Members of the Illinois softball team are writing a blog, which will be published throughout the 2019-20 school year. Follow all the action of Head coach Tyra Perry's squad right here on FIGHTINGILLINI.com.

Hello Illini Fans!

My name is Brianna Nykaza and I am a freshman infielder from Chicago, Illinois. I am majoring in psychology and am interested in concentrating on sports psychology. I would love to coach one day and implement the tools I learned from sports psychology into my coaching since softball is so mentally driven.

I transferred to the University of Illinois from North Carolina State after my first semester there. I have always gone to Illinois softball camps when I was younger, but being from Chicago I wanted to escape the cold weather and play somewhere warmer. However, when I transferred to Illinois I knew it was meant to be and was excited to come back home. I was a little nervous coming on campus in the middle of the year but this team is very special and was so welcoming. Although it was a tough transition, I felt comfortable right away and was not afraid to hit the ground running.

Our last few weeks preparing for the start of the season have been intense but I have been adapting well and am very happy to be here. All of the girls are very good at making sure I am caught up with everything. If I have any questions they have all the right answers and do not hesitate to help me out.

I am so excited to see all of our hard work pay off in which the start of the season is just under two weeks away. I am really excited to start playing and see what this team can do no matter who we are playing. I am looking forward to traveling to many places with the team and making unforgettable memories that will only make our bond stronger.

We are excited to show you what we have been working for and hope to see you all at our games, especially when we win the Big Ten Championship!

I-L-L

Brianna Nykaza #39