Nushtayeva signs with JU

Palm Coast Observer
Opinion

From a Bulldog to a Dolphin.

Olga Nushtayeva, the standout volleyball player for Flagler Palm Coast, signed on Friday to play volleyball for Jacksonville University. Nushtayeva will be playing on a full athletic scholarship.

Nushtayeva led Flagler Palm Coast to one of its best seasons in school history.

“Olga has been an amazing asset to the FPC volleyball program,” coach Shakirah Cousins said Monday. “We are very proud of her and all of her accomplishments. She embodies what a student-athlete really is.”

Nushtayeva finished the season with 256 kills, 32 aces, 109 digs, 39 solo blocks and three assisted blocks.

Her hitting power gave FPC plenty of points throughout the season.

“It has been great watching Olga grow and develop,” Cousins said. “Playing Division I is every volleyball player’s dream, and doing it with a full ride is even more amazing.”

And Jacksonville University is no slouch of a program, either. In fact, the Dolphins (27-3) capped their historic season as the No. 1 team in the Atlantic Sun Conference and claimed a share of the regular season title after sweeping No. 2 Eastern Tennessee State University over the weekend.

As the No. 1 seed, Jacksonville will get a bye in the first round of the A-Sun tournament. The Dolphins will play in the semifinals at 5 p.m. Friday. With a win, the Dolphins will advance to Saturday’s conference championship.

The Dolphins closed out the season with seven straight wins.

There’s no doubt the Jacksonville University volleyball program is on the rise. And adding a player like Nushtayeva is only going to help the program continue to win conference titles and contend for national championships.