Sporting unique haircuts is more than a style statement for athletes. Competitors in several different sports often style their hair in ways that reflect their personalities. However, for college volleyball icon-turned-pro Lexi Rodriguez, something that was part of her hairstyle throughout her four years in college has grown to become a superstition.

For the 21-year-old former Nebraska Husker, that thing is a scrunchie. “If you guys are new here, I wore the same white scrunchie my entire four years at Nebraska. It was definitely my biggest superstition. Had to have the white scrunchie, or else bad things are gonna happen,” the LOVB Omaha member informed her fans on social media. So now, she’s in a pickle and needs the fan to help her out.

The Libero asks the fans to help her decide

“Okay, guys, we need to have a serious chat. I really am conflicted with this hair situation,” the BIG10 Defensive Player of the Year said in a clip. That is because Lexi Rodriguez wants to try new hairdos, but the superstition is holding her back. While losses have come for Rodriguez even on the days she didn’t forget her scrunchie, she probably won far more when using the white hair tie.

Yet, why the conflict now? After all the defensive specialist wore the scrunchie for four years and it’ll pair perfectly fine with LOBV Omaha’s white and green color theme. Well, the answer may lie in the recent photoshoot Rodriguez did with the team. The Libero sported bubble-like braids during the photoshoot but immediately missed the scrunchie. “I wrong? Like, should I not retire the scrunchie?” she asked in her TikTok video.

“I was thinking maybe I switch it… Do some like, green, white. Maybe I can find a navy blue one? I don’t know if we’re gonna do bubbles,” said the 2024 AVCA Regional Player of the Year, before getting overwhelmed with the options. “I honestly need your guys’s opinion,” Lexi Rodriguez pleaded with the fans.

She also told them to hurry up, as LOVB Omaha will make their debut against Houston on January 10. And while the whole thing may sound trivial to some, you may be surprised to learn that even Olympic legend Usain Bolt faced a hairstyle problem before his final Olympic appearance.

Lexi Rodriguez now finds herself in the dilemma that once plagued Usain Bolt

Usain Bolt made the big revelation seven years after retiring from his pro-running career. The talk show host Jonathan Ross asked Bolt last year if they had any superstitions during his career. While the eight-time gold medalist initially denied it, he revealed that he discovered something right ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics.

“Every World Championships I would grow my hair out but at the Olympics, I would cut it,” the Olympian told the host. However, when one of his friends asked the world record holder not to cut his hair ahead of Rio, Usain Bolt freaked out. Just like Lexi Rodriguez, Bolt looked back, thinking he had won every Olympic gold medal with a shaved head.

“I go, ‘I’m not going to chance it… I’m going to cut my hair.’ So that’s the only thing I’ve really picked up on,” explained the legendary track and field icon. So even though some may not pay heed to Lexi Rodriguez’s situation, even the little things often make or break an athlete’s mindset going into a crucial match. And nothing can be more crucial to Rodriguez right now than making her pro debut.