Millikin Athletics
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Whitney Nichols will enter her 3rd season as Millikin University's Head Volleyball Coach in the fall of 2026. She joined the Big Blue in 2022, and is the 5th head coach in program history.
In her two seasons, Nichols has compiled a record of 46-20, and an 11-5 mark in CCIW play. She has coached six All-CCIW selections, and led the program to one NCAA tournament appearance.
In 2025, Millikin posted a 15-13 record, going 5-3 in CCIW play. Millikin qualified for the CCIW tournament, sweeping Augustana before falling to Carthage in three sets. Kyra Carothers, Delaney Higgins, and Addison Oyer were named to the All-CCIW teams. Millikin defeated multiple nationally ranked opponents, picking up wins over No. 13 Wisconsin-Platteville and powerhouse No. 5 Juniata
In her first season leading the program, Nichols' squad collected a pair of nationally ranked wins, and posted a 31-6 record, going 6-2 in CCIW play. Kailee Itzenhuiser, Kyra Carothers, and Delaney Higgins were all named first team All-CCIW. Millikin qualified for the NCAA Division III Tournament, defeating Cornell College and the University of Dubuque before falling in the regional final to Hope College.
Nichols joined the Millikin women's volleyball staff for the 2022 season as an assistant coach. She was promoted to Associate Head Coach before the 2023 season. Over two seasons, she helped coach seven All-CCIW selections, as Millikin posted a record of 45-23 (12-4 in CCIW play) and qualified for the NCAA tournament in both campaigns.
Prior to Millikin, Nichols was the Head Volleyball Coach in the Mt. Pulaski school district for one season while working as a licensed paraprofesional. She led the 8th grade team to a 3rd place finish in the IESA state tournament, also leading the 7th grade team to the Elite Eight.
Before returning to Illinois, Nichols was a graduate assistant at the University of Dubuque. During her time, the program won the 2019 American Rivers Conference tournament, qualifying for the 2019 NCAA tournament.
Nichols earned her Associate's Degree in Art - Graphic Design from Illinois Central College in 2017. She went on to earn her Bachelor's of Science in Digital Media from Greenville University in 2019, and her Master's in Sport Management from Dubuque in 2021.
A native of Elkhart, Illinois, Whitney resides in Mt. Pulaski with her significant other Colton, and their dog Millie Mae.
