Radio Rundown: Nicklin Hames discusses her Adidas NIL deal and Nebraska's 2022 mantra

Nebraska volleyball player Nicklin Hames joined Huskers Radio Network to talk about her new NIL deal with Adidas and the Huskers’ upcoming season.

The interview that played on “Sports Nightly” was recorded earlier on Thursday at the Huskers’ Media Day as they took pictures and videos for hype videos, posters and more. The theme for Media Day was “Red Kingdom” after the song with the same title.

Here is what Hames had to say:

On her NIL deal with Adidas

***Hames recently announced that she is one of 15 female student-athletes to sign a NIL deal with Adidas honoring the 50th anniversary of Title IX. She said she grew up wearing Adidas because the volleyball club her family owns in Tennessee is Adidas.

She said it was so cool to be a part of the event in New York with the 14 other athletes. Former Husker volleyball player Kelsey Robinson, Billie Jean King and other famous athletes were there as well.

On Adidas highlighting women

***Hames said this deal and Adidas, in general, are really empowering women and giving them a voice to use their platform to encourage people to watch women’s sports and push for more equality for women.

She said it was so surreal to experience the event and to be given such a large platform.

On this summer

***Hames said this summer has been “amazing.” There are a lot of new faces so that team is getting to know each other but is very excited to start practicing.

On her approach for her final season

***Hames said she is trying to be present in every moment and that she’s so grateful for Nebraska. She got a little emotional putting on her jersey for her last media day, she said. The former setter said she’s focusing on “living up these last few months of wearing this jersey.”

Even though she’s a little sad because it’s her last season and she’s in a different role, Hames said she is excited for this season with this group of players.

Nicklin Hames on her “bittersweet” new role with Nebraska volleyball

On taking on a coaching role

***Hames hopes to become a coach after her playing career at Nebraska. She said she hopes her teammates feel comfortable coming to her for advice, especially the setters, because she has been through what they’re going through.

On the new theme

***Nebraska’s theme for 2022 is “two points more.”

Hames said they picked that mantra because the Huskers lost a lot of games last year by two points.

“This summer has been about we’re going to be two points better,” she said. “We’re going to do a little bit extra so when it comes down to it, we can win by two points instead of losing.”

On high expectations

***She said they take it day by day when it comes to high expectations. Hames said the expectations can be a lot. Her team wants to have them but they don’t want the expectations to be the main focus.

“We’re just going to take it day by day, go out there and compete and be Nebraska volleyball,” Hames said.

On Kaitlyn Hord

***Penn State transfer Kaitlyn Hord and Hames grew up playing against each other in club volleyball and played together on the U.S. U18 National Team in the 2017 Junior World Championships.

Hames said she is so happy Hord is now a Husker because she is a “sweetheart” but also because she doesn’t have to worry about defending her this season. She said Nebraska had a defense called the “Kaitlyn Hord Defense” made specifically for the middle blocker.

Hames said Hord fit in with the team right away.

“It was like she was here all along,” she said.

On “Red Kingdom”

***Hames said it is amazing that Husker Head Coach John Cook took it upon himself to make the volleyball team their own song.

“I don’t think any other program can say that,” she said.

Nebraska made that song their own at the end of the last season and Hames is excited to see how they use their own version this season.

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