Emotional night for Graduating Setter Caitlin Nyhus
KELOWNA, BC – This past Friday night the Volleyball teams celebrated Senior’s night, held every year on the last weekend of League play at home. It’s an event held annually to recognize the contributions and accomplishments of graduate student athletes who are ending their final year of play. Starting Setter Caitlin Nyhus of the Women’s team is the lone graduate of either volleyball team this year.Caitlin Nyhus is a graduate of Penticton Secondary and will graduating this spring with a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in biology. Nyhus has spent the last five years at UBC Okanagan playing for the Heat. During that time she became one of the most successful BCCAA Volleyball Athletes in the history of the league, winning two National Championships, a National Bronze Medal, two Provincial Championships and two Provincial Silver Medals. Caitlin has played in (including league and playoffs to this point) 99 matches, winning 88 and only falling in 11 of them, an 89% win rate. Nyhus’ teams have also won 274 of those sets well only dropping 55, meaning Caitlin was a winner in 80% of the sets she played for UBC Okanagan “She is one of the most successful players in the BCCAA,” said her Head Coach, Steve Manuel, who’s been with her every step of the way. He reiterated her awards and accomplishments,” adding that “there’s not a long list of players in the country that can say that. It’s the end of an era in a lot of ways. [She’s] been our starting setter for half a decade.”
“The emotions are going to be running high for me,” Nyhus admitted herself in practice on Thursday. “[But] we still have provincials at home, so there’s still at least two more games here [after this weekend].” She’s one of “only two varsity players that are graduating this year,” the other being Jenna Kantz of the Women’s Basketball team.
Looking back on her 5 year career at UBC Okanagan, she commented on two personal highlights for herself: “Our first national championship…it went to 5 [sets]. My personal best game… was our semi-final matchup with VIU last year.” Up to this point in Caitlin’s career her individual league stat totals (not including playoffs and exhibition) are as follows: 204 sets played; 66 kills 0.32 avg.; 45 blocks 0.22 avg.; 68 aces 0.33 avg.; and 382 digs 1.87 avg.
Coach Steve Manuel cannot say enough about his captain, “more impressive to me than any of the individual awards however, has been Caitlin’s consistent leadership during competition demonstrated by the amazing win/loss record her teams have amassed over her career. In her five years, her teams’ have compiled a winning record of 90%, and over the past 3 years her teams have won an astounding 55 matches and lost only 3.”
“I have witnessed Cait grow as setter, as a player and as young woman. It’s been great career, but we are not done by any stretch,” continued Manuel. “If I know anything about Cait it’s that she won’t be satisfied unless we have another banner raising ceremony after this season. If this past weekend is any indication of how well she will play in our upcoming championship, we will be tough to beat. The bigger the match, the better Caitlin plays..........period.”
The Heat have secured the number one seed, with a 13 win 1 loss record, heading into this year’s provincial championship. With the number one seed the Heat will play the winner of the third and sixth seed Friday February 25th at 6:00pm, at UBC Okanagan. The men’s team has also secured the top seed and will face their first test of the championship Friday the 25th at 8:00pm. The Gold medal games will go on Saturday at 6:00pm and 8:00pm for women’s and men’s respectively.
Find more info on the tournament at www.goheat.ca/volleyball
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