Former Nebraska volleyball libero Lexi Rodriguez won the AAU James E. Sullivan Award, honoring the most exceptional athlete at the collegiate, Olympic, or other similarly elite level in the United States. Rodriguez becomes the second Nebraska athlete to be so honored and the first Husker volleyball player.
Rodriguez beat out Trey Augustine (Ice Hockey, Michigan State), Cooper Flagg (Basketball, Duke), Ashton Jeanty (Football, Boise State), Lee Kiefer (Fencing, USA) and Ilia Malinin (Figure Skating, USA) to become the 95th Sullivan Award winner. She joins former Husker wrestler Rulon Gardner, the 2000 Sullivan Award winner, as the only two Nebraska athletes to win the award.
Rodriguez earned the award after four other Nebraska volleyball players had previously been finalists for the honor: Kelsey Robinson (2014-15), Mikaela Foecke (2016-17 and 2018-19), Kelly Hunter (2017-18) and Annika Albrecht (2017-18).
Rodriguez was a four-time All-American, a four-time All-Big Ten honoree, and three-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Award honoree. She holds the school record for career digs with 1,897.