2016-2018 (AT URBANA UNIVERSITY)
- Niesen joins Wingate after three impressive seasons at Urbana University
- Urbana announced it would be closing at the end of the 2020 academic year
- Niesen had a huge junior season, earning first team All-Mountain East Conference honors
- She was named a second team Academic All-America honoree
- Her 710 digs in 2019 ranked fifth in the nation
- She was seventh in the country with 5.92 digs per set last season
- She piled up a school-record 44 digs against Notre Dame (Ohio) in 2019
- She has 1,455 digs over the last two seasons and 1,741 in her three-year career
PERSONAL
- Full name is Courtney Elizabeth Niesen
- Born on October 12, 1998
- Born in Cincinnati, Ohio
- Daughter of Ann and Iggy Neisen
- Majoring in Exercise Science
- Favorite Athlete is Tia-Clair Toomey
- Favorite sports team is USA Volleyball Team
- Favorite movies is Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
- Favorite TV show is Psych
- Favorite food is Crunchy Peanut Butter
- Most memorable sport moment is in my last official basketball game, in 8th grade, I fouled out in the second quarter.
- Favorite sport to play other than volleyball is soccer
- People I admire the most are my family and my favorite athletes
- Something people don't know about me is I have five siblings and three dogs
- Nickname: Court
- Favorite Quote: "You cannot step into the same river twice." -Heraclitus
Earned varsity letters in both volleyball and track at Roger Bacon High School...Set Roger Bacon's single-season record for most digs, with 338 during senior year...Four-time all-conference and all-district honoree...GCL Athlete of the Year as a junior...Played for club Tri-State Elite...Ranked eighth in her graduating class of 118 with a 4.0 GPA...Member of the National Honors Society and Assisi scholar program ...Earned academic honors during every quarter of high school career.
Why Courtney Chose Wingate:
"There have been a lot of unexpected moments happening during this time, and for me, connecting with Coach Collier was one of them. My previous coach, Kara Hellmann, kept working for my past teammates and me when our campus closed. She helped me connect with this exciting opportunity, as it seemed to be a great potential place to call home for the next year. The competitive environment, the positive teammates, and the driven coaches drew me in to Wingate. The interactions I had with the team always left me excited about my future in North Carolina. The opportunities to play volleyball and have a match in an academic program that would help me achieve my goals and provide connections for my future elevated my confidence in wanting to call Wingate my home for my senior year. Going into my final collegiate season of volleyball, I wanted to find a place that would keep pushing me to develop as a player as well as allow me to be myself and truly have fun, and the connection with Wingate's coaches and players showed me that they enjoy the game as much as I do and would be a great match for me. I am excited for all the opportunities ahead and am proud to say I have decided to become a member of the Bulldog family!"
Collier:
"This is truly a win-win situation for Wingate, and for Courtney. She was hoping to find an opportunity to transfer and play on a successful team, while completing her senior year of academic commitments, so coming to Wingate will allow her to do that. For us, we add an experienced all-conference level player, with three years of solid collegiate experience. In terms of her personality both on and off the court, Courtney is a perfect fit for our team dynamic. As a player, she will add tremendous value with her competitive mentality as well as her high-level backrow play. We are excited about adding her to our team for this upcoming season."
