The Nicholls State volleyball team has qualified to make the postseason, where they will be the seventh seed in the Southland Conference tournament after beating Southeastern University in the conference finale.
A major factor in this year’s postseason push can be attributed to this year’s cast of six seniors, who have played for three different head coaches during their tenure at Nicholls. Outside hitters Kathryn Stock and Jennifer Brandt, setter Nancy Taylor, and middle blockers Jessica Addicks, Amanda Newlin and Sarah Terry make up this year’s senior class.
Head coach Patrick Hiltz is very proud of his seniors and what they have accomplished this season. However, he has been impressed with their perseverance throughout their careers here at Nicholls.
“I would describe these seniors as resilient, considering they have had three coaches in their time here,” Hiltz said. “For the ones who have been here for their whole career, its impressive how they have stuck it out and rallied around one another, which has started to show as of late.”
While coming into a new program, Hiltz said this group of upperclassmen has made his transition to head coach at Nicholls easier.
“They have definitely helped me learn because at first, they knew the routine here at Nicholls better than I did,” Hiltz said. “So it has been a combination of them showing what they have done in past years to be successful paired with the new spin I wanted to put on things.”
As of late, Hiltz has noticed a difference in his players. He has witnessed them truly depend on one another, in a stronger way than he has seen from them in the past.
“It has been nice to see them turn the corner over the past few weeks,” Hiltz said. “I have seen a lot of smiles on faces, and we, as a team, have experienced a lot of moments when everyone’s guard has been down, which my goal was all along.”
Newlin, a Clearwater, Kansas native, spoke of the importance seniors play on a team.
“Being a senior means being a leader,” Newlin said. “You have the job of being the heart of the team and showing the underclassmen what is expected of them.”
While leading by example, these seniors made great memories and battled in several hard-fought matches. Two matches in particular stick out as a favorite to a trio of these upperclassmen.
“My favorite match of the year was our senior night game versus Stephen F. Austin,” said Terry ,who is majoring in general studies. “We played hard as a team, and everyone wanted to do their part on the team to win. It was a fun and competitive match to be a part of.”
Brandt, despite the final result, agreed with Terry’s selection of the SFA game as her favorite match from this season.
“Even though we lost in five sets, I thought our side played as a team and never gave up,” Brandt said.
Due to the unassuming statistics, the Colonels totaled versus Lamar on the road, Addicks chose that five-set win as her favorite matchup of the year.
“According to the stat sheets that day, we should have lost,” Addicks said. “But we out-hustled Lamar for the victory.”
When looking at this season as a whole, Newlin has realized the emotional connection she has developed with this game.
“This season has meant everything to me,” Newlin said. “I love playing this game and playing my senior season has held so much emotion. The quote, ‘Sometimes there are no next times, no timeouts and no second chances…sometimes it is now or never,’ says it all for me.”
As most college athletes would agree, playing a sport at such a high level teaches you many life lessons that are beneficial outside in the real world.
Stock has learned through her time at Western Nebraska Community College, where she won a national championship and her time at Nicholls, the benefits of staring adversity in the face.
“I have learned to push forward in the face of trials, no matter how everyone else treats you, what is going on in your life, or how you feel,” Stock said. “Put a smile on your face, do what your team needs you to do, and give it your all every second.”
Addicks has learned a similar lesson during her volleyball career, except she has discovered the power of remaining calm in a difficult situation while enjoying the experience.
“I have realized the importance of staying calm when you are down,” Addicks said. “When the pressure was on us during a game, we would always play better when we were calm and had fun.”
After undergoing the rigorous commitment of practices and games and enduring the physical and mental exhaustion associated with it, what Terry and Taylor will both miss the most will be the camaraderie that has developed between them.
“The one thing I will miss the most about Nicholls volleyball is the relationships that I have made with my teammates,” Terry said.
“I will definitely miss my team the most because I have made so many friends that I could not see myself without,” Taylor said.
For every student, college is a time of preparation and maturation. According to Stock and Brandt, the time they dedicated to volleyball helped them to prepare for their future.
“College has taught me the importance of working with others through my relationships with teammates, coaches, classmates and teachers,” Stock said. “I know this will help me with future bosses, children, coworkers, etc. I have also been prepared by making sure to work my hardest every single day.”
“It has taught me that you cannot always get what you want,” Brandt said. “But if you have the opportunity to get what you want, you have to work hard for it.”
With hard work in their mind and their careers in hindsight, these seniors will lace up their shoes in what might be their last match as a Colonel on Friday, when they face Sam Houston State. In two meetings thus far against the conference two-seed, the Colonels have fell short both times.
Despite the history, the Colonels will certainly give it their all. According to Hiltz, now that his team is in the postseason, anything is possible.
“It is a matter of getting in and giving your team a chance,” Hiltz said. “Everyone is going to have a chance to beat anybody. So the important thing is now that we are in, we have to get hot.”
One thing is for certain: the seniors have played a large role in the team’s route to this point. In order to win, they will have to continue what they started.