Draft Prospect Profile: OH Ayah Elnady

Elnady is well-suited to take on the challenges of volleyball at any level.

Image courtesy of Northwestern Athletics

Ayah Elnady is a star of the college game. After five successful years as a member of the Kansas Jayhawks, that much is indisputable. Over the course of her career in the Big 12, she became a key cog on a team that ranked among the best in the nation. She finished the 2024 season with 354 kills on 1009 attacks and 37 service aces, leading her team in all three statistics and taking home All-Big 12 First Team honors.

Elnady, who played club volleyball in her home city of Cairo, Egypt, was a well rounded player before she ever stepped on the court in Lawrence, Kansas. International rules only allow for six substitutions, functionally dictating that every hitter has to play six rotations. She took to the role neatly and filled the same role with the Jayhawks immediately.

It wasn’t all sunshine when she entered college ball, though.

“When I went to KU, the coaches had recruited me from far away, so I felt the need to prove myself,” said Elnady. “At first it was really hard because I felt like I wasn't good enough and the style was different. I wasn't connecting well with the setters and the system at all, so it was really hard for me mentally. The coaches noticed that and they started talking to me and they were like, ‘We're never gonna judge who you are based on how well you play. Don't get too frustrated, you're fine.’ They were the reason why I changed my mindset, and I don't have to prove anything to anyone. As long as I’m a good teammate, volleyball won’t define who I am.”

Unburdened, she was able to tap into a whole new level of play. Nevertheless, after all she’d accomplished, Elnady was left feeling unsure of how to proceed at the end of last season. After some deliberation, she made a decision that, from an outsider’s perspective, was pretty surprising — she left behind a seemingly perfect situation in Kansas and hit the portal. After interviewing her in early April, though, her reasoning was crystal clear.

“After we were done, I was like, ‘Well, I don't know what I want to do now,’” said Elnady. “‘Do I want to go play in Europe? Do I want to go back to Egypt and live with my family?’ At the same time, I always wanted to get an MBA from certain schools, so I was like, ‘I'm just gonna go to the portal and see what happens.’ I ended up getting responses from two or three of the schools that I had on my list. When I talked to Coach Tim [Nollan], I could see he wants to build this program, so I really felt comfortable coming to Northwestern.”

The vision Nollan pitched to Elnady boils down to one phrase: sustainable success. Entering his second year at the helm for Northwestern, Nollan sees the opportunity to build out from good bones. The Wildcats’ home is a 7,000-seat arena in the best volleyball conference the country has to offer. The program has the support of Athletic Director Mark Jackson, whose run as AD at Villanova was marked by success after success. The school possesses an outstanding academic reputation, not to mention being positioned on the lakeshore just north of Chicago.

“Getting a player of her caliber, a multi-year All-Big 12 selection, multi-year All-Region team selection, to come in and see our vision here at Northwestern and have an opportunity to be part of it, it's huge for us,” said Nollan.

“Once I committed, I started watching the Northwestern volleyball team a lot, and seeing previous games, I was like, ‘They're really good,’” added Elnady. “They haven't gone to the NCAA Tournament in a couple of years, so the first goal would be to go to the NCAA Tournament. I started watching other teams in the conference too and I was like, ‘We can beat them.’ I’m just too excited for the season.”

Elnady is a transformative hitter for a program like Northwestern because she has a sleek, complete skillset. She isn’t just capable of playing six rotations; she’s an active back row attacker who thrives at the service line. Nollan believes that, by leaning into her strengths, she can become deadlier than ever before.

“I really want to help her continue to develop her serve,” said Nollan. “We really believe in that you have to continue to develop your strengths. When you're good at something, a lot of people are like, ‘Oh I'm good at that, I'm just going to work on this over here that I'm not as strong at.’ We really believe that you want to keep sharpening your best tools, because there's a reason it's your best tool. You want to keep developing it and make it as prolific a weapon as possible.”

One area where Elnady would like to see herself grow in her final year as an amateur is her defensive acumen. “My defense… I don’t know. I’m always bouncing and you gotta be calm. Maybe it’s the adrenaline, but I’m always moving on defense. I don’t think I should, just so I can see the ball, then move. So, defense is definitely something I need to work on, I would say” she said.

Nollan believes that Elnady will fit nicely into his ‘nuanced’ defensive scheme. He described his defensive philosophy as providing his players with specific pursuit angles on the ball, which allows them to play faster, rather than saddling them with the entire 180 degree area. “I also think she's sandbagging that she's pretty good on the defensive front,” he added slyly.

Ultimately, there are few players like Elnady at the college level. She’s positioned for an excellent farewell season as the tip of the spear at Northwestern, but it doesn’t have to be the end of her volleyball journey. “The Pro Volleyball Federation and LOVB, it’s a pretty high level, and I feel that any college volleyball player would wish to have this opportunity,” she said.

Coach Nollan expressed his faith, not only that Elnady could perform at the professional level, but every aspect of her was built to have success in that endeavor. I’ll let him explain in his own words:

“I think there's no doubt in my mind that she can have a successful pro career, depending on what league she would like to play in. I know she's done some national team stuff at home. I think she can develop because she's great from the service line. She can attack all six rotations. She's a great serve-receive piece. So you're not worried about, oh, how do we hide her? How do we mask her? That sort of stuff. So I think there's a lot of things there that definitely translate to the professional game and the international volleyball game,” said Nollan.

“She’s the same way academically. I know that's not what this piece is really all about, but I think it speaks volume to her as a person, and why I think she'll be so successful translating into the pros. She did an interview as part of the admissions process here with academics, and afterwards, the interviewer was just like, ‘Wow, she was so unique. She's like a unicorn.’ She's like that mythical student athlete. You know what I mean? And that's it. That's Ayah,” he continued.

“She is so unique in terms of her drive. Everything she does, she's chasing excellence. Whether it's in the weight room, the classroom, whether it's developing relationships with her teammates, whether it's studying film, she doesn't do anything halfway. That's just not her personality. She just chases excellence in everything she does.”

Some quotes were lightly edited for clarity. To watch full Kansas games, click here and here.