(RDP Athletics)

By RDP Athletics

Frankie Santini and Nicholas Possingham

RDP Athletics announces Athletes of the Week

Nov 28, 2022 | 3:00 PM

Red Deer Polytechnic Athletics has announced its Fas Gas RDP Athletes of the Week.

1. Frankie Santini

Hometown: West Vancouver, BC – Justice Studies (2nd year)

Libero Frankie Santini was a crucial acquisition for the Queens Volleyball program this past off-season as they graduated two defensive specialist’s last season. Since the start of the season, she has received multiple player of the game honours and her efforts throughout the year so far have not gone unnoticed as she is named this week’s Female Athlete of the Week.

She was a key player to the success of the Queens back-to-back victories against the Lethbridge College Kodiaks, who were sitting first in the South Division coming into this past weekend. She picked up a total of 17 digs and 45 receptions in the two games against the Kodiaks. In one rally on Friday night, she dug up four desperation digs for her team to keep them in the rally and ultimately, win the point. Santini was all over the court on Friday and Saturday as she was not going to give up on any ball no matter how far or where it was on the court even if it meant putting the body on the line.

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Head Coach Talbot had nothing but praise for his libero.

“We knew coming in that she was a very competitive player. She expects a lot from herself and has that eagerness to defend on every ball. When you got that kind of package and someone who’s willing to go crazy on every ball defensively then she gives herself the best chance to dig up the ball and continue the rally for her team.”

Santini and the Queens will look to continue their successes into the second semester and hopefully, into the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference Championships in February hosted by Red Deer Polytechnic.

2. Nicholas Possingham

Hometown: Heathfield, South Australia Bachelor of Arts Psychology (2nd year)

The man from down under, Nicholas Possingham, was a key player for his team in the sweeping of the Lethbridge College Kodiaks this past weekend. The Kings dropped zero sets and would run away with six straight sets to defeat a Kodiaks team, who was ranked number three in the nation before the weekend.

Coming into the two matches, they only had one loss and sat atop of the South Division standings. But the Kings now sit first in the division before the Christmas break with an 8-1 record and Possingham has been a key player to the success of the team so far this season. He finished with 19 total kills, four service aces and eight digs. He was all over the court on defense and offence. In the Friday night match, Possingham was really efficient in his offensive game as he finished with an 82 per cent kill rating.

Nicholas Possingham. (RDP Athletics)

At the halfway mark, he has 76 kills, five service aces and 47 digs. He is the man that can be seen in all aspects of the volleyball game and will be looked upon as the Kings make their championship run.

As the students prepare for the end of the semester with studying for exams and final projects for their classes, no sports action will be happening this week and the following weeks up until the weekend of January 13 when conference action will continue for RDP Athletics.

Kings Volleyball bring out the “mo” in Movember

Movember was formed back in 2003 in Australia, when two men decided to bring back the moustache that had disappeared from fashion trends. Over the next 19 years, it became even more popular as the previous year and has seen 6.5 million “Mo Bros” and “Mo Sisters” support the cause around the world. Last year alone, Canada raised $24.6 million and 80.5 per cent of the money raised was allocated to men’s health projects.

Over the past number of years, the Kings Volleyball program have joined their brothers, fathers, friends and partners by growing out their facial hair to raise awareness for things like prostate and testicular cancer, mental health, and suicide prevention. This year they were not going to stop their trend. The men’s volleyball team has been growing out their facial hair since November 1 to continue their fight to take action in this health crisis.

Head Coach Aaron Schulha explained the college men like to do it because it gives them a reason to grow out their moustaches and beards but added that in some way or another, all of them have been impacted by someone battling cancer.

“This is really important to our group. I think we all have been impacted in one way or another, so it is the matter of giving back a little and showing that we are doing the right things in the community. It is really good for the guys to be giving back to the community that has supported them over the years whether it was with donations to the program or just coming out on game day and cheering us on.”

The Kings Volleyball program is raising funds and awareness this Movember for all the dads, brothers, sons and mates in their lives. In the past, the men’s volleyball program has done a head shave for cancer and every year, they are always volunteering at the Terry Fox Run.