University of North Carolina Athletics
Kaya Merkler: Thriving in Front of Hometown Roots
October 18, 2021 | Volleyball
CHAPEL HILL - Growing up in Chapel Hill, Kaya Merkler thought one day she'd play for Carolina.
Not in Carmichael Arena, though, but at Dorrance Field for the UNC soccer team.
"I never wanted to play volleyball at the start," she said.
The 6-foot-3 middle hitter grew up in an athletic family.
Her parents, Kristopher and Elif, met as student-athletes at Yale. Her mom was on the volleyball team while her dad was part of the Bulldog ice hockey squad. Her uncle Keith also played ice hockey at Princeton.
Kaya crossed off playing volleyball and hockey early on, not wanting to follow in her parents' footsteps.
"Those were sports I didn't want to do, ever," she said.
At the start of middle school, Kaya was focused on nothing but playing soccer. After being sidelined with a knee injury, however, her mom decided she should switch to a new sport.
“She gave me a week to pick one and I ended up with volleyball,” she said. "She told me I had to try it."
Kaya went to several local volleyball open gyms before deciding to give the sport a more serious try.
That's when she joined the Chapel Hill Area Volleyball Club. She played there for four years before transitioning over to Triangle Volleyball at age 16. At Triangle, she met and was coached by current Carolina volleyball assistant coach Mike Schall.
"The one defining trait of Kaya is that she is always competing," Schall said. "That trait in an athlete usually transitions well into college. With what we have seen from her so far at Carolina, she has proved that true."
During her freshman year of high school, Merkler verbally committed to Carolina.
"I was 14 when I met the coaches in-person here and toured the school," she said. "After looking at a bunch of schools, I knew I wanted to go to Carolina."
In high school, Kaya played for Chapel Hill High School where she was a member of the varsity volleyball team for all four years.
As a Tiger, she led the team to a runner-up finish at the North Carolina State 3A Championship game as a freshman and sophomore. As a senior, Chapel Hill won a 2019 NCHSAA High School 3A State Championship, where Kaya was named MVP.
Being so close to her high school and home, when she transitioned to college, she brought a strong fan-base with her.
"People hype me up so much," Kaya said. "My sister and old teammates will always come to games and watch. It makes me so happy."
Her parents are happy she chose to say close by, too.
"We love having her play close to home because we get to see more of the games in-person," her mom, Elif, said.
"From a young age, she wanted to play for Carolina. It's really cool to see to see her living that dream and being recognized for her connection to Chapel Hill."
She has already thrived in her short time as a Tar Heel.
Kaya currently owns the second-highest hitting percentage in the ACC (.429), racking up 140 kills, a team-best 63 blocks (14 solo, 49 block assists), and has made just 28 attacking errors in 60 sets played.
But she doesn't forget the team that helped get her to Carolina.
When has time, she sometimes finds herself back in the Chapel Hill High School gymnasium, watching her sister Susa, a sophomore outside hitter, and former team play.
"I try to go to as many games as I can to support her and the team," she said.
After graduating from Carolina, Kaya isn't sure what her plans are for the future yet.
"I'm undecided about if I want to play overseas," she said.
"If I did, I would want to go somewhere where I could learn and develop a language. I'm also debating about whether or not I want to go to medical school right now, too."
Whatever comes next for her, she knows what she has at UNC now is special, surrounded by her friends and family who are right down the road.
"Being able to step on the court in Carmichael and wear the Carolina jersey is so special," she said.
"I feel so lucky."
