & Public Relations/English
Zach Sterup (Football) - Hastings, Neb. - Economics/Finance
David Sutton (Football) - Lincoln, Neb. - Management/Marketing
Josh Ungar (Men’s Gymnastics) - Longmeadow, Mass. - Nutrition Science
Vincent Valentine (Football) - Edwardsville, Ill. - Sociology
Izabella Zgierska (Women’s Tennis) - Miesbach, Germany - Business Administration

*Earned master’s degree, graduated Friday at PBA.

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