Former Nebraska Volleyball player Lexi Rodriguez opens up on legendary coach John Cook’s initial hesitation to induct her in team

Former Nebraska Volleyball player Lexi Rodriguez reflected on the Huskers’ ex-coach John Cook’s initial hesitation to induct her into the team. Rodriguez committed to the Nebraska Huskers team in August 2017, during a camp at the University of Nebraska.

She verbally committed to legendary Coach Cook and the Cornhuskers while she was a freshman in high school in Sterling, Illinois. Although Rodriguez earned numerous accolades during her run with the Cornhuskers, her journey began with doubt and rejection as the then-coach Cook was searching for a tall libero. However, the national team’s former libero, Kayla Banwarth, convinced coach Cook that, despite being 5′ 5″, Rodriguez was a good fit.

Reflecting on the initial moments of uncertainty in an interview with Hailvarsity, Rodriguez said:

“I kind of knew it, but I didn’t know know that it was Kayla until I got to college, obviously, but she was always talking to me in the recruiting process, the months leading up, and I would say I have never been coached by her, but I would say I have a really special relationship with her to this day. I’ll still talk to her. She will still wish me luck and congrats and everything like that, and so I don’t know, I think it was really special, and I’m always so honored that she saw something in me from the ripe age of 14. So that was always really cool, and then obviously, I think Coach Cook came around.”

Nebraska Volleyball’s ex-libero Rodriguez competed in her first year as a freshman for the Huskers in 2021.

Former Nebraska Volleyball player Lexi Rodriguez reflects on her first volleyball tour at the program

Former Nebraska Volleyball player Lexi Rodriguez looked back at her first volleyball tour at the program. She attended the tour when she was in the eighth grade. She opened up about how the culture at the Nebraska Volleyball fascinated her.

“Yeah, I always knew I wanted to play in the Big Ten, I just I watched it, my mom always watched it, and it was just the place to be for volleyball, and so when I was there, it was already one of my top three schools, and then being around the facilities and just, you hear all their talk about tradition and culture and everything, they show you all their trophies, and the All Americans.” (via profootballnetwork)

Lexi Rodriguez was offered a scholarship at the end of the three-day camp.