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Don’t tell folks at Nicholls State University that they can’t survive the budget cuts that continue to plague higher education institutions in the state.
The Colonels announced this week that they’ve opened their new volleyball locker room – a multi-phase project that was funded entirely by private donations from alumni and supporters of the Colonels Athletic Association.
The facility officially opened its doors in April, according to officials in Nicholls’ athletic department.
The new locker room is more than twice the size of the old facility that the team has used for the past several seasons.
The hope is that it will help take Nicholls volleyball to the next level – a tool that coach Tommy Harold can use when recruiting some of the top players in the Southeast.
“When I arrived in Thibodaux, this was one of the first priorities established,” Harold said. “We knew that to get the culture right in the gym, we needed to create an environment for growth and improvement and the new locker room is a giant step in that direction. … A huge thank you is owed to our alumni, family members, fans and administrators who answered the call to push the program ahead in a big way.”
The facility is sparkling, and has everyone in the Colonels volleyball program excited about what’s to come.
The design is the third locker room renovation in the past couple years in Stopher Gymnasium, as the program’s women’s and men’s basketball teams also got new facilities in recent years. The men’s basketball facility opened its doors for the first time during the 2015-16 season.
The volleyball upgrade is similar to the facelift that the basketball facilities received, with a focus on modernization, enhanced space and maximization of space.
The facility features a player’s lounge with couches, lounge chairs and tables – a luxury that the Colonels will use for team meetings and study sessions. The facility also has a makeup area and new showers/restrooms.
In each locker, there are little touches of home, as well.
Each players will have their own USB ports and electrical outlets in their lockers to allow easy charging for phones and computers.
The locker room also has a flat-screen TV, which will be used for film study and/or relaxation channel surfing before games or during the offseason.
“This renovation is a game changer for Nicholls volleyball,” said Brandon Ruttley, the Associate Athletic Director for External Affairs at Nicholls. “Not only will it give us a brand new space, but it will give us one of the top locker room facilities in the conference. … The future is bright for Nicholls volleyball.”
Harold agrees.
He thinks that it will enable the team to have more on-court success, as well.
Nicholls volleyball is trying to climb to the top-half of the Southland Conference standings – something the team has not been able to accomplish in Harold’s first three seasons with the team.
Last season, the Colonels were 9-19 with a 4-12 record in the league. But that club had just one senior – New Zealander Alyse Barclay.
With a slew of returnees and the momentum from the offseason at his disposal, Harold thinks Nicholls will be able to use its new locker room to take the next step.
“The facility is first class in every way,” Harold said. “It’s going to help us propel the program forward. The locker room gives the team a home, a place to come together, to bond and to prepare.”
And the Colonels have its boosters to thank for that – a group that Ruttley said always comes together to do whatever it takes to help the university’s athletic program push forward.
Ruttley said the project also has a second phase, which will give Harold and his coaches new offices adjacent to the locker room. Work on that project will also be privately funded and should begin over the summer.
That too, according to Ruttley, will allow the Colonels to have a leg up in its volleyball program.
“We are so very excited that our volleyball alumni and donors stepped up to make this renovation a reality for our student athletes,” Ruttley said.
“This team couldn’t be more appreciative of the support shown by our donors and administrators who worked so hard to bring the locker room to life,” Harold added. “Those people answered the call to push the program forward in a big way.”
Anyone wishing to contribute to Phase Two of the project is asked to call Ruttley at (985)-493-2517. •
