Nikolai was team captain and a five-year starting defender for the Hatters’ women’s lacrosse team. As a junior, she was named to the Atlantic Sun All-Conference first team after leading the team in caused turnovers and finishing sixth in the league in ground balls per game (2.22). She also garnered ASUN Honor Roll and IWLCA Academic Honor Roll honors in 2021 and was an ASUN Academic Honor Roll selection in 2022.

Nikolai spent a year and a half as the coach of the Burning River Lacrosse club program in Ohio. She was also a Student-Athlete Academic Success Specialist and Business Foundations tutor at Stetson.

A native of Medina, Ohio, Nikolai graduated from Stetson with and undergraduate degree in Business Administration in 2020 and earned her MBA in 2022.