Spotlight on Former Athlete: Nia Kiggundu Volleyball 1993-96
Kiggundu set high standards at UL
Bruce Brown
Written for the Athletic Network
Bruce Brown BBrown@smgpo.gannett.com Oct.11, 2011
This story is a copyrighted enterprise by Bruce Brown.
Nia Kiggundu will never be far from a volleyball court. Some 15 years after the New Mexico product finished a record-shattering college career with UL’s Ragin’ Cajuns, she remains active in the sport as a coach and club manager in Albuquerque.
"I run the New Mexico Cactus Volleyball Club," Kiggundu said. "It’s a fairly young group, from ages 10 through 18. I’m looking to provide some of the same club experience I had. We had six from our club sign college scholarships in 2011. We help them compete and provide an opportunity if they choose to pursue it."
The club draws from different schools throughout the city, preparing players for a higher level of play.
That experience is similar to the one that made Kiggundu a special college player.
"My high school team was my club team, all the way through high school," Kiggundu said. "We competed at the next level. Our high school team won state all four years, and had a 118-0 record."
Once at UL, Kiggundu was on teams that finished 15-14, 9-21, 18-18 and 16-19, under three different head coaches. But she was clearly a special collegiate player, winning All-Sun Belt Conference honors all four years, Player of the Year in the SBC as a senior and Louisiana Player of the Year twice.
Kiggundu remains UL’s all-time record holder for career kills (2,227), total attempts (5,052) and digs (2,043) and is recognized as the finest player in program history.
"I haven’t been back, but I check on the statistics to see if anyone has touched my records yet," she said with a laugh. "I have reached out to the coaches there and would be more than happy to go if they had an alumni game."
The search continues for another with such drive and talent, but that may be hard to find with current athletes.
"The athleticism is definitely there, but it’s very different," Kiggundu said. "There’s a different kind of mentality. Some aren’t willing to work if it’s not given to them. The mental side is something we still have to work on.
"I try my best to teach the mental stuff. They don’t give you a medal just for showing up. Their mentality is very different. There are a few who take those lessons and run with them and are able to play at the next level.
"You can only guide them through it, turn it into something actionable."
Finding the right coaches for the club is a key element for the six teams and 70-80 athletes.
"I hire coaches for all different levels," Kiggundu said. "I’m very patient. I’m big on fundamentals of the game. It doesn’t bother me if you don’t get it right away.
"Some good athletes can transition into coaching; some can’t."Although heavily involved in her sport, Kiggundu runs the club on a part-time basis. She is in pharmaceudical sales full-time.
"That’s my day job," she said. "I knew I wanted to work in business sales when I got out of college, and I had a background in general science. I was laid off in 2010, and spent a year with a home health care agency. I learned a lot on that job.
"I was able to get back into sales about a month ago."
While Kiggundu is successful at sales, her passion remains volleyball. "We’ve been successful, but that can change at the drop of a dime," she said. "I definitely want to see the club grow. I consider it a community service to help the youth."
There may never be another Nia Kiggundu, at UL or elsewhere, but the search for excellence is worth the journey.
Nia Kiggundu at UL
All-Sun Belt Conference, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 (First Team last 3 years)
Sun Belt Freshman of the Year, 1993
All-Louisiana, 1994,1995, 1996
All-Louisiana Freshman of the Year, 1993
All-Louisiana Player of the Year, 1996
Louisiana Athletic Directors’ Player of the Year, 1995, 1996
Ragin’ Cajun Records
Season
Kills – 704, 1995, 1st; 553, 1996, 4th; 533, 1994, 5th
Total Attempts – 1,606, 1995, 1st; 1,292, 1996, 4th
Digs – 566, 1995, 3rd; 564, 1996, 4th
Career
Matches Played – 130, 5th
Sets Played – 460, 4th
Kills – 2,227, 1st
Total Attempts – 5,052, 1st
Service Aces – 213, 2nd
Digs – 2,043, 1st
This story is a copyrighted enterprise by Bruce Brown.
Nia Kiggundu at the 2006 Ragin’ Cajuns Lettermen Club Hall of Fame Induction.
Click here for the Volleyball Photo Gallery, then the years you wish to view.
Click here for the Photo Gallery of the Ragin’ Cajuns Lettermen Club 2006 Hall of Fame Induction.
Our rich athletic traditions were entrusted to the vision, hope, loyalty, and dedication of those former athletes and we will forever owe them a debt of sincere gratitude. May God bless each of them and their families.
Anyone with information, materials, pictures, memorabilia, etc., of the university’s former athletic program participants is requested to contact Ed Dugas at athleticnetwork@louisiana.edu Thank you.
The Photo Gallery Link located on the left side of the home page at www.athleticnetwork.net contains over 10,000 pictures of former and current athletes and support groups. Just click on photo gallery and when the menu appears, click on the sport or support group you wish to view. The years of pictures posted for that team or group will appear and you may click on the year you wish to view. One click on a thumbnail picture or narrative and it is enlarged; a click on the enlarged photo and it reverts back to the thumbnail.
The Athletic Network seeks to post pictures of each team and support group for each year they represented the university.
The stories of the 2009 and 2010 honorees featured in the Spotlight on Former Athletes are still included in the News Page and may be viewed by clicking on "more news" at the bottom right of the News Box, scrolling down, clicking on the title of the story. Those spotlight features which are no longer shown in the News Page, have been moved to the Lagniappe Link of the "History of UL Athletics" located on the left side of the home page.
The Spotlight on Former Athletes announcement has also been placed in the profile of each honoree, excluding the pictures.
2011
Bruce Brown continued as feature writer.
January – Ashley Rhoney and Bret Garnett 1988 Tennis
February – Craig Perks Golf 1989 & 90
March – Eddie Baseball/Basketball 60-63,Coach 67;Ross Mouton Basketball 03-07
April – Kim Eisnaugle Chaffin Softball 1983-86
May – Grady Labbe’ Hunt Track & Field 1989-1994
June – Mike Heinen Golf 1986-89
July – Kyla Hall Holas Softball 1991-94
August – Charles Wimberley Track & Field 1953-56
September – Chris Gannon Football 1984-88, Coaches 1995-2000
October – Anne Corbello, Soccer 2000-02, and Ashley Delahoussaye, Soccer 2000-04
November – Nia Kiggundu Volleyball 1993-96
2010
Bruce Brown became feature writer.
January – Andrew Toney Men’s Basketball 1976-80.
February – Orlando Thomas Football 1991-94.
March – Rocky Guidry Football 1990-93, Track & Field 1991-94.
April – Track & Field Network & March 20, 2010 1st Annual Track & Field Reunion.
May – Keisha Ray Owens Williams Track & Field 1991-96.
June – 2000 College World Series Baseball Team.
July – Thirty Years of UL Softball.
August – 1970 Cajuns Measured Up (Football).
September – Boxing Program (1930-1947).
October – Dr. Sam Foreman Baseball & Basketball 1940-42
November – Rhonda McCullough, Women’s Basketball 1986-90
December – Athletic Network-from concept to reality-its mission and practices
2009
Ed Dugas served as feature writer.
January – Tim Thompson Men’s Basketball 1957-61.
February – Gene Bacque Baseball 1956 & 57.
March – Dr. Louis Bowers – Tennis 1956-58, Track 1955, Coaches 1964-66.
April – Dr. Carter Lomax, Jr. Tennis 1974-76.
May – Johnny Morris, Jr. Football 1927-29,Men’s Basketball 1927-30,Track & Field 1928-30, Golf 1927-28, Coaches 1947-49 .
June – S.L.I.I. Athletic Pioneers I
July – S.L.I.I. Athletic Pioneers II
August – 1912 – A Special Year – First L’Acadien
September – Glenn Davis Lafleur Football 1966-69
October – Bill Bass – Boxing 1938 & 39, Football 1938-40, Coach 1971-75 & 1983
November – Tom Nolan – Cross Country & Track & Field 1971-76, Coaches 1978-83
December – Military Personnel – Military Page posted
2008
Ed Dugas served as feature writer.
January – Alvin Dark Football, ’43; Basketball, Baseball, Golf, Track, ’44; Coaches, 1947.
February – Alyson Habetz Women’s Basketball 1991-95 and Softball, 1991-94.
March – Ron Guidry Baseball 1968-70.
April – Edgar "Glynn" Abel Baseball 1939, Track & Field 1937-39, Football 1937-39.
May -Christian Keener "Red" Cagle Baseball 1925-26, Basketball (M) 1922-26, Football 1922-25.
June – Paul "Buddy" Short Golf 1962-65.
July – Louis "Louie" Campbell Boxing and Football 1940-41.
August – Dudley Wilkins Track & Field 1933-35.
September – Brad Hamilton Football 1963-66.
October – Brian Mitchell Football 1986-89.
November – Kimberly "Kim" Callaway Morvant Volleyball 1988-91.
December – Kenneth "Mike" Stansbury Weightlifting 1956 – 1957.
2007
Ed Dugas served as the initial feature writer and continued until Bruce Brown began writing in 2010.
June – Michael Langston Football 1973-77;
July – Hollis Conway Track & Field 1986-89;
August – Leigh Hennessy Gymnastics/Trampoline 1976-1980;
September – Dean Church Basketball (M) 1961-65;
October – Dr. David Fisher Football 1946-49 Track & Field 1947-50;
November – Kim Perrot Basketball (W) 1986-90;
December – John McDonnell Cross Country/Track & Field 1966-1969;
