The Niagara Knights women's volleyball program is proud to announce the addition of dynamic outside hitter Natasha Desjardins from École secondaire catholique Jean-Vanier in Welland, Ontario.
"Natasha Desjardins is an incredibly versatile player that every coach dreams of when building a team" said Niagara College women's volleyball head coach Nathan Janzen. "As a left handed hitter with a good arm and great blocking vision, her primary position will be on the right. But with great ball control, and a high volleyball IQ, Natasha has the skills to fill multiple positions on the floor. She is a great teammate and loves competing."
The explosive five-foot-ten outside hitter brings a wealth of elite experience to an already accomplished Knights women's volleyball program. In addition to being a participant at the 2016 Team Ontario Volleyball high performance camp, Desjardins served as a team captain for the powerhouse Mountain Volleyball Club (MVC) system in Hamilton. A tremendous athlete, she is also a multiple time female athlete of the year at Jean Vanier, while also laying claim to a plethora of sport team MVPS.
"Niagara College has long been one of my choices for post-secondary education. The fact that it is close to home is certainly one of the reasons I chose to attend the school" said Desjardins. "Secondly, I wanted to attend a post-secondary institution that has a competitive volleyball program and Niagara College has had that for many years."
Desjardins confirmed her decision to join the Niagara Knights family during the team's three-set playoff sweep over the Seneca Sting on February 19th. Members of Desjardins' family, and friends were on hand for her signing a letter of intent to compete for the Knights beginning in the Fall of 2017.
"My goals off the court are to successfully complete my Fitness and Health Promotion diploma while contributing positively to student life and athletics at Niagara College" added Desjardins. "I want to work hard on and off the court in order to put myself in the best possible position to succeed."
"Natasha is an extremely well-rounded player who has the ability to do anything you ask of her, and do so at a high level" said Larissa Byckalo, Desjardins' coach with MVC. "Her decision to attend Niagara College and play volleyball is an excellent opportunity for her to continue to refine her skills and play the sport she loves. She has the ability to bring immediate positive change to any team she is a part of."
Desjardins joins a Niagara College women's volleyball program that has a record of 43-11 over the last three seasons. The Knights will open the 2017 OCAA women's volleyball championship on Friday, February 24th where they will attempt to capture an OCAA medal for the third consecutive season.
