Setbacks to Summits
August 06, 2025 | Women's Volleyball
After injuries sidelined her season, Thomas-Nathan steps into a leadership role and brings Trojan voice to the Big Ten retreat
In June, outside hitter Dani Thomas-Nathan represented USC at the inaugural Big Ten Student Athlete Leadership Retreat in Rosemont, Illinois—a three-day conference designed to help student-athletes develop leadership skills and teamwork through workshops, guest speakers, and team-bonding events.
"They told us, 'You're here because you're a leader in your community.' It was powerful," Thomas-Nathan said. "Every single speaker had a very inspirational story."
Hosted at the Big Ten Headquarters, attendees experienced several different workshops covering leadership training, financial literacy, mental health, and brand building, and emphasized equipping student-athletes with the skills to become more impactful leaders within their teams, campuses, and communities. The participants also had the opportunity to network with alumni across different member institutions and hear from guest speakers such as Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti. But for Thomas-Nathan, the retreat was more than just a learning opportunity—it was a full-circle affirmation of the work she's been doing at USC.
A decorated recruit from Burbank, California, Thomas-Nathan entered her freshman year at USC with national championship medals, elite club and high school experience, and deep family roots in volleyball. Her mother, Tammy Thomas, was an All-American outside hitter at Cal State Northridge and a two-sport athlete for the Matadors. Thomas-Nathan was ready to follow in her footsteps, but early in her collegiate career, injuries slowed her momentum.
"I tore my medial meniscus freshman year and just kept playing through it. Eventually, I had surgery, but it popped a few more times. I thought I could wait until after my junior season to get surgery, but then my shoulder started hurting and I had to have surgery on that too."
Unable to practice or travel with her teammates, Thomas-Nathan was left feeling isolated. "It was hard," she said. "I wouldn't wish that on anyone."
With volleyball on hold, she turned outward and leaned into the wider USC student-athlete community, pouring her energy into the Trojan Athletic Senate. TAS-colloquially–is USC's student-athlete leadership group that advocates for the interests and well-being of all student-athletes on campus.
Initially, Thomas-Nathan wasn't sold on the idea of joining TAS. As a high school athlete, she focused entirely on training and competing and never had time for ASB or to hold club leadership positions. When USC associate head coach Spencer McLachlin asked her to represent the team in TAS, Thomas-Nathan was less than enthusiastic.
"It was my sophomore year, and Gala [Trubint] forced me to go with her. I was so upset about it," she said with a laugh. "But we ended up loving it."
That initial drag quickly turned into two years of devoted service—and now, a new role. Thomas-Nathan will serve as TAS co-president for the 2025-26 school year alongside men's swimmer Griffin O'Leary.
TAS, she says, gave her a new sense of belonging by allowing her to build connections with Trojan athletes in other sports whom she may not have otherwise crossed paths with. Going into her tenure as president, Thomas-Nathan hopes to help more student-athletes build bridges.
One of her favorite events, Game Faces, was born from that mission. A powerful storytelling event where student-athletes opened up about their struggles with mental health and injuries, Thomas-Nathan shared her own experience at last year's event.
The responses from the other athletes stuck with her.
"Everyone who attended wrote notes to the speakers, and all of my notes said that they didn't know I was going through that or that they went through something similar."
Now in her fourth year at USC and finally healthy, Thomas-Nathan is back where she belongs–on the hardwood with the Women of Troy. But she says her perspective has changed.
"Now that I've been through what I've been through, I'm just so excited to put on knee pads. Even if I'm doing badly at practice, I'm just excited to be there."
With her final seasons ahead, Thomas-Nathan is taking that perspective and turning it into action—for her teammates, her community, and the next generation of Trojan athletes. She hopes to use her platform as TAS co-president to continue building a more connected athletic community.
"I want to find a way to bring [us] together, because I feel like it's so isolating and segregated in a way to each sport. I'm trying to plan events where people get to know each other."
"I remember going to Game Faces my sophomore year, and I heard a story from a girl on the water polo team that made me realize 'every single person here has a story and is going through something, and we are all going through the same thing."
That sense of unity, she says, is what TAS is all about.
"I feel like being part of TAS is being part of a mini community within the bigger athletic community. It will help you find friends outside your little bubble—expand your network. And we're all about networking… It's all about the Trojan network, baby!"
Whether she's representing USC at the Big Ten retreat, helping plan a TAS event, or just encouraging younger teammates, Thomas-Nathan leads with empathy and a newfound perspective.
When reflecting on her journey, she says that she wouldn't change any of it. Attending the Big Ten Student-Athlete Leadership retreat served to remind her just how far she's come, and how much farther she wants to grow as a leader and inspire other athletes to share their story and foster community.
"They told us, 'You're here because you're a leader in your community.' It was powerful," Thomas-Nathan said. "Every single speaker had a very inspirational story."
A decorated recruit from Burbank, California, Thomas-Nathan entered her freshman year at USC with national championship medals, elite club and high school experience, and deep family roots in volleyball. Her mother, Tammy Thomas, was an All-American outside hitter at Cal State Northridge and a two-sport athlete for the Matadors. Thomas-Nathan was ready to follow in her footsteps, but early in her collegiate career, injuries slowed her momentum.
"I tore my medial meniscus freshman year and just kept playing through it. Eventually, I had surgery, but it popped a few more times. I thought I could wait until after my junior season to get surgery, but then my shoulder started hurting and I had to have surgery on that too."
Unable to practice or travel with her teammates, Thomas-Nathan was left feeling isolated. "It was hard," she said. "I wouldn't wish that on anyone."
Initially, Thomas-Nathan wasn't sold on the idea of joining TAS. As a high school athlete, she focused entirely on training and competing and never had time for ASB or to hold club leadership positions. When USC associate head coach Spencer McLachlin asked her to represent the team in TAS, Thomas-Nathan was less than enthusiastic.
"It was my sophomore year, and Gala [Trubint] forced me to go with her. I was so upset about it," she said with a laugh. "But we ended up loving it."
That initial drag quickly turned into two years of devoted service—and now, a new role. Thomas-Nathan will serve as TAS co-president for the 2025-26 school year alongside men's swimmer Griffin O'Leary.
TAS, she says, gave her a new sense of belonging by allowing her to build connections with Trojan athletes in other sports whom she may not have otherwise crossed paths with. Going into her tenure as president, Thomas-Nathan hopes to help more student-athletes build bridges.
One of her favorite events, Game Faces, was born from that mission. A powerful storytelling event where student-athletes opened up about their struggles with mental health and injuries, Thomas-Nathan shared her own experience at last year's event.
The responses from the other athletes stuck with her.
"Everyone who attended wrote notes to the speakers, and all of my notes said that they didn't know I was going through that or that they went through something similar."
"Now that I've been through what I've been through, I'm just so excited to put on knee pads. Even if I'm doing badly at practice, I'm just excited to be there."
With her final seasons ahead, Thomas-Nathan is taking that perspective and turning it into action—for her teammates, her community, and the next generation of Trojan athletes. She hopes to use her platform as TAS co-president to continue building a more connected athletic community.
"I want to find a way to bring [us] together, because I feel like it's so isolating and segregated in a way to each sport. I'm trying to plan events where people get to know each other."
"I remember going to Game Faces my sophomore year, and I heard a story from a girl on the water polo team that made me realize 'every single person here has a story and is going through something, and we are all going through the same thing."
That sense of unity, she says, is what TAS is all about.
"I feel like being part of TAS is being part of a mini community within the bigger athletic community. It will help you find friends outside your little bubble—expand your network. And we're all about networking… It's all about the Trojan network, baby!"
When reflecting on her journey, she says that she wouldn't change any of it. Attending the Big Ten Student-Athlete Leadership retreat served to remind her just how far she's come, and how much farther she wants to grow as a leader and inspire other athletes to share their story and foster community.
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