Gothenburg’s Reeves Commits to Nebraska
GOTHENBURG – This spring and summer, Gothenburg senior-to-be Tiani Reeves got accustomed to making the roughly three-hour trek to Lincoln to play for her Nebraska ONE club team.
In the next few years, many more people from Gothenburg may get used to the drive to Lincoln to watch Reeves play volleyball for Nebraska.
The 6-foot-1 Reeves gave her verbal commitment to play volleyball at Nebraska today. Reeves visited the University of Kansas a week ago and had an offer from the Jayhawks. She also was being recruited by Arkansas, Iowa State, Dayton and Memphis.
Reeves said she plans on redshirting her freshman year and will be a walk-on her first two years with the potential to earn a scholarship in subsequent years.
In making her decision to join the Huskers, Reeves said Nebraska simply provides the opportunity for her to accomplish her goals for college.
“When I leave Nebraska, I want to be a person who contributed to the program on the floor and I want to be a person who contributed in the community as an athlete and I want to be a better, well-rounded person,” Reeves said. “Those three things Nebraska offers to me.”
Reeves is one of the premier female athletes in the state of Nebraska. On the volleyball court, she helped lead the Swedes to a 27-5 record and a #7 spot in the final Class C-1 rankings. She finished her junior year with 368 kills with a .486 hitting percentage, 45 ace serves and 89 total blocks (50 solo).
She’s also one of the most decorated jumpers in the state in track and field. She is eighth on the state all-time charts in the triple jump with a 39-foot, 3-inch effort and she has gone 19-1 ¾ in the long jump. She won both events in Class B at this year’s state meet.
All the athletic statistics aside, both her high school and club coach couldn’t help themselves when it came to pouring on more accolades about her personality and team-first approach.
“I think the world of Tiani,” Nebraska ONE Lone Wolf coach Dee Cee Mather said. “Not every coach gets to be blessed with an athlete like Tiani. She (joined the club team) and had no attitude and always had a smile on her face and embraced her teammates and they embraced her.
“She immediately came in and felt like part of the family. We’re all very proud of Tiani and excited to go watch her play in a couple years.”
Joining the Nebraska ONE club this spring helped Reeves get a feel for high-level competition and helped make her a better player, she said.
“I think, when I look back later on, driving to Lincoln and being a part of that team will be one of the best decisions we made as a family,” Reeves said. “I was afraid about it at first, but the girls on the team were amazing. It took about 10 minutes before we were all talking and getting along and now they are some of my best friends.”
Gothenburg coach Jim Clark said the Huskers are getting a player with unlimited potential.
“We haven’t come close to touching this girl’s potential,” Clark said. “To me, going to Nebraska is a perfect fit for Tiani. Had she chose another university where they rushed her along, it would have been the wrong fit. She needs quality time and quality reps.”
Not only does Reeves say she is ready to fulfill her potential once she gets to campus next year, but she is looking forward to carrying the mantle from what small-town athletes can accomplish.
“I want people to know that if you work hard, there is no dream that is too big,” Reeves said. “Even if you come from a small town where there are more cows than people.”