Ana Bellinghausen brings her passion for Nebraska volleyball to 'State of Volleyball,' a new monthly series exploring the athletes, coaches and stories behind the state's signature sport.
Ana Bellinghausen talks about volleyball for a living. She covers it, studies it and interviews the sport’s biggest stars. This fall, she’ll step into a new role as host of State of Volleyball.
The surprising twist: she never played the sport.
“My number one goal was always to play college basketball and go to the WNBA,” she laughed.
Bellinghausen loved basketball and softball, but never running. In fact, she says she hated it growing up in Elkhorn. But after finding her speed in high school, she transformed herself into a sprinter at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. The experience shapes her work.
“My biggest thing as a reporter…is just to show the humanity of athletes and show they have struggles just like everybody else,” she said. When a national assignment covering Creighton volleyball came her way, Bellinghausen immersed herself in learning the sport. She even reached out to former Creighton coach Kirsten Bernthal Booth for help.
“I emailed Coach Booth one day and was like, ‘Hey, can you teach me volleyball?’” Bellinghausen said. “She was really somebody that helped me understand the game more.”
Now, as host for State of Volleyball, she hopes to help fans understand the players, coaches and programs that make Nebraska a national volleyball powerhouse.
She also wants young girls to see new possibilities. As a volunteer for the She Sports app, Bellinghausen answers questions about confidence, leadership and overcoming adversity.
“My biggest saying is, “If you can see it, you can be it,’” she said. “Representation matters so much for the younger generation.”
Bellinghausen credits Nebraska Public Media for introducing generations of Nebraskans to the sport through its early volleyball broadcasts. And she remains inspired by the state’s unmatched passion for the game.
“I can go anywhere in the country, and nobody will care about volleyball in the way that Nebraskans do,” she said. “There’s nothing like it!”
When she’s not covering sports, Bellinghausen can be found hiking, traveling or singing her way through daily life, but volleyball is one of her true passions. It’s a reminder that sometimes the most devoted champions find their way to a sport from the sidelines.
State of Volleyball debuts with new monthly episodes, digging deeper into the stories, athletes and communities that fuels Nebraska's passions for the game at the collegiate and professional levels. The show premieres Thursday, Aug. 20 at 9 p.m. CT on Nebraska Public Media, and can be streamed on the PBS app and YouTube.
Published August 2026