Nyah Petcu '24 Recruiting Profile

My name is Nyah Petcu and I am a young and ambitious student-athlete who strives to excel in everything I do. As early as I can remember, I have been around sports and sports facilities - both of my parents grew up playing a variety of competitive sports; my father played national-level volleyball and beach soccer and went on to become a physical education teacher and coach. 

I am currently a starter on an elite club team (Neftçi PFK) that participates in the Azerbaijan Women’s First League, as well as for my school soccer team competing in the Central and Eastern European Schools Association. During the 21/22 season, I was part of the Neftçi PFK roster that won the U17 National Championship. In January 2020 I was invited to join the Azerbaijan U17 National Team for their preparations for the U17 European Qualifiers. However, after three months of camp, I was not able to experience the qualifiers due to UEFA’s eligibility for international players. During the 2020/2021 season, I had the opportunity to play in twelve games in the Romanian Women’s 1st League (Liga 1 Feminin) with FC Fair-Play Bucharest as we got stuck in Romania due to the global pandemic. The learning curve was huge! As a fifteen-year-old, I played alongside and against players with significantly more experience which pushed me to improve all aspects of my game. 

I am a “third culture kid” (Canadian mother; Romanian father) and although I was born in British Columbia, Canada, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to live overseas since I was three months old (Peru, Indonesia, Romania, and currently Azerbaijan). Growing up abroad and traveling extensively has been foundational in shaping me into the global-minded citizen I am today. Relocating provided me with a number of challenges; making new friends, navigating my way/building relationships with new teammates, and adapting to a variety of coaching styles. It has shaped me into a resilient, hard-working, and coachable player who believes in the power of the group.

I feel very excited about the new experiences ahead of me. If my teammates, schoolmates, friends, and coaches would have the opportunity to describe me, I believe that they will say that I am a resilient, responsible, and outgoing student-athlete who positively contributes to the group dynamics. 

I look forward to the opportunity to be part of a challenging and dynamic environment that fosters growth athletically, academically, as well as personally.