Throw a challenge her way and Liv Kyrk ’24 MAT ’25 will face it head on. Kyrk recently completed her fifth year as a member of the women’s volleyball team, earning an extra year of eligibility due to Covid and coming back from a season-ending knee injury suffered during her senior year.
Kyrk, who is completing a one-year master’s program for art museum education, was immersed in academics and extracurriculars while being a dual-sport athlete, fully embodying the ethos of Quaker campus life. She had the blessing of both according to Head Coach Lauren Horton.
“I try to align myself with the Earlham values of really submerging yourself into the culture of the campus and being able to do all of the things,” Horton tells her players. “I don’t want you to be a volleyball robot.”
Kyrk was no robot, but she did produce on the court. In her three complete seasons as a starter, Kyrk was top 10 in the conference in hitting percentage, hitting .281. She posted 723 kills to just 255 errors and placed top two on the team in blocks in each of her healthy seasons. She was also a member of the Earlham track team for three seasons.
“Earlham grows on you,” says Kyrk, who majored in painting. “I got to know everyone, and we became a family.”
After a condensed freshman volleyball season during the pandemic, where the team played a short series of doubleheaders against conference opponents, Kyrk was ready for a full and productive season. Her sophomore and junior years she was named to the Heartland Collegiate Athletics Conference all-tournament team, and first team All-HCAC, respectively. Then, just five games into her senior year, Kyrk tore her ACL, which led to season-ending surgery.
Despite the injury, Kyrk continued to attend every practice, game and team meeting that season. “She did her absolute best to stay engaged,” says Horton. “She was helping in drills. It never derailed her and didn’t take her out of the gym.”
Entering the 2024 season, as a fifth-year veteran, Kyrk’s role morphed as she battled back from injury and began mentoring several incoming players, who lovingly refer to her as “Meemaw” — a name sometimes used for grandmothers. Using a cane during recovery completed the portrait of an experienced collegiate athlete.
“I couldn’t do the things you need to do for volleyball, so I spent the first half of the season trying to remember how to play,” says Kyrk. “It’s just really difficult to be bad at something.”
Kyrk missed the first 10 games of the season rehabbing her knee, only to come back stronger than ever. The Quakers made it all the way to the HCAC semifinals, after being ranked sixth in preseason polls.
“It was so fun having that extra year and having the chance to do it again,” says Kyrk, who led the team to the postseason for five consecutive years. “I viewed it as a bonus season.”
Kyrk is looking forward to graduation this spring and endeavoring on her post-collegiate life, which may include coaching.
“I know so much about volleyball because I’ve spent my whole life playing,” said Kyrk. “It would be nice to help other people find that love of the sport.” ■
Story by Aubrey Everett / Photos by Josh Smith