Recruit Profile: Nicole Wernham commits to Gee-Gees women’s volleyball for 2020-21

The Gee-Gees women's volleyball team is proud to announce the third member of the 2020-21 recruiting class, Nicole Wernham, a left side hitter from Mississauga.

"Nicole has an awesome level of athletic explosiveness and intelligence about the game as a hitter," said head coach Lionel Woods. "Even though her raw height is smaller – she plays the game at a very high touch and can compete with jump and speed very easily."

Wernham's coaches in the past have described her as a strategic and versatile player.

"I can play many different positions and thrive under game pressure," Wernham said. "I am also super energetic on the court and always keep my team pumped up."

Both Woods and head assistant coach Christina Grail have previously had the chance to coach Wernham at the provincial level.

"I've worked with Lionel since I was fifteen and I worked with Christina this past summer," Wernham explained. 

"I have lots of respect for them personally and their positive coaching styles. Both coaches have taught me the importance of hard work and smart play," she said. "They both encouraged me to take risks and helped me grow as an overall versatile athlete, not just training me specifically for one position."

Another connection Wernham has to the program currently is Gee-Gees right side hitter Tristan Peterson. Wernham currently plays for the Pakmen Volleyball Club, the same club Peterson played for before joining the Garnet and Grey.

"Not only did Tristan and I play for the same club, but we also had the same club coach too," Wernham enthused. "During my visit, she shared her personal recruiting experience and reasons for choosing uOttawa versus other schools which really helped me with my decision-making process. I also had phone calls early on with Niève [Seguin] and she helped me narrow down my program choices."

At uOttawa, Wernham plans to study human kinetics with the hopes of eventually pursuing a career in sports medicine. 

"I was also really impressed with the extensive student athlete support, since finding the right balance between academics and volleyball is super important to me," she stressed.

"Additionally, the fact that this team competes in the RSEQ league was very appealing, since I am always looking for a challenge and want to be competing at the highest level."