- Destiny Ndam-Simpson had the occasional starting role in her first two years at Creighton.
- This offseason she started wearing glasses on the court—something she hasn't done since high school—to help her see the ball better on defense.
- She also added a jump serve, and she says she feels like she's becoming a better all-around player.
WATCH KELSEY'S STORY:
After spending her first two seasons at Creighton alternating between coming off the bench and occasional starts, junior outside hitter Destiny Ndam-Simpson knew she wanted a bigger role.
The Omaha Westside High School grad made two significant changes in the offseason that have elevated her game — bringing back her glasses to improve depth perception and adding a polished jump serve.
“It’s definitely given me a lot more gratitude for when I do get on the court,” Ndam-Simpson said of her early years with the team. “You still have to contribute and you’re doing a really big part of being on a team.”
She wore glasses on the court in high school but stopped after arriving at Creighton. Without them, she realized passing was a challenge.
“It was really — no pun intended — an eye-opening experience because I couldn’t pass the ball,” she said. “The first day I put them back on, the coaches were like, ‘We didn’t know you could do that!’”
The change has helped her confidence on defense in the back row.
“I know how to do this, but I physically had something in the way of doing it,” Ndam-Simpson said. “It’s been really good for my confidence.”
She also worked throughout the summer to develop a jump serve, drawing praise from head coach Brian Rosen.
“She has the fastest arm in any gym,” Rosen said. “There’s no one in the country that hits as hard as she does. You can tell she’s been doing it all summer, because as we came into the fall, it was polished.”
Now, Ndam-Simpson has her sights set on becoming a more complete player for the Bluejays.
“It’s been so good to kind of take that next step,” she said. “I feel like I’m moving into an all-around player and being able to do a little bit of everything just a little bit better.”
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