No. 2 Nebraska has plenty of volleyball left to play this season with a top-four seed and regional hosting duties all but locked up, but Saturday is the final regular season match of the 2024 season at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. That mean’s its senior night.
Nebraska will honor five departing seniors after Saturday’s match against No. 6 Wisconsin: libero Lexi Rodriguez, outside hitter Lindsay Krause, setter/serving specialist Kennedi Orr, opposite hitter Merritt Beason and middle blocker Leyla Blackwell.
A very special Nebraska volleyball class will be honored tonight. 🥹♥️
Happy senior day to Lexi Rodriguez, Merritt Beason, Lindsay Krause, Kennedi Orr and Leyla Blackwell. pic.twitter.com/lmQHOO2kKR
— Hail Varsity (@HailVarsity) November 23, 2024
They’ve each taken their own unique path to get to this point, but they’ve all contributed significantly to the Huskers’ success in more ways than one.
Rodriguez, Krause and Orr have been part of the program for the past four years, during which the Huskers accumulated a 112-17 record (.868), including a 67-9 mark in Big Ten play. They’ve won a Big Ten title and 12 NCAA Tournament games, finishing as national runner-up twice. With the postseason drawing near, this class will have one more chance to add to Nebraska’s trophy case.
“It feels like some of these seniors — Lindsay especially, Lexi, Kennedi — have been here forever because they committed so early, so they feel like they’ve been a part of the program,” Coach John Cook said. “So what’s going to be weird is it feels like they’ve been here for seven years. All great students, great people and great players.”
Lexi Rodriguez (Sterling, Illinois)
Rodriguez is a four-year starter and one of the best to ever don the libero jersey at Nebraska. The Sterling, Illinois, native is a three-time All-American and a two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year among numerous other awards. The next time she’ll hear her name called during lineup introductions at the Devaney Center after Saturday will be in the NCAA Tournament.
“It’s definitely something that’s bittersweet,” Rodriguez said. “I obviously don’t want my time here to end, but I think that it’s a time for all five of us to kind of celebrate everything that we’ve been able to accomplish. We’ve all had very different journeys and very different stories, but I think it’s cool to just kind of reflect and celebrate, and then it also just gives you a different type of motivation going into the last few weeks of the season.”
Rodriguez is second on Nebraska’s career digs list and has been one of the best passers in college volleyball from the moment she stepped on the floor. Her impact extends far beyond her production, however, as she is a three-year team captain as well.
“I think a big thing that I love playing with Lexi is that she tries to make the experience for everyone so special and important, and try to showcase what Nebraska volleyball is to her teammates, to people outside of the program,” Orr said. “I think that’s what I find the coolest about her is she has so much pride about Nebraska volleyball, the history, the tradition, all of her teammates and what it means to work hard as a Husker volleyball player, and she tries to show everyone what that means to her.”
Lindsay Krause (Papillion, Nebraska)
Krause, the 6-foot-4 pin from Papillion, committed to Nebraska before her freshman year at Skutt Catholic in Omaha. She won four state titles and developed into one of the top recruits in the country.
She’s filled a number of roles for the Huskers throughout her career (left side, right side, starter, reserve, serving weapon) and has battled through multiple injuries while producing some terrific performances in big moments. Krause has totaled 729 kills on a 2.51 hitting percentage. She earned Big Ten Player of the Week as a junior, playing the best volleyball of her career before an injury cut short her season.
“She’s always been someone who’s up for a challenge,” Rodriguez said. “She never shies away from it and she goes into the gym, no matter what she’s facing, and she gives 110% effort. She wants to get better, she wants to provide for this team in any way that she can, and whether she’s facing an injury, facing starting, not starting, different positions, you name it, she’s seen pretty much all of it, and she’s always been someone who’s going to be one of the biggest competitors in the gym. She’s going to push those around her. I’m just super proud of how she’s came in every single day, from day one when we stepped on campus.”
Kennedi Orr (Eagan, Minnesota)
Orr was the top-ranked recruit in the country by at least one outlet coming out of Eagen High School in Minnesota, but a torn ACL cut her senior season short. She played in two matches during her freshman year, then made 18 appearances as a sophomore while Cook switched to a 6-2 system and rotated through three setters.
Bergen Reilly beat Orr out for the starting job last season, but Orr found her way onto the court as a serving sub and has continued to contribute in that role as a senior. While she only has 15 aces in two seasons in that role, the Huskers have ripped off numerous extended runs with her at the line.
“I think she has a huge impact, more than just going in, serving and playing defense,” Rodriguez said. “She’s just such a consistent person who’s going to work her butt off and make everyone around her better, day in and day out. I think she pushes a lot of people, she supports a lot of people, and she’s a vital part of this team. I think a lot of people just say, like,’ Oh, she goes and serves, plays great defense,’ but she adds so much more than that than most people see.”
Many players in Orr’s situation would have chosen to enter the transfer portal and seek out starting opportunities elsewhere, but Orr decided to stick around to finish her career in Lincoln this season.
“There are a lot of things that Kenna does for this team,” Beason said. “How you see her on the court, just like lighthearted, really joyful, really excited to be here, that’s how she is off the court. There’s never been a moment where I have been like, ‘I can’t go to Kenna,’ or anything like that. She’s always a great teammate, first and foremost, and that’s what makes her really special. No matter what position she’s in, no matter if she’s getting screamed at, she’s going to be a great teammate. That’s what makes her so special, is her consistency and how she shows up every single day, how hard she works, like Lexi said, and then just how good of a teammate she is, day in and day out, no matter what is thrown her way.”
Merritt Beason (Gardendale, Alabama)
Beason joined the team last year after two seasons at Florida and made an immediate impact. She plugged Nebraska’s hole at opposite hitter as Krause moved to the left side and emerged as the freshman Reilly’s favorite target, averaging .376 kills per set on .282 hitting on her way to first-team All-America recognition. She’s approaching 1300 career kills between her time in Lincoln and Gainesville.
She was a team captain as a sophomore at Florida and has served in the same role alongside Rodriguez for both her seasons as a Husker.
“I’ve said it ever since she got here that she’s been an incredible addition to this team, and her leadership skills are unlike anyone I’ve ever seen,” Beason said. “Just her ability to care and love and support those around her is something truly special, and it’s been an honor to get to lead by her, but also get to learn from her. I’m always trying to get better too, and so having her always teaches me new things about leadership or volleyball, life, whatever it is. So I’ve just been truly honored and grateful that I’ve been able to work closely with her to try and get our team to the highest stages.”
Beason’s leadership has shown itself in numerous ways over the past two years, and Rodriguez said she’s learned a lot simply by watching the way Beason operates.
“You watch her interactions with her teammates, with her coaches, you watch how she’s able to compose herself in moments and really be selfless, even when she doesn’t want to,” Rodriguez said. “It’s something not a lot of people can do, and she’s able to just really channel something inside of her that has so much love and care for the people around her. I would say that’s the most I’ve learned from her, is how to be selfless, how to be supportive of those around you in more than just an encouraging way, in a deep love and trusting way.”
Leyla Blackwell (San Diego, California)
Blackwell is the newcomer to the group, transferring to Nebraska for her extra season of eligibility after one season at Indiana and three at San Diego. She’s only played in 11 matches and 20 sets as Nebraska’s third middle blocker, but she’s made the most of her opportunity, averaging 2.45 kills per set on .444 hitting and 1.35 blocks per set. Despite her limited role on the court, Rodriguez said the San Diego native’s impact on the team has been significant.
“Leyla is amazing,” Rodriguez said. “I think she’s an incredible teammate. She has so much supportiveness in her, and she’s also just so experienced and wise. She’s not the loudest. She has a calm presence, but she just has so much knowledge about teammate-ship and leadership. She’s played at a lot of different programs, she’s experienced a lot, she’s been to a Final Four. I feel like she just understands kind of what a team needs and what it takes to get to that final level. She’s amazing. I feel like she adds a lot to the middles. She helps the middles a ton, and she’s super supportive of them, super selfless with the middles. And so I feel like overall, she was just an important asset to this team, and she’s been incredible to lead by, also because she is also someone who leads both on and off the court for this team, for sure.”
On Thursday, Cook said he was trying not to think too much about the end of the road for this group of seniors. However, one thing has stood out about the team and the group of seniors leading it.
“This group really likes being together,” Cook said. “People that travel with us always mention that — they just really like each other. Last year’s team had the same feel. It’s just good group to be around. We do some fun things just within our team when we’re on the road; nothing crazy. You just notice that they really like being around each other.”
Nebraska volleyball still has plenty to accomplish this season, but regardless of the result, Saturday night is an opportunity to honor a special group of women who have given so much to the program. For those attending the match, plan to stick around a bit longer after the final point.
First serve is set for 7:10 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network.
