Gabrielle “Gabby” Nichols, a 6-foot-4 middle blocker, became the third member of Penn State women’s volleyball’s 2025 recruiting class when she verbally committed to the Nittany Lions Saturday morning.
“I am incredibly excited to announce my verbal commitment to further my academic and athletic career at Penn State University,” Nichols wrote on Instagram.
Nichols joined outside hitter Marin Collins and libero/defensive specialist Lexi Gin in picking Penn State, with Collins having committed to the Nittany Lions on June 18 and Gin following later that month on June 29.
Nichols previously played club for VolleyFX, based out of Rochester, New York, but is moving to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, ahead of her junior season of high school volleyball, as her father, Demetris Nichols, recently joined the Wake Forest men’s basketball staff as an assistant coach.
Nichols was a second-round NBA draft pick of the Portland Trailblazers in 2007 following a standout career at Syracuse, where he scored more than 1,300 points and earned unanimous first-team All-Big East honors as a senior.
Nichols played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls, and New York Knicks before continuing his playing career in Europe. He was a graduate assistant at his alma mater and served as the interim head coach of the Toronto Raptors’ G League team last year.
Gabby recently participated in USA volleyball’s NTDP summer training series July 12-17 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. One of the college coaches in attendance who worked with Nichols’ age group was Utah assistant and four-time Penn State national champion libero Alyssa D’Errico.
A two-time AVCA Phenom List honoree, Nichols has reportedly touched at least 10’7″ with her vertical leap. As of the publication of this article, Nichols’ family has yet to decide which high school she will attend and which club program she will join in North Carolina. She spent the last two years at Christian Brothers Academy in Syracuse.
Nichols’ arm strength and athleticism are immediately evident while watching her club highlights, which you can find here on Hudl. Nichols is wearing No. 5 in the videos. Midway through her high school career, Nichols is already building a reputation as one of the top middle blockers in the 2025 recruiting class.
Katie Schumacher-Cawley and her staff are off to a strong start next cycle with Nichols, Gin, and Collins verbally committed to the Nittany Lions the summer before their junior year. Whether through the transfer portal or high school recruiting, Schumacher-Cawley and her staff, which now includes Penn State great Megan Hodge Easy, have shown an impressive ability to identify and secure talent.