Story Links Position: Middle blockerHometown: South Euclid, OhioHigh School: Charles F. BrushPrevious School: Ball State UniversityClub: RockCity Volleyball Club Coach Jarrett on Lester: Niyah is an absolute gamer when it comes to being on the court. She is going to bring passion and energy to our team, and I am so excited for it. She has the potential to be a dominant […]
Position: Middle blocker
Hometown: South Euclid, Ohio
High School: Charles F. Brush
Previous School: Ball State University
Club: RockCity Volleyball Club
Coach Jarrett on Lester: Niyah is an absolute gamer when it comes to being on the court. She is going to bring passion and energy to our team, and I am so excited for it. She has the potential to be a dominant middle in our league and we are looking forward to having her as a Penguin!
“We are looking forward to adding two transfers mid-year to get started with us for the spring season,” Jarrett said. “I believe our staff has continued to do a great job of finding the right type of student-athletes who will help move our Penguin Volleyball program forward.”
Youngstown, Ohio — Youngstown State’s volleyball program is excited to announce that middle blockers Niyah Lester and Taya Nordmann will join the team as mid-year transfers from Division I institutions. YSU head coach Riley Jarrett announced the two newest Penguins on Thursday.
Lester is a 6-foot-2 native of South Euclid, Ohio, who redshirted Ball State in the fall, and she has four seasons of eligibility remaining. Nordmann hails from DeWitt, Mich., and the 6-foot-2 student-athlete started 29 matches in her freshman season at SIUE.
Highlights: Nordmann started 29 of SIUE’s 30 matches as a true freshman during the 2024 season, and she ranked second in the Ohio Valley Conference with 1.14 blocks per set. She had 14 blocks in a match against Southern Indiana to earn OVC Defensive Player of the Week accolades in November, and she finished her freshman season with 136 total blocks, 123 kills and 16 aces. Only one player in the country had more than 14 blocks in a match last season. Before becoming a Cougar, she received all-district and all-region honors while also being a member of the Great Lansing All-State Team at DeWitt High School. As a senior, Nordmann registered 394 kills, 106 blocks, and 50 aces as DeWitt went 10-2 in league play. She played for the Legacy Volleyball Club, which finished ninth at the AAU Nationals.
Position: Middle blocker
Hometown: DeWitt, Mich.
High School: DeWitt
Previous School: Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Club: Legacy Volleyball Club
Highlights: Lester was an all-conference performer in both volleyball and softball at Charles F. Brush High School. She signed with Ball State in November 2023 and redshirted during the 2024 season. Lester played four seasons with RockCity Volleyball, the same club as Penguin teammate Maria Insana, and helped her teams to appearances at nationals. Her 16’s team advanced to the championship and finished second with Lester being named the MVP. A mainstay on all-tournament teams and a member of the Ohio All-Star team, she was ranked as the ninth-best player in the state and third among middle hitters.
Lester and Nordmann will begin classes at Youngstown State when the spring semester begins on Monday. They will join November signees Kameron Blizniak, Kennedy Dawson, Layne Graffice and Presley Stokes as newcomers on the 2025 roster.
Coach Jarrett on Nordmann: Taya is someone I watched in high school, and she has only gotten better throughout her first season at SIUE. I believe she will be a great blocking presence for us and will help our accountable team culture continue to move in the right direction. We are looking forward to having her competitive nature as a Penguin!
