Nicole Palazzo Class: Junior Hometown: Grayson, Ga. High School: Grayson Last College: Mississippi State Height: 6-3 Position: Middle Blocker

Sophomore Year (2006) Honored as Southern Conference Player of the Year, the first Furman player to earn the honor since Brooke Jackson in 1998...earned first-team all-conference honors...named AVCA All-South Region Honorable Mention...finished the season ranked 23rd in the country in hitting percentage (.379) and 33rd in blocks per game (1.47)...named SoCon Player of the Month in both September and October...earned player of the week on Oct. 2, after tallying 32 kills, averaging .414 in hitting, and recording 15 blocks in three matches...again honored as player of the week on Oct. 30 after recording 25 kills and 21 blocks in two matches for the Paladins...recorded one of the best individual efforts in Furman volleyball history with 20 kills and 17 total blocks against College of Charleston on Oct. 28...set a new school single-match record with 17 blocks, breaking the old record of 13 blocks accomplished twice in 1993...block total tied the SoCon record set in 2002...17 blocks is the seventh-highest total in NCAA history, and the second-highest total since the NCAA changed format to rally scoring in 2001...recorded 37 solo blocks on the season, which ranked fifth in the NCAA...led the league in hitting percentage with a .379 clip for the season, holding a lead over the second-best average by .067 points...also led the league in blocking with 1.47 bpg...finished tenth in the conference in ppg with a 3.83 mark...tops in the conference in hitting percentage in league play with a .397 mark...best in the SoCon in blocking with 1.59 bpg in conference matches...fifth in the league in ppg with a 4.32 mark against conference opponents...reached double-figure kills in 17 matches...recorded four or more total blocks in 21 matches...recorded a hitting percentage of .364 or better in 18 matches this season.

Freshman Year (2005) at MSU Started all 27 matches for the Bulldogs, while appearing in 99 games...helped MSU to a 15-12 overall record...led Mississippi State in block solos (14), block assists (78), total blocks (92) and blocks per game (0.93) in her rookie campaign...registered 50 total blocks in 16 Southeastern Conference matches...recorded a season-high nine kills against Georgia...collected nine total blocks against LSU, and recorded five or more blocks on eight different occasions.

High School Three-year letterwinner and two-year starter at Grayson High School...established school career and single-season records for kills and blocks...served as team captain in final season...earned team MVP and first-team all-region and all-county honors in 2004...named region offensive player of the year and region co-MVP as a junior in 2003...worked her way into the starting lineup as a sophomore on the Grayson team that captured the regional title and finished fourth in the state playoffs...played club volleyball from 2003-05 for Vertical One...graduated 10th in her high school class of 460 students.

Personal Nicole LeAnne Palazzo was born March 17, 1987, in Miami, Fla...daughter of Mark and Sheila Palazzo...brother Tony is a former Furman football player...twin sister Kristen attends Auburn University...majoring in business and communications.