All Huskers

Nebraska Volleyball Libero Claims Seventh Career Weekly Award

Nebraska volleyball's Lexi Rodriguez claimed her second weekly Big Ten honor of the year on Monday, as the Big Ten named the senior as the conference's defensive player of the week. It is the seventh time the libero has earned the honor.

Austin Jacobsen

Lexi Rodriguez sends a fourth-set serve.
Lexi Rodriguez sends a fourth-set serve. / Amarillo Mullen

Lexi Rodriguez continues to add more hardware for her storied career.

The Nebraska volleyball senior libero was named the Big Ten Conference Defensive Player of the Year on Monday, claiming her second weekly honor of the season and the seventh of her career. The two-time conference Defensive Player of the Year aided Nebraska to sweeps in the Pacific Northwest last week, pushing the Huskers past No. 11 Oregon and Washington.

Rodriguez averaged 4.17 digs per set in the two matches in another pair of standout defensive performances for the Big Red. During the weekend, she also surpassed Kayla Banwarth for second all-time in Husker history in career digs with 1,731. The senior continues to chase United States Olympian Justine Wong-Orantes' career leader mark at 1,890 digs.

Lexi Rodriguez passes the ball in the first set.
Lexi Rodriguez (black) passes the ball in the first set. / Amarillo Mullen

Rodriguez had 14 digs in the sweep at Oregon as the Huskers held Oregon to a .133 hitting percentage. She followed up with 11 digs and served two aces at Washington as Nebraska limited the Huskies to a .158 hitting percentage. Led by the libero, Nebraska leads all Big Ten teams with a .162 opponent hitting percentage on the season. 

The senior's award becomes another feather in the cowboy hat of coach John Cook, who continues to flex a stout defensive unit for the No. 2 Huskers. Rodriguez' honor is the fifth time a Nebraska player has earned the honor this season, as middle blockers Andi Jackson and Rebekah Allick have each been awarded. Allick and Rodriguez are now tied in defensive weekly honors earned with two each this season.

The award is now the eighth time a Husker has been given weekly conference recognition from the Big Ten. Jackson, Allick, Rodriguez, and setter Bergen Reilly have been Nebraska's honorees this season so far. Reilly has been named Setter of the Week three times.

Nebraska volleyball middle blocker Leyla Blackwell (11) celebrates a point with setter Bergen Reilly (2) against Rutgers.
Nebraska volleyball middle blocker Leyla Blackwell (11) celebrates a point with setter Bergen Reilly (2) against Rutgers. / Nebraska Athletics

Nebraska aims to keep their sweep-streak rolling back to the Bob Devaney Sports Center with back-to-back home matches against No. 16 Minnesota and Indiana on Thursday and Saturday, respectively.

MORE: Nebraska Volleyball Adds Another First-Place Vote, Remains at No. 2 in AVCA Rankings

MORE: Will Dana Holgorsen's Offense Work in the Big Ten?

MORE: Huskers Today: November 11, 2024

MORE: Nebraska Bowl Projections Heading Into Crucial USC Matchup

MORE: Injury Clouds QB Picture for Huskers and Their New Play-Caller Ahead of USC Game

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.

Published |Modified
Austin Jacobsen
AUSTIN JACOBSEN

Austin Jacobsen is a radio broadcaster and former Sports Director in Central Nebraska. He has seen the Cornhusker state from all corners; growing up in the Panhandle, completing his college degree in Kearney, working in the rural Sandhills, and now residing in Omaha. Austin is a statewide, regional, and national radio award winner and can usually be found at a high school football field on Friday nights and tuning in to the Huskers wherever they travel. If he is not on the road, Austin enjoys movie dates with his girlfriend and their dog, Ava.

Home/Volleyball