Liz Hart sits in her office at Northern Kentucky University, her daughter Ellie keenly observing from the corner of the room as her mother shares her story.
Hart would not be slaying any dragons or saving princesses in this story, but rather it is the story of a local girl who took the sport she loved and built a career and legacy from its foundations.
And who doesn’t love a good ending?
On a warm November Wednesday, whilst NKU students are outside soaking up the sun rays, the NKU volleyball team is hidden away in Regents Hall for practice. They may be missing the sunshine, but the large hall still somehow feels cozy with Coach Liz Hart at its center.
A stopwatch in her hand, she leads the setters in their individual practice, timing the speed of each set so that the player’s tempo remains consistent.
“There you go,” Hart exclaims as senior Katy Yopko nails her set to fellow senior Torie Houston.
Slowly the rest of the team starts to pour into the hall, laughing amongst themselves, their infectious energy uplifting. Although the energy level rises, the space remains intimate, Hart the calm in the storm, and the head of her volleyball family.
Hart moves with purpose, between the two courts, avoiding the flying balls zooming around the hall, observing, and leading the girls through specific sequences.
A loud thud grasps Hart’s attention as a flying volleyball hits the athletic training table and sends iced coffee flying across the floor.
A calm, amused nod toward the table and her attention is back on her players, laser-focused like a mother lion watching her cubs.
“She cares for your heart and your wellbeing, and it comes across in her coaching,” said graduate student Abby Kanakry about the coach.
Hart believes honesty is key to being a successful coach, and it allows you to build meaningful relationships with your players. The trust between Hart and her team is evident on the court. “A little higher next time,” she says to one of her players.
Criticism isn’t scared to show its face in this gym, as NKU’s volleyball family pushes one another to be better.
It all began in the city of Cincinnati, on the west side, where a young girl by the name of Liz Hart was born.
Sports were a large part of her upbringing, with her parents pushing her to try everything to discover what she would like.
“I really played everything: basketball, soccer, softball, track, swimming and volleyball,” said Hart.
“I already finished swimming!” exclaims Ellie from the corner of the room. Hart’s seven-year-old daughter is adamant that gymnastics is her favorite sport.
The importance of trying it all is a philosophy Hart has passed down to her children, as she is grateful to her parents for allowing her to find her passion independently.
It wasn’t until high school that her love of volleyball would start to shine. “My passion switched from basketball to volleyball, I had a great coach who motivated me, and I was all about the team and connected with my volleyball teammates,” said Hart.
Letters from coaches would begin to form a mountain on her doorstep during her sophomore year of high school. A difficult decision now laid at the foot of her mountain: fly the nest and move across the country or attend somewhere a little closer to home.
“There was comfortability in staying local and being told, ‘Do you want to go to a winning program,’” said Hart.
The idea of winning and being far enough from home but close enough to return if she so chose helped seal the deal, and Hart signed for NKU.
Little did she know that NKU would be the start of an incredible journey, both as a player and coach.
In the fall of 2004, a young Hart would begin her college career and move into the newly built University Suites, a dorm facility still used by students and Hart’s players today.
“There are many things that are still the same, mainly the people, who are really down to earth. I always felt comfortable with my professors and that I could approach them,” said Hart.
The main differences she notes from her time as a player to a coach are the changes that have been made to the campus. Griffin Hall and the Health Innovation Center sparkle at night, while Truist Arena sits tall on the edge of campus, drawing in fans for basketball as they put on a show.
As a student, Hart would work the basketball games, and the student atmosphere within Regents was one of her favorite memories.
“I worked in the ticket booth, and the games were always sold out. It was a smaller environment than today but much louder,” said Hart.
Those memories wouldn’t be the last or the best Hart would make in Regents Hall.
Hart’s playing career for the Norse is a story in its own right, with her being inducted into the Hall of Fame at NKU for her achievements. However, the humble and modest coach would rather it remain a chapter in her larger story.
Her tenacity could be seen both on and off the court and were reflected in the awards she received as a student-athlete. She is the all-time NKU kills leader with 1,850, second for block assists with 291 and seventh for digs with 1,191.
Some of her standout awards included being named Great Lakes Valley Conference Freshman of the year in 2004, NCAA Top 30 Woman of the Year and Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Year in 2008.
The success didn’t end on the court for Hart as she also excelled in the classroom. She gained two bachelor’s degrees, one in socialized education in high school, with a focus on secondary, and her second in history. She would also go on to gain a master’s degree in school counseling.
Throughout college, Hart was unsure of where her future career path would lead. She always had a passion for serving younger people, and teaching was her initial plan.
“When I was doing my student teaching, I realized a lot of my students weren’t having their basic needs met, and that inspired me to want to go into school counseling,” said Hart.
Whilst pursuing her Master’s in school counseling, she acted as the graduate assistant for the NKU volleyball team, thanks to a graduate scholarship from the NCAA.
It was during her time as a graduate assistant that Hart found her passion and love for coaching, discovering that she could help and serve young people in a way she had never considered.
Her relationship with counseling and academics has helped shape the coach Hart is today. Rather than focus on performance and statistical outcome, the coach treats her players as individuals and adults.
Her organization and regular communication allow the players to feel seen and recognized. As a former player herself, Hart understands the rigors that come with being a student-athlete and wants her players to graduate and thrive in the world.
Debbie Kirch, former associate athletic director for compliance, worked with Hart for nine years and couldn’t see anyone else coaching the NKU volleyball program. Hart and Kirch worked closely together, bonding over Kirch’s past as a volleyball coach for Green-Bay Wisconsin.
“What a great coach she is, she does it the right way,” Kirch said about Hart’s drive to fight for her players both on the court and in the classroom.
Although she may not yet rival Hart with her time spent at NKU, sixth year Abby Kanakry is an experienced member of the volleyball team.
The two veterans have formed a close relationship over the years. “She is a mom away from home, I trust her a lot and go to her about anything outside of volleyball,” said Kanakry.
Over the course of the pandemic, Kanakry shares the bingo card created by Hart, used to keep the team connected and entertained during lockdown. Hart’s Cincinnati girl shines through the bingo card as she shares the city she loves with her players. Some of the standout activities being “Enjoy Graeter’s Ice Cream or a Creamy Whip” or “Picnic at Devou Park Overseeing the City”.
This feeling of family can be felt in the small things Coach Hart does, as well as around her players, who radiate the positive energy she is so often seen carrying.
Nestled in her office, it is easy to feel part of the Hart family. Pictures of her family sit atop her desk and her trophies glimmer in the sunlight by the window.
Her eldest son James, who was born at the end of the conference season in 2014, sits patiently outside the open door, not wanting to disturb his mother’s story.
“No mom it was 2022, the year of the Tiger!” says Ellie. Although she is only seven, the young girl is already her mother’s twin, the same glimmer in her eyes as she corrects Hart on her youngest brother Thomas’ birthday.
Who knows what her passion will evolve to be, a veterinarian or maybe even a volleyball star?
No one would be surprised if she chose volleyball. After all, who needs a princess for a role model when your mother is Coach Liz Hart.
