Nayeli Gonzalez made a statement in her freshman season. The outside hitter helped lead Iowa State to a 20-9 record and a spot in the 2023 NCAA Volleyball Tournament.
The driving force of the team, Gonzalez came on the scene strong and proved that she would be a force to be reckoned with this season and for seasons to come.
Gonzalez was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year, the third Cyclone to take home the honor. She captured four Big 12 Rookie of the Week awards this season en route to taking the overall award.
Gonzalez was also a part of the All-Big 12 First Team and All-Rookie teams. She was the only freshman to be on the All-Big 12 First Team.
On the year, Gonzalez led the Cyclones in kills with 336, averaging 3.33 per set in 101 sets played. Her 31-kill performance against No. 21 Kansas on Nov. 10 was the second-most kills in a match by a Big 12 player this season and the most by a Cyclone since 2008.
Four matches with 20 or more kills was the most by a Cyclone this season. Gonzalez was the first Cyclone freshman since 2015 to get 20 or more kills in a match.
Adding to her elite numbers, Gonzalez had 32 service aces, which led the Cyclones, 46 blocks and 210 digs this year. All of those factors led to her being named to three Big 12 awards in 2023.
