KUUSAMO, Finland – After four historic years playing for the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi volleyball program,
Kyndal Payne will extend her volleyball career into the professional realm after signing a contract with Pölkky Kuusamo.
Pölkky Kuusamo, founded in 1966, is located in Kuusamo, Finland as Payne will head overseas to compete in the Finnish Women's Volleyball League. The season will be played from January to April for 2025.
"My time here at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is something I will be forever grateful for," said Payne. "My teammates and coaching staff have truly made the past four years better than I could have ever imagined. I feel so lucky to have found a place that has helped me grow into the volleyball player, leader, friend, and person I am today. I am so excited for this next chapter of my life playing professional volleyball and getting to see the world while doing so. Polkky is a championship-winning team, and I look forward to being able to join them this season. I cannot thank Steve [Greene] enough for all he has done to help prepare me to play at the next level. Steve has given me the confidence to chase after something I have always wanted, and I couldn't have done it without him and the rest of the coaching staff."
Payne leaves the Island after making arguably untouchable history on the Islanders Volleyball program as the first-ever two-time AVCA All-American and just second three-time AVCA All-Region honoree. She concluded her career on the biggest stage as the Islanders took on No. 3 Texas in the NCAA First Round after she helped the Islanders punch their ticket back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since her freshman season (2021).
Overall, Payne helped the program to three Southland Conference Championships and two trips to the NCAA Tournament, and was named the SLC Player of the Year in both 2022 and 2023.
She finished her time with the Islanders ranked first in program history in career kills (1,658) and total attacks (4,209), second in kills per set (3.80) and solo blocks (96), sixth in digs (1,132) and eighth in total blocks (192). Payne is also the only player in program history to record both over 1,500 kills and 1,000 digs.
"Kyndal is the epitome of everything I look for and hope that our women become while here on the Island," said A&M-Corpus Christi head coach
Steve Greene. "She carries herself with confidence, is always looking to help others, is passionate and excels in everything she puts her mind to. She has set the bar extremely high for current and future Islanders and everyone attached to our volleyball program. Kyndal is truly an ambassador for Islanders Volleyball and for Island U and I am so thankful to have had the pleasure of coaching her the last four years. I am so proud of everything that Kyndal has accomplished, and I am excited to see her shine professionally over the next several years."
It is the second year in a row that an Islanders Volleyball player continued on to a professional league after setter
Belle Morgan signed a contract to play in Puerto Rico at the conclusion of the 2023 season.
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