University of Northern Colorado Athletics
2024 Women's Volleyball Roster
Roster
Steele, Sam
OH
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's VolleyballDS
/ Women's VolleyballMH
/ Women's VolleyballMB
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's VolleyballDS
/ Women's VolleyballDS
/ Women's VolleyballMB
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's VolleyballDS
/ Women's VolleyballS
/ Women's VolleyballS
/ Women's Volleyball
Jersey Number 13
Sam Steele
- Height:
- 5-8
- Class:
- Graduate Student
- Position:
- DS
- Hometown:
- Omaha, Neb.
- Prev School:
- Ohio
- Major:
- Sport and Exercise Science
Bio
Awards & honors:
- 2024 Big Sky Conference Fall All-Academic Team
- 2024 CSC Academic All-District
- 2024 Big Sky All-Conference Second Team
2024:
- Led the Bears in digs with 517 and service aces with 54.
- Saw action in 29 matches.
- Accumulated 3 kills, 517 digs, 149 assists, and 54 aces.
- Finished with six aces and 18 digs in the win against Montana State (11/27).
- Had a standout 26 digs and six assists in the victory over Sacramento State (10/12).
- Added 20 digs and 6 aces in the win over Weber State (11/28).
- Finished with 14 digs (10/10).
- Dug 62 balls during the NIVC, averaging 15.5 digs per match.
Prior to UNC
2023 (Senior at Ohio)
Appeared in all 31 matches and 119 sets … Paced the squad with 507 digs, averaging 4.26 per set … Tallied 258 digs in 65 sets during Mid-American Conference play for a 3.97 average … Added 118 assists (0.99) and 41 aces (0.34) over the campaign … Recorded double-digit digs in 29 of 31 matches, including a season-high 23 against Kent State Nov. 15 … Three-time Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Week ... College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Selection … Member of the 2023 All-MAC Academic Team.
2022 (Junior at Ohio)
Appeared in all 32 matches and 118 sets … Led the team in digs with 522 and an average of 4.42 digs per set… Recorded 288 digs for 4.30 digs per set during MAC play… Tallied 117 assists and 23 service aces… Achieved a .971 reception percentage… Posted her 1,000 digs against Howard (Sept. 2)… Recorded a season-high 27 digs against Tennessee Tech (Sept. 10)… MAC East Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 26)… Academic All-MAC… Academic All-District.
2021 (Sophomore at Ohio)
Appeared in 25 matches and 98 sets … Recorded six kills and 79 assists … Led the team in service aces with 25 … Led the team in digs with 521 and averaged 5.32 digs per set … Posted 380 digs and averaged 5.59 digs per set during conference play … Had a career-high 34 digs against Northern Kentucky (Aug. 28) … Collected a double-double against Bowling Green with 10 assists and 30 digs (Nov. 13) … Second-team All-MAC … Academic All-MAC … MAC East Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 18).
2020 (Freshman at Ohio)
Played in 20 matches for the Bobcats … Led team with 436 digs in 79 sets for 5.52 digs per set … Recorded season-high 34 digs in a five-set win over Kent State on Mar. 16 … Earned MAC East Division Defensive Player of the Week three times on Jan. 25, Feb. 8 and Feb. 15 … Named to MAC All-Freshman Team.
High School
All-Nebraska Honorable Mention in 2019 and 2018 ... Holds Millard South school record for most digs in a game (42), most digs in a season (597) and most digs in a career (1,929) ... AAU All-American in 2019 ... Freshman All-Nebraska in 2016 ... Won a district championship in 2018.
Personal
Born Nov. 7, 2001 ... Daughter of Richard and Mary Beth ... Has one sister, Lauren ... Majoring in biology ... Four-time Academic All-State ... National Academy for Future Scientists and Technologists award winner ... National Honors Society member ... Also lettered in soccer.
What Oates is Saying
"Sam brings a lot of experience where she was the libero at a program similar to ours," Oates said. "She is a very mature athlete who is ready to contribute right away."
- 2024 Big Sky Conference Fall All-Academic Team
- 2024 CSC Academic All-District
- 2024 Big Sky All-Conference Second Team
2024:
- Led the Bears in digs with 517 and service aces with 54.
- Saw action in 29 matches.
- Accumulated 3 kills, 517 digs, 149 assists, and 54 aces.
- Finished with six aces and 18 digs in the win against Montana State (11/27).
- Had a standout 26 digs and six assists in the victory over Sacramento State (10/12).
- Added 20 digs and 6 aces in the win over Weber State (11/28).
- Finished with 14 digs (10/10).
- Dug 62 balls during the NIVC, averaging 15.5 digs per match.
Prior to UNC
2023 (Senior at Ohio)
Appeared in all 31 matches and 119 sets … Paced the squad with 507 digs, averaging 4.26 per set … Tallied 258 digs in 65 sets during Mid-American Conference play for a 3.97 average … Added 118 assists (0.99) and 41 aces (0.34) over the campaign … Recorded double-digit digs in 29 of 31 matches, including a season-high 23 against Kent State Nov. 15 … Three-time Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Week ... College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Selection … Member of the 2023 All-MAC Academic Team.
2022 (Junior at Ohio)
Appeared in all 32 matches and 118 sets … Led the team in digs with 522 and an average of 4.42 digs per set… Recorded 288 digs for 4.30 digs per set during MAC play… Tallied 117 assists and 23 service aces… Achieved a .971 reception percentage… Posted her 1,000 digs against Howard (Sept. 2)… Recorded a season-high 27 digs against Tennessee Tech (Sept. 10)… MAC East Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 26)… Academic All-MAC… Academic All-District.
2021 (Sophomore at Ohio)
Appeared in 25 matches and 98 sets … Recorded six kills and 79 assists … Led the team in service aces with 25 … Led the team in digs with 521 and averaged 5.32 digs per set … Posted 380 digs and averaged 5.59 digs per set during conference play … Had a career-high 34 digs against Northern Kentucky (Aug. 28) … Collected a double-double against Bowling Green with 10 assists and 30 digs (Nov. 13) … Second-team All-MAC … Academic All-MAC … MAC East Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 18).
2020 (Freshman at Ohio)
Played in 20 matches for the Bobcats … Led team with 436 digs in 79 sets for 5.52 digs per set … Recorded season-high 34 digs in a five-set win over Kent State on Mar. 16 … Earned MAC East Division Defensive Player of the Week three times on Jan. 25, Feb. 8 and Feb. 15 … Named to MAC All-Freshman Team.
High School
All-Nebraska Honorable Mention in 2019 and 2018 ... Holds Millard South school record for most digs in a game (42), most digs in a season (597) and most digs in a career (1,929) ... AAU All-American in 2019 ... Freshman All-Nebraska in 2016 ... Won a district championship in 2018.
Personal
Born Nov. 7, 2001 ... Daughter of Richard and Mary Beth ... Has one sister, Lauren ... Majoring in biology ... Four-time Academic All-State ... National Academy for Future Scientists and Technologists award winner ... National Honors Society member ... Also lettered in soccer.
What Oates is Saying
"Sam brings a lot of experience where she was the libero at a program similar to ours," Oates said. "She is a very mature athlete who is ready to contribute right away."
Women's Walk Recap 2025
Wednesday, July 30
VB vs. Portland State
Thursday, November 15
VB vs. Idaho State
Saturday, November 03
VB vs. Weber State
Thursday, November 01
