WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The 2014 season marked the end of the careers for two influential Boilermaker senior volleyball players: KiKi Jones and Val Nichol. Behind the All-America duo, the Boilers posted a 97-38 mark, including 22 wins against Top 25 opponents, and made three straight NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearances, including an Elite Eight berth in 2013
The pair helped the Boilermakers to five wins over Top 10 opponents, including the 2013 NCAA Second Round victory over previously undefeated No. 4 Missouri. The 2013 AVCA All-Americans also have garnered five Academic All-Big Ten honors, eight Big Ten Player/Defensive Player/Setter of Freshman of the Week accolades, two All-Region honors and two All-Big Ten selections.
This week we will take a look at the accomplishments of each player individually and the impact she has made on the Boilermaker program.
Val Nichol
Val Nichol has done it all for the Boilermakers since arriving on campus from running the offense to being a major offensive threat to acting as a six-rotation performer. The Normal, Ill., native has set the standard for a multi-dimensional player, combining kills, assists and digs for four triple-doubles as a Boilermaker, the most in program history.
In 2014, the All-Big Ten selection and Sept. 1 Big Ten Setter of the Week averaged 10.08 assists, 2.29 digs, 1.25 kills and 0.67 blocks per set while starting all 32 matches. She ranked fifth in the Big Ten in assists per set and seventh during conference play (9.56), while also serving up team-best 25 aces. She tallied two double-doubles - at Iowa (13 kills, 20 assists, 10 digs) and vs. Rutgers (13 kills, 22 assists, 11 digs), and 10 double-doubles, combining assists and digs each time. In addition to dishing out double-digit assist tallies in all 32 matches, she helped team to a .250 or better hitting percentage in 17 matches, including .300 or better 12 times and .400 or better twice. The senior posted double-digit digs in 12 matches, including career-best 16 at No. 10 Illinois, and double-digit kills twice. At the net, Nichol put up five or more blocks four times, including career-best seven at Indiana. She led the Boilermakers in kills three times, blocks five times and digs four times. Individually, she hit at a .250 or better clip 20 times. A Preseason All-Big Ten selection, Nichol also was named Active Ankle Challenge MVP and to the Mortar Board Premier, KSU Owl Invitational and Holiday Inn University Plaza Invitational all-tournament teams.
All told, the third team All-America honoree piled up 903 kills, 2149 assists, 623 digs and 269 blocks. She recorded four triple-doubles, the most by an individual player in Boilermaker history, and 32 double-doubles. Nichol managed double-digit kills in 33 matches, 10 or more digs in 19 matches and double-digit assists in 76 contests. The two-time All-Big Ten honoree and 2013 All-Northeast Region honoree helped the Boilermakers to a .250 or better hitting percentage 36 times, while hitting .250 or better individually in 62 matches. The Big Ten Player of the Week and Setter of the Week selection led Purdue in assists the last two seasons, while also pacing the team in kills in 2013. A two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, the movement and sport sciences major is set to graduate in December 2015.