For the past five years, Kelly Nyhof has dominated Humber Women’s Volleyball like few, if any, athletes before. Already one of the most decorated Hawks in the school’s illustrious history, Nyhof put an exclamation mark on her stacked resume, named CCAA Women’s Volleyball Player of the Year for 2013-2014.
While her statistics are no doubt some of the most impressive ever compiled, it is her career 106-2 record that best exemplifies just how overwhelming she has been.
It does not do justice to just how great Kelly has been to recite her individual accomplishments, but they are a good start. The list is staggering: three time CCAA All-Canadian, three time OCAA Player of the Year, five time OCAA 1st Team All-Star, five consecutive provincial titles and two scoring titles for the middle position. On their own, these accolades speak to a player who is simply a step above her competition –one who combines her natural gifts with an unrivaled work ethic to make something special.
Laying the foundation for Nyhof was Landis Doyle; the former Humber great helped develop Kelly in her first few years as a Hawk. Doyle took CCAA Player of the Year honors for the 2010-11 season, and was huge in turning the program into what it is today – the seven-time reigning OCAA Champions. One of the special things about the Humber program is its continuity – Head Coach Wayne Wilkins is in his 19th year with the team, and lead Assistant Dean Wylie is in his thirteenth. Much of the credit must go to these two for putting a structure in place for these elite players to succeed on a consistent basis.
Outside of the Humber sphere, Nyhof represented Canada this summer in the FISU World University Games in Russia, cementing her status at the collegiate level, and within the country as a whole. Her drive extends to the classroom as well – Kelly has been an honours student consistently throughout her time at the college, and will complete her time at Humber with two diplomas: one in Social Work, the other in Office Administration.
Kelly’s sits atop or near the top of several OCAA records, including 873 kills (2nd all time), 198 blocks (2nd all time) and 1186 points (2nd all time, 1st all time at Humber). On February 9, 2014 Nyhof became the first Hawk to ever be inducted into the Humber Varsity Hall of Fame and have her number retired while still actively playing. In typical fashion, she came out that day and dominated St. Clair in a crucial match-up.
While her Humber career is coming to a close, it is clear that her volleyball days are not. Having already established herself on the national scene, future appearance representing Canada may very well be on the horizon. Professional play also seems to be a possibility, and with her work ethic Nyhof is sure to continue to make herself better every day. So while her future shines bright, now is a good time to take a moment and appreciate the contributions of one of the greatest Hawks of all time.
Article by Zach McRae, Humber Athletics
