By RDC Athletics

Queens Volleyball with plenty to prove in 2018-19

Oct 8, 2018 | 11:15 AM

After winning Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) bronze last season, the RDC Queens Volleyball team retooled their roster with seven new student-athletes, seven returning Queens and one transfer to help replace several significant graduates.

Head Coach Chris Wandler sees 2018 – 19 as a year for others to get their chance to step up.

“There’s a lot of opportunity this season, even for the third-years who didn’t get a lot of time the past couple of seasons,” says Wandler. “But it’s their time. It’s their group.”

Miranda Dawe, Chanelle Kayser and Megan Schmidt all completed their fifth-year and have moved on.

Kelly Heinemann, Kaylee Domoney, Katrina Dawe, Nicole Davis, Jade Van Dyke, McKenna Olson and Britt Davis all return this season.

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“I look for the returning Queens to lead by example, that’s the big thing. They know what it takes to compete,” says Wandler. “We hope that all the young players will follow them. If they do what they are capable of doing, without trying to do too much then they will be fine.”

Davis, a third-year Queen, knows the importance of providing guidance on a young team.

“This year, I need to step more into a leadership role,” says Davis, an outside hitter. “I am one of the older players on the team and I need to show all of the younger ladies what it means to be a Queen – to inspire them to be better and really motivate them to get them to where they want to be with their skills.”

Central Albertans, Sydney Rix (Red Deer), Emma Holmes (Red Deer), Alexandria Greenshields (Red Deer) and Megan Steenbergen (Sylvan Lake) join the RDC Queens this season, along with other first-years, Brook Ure (Summerland), Natalie Bloeman (Edmonton) and Parres Holliday (Cochrane).

“From the first-years I expect progress,” says Wandler. “Just making sure that they are always learning a little bit more than they did the previous day.”

One noteworthy transfer is Erin Neufeldt, a third-year outside hitter who comes to RDC from SAIT. Wandler was impressed with her play in exhibition, especially in a five-set victory over Grande Prairie.

“Erin had a fantastic match and she is a heck of an athlete,” says Wandler. “In the three years that I have watched her, that was the best that I’ve seen her play.”

The Queens had their first taste of ACAC exhibition competition this season when they hosted the RDC Volleyball Invitational Tournament, September 28 – 29. The Queens won three out of four matches and then defeated Olds on October 3 to finish the preseason with a solid 4 – 1 record.

Wandler likes the Queens’ development so far. “As far as the weekend when we hosted the tournament, it is different than last year. We are young and inexperienced so we are trying to figure out how to work together, how to win and how to execute,” says Wandler. “It’s coming along. Things are progressing the way that we thought it would but it will take some time for this version of the Queens to form.”

The Queens will open the regular season on Friday, October 12 in the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre at 6:00 p.m. against the Lethbridge College Kodiaks.

(Brent Forster – RDC)