Michigan Tech

Mallory Nickelson begins her second season as an Assistant Coach with Michigan Tech Volleyball in 2024. She was named to the position in February 2023 after being a four-year starting libero and setter at Roosevelt University and most recently an assistant coach for two seasons at UW-Stevens Point.
 
In Nickelson’s first season in 2023, the Huskies advanced to the GLIAC semifinal for the eighth consecutive time and were honored with the AVCA Academic Excellence Award for the 12th year in a row. Setter Tess Hayes was named the GLIAC Freshman of the Year and to the All-GLIAC Second Team. Kaycee Meiners and Lindy Oujiri were honored on the All-GLIAC First Team. Meg Raabe joined Hayes on the All-GLIAC Second Team, and Rachel Zurek was an Honorable Mention selection.
 
Nickelson was an assistant coach at UW-Stevens Point under Lyndsay Kooi. The Pointers were 52-16 overall and went to the NCAA Tournament both seasons, advancing in 2022 while also being WIAC Tournament runners-up earlier that season.
 
As a student-athlete, Nickelson played for former Michigan Tech assistant coach Nic Paquiz at Roosevelt. She was the team captain in 2020-21 and graduated with the second-most assists in school history. She was an all-conference selection in 2019, a three-time academic all-conference team member, and received the 2021 Roosevelt University Presidential Award for Social Justice. Nickelson set the single-match school record for assists with 68 in a five-set win over Indiana South Bend in 2019, earning her NAIA National Player of the week.
 
Nickelson coached and developed student-athletes at UW-Stevens Point who earned First Team and Honorable Mention All-America honors, the WIAC Player and Newcomer of the Year, and multiple all-conference selections. She assisted in all areas of the Pointers' program and specialized in training defenders and setters while also recruiting, planning team travel, player development, opponent scouting, and academic advising. 
 
Nickelson coached three years at the club level and was the head coach of the 17 National Team at Wisconsin Ice Volleyball Club out of Stevens Point for two seasons. She also spent a season with the 15s group at New Wave Volleyball Club out of Darien, Illinois.
 
At Roosevelt, Nickelson earned a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Journalism and Media Studies & English with a minor in Integrated Marketing Communications in December 2020. She finished a Master's of Science from UW-Stevens Point in Community and Organizational Leadership in May 2023 where she worked on programming focused on student-athletes in their final year making the transition out of college sports.