Merritt Beason makes her feelings known on transition from collegiate competition with Nebraska Cornhuskers to pro career with Atlanta Vibe

Former Nebraska Cornhuskers’ star player Merritt Beason shared her thoughts about moving from representing the Nebraska Cornhuskers in college volleyball to playing professionally for the Atlanta Vibe. On November 25, 2024, the 21-year-old was chosen as the first pick by the Atlanta Vibe in the Pro Volleyball Federation draft.

After her semifinal exit with Nebraska in the NCAA women’s volleyball Championship on December 19, Beason has already begun playing for the Atlanta Vibe, where she made her debut against the Omaha Supernovas.

During a post-match press conference, Beason was asked about her transition to the Atlanta Vibe. To which, she responded (saying 0:48):

“Yeah, it was a quick one for sure. I've said before having Kayla [Banwarth, head coach] really made the transition really easy. Just a lot of things are very similar to how things are structured and a few drills are the same too. So, it was pretty easy for me to go in.”

Merritt Beason further mentioned how the coaching staff and teammates made the transition easy, saying:

“It was familiar for me and that was really nice and then the girls and the staff and everyone just welcomed all of us rookies with open arms and I think that's what really made it an easy transition. Just everyone kind of held our hand and walked us through what we needed to do that first week. Like, I said just welcomed us with open arms and I think that's really what made the transition really easy.”

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Merritt Beason expressed gratitude to Nebraska Cornhuskers’ teammates and coaching staff and what it meant to be a Husker

Merritt Beason against Omaha Mavericks (Photo by C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

Merritt Beason opened up about her Nebraska Cornhuskers’ teammates and coaching staff and expressed her gratitude to them. During a post-match press conference following her team’s victory over Wisconsin on November 23, 2024 showdown, she spoke about what it meant to be a Husker for the past two years, starting at 0:19:

“These girls took me in at a time when to be quite honest, I hated volleyball. I didn't want to continue playing volleyball. I wasn't super confident in Merritt as a human being, and these girls, and this coaching staff, and all this support staff took me in and allowed me to flourish in who Meritt is and accepted me for who Meritt is and helped me find the love of volleyball again."

She added:

“I mean, there's countless memories and history that was made, but I think that alone is what I'll forever be thankful for.”

Notably, on December 22, 2023, Beason transferred from Florida to Nebraska after representing the Gators for two seasons. During her senior year at Nebraska, she appeared in 36 matches, averaging 2.78 kills per set, and recorded a total of 455 kills during her junior year with the team, thus ending a remarkable journey.