"If I am who I am today, it’s thanks to you"- Nebraska volleyball’s Virginia Adriano shares emotional message on father’s death anniversary

Nebraska Volleyball star Virginia Adriano shared a heartfelt message on social media for her father, Fabrizio Adriano, who passed away on October 8th, 2024. Fabrizio was also a volleyball player for Bus Torino in Italy and supported Virginia in her journey to become a pro volleyball player. His final years were marked by a severe motorcycle accident that left him in a wheelchair.

Fabrizio Adriano was able to see Virginia play in Serie A1 for Bergamo before his passing last year. She also played in Serie A2 with Volley Hermaea Olbia before joining up with the Nebraska Volleyball team for the 2025 season, coming into the team as one of the brightest talents from Italy. She has represented the Italy U23 National Team, where she won a gold medal at the European Championships in 2024.

In a post on Instagram, Virginia penned a heartfelt message for her father, Fabrizio.

"I will always be proud of you. For the strength you put in, for the battles you fought, for the moments when you chose the light, even when there was darkness inside. I carry you inside me every day. And if today I am the person I am, it is also thanks to you. Thank you for your love, sometimes silent, but always present, strong, and constant. Thank you for being the kind of father whose absence hurts so much."

"And I hope you will never forget how grateful I am that you are my father, because I am proud to be your daughter. I will love you forever, Slow soul and kind heart, Now you are free to run, Virginia."

Virginia Adriano played in the Huskers' win over Washington University on October 10th, where she recorded nine kills and a pair of blocks.

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Nebraska Volleyball head coach Dani Busboom Kelly makes feelings known on win vs Washington

Busboom Kelly at the 2024 Division I Women's Volleyball Championship - Source: Getty

Nebraska Volleyball head coach Dani Busboom Kelly made her feelings known on the team's victory over Washington. In a press conference after the game, she said: (0:30 onwards)

"We had talked about Washington and that they're playing really well. They dig a lot of balls. They don't make a ton of errors. They're really going to make you earn your kills. Even though it wasn't the absolute cleanest game we've played, I thought it was one of our better games, just the aggressiveness, the serving, the passing, everything was just really good."

Dani Busboom Kelly took over as head coach of the Nebraska Volleyball team after the retirement of John Cook. She remains undefeated in her tenure so far.