Although the phrase “speak softly and carry a big stick” wasn’t meant to be applied to sports, it is an apt description of the way Naomi Hickman has transformed herself into a vital part of Creighton’s volleyball team over the last 11 months.
The 6-foot-4 junior middle blocker/right-side hitter isn’t usually the most prominent voice on the court or the first player to the scrum when the cameras show up for a media availability, but her production ever since the calendar flipped to October last year speaks for itself.
This past weekend in Lincoln, Hickman averaged 1.