"Proud to get to call myself Merritt Beason & Lexi Rodriguez's teammate" - Nebraska Volleyball sophomore Andi Jackson lauds 'empowered' seniors

Nebraska Cornhuskers volleyball player Andi Jackson recently shared some kind words for her seniors, Merritt Beason and Lexi Rodriguez. This comes just after their narrow defeat to Penn State in the NCAA semifinals on Thursday, December 19.

The Huskers entered the Championship as the No.1 seed and had also superbly started their season. It defeated the likes of Wisconsin, Florida, Miami, and Dayton in their previous encounters to reach the semis. However, No.3 seeded Penn State turned up quite strongly on Thursday and halted the Huskers' journey to the finals.

This defeat also meant that the semifinal clash was Beason and Rodriguez's last match for the Nebraska Cornhuskers as they are currently in their final year of the program. Speaking in the post-match conference, Jackson who is currently in her sophomore year expressed her feelings regarding this final chapter of her two seniors.

She also mentioned the stature and caliber with which Merritt Beason and Lexi Rodriguez have carried the program for so long. She said (via Nebraska Volleyball):

"The seniors are truly the most empowered selfless women that I have ever met and they are the epitome of volleyball and they hold themselves so well and they represent our program so well. It has just been such an honor to play by their side and be their teammate and I am so proud to get to call myself Merritt and Lexi's teammate."

This was the Huskers' second defeat against State in a month. The Huskers also faced a defeat against them during their 19th match in the Big Ten Championships.

Lexi Rodriguez produced an impressive during the semifinal clash against Penn State where she inflicted 15 digs in the match. Her teammate, Beason also chipped in quite handy in the attacking front with eight kills to her name.

Nebraska Cornhuskers Sophomore Bergen Reilly praises Lexi Rodriguez for her defensive skills

Rodriguez donning the Nebraska Cornhuskers t-shirt before the 2023 NCAA semifinals (Image source: Getty)

Bergen Reilly recently expressed her thoughts regarding the defensive skills of her senior teammate, Lexi Rodriguez. Reilly bears the No.2 jersey in the Cornhuskers team and plays as a setter for them.

In an interview, Reilly stated that it has been an honor for her to play with the likes of Rodriguez and also termed her the best libero she has seen in the discipline. She said (via Hurrdat Sports):

"She’s the best libero that I’ve ever watched play volleyball, and it’s just an honor to get to play with her and to set her passes."

Lexi Rodriguez also received several major honors in the Big Ten Conference such as the AVCA All-west regional player and the Big Ten Libero Player of the Year.