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Former Nebraska Volleyball's Lexi Rodriguez recently etched her name in an elite list consisting of legendary swimmer Michael Phelps, former track and field athletes Carl Lewis and Joyner-Kersee, WNBA star Caitlyn Clark, and multiple-time Olympic medalist Simone Biles after winning the AAU James E. Sullivan Award. The honor was announced on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, at the New York Athletic Club.
The AAU James E. Sullivan Award is given to an athlete displaying remarkable performance at the collegiate, Olympic, or other similarly elite level in the United States. The former Nebraska Volleyball player was chosen for the honor over Trey Augustine (Ice Hockey, Michigan State), Cooper Flagg (Basketball, Duke), Ashton Jeanty (Football, Boise State), Lee Kiefer (Fencing, USA), and Ilia Malinin (Figure Skating, USA).
In the process, the former Nebraska Volleyball libero became the first Husker to win the award, and only the third volleyball player in history to earn this major distinction. Rodriguez's recent award can be attributed to her remarkable performance for the Huskers, where she concluded her collegiate career as the school's all-time career leader in digs with 1,897. The Nebraska Huskers made the announcement on Instagram by writing:
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"HISTORY WRITTEN ✍️ Congratulations to @lexi.rodriguez__ on being the first Husker to win the prestigious AAU James E. Sullivan award! Rodriguez joins an elite group of athletes and is only the third volleyball player in history to earn the honor."
Former Nebraska Volleyball's Lexi Rodriguez conveys her emotions while concluding her collegiate career
Lexi Rodriguez concluded her collegiate career with the Nebraska Volleyball following the 2024 NCAA Championships. She competed in her last game for the Huskers in the semifinal round. Following her last appearance for the program, she expressed how the Husker impacted her life while expressing her gratitude to the coaches, teammates, and fans.
"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. I'm just so grateful for everyone and I'll say it for my entire life that this program was the best thing that ever happened to me," Lexi Rodriguez said.
As a Husker, Lexi Rodriguez won multiple accolades, including the AVCA Region Freshman of the Year, AVCA All-America First Team, and Honda Sport Award for Volleyball Finalist.
