The Niagara Knights Women's Volleyball Program is pleased to announce the addition of middle blocker Sahara Aburaneh for the 2016-17 OCAA season. The Nelson, BC native, who now resides in Brantford, will look to be an important piece as the Knights seek to remain as one of the OCAA's top teams.
"Sahara is a great addition to the Knights Volleyball family," said Knights head coach Nathan Janzen of the signing. "She brings great size as a middle blocker, a tremendous set of emerging skills, and a positive attitude that will help us on and off the court this year and beyond." Aburaneh is the first of what Janzen hopes will be numerous impact signings in advance of his first season as the Knights head coach.
Standing at 6'1", Aburaneh will bring a big presence to the lineup. She was a member of the Assumption College Lions high school team in Brantford, as well as the Kitchener Waterloo Predators 18U Volleyball Club. She is an influential player that has the ability to raise the level of her teammates on the court.
"When I came to visit Niagara College, everybody was very welcoming. The dental hygiene program and the volleyball program both have very strong reputations in Ontario," said Aburaneh of her decision to attend Niagara College. She continued by citing coach Janzen as another determining factor in her choice. "When I spoke with other coaches around the province, they all spoke very highly of Nathan, which influenced my final decision."
In describing what she brings to Knights on the court, she cited her enthusiastic approach as one of her biggest assets. "I'm really energetic and like to have fun on the court," said Aburaneh. She hopes that her energy will help the Niagara return to the OCAA final in an attempt to improve upon their OCAA silver medal performance this past season.
Tryout dates and schedule for the 2016-17 Niagara Knights Women's Volleyball Program will be announced in the coming weeks. Stay tuned to www.goknights.ca and @NC_Knights on Twitter and Instagram for more news as the Knights 2016-17 roster takes shape.
