Ignoring Northwestern Volleyball’s Cellphone Name, Lexi Rodriguez’s Future Teammate Breaks Digs File Forward of Nebraska’s 2025 Season

On November 7, Lexi Rodriguez made a severe transfer up the Nebraska volleyball file books, climbing to second place on the all-time digs listing with 1,720 digs. The one particular person forward of her? Justine Wong-Orantes, the Olympian herself, with 1,890 digs. So, Rodriguez is simply 171 digs away from claiming the highest spot. Not unhealthy, proper? Alongside the best way, she’s already knocked a couple of huge names down a notch, including her recruiter, Kayla Banwarth, who occurs to sit down on that listing of legends.

It’s wild to suppose that simply 4 years in the past, Banwarth handed the baton to Rodriguez when she recruited her for the Huskers. And now, Rodriguez is at that bittersweet second the place she’ll quickly must go the baton herself, as this season will likely be her final with this system. However don’t fear, Huskers followers–they’re not precisely left within the lurch. Phrase is that they’ve already received a brand new recruit lined up, and from the seems to be of it, she’s already on hearth.

Lexi Rodriguez finds a ‘fearless’ performer in her successor 

On November 7, Lincoln Lutheran volleyball hit a significant milestone as senior libero Keri Leimbach reached 2,000 profession digs. She hit that milestone with a stable 20 digs in a sweep towards Hastings St. Cecilia. However that’s not all! Leimbach can be eyeing the Class C-2 match title, proving she’s a key participant for the Warriors. And right here’s the twist: She’s already dedicated to the Nebraska Huskers for 2025. And what place is she aiming for? The identical one was held by the legendary Lexi Rodriguez, defensive specialist/libero. So what makes Keri the following Lexi? Nicely, her teammates have some perception.

Tattooed with “Fearless, Belief, No. 4” on her wrist in everlasting marker, Leimbach is the final word staff participant. Her teammate Ava Jurevicius, explains it greatest: “She doesn’t let anybody else tackle what she’s feeling or let anybody tackle any strain. She takes the entire warmth for herself and that’s what makes her a superb chief.” Appears like a future Husker chief within the making, proper?

On a podcast, the veteran athlete mentioned, “When it comes to her [Lexi Rodriguez] poise and her management, I do know the ladies love her as a frontrunner and the best way she communicates. She instructions the courtroom. She really is the quarterback again there. To see her blossom into that function has been actually neat.” Lexi Rodriguez’s grown into that function fantastically, however Keri is about to step into her personal model of it. Whereas Rodriguez had her particular signing second with the Huskers 4 years in the past, Keri’s dedication is making its personal distinctive mark on the way forward for Nebraska volleyball.

A diehard Nebraska Huskers fan, she ignored calls from different schools

In 2023, Keri Leimbach stood because the thirty sixth recruit within the nation. She had a number of choices. Then again, John Prepare dinner, the top coach of the Nebraska Huskers, saved this system’s door open for the instate skills. The squad had already signed up Natalie Wardlow as the center blocker. Nevertheless, Keri suited the eligibility. How? Born and raised in Nebraska, the participant had performed for the Nebraska ONE Synergy staff. So her inclination was there for the Large Purple. In the meantime, she pulled off a courageous act. 

Leimbach’s dedication to Nebraska was a giant second, particularly after fielding gives from colleges like Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Ohio, and Creighton. However when it got here all the way down to it, she knew precisely the place she belonged. “I principally referred to as them and informed them I used to be going to go to my dream faculty,” Keri mentioned, reflecting on the second that sealed her future with the Huskers.

She later made it official with a celebratory Instagram publish: “I’m so, so excited to announce that I’ve dedicated to play volleyball on the College of Nebraska.” Now, simply months away from becoming a member of her dream staff, she’s gearing up for her subsequent huge chapter—however don’t be shocked if she feels the absence of Lexi Rodriguez within the camp subsequent yr. There’s plenty of management to fill, but when anybody can step into these sneakers, it’s Keri Leimbach!