Nebraska Volleyball's Andi Jackson makes feelings known about Leyla Blackwell as the latter gets warm welcome at Omaha Supernovas-San Diego Mojo clash

Senior Nebraska Volleyball player, Andi Jackson reacted to former teammate Leyla Blackwell's return to Nebraska. Yesterday, San Diego Mojo secured their season's first hard-fought win against the Omaha Supernovas.

Blackwell, now a Mojo player, earned numerous accolades during her time at Nebraska. She clinched three All-WCC First Team selections (2021-2023), an AVCA All-region Honorable Mention (2022), and seven WCC Defensive Player of the Week honors. She also received Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (2021), and the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Twice (2020-2024). In her 2024 senior season, she played 13 matches, averaging 2.35 kills per set with a .417 hitting percentage and 1.26 blocks per set.

On January 19, the San Diego native was welcomed to Nebraska for the clash against Omaha Supernovas. The video was captioned:

"Welcome back to Nebraska @leyla.blackwell 🥹🫶"

Andi Jackson reacted to Blackwell's welcome in Nebraska with a heartfelt comment as she wrote:

"Ugh I love her"

Andi Jackson's comment reacting to Leyla Blackwell's welcome - Source: via @hailvarsity on Instagram

In a thrilling four-set match at CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska, on January 19, San Diego Mojo defeated the Omaha Supernovas, 20-25,25-19, 25-22, 25-22 improving to a 2-2 season record. The Supernovas, who set a season-high attendance of 13,486 fans in their home opener, dropped to 2-2 after their second consecutive loss. Omaha won the first set 25-20, but San Diego bounced back to claim the next three sets.

Andi Jackson recently reflected on her time on the Nebraska Volleyball team and expressed gratitude for her coach's support.

Andi Jackson and coach, Trisha Kroll, reflect on the star player's selection to Nebraska Volleyball

Andi Jackson (#15) at NCAA VOLLEYBALL: DEC 17 Division I Women's Championship - Teams vs Team - Source: Getty

In 2024, Andi Jackson had an exceptional season, earning prestigious honors such as being named to the AVCA All-America First Team, the AVCA All-Region Team, and the All-Big Ten First Team. Over the season, she played in 34 matches, averaging 2.62 kills per set with a .439 hitting percentage, ranking sixth nationally and fourth in school history. She also made a significant defensive contribution, recording 134 blocks with an average of 1.18 per set. Her standout performance included a career-high 19 kills, a .630 hitting percentage, and five blocks in the NCAA semifinal against No.2 Penn State.

In an October 2024 interview with HudI, Jackson reflected on her journey with the Nebraska Volleyball team and expressed gratitude to her mentor, Trisha Kroll. Kroll, also shared how Jackson's competitive spirit and natural athleticism stood out during tryouts. Despite lacking some technical skills, her impressive jump and ability to compete caught the coach's attention. Reflecting on the selection, Jackson said:

"I did the tryout, I remember I was packing up my stuff and I just went to thank the coaches and Carrie who was my 15s coach, she came up to me and she was like we want you to be a middle on this team." [1:47 onwards]

In the interview, Jackson shared how her coach supported her through the overwhelming and flattering selection process, always prioritizing her growth.