Lexi Rodriguez officially ended her college career on Thursday this week, and what a career it was. She finished with 1,897 digs, making her the all-time leader in digs for the Nebraska Huskers. This impressive feat helped her surpass Olympic medalist Justine Wong-Orantes. At just 21, Lexi has already racked up four All-American awards and a Big Ten Conference championship. But despite all her accomplishments, there’s one thing missing: a spot on the 2024 NCAA All-Tournament squad.

On Sunday (December 22), the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Authority released the list of the seven players who made the cut. Of those, five came from the finalists of the NCAA Division I Volleyball Championships, with the remaining two players hailing from Penn State and Pitt Panthers. But here’s the twist—Lexi didn’t get the expected nod as the top defense specialist/libero. Instead, Harper Murray took that spot.

Now, Murray definitely earned her place with a stellar season of kills, but let’s be real: Lexi’s stats are equally, if not more, impressive. So why didn’t Lexi make the squad? The list isn’t even full, so it seems like an obvious choice, right? She’s been a defensive powerhouse this season, dominating in digs and passes. So what led to her exclusion? Fans are raising the same questions, flooding the comment section on X with reactions like, “Lexi Rodriguez got robbed.”

And honestly, the claim has legs. Throughout the season, Lexi led the Huskers from the back row. She finished her senior year with 3.91 digs per set and 1.04 assists per set, and thanks to her lockdown defense, Nebraska finished the season ranked fourth in opponent hitting percentage. Against the Huskers, opponents hit a mere .066. Not to mention, Lexi racked up several other enviable records.

In the volleyball season, her phenomenal performance earned her the AVCA Region Player of the Year title. This was the first time for a libero to land such a title. Additionally, her fourth All-American title made her the third Husker to achieve such an accomplishment. Yet Lexi Rodriguez missed the chart. With her, a few others also missed the entries. The fans have failed to accept the fact wholeheartedly. In the comment box, they have shared their disappointment. 

Fans are fuming over Lexi Rodriguez’s and a few others’ omission 

“How is there not a setter? Those kills don’t happen without one! Unreal! If it’s an all-tournament ‘team’, should probably include a setter! This is disappointing! Lexi Rodriguez also deserved to be on it as well! If we choose 18 for the BIG10 team why are there only 7 here?” A fan pointed out in the comments, and honestly, they’ve got a point. The 2024 All-Tournament squad definitely feels like it missed the mark. The list is very focused on outside hitters—just take a look. Penn State’s Jess Mruzik and Camryn Hannah, plus Nebraska’s Harper Murray, all made the cut. But where’s the balance?

It didn’t take long for fans to start calling out Lexi Rodriguez, who was noticeably absent. One fan didn’t hold back, commenting, “Eh Lexi deserved the DS/L spot. Not sorry.” Meanwhile, another fan wanted answers for a different missing player: “Where is Elena Scott.” The snub of these two left many scratching their heads, especially after seeing Penn State’s Gillian Grimes take the L/DS spot. Grimes, standing at just 5’6”, had 529 digs and 163 assists this season. Solid numbers, sure—but are they really enough to bump Lexi or Elena out of the picture? And some even pointed out how the Husker snubs don’t end there.

One fan added, “Missing Andi Jackson and Lexi Rodriguez.” Jackson, a sophomore middle blocker, wrapped up the season with 299 kills on 515 attempts, boasting a solid .439 hitting percentage. But, like Lexi, she was nowhere to be found on the list.

Fans were also quick to notice a glaring omission: the setter. “izzy starck snub. their offense would be nothing without her,” said one commenter. Starck, a 6’1” freshman, recorded 112 kills and 1,483 assists, and let’s not forget her 55 assists in the final against the Cardinals, which helped Penn State light up the scoreboard. But still, no place on the All-Tournament squad. So, with all these snubs, do you argue for such a representation of the nation’s best list?