Student Athlete of the Week Sage Xiong

The Niwot High School boys volleyball program, fresh off its second varsity season, will soon likely have its first player advancing to the college level.

After receiving an offer he couldn't refuse, senior Sage Xiong plans on taking his talents to Lakeland University, a Division III college in Plymouth, Wisconsin. Xiong led Niwot in assists (617) this past season as the Cougars' primary setter.

"I got a pretty good scholarship to go play there," said Xiong, an Erie High School student who spent two seasons with Niwot's all-St. Vrain Valley School District (SVVSD) boys volleyball program. "I'm going to go enjoy playing there and study computer science."

Xiong hasn't officially committed yet, but he hopes to make things final soon.

Lakeland's interest in Xiong began with some help from YouTube, Xiong explained.

"They reached out to me because I had a couple of highlight videos up on YouTube," Xiong said. "We just started talking, me and the coach. He was telling me how the program was going to be good. It's going to be a fun experience. He was explaining to me how I would be a great fit for their team."

With Xiong at the core, head coach John Miller's young Niwot program took a major step forward in 2024. Following an 11-12 inaugural campaign last spring, the Cougars qualified for the postseason this year but couldn't escape Cherokee Trail High School in the Region 8 tournament on Friday, May 3. Still, Niwot finished with 20 wins and took third in the nine-team Northern 1 League.

Although Xiong was disappointed about falling one win shy of the state tournament, he closed his high school career with plenty to be proud of.

"The relationship between us (players) turned into more of a family at the end of the season," Xiong said. "We were playing for each other more. We were not only doing that but we were trying our best."

Xiong grew up playing soccer but soon developed a greater passion for volleyball. He and his cousin, Jenu Ngialah, an Erie junior who also played a key role on Niwot's varsity team, spent their summer evenings playing outdoor volleyball together and neither could pass up the opportunity to play at the high school level. Before joining the SVVSD program at Niwot, the two cousins played for Peak to Peak High School in Lafayette.

Going to college for volleyball entered Xiong's mind as an option when he was a sophomore playing for Elevation Volleyball, a club program based in south Denver. Xiong traveled to Florida for a national tournament and was immediately blown away by the competitive atmosphere.

"We played against the top teams, and I was just like, 'This is a really cool environment,'" Xiong said. "It was really fun to be a part of. I was like, 'Wow, okay, I feel like I need to do this longer.'"

Now nearly set to play volleyball at the next level, Xiong hopes to inspire Niwot's up-and-coming talent.

"I want to set an example for the younger generation, the freshmen, sophomores, and juniors," Xiong said. "I want them to know you can start late but if you want to continue (playing volleyball), you can do it. You just got to put in the work and put in the effort."