Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) Athletics is very proud to announce Lauren Junck (Queens Volleyball) and Brett Theise (Kings Volleyball) as the Boston Pizza RDP Athletes of the Week:
Lauren Junck
Queens Volleyball
Program – Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (3rd)
Hometown – Red Deer, Alberta
Lauren Junck, a third-year outside hitter, was a key cog in the Queens’ bronze medal performance at the 2025 Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) Women’s Volleyball Championship in Camrose.
On Thursday, Junck had a game-high 14 kills, along with two service aces, two digs and a block, helping the RDP Queens sweep the NAIT Ooks (25-21, 25-16 and 25-22).
In Friday’s semi-final, Red Deer’s Junck contributed eight kills, seven digs, two blocks and one ace in a fourset defeat to the Lakeland College Rustlers.
As the championship progressed, Junck’s impact grew. In the bronze medal match, the Bachelor of Arts in Psychology student accumulated a game-high 16 kills (0.619). She added four service aces and four digs, helping the RDP Queens defeat The King’s University Eagles in straight sets (29-27, 25-23 and 25-21) and earn bronze.
Junck was named to the ACAC Women’s Volleyball Championship Tournament All-Star team for her outstanding contributions. Prior to the start of the championship, Junck was recognized as the ACAC Women’s Volleyball South Player of the Year and a member of the South All-Conference team.
Brett Theise
Kings Volleyball
Program – Business Administration – General Management (5th)
Hometown – Swift Current, Saskatchewan
Setter Brett Theise played an integral role in the Red Deer Polytechnic Kings Volleyball team winning gold at the ACAC Men’s Volleyball Championship in Lloydminster.
In the Kings’ opening match, Theise contributed nine assists, six kills and five digs in RDP’s three-set victory over the University of Alberta Augustana Vikings (25-19, 25-21 and 25-13).
Then in the semi-final, Theise, a Business Administration – General Management student, recorded 34 assists, 13 kills, three digs and two blocks, helping the Kings sweep the host Lakeland College Rustlers (25-20, 25-23 and 25-17).
In the gold medal match, Swift Current’s Theise stacked up 31 assists, two digs, one block and an ace in the Kings’ four-set win over the Lethbridge Polytechnic Kodiaks (25-23, 22-25, 25-16 and 25-18). This was the RDP Kings’ 21st ACAC gold medal in program history.
Theise was honoured as the ACAC Men’s Volleyball Championship Tournament MVP. Before the competition, he was also named to the ACAC Men’s Volleyball South All-Conference team.
Theise and the RDP Kings will compete at the 2025 Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Men’s Volleyball National Championship from March 5-8 in Niverville, Manitoba. The Providence Pilots will host the event.
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