Sports360AZ
By Kavish Siddhartha
Kyah Zurek, a dynamic winger, is taking her talents to the University of Portland Pilots.
She’s ready to make her mark on Division I soccer with electrifying speed and scoring ability.
Kyah, an Arizona native adopted from China at a young age, grew up playing various sports including tennis, gymnastics, and running, before dedicating herself fully to soccer.
Prior to committing to the University of Portland, she excelled with her club team, SC del Sol, where her years of competitive play helped prepare her for the collegiate level.
“For club soccer, it was super fun,” Kyah said. “I always love playing with those girls. I’ve known some of them since I was ten years old playing on the olympic development program teams. It was always super competitive with them at club practice, and honestly just working hard because all of us have similar goals…Eight of us went D-1 and almost everybody committed to playing collegiate ball so we were all just pretty focused.”
After graduating early from Casteel High School in Queen Creek, Kyah moved to Portland for the 2024 spring semester. In just a few short months, she has begun to cultivate relationships with her teammates and coaches in her new home.
“I’ve been here for a couple months now and it’s better than I possibly could have hoped and dreamed of to be honest,” Kyah said. “I know a lot of other programs just don’t have that same cultural aspect and Portland seriously has it all. I get so excited when we have a new recruit. We have this thing in my class where we want to have a 100% success rate for our recruits because we want people to come here and want them to enjoy their visit and have fun with us. Seriously, everybody is just so nice and kind and it’s continued to be that way.”
One of Kyah’s greatest strengths is her ability to adapt on the field, allowing her to be deployed strategically in various positions wherever the team needs her. Taylor Norman, Pilots defender and Kyah’s roommate, shared insights into Kyah’s dynamic play-style and unique skills.
“Kyah’s a very versatile player from what I’ve seen so far,” Norman said. “She’s played from anywhere from outside back to winger to center forward. She’s very aggressive, don’t let her size fool you. She’s very fast paced on the ball and very speedy.”
While Kyah surely benefits from the guidance of her new teammates and coaches, she also has mentors outside the sport, such as NBA Hall of Famer Steve Nash, who provides her with valuable support and advice. The former two-time MVP and owner of the Vancouver Whitecaps sees the effort and grit Kyah has that could propel her to the next level.
“Kyah trains like a pro already,” Nash said. “She’s very direct in her playing style and isn’t afraid to get on the ball and express herself. Having a strong personality is so important to being a top athlete and while she’s still developing she has the personality that wants to show what she can do. That’s a great ingredient.”
Nash has enjoyed seeing Kyah’s immense growth over the years and often acts as a sounding board for Kyah if she has any questions or needs advice.
“I don’t have to do much, she’s really driven,” Nash said. “I’m just here along the way if she needs to bounce something off me or is going through something new or difficult that I could share my experiences with. It’s been really fun to see her develop a passion for the game from a young age, stick with it and continue to develop.”
While Kyah’s mentality and drive make her a fierce competitor on the field, she is equally supportive and positive presence off the field.
“Kyah is probably one of the funniest people that I’ve ever met,” Norman said. “She’s very kind and caring. If you ever need anything, you can ask her and she’d be down to do it without a second thought. She puts her friends and teammates first and that’s very special.”
Kyah is eagerly anticipating the upcoming season and her next four years at the University of Portland, where she plans to double major in political science and psychology. Her goal for the season is to contribute to the team in any way she can, whether by playing on the field or supporting her teammates from the sidelines.
“As a freshman, I want to immediately make an impact here,” Kyah said. “I want to get more comfortable with the team on the field…be an impact player whether that’s starting or coming off the bench. Last spring season I played left and right back a lot on defense, and typically I’m a forward. [I’m] just keeping the coachability and versatility up because I mean if you’re on the
field you can’t complain right?”
