With the Regis (Mass.) Pride women’s volleyball season in full swing, senior captain and outside hitter Nicole Connolly took time to sit down with Regis Athletics for a good ‘ol fashioned Q & A session. Nicole is a sports management major and is from San Mateo, Calif.
Why did you choose to come to Regis?
I chose to come to Regis because of the family feel it has. It was also one of the two schools where I could play volleyball and that was a huge part of my decision. The girls made me feel so welcomed, and being away from home - so far away from home - I needed that family feel and I definitely got it here.
So far, what has been your most memorable experience on or off the court at Regis?
My freshman year we won our first championship ever in Regis history and it was kind of cool because we were the underdog because we had mostly freshmen. I don’t think people realized what they were getting themselves into. We went undefeated in conference that year and won the championship and it was the best feeling in the world.
When Coach Turiano gives you the day off, what are you doing instead?
Sleeping. Definitely napping because, especially once school starts, we don’t get a lot of sleep.
What do you enjoy most about playing volleyball both for Regis and in general?
The girls on the team make the whole experience. I’ve made friends that I’m going to keep for the rest of my life and if I didn’t play a sport, I wouldn’t find these people. Just the jokes - the inside jokes - I mean every team has them. I’ll never forget the small experiences we’ve had travelling, staying at home, the ups and downs of being on a team - it’s life-changing.
Which of the three New England Collegiate Conference championships was the sweetest?
My sophomore year (2015) we were down two sets and we came back and won in five. Just being on the court, you could tell the fans gave up. Just to prove them wrong, that it wasn’t just a hoax that we won one time, that we could win another time, and then we also won again last year. Definitely my sophomore year.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given and by whom?
This is really random, but I was on a plane coming back from Las Vegas, coming back from a tournament, and this guy was talking to my dad and me. It was a bad tournament, we got crushed, and I was venting to this random person and he goes “Just stop thinking. Just play.” He asked, “How long have you been playing volleyball?” and I said my whole life and he said “So you know how to play, so just stop thinking.” I put that into everything I do, because if I start thinking, I start messing up, then I get in my head and everything goes downhill. I just go with the punches and see how it goes.
What is the last picture you took on your phone?
It was in Texas (on the team’s season-opening trip to the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor). In-N-Out-Burger. I hadn’t had it since I was home.
If you could sit down to dinner with one person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
Probably Michael Jackson. He was awesome and I would want to hear what he thinks about everything, the pressures that he went through. He was awesome.
What did you do for latest birthday?
I surprised my twin sister and met her at school in Reno, Nevada.
If you could have a special power, what would it be?
Definitely going back in time or into the future.
If you could live in a TV show or movie, what would it be?
Mamma Mia or Grease.
If you had a million dollars what would you do with it?
I would pay back my parents for paying for my school my whole life. I would donate some of course, and then I would try to help my mom because she has really bad back pain.
All abilities aside, if you could play a sport at Regis other than volleyball, which would you choose?
Lacrosse. It looks like a cool sport, and I can’t even do it. I couldn’t imagine someone chucking a ball at me.
What's your go-to karaoke song?
Man I Feel Like a Woman by Shania Twain - I feel like that’s everyone’s.
#KnowYourPride