“She’s grown as a person, as a volleyball player, (and) as a leader of the team,” said Lexi Rodriguez‘s mother in a pre-semifinal game interview. Crystal Rodriguez explained how watching her daughter grow from a high school volleyball standout to a Player of the Year finalist has been incredibly rewarding. She also disclosed how the defensive specialist elevated her chosen position.

During the interview, KETV’s Lauren Michelson didn’t shy away from saying how libero’s often don’t get the spotlight they deserve. The reporter asked what Rodriguez’s mother thinks about her daughter “changed the game for liberos” across the board. Crystal Rodrigues didn’t beat around the bush with her response either.

Knowing Lexi Rodriguez’s journey to stardom was not an easy one, the Huksers star’s mother knows what her daughter has accomplished. “She took a position that was very undervalued and somehow found a way to make that valuable,” Lexi Rodriguez’s mother told Lauren Michelson. Even coach John Cook agreed with Mrs. Rodriguez’s opinion on liberos being undervalued.

In another pre-game interview, Coach Cook opened up about the National Player of the Year finalist. “I think for years, everybody just thought liberos… You know, somebody that’s short, and small… pass the ball and nobody really pays attention to that,” confessed John Cook. However, the veteran coach admitted that Rodriguez has changed that perception.

And while Lexi Rodriguez has impressed and inspired the next generation with her skills, she’s also set an example as a role model. “There’s all these young girls now that want to be liberos, that’s pretty cool,” added the 68-year-old. Surprisingly, before the 21-year-old came along, Cook himself was hunting for a tall libero who could cover the court efficiently.

How Lexi Rodriguez defied Coach John Cook’s expectations

When the defensive specialist first attended a recruitment camp for the Huskers, Cook was impressed but hesitant to commit. “I always thought she was too short. I didn’t want to recruit her,” confessed coach John Cook. Thankfully, the three-time AVCA Coach of the Year didn’t get the final say. “My assistant at the time, basically overruled me,” revealed Cook.

Despite her short stature, then assistant coach Kayla Banwarth realized Lexi Rodriguez’s potential. And while John Cook finally relented and offered a contract to the young libero, he didn’t expect the Illinois native to shatter his expectations. However, today Coach Cook isn’t the only one who has been pleasantly surprised at Rodriguez’s growth into an icon. Even her parents are surprised.

“Never in our wildest dreams did we believe her success, that she’s had, would happen,” added Crystal Rodriguez. And Mrs. Rodriguez’s words aren’t difficult to believe, as the 21-year-old has built an incredible legacy at Nebraska. Besides winning All-American honors four times in four seasons, the libero has become a trailblazer.

“For the first time ever, a libero has been named as an @avcavolleyball Regional Player of the Year!” The Huskers announced on December 10. As if that wasn’t enough, she also won Libero of the Year and is among the finalists for the AVCA National Player of the Year award. Will the Nebraska Huskers star win this honor too? Let us know what you believe.