University of San Francisco Athletics

Athlete All-American

Nadia Kadochnikova

Honors:
Volleyball (1993)

Kadochnikova and Princeton have been quite a dynamic duo this season. They have become the only the second set of teammates to each rack up 300 kills in one season. Melanie Kaiser and Lisa Tschannen did it in '91 and '92. Princeton ranks number one in the league in kills and is second in digs. Her teammate from Ekaterinberg, Russia is sixth in the kill category. Princeton also moved into sixth place on the All-Time Don list for kills after the Portland game.

Mother Russia. When Nadia Kadochnikova usually hears these words, her face lights up and you can see the memories reflected in her eyes. To Nadia, Russia means home and family and safety. Her eyes today are sad as she looks at a picture of the snow, and the history of her home as she recalls the recent events that cause her fear. The two-week tension between President Boris Yeltsin and the Parliament in Moscow ended in a bloody battle, when Yeltsin ordered an attack by troops and tanks on the Parliament building. It was a year of fighting back and forth between Yeltsin and legislators over ideas for changing the political and economical system. Nadia's father, a former Parliament member representing the region of Ekaterinburg, was barricaded inside the Parliament building, and called the White House, for four days. "I called my mom last when the news announced Yeltsin was breaking up Parliament. At first I didn't take it seriously. At the political level there is always some quarrel going on in Russia. When my mom told me army troops were going to storm the Parliament building it looked like things were getting serious. My first question after that was "where is Dad?" Kadochnikova said.

When she arrived in the United States two years ago on a volleyball scholarship, Kadochnikova never imagined a political eruption would hit so close to home. "My mom knows it is expensive to call home so I don't do it often. The day I spoke with my mom she wanted me to call the next day. She told me, 'Dad needs to hear your voice,' I knew things were worse than I thought," recalled Kadochnikova. The official death toll, according to the San Francisco Chronicle was 187 dead as a result of the horrifying two day battle. This has a profound effect on Kadochnikova. "I know that many people have died so far. What a sad situation that people have to die because of Yeltsin's failure to properly communicate with Parliament." Yeltsin called for the new elections for Parliament to take place in December, separate from the Presidential election, which would take place months before. "Basically, he wanted a new Parliament that would support all of his ideas. He wants a democratic government, but acted undemocratic when he declared Parliament is over. They deserve to have a say. Isn't democracy based on diversity of ideas?" Kadochnikova said that the overall attitude of those in Russia wasn't very optimistic. When she tried calling her parents last Monday the phone line was disconnected. She did reach her grandparents in Moscow, however, who told her things had calmed down quite a bit and weren't as bad they were showing on the news. I didn't know if they saying that so I wouldn't worry, or if it were really true. The pictures they showed on television showed fires in the building, tanks, and gunfire, I hoped my father was safe," she said.

Kadochnikova finds the breakup of the USSR and the recent events to be an exciting time in history for the Russian people. "It would be exciting to be there," she said, "this revolution that's happening causes the people to join together. They are virtually fighting for their future and the future of their children, when everyone can make an impact on a country it's exciting (TheFoghorn)."

Schedule

Athlete All-American

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Upcoming Events

Upcoming Event: Baseball at California on Apr. 22, 2026 at 3:00 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Beach Volleyball versus [4] Santa Clara on Apr. 23, 2026 at 9:00 a.m.

Upcoming Event: Baseball versus Pacific on Apr. 24, 2026 at 2:00 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Women's Golf versus West Coast Conference Championship - Day One on Apr. 25, 2026

Upcoming Event: Baseball versus Pacific on Apr. 25, 2026 at 1:00 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Women's Golf versus West Coast Conference Championship - Day Two on Apr. 26, 2026

Upcoming Event: Baseball versus Pacific on Apr. 26, 2026 at 1:00 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Women's Golf versus West Coast Conference Championship - Day Three on Apr. 27, 2026

Athlete All-American

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