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Nebraska Volleyball's Bergen Reilly, Lexi Rodriguez Named Semifinalists for AVCA Player of the Year Award

The AVCA announced semifinalists for the player of the year this week, with a pair of Huskers making the list.

Kaleb Henry

Lexi Rodriguez (left), Harper Murray (middle) and Bergan Reilly celebrate a kill from Rebekah Allick.
Lexi Rodriguez (left), Harper Murray (middle) and Bergan Reilly celebrate a kill from Rebekah Allick. / Amarillo Mullen

Nebraska volleyball has some of the best players in the country.

That isn't a surprising statement. It comes on the heels of the AVCA announcing the semifinalists for the Division I Player of the Year. Several Huskers made the initial watch list earlier this year, with two making the cut among the 14 semifinalists.

Nebraska libero Lexi Rodriguez and setter Bergen Reilly are in the thick of the running for the award. Players not among the 14 semifinalists can still be added as finalists in December, though this list of 14 would be tough to crack.

The full list is below.

  • Kendra Wait, Creighton, S
  • Kennedy Martin, Florida, RS
  • Camryn Turner, Kansas, S
  • Bergen Reilly, Nebraska, S
  • Lexi Rodriguez, Nebraska, DS/L
  • Eva Hudson, Purdue, OH
  • Kami Miner, Stanford, S
  • Elena Scott, Louisville, L
  • Jess Mruzik, Penn State, OH
  • Olivia Babcock, Pittsburgh, RS
  • Rachel Fairbanks, Pittsburgh, S
  • Torrey Stafford, Pittsburgh, OH
  • Melanie Parra, TCU, OH
  • Sarah Franklin, Wisconsin, OH

Nebraska and Pittsburgh were the only schools with multiple semifinalists. The 2024 AVCA Player of the Year will be announced Dec. 20 in Louisville, Ky,, during the AVCA Convention.

Reilly, the Big Ten Setter of the Year in 2023, ranks sixth nationally with 11.12 assists per set this season. Her defense has been equally impressive, helping her to 13 double-doubles.

Rodriguez is closing out one of the greatest careers for a Husker libero. The four-year starter and three-year team captain is No. 2 in in program history for career digs, trailing only U.S. Olympian Justine Wong-Orantes. The two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year is looking to join Kadie Rolfzen (2013-16) and Sarah Pavan (2004-07) as the only four-time All-Americans in program history.

No. 2 Nebraska is back in action Thursday evening, hosting No. 16 Minnesota. First serve at the Bob Devaney Sports Center is set for 8 p.m. CST on the Big Ten Network.

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Kaleb Henry
KALEB HENRY

Kaleb Henry is an award-winning sports reporter, covering collegiate athletics since 2014 via radio, podcasting, and digital journalism. His experience with Big Ten Conference teams goes back more than a decade, including time covering programs such as the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Oregon Ducks, and USC Trojans. He has contributed to Sports Illustrated since 2021. Kaleb has won multiple awards for his sports coverage from the Nebraska Broadcasters Association and Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association. Prior to working in sports journalism, Kaleb was a Division I athlete on the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Track and Field team where he discussed NCAA legislation as SIUE's representative to the Ohio Valley Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. 

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