Hall-of-Famer Cherishes Life and Her Volleyball Tickets

22 Enshrined in Inaugural Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame

Seven Husker Student-Athletes Will Be Enshrined Friday

Metcalf Joins (Kruse) Sellon as 2016 Hall of Fame Inductee

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Janet (Kruse) Sellon lives in Lincoln with her husband Dan and their three children – daughter Addy, 18, a freshman at UNL, and twin sons Barrett and Braden, 15 and sophomores at Lincoln East High School. The first three-time All-American in Nebraska volleyball history and the recipient of the prestigious NCAA Top Six Award following her playing career in 1991, Sellon stays busy in a private family medicine practice in Lincoln. It’s a job she loves and between her kids’ activities and her own work, Sellon stays busy.

With that backdrop, guess what Janet (Kruse) Sellon enjoys most besides being a dedicated mother, busy wife and family doctor? “I love having volleyball season tickets!” she said. “It’s really fun to go to the games and watch how the game has evolved and how athletic and how strong these women really are.”

Sellon went to the NCAA Final Four last December in Omaha and watched the Huskers sweep Texas in the Championship Match. “That was such a special accomplishment for the team,” she said. “I’m not always sure if people realize the hard work and the dedication it takes even to get to the Final Four and then have such a strong performance in the championship match.

“It was just amazing! I was so happy for the players and the coaching staff,” Kruse said before mentioning the only experience that can elevate last year’s highlight. “A back-to-back national title would be a great accomplishment for the program and the University,” Kruse said, “and they definitely have the talent to do it.”

Kruse Will Be Cheering On the Huskers in Three Home Matches This Weekend

This weekend, Kruse will be cheering the Huskers on in three matches at the Bob Devaney Sports Center – Friday’s Noon match against Montana State, Friday’s 7:30 p.m. match against Gonzaga and the capstone of the four-team round-robin format: Nebraska versus Creighton at 8 p.m. Saturday, following the Nebraska-Oregon nationally televised football game.

Sellon has the background to understand the high level of Nebraska’s Big Ten Conference schedule and how it prepares the Huskers for national prominence. Sellon earned first-team All-America accolades in 1989 and 1990 and second-team All-America honors in 1991. Her athleticism and leadership were pivotal in the Huskers winning four Big Eight Conference titles and qualifying for two NCAA Tournament semifinal appearances, including a national runner-up finish in 1989.

On Friday, Sellon joins six other Husker legends who will be enshrined in the Nebraska Athletics Student-Athlete Hall of Fame and will be recognized at Saturday’s Nebraska-Oregon game.

“To be inducted into the Nebraska Student-Athlete Hall of Fame is an unbelievable humbling experience,” Sellon said. “When I came to play volleyball at Nebraska, I would never have dreamed how much I would experience and learn from being part of something much bigger than myself. I think of all the incredible student-athletes that have preceded and followed me at the University, and I am truly honored to be included in this talented group.”

On Recruiting Trip to Lincoln, Sellon Was Surprised to Watch Players Setting Up Chairs

Through the years, Sellon (with family above) firmly believes that fans and people make Nebraska special. She will never forget her official recruiting trip. A 6-foot-1 outside hitter from Ft. Calhoun, Neb., and Blair High School, Sellon arrived at NU’s Coliseum before the game and was surprised to watch Husker players setting up chairs so fans could sit around the court.

Back in the late 1980s when Sellon played at Nebraska, fans could use football tickets to watch volleyball games for just $1. “By the time I was a senior,” she said, “we had bleachers all around the Coliseum court and the fans were practically on top of you.

“The atmosphere was incredible, and I can honestly say there was no other place in the country we’d play that could even come close to the electricity in our gym,” Sellon said. “Now they pack 8,000-plus at the Devaney to watch the Huskers play every home game. They’ve been sold out for 15 straight years, and it’s truly a testament to the hard work of everyone involved with Nebraska athletics, from the players and coaches to the administrators, and of course, the fans.

“We were able to train and compete at a high level,” Sellon said. “Academically, the Hewit Center was available to ensure that we were succeeding in the classroom. Now they have the Herman Student Life Complex to help prepare all Nebraska student-athletes for life after sports. That’s an invaluable resource.”

It helps Nebraska provide a solid support system and guidance with tools designed to help student-athletes become champions in both the classroom and on the court.

Since Hawaii Didn’t Qualify for NCAA Final Four, Nebraska Became the Wahine Huskers

Flying to Hawaii to compete in the NCAA Final Four was a career highlight for Sellon. “The Hawaiian team didn’t win their regional so we were adopted by the local fans as the Wahine Huskers,” she recalled. “They had t-shirts made up for us and supported us like we were the home team. We ended up losing the championship match, but that overall experience is one that I will always cherish.”

The best advice Sellon has ever received was to enjoy every day because you only get to live each day once. “While competing in collegiate athletics, I was given many opportunities to improve myself both as a player and as a person,” she said. “The college years flew by, and it’s the day-to-day experiences that I cherish most.”

That includes “the friendships I made, the places I traveled to and the opportunities given to succeed,” Sellon said. “Those memories are near and dear to my heart. If you truly enjoy each day for what it is and what opportunities for growth it provides, you will have no regrets.”

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