Nicole Fawcett
Encyclopedia
Nicole Marie Fawcett is an American
indoor volleyball
player who played for Penn State University's volleyball
team from 2005–2008, winning two NCAA National Championships
in 2007 and 2008.
During her collegiate career, Fawcett was a four-time All-American and raked up many honors, including the American Volleyball Coaches Association
National Player of the Year in 2008, National Freshman of the Year in 2005, and the Honda Sports Award
winner for volleyball in 2008.
She played professionally for Gigantes de Carolina
(The Carolina Giants) in Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino
, Puerto Rico
’s pro league in 2009.
in 1986. Her mother played volleyball at Wright State and her maternal grandfather was a pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles
in 1945.
She grew up in Zanesfield, Ohio
and was a four year volleyball letterwinner and three year track letterwinner at Benjamin Logan High School near Bellefontaine, Ohio
, where she set a school record for kills in a single season for four consecutive years and was the 2004–05 Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year.
She was a two-year member of the USA Junior National Team, including the 2004 squad that won the NORCECA gold medal in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
and was a member of the 2003 USA Youth National Team. She played club volleyball for Team Atlantis Volleyball Club and holds the Ohio state record for kills. She also a regional high jump finalist in track in 2004 and 2005.
Fawcett was considered a top three recruit in the class of 2005. She said one of the reasons she chose Penn State was because Rec Hall
was her favorite place to be in and that she compared it to every school she visited.
Freshman of the Year, a second team All-American, First Team All-Big Ten. She also became Penn State's first ever freshman to earn Big Ten Player of the Week honors.
During the season, she led the Lions and ranked third in the Big Ten with an average of 4.51 kills per game on .309 hitting and also ranked second in the league in conference-only matches with 4.53 kills per game. She led the team in kills on 28 occasions and recorded 31 double-digit kill matches, including a then-career-high 26 kills at Hawaii
.
She set an NCAA tournament record for hitting percentage in a single match, which was held since 1983, when she attacked at a career high .889 clip with 16 kills, 0 errors, on 18 attempts against Long Island
.
Other awards include the Texas
Invitational Most Valuable Player after leading Penn State to their dramatic comeback win over the Longhorns. She was also the LSU Classic MVP and the Penn State Invitational MVP.
She helped her team win their second NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship
against top seeded Stanford
on December 15, 2007 at the ARCO Arena
. She served championship point just a couple of hours before her 21st birthday. She was named to the Final Four All-Tournament Team as she had 19 kills and two aces in the NCAA championship match. In the National Semifinal win over California
, she served the final three points, including two consecutive aces, to win the match in the 3–0 win over the Bears. She was also named the University Park Regional All-Tournament Team in her helping her team to 3–0 wins over Michigan
and BYU
. Throughout the NCAA tournament, she had at least two service aces in five of the six matches she played in, helping Penn State tie the NCAA record for services aces in an NCAA tournament, set by Long Beach State in 1998.
National Player of the Year, was the Big Ten Player of the Year, and was voted as the Honda Award winner as the nation's top collegiate volleyball player.
In conference play, Fawcett had 236 kills on a .400 hitting % average. By years end, Fawcett totaled 431 kills. In the 2008 NCAA Tournament
, Fawcett had a season high 24 kills against Nebraska
in the National Semifinals in Omaha
to help Penn State to a 3–2 win, ending Nebraska's 96 match winning streak in the state. In the fifth set vs. Nebraska, Penn State was down 10–8 before Fawcett served six straight points, which included a service ace, to swing the match in favor of Penn State. The next night, Fawcett was named a First Team All-American for the third year in a row and was announced as the Division I National Player of the Year. In the National Championship against Stanford, Fawcett had the championship winning kill and had a total of 10 kills to help the Lions win their second straight national title, and was named to the NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team for the second year in a row.
Fawcett ended her career with 1,943 total kills, which ranks second in Penn State history.
----
(The Carolina Giants) in Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino
, Puerto Rico
’s pro league which began its season in January 2009. In her debut she had 16 kills and 2 blocks in a 3–2 loss to undefeated Llaneras de Toa Baja
. She got 26 kills and a block in a 3–1 win over Vaqueras de Bayamon
.
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
indoor volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
player who played for Penn State University's volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
team from 2005–2008, winning two NCAA National Championships
NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship
The NCAA has contested team championships in women's volleyball since 1981. The following is a list of the champions of each division with their record for the year in which they won the championship, and the runner up, city, site and other final four participants for division I...
in 2007 and 2008.
During her collegiate career, Fawcett was a four-time All-American and raked up many honors, including the American Volleyball Coaches Association
American Volleyball Coaches Association
The American Volleyball Coaches Association is an organization of nearly 5,000 members, incorporated as a private non-profit educational corporation in 1981, as the Collegiate Volleyball Coaches Association....
National Player of the Year in 2008, National Freshman of the Year in 2005, and the Honda Sports Award
Honda Sports Award
The Honda Sports Award is an annual award in the United States of America, given to the best collegiate female athlete in each of twelve sports. There are four nominees for each sport, and the twelve winners of the Honda Award are automatically in the running for the Honda-Broderick Cup award, as...
winner for volleyball in 2008.
She played professionally for Gigantes de Carolina
Gigantes de Carolina (women's volleyball)
Gigantes de Carolina is the professional female volleyball team of Carolina, Puerto Rico.-Current:As of April 2011* Head Coach: Javier Gaspar* Assistant coach: Angel Peña-Release or Transfer:-External links:* *...
(The Carolina Giants) in Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino
Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino
The Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino is a professional volleyball league in Puerto Rico. The competitions are organized by the Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation .-League Champions:-External links:...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
’s pro league in 2009.
High school and early life
Nicole Fawcett was born in San Antonio, TexasSan Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
in 1986. Her mother played volleyball at Wright State and her maternal grandfather was a pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
in 1945.
She grew up in Zanesfield, Ohio
Zanesfield, Ohio
Zanesfield is a village in Logan County, Ohio, United States of America. The population was 220 at the 2000 census. It is the smallest incorporated village in Logan County.-History:...
and was a four year volleyball letterwinner and three year track letterwinner at Benjamin Logan High School near Bellefontaine, Ohio
Bellefontaine, Ohio
Bellefontaine is a city in and the county seat of Logan County, Ohio, United States. The population was 13,069 at the 2000 census. It is the center of the Bellefontaine Micropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau in 2003...
, where she set a school record for kills in a single season for four consecutive years and was the 2004–05 Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year.
She was a two-year member of the USA Junior National Team, including the 2004 squad that won the NORCECA gold medal in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and was a member of the 2003 USA Youth National Team. She played club volleyball for Team Atlantis Volleyball Club and holds the Ohio state record for kills. She also a regional high jump finalist in track in 2004 and 2005.
Fawcett was considered a top three recruit in the class of 2005. She said one of the reasons she chose Penn State was because Rec Hall
Rec Hall
Recreation Building, or Rec Hall as it is more commonly known, is a field house located on the University Park campus of the Pennsylvania State University. It was opened on January 15, 1929 and is still in use. Previously, Penn State's indoor sports teams played in a building known as the Armory,...
was her favorite place to be in and that she compared it to every school she visited.
Penn State
Nicole is a 6'42005 (Freshman)
Fawcett made Penn State history, as she was named the program's first ever AVCA National Freshman of the Year. In addition, she was named the Big TenBig Ten volleyball
Big Ten volleyball represents the 12 women's teams that participate in the conference. Through 2009, Big Ten volleyball has earned a combined 17 NCAA final four appearances by 6 different teams. In 1987, Illinois became the first program to represent the Big Ten in the final four, and in 1999...
Freshman of the Year, a second team All-American, First Team All-Big Ten. She also became Penn State's first ever freshman to earn Big Ten Player of the Week honors.
During the season, she led the Lions and ranked third in the Big Ten with an average of 4.51 kills per game on .309 hitting and also ranked second in the league in conference-only matches with 4.53 kills per game. She led the team in kills on 28 occasions and recorded 31 double-digit kill matches, including a then-career-high 26 kills at Hawaii
University of Hawaii at Manoa
The University of Hawaii at Mānoa is a public, co-educational university and is the flagship campus of the greater University of Hawaii system...
.
She set an NCAA tournament record for hitting percentage in a single match, which was held since 1983, when she attacked at a career high .889 clip with 16 kills, 0 errors, on 18 attempts against Long Island
Long Island University
Long Island University is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution of higher education in the U.S. state of New York.-History:...
.
2006 (Sophomore)
Fawcett was named a First Team All-American and was also a unanimous first Team All-Big Ten pick as she played in all 35 matches and 113 of 114 games for the year. She averaged 4.27 kills per game, good for second on the team and eighth in the Big Ten. She finished the season ranked fourth on the team and sixth in the conference in hitting percentage (.331), the only pure left-side hitter in the league within the top six.Other awards include the Texas
Texas Longhorns volleyball
Texas maintains a successful women's volleyball program, as witnessed by two national championships - one AIAW in 1981 and one NCAA in 1988, in addition to 25 NCAA tournament appearances out of 28 possible years....
Invitational Most Valuable Player after leading Penn State to their dramatic comeback win over the Longhorns. She was also the LSU Classic MVP and the Penn State Invitational MVP.
2007 (Junior)
Fawcett reached exactly 1,000 kills in the first match of the season in the 3–1 win over the Texas Longhorns at Rec Hall, earning her Penn State's Golden Volleyball for 1,000 career kills. On August 31 against Cal Poly, she set a new career high for kills in a single match with 31, which was exactly five years to the day that a Penn State player recorded 30 or more kills in a match. Fawcett was one of the best outside hitters in the country, having 533 kills on the year for an average of 4.44 kills per game. The 533 kills ranked ninth on Penn State's single season record list. She led the team in aces and was one of the toughest servers in the country, having 47 aces on the year, more than her first two seasons combined. She was named an AVCA First Team All-American and a unanimous First Team All-Big Ten pick.She helped her team win their second NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship
NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship
The NCAA has contested team championships in women's volleyball since 1981. The following is a list of the champions of each division with their record for the year in which they won the championship, and the runner up, city, site and other final four participants for division I...
against top seeded Stanford
Stanford Cardinal
The Stanford Cardinal is the nickname of the athletic teams at Stanford University.-Nickname and mascot history:Following its win over Cal in the first-ever Big Game in 1892, the color cardinal was picked as the primary color of Stanford's athletic teams...
on December 15, 2007 at the ARCO Arena
ARCO Arena
Power Balance Pavilion is an indoor arena, located in the Natomas area of Sacramento, California. It is the home of the NBA's Sacramento Kings.-Background:...
. She served championship point just a couple of hours before her 21st birthday. She was named to the Final Four All-Tournament Team as she had 19 kills and two aces in the NCAA championship match. In the National Semifinal win over California
California Golden Bears
The California Golden Bears is the nickname used for 29 varsity athletic programs and various club teams of the University of California, Berkeley...
, she served the final three points, including two consecutive aces, to win the match in the 3–0 win over the Bears. She was also named the University Park Regional All-Tournament Team in her helping her team to 3–0 wins over Michigan
Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan Wolverines comprise 27 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except men's ice hockey which competes in the NCAA D1 Central Collegiate Hockey Association, and women's water polo, which...
and BYU
BYU
-Education:* Brigham Young University, a university located in Provo, Utah, USA administered by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.**BYU Salt Lake Center, a satellite center in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA...
. Throughout the NCAA tournament, she had at least two service aces in five of the six matches she played in, helping Penn State tie the NCAA record for services aces in an NCAA tournament, set by Long Beach State in 1998.
2008 (Senior)
In her final year playing for Penn State, Fawcett was named the American Volleyball Coaches AssociationAmerican Volleyball Coaches Association
The American Volleyball Coaches Association is an organization of nearly 5,000 members, incorporated as a private non-profit educational corporation in 1981, as the Collegiate Volleyball Coaches Association....
National Player of the Year, was the Big Ten Player of the Year, and was voted as the Honda Award winner as the nation's top collegiate volleyball player.
In conference play, Fawcett had 236 kills on a .400 hitting % average. By years end, Fawcett totaled 431 kills. In the 2008 NCAA Tournament
2008 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament
The 2008 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Tournament began on December 4, 2008 with 64 teams and concluded on December 20, 2008 when Penn State defeated Stanford, 3 sets to 0, in Omaha, Nebraska for the program's third NCAA title....
, Fawcett had a season high 24 kills against Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers volleyball
Nebraska is home to one of the nation's most storied collegiate women's volleyball programs. The Nebraska women's volleyball team has won three NCAA Women's Volleyball National Championships, in 1995, 2000, and 2006 and has had three NCAA National Runner-Up finishes in 1986, 1989, and 2005 as well...
in the National Semifinals in Omaha
Omaha
Omaha may refer to:*Omaha , a Native American tribe that currently resides in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Nebraska-Places:United States* Omaha, Nebraska* Omaha, Arkansas* Omaha, Georgia* Omaha, Illinois* Omaha, Texas...
to help Penn State to a 3–2 win, ending Nebraska's 96 match winning streak in the state. In the fifth set vs. Nebraska, Penn State was down 10–8 before Fawcett served six straight points, which included a service ace, to swing the match in favor of Penn State. The next night, Fawcett was named a First Team All-American for the third year in a row and was announced as the Division I National Player of the Year. In the National Championship against Stanford, Fawcett had the championship winning kill and had a total of 10 kills to help the Lions win their second straight national title, and was named to the NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team for the second year in a row.
Fawcett ended her career with 1,943 total kills, which ranks second in Penn State history.
----
Career statistics
| Season | GP/MP | Kills | K/Game | Errors | Total Attempts | Percentage | Assists | Service Aces | Digs | Solo Blocks | Block Assists | Total Blocks | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 110/34 | 496 | 4.51 | 158 | 1093 | .309 | 15 | 13 | 198 | 22 | 66 | 88 | 564 |
| 2006 | 113/35 | 483 | 4.27 | 140 | 1035 | .331 | 9 | 27 | 96 | 19 | 70 | 89 | 564 |
| 2007 | 120/36 | 533 | 4.44 | 184 | 1116 | .313 | 17 | 47 | 177 | 11 | 90 | 101 | 636 |
| 2008 | 114/38 | 431 | 3.78 | 122 | 862 | .358 | 16 | 40 | 210 | 10 | 73 | 83 | 517 |
| Total | 457/143 | 1943 | 4.25 | 604 | 4106 | .326 | 57 | 127 | 681 | 62 | 299 | 361 | 2281 |
Professional
In March 2009, Fawcett made her professional debut with Gigantes de CarolinaGigantes de Carolina (women's volleyball)
Gigantes de Carolina is the professional female volleyball team of Carolina, Puerto Rico.-Current:As of April 2011* Head Coach: Javier Gaspar* Assistant coach: Angel Peña-Release or Transfer:-External links:* *...
(The Carolina Giants) in Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino
Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino
The Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino is a professional volleyball league in Puerto Rico. The competitions are organized by the Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation .-League Champions:-External links:...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
’s pro league which began its season in January 2009. In her debut she had 16 kills and 2 blocks in a 3–2 loss to undefeated Llaneras de Toa Baja
Llaneras de Toa Baja
Llaneras de Toa Baja is the professional female volleyball team of Toa Baja, Puerto Rico.-Current:As of April 2011* Head Coach: Juan Carlos Núñez* Assistant coach: Gabriel Rodríguez-Release or Transfer:-External links:* *...
. She got 26 kills and a block in a 3–1 win over Vaqueras de Bayamon
Vaqueras de Bayamón
Vaqueras de Bayamón is the professional female volleyball team of Bayamón, Puerto Rico.-Current:As of April 2011* Head Coach: Yarelis Rodríguez* Assistant coach: Luis Aponte-Release or Transfer:-External links:* * *...
.
International competition
In June 2009, Fawcett joined the U.S. National TeamUnited States women's national volleyball team
The United States women's national volleyball team represents the United States of America in international volleyball competitions and friendly games, and is governed by USA Volleyball.-Current Squad:...
.
- 2009
- FIVB World Grand Prix (9th place)
- Final Four Intercontinental Cup (Silver Medal)
College
- Four-time AVCA All-American (2005, 2nd team; 2006, 2007 & 2008, 1st team)
- Four-time First Team All-Big Ten (2005–08)
- Four-time AVCA Mideast Region First Team (2005–08)
- 2009 Finalist for Honda-Broderick CupHonda-Broderick CupThe Honda-Broderick Cup is a sports award for college-level female athletes. The awards are voted on by a national panel of more than 1000 collegiate athletic directors. It was first presented by the late Thomas Broderick, owner of a sports apparel company, in 1977, with the first award going to...
- 2008–09 Penn State Female Athlete of the Year
- 2008 Honda Award winner for volleyball
- 2008 AVCA National Player of the Year
- 2008 Volleyball Magazine National co-Player of the Year
- 2008 Volleyball Magazine First Team All-American
- 2008 NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team
- 2008 NCAA University Park Regional All-Tournament Team
- 2008 Big Ten Player of the Year
- 2008 Big Ten Player of the Week (9/1, 9/22, 10/6)
- 2008 Hampton Inn Penn State Classic Most Outstanding Player
- 2008 Chicago Classic Championship All-Tournament Team
- 2008 Hawaiian Airlines Classic Most Valuable Player
- 2008 Unanimous Preseason All-Big Ten
- 2007 NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team
- 2007 NCAA University Park Regional All-Tournament Team
- 2007 Volleyball Magazine First Team All-American
- 2007 Unanimous Preseason All-Big Ten
- 2007 Penn State Classic All-Tournament Team
- 2007 YaleYALERapidMiner, formerly YALE , is an environment for machine learning, data mining, text mining, predictive analytics, and business analytics. It is used for research, education, training, rapid prototyping, application development, and industrial applications...
Classic All-Tournament Team - 2007 Big Ten Player of the Week (10/8)
- 2007 Penn State Golden Volleyball for 1,000 kills
- 2006 Volleyball Magazine First Team All-American
- 2006 NCAA Seattle Regional All-Tournament Team
- 2006 Big Ten Player of the Week (9/4)
- 2006 Texas Invitational Most Valuable Player
- 2006 LSU Classic Most Valuable Player
- 2006 Academic All-Big Ten
- 2006 Unanimous Preseason All-Big Ten
- 2005 AVCA National Freshman of the Year
- 2005 AVCA Mideast Region Freshman of the Year
- 2005 Volleyball Magazine National Freshman of the Year
- 2005 Big Ten Freshman of the Year
- 2005 Big Ten All-Freshman Team
- 2005 Hawaiian Airlines Classic All-Tournament Team
- 2005 Nebraska Players Challenge All-Tournament Team
- 2005 Penn State Classic All-Tournament Team
- 2005 NCAA tournament record for hitting percentage in a single match (.889)
- 2005 Big Ten Player of the Week (9/26, 11/14, 11/28)
High school
- Four-time First Team CBC (2002–05)
- Four-time First Team District IX (2002–05)
- Three-time District IX Player of the Year (2003–05)
- Three-time First Team All-Ohio (2003–05)
- 2004–05 Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year
- 2005 Volleyball Magazine Fab 50
- 2005 Prepvolleyball.com "Senior Ace" #3
- 2005 Ohio High Magazine Player of the Year
- 2005 Prepvolleyball.com National Senior Player of the Year finalist
- Ohio State kill record holder (1,513)