2024 Women's Volleyball Roster
Roster
McCardell, Nia
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Jersey Number 5
Nia McCardell
- Position:
- Libero/Defensive Specialist
- Height:
- 5-7
- Class:
- Fifth Year
- High School:
- Ridge Point HS
- Hometown:
- Missouri City, Texas
Bio
ATHLETIC ACCOLADES
2024 AAC Defensive Player of the Week (Week 1)
2024 AAC Honorable Mention (Week 9)
2023 AAC All-Conference Second Team
2023 American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week (3x)
2023 AAC Honor Roll (2x)
2022 VolleyballMag.com Honorable Mention All-American
2022 Conference USA Libero of the Year
2022 First Team All-Conference USA
2022 Conference USA All-Tournament Team
2022 Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week (4x)
2024 (Fifth Year): Concludes her career at second in program history in digs with 2,164 ... Just one of three Owls to ever post 2,000 digs in a career at Rice ... Played in 96 sets across all 27 matches the Owls played this season ... Tallied 387 digs and 4.03 digs per set, the fourth-highest digs per set figure in the AAC ... Opened the season with 35 digs, one shy of matching her career-best of 36 from 2022 ... Also tallied 55 assists to bring her career total to 392 ... Notched double-digit digs in 19 matches, including 11-straight matches to conclude the season.
2023 (Senior): Named to the 2023 AAC all-conference second team… earned AAC Defensive Player of the Week honors on three occasions and was twice named to the AAC Honor Roll… played in all 113 sets on the season… led the AAC and ranked 26th in the nation in both total digs (560) and digs per set (4.96)... ranked second on the team with 20 service aces… recorded double-digit digs in 28 of 29 matches on the year, including five matches with 30+ digs… recorded her first career double-double with 10 assists and 18 digs at Charlotte.
2022 (Junior): VolleyballMag.com Honorable Mention All-American … Conference USA Libero of the Year … First Team All-Conference USA … C-USA All-Tournament Team … four-time C-USA Defensive Player of the Week … played in 118 sets … led C-USA in total digs (553) and was second in digs per set (4.69) … in conference play, was second in digs per set (4.35) and fourth in total digs (226) … her 553 total digs are the seventh-most in a season in school history … averaging 3.82 digs per set in her career, the third-most in school history … had 29 matches with at least 10 digs, 10 with at least 20 and three with 30+ … posted a career-high 36 digs in a win over Texas Tech (9/11), tying the third-most in a match in school history … had 32 digs at No. 18 Oregon (9/3) and against No. 17 Creighton (9/18) … totaled 34 service aces, including a season-high four against Kansas State (9/16) and Charlotte (10/16).
2021 (Sophomore-Fall): Played in 90 sets...third on the team in total digs (274) and digs per set (3.04)...recorded 10 or more digs in 11 matches...posted a season-high 26 digs vs. No. 13 Oregon...totaled 12 service aces.
2021 (Freshman-Spring): Played in 73 sets...led the Owls in total digs as a freshman with 246 (3.37 dps)...12 matches with 10 or more digs, including a monster 33-dig performance at SMU (1/29), the second-most by a freshman in a single match in program history...also registered 23 digs in a win at UTSA (2/28).
High School: Graduated from Ridge Point High School in Missouri City, Texas...as a senior, was named a PrepVolleyball.com High Honorable Mention, TGCA All-State, Under Armour Third Team All-American and AVCA All-Region...also named one of the top-30 defensive players in the nation according to PrepVolleyball.com..totaled 2,327 digs, 108 aces, and 209 kills...earned first team all-district honors as a senior and was the district’s defensive player of the year, helping guide the Panthers to the 6A state title match.
Personal: Majoring in Psychology...Parents: Keenan and Nicole McCardell (one brother, two sisters)...father Keenan is a former NFL wide receiver and two-time Pro Bowler.
2024 AAC Defensive Player of the Week (Week 1)
2024 AAC Honorable Mention (Week 9)
2023 AAC All-Conference Second Team
2023 American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week (3x)
2023 AAC Honor Roll (2x)
2022 VolleyballMag.com Honorable Mention All-American
2022 Conference USA Libero of the Year
2022 First Team All-Conference USA
2022 Conference USA All-Tournament Team
2022 Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week (4x)
ACADEMIC HONORS
2023 Conference USA Commissioner's Honor Roll
2024 (Fifth Year): Concludes her career at second in program history in digs with 2,164 ... Just one of three Owls to ever post 2,000 digs in a career at Rice ... Played in 96 sets across all 27 matches the Owls played this season ... Tallied 387 digs and 4.03 digs per set, the fourth-highest digs per set figure in the AAC ... Opened the season with 35 digs, one shy of matching her career-best of 36 from 2022 ... Also tallied 55 assists to bring her career total to 392 ... Notched double-digit digs in 19 matches, including 11-straight matches to conclude the season.
2023 (Senior): Named to the 2023 AAC all-conference second team… earned AAC Defensive Player of the Week honors on three occasions and was twice named to the AAC Honor Roll… played in all 113 sets on the season… led the AAC and ranked 26th in the nation in both total digs (560) and digs per set (4.96)... ranked second on the team with 20 service aces… recorded double-digit digs in 28 of 29 matches on the year, including five matches with 30+ digs… recorded her first career double-double with 10 assists and 18 digs at Charlotte.
2022 (Junior): VolleyballMag.com Honorable Mention All-American … Conference USA Libero of the Year … First Team All-Conference USA … C-USA All-Tournament Team … four-time C-USA Defensive Player of the Week … played in 118 sets … led C-USA in total digs (553) and was second in digs per set (4.69) … in conference play, was second in digs per set (4.35) and fourth in total digs (226) … her 553 total digs are the seventh-most in a season in school history … averaging 3.82 digs per set in her career, the third-most in school history … had 29 matches with at least 10 digs, 10 with at least 20 and three with 30+ … posted a career-high 36 digs in a win over Texas Tech (9/11), tying the third-most in a match in school history … had 32 digs at No. 18 Oregon (9/3) and against No. 17 Creighton (9/18) … totaled 34 service aces, including a season-high four against Kansas State (9/16) and Charlotte (10/16).
2021 (Sophomore-Fall): Played in 90 sets...third on the team in total digs (274) and digs per set (3.04)...recorded 10 or more digs in 11 matches...posted a season-high 26 digs vs. No. 13 Oregon...totaled 12 service aces.
2021 (Freshman-Spring): Played in 73 sets...led the Owls in total digs as a freshman with 246 (3.37 dps)...12 matches with 10 or more digs, including a monster 33-dig performance at SMU (1/29), the second-most by a freshman in a single match in program history...also registered 23 digs in a win at UTSA (2/28).
High School: Graduated from Ridge Point High School in Missouri City, Texas...as a senior, was named a PrepVolleyball.com High Honorable Mention, TGCA All-State, Under Armour Third Team All-American and AVCA All-Region...also named one of the top-30 defensive players in the nation according to PrepVolleyball.com..totaled 2,327 digs, 108 aces, and 209 kills...earned first team all-district honors as a senior and was the district’s defensive player of the year, helping guide the Panthers to the 6A state title match.
Personal: Majoring in Psychology...Parents: Keenan and Nicole McCardell (one brother, two sisters)...father Keenan is a former NFL wide receiver and two-time Pro Bowler.
Rice vs. Central Arkansas Highlights
Sunday, August 31
Volleyball Exhibition vs. Houston Post-Match Press Conference
Sunday, August 24
VB Thea Carter Kick Save vs. Wichita State
Monday, August 18
2024 Night of the Owl End of Year Recap
Thursday, April 25
