By Brad Welborn, Northwestern State Assistant Sports Information Director; featured photo by Chris Reich, NSU Photographic Services
NATCHITOCHES – Reaghan Thompson already has an impressive list of firsts for Northwestern State volleyball in her two years as a Demon. She added another accomplishment to the list on Tuesday.
After a record-setting season on the court and another equally as strong year in the classroom, Thompson was named the Southland Conference Volleyball Student-Athlete of the Year. She is the first NSU volleyball player to receive the honor and the sixth student-athlete from NSU to receive the award in their sport since 2016-17.
Her individual honor also brings with it a First-Team Academic All-Conference nod, the first first-team selection for the Demons since Hanna Brister in 2019.
During the 2023 season Thompson broke the NSU single-season block record with 164 total and a 1.52 per set average, earning her a top 10 finish nationally in both categories, while maintaining her 3.93 GPA in NSU’s first-rate nursing program.
“Reaghan is a great example of a consummate student-athlete,” head coach Sean Kiracofe said. “Being a collegiate athlete is difficult. Anyone in a demanding major, in Reaghan’s case nursing, knows how difficult and time intensive that is. To combine both, and to also excel at both, is a credit to her work ethic. There were many times this year she was doing homework or writing papers right up to the moment we went out to the court for a match, and then picked up right where she left off when the match was over.
“Even with those academic demands, Reaghan is mentally present in practice, watching film, the weight room or anything else that can make her a better player. She has been a tremendous part of our program and University for the past two years. I can’t wait to see what else she will accomplish on the court and after she graduates.”
Not only did her blocking totals break NSU marks her 1.52 per set average broke the conference’s rally scoring era record for blocks per set. She fell just six shy of breaking the total blocks record. She led the conference in both blocks and blocks per set for the second straight season cementing herself as the best defensive middle in the league.
She had 16 matches this season with five or more blocks, tied the single match record with 13 rejections against Texas A&M-Commerce on Sept. 26 and added two more kill-block double-doubles, giving her four total in two years, three more than any other player in program history.
She became the fastest player in program history to surpass both the 200 and 300 block milestones, reaching the latter in just 61 total matches, needing just 19 matches to go from 200 to 300. Thompson currently ranks fourth all-time in total blocks in NSU history.
She also finished third on the team with 191 kills and led it for the second straight season in hitting percentage at .293. She is one of two players with two seasons ranked in the top 10 in hitting percentage at NSU, alongside Glynna Johnson NSU’s career blocks leader.