Nat is all that: Desjardins grabs Niagara top athletic award
Nat Desjardins was more than a little surprised last week when she was named Niagara College’s female athlete of the year.
The 21-year-old Welland resident was following the ceremony online on Facebook Live when she heard her name announced as the winner.
“My heart just kind of dropped into my stomach and I thought it was really cool,” the Jean Vanier alumnus said. “It was definitely something I wanted to work towards in my career in Niagara, but I didn’t think the moment would be in my third year, especially with everything going on.”
In her third season with the Knights, the former Niagara Rapids and Mountain Volleyball Club travel player was fourth in kills and kills per set, third in points and fifth in points per set on Niagara. She was named an Ontario Colleges Athletic Association First Team All-Star, an OCAA All-Academic and a Canadian Colleges Athletic Association Academic recipient.
“This year I was a completely different player compared to my first and second year,” the 5-foot-10 right side said. “I played my first two years with some great leaders and volleyball players and I learned so much from them.”
She put those lessons to work during the 2019-20 campaign.
“Once they moved on and graduated, I knew my role going into this year would be much bigger than it has been in the past two years,” she said. “Knowing that, I gained a little bit of confidence. My numbers were better, my kills were better and I had more confidence going into the season.”
Desjardins was set up nicely for her third year after Niagara College played host to the 2019 CCAA championships.
“Being in my hometown and being able to represent Niagara and play in front of my family, past teachers and people I went to school with was really, really cool and it gave us that motivation for next season,” she said.
Desjardins is already thinking ahead to what the next step will be in her volleyball progression.
“I want to stay consistent, better every part of my game: my mental game; passing; digging; and, hits,” she said. “I want to improve and work hard on and off the court with my teammates.”
Volleyball has always been central in her life. She started playing travel ball when she was 12.
“All the coaches I have had through the years have created this passion in me and I am such a team-sport type of athlete,” Desjardins said. “It’s that teammate feel and everything that comes with being on a team and playing with all your closest friends.
“It is such a family feel and it is what I love most about volleyball.”
After completing a two-year diploma in fitness and health promotion, Desjardins just finished the first year of the educational assistants program at Niagara.
Her parents are both educators and she is hoping to follow them into that field.
“I am heading towards the high school system whether it’s continuing my education after my college diploma and going to teachers college or maybe just becoming an EA (educational assistant),” she said. “I always wanted to end up in a high school because I loved my high school experience.”
Even with social distancing, Desjardins is trying to stay fit and healthy for next season.
“We have a little gym set up in our basement and my brother has got us on a pretty strict workout program,” she said. “We have been following YouTube videos and stuff like that to try and stay active as much as possible.”
Coverage of the Niagara Knights is made possible with the support of the Niagara College Department of Athletics & Recreation. For more information, please visit www.goknights.ca
