Graduate outside hitter Ally Batenhorst, one of the new transfers to USC’s women’s volleyball team, has not only already made an impact on the Trojans, but has also left one at her old school, Nebraska.
A multi-sport athlete when she was a kid, Batenhorst also played basketball before committing to the game she ultimately loved more and still plays today. By the time she was in high school, Batenhorst quickly became one of the top players in the nation.
“I was just playing, and all the accolades kind of came with it,” Batenhorst said. “I think I was just really enjoying the sport.”
The accolades indeed came, and they did so in waves. Batenhorst won a gold medal for the Houston Juniors at the 2016 USAV National Championships, won gold in Honduras with the U.S. U18 National team in the NORECA Championship in 2018 and helped her high school to the Texas state title in 2020. At the individual level, she was the Gatorade Texas and National Player of the year in 2020-21, an Under Armour first-team All-American in 2020 and, of course, the No. 3 prospect in the nation and No. 2 outside hitter by PrepVolleyball.com
As a nationally renowned player coming out of high school, Batenhorst committed to the University of Nebraska, where she played for three years. Her first year, however, was different than many would think.
“I graduated [high school] early,” said Batenhorst. “I got [to Nebraska] in [January 2021], and that’s whenever they flipped the season to be in the fall… it technically felt like I was redshirting.”
The extra time to get accustomed to the change in speed made Batenhorst an asset in her opening season. She started in 16 matches and had seven double-digit kill performances, averaging nearly two kills per set. In the 2022 season, she continued her success with the Cornhuskers and was named to the Louisville Regional All-Tournament Team after a 15-kill, 12-dig performance against the No. 9 Oregon Ducks.
She continued to do what she did best in her final year at Nebraska, averaging 2.25 kills per set with 54 digs and 52 blocks. The team also had one of the most unique experiences in all of women’s college sports: playing at Memorial Stadium in front of 92,000 people.
With the historic crowd backing them, Batenhorst and Nebraska swept Omaha and set a record for the largest crowd at a women’s sports event.
“I think once we got out there, we just kind of all soaked it in,” Batenhorst said. “We were all talking about [how] it looked kind of fake, like it didn’t look real that those many people were watching us… It was probably one of the best days of my life.”
After her third year at Nebraska, Batenhorst transferred to the Trojans for her graduate season and immediately lit the team on fire. USC — currently No. 20 in the nation at 17-7 — has had a great season so far, headlined by a huge upset win against Minnesota and defeating the rival Bruins in the Battle of LA. So far, Batenhorst is averaging 3.77 kills per set on a .239 hitting percentage. She is already at 354 kills this season — over 100 more than her career high at Nebraska — with six matches left to play in the regular season.
Batenhorst also had the opportunity to return to Lincoln when the Trojans played against her former Cornhuskers. The game at Devaney Sports Complex didn’t end as USC would have hoped, but it was about a lot more than just volleyball. When announcing the starting lineup, former teammates senior defensive specialist Lexi Rodriguez, senior setter Kennedi Orr and sophomore outside hitter Harper Murray all ran across the court to give Batenhorst their team’s starting lineup ball with messages clearly written on it.
Batenhorst wiped away tears at the gesture while smiling, but it did not end there. When she was announced for the Trojan’s starting lineup, the Husker crowd gave her a standing ovation.
“I’m so grateful to be a part of a new program,” Batenhorst said. “But those people obviously meant a lot for me, a lot to me, and I played there and graduated from that school and that was just home for me. It was really nice to have that support coming back and feel like I was back where I’ve always been.”
The feeling was mutual from her opposition, emphasized by head coach John Cook, who spoke openly in his postgame conference.
“She’s a Husker,” Cook said. “There’s an emotional connection there… she’s part of our family.”
Despite losing the match to Nebraska in three straight sets, Batenhorst had 13 kills while hitting at .242 percent, contributing toward her great season.
The impressive numbers so far have led her to be announced to the AVCA Player of the Year Watchlist, which she was obviously happy about.
“I think coming [to USC], I’ve been able to play all the way around and accomplish [a lot of goals] and get better all around as a player, and just have that experience moving into pro afterward,” Batenhorst said.
Whether it be at Nebraska, USC or in her professional future, Batenhorst has been, is and will always be a fan-favorite and one of the top volleyball players in the nation.