4
Sara Nielsen
Position
Setter
Height
5'11"
Class
Senior
Hometown
Glen Ellyn, Ill.
High School
Benet Academy
NIL Opportunities
Contact
AWARDS & HONORS
- Ranks 15th in program history in career assists (849)
2020-21 (SENIOR)
- Played in eight matches with five starts at setter
- Tallied 161 assists with 43 digs
- Recorded a season-high 44 assists in season-opening victory over Baylor (Sept. 25)
- Seven matches with double-digit assists
2019 (JUNIOR)
- Played in all 26 matches as the setter and appeared in all 96 sets
- Led the team with eight double-doubles, including a 40 assist and 14 dig performance in the season finale against West Virginia Nov. 30, 2019
- 42 assists, 11 digs; vs South Carolina, 09/07/19
- 24 assists, 13 digs; MOREHEAD STATE, Sep 12, 2019
- 41 assists, 11 digs; at UNLV, 09-21-19
- 32 assists, 10 digs; at Oklahoma, Oct 05, 2019
- 44 assists, 13 digs; WVU, Oct 10, 2019
- 34 assists, 11 digs; at Texas, Nov 23, 2019
- 48 assists, 12 digs; IOWA STATE, Nov 27, 2019
- 40 assists, 14 digs; at WVU, Nov 30, 2019
- Recorded a season-high and career-high 48 assists against Iowa State Nov. 27, 2019
- Broke 40-or-more assists eight times and finished with 849 assists
2018 (SOPHOMORE | MINNESOTA)
- Academic All-Big Ten selection
- Saw action in 19 matches with 40 sets played in her sophomore season at Minnesota
- Finished with 18 assists, four service aces and seven digs
- Added two assists and first collegiate ace against North Carolina (8/25)
- Recorded five assists, an ace, block and dig in win over Georgia Southern (9/1)
- Season-high six assists vs. Maryland (9/22)
- Provided an ace and two assists in the win over Northwestern (10/3)
- Posted two digs in the win over Northwestern (1/13/18)
2017 (FRESHMAN | MINNESOTA)
- Saw action in four sets during her freshman season at Minnesota
- Made her collegiate debut in the 3-1 win over Louisville (8/26) and played in one set
- Saw action against Michigan State
- Recorded her first collegiate assist at Nebraska (9/29), finishing with three assists
- Matched a season-high three assists at Rutgers (10/28) and added a season-high two digs
High School/Club
- Played for Benet Academy and Mizuno Sports Performance Volleyball
- 2016 Under Armour All-America honorable mention
Ranked 69th in Prepvolleyball.com’s Senior Aces - First-team all-state selection
- Helped Benet to sectional and conference championships in 2015 and a regional championship in 2016
- All-conference selection in both 2016 and 2015 and honorable mention status as a sophomore
- Had 968 assists, 122 digs, 28 aces, 26 blocks and 63 kills
- Played five years at Sports Performance and won the 18-Open national championship, a world championship and was a 2015 AAU All-American
- Played in the European Global Challenge with the U22 BIP Midwest Team in Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia
- Honor Roll student at Benet Academy
ACADEMICS
- Plans on majoring in finance at the University of Kansas
PERSONAL
- Daughter of Rob Nielsen, Gwen Nielsen and Chris Gambol
- Has one older brother, Connor Nielsen
- Mother, Gwen, played volleyball at Northwestern, and aunt, Kelly, played volleyball at Purdue
- Step-father, Chris, played football and ran track at Iowa
- He also played in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts, San Diego Chargers, Detroit Lions and New England Patriots
- Father, Rob, played water polo at West Point