Rachel Nichols
Volleyball Experience
• Rachel has had a volleyball in her hand for as long as she can remember. “I would get home from an all day tournament and ask my mom or sister to pepper with me. If no one was up for it, I would go play against my house.”
• She was recruited to play at Salt Lake Community College, where she competed in the National Tournament in Casper, WY; was awarded SWAC Player of the Week; received 1st Team All-Region Honors and found herself in the Record Book holding records for serving, both the 3rd and 4th place records for Single-Season Assists and 1st place record for Career-Assists.
• Rachel completed her final two years of Collegiate Volleyball at the University of Alaska Fairbanks where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Justice.
• While in Alaska, she was able to travel to new places and learn even more about the game. She was named to the All-Academic Team, found her way into the Record Book for Career-Assists and was awarded MVP her senior year.
• Today, she is the Director of Blacktooth Volleyball and the Assistant Coach at Big Horn High School (2023, 2024 Back to Back 2A State Champs!)
• She was named the 2024 Wyoming Coaches Association Assistant Volleyball Coach of the Year.
Why do I coach?
“I coach because of the passion I have for the game; it’s just in my blood. The volleyball gym is the one place where we can chuck the crazy of life at the door and pour into something we love. I know the lessons that can come from playing a team sport like volleyball, and it fuels my purpose knowing that there’s youth in our community that need and want that too.”
Coach Rach is originally from Riverton, Utah and joined the Sheridan community during the summer of 2019. Growing up, her dream job answer was always “a mom and a volleyball coach”, so needless to say, she is living the dream.
What do I look forward to teaching my team?
“I am excited to teach my team that dedicating yourself to something pays off no matter the outcome. Learning how to be a good teammate on and off the court is more important than any skill you have because your character matters. Who you ARE matters. Get creative with the game. Don’t try to play perfect volleyball. Be fluid. And HAVE FUN.”
Why the philosophy of coaching "person first, athlete second" is important to me:
“The best coaches, teachers, mentors… see you for who you are, not just what you do or how you benefit them/the team. That’s what this is all about. If we get better at volleyball, great. If we become better versions of ourselves, we did it. When you lead with this, you can never go wrong.”
Other Tidbits
When she is not in the gym, Rach loves to spend time with her family and be outside. She enjoys walks, golfing and sitting down with a good book in front of her.