Canadian opposite to Puijo Wolley!

We are proud to announce that the team is ready for the upcoming season 2021-2022! Last but definitely not the least, we would like to introduce you to our new opposite, Natasha Calkins. She is 25 years old, 184cm tall, from Canada and has been playing volleyball since she was 13 years old. During the season 2020-2021, she played in Austria and the season before that in Sweden, so she won't be entering an entirely new landscape in the autumn.

We asked for Natasha´s thoughts on the upcoming season and arrival to Finland:

“I am very happy to be coming to Finland this upcoming season. I find it exciting to be a part of a club that is trying to grow and get better in the league. I always look forward to a challenge and I hope we can make a push forward this season. My goal is to continue to develop more as a player and make a positive impact on the team. I want to be the best player I can be and help the team to be more successful this season! “

“I have heard very good things about playing in Finland. Everyone tells me that it is a great country to live in and that they enjoyed the league a lot! I am very excited to come and learn more about Finland and experience the culture!”

What does Jukka Lehtonen, head coach, think about the news?:

“I am very excited that the long search is over and that we found Natasha. We wanted a player who truly makes the team stronger and whose personality fits into the team. Natasha scored the most points in the Austrian league last season, which is a good indicator of her level. Although she has already succeeded abroad she still wants to grow as an individual and move forward with her career. She will be an asset to the team and a top level player in Mestaruusliiga. I have discussed with her a couple of times now and I believe her to be an excellent fit to the team. Let's hope that she will enjoy her time with us in Kuopio.”

We wish Natasha warmly welcome to Kuopio and Puijo Wolley as soon as she has finished her national team duties in Canada! 

Check out Natasha's introduction video in Instagram and Facebook. There are player introduction cards now available of all the players on our website https://liiga.puijowolley.fi/joukkue/.

The team for 2021-2022:
Anni Toivonen, setter
Venla Hyttinen, setter
Natasha Calkins, opposite
Emilia Kääntä, outside hitter
Hilkka Hujanen, outside hitter
Sanni Määttä, outside hitter
Nea Hämäläinen, outside hitter
Eveliina Smolander, middle blocker
Pihla Pohjola, middle blocker
Pilvi Kettunen, middle blocker
Henna Minkkinen, libero
Petra Sahlberg, libero

Jukka Lehtonen, head coach
Pasi Seppänen, assistant coach
Johanna Lehtonen, physics coach
Tero Hartikainen, team leader
Henri Miettinen, doctor
Jukka Siljander, doctor