Lexi Rodriguez retired from college volleyball as a Nebraska Huskers legend. Setting the school’s dig record in 1897, Rodriguez became one of the most prolific players in the team’s history. While the NCAA national and AVCA National Player of the Year titles ultimately eluded the 21-year-old, she may be done earning college volleyball honors.

Although the Nebraska graduate is on the cusp of making her pro debut, the volleyball icon has joined fellow college volleyball icons as the finalist for a prestigious award. Rodriguez, alongside Pittsburgh’s Olivia Babcock Pittsburgh, Kentucky’s Brooklyn DeLeye, and Wisconsin’s Sarah Franklin, is in the running for an award with a 49-year history.

As per the Executive Director of the Collegiate Women’s Sports Awards (CWSA), Chris Voelz, one of the four college volleyball icons will earn the 2025 Honda Sport Award for volleyball. For nearly five decades, the award has recognized the achievements of women in 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports. The aim of the Honda Award is to celebrate “the best of the best in collegiate athletics.”

Hence, winning this award will be no small feat for Lexi Rodriguez. Additionally, the 2025 Honda Sport Award will also act as a stepping stone. The official Nebraska Huskers website revealed the volleyball player who wins the Honda Sport Award will then become the finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the 2025 Honda Cup.

However, even becoming the finalist for the Sport Award was far tougher than you may think. The LOVB Omaha player had to earn votes from the administrators of over a thousand NCAA member institutions just to get to the final round. Yet, the fun fact about the finalist list for the Honda Sport Award is that it’s identical to the 2024 AVCA National Player of the Year award.

Pitt volleyball’s opposite hitter/right-side pin Olivia Babcock won the Player of the Year title. So, it remains to be seen if the first Libero to become the final for the Division 1 Player of the Year honor can finally crack the code in the rematch. However, it’s safe to say that Lexi Rodriguez has something more immediate and pressing to handle before focusing on the award.

Lexi Rodriguez is ready to embark on a new journey

The NCAA Championship semifinal loss to Penn State drove the Illinois native to tears. However, the 2024 AVCA Regional Player of the Year award winner pleasantly surprised fans just days after the disappointing result. While she didn’t participate in the Professional Volleyball Federation Draft, Rodriguez signed with LOVB Omaha.

A part of League One Volleyball, LOVB Omaha welcomed Rodrigues to join four other fellow Huskers on their team. The inaugural LVOB season kicks off on January 8 with a clash between Salt Lake and Atlanta at the Gateway Center Arena. However, Lexi Rodriguez will take to the court in her pro debut on January 10. The Omaha team will make their debut in an away fixture against Houston.

While the 21-year-old had returned to Illinois to spend the holidays with her family, she’s currently with her team. “Officially leaving my hometown heading to Omaha,” the 2024 Big Ten Libero of the Year posted on TikTok last week. “Officially pretty much all moved in and unpacked pretty much everything. That was my first day,” Rodriguez updated.

So in the days leading up to her pro debut, Lexi Rodriguez and her fellow LOVB Omaha members are busy with photoshoots and other pre-match obligations, including training. However, Rodriguez and her fellow Honda Sport Award finalists are the few who’ve been nominated for an award in 2025 even before playing a single volleyball match.