The George Brown Huskies women's volleyball team is pleased to announce the commitment of Kaarina Niemimaa to play for the program beginning in the 2022-2023 season.
"As always, we are looking for athletes who can do everything - Kaarina can do just that," head coach Daphne Choi explained. "Kaarina came into our gym to train prior to her commitment, and was able to pass balls from our strongest servers, has the physicality to block and be a presence at the net, and has a strong swing. On top of that, she is an excellent communicator, positive force, and smart, driven student. Everything I learned about Kaarina quickly told me she would be a perfect fit to our women's program. We look forward to her playing a very strong role with the team, as our family culture is becoming increasingly more competitive."
The 5'10 outside hitter's resume is very long. She played for the Scarborough Titans 14U, 15U and 16U teams, DRVC 17U teams, and Pakmen Volleyball Club's 18U team this season. Niemimaa displayed her versatility this season with Pakmen playing both outside hitter and libero. The Toronto, Ont., native is excited to start the next part of her journey with the Huskies.
"I was extremely happy when I finally got to commit to be a Husky," Niemimaa explained. Even during my official signing, I was overwhelmed with how kind everybody on the team was to me. It was all just very exciting and made me look forward to the upcoming school year that much more."
She has been extremely successful academically, making honour roll every year throughout high school while dominating on the volleyball court. Niemimaa will be enrolled in the Fashion Techniques and Design program. She's ready to continue her success both on and off the court come September.
"I chose George Brown for Post-Secondary because it has the best program for me, and I can play the sport I love at a competitive level," she said. "I hope to become a big part of the team and get along well with everyone on the court. Academically, I hope to enjoy my time and learn as much as possible.
The women's volleyball program has been on a roll recently, making the OCAA playoffs three years in a row, including this season when they went 3-5 in a shortened campaign. Their best campaign was during 2019-20, going 11-7. They set a franchise record for wins and earned their first crossover home playoff match since the program was inaugurated in 2006-2007.
For more information on George Brown women's volleyball, contact Athletics Coordinator Deanna Oliver at doliver@georgebrown.ca. If you're interested in possibly joining the women's volleyball team, fill out the prospective athlete form.
