Watching the Nebraska volleyball program athletes in action is a delight to be savored every time. As the Huskers continue their stellar Big Ten run (14-0), the players make it evident that this year they have set their eyes firmly on the national title after finishing as the runners-up last season. Unsurprisingly, their emphatic campaign is turning heads on every level of the sport.

Just days ago, libero Lexi Rodriguez received a special nod from the Big Ten conference for her contribution to the team’s victory streak. Rodriguez was named the Defensive Player of the Week by the Big Ten conference for the seventh time in her career, highlighting just how incredible she has been during her time at Lincoln. And now, the Nebraska volleyball senior looks to be on her way to receiving a nomination for adding another feather to her illustrious cap.

The official AVCA social media account took to X on November 14 to reveal the second set of 2024 Division I Player of the Year Award nominees. When the first set of athletes was named yesterday, NCAA fans were stunned to see that no Nebraska volleyball fans were on the list. However, this time, things have been compensated well.

Along with Rodriguez, today’s list also named sophomore Bergen Reilly, whose setter skills have been a driving force behind the Huskers’ success this season. With 11.12 assists per set in the ongoing season, Reilly’s nomination isn’t unfounded. She also won the 2023 Big Ten Setter of the Year Award and will look to add another feat to her trophy cabinet this time around. The finalists will be revealed in December, in Louisville, Kentucky, before the AVCA convention begins, as noted by the recent social media update. Moreover, the video explains that any player who’s not on the semifinalist list can still make it to being a finalist if they can make the coming weeks count.

Nebraska and Pittsburgh are the only two programs that have multiple athletes named on the AVCA’s latest list of Player of the Year nominees. However, looking at how Rodriguez is dishing out one of the best performances of her career, many fans would argue that the three-year Nebraska volleyball caption should have a strong chance of winning the AVCA honor. In terms of career digs, Rodriguez is already the second-ranked athlete in program history. With the nominations of two players this season, the Huskers once again affirmed its elite status in the country’s collegiate scene.

The Nebraska volleyball program continues to make ripples everywhere

The Huskers finished the 2023/24 season painfully close to the NCAA title, only to be subdued by the Texas Longhorns at the final game in Tampa, Florida. However, this time, a 21-match winning streak is sending out a sonorous message that John Cook and his squad are determined to bring the NCAA trophy to Lincoln for the first time since they last won it in 2017.

Thankfully, the fans have gotten behind the proposition wholeheartedly and are doing their best to ensure that the Huskers aren’t running short on support. As the Nebraska volleyball players traveled to Oregon recently, the Huskers Nation also made their voices heard at the Matthew Knight Arena as Rodriguez & Co. trounced over the Ducks.

“I had no idea we had this many Nebraska fans in Oregon,“ grinned coach Cook after the Huskers’ clean sweep over their opponents, and even managed to meander around comparisons to Caitlin Clark with style and poise. However, the fans weren’t having any of such conversations and were quick to point out that Nebraska was enjoying fandom long before the WNBA star was even known to her followers.

Nebraska volleyball also ranks in the top two as per rankings of the AVCA and the DI Committee, underscoring the team’s eliteness. But will that also reflect on December’s AVCA Player of the Year Awards? What do you reckon? Share your predictions with a comment!