Nekane’s passion for the sport of volleyball was evident at Bunnell High School in Stratford, Connecticut. She was part of the well documented achievements of the Bulldogs during her 2001-2004 career. As a sophomore starter in 2002, the team complied a record of 20-4, followed up by an undefeated 25-0 season in 2003 and 21-4 season in 2004 respectively.
The 2003 team has the distinction of winning every match 3-0, never allowing a team to reach more than 20 points. Throughout her career, the Bulldogs would record victories quickly winning 3-0. An unfortunate ankle injury her senior year, would keep Nekane sidelined for 10 matches. Nevertheless, she was able to amass an impressive 724 kills, 94 blocks and 100 aces at Bunnell.
Where Nekane’s story is really told is during the 2004 post season. She was absolutely unstoppable in both the Southwest Conference and Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference State Tournaments. The Bulldogs won the tough SWC Championship as Nekane was awarded the Most Valuable Player. Bunnell would defeat Cheshire in Class LL State Championship match 3-2 where Nekane would record a staggering 47 kills on 68 swings, 12 digs and 5 aces. Those in attendance would recall it as one of the most dominant performances in state championship history. In spite of a significant ankle injury, Nekane would finish her senior season with accolades that include, Class LL State Championship MVP, Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year, Hartford Courant, Connecticut Post and the New Haven Register Player of the Year, 1st Team Southwest Conference and selected 1st Team All-State. During Nekane’s career at Bunnell, the Bulldogs were coached by Dave Jockle, a future Connecticut Women’s Volleyball Hall of Fame member Class of 2011. Bunnell finished the 2004 season ranked as the #1 in Connecticut.
This Connecticut grown talent would next find herself playing volleyball for Southern Connecticut State University from 2006-2010. She was selected to the All-Conference team in 2006, second in the Northeast-10 in blocks per game in 2007, while leading the team in kills, aces, digs, and blocks per game again in 2007. At the conclusion of her career in 2010, Nekane was tied for first in all-time at kills with 812 and first in blocks with 351. She currently sits tied for fifth in kills and second in blocks. The team qualified for the NE10 Tournament and won a match in 2009 for the first time in program history. As the team Captain, Nekane led the Owls to win fifty matches in her final two seasons, the highest two-year stretch for the program in thirty years.
Nekane’s passion for volleyball remains steadfast as she is currently coaching both high school and club in Miami, Florida. In 2023, her USAV Junior Nationals 14U team finished #1 in the Florida Region. The Southwest Miami Senior High School girls’ and boys’ volleyball teams have produced numerous District Champions, as well as two Boys’ State Championship Runner up appearances in 2019 and 2021. Currently, Nekane spends her time coaching volleyball, teaching high school weight training courses, and spending as much time with her family as possible.