Versatile Amber Rolfzen Finds Her Own Volleyball Path

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If there are two things in life for which we’re never truly prepared, it’s talented and versatile twins like Amber Rolfzen and Kadie Rolfzen, now equally powerful forces on Nebraska’s No. 4-seeded NCAA Volleyball Tournament team.

When the Huskers warm up Friday for their scheduled 7 p.m. first-round match against Harvard at the Bob Devaney Sports Center, the Rolfzen twins – who committed to Nebraska before they even played high school volleyball – will compete in their first match ever as joint first-team All-Big Ten Conference selections.

Thank John Cook for making the strategic decision to move Amber from outside hitter in her first two seasons at Nebraska to a nationally prominent middle blocker starter while Kadie continues to make her own national mark as an outside hitter,

“It's really cool to be receiving the same honor as Kadie,” Amber told me Thursday. “Now that I’ve moved to the middle, it’s almost allowed Kadie and me to separate out who we are as players. People can see us now as individuals on the court rather than both outsides.”

Amber Rolfzen Leads the Big Ten, Ranks Fifth Nationally in Blocking

Even though the move isn’t a checkmate yet on volleyball’s fast-moving chess board, the major change is definitely trending in the right direction. The proof is in the following numbers Amber has posted less than a year after making the transition:  

She leads the Big Ten and ranks fifth nationally in blocking with 1.59 blocks per set, ranking fifth in the nation. She capped the regular season with the first All-Big Ten selection of her career...Amber’s block average is the best by a Husker since Melissa Elmer’s school-record 2.17 in 2005...She posted at least five blocks in eight straight matches from Sept. 26 to Oct. 23. The last Husker to do that was three-time All-American Melissa Elmer in 2005.

Amber was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 12 following a pair of eight-block matches along with a season-best 12 kills against Michigan...She again earned the weekly defensive honor on Nov. 2 after matching her season high of eight blocks against Maryland, averaging 2.0 blocks per set in sweeps of the Terrapins and Rutgers.

Amber added a third Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honor on Nov. 30 after recording 17 kills and 15 blocks combined against Illinois and Penn State...Amber’s hitting percentage in last week’s home sweeps? A whopping .567!

Rolfzens Committed to Nebraska Before They Played High School Volleyball

I feel ask Amber if she and her sister could find any time to celebrate their joint all-conference accomplishments this week. “We didn't really celebrate much, but Kadie texted me right away and was really happy for me," Amber said. "That was a good feeling.”

The Rolfzen twins are so unified, they never considered going anywhere else to play collegiate volleyball. “The decision made sense because we grew up 40 minutes from Lincoln so everything was all about the Huskers,” Amber said. “Having Nebraska in my life ever since I was little made it easy to want to be a part of that family. I couldn't have picked a better place to help me become who I am today and help me continue to grow as a person.”

One of my favorite moments every Husker match is hearing public address announcer Steve Johnsen introduce Nebraska’s volleyball starters, and the way he emphasizes “Papillion, Nebraska” for the first three starters – the Rolfzen twins and Kelly Hunter, the Husker setter.  

“I think it speaks volumes about Coach (Gwen) Egbert honestly,” Amber says of her high school coach. “You don't just have three talented volleyball players from the same town coincidently. She pushed all of us to where we are today and without her, who knows what kind of players we would be? I'm sure visiting fans are like ‘Wow…all of them are from the same place?’ You just don't hear that kind of thing very often, especially from small-town Nebraska.”

Winning Streak, Sentimental Seniors and Destination Dream: Omaha

Having won 10 straight matches in the Big Ten Conference, I ask Amber about the team’s mission and mindset. “Go into every match playing Nebraska volleyball with ultimate trust and high energy,” she said. “Those are things you can control. As long as we control what we can control, I think things will work out in our favor.”

Wednesday evening, Cook told a number of inside supporters that Nebraska’s senior video on Huskers.com moved him to tears, and Amber Rolfzen was not surprised. “Every year, Coach gets emotional during senior videos. It's what a coach does,” she said. “He’s coached all four seniors and basically watched them grow up, so it's sad to see them leaving. But he’s happy to see how much they’ve grown. In a certain way, I think emotion is intertwined with inspired performance. You need that emotion to be inspired to want to play and give your all.”

Since Destination Omaha has been almost a Husker daily reminder since last summer, I ask Amber how she visualizes playing in a Final Four in home territory. “The Final Four is practically in my home town, so it would be awesome,” she said. “There's no better way to describe it. Having 15,000-plus Nebraska fans behind you and cheering you on gives me the chills just thinking about it. Playing in the Devaney is amazing enough, but playing in a Final Four in that kind of atmosphere would be unbelievable.” 

Amber Responds to Cook's Motivation, Values Tamas' Teaching Skills

The most exciting thing about moving to middle blocker “is being able to use my strengths at a higher level,” Amber said. “It has almost allowed me to see what I am good at and what I need to improve on. You need all the skills to be a good middle blocker, so it really lets you focus on what you need to improve on to be a more complete player.”

Amber Rolfzen describes Cook’s coaching style as “roughly motivating. He’ll always be there to fix a mistake, but he’s also right there when you make a great play in practice,” she said. “He’ll even stop practice just to go give someone a high five for something they did. It's nice to have a coach who not only pushes you but is the first one there when you succeed.” 

Amber also praises Chris Tamas (pronounced Thomas), who joined Nebraska’s volleyball staff as an assistant coach last May, along with his wife, Jen Tamas, a Husker volunteer assistant coach. “Chris has brought a lot to our team,” Amber said. “There’s no slacking in the gym at all. If a drill isn't going well, he’ll be the first to challenge us to get it done. He always has feedback for players, not just the middles. He works with anyone on the court. Chris sees the game well, and I’ve learned a lot from him in the few months that he’s been here.”

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