Dani Busboom Kelly Sheds Light on Harsh College Sports Reality Amidst Penn State Star’s Misfortune

“This has not been an easy choice,” said Penn State volleyball’s Izzy Starck when she announced her decision to skip the 2025 season to focus on her mental health. While the sophomore’s unfortunate resolve could perennially hurt the Nittany Lions’ chances of defending the NCAA title this year, it could be welcome news for Nebraska. And yet, the Huskers’ head coach, Dani Busboom Kelly, thinks Starck’s move away from the volleyball court underscores deeper problems.

In a post on X from September 9 by Hurrdat Sports, DBK could be heard sharing her thoughts on how the high demands of college sports might have prompted the Penn State athlete’s tough call. Calling the entire fiasco “sad,” Busboom Kelly said, “I just think that college sports are such a big deal now, especially with media, social media, these players are put on pedestals; at the end of the day, they’re college students. They’re working to get their degrees…and then on top of that to be such a public figure in their sports, it’s really, really hard.”

Worth a listen…

Dani Busboom Kelly weighs in on Penn State star Izzy Starck stepping away from college volleyball due to mental health reasons. pic.twitter.com/849BaB0hIr

— Hurrdat Sports (@HurrdatSports) September 9, 2025

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