Throughout her career at Nicholls, senior middle hitter Atina Porter has witnessed two coaching changes, a Southland Conference championship that was later stripped and a hurricane that forced the Lady Colonels volleyball team to play every home game away. However, that never stopped her from playing the sport she loves.

“It’s been hectic with the storms and the coaching changes, but it’s been quite an experience,” Porter said. “I look at it as a way to show me how to really appreciate what it is we do here.”

Now in her senior season, Porter has been on the court for the Lady Colonels for four years and has continued to impress her coaches with her athletic ability, according to head volleyball coach Chris Laird.

In fact, she’s done her part so well that Laird changed her from the outside to the middle hitter position.

“She played some middle for us towards the middle of last season,” Laird said. “We want to use her athleticism as much as possible, and she’s handled it just fine.”

After being away from Stopher Gym because of the storms last season, Porter said she is excited to be able to finish her college career in the gym where it began.

“We are so pumped to be able to come back home and play here for the first time in a year,” Porter said. “We already played an exciting game here for our first home game, and we are excited to be playing here and not the high school.”

Coming out of high school, Porter earned numerous accolades, including All-State honors in 2000 and 2003 and being named the parish’s Most Valuable Player twice for Destrehan.

Upon arriving at Nicholls, Porter made an immediate impact for the Lady Colonels as a freshman and finished the year with 214 kills and 10 service aces, along with 78 digs and 48 blocks defensively.

As a sophomore, Porter saw those numbers increase. She also saw her playing time increase, and she finished that season as the team leader in kills with 387 and took home Second-Team All-SLC honors.

Although her numbers dropped last season, Porter still led the team in kills (211) and blocks (55). Porter was also named to the All-SLC Honorable Mention Team.

Laird said Porter is someone he can count on this season to be the team leader.

“She’s someone who’s always on the run,” Laird said. “She knows it’s her last year, and she is trying to make the most of it.”

Porter said she is ready to be the team’s leader as its lone senior, and she hopes to lead the Lady Colonels into the top of the Southland Conference.

“I want to be somebody that (my team mates) can come talk to off the court and be somebody who can push them at the same time they’re pushing me,” Porter said. “I want us to achieve our one goal, which is getting into the Conference tournament and getting as far as we can.