Senior Kendall Coley put the pen to the paper, which locked in her commitment to play basketball at the University of Nebraska Nov. 11, National Signing Day. Although Coley verbally committed back in April, she said she was glad she could make it official. 

“It was really exciting and also rewarding. The goal that I had been working towards since I was nine years old was solidified,” Coley said. 

Coley and her friend, Eagan High School senior Kennedi Orr signed together, but Orr verbally committed before Coley. 

“I was obviously excited, but I knew she had been talking with Nebraska so I was always hopeful she would go there,” Orr said. 

According to Coley, her commitment means she is living out her dreams that she has had since childhood. 

“For as long as I can remember, that was my goal—playing D1 college basketball,” Coley said. “As of right now, getting ready for the collegiate level is my goal and once I get there I’ll be making new ones.”

Coley said basketball runs in her family, as both her parents and her sister have played basketball. She said her sister’s experience and close friend Brie Orr’s experience with picking the right college worried her about making the right choice. 

“They both had situations where they didn’t want to be in that place anymore, so I guess it can be kind of scary to think about making that choice because everyone wants it to be perfect,” Coley said. 

Coley, who had offers from many other schools including Purdue University, Syracuse University and the University of Washington said while Nebraska wasn’t her top choice at first, it ended up moving up in the ranks as she learned more about them. 

“In the very beginning, it wasn’t my first choice, but then as I started making relationships with coaches from different schools things kind of changed,” Coley said. “I took a lot of unofficial visits and something about the feel of Nebraska was different and that put it in my top choices.”

Coley is grateful that Orr and her both committed to the same school, as they have a strong bond together.

“It’s nice because she’s like family, so it’s kind of nice to know I won’t ever be 100 percent without my own,” Coley said.

Orr said she is thankful for the opportunity to continue her athletic career with Coley. 

“We’ve been friends for so long, so I’m just really grateful we can go into the next chapter together,” Orr said.