Academic Notes: Majoring in environmental & sustainability studies with a minor in photography...Three-time Golden Eagle Scholar-Athlete Award recipient (2020, 2021, 2022)...Four-time Big Sky All-Academic selection (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022).

2022 (Senior): Appeared and started in all 23 matches...Played in all 92 sets...Achieved career-most 125 kills in one season which was almost as much as her previous three seasons combined (143)...Ranked fifth on team with .218 hitting percentage...Tied for the most total blocks on the team with 67...Ranked second on the team in blocks per set (0.73)...Second in solo blocks with eight and second in block assists with 59...Earned multiple blocks in 16 matches and at least three blocks in 13 matches...Had a season-high nine total blocks in a five-set win over conference champion Northern Colorado on Oct. 8.

2021 (Junior): Appeared in 17 matches with 12 starts...Played in 50 sets...Ranked third on the team with 0.76 blocks per set and tied for first with 11 solo blocks...Totaled 38 blocks...Recorded multiple blocks in 10 matches and had six matches with three or more blocks...Posted season-high seven blocks vs. Utah Valley...Averaged 1.12 kills per set and totaled 56 kills...Recorded career-high nine kills and hit .538 vs. Southern Utah...Totaled at least four kills in nine matches...Ranked second on the team with a .341 hitting percentage among players who had at least 100 attempts...Hit .400 or better in seven matches...Averaged 1.61 points per set...Also totaled 14 digs.

Spring 2021 (Sophomore): Appeared in and started 14 matches...Played in 54 sets...Led the team with 41 total blocks, six solo blocks and 35 block assists...Averaged 0.76 blocks per set...Recorded multiple blocks in 13 of 14 matches and had 10 matches with three or more blocks...Recorded season-high five blocks at Portland State...Averaged 0.80 kills per set and totaled 43 kills...Set career-high with seven kills and hit .455 vs. Weber State...Posted multiple kills in 11 matches...Led team with a .295 hitting percentage among players who had at least 100 attempts...Hit .300 or better in seven matches...Recorded first two career aces at Montana State...Averaged 1.27 points per set...Also totaled 10 digs and one assist.

2019 (Freshman): Appeared in 23 matches with 22 starts...Played in 91 sets...Ranked second on the team with 0.71 blocks per set...Ranked third on the team with 57 block assists and 65 total blocks...Also tied for third on the team with eight solo blocks...Recorded multiple blocks in 18 matches and had eight matches with four or more blocks...Recorded season-high 11 blocks vs. Liberty...Tied third-highest single-match block assists total with 11 vs. Liberty...Averaged 0.48 kills per set...Totaled 44 kills...Posted season-high five kills on season-high .556 hitting at Montana...Posted multiple kills in 14 matches...Had a .168 hitting percentage...Hit .400 or better in seven matches...Averaged 0.88 points per set...Also totaled 26 digs and two assists.

High School: Two-year letterwinner and starter at Chandler HS...Named 6A Premier All-Region Honorable Mention as a senior in 2018...Totaled 120 kills and 83 blocks as a junior...Averaged 1.0 blocks per set...Named to All-Tournament Team at Williams Field Tournament...Also played for Aspire Volleyball Club...4.2 high school GPA...Named to 2018 Sport360AZ All-Academic Team

Personal: Neche Nicole Newton was born Sept. 25 in Mesa, Ariz....Daughter of Victorian Ward and Bilal Abdul-Aziz...Two older sisters, Sharne and Jezhe...Hobbies including reading and drawing...Lists most memorable athletic moment as having her family and boyfriend make up her school's entire student sections at her high school games...Chose NAU because of the wonderful environmental science program.