Today, things are absolutely thrilling for volleyball fans in America. Two separate professional volleyball tournaments are on side-by-side, providing a crucial opportunity for stars like Lexi Rodriguez to pursue their volleyball dreams at home. Both League One Volleyball and the Pro Volleyball Federation are also witnessing incredible footfall at almost all the games, irrespective of where the matches are being scheduled.

However, this popularity of the sport wasn’t achieved in a day. Instead, Nebraska alum Lexi Rodriguez believes the Huskers were one of the main reasons that volleyball gained such widespread attention across the US. Now that’s a bold claim, right? But did the former Husker have facts to back it up?

Lexi Rodriguez recalls Nebraska’s historical moment

In a post on X by 93.7 The Ticket from January 14, the former Huskers captain noted how her alma mater contributed to the massive growth of volleyball in America. Talking to Strick and Austin, Lexi Rodriguez recalled how the match between Nebraska and Omaha in 2023 acted as the gateway for many new fans of the sport. “Starting with Memorial Stadium, that game really I think just exploded the sport. I think if you look at just the attendances and stuff around volleyball after that game, it wasn’t even just in Nebraska. everywhere around the country, it was blowing up,” Lexi told the show’s hosts.

On August 30 two years ago, the Lincoln Center saw 92,003 volleyball fans flocking to watch the game, which the hosts won 3-0, and set a new attendance record in women’s sports. That, Lexi Rodriguez says was a seminal moment for women’s volleyball. “People were just like, ‘Oh, I wanna watch volleyball now’. And I think it really set the tone over the past two years,” she elaborated how that single match ushered in a new era for the sport without even realizing it.

“Fans in America take college sports so seriously,” she counted her blessings for being part of the community that is always ready to rally behind rising athletes. On top of that, she also mentioned that having the LOVB and the PVF is also helping. “Just having that next level for volleyball like the NBA, the NFL, and all of those. And so, if there’s an opportunity for volleyball players to take after college, I think that’s everything,” she beamed with pride as she underscored how Nebraska has been the pivotal point for such a change. And it’s not just the professional leagues that have leveraged Nebraska’s fandom either.

The Nebraska effect was felt at all levels

An outdoor volleyball tournament jointly hosted by Newark Catholic High School and Newark High School saw a remarkable turnout for a high school volleyball match in September last year. “After watching Nebraska play outside, we started working on the details of the event,” said one of the hosts, giving a shout-out to the Huskers. More than 500 fans flocked to the event. Even though it was pretty far off from Cornhuskers’ numbers, it was still a notable feat considering volleyball wasn’t a big thing some time ago.

Moreover, the 2024 NCAA season saw multiple programs recording their new attendance records over the months. The Nebraska Huskers themselves are owners of some of the top indoor attendance records in the USA, and when they traveled to Oregon to face the Ducks last year, the fans once again flocked to the stadium to cheer for Rodriguez & Co. That helped Oregon set a new record in attendance record of 8,566 fans. However, the visitors defeated the Ducks 3-0 at the Matthew Knight Arena, and head coach John Cook was justifiably elated.

As far as professional volleyball is concerned, the Omaha Supernovas also saw a staggering number of fans in its match against Atlanta Vibe. 13,486 fans filled up the CHI Health Center to cheer for the defending PVF champs, and their support didn’t go in vain as Omaha won 3-2. Lexi Rodriguez, on the other hand, is yet to make her professional debut with LOVB Omaha and experience the frantic support again. Do you think volleyball fans in the state will once again give their best to support the Nebraska icon? Tell us how you think her first pro action will turn out in the comments below!