Nicholls volleyball inks 3 signees

It’s no secret that the Nicholls volleyball team is struggling and in need of a drastic overhaul.

The Colonels won just 4 games in 2017, then fired coach Tommy Harold. His replacement, Jay Van Vark, lasted less than a season. The Colonels won 3 games this past fall and Van Vark was placed on administrative leave before the season ended.

He later resigned and a search is ongoing to tab his replacement.

So while the answer as to who will lead the Colonels off the court is still a mystery, the answer has who will be on the floor for the next several years became crystal clear last week.

The Colonels announced three signees this week — Jackis Alanis, Lilly Bivens and Devon Bright — all players who land at Nicholls with tremendous accolades.

Interim head coach Chelsi Carter said all three players will help fill some of the Colonels’ needs.

While Nicholls struggled last year, they were also young, fielding just three seniors.

These new faces will mix with a talented underclassman crop to try and bring stability to the struggling program.

Alanis is a powerful, dominant outside hitter.

While at Rowe High School in McAllen, Texas, she was named a MaxPreps Preseason All-American — one of the Top 36 volleyball players in the country.

At the high school level, Alanis was a four-time First-Team All-District hitter. She won District MVP her junior year and Offensive Player of the Year as a Senior.

She is a powerful, dominant hitter, but she’s also a tremendous athlete. In high school, Alanis was a track and field star, in addition to her volleyball prowess. She was a three-time district champion in the triple jump — a skill that carries favorably to the volleyball floor because of her ability to jump quickly when the ball is in play.

Carter said Alanis will provide leadership off the floor and dominant play on it. She’s expected to make an early impact at Nicholls — a player who could someday earn All-Conference accolades, according to Carter.

“Through the recruiting process, it did not take long for me to realize Alanis is a sweet and proper young woman,” Carter said. “On the court, Alanis is a quick-twitch, spunky, competitive and high-flying athlete. She is a great addition and she will leave her legacy at Nicholls.”

If Alanis is a dominant outside hitter at Nicholls, she will likely receive several of her kills because of the ball placement of Bivens.

Bivens is a 5-foot, 9-inch setter from Providence High School in Clarksville, Indiana. She is listed as the third-best player in the state and 44th best in the country by MaxPreps.

She holds the Providence all-time single-season record with 1,250 assists and she’s helped lead an offense that won four-straight sectional titles. Bivens earned IHSVCA Class 4A South All-District honors her final two seasons and she was nominated as an Under Armour All-American as a senior.

Carter said Bivens is a floor general who will give leadership to the Colonels’ offense.

“Lilly is feisty and knows how to run the show,” Carter said. “The accolades she has earned are only the top of the surface for this young woman. The intangibles she possesses are off the charts and I cannot wait to have her in our gym.”

Bright is also a decorated prep player. She is a 5-foot, 10-inch outside hitter from Milton High School in Georgia. She was named the Class 7A All-Region Player of the Year and was a member of the First-Team. On the floor, her team had success, making a playoff run all the way to the Georgia Class 7A State Championship Game.

Bright was a Georgia MaxPreps Player of the Week for the week of Oct. 14. During that period, she recorded 83 kills, 37 digs, four blocks and three aces in just 14 sets.

Carter said Bright is an elite athlete who is just reaching the beginning stages of what she can be on the floor.

Carter said colleges were reluctant to offer the outside hitter because of her height. But the Colonels took a chance because they said the performance and statistics speak for themselves.

“Devon flies on the volleyball court,” Carter said. “She is an absolute gamer and wants the ball in pressure situations. She had to face adversity early in the recruiting process, but never gave up. The adversity pushed her out of her comfort zone and helped make her the stud that she is today. Bright is a passionate, relentless, hard-working, brilliant, creative and savvy young woman, who never let her height define her as a volleyball player. I’m excited to see this young woman grow.”

—

The Colonels are expected to announce their new hire in the coming weeks.

Athletic Director Matt Roan said it is a national search.

3 signees

Follow Casey on Twitter for more. 

https://twitter.com/casey_gisclair