By Aaron Bonderson, Nebraska Public Media
Former Nebraska volleyball player Lexi Rodriguez won the James E. Sullivan Award on Tuesday. The award goes to the best college or Olympic athlete of the year.
The award, which comes from the Amateur Athletic Union, recognizes achievement in competition and qualities of leadership, character and sportsmanship.
“To be here with Olympic and World champions, it hasn’t sunk in yet.” Rodriguez said in a statement. “Thank you to the AAU for this incredible honor and (I) want to give credit to all the athletes nominated. It’s been an incredible couple of days.”
She’s the first Husker volleyball player to win the award and just the second Husker athlete to ever win the award. Olympic Gold medal wrestler Rulon Gardner won in 2000. Rodriguez is just the third volleyball player to receive the Sullivan Award.
In previous years, four different NU volleyball stars were nominated but didn’t win: Kelsey Robinson, Mikaela Foecke, Kelly Hunter and Annika Albrecht.
Notable past winners include Caitlin Clark, Peyton Manning, Michael Phelps and Carl Lewis.
Rodriguez earned All-American honors all four years at Nebraska and was the team’s all-time leader in digs.
The senior helped the Cornhuskers reach three final fours, including two national runner-up finishes.
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