Lexi Rodriguez echoed the sentiments of her fellow LOVB player Jaali Winters, still pinning her hopes on the Huskers to win the Final Four at the ongoing NCAA Tournament. The Big Reds were ousted by Texas A&M in the Elite Eight, exiting the title contention even before they ended the bid in 2024.
Rodriguez was part of the team that entered the NCAA Tournament in 2024 and missed qualifying for the finals after a tough defeat by eventual champions Penn State.
Nebraska Volleyball’s Lexi Rodriguez Is In Denial After the Huskers’ NCAA Exit
Nebraska Volleyball’s Rodriguez and her fellow LOVB players shared a moment discussing who they believed would make it to the NCAA finals. Jaali Winters, an LOVB Nebraska player who totaled 105 kills, five blocks, and 54 digs in the inaugural season, answered every question in the Big Reds’ favor, praising the outside hitters and hailing the program as No.1, even as she was repeatedly reminded that the Huskers had exited the tournament after a loss to the Aggies.
The libero shared the reel in her Instagram story, echoing Winters’ sentiments, and wrote, “Me currently” with a teary-eyed emoji.
The Big Reds entered the NCAA Tournament with a 33-0 overall and 20-0 Big Ten record, but ended their home win streak of 63 at the NCAA Regional Finals, succumbing to Texas A&M. The Aggies were a force to be reckoned with at the Bob Devaney Center with big efforts from Cos-Okpalla, Kyndal Stowers, and Logan Lednicky.
Rodriguez Was Hopeful of the Huskers Winning at the 2025 Nationals
Rodriguez won the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award in her first season, and also reached the Championship round, but exited with a runner-up finish. In 2023, she and her team reached the finals but missed the title to Texas.
READ MORE: Lexi Rodriguez Reveals Real Reason for Co-Founding She Sports and How It’s Unlike Social Media
In 2024, after a heartbreaking Final Four exit, the star libero concluded her collegiate career and turned her focus to professional volleyball. However, she never stopped dropping in on her former team and cheering on the girls during their matches. Before the Elite Eight round this year, she expressed her wish to see the Huskers win it all, as she has witnessed how hard they’ve worked to reach that level.
She lauded the players and the coaching staff, and outrightly stated that the Big Reds deserved the title more than any other program. The former Husker was named first-team all-conference four times, an achievement that made her the fifth player to accomplish this in school history. For her contribution in the 2024-25 season, she won the AAU Sullivan Award and the Nebraska Female Athlete of the Year honor.
