By Christina Fernández-Morrow, Hola America
With her heart racing and a victory on the line, Lexi Rodriguez locked eyes with head coach Suzie Fritz and pointed at herself for clarification: she was going in as libero for the decisive fifth set against LOVB Salt Lake on February 8, 2025, at the Maverik Center in West Valley City, Utah. It was her first time playing in a LOVB Omaha match since signing with the team in late December and the pressure to perform was palpable.
Rodriguez was nervous, but she didn’t show it. “I owe a lot of credit to all the coaches and my teammates for believing in me and showing that they have trust in me because it helps me go out there and play my game,” she said at the press conference following the match. “They make you better and they make the people around them better and so no matter who’s next to them, I think when you’re out there with them makes you believe in yourself.”
Her teammate Jaali Winters was all smiles as she commented on Rodriguez’s performance, “None of us were nervous when she came in doing the same great stuff she does at practice every day, so she came in and did what she does.”
The trust paid off. Rodriguez’s defensive skills helped secure the win against LOVB Salt Lake, solidifying their second-place standing in the league, improving their record to 4-2.
The victory sets up a thrilling showdown at the LOVB Classic (February 15-16) in Kansas City, where LOVB Omaha will put their second-place ranking on the line against the league’s highest standing teams during LOVB’s action-packed midseason tournament.
Saturday’s Feb 15th, semifinals are set: No. 3 Houston plays second-seeded LOVB Omaha at 4:30 p.m. Central and No. 5 Austin plays top-seeded LOVB Atlanta at 7. Both matches can be seen on ESPN+.
See Rodriguez and the rest of the LOVB Omaha team in action with full matches on ESPN+ or visit www.lovb.com/teams/lovb-omaha-volleyball for exclusive highlights, schedules, and to buy tickets for upcoming matches.
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