Niggemeyer coming home to play in NCAA tourney

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Niggemeyer's Shocker Career

2005-Redshirt

2006-Played in 29 matches and 84 sets...Hit .153 with 123 kills, 13 assists, one service ace, 32 digs, three solo blocks and 60 block assists...Had a season-high nine kills against North Carolina...named to the AD's honor roll for Fall 2006 and Spring 2007.

2007-Played in 30 matches and 80 sets...Hit .292 with 147 kills, 11 assists, seven aces, 18 digs, six solo blocks and 52 block assists...Had a season-high 12 kills against Chicago State...Ninth in the Missouri Valley Conference in hitting percentage.

2008-Played in 30 matches and 98 sets...Hit .252 with 174 kills, nine assists, four aces, 58 digs, seven solo blocks and 48 block assists...Earned State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Good Neighbor Award...Had a season-high 17 kills against Michigan State...10 in the Valley in hitting percentage...Named to AD's honor roll for Fall 2008 and Spring 2009.

2009 (Regular Season)-Played in 30 matches and 100 sets...Hit .236 with 212 kills, seven assists, 10 aces, 84 digs, six solo blocks and 66 block assists...Recorded double-digit kill totals seven times...Had a season-best 14 kills against Missouri State in the MVC tournament semifinals...Had 12 kills twice, against Creighton and Evansville...Had 11 kills three times, against Drake (twice) and Oklahoma...Had 10 kills twice, against Evansville and Northern Iowa.

Statistics courtesy of Wichita State University website

WEBSTER CITY - Katie Niggemeyer honed her volleyball skills years ago on the courts in and around Webster City. So it's only fitting that now, as her career begins its descent plan, she returns to the area for one final goodbye.

Niggemeyer, a 2005 graduate of Webster City High School and fifth-year senior on the Wichita State University volleyball team, is already back within our state's borders. She will be on the floor tonight when the Shockers (25-6) begin NCAA Tournament play with a first-round match against 22nd-ranked Saint Louis (24-7) at Hilton Coliseum in Ames. Play will get underway at 5 p.m.

Fifth-ranked Iowa State (25-4) and George Mason (23-8) will battle in the second match at 7:30 p.m. The two winners will meet on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. in Ames for the right to advance to the regional in Omaha.

Niggemeyer - who already has a bachelor's degree in English and is currently working on her master's degree in communications - will be playing in her third NCAA Tournament as a member of the Wichita State program. But she admits this one will be particularly special because she'll be playing only 40 minutes away from the town she grew up in and still calls home.

"It's pretty awesome to get to come home," Niggemeyer said during a phone conversation Wednesday night from the team bus as the Shockers made the six-plus hour drive from Wichita, Kan., to Iowa. "I'm excited just because it will be nice to go out with a lot of familiar faces around."

Wichita State received an at-large bid to the dance after finishing second to Northern Iowa in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Shockers will be a slight underdog in their opener against Saint Louis, and if they pull the upset then they'll likely have to face an Iowa State team that is in the midst of the greatest season in the program's history.

In other words, Niggemeyer is fully aware of the fact that her stellar career could end in the next few days. She's not conceding anything, but she's prepared nonetheless.

"Our ultimate goal is to get to the second round and get a whack at Iowa State," she said. "It's always a huge opportunity to get a shot at a top five programthat's exciting. But regardless of the outcome this weekend, it's been a sweet ride and we're going to be satisfied. If we can get a win off of Saint Louis, that would definitely be fulfilling."

A 6-foot-1 middle blocker, Niggemeyer ranked third on the Shockers' team in kills (212) and blocks (72) this season. After taking a redshirt year in 2005, she has played in at least 29 matches in each of the past four seasons as Wichita State vaulted to one of the premier programs in the country.

And to think, six years ago she didn't even know where the school's campus was located.

"I'd never heard of Wichita, Kan., in my life when they started recruiting me and now I can't imagine playing for any other program," Niggemeyer, who was a top 75 recruit nationally during her senior year at WCHS, said. "I've played with some extraordinary athletes and I couldn't have asked for better teammates. And the competition, that's the one thing that I wish people who strive to be athletes could experience. I grew up admiring the Northern Iowa program, and it turns out I'm in the conference that plays them every year. It's just been amazing."

In retrospect, it's Niggemeyer who's been amazing to area volleyball fans and the youths around Webster City who strive to follow in her footsteps. Niggemeyer has come back to her hometown the past two summers to conduct volleyball camps and has been a role model to all of the young players.

Yes, it's been a great journey. For Katie, for her parents, Dave and Debbie Niggemeyer, and for everyone who ever got the chance to watch her play.