Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics

EDMONTON – Three years after her older brother played for the Griffins men's volleyball team, Katie Nashim is about to follow a similar path.

The talented outside hitter from Lac La Biche, Alta., is transferring from Northwestern Polytechnic just as her brother Ethan did (back when it was called Grande Prairie Regional College) to play at MacEwan, joining the women's volleyball team in 2024-25.

"She jumps really well and is super athletic," said Griffins head coach Chris Wandler. "We're excited to add her to our outside hitting corps."

Nashim played for the Northwestern Polytechnic Wolves for the past two seasons, amassing 351 kills over 38 regular season matches in that time, leading her team in offensive production for both campaigns. 

In 2022-23, Nashim was named ACAC North rookie of the Year and was again one of the top outside hitters in that loop this past season.

"She played both pins – right and left – and was a pretty consistent starter with Northwest Polytech, so we're pretty excited to add her," said Wandler.

The 5-foot-11 player won a bronze medal with Team Alberta's U19 entry at the 2023 North American Indigenous Games, something her brother Ethan also participated in before he played for the Griffins in 2021-22.

Wandler sees her making a pretty seamless transition into the U SPORTS ranks, even though the level is quite a bit higher.

"She's on the verge of being a pretty physical athlete," he said. "She jumps high enough to play at Canada West, for sure. Obviously, the speed of the game is different at the CCAA level than the U SPORTS level, so that will be a little bit of an adjustment. But that doesn't take too long to get accustomed to. 

"She's smart and I love the personality that she brings – lots of spirit. That's going to be needed moving forward here."