LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Four Huskers earned All-America honors on Wednesday as the American Volleyball Coaches Association announced its awards.
Senior libero Lexi Rodriguez and sophomore middle blocker Andi Jackson are first-team All-Americans while sophomore setter Bergen Reilly and sophomore outside hitter Harper Murray made the second team.
Those four boost Nebraska’s nation-leading All-America count to 107.
Rodriguez averaged 3.92 digs per set while leading the Big Ten’s best defense for the fourth straight year (fourth nationally at .139 hitting allowed). She totaled double-digit kills 24 times with a high of 22, set twice — once in a sweep at Ohio State and once in four sets against Dayton in the regional semifinals.
The recognition is her fourth All-America honor — she made the first team in 2021 and 2023 and was a second-team pick in 2022. The Sterling, Illinois, native joined an elite group of four-time All-Americans at Nebraska which consisted only of Sarah Pavan and Kadie Rolfzen before Wednesday. Rodriguez is eight digs shy of tying Justine Wong-Orantes’ program record of 1,890.
“I think it’s just really cool,” Rodriguez said. “It’s something that Coach challenges everyone to come in and be their best and try and be an All-American. But ultimately I just think it’s really cool that everyone kind of believed that I could do it, and my coaches always believed in me and my teammates did. They were just always so supportive of me. I owe it all to them for all that they’ve done to help me get to where I am today.”
Rodriguez is one of four finalists for National Player of the Year, which the AVCA will announce on Friday. A libero has never won the award. Pitt opposite hitter Olivia Babcock, Wisconsin outside hitter Sarah Franklin (last year’s winner) and Kentucky outside hitter Brooklyn DeLeye are the other finalists.
Jackson elevated her play across the board as a sophomore, averaging 2.57 kills per set on .428 hitting (ninth nationally) and 1.18 blocks per set. She recorded 10-plus kills 11 times with a high of 15 and recorded five-plus blocks 14 times.
The Brighton, Colorado, native is a first-time All-American, though she earned all-region honors as a freshman last season.
“Just super grateful; definitely teared up a little bit, because it’s been a very long process, but I’ve enjoyed every second of it,” Jackson said. “Just so much gratitude because I couldn’t have done it without Nebraska volleyball, the support staff, my teammates.”
Reilly, the back-to-back Big Ten Setter of the Year, averaged 11.09 assists per set (10th nationally) while orchestrating a top-15 offense (.285 hitting). She added 2.85 digs per set and recorded 16 double-doubles with highs of 60 assists against Purdue and 20 digs against Minnesota.
She was a second-team All-American last season as well.
Murray emerged as Nebraska’s go-to pin hitter in 2024, leading the team with 3.37 kills per set on .261 hitting and 2.41 digs per set (all up from her freshman year). She led the team with 36 aces and did so while recording just 31 service errors. Murray totaled eight double-doubles with career-highs of 22 kills in the NCAA Tournament against Dayton and 19 digs in the regular season against Minnesota.
The Ann Arbor, Michigan, native was a third-team All-American and the North Region Freshman of the Year last season.
Including honorable mentions, each of the four teams at the Final Four boasts four players with All-America honors. Pitt placed three on the first team and one on the second, Louisville placed one each on the first two teams plus two in the honorable mentions and Penn State had one first-teamer, one second-teamer and two honorable mentions.
