PLAYER FEATURE: CHIARA DA SILVA, WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

If you’re looking for a natural figurehead to lead by example for the York University Lions women’s volleyball team, you don’t have to look much further than fifth-year player Chiara Da Silva, who already enters 2022-23 as one of the team’s returning players.

Da Silva’s life revolves around teaching. That’s one of her two majors at York. Da Silva plans to teach in high school. She says she specifically wants to teach high school-aged kids because of the crossroads they face in their teenage years.

“They’re at such an influential point in their life, that I can have more of an impact. High school teachers can really be leaders for kids, rather than just a parental-type figure.”

Not only that, but she’s expanded her leadership aspirations within sport as well, coaching younger athletes with the Leaside Volleyball Club every weekend in addition to her leadership responsibilities with the Lions. Da Silva says coaching not only benefits the young athletes, but she’s taken a lot out of it as well.

“Coaching helps me develop as a player as well. Getting that different perspective, I’m getting the view of the game from how the coach sees it, and I understand more about how they teach me. It makes it easier for me to learn.”

While there’s always room to learn and improve, any further improvement from Da Silva would make her one of the top players in the OUA. She already led the Lions and placed sixth in the OUA with 8.44 assists per set during the 2019-20 season, and picked up OUA East first-team all-star honours in 2021-22 for the first time in her career.

Her successful OUA career came after a long high school career as a multisport athlete, leading to six separate OFSAA appearance in both track and field and volleyball.

The success and leadership skills should come in handy as the Lions get set to begin a schedule against a brand-new slate of opponents with zero expectations across the conference.

“It’s kind of like a reset, which I really like. A lot of times, teams know what their previous record was. This year, we have no idea what kind of team we’ll be. Or what our opponents are going to be like. We’re walking into games with a clear head, knowing it’s 50/50.”

GETTING TO KNOW CHIARA

Favourite TV shows growing up?

I loved The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and That’s So Raven. I wasn’t actually the biggest fan of That’s So Raven but I’ve grown to appreciate it a lot more now.

Bucket list item?

I love to travel, but I hate planes. I will have to suck it up one day and travel around the world!

Favourite food?

Fish tacos!

Favourite spot on campus?

I liked the student lounge as a hangout spot pre-pandemic. And I also love the frozen yogurt at Qoola!