Lexi Rodriguez shares 1-word reaction on Dani Kelly joining the Nebraska Cornhuskers as the head coach

Lexi Rodriguez recently shared her thoughts on Dani Kelly rejoining the Nebraska Cornhuskers, as their head coach. Kelly once represented the Huskers at the NCAA Championships and was a part of the team that won the NCAA Championships in 2006.

The official Instagram page of NCAA volleyball recently shared the news with the caption,

"The torch has been passed 🤝 @coachdbk, who won a National Championship as a senior captain with @huskervb in 2006, returns home to her alma mater as the fourth head coach in Nebraska volleyball history. #NCAAWVB"

Rodriguez not only shared the news on her Instagram story but also reacted to the latest development:

"Iconic!"

Screengrab of Lexi Rodriguez's Instagram Story [Image Source: Lexi Rodriguez's Instagram]

Dani Busboom Kelly used to play for the Cornhuskers as both setter and libero. Kelly was a part of the team that reached the finals of the NCAA Championships in 2005, and subsequently, the winner of the 2006 NCAA Championships. Interestingly, Kelly is one of the few players to have won the NCAA Championships as both the player and the coach. In 2015, she was the assistant coach when the Nebraska Cornhuskers won their fourth NCAA title.

Lexi Rodriguez recently bid goodbye to her collegiate career in 2024 after the Cornhuskers lost to the eventual champions from Penn State Nittany Lions in the NCAA Championships semifinals. She is now a part of Team Omaha in the League One Professional Volleyball (LOVB).

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Lexi Rodriguez on the retirement of her former coach John Cook

Lexi Rodriguez on the retirement of her coach John Cook [Image Source: Getty]

Lexi Rodriguez recently turned emotional on the retirement of her former coach John Cook. Cook had served the Cornhuskers for more than two decades before calling it quits in early 2025, after the end of the NCAA Championships 2024.

Rodriguez expressed her thoughts on her Instagram story as she wrote,

"Thank you for taking a chance on me coach, your belief was so valuable in my career. Nebraska will miss you."

Screengrab of Lexi Rodriguez's Instagram Story [Image Source: Lexi Rodriguez's Instagram]

Rodriguez also talked about her bonding with the Huskers. In a post-match press conference after the loss to the Penn State Nittany Lions, Rodriguez said,

"All the people, all my teammates, and all the coaches. Just everyone, every single person part of this program. Just truly amazing people and they just really changed my life and they just believed in me every single person, every single day from the moment I stepped on campus and you can't find that anywhere, you truly can't."

Lexi Rodriguez had joined the Nebraska Cornhuskers in 2021. She had led the Cornhuskers twice to the finals of the NCAA Championships in 2021 and 2023 respectively.