Fawcett begins new life chapter
UBERLANDIA, Brazil, March 27, 2020 – American opposite Nicole
Fawcett, who was playing for Dentil Praia Clube, has decided to
step away from the sport after 11 years playing professionally.
"I have been thinking about retiring for a little bit," she
said. "I knew I was beginning to get really tired of constantly
living out of country and when I was home, I wasn’t wanting to
leave. I think the hardest part was trying to decide if now was
the time. I still feel that I can play well, and if anything,
was playing better than I ever had, but I also noticed my body
didn’t recover like it used to. I have been wanting to start a
new chapter in my life and I just felt the time was now and
finish on top."
Fawcett, who is 33, represented the United States at the
international level in as many as 35 tournaments during seven
seasons and she was part of the team that gave the country its
first World Championship title in 2014. The following year, she
was the best opposite of the American gold medal campaign at the
2015 Pan-American Games.
After a prolific collegiate career in Penn State, Fawcett also
succeeded at the professional level. She played in Puerto Rico,
Russia, Brazil, China, Korea, Turkey and Italy. She won national
titles in Brazil, China and Italy and set a world record for
most points scored in a match (55) when she played in Korea
during the 2012-2013 season.
"I wouldn’t be leaving the sport if I still felt that I had
something to prove," the opposite reflected. "There are
obviously moments that were not ideal, but I am a true believer
that there is a lesson to be learned and at some point I will be
able to look back and laugh at the craziness of the life I had.
I am proud of what I have done and accomplished, but I didn’t
play for that. I played because I absolutely love the sport and
playing the sport."
Fawcett, however, won’t be away for the sport as she was
recently announced as a volunteer assistant coach for the Ohio
State University women’s volleyball team, in Columbus, Ohio.
"I knew that I needed to keep myself around the sport after
retiring as this is about to be a life I’ve never experienced
and talking with some friends and family, having a plan was
really the best move to help with the transition process," she
added. "The Ohio State opportunity was there and I felt that it
was the perfect place to get my volleyball fix as well as give
back to the sport that gave me more than I could ever repay." |