Career Overview: A powerful attacker with great leaping ability, Nikki is one of the Braves top returning outside attackers ... Will compete for a spot as one of the team’s primary passers in addition to challenging for a starting spot among the Braves attackers ... Enters her final season as the Braves active career leader in matches played, kills and digs.
Junior Season (2006): Played in 27 matches, starting 17 times ... Ranked third on the team with 185 kills and a 2.53 kills per game average ... Was fifth on the team with a 1.82 digs per game average ... Averaged 2.72 kills per game in Missouri Valley Conference play ... Had a career-high 19 digs against Southern Illinois to go along with a season-best 16 kills ... Notched three double-doubles on the year ... Finished the year strong, averaging 4.11 kills per game and hitting .190 in her final four matches.
Sophomore Season (2005): One of four players to appear in all 33 matches, she started 22 times ... Earned all-tournament honors at the Pepsi Challenge to open the season averaging 3.7 kills and 3.0 digs per game in the matches, which included career highs of 22 kills and 17 digs against Eastern Illinois ... Ranked second on the team with a 2.55 kills per game average and her 2.00 digs per game average was fifth on the squad ... Posted four double-doubles on the year and had double figure kills totals 11 times and 10 or more digs seven times ... Had 15 kills and hit at a .480 clip against Belmont.
Freshman Season (2004): Appeared in 26 matches and started nine as a true freshman ... Averaged 1.64 kills and 0.96 digs per game ... Recorded a season-high 14 kills at Southern Illinois ... Had a five-match stretch midway through the season, where she averaged 2.39 kills and 1.72 digs per game ... Nearly notched her first career double-double with a nine-kill, 17-dig effort against Loyola-Chicago ... Served up a season-high three aces at Illinois-Chicago to go along with eight kills.
High School: Earned honorable mention All-Ohio honors, while also garnering first-team all-conference and all-district honors as a senior ... A four-year starter in volleyball, Pierzchala was named second-team all-district as a junior and earned all-conference honors in both volleyball and track ... Named MVP of her high school squad her senior year ... In track, she earned first-team all-conference honors in the 4x100 relay and second-team all-conference honors in the high jump ... During her three-year track career she earned a total of six all-conference honors and was a regional finalist three times, while holding the school record in the high jump.
Club Competition: Was a six-year member of Toledo Volleyball Club.
Personal: The daughter of Steve and Gina Pierzchala ... Double majoring in spanish and philosophy ... The oldest of four children, she has one brother Matthew (18) and two sisters Melissa (17) and Danielle (14) ... Named to the Bradley Athletic Director’s Honor Roll following four of the last five semesters.
