Volleyball Lands Transfer Reaghan Thompson

ORLANDO - The UCF volleyball team added Northwestern State transfer Reaghan Thompson to the 2025 roster, as announced by head coach Matt Botsford on Wednesday.

In a breakout season following her transition from middle blocker to outside hitter, Thompson led the Lady Devils in kills during the 2024 season, totaling 312 on the campaign. The rising senior notched double-digit kills on 15 outings, including a career-high 23-kill performance against Jackson State on Sept. 3, 2024. The showing marked just one of her five 20-kill games throughout the season. 

The transition to outside hitter not only marked a historic season for the Kemah, Texas, native offensively but proved to showcase her defensive dominance as well. Totaling 293, Thompson led all non-liberos in total digs for the Southland Conference, including a career-high 23 digs against Houston Christian on Oct. 31, 2024, where she also put down an impressive 20 kills; one of three such matches in all of the Southland all season. Thompson had no issue keeping defensive pace at the front of the net either, totaling 55 blocks this season to climb to second on Northwestern State’s career block list. 

The only player in the Southland Conference to rank in the top 10 in kills, points, and digs per set, Thompson earned 13 double-doubles on the campaign, including a remarkable stretch of six straight to close out conference play. The standout season earned Thompson spots on the Southern Miss Invitational All-Tournament Team and All-Louisiana Selection Second Team.  

The six-foot outside hitter was no less dominant in the middle blocker position, posting a historic freshman season. Thompson was the first-ever freshman to record 100 blocks in a single season with 148 total, which marked the second most in a single season in program history, and led the Southland Conference for the 2022 season. The total was made up by her 116 block assists, the second most in a single season, and her 32 solo blocks, good for sixth-most all-time. 

Thompson also tallied 217 kills on the campaign, becoming just the third player in program history to record a kill-block double-double in a Nov. 1 matchup with Southeastern with 11 kills and 10 blocks. A feat she accomplished again only a few weeks later in a match against East Texas A&M with another 11 kills and 10 blocks, dubbing her the only player to have multiple kill-block double-doubles in a career, let alone a single season. The wildly successful season earned her the titles of LSWA Freshman of the Year, LSWA First-Team All-Louisiana, and SLC Second-Team All-Conference.

Following the success of her inaugural collegiate campaign, Thompson continued to push the envelope her sophomore season, breaking the Lady Devils’ single-season block record with 164 total blocks and the block per set record with a 1.52 average. For the second season straight, Thompson led the Southland Conference in blocks and blocks per set while also finishing seventh NCAA in total blocks and sixth in blocks per set. Thompson became the fastest player in Northwestern State history to reach both 200 and 300 career blocks during the season, reaching the former in 42 total matches and the latter in 61 career matches. The outstanding season earned her numerous accolades, including LSWA First-Team All-Louisiana for the second consecutive season and SLC Volleyball Student-Athlete of the Year.