If you asked Nickole Schmidt a few years ago what sport she would play at a Division II college, she’d have told you.
Soccer.
Things didn’t turn out that way, as Schmidt recently signed her National Letter of Intent to play women’s basketball at Bloomsburg University.
When she took her campus tour, however, academics came first, and sports came second.
“I was visiting the school with my mom and went for a campus tour and I just loved it the second I walked on,” Schmidt said.

When she decided she wanted to go there, it was time to determine what her athletic future might be when she got there. She sent emails to both the soccer and basketball coaches.
The COVID-19 pandemic played a role in this decision because there was no opportunity for Bloomsburg women’s soccer coach Matt Haney to see her play. There was an opportunity for women’s basketball coach Alison Tagliaferri.
“It just worked out that way,” Schmidt said. “I believe everything happens for a reason.”
That doesn’t mean the door is closed on soccer. Schmidt said she was told that if everything goes well with her first season and if she could hand both the schoolwork and playing basketball, she can try out for the women’s soccer team.
But the focus is on basketball, and as soon as she committed to playing basketball, the text messages started coming in and made her feel welcome to the Huskies’ roster.
She’s also excited about the prospect of having a female coach.
Tagliaferri was named Bloomsburg’s head women’s basketball coach in May 2016 and came into the 2020-21 season with a 58-57 record. The Huskies last played in 2019-20, where they reached the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference quarterfinals. The previous season, the Huskies went 20-10, their highest win total in five seasons, advancing to the PSAC semifinals.
Just from her junior year to her senior year, she’s shown a great deal of improvement, and people have noticed. Her defense has improved, and she became a bigger offensive threat from behind the 3-point line, as well as developing a mid-range jump shot.
“She works at the game hard,” Valley Central coach Bill Michella said. “She cares about other people. She’s a team player. That’ll help any athlete in any team sport, and in life.”
While most of her life was dedicated to soccer, she has recently been focusing more on basketball, playing travel ball with Gym Rats.
“I’m continuing to train with them, and my main trainers, to whom I owe a lot to,” Schmidt said. “I just think it’s made me a better person. It’s prepared me for a lot. I’m very excited to see how that’s implemented in the next step and the next level.”
Off the court, Bloomsburg is a strong school for her finance major and being about 2 ½ hours from Montgomery means it’s not too far if she needs to travel home, and close enough for her parents to see her play.
And see her do what she wants most: make an impact.
“I just want to make a huge impact on the team in any way I can,” Schmidt said. “I just want to be an impactful player, and hopefully can do great things there.”