Sterling freshman commits to play at Nebraska

Even before playing in her first varsity volleyball match Thursday night, Sterling freshman Lexi Rodriguez already knew where she’d spend the 4 years after the next 4 years as a Golden Warrior.

The 14-year-old libero verbally committed to play at the University of Nebraska during a camp in Lincoln last month.

“I’ve always wanted to play in the Big Ten and play at a big school for a chance to win, but I think until this year, I didn’t really realize that anyone was interested in me,” Rodriguez said. “I just kept working hard, and it just came up out of nowhere, and it was very exciting.”

What’s even more impressive is that the Cornhuskers are the defending national champions, and the position Rodriguez plays isn’t always the highest one on colleges’ priorities lists.

“Not many 14-year-olds, and especially 14-year-old liberos, get that offer,” Sterling coach Dale Dykeman said. “Liberos are some of the hardest positions; you see them sharing scholarships or being asked to walk on a whole lot. You don’t hardly see them getting full scholarships. So it was surprising, but it was absolutely incredible for her, and we can celebrate it and have a lot of fun with it.”

But not too much fun, apparently. While enjoying the opportunity and appreciating its uniqueness, it’s not going to change who Rodriguez is.

“She’s the most mild-mannered kid about it,” Dykeman said. “She’s not in your face; she was hesitant to even wear Nebraska stuff to school because she didn’t want people to think she was showboating. But she earned it, she deserved it, and that shows in the composure she plays with, and the ability and talent that she has, which is well beyond her years.”

Rodriguez has had quite a bit of success on the club circuit, playing for one of the top teams in the country that is based in Aurora. She was part of a national runner-up team in 2016, and helped Great Lakes Sports Performance win a national championship last month. Sterling classmate Brooklyn Borum was also on that title team this summer.

Still, Rodriguez says the offer caught her a bit off-guard – but it didn’t take too long for her to accept. It had a lot to do with the Huskers’ coaches and facilities, which really impressed the young libero.

“Playing in the environment was the biggest reason,” Rodriguez said. “The floor, the arena, just how big it all is, and how all their coaches are always encouraging and how well they’re going to train me. That environment was the main thing; it’s just amazing.”

Dykeman believes that the chance for Rodriguez to get her college recruiting out of the way already will help her on the court as she develops through high school.

“It is rare for it to happen this early, but also a kid that plays at that high of a level, it also helps her to relax a little,” he said. “A lot of kids are going through their freshman, sophomore & junior years worrying about where they’re going to go, and they don’t get to settle down until their senior year. She’s able just to settle down and play, she’s already got the commitment thing done.

“For her, a kid like that, knowing that she was on the top team at Sports Performance the past 3 or 4 years, it was something that we knew coming in that was going to be possible.”

While the early commitment might put a target on her back for hecklers and opposing teams, and put more pressure on her to perform every match, Rodriguez knows what to expect after watching her older sister, Kaylee Martin, go through the same situation after committing to Northern Illinois.

And Rodriguez wouldn’t change it for anything.

“I’m so excited for it already,” she said. “It was great to know that it’s over, and I know where I’m going to play, and now I can just focus on getting better over the years. It happened so fast, it was almost shocking, ‘Oh my God, it’s over’ – but I’m so happy that it did.”