Rodriguez Highlights All-Region Honors
huskers.com
Rodriguez Highlights All-Region Honors
Huskers.com
Five Nebraska volleyball players were honored by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) in the All-Region Awards announced on Tuesday.
Merritt Beason, Andi Jackson, Harper Murray, Bergen Reilly and Lexi Rodriguez were all named to the AVCA West All-Region Team.
Additionally, Rodriguez was named the West Region Player of the Year. Rodriguez is the third Husker ever to be named AVCA Region Player of the Year, joining Kelly Hunter (2017) and Beason (2023).
The Sterling, Illinois native is the first libero to be named an AVCA Region Player of the Year since the AVCA started recognizing region players of the year in 2017.
Rodriguez earned her fourth AVCA All-Region honor and will now look to join Kadie Rolfzen (2013-16) and Sarah Pavan (2004-07) as the only four-time All-Americans in program history.
Beason received the third AVCA All-Region honor of her career and second at Nebraska. Sophomores Jackson, Murray and Reilly were all part of the AVCA All-Region Team for the second year in a row as well. All five Huskers were also named to the All-Big Ten First Team last week.
AVCA All-America teams will be announced on Wednesday, December 18.
The Huskers will face No. 23 Dayton in an NCAA Regional Semifinal on Friday night at the Bob Devaney Sports Center, 30 minutes following the conclusion of the 6 p.m. match featuring No. 7 Wisconsin and Texas A&M.
AVCA ALL-REGION HONOREES
Merritt Beason (SR), Opposite Hitter - Gardendale, Alabama
- Beason is second on the team in kills at 2.95 per set, and the two-year captain also contributes 1.23 digs per set and has recorded 27 aces
- Beason posted 22 kills, eight digs and three blocks in a 3-2 win over No. 10 Purdue on Oct. 11
- She also had 19 kills and hit .471 with a career-high 10 blocks in a Big Ten title-clinching win at Maryland on Nov. 30
- Beason was an AVCA First Team All-American, the AVCA North Region Player of the Year, and All-Big Ten First Team in 2023, her first year as a Husker after transferring from Florida. She was also the MVP of the NCAA Lincoln Regional in 2023
Andi Jackson (SO), Middle Blocker - Brighton, Colorado
- Jackson has elevated her game as a sophomore, averaging 2.57 kills per set with a .435 hitting percentage, which ranks eighth in the nation and second among Big Ten players. Her hitting percentage also ranks third in school history.
- Jackson was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 28 after 11 kills and six blocks against Illinois and 10 kills and five blocks against Michigan
- In the final two matches of the regular season, Jackson tied her career high with eight blocks in each match
- In her freshman season in 2023, Jackson earned AVCA All-Region, All-Big Ten Second Team and Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors
Harper Murray (SO), Outside Hitter - Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Murray leads the Huskers in kills with 3.29 per set and adds 2.30 digs per set and 32 aces, the most on the team
- The sophomore outside hitter had 20 kills and hit .302 with six digs and three blocks in an Aug. 31 win over TCU
- She was also clutch with 17 kills in a 3-2 win over No. 10 Purdue on Oct. 11, and 16 kills and 14 digs in a 3-2 win against No. 9 Creighton on Sept. 10
- Murray made an instant impact as a freshman in 2023, earning Big Ten Freshman of the Year, AVCA North Region Freshman of the Year, All-Big Ten First Team and AVCA All-America Third Team honors
Bergen Reilly (SO), Setter - Sioux Falls, South Dakota
- Reilly is the only player in Big Ten history to win Big Ten Setter of the Year in both her freshman and sophomore seasons. She was also on the All-Big Ten First Team in 2023 and the AVCA All-America Second Team
- The sophomore setter collected five Big Ten Setter of the Week honors this season, which set a school record, and she was also named Best Setter at the season-opening AVCA First Serve Showcase in Louisville, Kentucky
- Reilly ranks second in the Big Ten and 10th nationally in assists per set with 11.10, and she adds 2.90 digs per set and has 20 aces. She has 16 double-doubles on the season
- Reilly has set the Huskers to a .290 season hitting percentage, which ranks second in the Big Ten and ninth nationally
- She had a career-high 60 assists to go with 17 digs in a 3-2 win against No. 10 Purdue on Oct. 11
Lexi Rodriguez (SR), Libero - Sterling, Illinois
- A four-year starter and three-year team captain, Rodriguez has climbed to No. 2 in school history in career digs with 1,843. She is chasing Justine Wong-Orantes' school record of 1,890
- Rodriguez is one of five Huskers in school history to earn four AVCA All-Region honors in a career (Sarah Pavan, Kadie Rolfzen, Mikaela Foecke and Madi Kubik)
- Rodriguez is also the fifth Husker to earn first-team all-conference honors four times in a career, joining Greichaly Cepero (1999-2002), Sarah Pavan (2004-2007), Kadie Rolfzen (2013-2016) and Lauren Stivrins (2018-2021)
- Rodriguez was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2021 and 2023, and the Big Ten Libero of the Year in 2024. She is the second player in Big Ten history to earn three Big Ten Defensive/Libero of the Year honors (Paula Gentil, Minnesota, 2002-2004)
- The Sterling, Illinois native is a three-time AVCA All-American, earning first team honors in 2021 and 2023
- This season, Rodriguez leads the Huskers with 3.81 digs per set and was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week twice, giving her seven career Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors
