Nikki Thompson Biography

Career Notes: Finished her career with 1,315 digs, which was the second-most in program history... Posted the two-highest digs totals in school history her final two years – a record 510 as a senior in 2015 and 495 as a junior... Her 3.25 digs per set over her career was the fifth-best average in program history... Also ranked 17th in career sets played with 404.

2015 (Senior) | Match-By-Match Stats: Earned YSU's Best Defensive Player Award... Started all 29 of the matches she played in at libero and appeared in 108 sets... Broke her own single-season school record with 510 digs, and her 4.72 digs per set average in 2015 was the second-best in school history... Set a new school record for digs in a three-set rally-scoring match with 26 at UIC on Nov. 14 in the final match of her career... Went on to be named the Horizon League Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 16... In addition to her record-setting digs total, posted 21 aces and 49 assists... Averaged 4.80 digs per set in conference play... Ranked fourth in the Horizon League in digs per set... Reached double digits in digs 26 times and had at least eight in all 29 of her matches... Had at least 20 digs on 10 occasions... Her highest total of the season was 26, which she had at UIC in the finale and in a five-setter at Duquesne (9/5)... Recorded her 1,000th career dig against IUPUI on Sept. 12... Had at least 10 digs in a dozen consecutive matches from Sept. 5 to Oct. 2... Tied a career high with four assists against Cleveland State (10/30).

2014 (Junior) | Match-By-Match Stats: Played in 29 matches and 111 sets as YSU’s libero… Set a new single-season school record with 495 digs while averaging 4.46 per set, which was the second-best average in school history… Jill Raslevich had the only better average with an NCAA-leading 4.95 in 1995… Added 46 assists and 14 aces… Had 252 digs in league play for an average of 4.58 per set… Ranked fourth in the Horizon League with 4.46 digs per set… Averaged 4.58 digs per set against Horizon League opponents, which ranked fifth in the conference… Named the Horizon League Defensive Player of the Week on Aug. 2 and Oct. 6… Reached double digits in digs 25 times and recorded at least 20 on 10 occasions… Her 30 digs at Green Bay (11/8) were the fifth-most by a league player in 2014… The 30 digs also tied for the second-most by a Penguin in the rally scoring era (since 2001)… Had 29 digs in the five-set win over Virginia (9/12)… Posted 27 digs, including 11 in the first set, at Valparaiso (10/3)… Her 23 digs against Valparaiso on Nov. 1 tied a school record for digs in a three-set match in the rally scoring era… Had two aces against Evansville (8/29) and Wright State (10/24).

2013 (Sophomore) | Match-By-Match Stats: Appeared in 107 sets over 29 matches... Totaled 184 digs, three kills, seven assists and 20 aces... Averaged 1.72 digs per set and 0.19 aces per set for the year... Averaged 1.67 digs per set against Horizon League opponents... Tied her career high with 19 digs in a five-set match against Miami (Ohio) (9/14)... Had kills against Wofford (8/31), Saint Louis (9/14) and Valparaiso (11/23)... Posted two aces three times, including back-to-back matches at Saint Francis U (9/21) and Robert Morris (9/24)... Reached double figures in digs on seven occasions... 

2012 (Freshman) | Match-By-Match Stats: Played in 78 sets over 26 matches, two of which she started... Averaged a team-high 0.26 aces per set, which ranked fifth in the Horizon League, and 1.62 digs per set... Averaged 0.17 aces and 1.67 digs in league play... Totaled 20 aces and 126 digs... Recorded double digits in digs on three occasions... Her career high of 19 digs came at Green Bay (9/22)... Had 12 digs six days later in the five-set win over UIC (9/28)... Also had 12 digs against SIU-Edwardsville (9/7)... Set career highs with three assists and three aces against SIUE... Had two aces six times.

High School: As a senior, set a school single-season record with 380 digs... Earned All-Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference and All-Marion County honors as well as being named the Marion County Coaches of Girls Sports Association Player of the Year... Also named honorable mention IndyStar Super Team, an ICGSA All Star and defensive player of the year... Helped lead the Warriors to the MIC title her junior year and a sectional championship her sophomore campaign... Earned four letters... Helped Team Indiana to a third place at the AAU national tournament her junior year... Was a member of the National Honor Society.

Personal: Daughter of Mike and Michelle Thompson... Has a brother (Warren)... Major is allied health.