Rivier University counts on Kenna for the kill

Story written by Tom King, Nashua Telegraph on 10/30/12

NASHUA – For the Rivier University women's volleyball team this season, it's been Kenna for the kill.

As in senior Kenna Finlayson of Derry, who a few years ago was an unpolished, undiscovered talent at Pinkerton Academy.

Well, Rivier head coach Craig Kolek discovered her, and it's been a great match ever since.

"When I came here I was only two years into volleyball," Finlayson, the Raiders' 5-foot-9 outside hitter who is a strong candidate to be the Great Northeast Athletic Conference's Player of the Year for the second time in her career. "(Kolek) is such a great coach and knows so much about the game, he instantly makes an impact on your play. I've learned everything from him. ... He's the reason why I play the way I do."

And Finlayson is one of the main reasons Kolek feels this current Rivier squad could be the best he's ever had. They begin their Great Northeast Athletic Conference title defense this week and if they capture that crown they'll return to the NCAAs.

"She's the best female player I have ever coached in my 14 years and best female player ever at Riv," Kolek said without hesitation. "We're a different team without her. She does everything for us. She serves, she passes, she plays defense, she blocks, she hits. She's our team leader. It's just a completely different team without her."

Why? Well, Finlayson is at or near the top in several categories all-time at Rivier. She has shattered the record for career kills (currently at 1,885), male or female, is the school's all time aces leader, will likely be on the GNAC All-Conference first team all four years of her career. She should also make her second All New England team this year as well, and is second in the nation in kills per set (4.72)

Kolek said when he began recruiting Finlayson at Pinkerton, he knew he had a good chance to land her.

"I won't say I was shocked to get her, I was pretty excited," he said. "I think we had the right fit for her."

Finlayson said Rivier wasn't even on her radar. But then again, neither was volleyball, as she was a gymnast her freshman year at Pinkerton and didn't play varsity volleyball until her senior year, playing JV for two years prior to that.

"I really wasn't considering Riv at all," Finlayson said. "But then he came to me in January of my senior year."

What did he see when he began recruiting her?

"She was athletic and strong, and she just needed to be coached, really," Kolek said. "She picks up the game real well, and works real hard at the game."

'My sophomore year (at Pinkerton) I said the heck with it, I'm going to try it," Finlayson said.

The Raiders are glad she did. She's developed an all-around game, but comfort for her has been a key.

"I was never used to being on a team that was all about family and teamwork," she said. "That environment. It's the best experience for me at Riv."

Kolek said when Finlayson first arrived at Riv, she lacked offensive polish. Well, she's certainly polished now, working the club volleyball circuit in the off-season to vastly improve her game.

"It was a little hard, but that's what (Kolek) has ingrained in us," Finlayson said. "You make a mistake, you've got to forget about it. ... Once you play so much, it becomes second nature to you.

Finlayson is a biology/pre-med major, and one day hopes to be a physician's assistant. But right now she's making a lot of opponents feel ill.

"She's worked real hard at it and it shows," Kolek said. "Everybody feeds off her, and she's our go-to person. It's nice to see.

"This is the time for her to take over."