Amanda Gressley Reese ’04
A native of Shinglehouse, PA, Amanda played on the volleyball team from 2000 to 2003. She graduated in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She received her master’s degree in social work in 2007.
Amanda played a vital role in the progressive development of the volleyball team as a player, captain, and friend to all. She was one of the main reasons the program flourished over her career. Amanda put her heart and soul into the program on a daily basis, and offered her very best on the court and in the classroom. She was an excellent student-athlete who possessed the rare quality to lead with her actions, which garnered the admiration of her coaches and teammates.
Amanda ranks first at Pitt-Bradford with 422 career games played, in blocks with 379; and is listed second in digs with 1,183, service aces with 141 and 1,363 kills. She set a school record in 2000 with 164 blocks, and was also ranked 9th in the nation in Division III with 1.53 blocks per game and 23rd in hitting percentage.
Her honors at Pitt-Bradford include being named Rookie of the Year in 2000-01 and Athlete of the Year her junior year in 2002-03. She was named to the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference First Team in volleyball all four years.
Jessica Coene ’02
A native of Badan, PA, Jessica was a goalie on the women’s soccer team from 1998 to 2001. She graduated magna cum laude in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in sports medicine.
Jessica came in as a freshman when Pitt-Bradford was making its first-year transition from NAIA to NCAA. Jessica was a quiet but intense leader. Her communication skills throughout the game made Jessica a great goalkeeper. She saw the field well and had the ability to position her defense accordingly. Even after relinquishing a goal, Jessica had an uncanny way of recovering due to her grit and competiveness on the field. Jessica was confident in her abilities as a goalkeeper, which made the Pitt-Bradford women’s team more confident every time they took the field. These attributes along with her dedication to the sport, positive attitude, character and leadership on and off the field made her a Triangle of Success nominee in 2001.
Jessica’s honors include Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Academic All-Conference Team for all four years and the Pitt-Bradford’s Sports Medicine Award her senior year. Her athletic awards at Pitt-Bradford include playing every minute of every match in her junior and senior years and ranking first at Pitt-Bradford in career minutes played with 5,019. Jessica also holds school records with nine career shutouts and 496 career saves, and the single-season goals against average mark at 1.80 per match.
Nichole Spindler ’04
A native of Bradford, PA, Nichole was a catcher on the softball team from 2002 to 2004 and a member of the volleyball team from 2001 to 2003. She graduated summa cum laude in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in biology and secondary education.
Nichole was special in so many ways. She not only was an exceptional athlete and student, but also a special person. Her leadership and athletic ability were two of her greatest attributes. As a captain for the softball and volleyball teams, her teammates rallied around her because of the example she set by working hard and playing the game the right way. She was a player her teammates wanted on their side. The respect they had for her is the biggest compliment they could give her.
As a dual athlete, she participated in 222 volleyball games and registered 580 digs, 105 blocks and 96 assists. Despite only playing softball for only three years at Pitt-Bradford, she led the Lady Panthers to two Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference titles in 2003 and 2004 and the program’s first-ever post-season berth in ECAC Tournament in 2004. Nichole owns the secondhighest career batting average with .413, second for on-base percentage with .451 and second in doubles with 28. She ranks fourth in runs batted in with 75, in slugging percentage with .570, and fourth in hits with 121. She is also ninth in games played with 90. In Nichole’s senior year she was also ranked ninth in NCAA Division III in RBIs with 1.23 per game.
Nichole’s honors at Pitt-Bradford include being named Scholar Athlete of the Year as a junior in 2002-03 and as a senior in 2003-04. This honor, along with being AMCC All-Academic for her three years, led her to receive the overall honor within the AMCC as Scholar Athlete of the Year her senior year. In volleyball she was named All-AMCC Honorable Mention in 2003. Her on-the-field talents led to her being named to the AMCC Honorable Mention Team in 2002, to the Second Team in 2003 and First Team in 2004
