Russ Rose Then (2013): “Nia has continued to improve and I believe she has the potential to become a dominant volleyball player at the collegiate level. She’s quick off the ground, on the ball fast, and as long as she continues to learn the nuances of the position, she will continue to grow as a player.”
Russ Rose Now (2025): “Nia was a good high school player and exceptional athlete in Ohio. Nia played a lot for us and always hit for a high percentage. Nia was quick off the ground and could really hit the slide well. We had great success while Nia was playing, and her numbers were always good. She was a valued contributor to the program’s success and played pro ball for a number of years, both in Europe and for Athletes Unlimited. I know she remains active in the game through club ball and I believe she just started a recruiting service for kids to play internationally.”
2013 Season (Junior)Highlights and Awards: 2013 National Champion … selected to the AVCA All-Northeast Region team and earned AVCA All-America honorable mention honors.
Season Recap: Played in 35 ;matches this season (33 starts) and 118 of 127 sets … finished 5th on the team with 208 kills, averaging 1.76/set … her .350 hitting percentage ranked 2nd on the team and 5th in the Big Ten … tallied 38 aces in 2013, ranking 2nd on the team … posted 5 kills, 1 ace and 3 block assists against No. 19 Louisville (8/31) … Tallied 4 kills, 3 aces, 4 digs and 3 blocks at No. 6 Texas (9/7) … Ranked 3rd on the squad with 8 kills, 1 ace and 1 block against No. 8 Florida (9/8) … registered 9 kills on .667 hitting against No. 15 Michigan State (9/27), adding 2 digs and 2 blocks … had 8 kills, one dig against No. 10 Michigan (9/28) … matched a season-high mark with 9 kills at No. 24 Purdue (10/5), adding 2 blocks and 2 aces … tallied 4 kills, 4 digs and 1 ace against No. 11 Minnesota (10/9) … posted 4 kills, 4 digs and 1 ace against No. 19 Wisconsin (10/12) … matched a career high mark with 11 kills at Northwestern (10/20), adding 1 ace … posted 4 kills on 6 errorless swings for a .667 hitting clip at No. 14 Michigan State (11/2), posting 2 aces and 4 total blocks … posted 7 kills, 3 digs and 2 blocks at No. 14 Wisconsin (11/15) … matched a career-high mark with 11 kills against Northwestern (11/22), adding 2 aces and 3 blocks … notched 4 kills, 1 dig and 3 blocks at No. 10 Nebraska (11/30).
NCAA Tournament: Led the team with 7 blocks against LIU Brooklyn (12/6), adding 6 kills … notched 5 kills, 2 digs and 2 blocks against Utah (12/7) … Had 5 kills and 5 digs vs. MSU (12/13) … posted 4 kills and 4 digs against No. 7 Stanford (12/14) … Had 6 kills, on 1 ace, 2 digs and 4 blocks in the NCAA national semifinal match against No. 3 Washington (12/19) … posted 4 kills, 1 dig and 4 blocks in the national title match against No. 12 Wisconsin (12/21).
Before Penn State: Three-year varsity letterwinner and team captain at Howland High School in Warren, Ohio … led the team in kills and blocks as a freshman … earned the Outstanding Achievement Award for volleyball as a sophomore … named the District I Volleyball Player of the Year, named MVP, and picked up District I Division I First Team honors as a junior … named to the Under Armour Watch List as a senior … Volleyball Magazine ‘Fab 50’ … four-year letterwinner in track & field.
