"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 died on Oct. 8, 2024. Fabrizio was 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 death. She also played in Serie A2 with Volley Hermaea Olbia before joining 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 an Instagram post over the weekend, Adriana penned a heartfelt message for her father.

"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 Adriano played in the Huskers' win over Washington University on Friday, recording nine kills and a pair of blocks.

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Nebraska Volleyball coach Dani Busboom Kelly talks about win over Washington

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

Nebraska volleyball coach Dani Busboom Kelly talked about the team's 3-0 victory over Washington in a press conference after the game (Timestamp: 0:30):

"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 Nebraska's coach after John Cook's retirement in January. She remains undefeated in her tenure at 16-0 for the top-ranked Cornhuskers.