2011 as a Senior… Academic All-Big Ten… appeared in 33 matches with 27 starts… started the last 27 contests… named tournament MVP of the Iowa Invitational… team-high nine kills vs. Marquette (8/27)… career-high 16 kills vs. Oakland (9/10)… 15 digs vs. Arizona State (9/2)… career-high three assists vs. Loyola (9/10)… recorded a double-double with 11 kills and 13 assists vs. Columbia (9/16)… recorded 11 kills and seven digs vs. Ohio State (9/23)… recorded 10 kills and 11 digs against Penn State (9/24)… recorded 13 kills, nine digs and two blocks vs. Indiana (10/7)… recorded four kills and eight digs vs. Purdue (10/8)… recorded a double-double with a team-high 11 kills and a team-best 14 digs at Wisconsin (10/16)… recorded a double-double with 10 kills and 15 digs at Penn State (10/28)… recorded 10 kills and a career high 19 digs vs. Michigan, adding four total blocks (11/5)… recorded 10 kills and 16 digs vs. Indiana (11/10)… recorded 10 kills and 10 digs vs. Wisconsin (11/18)… recorded 13 kills while hitting .323 at Illinois (11/26)… letterwinner.
2010 as a Junior… Academic All-Big Ten… appeared in 28 matches with 22 starts… played in 90 sets… started the last 14 matches… picked up 11 kills and 11 digs in season openers vs. Alabama (8/27)… recorded a career-high 13 digs at Saint Louis (9/4)… matched her career high with 13 digs at Drake (9/15)… recorded five kills at Northwestern (10/8)… recorded three kills and six digs at Ohio State (10/15)… recorded four kills and six digs at Penn State (10/16)… recorded four kills, one block and six digs vs. Wisconsin (10/22)… recorded five kills, two blocks and six digs vs. Illinois (10/23)… recorded seven kills and 10 digs at Minnesota (10/27)… recorded six kills and one block at Purdue (10/5)… recorded five kills and one block vs. Michigan State… recorded five kills, nine digs and matched her career high with three blocks vs. No. 16 Michigan… recorded 11 kills at Illinois (11/19)… recorded one ace and a career best five total blocks at Wisconsin (11/20)… matched her career high with 11 kills and recorded eight digs vs. Ohio State (11/27)… letterwinner.
2009 as a Sophomore… Academic all-Big Ten… Played in 24 matches and 55 sets with eight starts… started the final eight games… recorded her first career double-double vs. Purdue (Nov. 27), setting career-highs in kills (18) digs (12) and attack percentage (.244)… served a career-best two service aces at Ohio State (Oct. 3)… recorded career-high with two solo blocks vs. Northern Colorado (Sept. 9) and three total blocks vs. Eastern Kentucky (Aug. 29)… recorded at least five kills in nine different matches.
2008 as a Freshman… Played in nine matches and 12 sets with two starts… started first career match against Illinois and tied career-high with two kills (Nov. 7)… also tallied two digs at Michigan (Oct. 24)… finished season with eight kills, three digs and two block assists.
High School… Named Iowa Class 1A Player of the Year as a senior… four-time all-state, all-district and all-conference selection… named Elite Team all-state as a senior… led Tripoli to state championship and Iowa Star Conference titles in 2004 and 2005… named to Class 1A state tournament all-tournament team as a freshman and sophomore… helped Tripoli High School to state tournament as a senior… played for the Nike Six Pack club team for four years and guided them to nationals four times… also lettered in basketball, track and softball… named all-conference in both basketball and softball… honor roll student.
Personal… Born 2/7/90… parents are Paul and Linda Nilges… has one brother, Cody, who plays football at Upper Iowa… business major.
Personal Bests
Kills: 16 vs. Oakland, Sept. 10, 2011
TA: 49 vs. Illinois, Nov. 19, 2010
Attack %: .800 vs. Chicago State, Sept. 9, 2011
Assists: 3, three times, last vs. Penn State, Sept. 24, 2011
Aces: 2, two times, last vs. St. John[apos]s, Sept. 17, 2011
Digs: 19 vs. Michigan, Nov. 5, 2011
Solo Blocks: 2 vs. Northern Colorado, Sept. 12, 2009
Total Blocks: 5, two times, last at Indiana, Nov. 12, 2011