A young group and new coaching staff put the Nicholls volleyball team in a position to grow together while exceeding expectations for the upcoming season.
After losing ten players following the 2012 season, the Lady Colonels have three upperclassmen left. Seniors Brooke Hopper and Carley McInnis along with junior Kaylnn Egea will lead the team during the upcoming 2013 season.
Brooke Hopper, a Texas native, is looking forward to the team’s new beginnings: “With all of the new girls, there is a fresh feel to the team. We are a young team, but I think that will work to our advantage because everyone that has come in is doing great so far.”
With a team consisting of five freshmen and five sophomores, there is added pressure on the upperclassmen to be positive role models and authority figures to their younger peers. But Hopper does not mind the task. “I feel as seniors we should be the leaders and guide the freshmen because they’ve never been around this scene,” she said.
After suffering a major injury during her junior season, Hopper’s goal for her last year at Nicholls is to continue coming together as a team and make it to the conference tournament.
In addition to the new players on the court, Nicholls welcomes head coach Tommy Harold and assistant coach Ashley Allen to Thibodaux this fall. Harold, born and raised in New Orleans, coached at Loyola University. Allen joined the staff after three seasons of coaching at Jackson High School in Washington.
Harold is looking forward to all of the potential this season holds for the Colonels. “With a new coaching staff and a new group, we’ve got everybody on the same page. We are all starting at the same spot which is a good foundation for the future,” he said.
 He describes his coaching style as intellectual, explaining to his players why they are doing what they are doing in every aspect of the game.
Alyse Barclay, sophomore from New Zealand, raves about her coach’s methods of teaching: “He’s a perfectionist so everything has to be done perfectly, down to how we put the nets up. I can see if we keep improving with his coaching skills; we will do well this season.”
The Lady Colonels are looking to improve upon their 2012 season record of 11-19 and 6-12 in conference.  
The Southland Conference recently released its 2013 preseason polls for the upcoming volleyball season. Polls, based on votes from the leagues’ coaches, place Nicholls in 11th place above the University of New Orleans.
Harold remains confident that his team will exceed the expectations of the preseason predictions. “If we can make progress throughout the year, month to month, week to week, practice to practice, then the results will take care of themselves,” he said.
The Colonels will start their 2013 season on Aug. 30 at the Kathy Trosclair Memorial tournament hosted by Tulane. They are scheduled to compete against Mississippi Valley and Rider University on Friday and Tulane on Saturday.
Their schedule this season is a challenging one with 3 tournaments and 18 matches, 9 of which will be held in Stopher gym in Thibodaux.
The Colonels’ first home match is scheduled for Sept. 19 against Sam Houston.